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The Casually Sexist Bullsh*t Women In Hollywood Hear All The Time

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When journalist Maureen Dowd decided to do a deep dive into Hollywood sexism, she spoke to several powerful (male) leaders in the entertainment industry about why the gender gap remains so large in film.


"A lot of 'em haven’t tried hard enough," one man told her. "Call some chicks," suggested another cool bro. So she did. In fact, she called many of them. And the stories they told her are nothing short of deeply depressing.


It's 2015 and only 1.9 percent of directors for the 100 top-grossing films since 2013 have been women, female characters only accounted for 30.2 percent of characters in speaking or named roles in the top 700 highest-grossing films and women writers in Hollywood are apparently used to hearing some pretty insane commentary on a daily basis.


As Dowd wrote:



Female writers in Hollywood told me they are used to hearing things like "Can you insert a rape scene here?" or "Can they go to a strip club here?" or "Can you rewrite the fat friend for Eva Mendes? She has high marks for foreign distribution." They trade stories about how a schlubby male studio head mutters that he doesn’t want to look at ‘‘ugly actresses,’’ and how schlubby male directors, caught up in their fantasy world, choose one beautiful actress over another simply because she has a hair color that fits their customized sexual daydream. "I still see storytelling for men by men that is always reinforcing the male gaze," says Jill Soloway, the Emmy-winning creator of Amazon’s ‘‘Transparent."



It's this insidious, casual sexism that seems to inform the gender gap at every level of Hollywood. And like in other industries, often women are blamed for not negotiating well enough or being aggressive enough or fighting hard enough for the opportunities that are seemingly givenen to scrappy, talented young men on a consistent basis.


"I feel like we do too much telling women: 'You aren’t aggressive enough. You haven’t made yourself known enough,'" Lena Dunham told Dowd. "And it’s like, women shouldn’t be having to hustle twice as fast to get what men achieve just by showing up."


So, when will there be equal recognition for equal hustle? It's hard to say. But it will certainly require a climate where more women of all kinds are encouraged to be in front of and behind the camera. That would mean all kinds of new perspectives and stories. Imagine what beautiful, interesting, exciting art that kind of diversity might render. 






To read Dowd's full, fantastic piece, head over to the New York Times.


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This Off-Broadway Play Has A Hilarious Take On Gay Men And Aging

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"Steve," the new off-Broadway play by Mark Gerrard, features characters who grapple with aging, infidelity and mortality. The play poses the question of whether or not the gay community is facing an identity crisis now that same-sex couples have made strides toward mainstream acceptance.


And yet, it's a comedy.


The play, which opened Nov. 18, at New York's Pershing Square Signature Center and is directed by Cynthia Nixon, follows Steven (Matt McGrath), a failed Broadway chorus boy turned stay-at-home dad who is struggling, in unflattering yet humorous ways, with the transition into middle age. 


The character begins a downward spiral at his 47th birthday party where, after a few martinis, he discovers that his longtime partner and co-parent, Stephen (Malcolm Gets), has been sexting Brian (Jerry Dixon), the partner of his best friend, Matt (Mario Cantone). Meanwhile, Steven's lesbian friend Carrie (Ashlie Atkinson), who has been his closest confidante, later finds out her cancer is terminal.



Adding some sizzle to the plot is a young, handsome Argentine (Francisco Pryor Garat), who catches Steven's eager-to-rove eye, while Brian and Matt consider spicing up their relationship with the help of a hunky fitness trainer. 


Gerrard said he drew from his own experiences as a gay man, as well as those of friends, in creating "Steve," which has been produced by The New Group. Although none of his characters are married, he says it was New York's legalization of same-sex marriage in 2011 that inspired him to write "Steve," which is also his first work produced off-Broadway.


The playwright and his partner were meeting a group of friends at New York's Stonewall Inn on the eve of the same-sex marriage bill's passage when, he said, they had a collective epiphany.


"There was this terrifying instant where we all took a breath and looked at each other and essentially asked in unison, 'Does this mean we're supposed to all get married now?' And that moment seemed like a really juicy place to start thinking about a play," he said.



More than anything, Gerrard said he hopes to stress the significance of the self-created "gay family" that's made up of friends in his play, which he calls "one of the most unique things about being gay." To emphasize that point, he said that he saw Steven and his friends as the type of rabid Broadway fans you'd most likely find at a downtown piano bar, peppering their dialogue with references to "Wicked," Stephen Sondheim and Kristen Chenoweth. Several scenes even feature a sung-through musical prelude; Cantone's version of "Never-Never Land" from 1954's "Peter Pan" is particularly stirring.       


"If you think about it, you’re usually the only gay born into a straight family, so as a child you end up being a little off on your own and have your own obsessive -- and, in retrospect, what often seem to be very gay -- interests," Gerrard said. Calling himself "obsessed with musical theater," he added, "The extended family in 'Steve' ended up mirroring mine."


While all of his show's characters are gay, Gerrard said he hopes their middle-age struggles will resonate with straight audiences, too, because "growing old is difficult for everyone." The main difference for gays and lesbians, he said, is that "we're in uncharted territory."


"We're the first generation to grow old grappling with these steps towards equality," he said. "Who are we and who do we want to be, if we're not on the outside looking in?"


The New Group's "Steve" will play at New York's Pershing Square Signature Center through Dec. 27. Head here for more details. 



 


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Saudi Arabia Sentences Palestinian Poet To Death For Apostasy

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My result sheet in archery !

A photo posted by Ashraf Fayadh (@ashraffayadh) on




RIYADH, Nov 20 (Reuters) - A Saudi Arabian court has sentenced a Palestinian poet to death for apostasy, abandoning his Muslim faith, according to trial documents seen by Human Rights Watch, its Middle East researcher Adam Coogle said on Friday.


Ashraf Fayadh was detained by the country's religious police in 2013 in Abha, in southwest Saudi Arabia, and then rearrested and tried in early 2014.


The verdict of that court sentenced him to four years in prison and 800 lashes but after appeal another judge passed a death sentence on Fayadh three days ago, said Coogle.


"I have read the trial documents from the lower court verdict in 2014 and another one from 17 November. It is very clear he has been sentenced to death for apostasy," Coogle said.  



With Chris Dercon ..

A photo posted by Ashraf Fayadh (@ashraffayadh) on




Saudi Arabia's justice system is based on Sharia Islamic law and its judges are clerics from the kingdom's ultra conservative Wahhabi school of Sunni Islam. In the Wahhabi interpretation of Sharia, religious crimes including blasphemy and apostasy incur the death penalty.


In January liberal writer Raif Badawi was flogged 50 times after his sentencing to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes for blasphemy last year, prompting an international outcry. Badawi remains in prison, but diplomats say he is unlikely to be flogged again. 



Saudi judges have extensive scope to impose sentences according to their own interpretation of Sharia law without reference to any previous cases. After a case has been heard by lower courts, appeals courts and the supreme court, a convicted defendant can be pardoned by King Salman.


Fayadh's conviction was based on evidence from a prosecution witness who claimed to have heard him cursing God, Islam's Prophet Mohammad and Saudi Arabia, and the contents of a poetry book he had written years earlier.


The case went to the Saudi appeals court and was then returned to the lower court, where a different judge on November 17 increased the sentence to death. The second judge ruled defense witnesses who had challenged the prosecution witness' testimony ineligible.


Saudi Arabia's Justice Ministry or other officials could not immediately be reached for comment.


 Related on HuffPost:


 


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Brooklyn Queer Performance Showcase 'RITUAL' Celebrates Two Year Anniversary

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A monthly institution in the world of Brooklyn drag and queer performance will celebrate a major milestone this weekend -- two years of bringing nuanced, creatively intelligent shows to the queer community of this New York City borough.


The showcase -- "RITUAL" -- is the brainchild of artist and performer Manifestany Squirtz, featured around the time of the show's inception in the HuffPost Gay Voices series, "Queer New World."


Unlike many other performance showcases in the spectrum of Brooklyn drag, "RITUAL" tends to follow a structure -- and it works. At the beginning of each show, Squirtz and her fellow performers -- Chris of Hur, Tyler Ashley, Boy Georgia and Annie Witch-Way -- enact a dance-heavy "ritual" that ties into the theme of that month's show, giving the vibe of the room an ethereal, other-worldly quality. All of the numbers throughout the showcase tend to also be shaped and informed by the theme.


The Huffington Post chatted with Squirtz this week about the upcoming anniversary, the evolution of "RITUAL" and what we can expect from this showcase in the future.



The Huffington Post: What was your initial concept for RITUAL? How has it changed and developed over the years?


Manifestany Squirtz: "RITUAL" has always been a platform for me and my friends to try out new "work," whatever the context of that word may be for the performer. The #TwistersOfRitual have experimented many times on the "RITUAL" dance floor and done it all for the people who show up to our monthly queer cabaret. Over the past two years, "RITUAL" has always been about the show. Since changing venues, that feeling of actually going to see a show has all been due to Kinfolk 94 for hosting us and totally supporting what we do -- not to mention it's gorgeous inside the venue. I really feel that we as the cast has solidified our little show into a niche within Brooklyn drag... whatever that means.





Lady Simon performs at "RITUAL"

 

What makes this queer performance showcase different from other queer performance showcases in Brooklyn?

What I hear from people who attend "RITUAL" is that they find it to be more "artsy" -- more "performance-based drag." I've had guests of "RITUAL" who I know from my other professional life say, "Oh, this isn't drag, this is performance art" and I always kinda chuckle to myself because I know that their context of drag was probably limited to just Manhattan or some other gay bar in another city. Brooklyn's performers are creatively intelligent and yet ridiculously entertaining and I'm really try uphold that within the show and honor it every time we step onto the dance floor for the group opening number.


What is important to you when deciding on a monthly theme?

Oh Gawd! So our first "RITUAL" was board game-themed and we called it "Twisters," hence where our nickname came from. But usually the themes are always just ridiculous word play we, the #TwistersOfRitual, throw around. It was tradition for awhile that we would come up with the following month's theme at the end of each "RITUAL" when everyone is either drunk or high or both. We all also spend New Year's together in a cabin tucked away in the mountains far from the city and brainstorm for the coming year's themes. Last year's trip we jokingly came up with such RITUAL theme's as "Marital Aids," "ERMAGERD ARNAMAY!" and "Shamjizzim!" Sometimes there's a specific theme I want to play out and sometimes it's just like, "OMG that thing you just said while slurring, stoned... is the next RITUAL." But whatever the theme, it has always been up to the performer to interpret the theme or just ignore it. 


How, in your eyes, do the people involved with "RITUAL" embody the spirit and nature of the show?

The #TwistersOfRitual are composed of Brooklyn-based performers, Chris of Hur, Tyler Ashley, Boy Georgia and myself, as well as our Philadelphia import, Annie Witch-Way. These performers I have curated together who embody the far-reaching possibilities that could be described as drag, art, dance/movement and/or performance art. On top of being my friends, they are also so professional to work with. Like, I know when each of them has or has not rehearsed their number. Yet, even though I can tell, I know the audience will never be able to know that these improvised moments of mayhem and uncertainty are really the magic each of the Twisters bring to the dance floor.


What do you envision for the future of "RITUAL?"


The future of "RITUAL" is uncertain, but I know as long as Kinfolk is being so awesome to us and giving us a platform to do our show, then we will continue to produce something for you to come see. Maybe one day, the #TwistersOfRitual will all do an evening-length work, one long number of musical, instead of just having a theme. But, God, getting a rehearsal schedule together for that sounds like a nightmare...but who knows? 


The two-year anniversary of "RITUAL" will take place on Sunday, Nov. 22, 2015 in Williamsburg. Head here for more information.

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11 Fearless Images That Push Us To Rethink What 'Beautiful' Means

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A new campaign is celebrating all bodies by selling a little bit of self-love. 


Created by Wear Your Voice Magazine, #BeyondBeauty is a campaign that hopes to challenge brands that promote body positivity to include a more diverse range of women in their advertisements. The campaign includes a photo series which features 18 women of all body shapes.


"It is a campaign whose only selling point is self-love," a WYV press release reads. "We're not endorsing a product, we are supporting authenticity in all its forms. We are daring to look beyond this traditional and limiting idea of 'beauty' to see the strength that not only lies within, but that exudes from all." 


The series features different types of photos, such as a body-positive take on before and after images where nothing about the women have actually changed. Other images feature women of all shapes, colors and abilities in an ad-style photo with boxes such as "Flawed" and "Flawless" checked off next to one another.  



"As a media publication, we understand the responsibility media plays in our lives," WYV founder and editor-in-chief Ravneet Vohra wrote in a recent WYV article. "As a mother of two young children, I want to make sure that the next generation of young people don't inherit our insecurities." 


Citing the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, Vohra wrote that 69 percent of girls between the fifth and twelfth grades reported that images in magazines influenced their idea of what the perfect body looks like. 



#BeyondBeauty is urging body-positive campaigns such as Dove's Real Beauty and Lane Bryant's #PlusIsEqual to include an even more diverse range of women. "The photos from the [Lane Bryant] ad campaign... lack diversity and appear to feature all models below a size 18," WYV senior columnist Rachel Otis wrote in a recent article. "Lane Bryant, whose clothing goes up to a size 28, did not make it a point to feature any model above a size 18." 


It's clear that self-love really is beautiful from the campaign's photo series. Scroll below to see more women going #BeyondBeauty and loving themselves -- just the way they are. 



Head over to Wear Your Voice to learn more about the #BeyondBeauty campaign. 


Also on HuffPost: 


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How Well Do You Remember The First 'Toy Story' Movie?

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Hard to believe, but it's been 20 years (!) since we were first introduced to Woody, Buzz and the rest of the "Toy Story" gang. In celebration of the Pixar classic's anniversary on November 22, we bring you the hardest most fun "Toy Story" quiz you'll ever take.





Let's go!





 


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These Photojournalists Are Selling Their Stunning Work To Raise Money For Refugees

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Eight photojournalists who have traveled the world to capture the lives of refugees are selling their work in collaboration with Red Acoge -- a network of 18 nongovernmental organizations promoting immigrant rights -- to both teach the world about the refugee crisis and raise money to help refugees.


Each photographer is a freelance reporter or professional from an organization like the Associated Press or Reuters, and is selling one print for 60 euros ($64). The images capture moments in Uganda, Afghanistan, Senegal, South Africa, Melilla, Mauritania and the Western Sahara. 


The photos are being exhibited at the Zoom Edition Gallery in Madrid until Nov. 20. They’re also on sale on the Red Acoge website until Jan. 15, 2016.


 



This story originally appeared on HuffPost Spain. It has been translated into English and edited for clarity.

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Writer-Performer Justin Sayre Ponders 'What Kind Of Gay' He Is

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In his latest clip for HuffPost Gay Voices, Justin Sayre explains "what kind of gay" he aspired to be in the years before he became an established writer and entertainer.


He cites Elaine Stritch and New York cabaret duo Kiki and Herb as his personal inspirations, quipping, "That's why I never wear pants anymore!"


Ultimately, though, he doesn't think it matters "what kind of gay" you are, because "you can be any kind of gay you want, because we'll all be there for you, in on the joke."


Sayre's "International Order of Sodomites" (I.O.S.) gathers once a month for "The Meeting," a variety show honoring an artist or a cultural work that is iconic to the gay community. The next installment of "The Meeting" hits Joe's Pub at the Public Theater in New York on Nov. 22 and features performances by Tonya Pinkins, Nathan Lee Graham and Natalie Douglas, among others.  He'll head to the West Coast for a show at San Francisco's Oasis on Dec. 12. 


Also in December, Sayre returns to Joe's Pub for the holiday edition of "The Meeting" on Dec. 20 and 21. 


In other news, "Sparkle & Circulate with Justin Sayre," the official I.O.S. podcast, has just released its latest episode featuring an interview with David Thorpe, the writer and director of the documentary, "Do I Sound Gay?"


Meanwhile, you can also view some previous performances from "The Meeting" on Sayre's official YouTube page. For more Sayre, head to Facebook and Twitter.


Also on HuffPost: 


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This Homeless Choir Got A Personal Invite To A White House Holiday Party

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The nation’s capital is receiving a wonderful gift this holiday season.


Atlanta’s Homeward Choir, a group of men from the city’s Central Night Shelter, have been invited to perform at the White House Open House Holiday Celebration on Dec. 21. The members of the chorus, who are all currently homeless, are seeking help for donations to help cover the expenses of their trip.



“To go from the streets to the home of the president is a big deal,” Donal Noonan, the choir’s music director and founder, told The Huffington Post. “We [are] just delighted and honored and slightly overwhelmed with the tasks that lay ahead to bring this group to D.C.”


Noonan founded the choir three years ago, simply as “a group of men who get together to sing, make music and come in out of the cold,” he told HuffPost. The choir, supported by two Atlanta churches, currently has 26 members, according to WXIA. The White House invitation came out of a joke Noonan made after the group completed their last season.


“A friend congratulated me and asked how I was going to top that,” he said. “I responded jokingly next stop the White House and ... that planted a seed.”



Noonan made some calls to a friend who had worked in the government, but didn’t hear back for a while. Then, a few weeks ago, the director and his chorus got a call asking if Homeward Choir was available to perform at the White House in December.


"It was a mixed reaction," Noonan said of the news. "All positive but one of the questions was, 'why us?' To which my response was, 'why not us?'"



While the news is exciting for the musicians, a trip of this scale is a massive undertaking. Many of the men need help covering travel expenses, so the group set up a donation page on its website. As of Friday, $5,000 of the $25,000 goal has been raised. This money will go toward clothing, transportation, shelter and an orchestra for the D.C. performance. On Wednesday, the group announced on its Facebook page that Southwest Airlines will provide complimentary round trip tickets to the entire choir.


“We still have a ways to go, but we are very confident,” Noonan said. “To be welcomed in the front door as opposed to the back door is a huge deal. It's an affirmation of worth. You might be in this position right now, but you are still someone and being invited to the White House in an immense honor. Plus, it's going to be a ton of fun!”


To learn more about the choir or to donate, click here.


H/T USA Today


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Couple's 'Half & Half' Photo Series Beautifully Captures Long-Distance Love

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Engaged couple Li Seok and Danbi Shin from South Korea are living on opposite sides of the world. Li Seok is located in Seoul, while Danbi Shin is in New York City. 


The pair -- who make up the art duo ShinLiArt -- found a beautiful way to connect and collaborate while living apart through a photography project called "Half&Half."




Despite the 14-hour time difference, they use video calls to document their daily lives. They take photos like the one above simultaneously and stitch them together to create symmetrical, split-screen composite photos that highlight the similarities and differences.










"We were sad to be apart," Danbi Shin told BuzzFeed. "I just wanted to embrace the romantic and normal moments as an ordinary couple, imagining eating cereal and watching taxis go by together."


Check out more of the project below: 








To see more of the couple's work, visit their website or Instagram


The Huffington Post reached out to the couple for comment, but had not heard back at the time of publication. This story may be updated. 


H/T Bored Panda


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Finding Mindfulness Through The Art Of Drawing

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Like many artists before her, Wendy Ann Greenhalgh finds the process of producing creative work to be a deeply mindful process. Health and well-being journalist Kate Bermingham spoke to Wendy about how artists and mindfulness practitioners can benefit from blending these practices.


Kate: In your book, Mindfulness and the Art of Drawing, you argue that everyone can draw. Is that really true? And if yes, why do you think so few people do it?


Wendy Ann: I know it’s true. All the time people come into my classes saying, “I can’t draw.” A few hours later they emerge with a big sheaf of drawings under their arm. It’s very satisfying to see so many people disproving this notion that they can’t draw on such a regular basis! We draw instinctively as children. As soon as we have motor skills we pick up a stick or crayon and start making marks, marks that feel good, that are pleasing to the eye and the body that creates them. As we get a little older these drawings start to describe the world around us. One of the first “things” anyone draws is a person, for example. So in that sense drawing is innate.


Why don’t we draw? Well I believe the real obstacle is that drawing gets bunched together with a lot of thinking about drawing—like the idea that we have to draw well for example. But what is well, and who decides what it is? Most of us aren’t Usain Bolt, for example, but this doesn’t mean that we can’t run or that we can’t enjoy running.


Kate: I love the passage on “calmly abiding” with the subject that you are drawing, whether that be a landscape, a person, or even something simple like a solitary leaf or rose. Do your students find it easier to access that sense of calm and connection using art, as opposed to a traditional mindfulness practice?


Wendy Ann: I think they do, yes. In order to find ourselves in that state of calm, we need to quiet our busy minds and that’s something a lot of us find very difficult. (I speak for myself here too.) In order to do this we need to find a focus.


In traditional mindfulness practice this is usually done by focusing on the breath or sensations in the body. In “creative mindfulness” it’s done by engaging in a specific creative activity such as drawing or creative writing. I teach all creative activities in an embodied way: getting people to focus on how it feels to hold a pen, to draw or write, and encouraging them to keep checking in with their breath.


With such a strong focus on body, breath, and the specific activities of creating—people generally find it much easier to become absorbed into what they’re doing and then rest in that state of “calm abiding,” remaining there for longer and with less effort than they would just sitting on a chair meditating.





Kate: Do you find that mindful drawing brings about a greater connection with the subject than photography?


Wendy Ann: I think photography can still bring a great sense of connection—I use a simple four-step process to support this, and it helps people become less snap-happy and more mindful. But to be honest, mindful drawing probably beats everything for developing mindful seeing, mindful attention, and mindful presence.


It’s partly to do with time. It takes time to make a drawing, we make the image, rather than letting the camera do it, consequently we have to stay with something for longer than we do if we’re just taking a photo, and it requires an even deeper attention, a much closer mindful seeing of what’s before us. And all that time we’re with something, building a relationship with it, connecting with it, we’re also allowing it to connect with us, affect us in some way too.


This story was originally published on Mindful.org. Kate Bermingham is a freelance health and wellbeing journalist and yoga instructor based in Cambridge, UK.





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'Game Of Thrones' City Has Been Recreated Out Of Gingerbread

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Barricade the castle gates, because this tasty treat is under serious threat of attack.


King's Landing -- the fictional capital of the Seven Kingdoms in the HBO epic "Game of Thrones" -- has been painstakingly recreated in gingerbread form.


The Dragon Pit, Red Keep and Great Sept of Baelor all feature in the edible extravaganza -- and they all look delicious enough to eat.






Cake designer and sugar artist Michelle Wibowo constructed the city for the Taste of London 2015 festival, which runs at the Tobacco Dock in the English capital until Sunday.









Her incredible handiwork is the star attraction in the "Taste of HBO" room -- where fans can also sit on the hallowed Iron Throne and sample beer inspired by the show.


Wibowo teased fans on Twitter by posting pictures of the raw ingredients of the gingerbread castle before getting down to business.






She's well-known for her outlandish creations, and has previously depicted Princes William and George in Toblerone form, made a Queen Elizabeth II out of sugar, and formed a life-size replica of Michelangelo's "The Creation of Adam" using 10,000 marshmallows and half a billion cake sprinkles.


More of her incredible work can be seen on her website, blog and Facebook page.


Also on HuffPost:





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These Women Are Stripping Down To Challenge Traditional Ideas About Gender (NSFW)

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A compelling new photo book recently hit that market that chronicles women who are examining, rethinking and pushing the boundaries of their gender. 


I Heart Girl features popular androgynous model Rain Dove and a number of other women stripping down and displaying their bodies in an attempt to showcase their authentic selves as they challenge traditional notions of gender. According to photographer and I Heart Girl creator, Jessica Yatrofsky, "I care a great deal about the body and how it is represented, how we perform gender, the evolution of human equality and why it's the cause of some intense debate. This series captures a moment in time, a collective shift that’s occurring both in women and men as we become a more gender fluid society."


Yatrofsky's I Heart Girl is a sequel to her popular I Heart Boy, an erotic photo book that challenges today's idealized image of the white gay male body.


The Huffington Post chatted with Yatrofsky this week about I Heart Girl, what she is trying to accomplish with this project and how it is relevant to our current cultural climate.



The Huffington Post: Talk to me about the overarching concept/vision for this project.

Jessica Yatrofsky: I've always been drawn to depicting the body in my work. I began my art practice as an applied artist, mostly painting and drawing live models and still life and that foundation has shaped the way I approach portraiture. With the I Heart Girl series, I was inspired by the inherent strength and beauty of our bodies, and to work with women to create images that can explore both femininity and masculinity is very intriguing. Androgyny and the "in-between" is a theme that I find very appealing, and I am interested in how we choose to define ourselves as individuals. I have a personal interest in self-expression as a woman and I feel it's important to acknowledge and celebrate the shift in culture as we begin to reexamine and rethink gender. This particular series represents a facet of women of a certain age, living authentically and expressing their gender accordingly. We can call these women "alternative," "androgynous," "masculine" or "feminine," but that doesn't fully capture what I feel the project represents -- which is largely about a human vulnerability that can't be defined and categorized easily. 


Who are the subjects in this book? Why did you choose them?

The subjects in this book include close friends, peers, couples, art models and other acquaintances that are self-selected, really. I'm always getting referrals, sometimes in the form of a random email or text message of a person sending me their photo, which I love. My friends enjoy the casting process more than I do. It's rare that I approach a subject on the street but if I'm particularly drawn to someone I go for it! I have a thing for muses, sometimes, too. I'll routinely photograph the same subject. I love repeating a process over and over again with them. When you have the opportunity to reshoot a subject, when you study their body and their face over time, you learn a great deal about a person in a way that is very intimate and sacred when you witness them evolving.


How are you exploring/queering notions of gender through this book?

I care a great deal about the body and how it is represented, how we perform gender, the evolution of human equality and why it's the cause of some intense debate. This series captures a moment in time, a collective shift that’s occurring both in women and men as we become a more gender fluid society. And as a society, arriving at the self-realization that we don't have to accept the gender assigned to us at birth is both radical and beautiful. When I photographed subjects for this series I witnessed this same radical -- but subtle -- individuality and I was interested in capturing these subjects in that state of purity while also retaining an image that they also felt inline with. 


What do you want people to take away from I Heart Girl?

It's important to share ideas that relate to the body, the composition of the form within portraiture and self-expression. For me, this work represents more than a specific group of women -- it represents a look at the current cultural landscape. I am interested in examining the way we think about women and body image and how we perform gender. I Heart Girl is both a meditation on femininity and masculinity, and highlights how we as humans have the ability to express these attributes subtly and perform them as we see fit. That's liberation -- that's freedom. 


Want to learn more about I Heart Girl? Head here.


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When An Optical Illusion Turns Your Arm Into a Gigantic Penis

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It's an X-rated version of #thedress.


At first glance, it may seem as if these British children's TV entertainers have been photo-bombed by a gigantic penis.


The enormous member appears to be rising out of a glass held by fan Jemima Campion, who's alongside the Chuckle Brothers -- Barry and Paul -- in the snap.






But thankfully, it's just an amazing optical illusion -- a trick of the light converting her arm into something much more adult-oriented.


The image of the comedy duo -- who hosted their own children's slapstick-style show on British TV for several decades -- alongside 19-year-old Campion was taken at the Pryzm nightclub in Leeds earlier this month.


It was posted to Twitter by Solita NQ restaurant in Manchester on Wednesday, and soon went viral, sparking a host of these joke replies:






























College student Campion told the Mirror that the optical illusion was "completely unintentional."


"I didn't intend to put my arm or my hair in that position at all. The pink bit you can see on my shoulder is not my bra strap but the lighting," she told the publication.


Initially, she was "mortified" when the image started going viral, but has since learned to take it as a joke. She's also vowed to be more careful when posing with celebrities in future.


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Sarah Palin Sends Very Mushy Thank-You Note To New BFF Adele

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"Rumor Has It" that Adele and Sarah Palin are fast becoming BFFs.


The singer told a UK TV show on Friday night that her success in the U.S. was thanks to the former Alaska governor. Palin responded by giving her a copy of her new book, "Sweet Freedom," with a sweet message inside.


She loaded the note with references to several of Adele's songs:





Adele appeared alongside the former vice presidential candidate on "Saturday Night Live" in 2008. The Grammy-winning singer, whose new album "25" dropped Friday, said Palin's appearance garnered a massive audience for her performance. 


"Because something came up in the campaign, she came and did the week I was doing it with Josh Brolin," she said on the "Adele At The BBC" special, hosted by Graham Norton.



"So it was one of the most watched 'SNL's ever, and then it was two weeks before the Grammy ballot, which is when people decide what songs they want to maybe nominate, so, like, literally the stars aligned for me," she added.


Adele's album "19" shot to the top of charts across the world following her appearance -- and she ended up winning two of the four Grammys she was nominated for.


Friday's broadcast also featured Adele pranking impersonators by turning up to an audition in disguise. She re-appeared on 'SNL' on Saturday to perform two of her new singles.


H/T People 


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This Stunning Music Video Was Made By Artificial Intelligence

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fusion


We’re in the middle of a new artistic renaissance, one in which artificial-intelligence algorithms are helping artists develop new types of stories, images and music.


WeatherAnomaly has just released a new video titled “Secret Society of Soul Painters” that uses a breed of AI known as an artificial neural network to create special, psychedelic effects. The results are stunning and reminiscent of masterpieces by Vincent van Gogh and Edvard Munch (of The Scream fame). But don’t take it from me, take a look for yourself:





Artificial neural networks are being used by companies like Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Baidu to identify the content of images. (If you use Google Photos, an app that automatically catalogs your photos, you’re tapping into neural networks.) Some of these companies have open-sourced some of their technologies, making it possible for creative types to apply them to new areas, like art.


WeatherAnomaly used a program called Torch, first developed in part by Ronan Collobert, an engineer who now works at Facebook, and an algorithm described in a recent paper aptly titled “A Neural Algorithm of Artistic Style” to create Secret Society of Soul Painters.


The way the technology works is simple. The neural network “learns” the style of one image and merges it with another. That mashup can give you some pretty epic results:



It still takes some computing know-how to get these programs to do what you want them to. But because they’re now more widely available in pre-packaged form on online repositories like GitHub -- and not just locked away in tech companies’ algorithmic vaults -- it’s allowing DIY AI tinkerers to create new kinds of art that didn’t exist before. Some of that work is jumping into the mainstream. The band Years&Years will feature AI-generated graphics in one of its music videos.


In case you’re afraid that artistic AIs are going to put human artists out of work, keep calm and carry on. All of these projects still have humans at the helm.


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The Real Reason Patti LaBelle Called Off Her Engagement To One Of The Temptations

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If there were only one thing to appreciate about Patti LaBelle besides her incredible voice, it would be her candor.


When the unofficial "Godmother of Soul" appeared on "Oprah's Master Class," she opened up about her relatively quiet engagement to one of the founding members of The Temptations. Otis Williams envisioned a beautiful life for himself and his bride-to-be, but their story didn't have a fairytale ending -- which LaBelle was quite OK with.


It all started one night in the early 1960s when The Temptations were playing a show in LaBelle's hometown of Philadelphia. LaBelle, already a rising star herself, had been in the audience, and when the "My Girl" singers realized she was there, they met with her afterwards to introduce themselves.


"For some reason, Otis and I became attracted [to each other]," LaBelle recalls. "So, I ended up seeing Otis and we ended up becoming engaged... He gave me this beautiful ring and he talked about what kind of life we were going to have and everything."


It was an exciting time for the now-71-year-old, but in the midst of it all, LaBelle couldn't help but ask herself one nagging question.


"I said, 'Am I attracted to a Temptation or to a man that I want to be with?'" she says.


Soon, though, she realized the truth.


"I think I was more in love with The Temptations than Otis Williams, who was a very sweet man," LaBelle says.


As sweet as Williams was, the relationship didn't feel like an ideal match for LaBelle. Yet, considering how wildly popular The Temptations were back then, it's no surprise that LaBelle had seemed to overlook that important feeling.


"They were big at that time. You know when sometimes you get a little celebrity-crazy? I think I was in that category," she admits.


After the couple became serious and got engaged, Williams had hoped that LaBelle would follow through with his vision of settling down and focusing on their life together more than anything else.


"He wanted me to move to Detroit -- and stop singing," LaBelle says. "Not use [my voice]? I don't think so."


That's when she decided to end the relationship.


"I said very nicely, 'The engagement is off. I have to sing for the rest of my life,'" LaBelle says. "No matter what, if they weren't paying me, I have to sing. That's how it is with me. No matter what, I'm going to sing."


Still, LaBelle harbors no resentment toward her ex-fiancé, and only has kind things to say about what kind of person he is.


"I still really care for him, very much. He's a sweet man. But, I'm glad I didn't marry you, Boo-Boo," LaBelle says. "That was a good move on my part. I knew that I was more than that."


The experience taught LaBelle an important lesson.


"Believe in yourself, and release yourself of things that you think you want," LaBelle says. "Release that mind and say, 'No. I want to do better.'"


"Oprah's Master Class" airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on OWN.


More from Oprah.com


How Patti LaBelle remains "best friends" Armstead Edwards after ending their 32-year marriage


Why Patti LaBelle says she never wanted to be a solo artist


The woman Patti LaBelle calls her "savior"


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Food-Obsessed Photographer Captures The Secret Histories Of Fruits And Vegetables

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Peach enthusiast and American author Mark Twain once said, "The peach began as a bitter almond." It's true! Long before the furry, fleshy plants had all that fur and flesh, peaches were little more than a pit with a small layer of pulp. Over the course of 3,000 years, the fruits, native to China, were domesticated and grown to the delicious, velvety treats they are today. (Bonus: they've come to symbolize long life and divine power.) 


I will be the first to admit I do not know much about the history of the peach. Or any fruit or veggie variety, for that matter. My knowledge basically extends from how mushy they should be before consumption to how bad they should smell before disposal. Thankfully, there is photographer Maciek Jasik.



Jasik is fascinated by the invisible histories embedded between the seeds of our favorite fruits. For example, the fact that the pomegranate was a symbol of life after death in Egypt, or that cauliflower evolved from a wild cabbage. He channels the mythologies of these often devoured, rarely analyzed goods through hypnotic photographs. Somewhere between a still life and a seance, the images of "The Secret Lives of Fruits and Vegetables" capture the mystique that once enshrouded every eggplant. 


Jasik recruits pumpkins, squash, watermelons and honeydew as his subjects, conjuring the mysterious folklore behind these unassuming flora with billowing, colored smoke flowing from their cores. Looking something like an enchanted advertisement, Jasik's striking photographs show that a papaya makes as compelling a photography subject as any reclining nude. Come on, look at those curves. 



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In An Ode To Physical Objects, Photographer Captures Everything We Touch In A Day

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Your fluffy duvet, your raucous alarm, your partner’s lovingly worn-in T-shirt. The first thing you touch when you wake up in the morning can indicate more than you might think about your life. At least that’s the thinking behind photographer Paula Zuccotti’s blog-turned-book Everything We Touch, a series of snapshots capturing the simple items her subjects interact with on a daily basis.


Taking pictures is a passion for Zuccotti, but her day job involves forecasting trends for an advertising agency, and using the data from those trends to inform decisions as a product designer. “For the past 15 years I have traveled the world, running over a hundred ethnographic and trend-mapping projects studying the relationships between people and products: those they use and those they do not even know exist yet,” Zuccotti told The Huffington Post.


“Actually in the book each photograph is first presented on its own, without supporting information, so you can make deductions about that person’s day before turning the page to find out more. What age and sex are they? Where do you think they live and what job do they do? What are their hobbies? What do they look like?” Zuccotti said. “The photos will certainly tell you a story, although the reader will add [his or her] own imagination and interpretation and fill in the gaps imagining in their minds what would be like going though that day.”


To this end, Zuccotti formats the photos so that the objects are arranged in chronological order, like a timeline of each individual’s day. Train tickets might be laid out next to umbrellas and goulashes; a fork is photographed next to a tea towel. Slowly, a complete picture can be formed of an individual’s daily life, and assumptions can be made about who that person is -- his or her gender, nationality, or line of work.


But as much as Zuccotti is interested in the objects people do touch, she’s fascinated by the objects we no longer interact with, too. She instructed her subjects not to include any permanent objects, like furniture or door handles, or objects they interact with throughout the day, like cell phones. As a result, phones, laptops and keyboards are notably absent from her photos -- but so are the objects they’ve replaced, like alarm clocks, physical books and planners.


“It’s amazing how many things we have stopped touching,” Zuccotti said. “We don’t touch music anymore [...] that means you won’t find out what type of music the participants like,” unless they have record collections.


For a meditation on what which tangible objects we do and don't interact with, view Zuccotti's project below, or on her blog.



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The Badass Women We're Most Thankful For This Year

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Thanksgiving is mostly about eating until you can't zip up your pants, but it's also a wonderful time for remembering the things -- and people -- we are most grateful for.


In honor of the holiday, we're highlighting some women we can all be thankful for this year. These women are working to change the conversations that surround feminism, intersectionality, race and female accomplishment. And for that, we're truly grateful. 


 



 


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