The Real Reason 'Dazed & Confused' Isn't Mentioned In 'Boyhood'

July 11, 2014, 1:14 pm

≫ Next: Harvard Rugby Team Makes A Play To Celebrate Strength And Beauty

≪ Previous: Meet Arc Waves, A Brooklyn Band Breaking The Mold

$

0

0

There is perhaps one huge cultural milestone missing from Richard Linklater's "Boyhood": the universally appreciated teen experience of watching "Dazed & Confused." It's practically a right of passage to watch Linklater's 1993 classic, but in an interview with HuffPost Live, Linklater and Ellar Coltrane, the star of "Boyhood," said the main character would never have watched the film. "I have a theory about the Linklater multiverse, so it's the same universe in which 'Dazed & Confused' happens, so I don't think that movie exists in the 'Boyhood' universe," Coltrane said.

"Boyhood" is out in limited release now. Watch the full interview with Linklater by heading here.

---

Harvard Rugby Team Makes A Play To Celebrate Strength And Beauty

July 11, 2014, 1:26 pm

≫ Next: These Wrestlers Have Absolutely No Words For Us

≪ Previous: The Real Reason 'Dazed & Confused' Isn't Mentioned In 'Boyhood'

$

0

0

When they're not charging their opponents, one women's rugby team is tackling the body love revolution.



Members of the Harvard Women's Rugby team shot a series of photographs celebrating body love and acceptance featured on their Tumblr blog, Rugged Grace.

Over the course of two days in May 2014, the women photographed themselves at the Kundalini Yoga Boston studio. The team decided to celebrate body love by sharing what they loved about each woman's body and personality, and writing those messages on each others' skin.

"The project was inspired by the amazing body positivity and acceptance that we saw on our team," rising senior Helen Clark told The Huffington Post in an email. "It's so refreshing to see a group of women being proud of the strength they've achieve through hours of training, and to see them celebrating the physical manifestations of that strength. While many female athletes struggle to balance societal expectations that say women should be small and delicate with the expectation that athletes need to be strong, our team has created a culture that celebrates every kind of body."



Shelby Lin, a player who graduated this summer, told The Huffington Post that the process reaffirmed the appreciation the team members had for each other:

We simply asked our teammates to write what they loved about each other, and refrained from giving much direction or expectations. From that there was an outpouring of appreciation about each others bodies, attitudes, and characters. I didn't expect the process to be so emotional, but after each day I felt full of pride for the women involved and how much we respect both ourselves and each other.

Outgoing senior Xanni Brown told HuffPost how playing rugby has made her more aware of the body image pressures women face, and equipped her with the tools to withstand them.

"This team didn't ask me to change anything about myself, just to love my teammates exactly as they were too," she wrote in an email. "I hadn't even really realized before then how many messages I was getting -- that all girls get -- about ways they should change."



According to Clark, the team is hopeful that their images will inspire other women to love their bodies as they are.

"We are hoping that people will be inspired by the photographs to celebrate their own strength and to recognize the beauty of the women in their lives," she told HuffPost. "We want to send the message that women's bodies are not merely decorations for billboards and magazine advertisements, but rather the physical presentation of strong, powerful people."




See more of these inspiring images on the original Tumblr.

These Wrestlers Have Absolutely No Words For Us

July 11, 2014, 1:29 pm

≫ Next: How To Photograph A Wedding Like A Total A**hole

≪ Previous: Harvard Rugby Team Makes A Play To Celebrate Strength And Beauty

$

0

0

We knew the Internet was full of buried gems, but this video -- uploaded way back in 2011 by Carlos C. -- wins (the wrestling match of) the day.

While we're certainly familiar with wrestlers yelling in the heat of the moment, we've never really paid attention to what comes right before they let loose: the gigantic, blustering inhale. And this hilariously weird compilation gives us plenty of that.

Who knew belabored silence could be so funny?

How To Photograph A Wedding Like A Total A**hole

July 11, 2014, 1:43 pm

≫ Next: First Spectacular Supermoon Of 2014 Will Peak This Saturday

≪ Previous: These Wrestlers Have Absolutely No Words For Us

$

0

0

The best advice we have for wedding guests who fancy themselves photographers is to leave the picture-taking duties to the professionals.

Unfortunately, there is always going to be someone who doesn't heed that advice. In a new video from the Toronto Star's Master Glass series, photographer Randy Risling gives his tips to guarantee you'll be the very worst person holding a camera at the wedding.

[h/t Reddit]

Keep in touch! Check out HuffPost Weddings on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Sign up for our newsletter here.

First Spectacular Supermoon Of 2014 Will Peak This Saturday

July 11, 2014, 2:05 pm

≫ Next: Just TRY Not To Laugh At This Map Of Dirty-Sounding Places From Around The World

≪ Previous: How To Photograph A Wedding Like A Total A**hole

$

0

0

Not one, and not two, but we've got a summer full of three "supermoons" ahead of us -- and the first one is set to peak this Saturday at 7:25 a.m. EDT.

These supermoons -- July 12, Aug. 10 and Sept. 9 -- will appear even bigger and brighter than the average full moon.

What makes these moons so spectacular? A supermoon, also known as a "perigee moon," occurs when a moon turns full around the same time it reaches "perigee," the closest point to Earth along its elliptical orbit.

While this may sound like a rare event, Geoff Chester of the U.S. Naval Observatory told NASA Science News that it’s actually relatively common. Just check out the video above.

“Generally speaking, full moons occur near perigee every 13 months and 18 days, so it’s not all that unusual,” he said. “In fact, just last year there were three perigee Moons in a row, but only one was widely reported.”

On Saturday, the moon will be 222,611 miles away from Earth -- that's 30,000 miles closer than at its farthest distance in 2014. The moon will be at its closest this year on Aug. 10, when it will be 221,748 miles from Earth.

"I guarantee that some folks will think it's the biggest moon they've ever seen if they catch it rising over a distant horizon, because the media will have told them to pay attention to this particular one," Chester told NASA Science News.

Send us your supermoon photos this weekend! You can tweet your photos with hashtag #HPsupermoon. Or, you can submit them directly to our "Supermoon 2014" slideshow below. We'll be collecting user photos from all over, and yours may be featured!

Just TRY Not To Laugh At This Map Of Dirty-Sounding Places From Around The World

July 11, 2014, 2:36 pm

≫ Next: The Only Guide You Need To The Best Flea Markets In America

≪ Previous: First Spectacular Supermoon Of 2014 Will Peak This Saturday

$

0

0

Finally, an interactive map designed for everyone’s inner 12-year-old.

Geotechnologist Gary Gale compiled a list of dirty-sounding or crassly named places in the world and put them on a map, titled “Vaguely Rude Place Names Of The World,” for everyone to enjoy, the Verge notes.

In a blog post about the making of the map, Gale says that his creation essentially a celebration of British humor.

"Focus on that trait of innuendo for a moment. Could you possibly combine the British fondness for innuendo with geography and put it on a map? It turns out you can,” he wrote. “So I did. It may be vaguely NSFW but there’s real geographical data behind this.”

(Story continues below)


Users can zoom out or in on the map to get a better look at which parts of the world have the most dirty named places. (We can’t help but notice how few there are in Canada and Russia.)

A few chuckle-worthy places include Wanks River in Nicaragua, Bastardtown in Ireland, Chinaman’s Knob in Australia and Mianus in Connecticut.

The map was posted in February 2013, but hey, it's never too late to share something this funny. You're welcome.

Check out the map, linked here, for all the real-world hilarity.

The Only Guide You Need To The Best Flea Markets In America

July 11, 2014, 3:25 pm

≫ Next: Pablo Neruda Will Walk The Streets Of Chile's Capital, 40 Years After His Death

≪ Previous: Just TRY Not To Laugh At This Map Of Dirty-Sounding Places From Around The World

$

0

0

You can find anything at a flea market -- weird, life-sized dummies, ancient weapons and, you know, more mainstream things like vintage furniture and antiques. Summer is the unofficial flea market season. And while there are many to choose from, there is, of course, a difference between the "good" flea markets and the more disappointing ones filled with tube socks. We've rounded up the more promising markets in the country by region, so you can start planning your weekends now. If we missed any, let us know in the comments!



NEW ENGLAND (MAINE-CONNECTICUT)

Brimfield, Massachusetts. The Brimfield Antique And Collectibles Show trends towards the pricier end of the spectrum (buyers from Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger and other design houses are very much present), but bargains still can be had at this massive flea market. (My pro tip: Go there for the vintage clothes. Less competition for clothing means incredible buys.) 2014 show dates: July 8-13 and September 2-7.


A view of one of the vendor areas at Brimfield.

Charlestown, Rhode Island. The General Stanton Inn Flea Market has been in business for nearly 50 years. Open Saturdays & Sundays, April-October.

Harwinton, Connecticut. The Harwinton Antiques & Design Weekend (previously the Farmington Antiques weekend) is exactly how it sounds: A weekend dedicated to all things antique. The weekend in question? August 30-31.



MID-ATLANTIC (NEW YORK - NEW JERSEY - PENNSYLVANIA)
Stormville, New York. The Stormville Airport Antiques Show & Flea Market boasts over 600 vendors across a wide range of categories. The next market is August 30-31.

Brooklyn, New York (multiple locations). The Brooklyn Flea has become its own brand, spawning a handful of "pop up" locations in the region. The carefully-vetted vendors sell incredible handmade and vintage goods, but bargain-hunters take note: You'll be paying NYC prices. For more details on locations and hours, visit Brooklyn Flea.


A view of the Brooklyn Flea Market, held at the Willamsburg Bank.

Trenton, New Jersey (and other locations). The Punk Rock Flea Market pops up in multiple locations throughout the year, but the next one is in Trenton on August 3. The "punk rock" name is a bit of a misnomer -- though you can find your fair share of records, there are also vintage clothes, collectibles, toys and more. For more info, check out the Punk Rock Flea Market Facebook page.

Lambertville, New Jersey. The Golden Nugget Antique Flea Market is a designer favorite, nestled a short car ride away from antique destinations New Hope, Pennsylvania and Frenchtown, New Jersey. Antiques can be a little pricier (always expected when designers "discover" a market), but deals can still be had. Open year-round on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Kutztown, Pennsylvania. The Antique and Collector's Extravaganza takes place three times a year; the next date is September 25-27. Visit the antique and farmer's markets, also on premises (which are open year-round).

THE SOUTH (MARYLAND-TEXAS)

Baltimore, Maryland. Starting July 12, the BMore Flea takes over the Inner Harbor every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.


Prints at the BMore flea, when it was held outside of Penn Station.

Chantilly, Virginia. The Big Flea pops up in multiple locations, but at this D.C. branch, over 600 vendors will pack the Dulles Expo Center July 19-20. For more dates and locations, visit The Big Flea.

Cumming, Georgia. The Lakewood 400 Antiques Market is an "upscale" market with vintage and, yes, antique furnishings and accessories. Multiple dates; next one's July 18-20.

Daytona, Florida. The Daytona Flea & Farmer's Market can be a mixed bag, but it's a huge one that can yield treasures at bargain prices. It's open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Miami, Florida. With 125 dealers covering antiques from 1900-1960, the Lincoln Road Antique & Collectible Market of Miami Beach is the place to find your vintage furniture happy place. While the 2014 dates have passed, 2013 saw dates into October-December. Check back with the Lincoln Road website to see if that's true this year.

Fort Smith, Arkansas. The Fort Smith Vintage Flea takes place on July 19 -- and it's thankfully indoors. Browse a selection of vintage goods, clothes, crafts and more.

Round Top, Texas. The Texas Antique Weekend happens twice a year in multiple Texas towns, over the course of three weeks. We're takling miles and miles of antiques. "It's hands-down our favorite flea market," says flea market shopping experts Amie and Jolie Sykes (who star in the "Junk Gypsies" reality show on GAC.) The next one is in September. Check out the Antique Weekend website for the full list.

THE MIDWEST (OHIO - THE DAKOTAS)

Springfield, Ohio. The Springfield Antique Show & Flea Market is held multiple times a year, featuring a comprehensive mix of vintage and antique goods.

Shipshewana, Indiana. The Shipshewana Auction & Flea Market is the Midwest's largest flea, featuring 900 vendors across 100 lots. It's open every Tuesday and Wednesday from May to October, with special extended hours on holiday weekends.

Chicago, Illinois. The Chicago Antique Market is part of the indoor-outdoor Randolph Street Market Festival. The eclectic mix of vintage, antiques, crafts, artisanal products and entertainment make this a must-see. Next one: July 26-27, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.


Vintage clothes at the Randolph Street Market.

What Cheer, Iowa. The What Cheer's Collectors' Paradise Flea Market is one of the major flea markets in the Midwest. As the name suggests, it's geared towards those who are more into the the "collectibles" end of the antique spectrum. Held three times a year, the next market is August 1-3.

Oronoco, Minnesota. Downtown Oronoco's Gold Rush Days feature hundreds of antiques dealers from the region. This year, the event will be held from August 15-17.

Ballwin, Missouri. The St. Louis Antique Show will be held September 19-21. You'll find the standard mix of antiques and vintage dealers, along with jewelry designers and artists.

Kansas City, Kansas. The Heritage Antique Show at Overland Park features 70+ vendors from across the country. This one's a bit later -- November 1-2.

THE WEST (CALIFORNIA-COLORADO)

Tempe, Arizona. Mark your calendars for October 4, when the Thieves Market Vintage Flea re-opens. It's got that quirky mix of vintage and handmade that always makes for great gift-giving.

Denver, Colorado. The Mile High Flea Market is a giant weekly market with a little bit of everything, but with some great antique deals if you're willing to hunt. Open Friday-Sunday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Boise, Idaho. The Treasure Valley Flea Market Expo Idaho happens five times a year, with the next one happening October 4-5. Lots of crafts, antiques and vintage.

Seattle, Washington. The Fremont Sunday Market has been a go-to since 1990, hosting a wide variety of vendors ranging from food to crafts to vintage dealers. As the name suggests, it's on Sundays, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (April - October) and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (November - March).

Portland, Oregon. The Summer Junk Fest is filled with handmade and vintage goods, plus music and "adult beverages." Now you know what you're doing on July 25.

Alameda, California. How popular is the Alameda Point Antiques Faire? So popular that its website advises visitors that filming often occurs at the market. It's a favorite of editors, designers and everyone else. Next one is August 3.


Antique shopping at the Alameda Point Antiques Faire. Photo by Kent K. Barnes.


San Francisco, California. The Treasure Island Flea highlights local artisans and businesses, offering an interesting mix of vintage and handmade. Check it out July 26-27.

Pasadena, California. Of course, we have to mention the Rosebowl Flea Market. The massive event is held the second Sunday of every month, with 2,500 vendors.

ALASKA & HAWAII

Anchorage, Alaska. The Anchorage Market & Festival is held Saturdays and Sundays in the summer. Though, the organizers hesitate to call it a traditional flea market -- instead of antiques and vintage, you'll find new items made by area artisans.

Honolulu, Hawaii. If you ever are in town for the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet & Marketplace, you'll want to brace yourself: It's a big affair. Held in, yes, the Aloha Stadium, it's a thrice-weekly event with over 400 vendors.


A view of the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet.

Pablo Neruda Will Walk The Streets Of Chile's Capital, 40 Years After His Death

July 11, 2014, 3:38 pm

≫ Next: A Contemporary Art Festival Has Infiltrated Russia

≪ Previous: The Only Guide You Need To The Best Flea Markets In America

$

0

0

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Forty years after his death, Pablo Neruda once again was writing and reciting love poems and he walked through Santiago's streets to the admiring gazes of Chileans — virtually, that is.

The Nobel Prize-winning poet was briefly visible Friday writing verses in the window of his former home in Santiago, which is now a museum. Then his projected figure set off, traveling across the facades of buildings and homes as he appeared to slowly stroll the capital's streets like he used to do when he was alive. The urban project was part of an initiative by the Pablo Neruda Foundation on the 110th anniversary of his birth, July 12, 1904.

A moving projector sent the black-and-white image of Chile's great poet against the front of buildings, giving the impression of him walking along the main avenues of Santiago, said Andrea Gana, creative director of Delight Lab, the company behind the virtual Neruda.

"It is a moving projection coming from a vehicle. As one projects the image on the facades of architecture ... it appears as if he is one more person walking," Gana said.

A speaker broadcast Neruda's verses so it seemed as if he was reading his poems as he walked.

The virtual poet was to stroll down streets near the museum and on Santiago's main Alameda avenue for four hours. The images of Neruda walking were taken from old films in the foundation's archives.

Neruda won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1971 after a prolific career, and he's still best known worldwide for his love poems.

He also was a leftist politician and diplomat, and a close friend of socialist President Salvador Allende, who committed suicide rather than surrender to troops during the Sept. 11, 1973, coup led by Gen. Augusto Pinochet.

Neruda, who was 69 at the time and suffered from prostate cancer, was traumatized by the coup and the persecution and killing of his friends.

He decided to go into exile. But just before he planned to leave, he was taken by ambulance to a clinic, where he died 12 days after the coup.

---

A Contemporary Art Festival Has Infiltrated Russia

July 11, 2014, 6:35 pm

≫ Next: Artist Makes World Cup Infinitely More Beautiful With Country-Themed Paper Masks

≪ Previous: Pablo Neruda Will Walk The Streets Of Chile's Capital, 40 Years After His Death

$

0

0

Over fifty five contemporary artists have gathered in St. Petersburg to infiltrate one of the world's oldest museums. Why? Because Manifesta, the nomadic European Biennial that sets up shop in a different city every two years to bridge the gap between East and West, fixed its sights on Russia for the 10th version of the festival.


Francis Alÿs, Draft for Lada Kopeika Project, 2014, Collage with gold leaf, 11.5 x 13 cm, courtesy of the artist and David Zwirner Gallery.

The timing couldn't have been worse. As curators began planning Manifesta 10, tensions between Ukraine -- a country undergoing yet another revolution -- and Russia intensified. Russian forces eventually flooded into Crimea, a disputed peninsula on the Black Sea between the two countries, and the world observed territorial annexation in the 21st century. While the diplomatic image of the former Soviet Union dipped below satisfactory, Russia's domestic affairs fared no better. Anti-gay legislation and state-led censorship peaked. Authoritarianism seemed all but on the rise for a nation spanning over one-eighth of planet Earth.

Despite the obvious obstacles, the Manifesta team forged forward. While some artists pulled their support of the biennial by boycotting, the festival remained steadfast. Manifesta curator Kasper König, along with State Hermitage Museum director M. Piotrovsky and Manifesta director Hedwig Fijen, made their intentions clear early on.

"Manifesta stands for artistic independence and has a responsibility to art and artists and those who wish to engage with the context in which we situate ourselves," Fijen stated in a press release last March. "Our work is one of debate, negotiation, mediation, and diplomacy, that does not shy away from the conflicts of our time. At a time when everything tends to be read through a geo-political lens, art is there to provide complexity and nuance.”


Marlene Dumas, Alan Turing, 2014. Ink on paper, 44 x 35 cm.Photo credit: Bernard Ruijgrok Piezographics. Copyright and courtesy: Marlene Dumas. Commissioned by Manifesta 10 Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Before the biennial officially opened on June 28, König and his team faced unfulfilled financial agreements with the city of St. Petersburg and a slew of other local bureaucratic setbacks that forced staff to go unpaid for two months. Now, more than two weeks into the biennial, Manifesta has left only some of the hurdles behind it. The show has, as they say, gone on anyway, and critical responses have been mixed thus far.

"A few terrific works don't make a great or telling exhibition," Adrian Searle wrote in The Guardian. "It all feels too wary. It offers too little conflict and not enough hope."

"There’s a refreshingly solid balance between male and female artists in the show," Alexander Forbes proclaimed in Artnet, describing the show as "a sort of anti-teleological view on artistic developments, both in aesthetics and society at large, since the fall of the Berlin Wall."

Like most art fairs of this scale, reviews will fluctuate, with some taking a shining to the way exhibitors and curators have framed 25 years of post-USSR art making, and others not. As far as the biennial's ability to raise questions in and around the art world, there's no denying the festival's power. From Marlene Dumas to Gerhard Richter, Nicole Eisenman to Wolfgang Tillmans, the participating artists confront violence and sexuality in ways that only shine a spotlight on the deficiencies of present day Eastern Europe -- even if those deficiencies have wound their way into Manifesta's temporary home.



Check out a preview of Manifesta 10, on view until October 31 in St. Petersburg's State Hermitage Museum, above and let us know your thoughts on the event in the comments.

Artist Makes World Cup Infinitely More Beautiful With Country-Themed Paper Masks

July 11, 2014, 6:35 pm

≫ Next: The Giant Red Ball That's Touring The Globe In The Name Of Art

≪ Previous: A Contemporary Art Festival Has Infiltrated Russia

$

0

0

Normally when we envision "team spirit," images of shirtless dudes covered in paint and beer holding large foam fingers come to mind. Spanish artist Sandra Suarez has provided a far more beautiful option.

The social media-savvy artist has embarked on an inspired collaboration with Instagram in honor of the World Cup. It goes by the name of #InstaMask. Suarez, who's long had a thing for masks, crafted several thousand of them, each colorfully designed for a different country and distributed them worldwide.



"The project arose by accident," Suarez explained in an email to The Huffington Post. "I had broken a pair of glasses at home and I decided to give them a second life by transforming them into a piece of art. I found it fun to do some photos and gradually I found myself making masks, this time with cardboard. One way to recycle and make a fun project."

The resulting project is what hashtags are made for, bringing people from all over the world together over a single, polychromatic cause. The vibrant disguises epitomize the many ways art, sports, the internet, even color itself, can help bring people together from all different backgrounds.

As for Suarez: What team has she been rooting for? "I'm from Spain so I hope [for] Spain. But I have lived one year in Italy and three years in Brazil. My husband is Brazilian so I have a divided heart."

Get a taste of the rainbow below and search #instamask for more.

Brazil:









USA:









Spain:







France:








England:





Italy:

The Giant Red Ball That's Touring The Globe In The Name Of Art

July 11, 2014, 6:35 pm

≫ Next: We're Not Exactly Sure What A JellyGummy Is, But We Love Them Anyway

≪ Previous: Artist Makes World Cup Infinitely More Beautiful With Country-Themed Paper Masks

$

0

0

There's a giant red ball roaming the planet, and when we say giant, we mean quite large.

At 15 feet and 250 pounds, the scarlet globe has been trekking to major cities all across the world, from Los Angeles to Paris to Perth to Taipei. Squeezed onto suspension bridges, smooshed between buildings and wedged ever so carefully inside lobbies, the little bit of public art just might be the universe's most adorable, inanimate traveler. It looks like this:



As you might have guessed, the massive orb does not in fact wander under its own volition. It's the product of Brooklyn-based artist Kurt Perschke, or, as we like to call him, the brain behind the ball.

"Through the RedBall Project I utilize my opportunity as an artist to be a catalyst for new encounters within the everyday," Perschke writes on the RedBall Project website. "On the surface, the experience seems to be about the ball itself as an object, but the true power of the project is what it can create for those who experience it... The larger arc of the project is how each city responds to that invitation and, over time, what the developing story reveals about our individual and cultural imagination."

The ball was last seen in Rennes, France as part of the Les Tombées de la Nuit arts festival, where it sat between two pillars, its chubby excess lurching out from behind the architecture. Next up, the sphere is heading to Galway, Ireland on July 17 until the 23, in conjunction with the Galway International Arts Festival.

If you catch sight of the wacky red globetrotter, the RedBall Project has alerted us to the appropriate hashtag -- #redballproject. Go forth and roll. And let us know -- how does this inflatable sight match up to its avian brother, the Giant Rubber Duck?




h/t designboom

We're Not Exactly Sure What A JellyGummy Is, But We Love Them Anyway

July 11, 2014, 6:35 pm

≫ Next: After Dark: Linda Simpson, Drag Queen Celebrity And Nightlife Personality

≪ Previous: The Giant Red Ball That's Touring The Globe In The Name Of Art

$

0

0

Imagine the lovechild of "Flubber" and the dancing baby from Ally McBeal, mixed with every computer game you ever loved in the '90s. You're beginning to understand the odd and undefinable breed known as "JellyGummies."

Sam Lyon, a Scotland-based illustrator, is the strange and brilliant mind behind the warped creatures, ranging form long nosed fish to mouldy trolls and pillow sprites. His lovable band of gelatinous weirdos will give you goosebumps as an adoring "aww" gushes from your lips. Go with it.


It's a pillow sprite, obviously


"JellyGummies have been slowly coming together for a while," Lyon explained to The Huffington Post. "The GIFs and jelly characters that I've been doing all started when I got into 3D sculpting at the beginning of the year. I noticed most of the things I was making had that kind of lumpy quality to them and I really liked it. I've been into traditional clay modeling for years but I love how versatile the digital version is, there's almost no end to what you can do with them."

Though Lyon creates the images, it was his fans who actually unified the nubbly bunch under a single moniker. Even Lyon himself isn't quite sure what their name means. "I think a JellyGummy is one of my lumpy, wobbly GIFs. I hadn't thought much about that until I started to hear other people's comments on the page, it does describe the wobbly characters quite well. I was going to say that a JellyGummy is anything I've made with a face, but I think it's still more general than that, maybe it's anything with that lumpiness they all have."

Somehow we're not all that surprised that JellyGummies resist classification. It seems to be in their ooey-gooey nature. For Lyon, the work always came before the words anyway. "My main aim is to make interesting looking things with weird textures and movements for people to look at," he explained. And weird they are.

See a selection of the gummy fellas below and let us know if you're as obsessed as we are in the comments.

After Dark: Linda Simpson, Drag Queen Celebrity And Nightlife Personality

July 12, 2014, 4:25 am

≫ Next: John Waters On His 'Carsick' Gay Porn Fantasy, Marriage Equality And Career Success

≪ Previous: We're Not Exactly Sure What A JellyGummy Is, But We Love Them Anyway

$

0

0

This is ninth installment in HuffPost Gay Voices Associate Editor James Nichols' ongoing series "After Dark: NYC Nightlife Today And Days Past" that examines the state of New York nightlife in the modern day, as well as the development and production of nightlife over the past several decades. Each featured individual in this series currently serves as a prominent person in the New York nightlife community or has made important contributions in the past that have sustained long-lasting impacts.

HuffPost Gay Voices believes that it is important and valuable to elevate the work, both today and in the past, of those engaged in the New York nightlife community, especially in an age where queer history seems to be increasingly forgotten. Nightlife not only creates spaces for queers and other marginalized groups to be artistically and authentically celebrated, but the work of those involved in nightlife creates and shapes the future of our culture as a whole. Visit Gay Voices regularly to learn not only about individuals currently making an impact in nightlife, but those whose legacy has previously contributed to the ways we understand queerness, art, identity and human experience today.

The Huffington Post: How did you make your entry into the New York Nightlife scene and come to embody Linda Simpson as a persona?
Linda Simpson: One of the main reasons I moved from Minnesota to New York in the 1980s was to indulge in nightlife. My favorite places included Danceteria, Area and the walk-on-the-wild side bars in Times Square. As the decade progressed, AIDS wiped out much of gay culture, and the atmosphere became very depressing and fearful. In 1986, I began publishing a campy underground gay magazine called My Comrade. The emphasis was on gay love, power and unity. The stars were East Village drag queens and sexy guys as heroic leaders battling homophobia. I began doing drag myself for some of the magazine’s parties.

Talk to me about your time at the legendary Pyramid Club -- how did this community of artists and performers shape and mold who you are today?
The Pyramid was very thrilling back then because it was the world headquarters for an entirely newfangled way of drag. Practically everywhere else drag was dull -- serious queens in gowns lip syncing to Barbra Streisand. But the Pyramid was kooky and punky postmodernism. To me, the scene seemed very much in the spirit of Andy Warhol’s Factory, with a whole new slew of superstars, including Lady Bunny, Tabboo!, Dean Johnson, Sister Dimension and Hapi Phace.

Everyone had their own unique identity, yet shared a similar off-beat bohemian gay sensibility. At first, I was happy to partake as a fan. Later I came to the realization that it was time for me to join the ranks of the queens. I’m very grateful to the Pyramid “gals” for showing me the way.



Is there a period of your life that acted as a particularly defining moment in the formation of your identity as a drag performer?
Not long after I started doing drag I began throwing my first weekly party, “Channel 69,” at the Pyramid Club. All at once I also had to learn how to be a show hostess, promoter and publicist. It was trial by fire, but I thrived and emerged as a leader of a new Pyramid scene. I was fairly comfortable on stage right away, and the weekly format allowed the crowd to get to know and appreciate me. The success of the party really helped put me on the map, and other bars and clubs started hiring me.

What do you see your role as in nightlife today? How has it evolved and changed?
My role today is more of an observer than a participant. I’d be dead from exhaustion if I was still going out as much as I used to. I try to keep abreast of what’s going on, and I follow the adventures of many of today’s nightlife stars. Also, over the past couple of years I’ve become a documentarian and historian with my project “The Drag Explosion,” which is a collection of my photos of New York’s drag scene from the late 1980s to the mid ‘90s.

Talk to me about "The Drag Explosion" in the late 80s and 90s. How influential do you see this period in time on nightlife today?
In terms of drag history, it was major. Over the course of just several years, drag transformed from an underground art form into a mainstream phenomenon. In the mid ‘80s, drag was thriving in the East Village, including the annual outdoor festival Wigstock. Then drag expanded to the entire nightlife scene; all of the clubs were clamoring for drag queen hostesses, go-go dancers, door people, etc.

When RuPaul hit it big in 1992 with her song “Supermodel,” it triggered an incredible amount of pop culture attention for the entire downtown drag scene. Every magazine and television talk show was heralding this new “trend,” and there were a zillion drag-themed music videos, movies, television shows and fashion shoots. It was the first time that drag really broke through to the mainstream. Out of that era came the club kids, “Paris is Burning,” RuPaul, Susanne Bartsh, Amanda Lepore, Leigh Bowery -- all of these things and people that are still iconic on today’s nightlife.



You've read a bit of my "Queer New World" series on Brooklyn drag culture. Do you see any parallels, or a historical connection, between the era that you term "The Drag Explosion" and the formation of a huge community of drag queens in Northern Brooklyn in the modern day?
The Brooklyn scene reminds me of the early East Village days, which had a very DIY and “let’s put on a show” sensibility. I think the East Village queens were ultimately most interested in amusing each other. There were some queeny skirmishes, but basically we were all pretty united and respected each other. I get the feeling that the Brooklyn scene is similar. It will be interesting to see if any of the Brooklyn queens find broader fame and fortune. But I’m not sure if any of them are even interested in that.

Why do you consider nightlife valuable for queers and other groups of marginalized people?
I think that by the time a lot of queers get out of high school and escape their surroundings, they can’t wait to finally have some fun on their own terms. And so these former outcasts create an after-dark scene where they are now the rulers.
I used to work at a club called The Building, where all the freaks were given this incredible VIP room where we could look down at the masses on the dance floor. My friend observed that, ideally, the world would be like this all the time.

I want to read you a quote from Walt Cassidy’s "After Dark" feature: “The nightlife experience today is no longer linear. It is broken up into two parts. The participation, which largely consists of documenting the experience, followed by the process of offloading it into cyber space and having a secondary experience online.” Do you agree with this? How do you feel like technology and the Internet have augmented nightlife in the modern day?
I think that’s a very accurate observation. Things have changed so much regarding nightlife over the years, in terms of communication, real-estate, gay rights, etc, that it’s difficult to even compare. I think that nightlife has always been mostly about escapism and camaraderie, and many people today fulfill those needs online rather than in person. I do like that there is so much documentation of today’s nightlife. One of the reasons that my “Drag Explosion” collection stands out is because I was one of the few people who carried around a camera. There was so much great stuff that wasn’t photographed at all.



What projects are you currently working on?
On Aug. 1 I’m going to present a new slideshow version of “The Drag Explosion” as part of the HOT! Festival at Dixon Place. It’s sort of a sequel to my previous show, with all never-seen-before photos. You can also keep abreast of my life, including my weekly Bingo gigs, on my website.

If there was something you wished to communicate about the evolution of queer history through nightlife in New York to the new generation, what would that be?
This is a bit old ladyish, but I think it’s important to remember that nightlife can be a slippery slope. Staying out late, boozing and taking drugs can be a blast and even mind-expanding. But you have to be careful you don’t get in a rut and use partying as an excuse for not actually getting some stuff done in life. Nightlife can be a creative delight, but it can also be a dead end. Proceed with caution.

For more from Linda Simpson head here to visit the artist's website. Missed the previous installments in this series? Check out the slideshow below.

John Waters On His 'Carsick' Gay Porn Fantasy, Marriage Equality And Career Success

July 12, 2014, 4:27 am

≫ Next: From Abandoned Place To Must-See Hot Spot, 3 Of America's Best Recycled Structures

≪ Previous: After Dark: Linda Simpson, Drag Queen Celebrity And Nightlife Personality

$

0

0

"You know, I'm sure that Johnny Davenport is probably not looking to be found today," said John Waters, the always hilarious and indefatigable cult filmmaker, talking about a fantasy he conjures up in his new book, Carsick: John Waters Hitchhikes Across America, about the 1980s gay porn star John Davenport. "But if he is hearing this, he was great in 'Full Grown Full Blown.' I love that title. I fantasized that he was his age [in the '80s] today...And we do get, actually, raped by a spaceman and then have magic anuses. And my magic anus sings a duet with Connie Francis. So, I guess I let my imagination go."

Indeed. Waters, who says he's always hitchhiked, albeit much shorter distances in his younger years, decided to hitch across the country, from his home in Baltimore to San Francisco, because his life had become too "planned." He records his experiences in Carsick but the first two chapters of the book are his fantasies -- best-case scenarios and worst-case scenarios -- of what might happen on the road. The Davenport story, in case anyone needs it explained, is one of the best-case scenarios.

And the worst-case scenarios?

"Well, I get picked up by a militant vegan that poisons me and I get diarrhea and there's no worse thing that can happen to you when you're hitchhiking than diarrhea, really," he deadpanned in an interview with me on SiriusXM Progress. "I was totally afraid to eat anything on the trip, because you can't keep saying, 'Could you just pull over! Could you pull over!' So I get diarrhea. I [also] get poisoned by an insane gay militant who hates all straight people, who is into autoerotic asphyxiation. And I escape him. I meet someone that actually kills me. The [last part] I get murdered -- in a pretty funny way."



Once Waters got on the road, however, the actual experiences were just about the opposite, in which most people he meets turn out to be nice and love to chat. That, however, was if they picked him up in the first place.

"Most people thought I was a homeless man," he explained, regarding the hours he'd stand on the side of the road with a sign while cars and trucks would zip by. "I was 66 years old. I had a sign. I had a baseball cap that unfortunately said, 'Scum of the Earth,' which was not the best fashion choice. No, people didn't really recognize me. And when I got in the cars, sometimes they did, and they'd start laughing and screaming. In real life, [the people who picked me up] were incredibly open-minded, no matter if they were Democrats, Republican, single, male, female. I had a cop pick me up, a truck driver. The only thing that never -- no gay people picked me up. My gaydar is pretty good. I don't think a gay person picked me."

Waters hadn't announced he was working on the book and hitching cross country, trying to keep it all on the down low. But his cover eventually got blown when an indie band on tour, Here We Go Magic, picked him up, members recognized him and sent out a tweet that went viral. A woman who picked him up in Kansas said she knew him only because she had a gay son who was a huge fan. Waters said he then told her to call her son and she put Waters on the phone, exhilarating the young man, who'd just read online all about Waters' adventures.



Waters has in recent years lent his name to gay political causes in his home state of Maryland, helping Governor Martin O'Malley pass marriage equality in 2012, appearing and speaking at fundraisers. But marriage is definitely not for him.

"No, I don't have any desire to get married," he insisted, then giggled. "I hate weddings. You have to try too hard. I've really never had fun at a wedding. But I'm certainly for the right for straight gay people to get married [laughs]... It's great! Are you kidding? I'm militantly for gay marriage. Why would anyone be threatened by anyone falling in love?"

On his enormous success, having begun his career with cult classics like "Pink Flamingos" in the early '70s to eventually see "Hairspray" become a smash film and Broadway musical and now watching Carsick immediately hit The New York Times bestseller list, Waters says it's "all gravy."

"It's amazing to me," he explained. "I certainly have not been misunderstood in my career. I make people puke by saying, 'My dreams have come true.' But they have -- years ago! This is all gravy. But I wonder why you don't ever want to stop. You keep taking the risk because people in show business are insecure. Why do you think they keep having to put out projects that depend on whether strangers tell them they're good?And so, I guess I have not been satisfied. I have to keep doing stuff. I love my job."

From Abandoned Place To Must-See Hot Spot, 3 Of America's Best Recycled Structures

July 12, 2014, 4:50 am

≫ Next: Super Typhoon Neoguri, Gaza Strikes And Close Encounters With Bulls: Week In Photos, Jul. 6 - Jul. 13

≪ Previous: John Waters On His 'Carsick' Gay Porn Fantasy, Marriage Equality And Career Success

$

0

0

To keep an old building, or bust it down and build something new in its place? Such is the question facing developers who want to increase property value while minimizing the cost to do it. But it doesn't take a historic preservationist or urban explorer to see that abandoned spaces can be beautiful.

Projects like New York’s High Line and the Tate Modern in London are great examples of what's known as adaptive reuse, giving a structure a second act, and they are leaders of a growing trend. Twitter, AirBnB and other tech companies are plucking up and restructuring historic San Francisco buildings for office space like they’re candy, and NPR recently described how land banks influence redemptive construction by rebuilding neglected structures "no private investor will touch."

Some of these projects breed creativity by encouraging experimental design -- architects can think about approaching an established structure in a different way -- and by devoting more space for public engagement. Perhaps most importantly, projects like the following enhance the placemaking and livability of their city.

The High Line, Manhattan, New York:



What was once a dangerous, vital railway that ran down Manhattan streets and, sometimes, over its pedestrians, the High Line now offers fields of wildflowers and beautiful views of the city along its tracks -- essentially a meadow suspended three stories above the streets.

The original railroad opened back in 1934 in an effort to reduce street-level traffic and accidents. But when reliance on rail diminished in the '50s due to interstate trucking (the last train ran its tracks in 1980), the High Line subsequently fell into neglect and became a thing people hated. But Joshua David and Robert Hammond saw potential, and formed the non-profit Friends of the High Line in 1999 to lobby for its preservation.

So far, about a mile and a half of the overgrown rail has been refurbished as a walkway that overlooks Frank Gehry and Jean Nouvel buildings through Chelsea, with heavily-considered landscaping and rotating art. When construction is complete, the park, which is owned by New York City and maintained by Friends of the Highline, will stop at West 34th St.

The High Line's story is told in a documentary produced by Great Museums that debuted last month; you can see the full video here.

Dorchester Projects, Chicago, Illinois



When Theaster Gates repurposed abandoned two-story houses along Chicago's Dorchester Avenue into a library, slide archive, soul food kitchen, Black Cinema House, and "Listening Room" in the mid-2000s, it provided a devastated lower-income community a multi-use space where musicians, artists, neighbors, and art supporters could gather to share ideas.

Gates calls himself an artist first, but he's also earned two degrees in urban planning and, through his non-profit Rebuild Foundation, he focuses on social change through creative energy. A recurring idea in his work is how we incorporate that energy to build or reinforce a community.

What's more, he says this idea can be used as a model, easily translatable to cities across the country. His most recent project, currently under development, is a 32 unit, mixed-income artist community, called the Dorchester Artists Housing Collaborative.

Kakaako Agora, Honolulu, Hawaii



By now, it's a go-to move: offer reduced rent to creatives to establish a community and increase the value of surrounding real estate. And now, the industrial neighborhood called Kakaako is the Williamsburg of Honolulu. It was no accident: landowner Kamehameha Schools has invited and encouraged a lot of artistic energy in an effort to draw crowds to a once socially-neglected part of town.

Honolulu-based non-profit arts collective Interisland Terminal seized an opportunity to collaborate with Japanese firm Atelier Bow Wow in the creation of the Agora, a public park built inside an unused Kakaako warehouse for the purpose of gathering, holding events, and finding shade in an area where there's little natural shade to be found.

It's a two-level wood pavilion tucked in the warehouse, with a garden of native plants on one end and a huge, blank wall for film projections. The park, cooled by Hawaiian trade winds blowing through garage doors open on both ends, keeps business hours and, in its first month alone, has housed events that ranged from film screenings and opera performances to lectures, concerts, dinners, dances, and art exhibitions.

---

Super Typhoon Neoguri, Gaza Strikes And Close Encounters With Bulls: Week In Photos, Jul. 6 - Jul. 13

July 12, 2014, 6:26 am

≫ Next: 'Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes' Writers On 'Rare' Character Beat That Made Final Cut

≪ Previous: From Abandoned Place To Must-See Hot Spot, 3 Of America's Best Recycled Structures

$

0

0

Nothing quite compares to the power of a photograph to communicate the goings on in the world. Ranging from the serious to the silly, these photos offer peeks into what happened around the globe this week.




1. A damaged railway bridge near the village of Novobakhmutivka, eastern Ukraine on July 8, 2014.

(DOMINIQUE FAGET/AFP/Getty Images)

2. Palestinian children play at the site of an Israeli military strike in Gaza City on July 8, 2014.

(MOHAMMED ABED/AFP/Getty Images)

3. Super Typhoon Neoguri in the East China Sea at 05:00 UTC on July 8, 2014 in Japan.

(NASA/GSFC/Jeff Schmaltz/MODIS Land Rapid Response via Getty Images)

4. An Israeli soldier performs a morning prayer in a deployment area near Israel's border with the Gaza Strip on July 8, 2014.

(DAVID BUIMOVITCH/AFP/Getty Images)

5. A seagull stands on a rock as the sun sets behind the Borgsjoen lake in Erikslund, north of Stockholm, on July 7, 2014.

(JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP/Getty Images)

6. A cow jumps over revelers who wait for the animal on the bull ring, at the San Fermin festival, in Pamplona, Spain on July 8, 2014.

(AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)

7. Anti-immigration activists protest outside of the U.S. Border Patrol Murrieta Station on July 7, 2014 in Murrieta, California.

(Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images)

8. Election officers carry ballot boxes for distribution to polling stations in Yogyakarta for Indonesia's presidential election on July 8, 2014.

(Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images)

9. Ukrainian fighters shoot heat missiles as they fly above Ukrainian forces' headquarters near the north-eastern Ukrainian city of Izyum on July 8, 2014.

(GENYA SAVILOV/AFP/Getty Images)

10. Sea World marine rescue workers try to save a humpback whale beached at Palm Beach on Queensland's Gold Coast on July 9, 2014.

(PATRICK HAMILTON/AFP/Getty Images)

'Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes' Writers On 'Rare' Character Beat That Made Final Cut

July 12, 2014, 6:35 am

≫ Next: Selena Gomez Takes Selfies With Harmony Korine In Miami

≪ Previous: Super Typhoon Neoguri, Gaza Strikes And Close Encounters With Bulls: Week In Photos, Jul. 6 - Jul. 13

$

0

0

"Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" is a blockbuster movie made for people who don't really like blockbuster movies. The story of apes and humans trying to coexist in the ruins of our modern society includes not just action and spectacle, but pauses and breaths.

It all works because director Matt Reeves structured his film like a prestige drama. (In an interview with HuffPost Entertainment, he explained one of the touchstones for the project was "The Godfather.") "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" focuses not on good guys and bad guys, but three-dimensional characters. That colors the film's antagonists -- Gary Oldman's Dreyfus, a leader of a human colony left alive following a devastating simian flu that wiped out most of the population, and Toby Kebbell's Koba, an ape previously tortured by human beings while in captivity -- in shades of grey recognizable to those who watch television shows such as "Mad Men" and "Breaking Bad."

"The thing is a lot of blockbuster movies have villains who become almost cartoonish. They're not really nuanced," co-writer Amanda Silver told HuffPost Entertainment. "Matt, particularly, wanted even the bad guys to have a rationale. They're not truly bad guys, because they think they're doing the right thing. That's just an interesting concept. It makes for a much more complicated and thoughtful movie."

"It's kind of villains in quotes," Rick Jaffa, Silver's husband and co-writer on "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes," said. "I think audiences really appreciate when you try that. It takes things to a higher level."

Jaffa and Silver, who also wrote "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," contributed a first draft of "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" before writer Mark Bomback and Reeves rewrote the script to center the film's plot more squarely on Caesar (Andy Serkis), the ape revolutionary from the first film. Bomback and Reeves also made sure to keep Oldman's Dreyfus on a recognizable plane.

"Matt and Mark, especially with the humans, worked very hard at [keeping the villains empathetic]," Silver said.

One scene in particular that sets "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" apart from films of its ilk happens just before a climatic battle, when Dreyfus scrolls through old photos of his deceased young sons on a recently powered-up iPad. He breaks down crying at the sight of their cherubic faces.

"That is one of my favorite scenes," Silver said. "We had that in our original script too, and that's the kind of scene that when people are getting stressed out about the length of the movie, it usually gets cut."

"It's really a tribute to Matt that he thought to leave such moments in," added Jaffa. "I can tell you as a screenwriter that the unspoken rule is that if you're going to have a scene like that in a movie, you're always going to attach it to information that's vital. Otherwise, it'll never make it."

"That moment is pure character," said Silver. "That's rare, and very noble. Very exciting."

Also exciting for the husband and wife duo is their work on James Cameron's "Avatar" sequel.

"We can't really get into the 'Avatar' discussion, but we can say that working with Jim has been a thrill," Jaffa said. "It was a great honor to be brought on, and we've loved it. We love him. We're on a journey, and it's a lot of fun. It's really cool."

Selena Gomez Takes Selfies With Harmony Korine In Miami

July 12, 2014, 11:17 am

≫ Next: 'TORSO' Documentary Series Examines Gay Online Dating

≪ Previous: 'Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes' Writers On 'Rare' Character Beat That Made Final Cut

$

0

0

Selena Gomez reunited with "Spring Breakers" director Harmony Korine in Miami this weekend. The pair was seen walking around the city, and Gomez 'grammed a car selfie captioned with angel and devil emojis. (Good one.)

Korine has said in interviews that Gomez was the first actress he cast in "Spring Breakers." "Immediately, instinctively, I said it would be great if Selena Gomez would do this," he told Indiewire. A sequel to the hit film, which also starred James Franco, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson and Rachel Korine, is reportedly in the works, but will be written by Irvine Welsh. Neither Korine nor the original stars are attached to the project, but that won't stop the "Spring Breakers" gang from being straight up besties.

'TORSO' Documentary Series Examines Gay Online Dating

July 13, 2014, 5:14 am

≫ Next: Jackson Family Members Starring In New Reality Show

≪ Previous: Selena Gomez Takes Selfies With Harmony Korine In Miami

$

0

0

An award-winning queer filmmaker is producing a series of short documentary-style films that examine the dynamics surrounding modern day gay culture, particularly in terms of online dating and dating apps.

From filmmaker Tim Marshall comes "TORSO," a new international film experiment exploring the world behind the online gay community -- one torso at a time. Through the documentation of brave and honest interviews, Marshall wants to shed light on the lives of these men beyond their dating profiles and break down body image stereotypes.

"TORSO" started in Sydney, Australia in 2013 and continued shooting throughout 2014 in Reykjavik, Iceland and, recently, Los Angeles. The Sydney series is available for viewing online and the Los Angeles series will premiere as an interactive installation in July as part of Outfest Los Angeles.

In order to better understand "TORSO" and the filmmaker's goals with this project, the Huffington Post chatted with Marshall this past week about his work.



The Huffington Post: What inspired this project?
Tim Marshall: Whilst living in Australia and using online gay dating apps, I would constantly find myself feeling inadequate. I do not have "the perfect body," and being on these apps began to bring out insecurities about that. I would think, maybe I do need to get a personal trainer and start guzzling protein drinks so I can have a body that is stereotypically "desirable" to gay men.

The other thing that I noticed was starting to set in with my constant use of these apps was a tendency to make quick judgements and assumptions about people. I know a lot of guys who are guilty of sharing around people's less than perfect Grindr profile photos with their friends and joking and laughing about it together.

I realized, with the immediacy and nonchalance of the new types of connection now available to us, maybe we are becoming disconnected from the human behind the pixels in a profile picture. If you can't sell yourself in the space of a small pixelated square, you may end up feeling a lot of rejection.

I wanted to explore this new world of gay dating and sex culture and look at both its personal implications and universal experiences. I also wanted to address the diversity of physicality within the gay community and celebrate that.



What did you learn from doing this project?
I lost so much of my bitterness towards these apps by undertaking this project. By exploring the humanity within these apps, I made some wonderful connections and had the privilege of hearing many incredible stories. Although some people recounted having lots of negative experiences in online/app-based dating, there was also, conversely, so much positivity. These new communication technologies have facilitated life-long friendships, have created easy ways for individuals to connect with and find support within their communities, and have also helped people start to feel confident about themselves where they may have been judging themselves harshly, and were surprised to find they attracted people who they were convinced were "out of their league."

I also learned that nearly everyone has been tricked by someone on a gay dating app at some point -- for instance, having a guy show up at their house who looks nothing like their picture (or is significantly older). One guy even had someone tell him he was 19 online, only to confess that he was 45 right before they were going to meet. You're obviously thinking, How did he think he would get away with it? Multiple people told me that when a person shows up at their house looking nothing like their picture, they feel so awkward about confronting them about it that instead of risking a confrontation, they just go through with having sex with him, letting him get away with the lie! Of course there are also plenty of guys out there who have no problem telling someone to leave if they feel deceived.

What was the most surprising thing you discovered throughout the course of production?
I was pleasantly surprised by the honesty of the individuals I interviewed. People were willing to be so candid with me about their experiences. I think the anonymity of the project helped with this. Quite often at the end of the interview, I would have the guy tell me if they felt empowered by this experience. I ask everyone I interview to tell me about their torso. The answer I almost always get is "it needs more work" or "I'm trying to get a better torso." When I show them the footage, the response is often, "Oh I actually look pretty good!" Not surprisingly, we are our own biggest judge.

Something else that surprised me was the difficulty I had finding men with extremely muscular and "gym fit" torsos to be involved. Many other individuals were eager to have their say about the gay world online -- how it perpetuated or shattered stereotypes about body image, and how it personally affected them. Although, to be fair, to all the really muscular guys who ignored me, I should be clear that I am only finding participants to be involved in the project by contacting them on these online gay dating apps, and many people find it strange that instead of asking for a "dick pic" I was asking to come around to their house and film them with their shirt off (and NO it's not porn, much to the disappointment of some men).

I'd also like to comment on the upcoming premiere of the Los Angeles TORSO series. The series will premiere as an interactive transmedia installation. Audiences will engage with the series through an app that simulates the Grindr experience on iPads in a cinema foyer. Watching these interviews is a personal one-on-one experience, similar to using the gay dating apps. I want to comment on and get the audience thinking about the casual aesthetic choices and judgments we make, and I love the idea that people may choose what interview to watch on the app based solely on the appearance of a person's torso. I also want this series to begin to document an important and fascinating time in digital interaction. I expect everyone will be surprised by the stories they encounter.

TORSO Los Angeles will be free to view in the REDCAT foyer July 18 and 19. Check out one of the TORSO series' videos above and then for more info and to watch other clips, head here.

Jackson Family Members Starring In New Reality Show

July 13, 2014, 7:43 am

≫ Next: 6 Bold Rooms That Prove You Shouldn't Be Afraid Of Color

≪ Previous: 'TORSO' Documentary Series Examines Gay Online Dating

$

0

0

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — Members of Michael Jackson's extended family are stepping out of what they call "the Jackson bubble" for a reality show.

The six-episode show, debuting Nov. 18 on Reelz, focuses on Alejandra Jackson, the ex-wife of Michael's brother Jermaine, and her five children. After Michael's death five years ago, they left the Jackson family home in suburban Encino, a move that a clip from the show suggests wasn't their idea. "We didn't want it to happen that way," Alejandra's daughter Genevieve said Saturday at the summer TV critics' tour.

Son Donte Jackson added, "Some of the politics came into play."

At the same time, Genevieve said the family lived under constraints at the Encino house.

"We were very sheltered," she said. "There's a lot of outside people coming in and out of our house. We had to watch what we said."

Alejandra Jackson and her brood started a new life away from the home of grandparents Katherine and Joe Jackson. She had two children with Randy Jackson — Genevieve and Randy Jr. — and then married Randy's brother Jermaine, having sons Jaafar and Jermajesty. Alejandra has raised Donte since he was 2 after he was adopted by Katherine and Joe.

"It's a long story," Alejandra said about her love life.

Considering the amount of tabloid attention the Jackson family has received, why not keep their lives private?

"People already had a preconceived judgment of us and we weren't speaking," Randy Jr. said. "Now we feel comfortable enough to show how we really are."