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How To Track Santa Claus Around The World This Christmas Eve

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Santa Claus is coming to town!


And you'll see exactly where he is this Christmas Eve, thanks again to the North American Aerospace Defense Command -- or NORAD -- at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado.


It's the 60th year the base has used its radars, satellites and fighter jets to track Saint Nick's Yuletide journey.


Parents and children can log on to NoradSanta.org from 12:01 a.m. MST (2:01 a.m. EST) on Christmas Eve to see "Santa Cam" videos of the jolly gift-giver preparing his sleigh and reindeer for the long night ahead, according to a statement from NORAD.



Kris Kringle will then take to the skies, with his route chronicled via NORAD's website and its TwitterFacebook, Google Plus and YouTube accounts, and dedicated Apple and Android apps.


From 4 a.m. MST (6 a.m. EST) on Thursday, operators will be on hand via 1-877-Hi-NORAD (1-877-446-6723) or the email noradtrackssanta@outlook.com to reveal his whereabouts.


Windows Phone users can ask Cortana, the virtual personal assistant, for his location, and OnStar subscribers can press the OnStar button in their vehicles.





The Santa-tracking tradition reportedly started in 1955 when a local business in Colorado Springs advertised a Santa hotline that kids could call on Christmas Eve.


But the number was misprinted, and children instead rang through to the Continental Air Defense Command Operations Center.


Col. Harry Shoup and his staffers graciously fielded the calls, and the tradition carried on, even when the center became NORAD -- whose main mission is monitoring air and space threats against the U.S. and Canada -- in 1958.






To commemorate the landmark anniversary of the tracker, its website had a revamp this year, according to the NORAD statement.


It features a holiday countdown, and an interactive Santa’s North Pole Village where you can buy merchandise, watch movies, learn about the history of the program and play games. It's also translated into multiple languages.


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Technicolor Yarn Factory Photos Show Hope For American Industry

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In 2010, photographer Chris Payne stepped through a wormhole into the past. OK, not really. But his discovery had the same surreal quality: An old mill, tucked away in Maine, still manufacturing candy-floss-colored yarns many decades after the outsourcing of the American textile industry. 


The Maine mill, Payne told The Huffington Post Post via email, "reminded me of the state hospital workshops I had photographed for my book, Asylum." Payne, who studied architecture prior to his photography career, specializes in photographing old buildings and capturing their structural beauty and resonance through time.


The yarn mill offered something surprisingly optimistic compared to much of his previous work on forgotten structures. "While [the state hospitals] had long been abandoned," he said, "this mill was fully operational, a scene from the past miraculously coexisting with the present."


The result is an almost fairy-tale scene, an glimpse of American industry's bygone glory manifested in technicolor detail.



Photographing a working mill requires bushels of patience, however. "There is not much staging allowed because I cannot alter or interrupt the lines of production," Payne explained. "So I wait, sometimes months, for the right colors to come along, and then a magical moment occurs, if only for a few hours or minutes."


Those moments do occur, as his jaw-dropping photographs testify. Clumps of vivid teal fibers pile against dull industrial machinery, bathed in warm light. Shocking pink skeins hover over the regimented factory floor. 


Here and there, too, we see the human element: factory workers adjusting machines and bundling textiles. With his photographs, Payne says, he hopes to both shine a light on the small surviving American textile industry and to celebrate its works. "They share a quiet pride and dignity, and are proof that manual labor and craftsmanship still have value in today’s economy," he told HuffPost. 


See a selection of Payne's photos below, and check out more on his website



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These Are The Real Faces Of Muslim Americans Who Worship At Mosques

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In a disheartening Public Policy Polling survey released on Friday, 54 percent of respondents supported banning Muslims from entering the United States. Moreover, 30 percent of Republican primary voters and 19 percent of Democrats professed support for bombing an area known as Agrabah.


In the wake of anti-Muslim sentiments reported across the country, these numbers are troubling. But given the fact that Agrabah, as Disney fans know all too well, is the fictional country from "Aladdin" -- these numbers are absurd.


"I do understand the need for security," photographer Robert Gerhardt explained to HuffPost. "And trying to prevent attacks not just here in the U.S. but around the world in general. But poll numbers like this show just how much hatred towards Muslims exists."


Gerhardt is the artist behind "Muslim/American, American/Muslim," a documentary project he's been developing since 2010. The Georgia-born, Pennsylvania-raised photographer began work on the black-and-white series, taken inside and around mosques around the country, after observing a similar wave of anti-Muslim prejudice five years ago. Back then, it occurred in response to a proposal to convert a convent into a mosque and community center on Staten Island. 


To Gerhardt, the backlash was one part of a larger phenomenon: Muslim communities in California, Wisconsin, Tennessee and Florida were witnessing similarly unjust public disdain. His initial goal was to "try to understand and document the intersection between 'Muslim' and 'American'" by photographing in Brooklyn, on the first night of Ramadan in 2010. Today, Gerhardt continues to take photos in various cities in the U.S., with hopes of encouraging "a dialogue between Muslims and non-Muslims in America that attempts to erase the boundaries that engender a sense of 'them' and begin to foster a sense of 'us.'"


As Americans mourn the loss of life in San Bernardino, California, and the perpetuation of intolerance in Staunton, Virginia, Gerhardt's documentary project is as relevant as ever. We checked in with the artist to talk about the evolution of his series.



You began your project after observing the controversy that erupted in response to a proposed mosque and community center in Staten Island in 2010. Five years later, your project seems as relevant as ever. How has the project changed over time?


When I began the project, it started out not just as a documentary project -- about a mosque and community in Brooklyn, where I spent the first year of the project -- but also as a learning experience for me. Before starting this project, the only Muslim Americans I knew were the cab drivers in the city I would sometimes ride with, and the guys I bought my morning coffee from.


As the controversy around the proposed mosque on Staten Island grew, I realized that a lot of the fear that people seemed to be expressing was about what they feared was going on in mosques. But no one had seemed to have spent a lot of time with the Muslim American population, or in a mosque, to know what was going on. So I thought, as a photographer and a curious individual, I would look into the story of Muslim American communities myself.



Have the goals of the project changed over time?


I am not sure if the goals of the project have really changed over time, but rather they have expanded. I started out covering just one community in Brooklyn. But when that first part of the project was done, I realized that no one community could tell the whole story. So I began to visit others, not just in New York, but around the country, in the hopes of showing the diversity of the Muslim American population.


As the backlash over Muslim populations have expanded from the mosque on Staten Island to other areas of the country, so has my work expanded. And it is still not done. I am still making photographs for the project as I travel. My goal is to eventually cover Muslim American populations not in every state necessarily, but in all the different areas of the United States.



What has been your response to the recent coverage of Muslim Americans in the news, and the amplified discussion of terror and intolerance that has been happening across mainstream media? 


I guess the simple answer has been shock. I am not so naive to think that racism does not still exist in the country. But the fact that intolerance seems to drive up [politicians'] poll numbers is rather stunning. People are inherently afraid of things that they don’t understand, or that are different from what they know. The global war on terror since 9/11, the rise of Daesh [ISIS], the attacks in Paris, the shooting in California, and other terrorist attacks around the world all work to reinforce people’s fear.


The problem is, people begin to see the actions of a very few and then project them onto the rest of a population. In this case, Muslim. The constant coverage and discussions in mainstream media in the United States, and the way that they cover things in this 24-hour news cycle -- I do think it allows people to see and understand the full picture. The case of the Syrian refugees is just one example. Large numbers want to stop them from coming to the United States, while the refugees themselves are simply trying to get away from the people that Americans are afraid of. 


The virulence of the attacks against the Muslim American population are heartbreaking. When you have armed members of the population showing up outside of mosques, people spray painting references to Jesus on mosques, German SS symbols written on coffee shops, Muslims being hit and thrown coffee on while praying, and Muslim men and women being attacked and shouted at, things have gone from being just a discussion about intolerance to outright hate crimes against Muslims.


At this point, no matter how many people say that these attacks are wrong, prominent politicians seem to be driving the hatred more than working to help prevent it.



You were born in Georgia but grew up in Pennsylvania. How does your own upbringing and experience with American identity influence the project, if at all?


My upbringing has definitely influenced my project. As for Georgia, my father was in the Army for a few years, and while I was born there, I was just about two when we moved back to Pennsylvania, where my parents are both from, so I don’t remember anything of Georgia.


I grew up in a suburb of Philadelphia, the oldest of five children. My father was a doctor (he is now retired), a nephrologist, at a well respected hospital down in Center City Philadelphia. My mother is a nurse, though she did not work when I was a child. Growing up, my parents exposed me and my brother and sisters to many different things not just around Philadelphia and New York, but also on trips abroad. I would visit and later spend two summers working as an office boy at my fathers’ department at the hospital. 


I also attended St. Joseph’s Prep in Philadelphia for high school, a Jesuit school. There, along with the usual classes, the Jesuits instilled in all of us the idea of “being a man for others,” and the spirit of service. In college, I majored in sociology with a concentration in anthropology and art history. This is where I fell in love with photography, during my junior year.


All of this has fueled my interest in the world around me, and people in general. My experience with American identity is a bit more complicated. I am not sure how it has influenced this project. Other than that Muslim Americans are both Americans and Muslim, and I see their story as part of the American story as a whole. Their history in this country goes back as far as the country itself. My look at America in general is a separate project, titled “Drive Safely.”



How do you meet your subjects today?


In general, when I am traveling, I look to see if there is a mosque in the area, and then proceed to contact them about coming to visit and make photographs. In all the times I have done this, no community has ever turned me down, and I have been welcomed at all of them. When exhibitions of my work are on display, I also always invite the local Muslim population in the same manner.



What kinds of exchanges occur during a photo session?


In general, the exchanges happen in the usual way. I will show up a bit early for prayer time, meet with the local Imam and the board members of the mosque (if they are present), to introduce myself and talk a bit. Then I go and start to photograph.


Usually a few members of the community will come up and talk to me, more out of curiosity than anything else. In some cases, members of the community will also show me around. One older gentleman at a mosque in the Parkchester section of the Bronx insisted on taking me out for tea and some sweets after prayers. The Imam at the Islamic Center of Greater Oklahoma City, Imam Imad Enchassi, took me out over two days to not just visit other mosques in the area and a school, but also out to one of the best Pakistani restaurants I’ve ever eaten at.


I also stay in touch with all of the communities I have photographed. Whenever the work is on exhibitions, or something is published about the work, I email them all to let them know.



Have you ever experienced any backlash during the duration of this project? Or, have any of your intended subjects been hesitant to work with you, or hesitant of the project in general?


I have never experienced any backlash from the subjects of my photographs. When I show up at a mosque that I have never been to before, people are always curious about why I am there with my cameras. I usually get asked questions about the project, what I am looking to do, and where they will be used. But after that, and some small talk, people have tended to be relaxed around me.


I believe that it is sometimes more important to spend time talking with people, telling them about myself, listening to what they have to tell me and listening to their stories, then just clicking away. I’ll let the little kids check out my cameras, since they always seem to be fascinated by them. I’ve played basketball with some of the teenagers I’ve met, and some taught me to play cricket in the park, to their great laughter at how bad I was at it. When you spend time with people like that, they tend to be more relaxed with you, and then in the end you get better photographs.


But I have received backlash from outside of the Muslim American population. When the work has been published on blogs, or exhibition announcements have been published on line, a few people have written disparaging comments, usually in the form of racist statements.



In a statement on your website, you write, "For me, being a photographer is more then simply making photographs of what I see before me." Can you elaborate on how you see the role of the photographer functioning outside of art?


For me, the true power of photography is its ability to tell stories and show people things they may never otherwise see. And I know photographs are never going to make a viewer have an epiphany, but if they make people think, or start a discussion, that is the goal in my own work.


I also don’t believe that there is a difference being a photographer inside and outside of art. If there is a line, it is blurry at best. It all depends on how, and if, the photographer places themselves on one side of that line or another.


But there are different sets of rules. As a documentary photographer, any kind of editing of the photograph is paramount to cheating. Whether it be staging a shot, combining elements from more than one photograph, or editing out something in the frame; that is not allowed. While in the art photography world, all of that that is acceptable to get your point across. And I have no problem with that. As long as you are not trying to pass off one for the other.


But I do think that documentary work can be, and is, in the art world as well. Even though the subjects of some documentary projects are not easy to look at, they can be extremely artistic in how the photographer captures what he or she sees. That is what makes the best documentary work so powerful: it moves in both worlds.



Do you believe all artists, outside of yourself, should have a greater responsibility tied to their work?


This is a question I can only answer from my perspective, and I do not speak for the art world in general, or the photography world in general either. I, however, do believe that the best artwork does have more to it then just a pretty thing on a wall. Art has the power to make people think, and feel and question whether or not it be just an emotional response. Seeing a Manet, Pollock, Rodin or Otto Dix all have this power.


At the same time, I don’t have much interest in most contemporary art. When I walk through Chelsea, or past galleries in other parts of New York, very little of what I see through the gallery windows makes me want to come in and look closer, even if it is photography. It does not make me feel anything. Just because an artist manages to sell their work for large sums of money, or secures a gallery, it makes no difference to me. And while I do have my MFA, and can talk art theory, if work is solely based on some obscure theory, again, no interest. And people may be drawn to it in ways that I am not, and I understand that.


This is just my experience, and I know others will have a different reaction to what they see. And I know a lot of people will disagree with me about contemporary art. But I do feel art should say something more then just a theory out of an art book.



Working in the field of documentary photography, do you look to any past photographers for inspiration?


There are many photographers whose work has been an inspiration and influence in my own work. I am a strong believer that any photographer should not only know the history of the medium, but also look at the work of not only contemporaries in the field, but those who came before.


I would consider my two biggest influences to be Robert Frank and W. Eugene Smith. Frank’s The Americans was one of the first books of photography that I remember being completely amazed by. W. Eugene Smith’s work for Life magazine, his project on Pittsburg, and his book Minimata are some of the greatest photo-stories ever done.


The main thing I learned from them both is the idea that great photographic stories are not done quickly, but rather over the course of weeks, months, and in some cases, years. The more time you spend on a project, and the more time you spend with your subjects, the more they open up to you, which in turn allows you to access moments that you would never get to see.



"Muslim/American, American/Muslim" will be on view in the following venues in 2016: Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport, Pennsylvania (Jan. 14 -March 4); Drury University in Springfield, Missouri (Feb. 5-26); Lewis University in Romeoville, IL (April 1-25); Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado (April 12-May 20). See more of Robert Gerhardt's work below.








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Step Inside The Pantone Factory, Where Experts Can See Colors We Can't

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Pantone, the company that describes itself as the dictionary of colors, is a very serious institution. It does not take its hues lightly.


According to a video produced by Quartz, Pantone recruits employees with near-perfect color vision to fill its ink and color standards technician positions. The men and women who safeguard the shades in Pantone's color factory mix paint by hand, dealing with only pounds at a time. Similarly, experts check each swatch of fabric individually to make sure that blue is blue, or -- more accurately -- that serenity is serenity.


In fact, the technicians can, purportedly, see color distinctions that the average person cannot. And Pantone knows this, because its experts are required to take an annual color exam.


For more on the intricacies of Pantone, check out the video above. To see how color addicts catalogued their hues before Pantone, which originated in the 1950s, head here.


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This Star Wars-Loving Dad Made Epic Adjustments To His Son's Helmet

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When Jonathan Moxey's infant son was diagnosed with a skull condition and needed to wear a helmet ever day for a year, the dad devised a creative way to make the experience fun and special. 


Just two months after he was born, baby Jack Moxey was diagnosed with craniosynostosis, a premature fusing of the plates in his head. "Basically, as he was growing his head was only expanding front to back, rather than all around,"Jonathan told The Huffington Post. 


After undergoing a surgical procedure which would allow his head to grow normally, Jack needed to wear a helmet to protect his head as it healed from the operation and to guide its growth until he turned one. To make the nine-month period more upbeat for the family, Jonathan decorated Jack's four helmets with exciting Star Wars designs. 



"As my wife and I were talking before the surgery, we decided that if we had to do this, we might as well have some fun with it," the Missouri dad told HuffPost. "It changes the narrative from 'Oh, what happened to your kid?' to 'That's an awesome helmet!' Jack was too little to really understand what was going on, but he definitely didn't need anyone feeling sorry for him."


As a Star Wars fan, Jonathan decided to draw design inspiration from the franchise, so the four helmets were nods to R2-D2, Luke Skywalker, Biggs Darklighter and Jek Porkins.


The Moxeys shared photos of Jack's cool helmets on Instagram, where they attracted a lot of positive attention.   



A photo posted by Jonathan Moxey (@jmmoxey) on




 "I had one guy reach out to me on Instagram and ask how he could make one for his son, who was in a similar situation," Jonathan said. "Helping someone else make the best out of a tough situation was the coolest thing. Our attitude toward the situation really made a difference, and I'd love to pass along that positive outlook."


Today, Jack is 16-months-old, helmet-free and totally thriving. "He's walking around and getting into anything he can," the dad said. "His words are coming along, and he's a pure joy."


May the force be with this little one!



H/T PopSugar


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Some People Are Pissed Off About The Casting Of A Black Hermione Granger

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Recent news about the casting of "Harry Potter and The Cursed Child," the upcoming play sequel to the popular books, had many social media users up in arms.


The reason? Beloved heroine Hermione Granger will be played by black actress Noma Dumezweni.






Haters on Twitter were not happy with the decision of Hermione "turned black."






















But to the contrary, many fans of the series have already considered Hermione as black. From her thick, bushy brown hair to her blood status as a minority within the Wizarding world (and all the racial slurs that are thrown her way), she could easily be black.


Additionally, JK Rowling never specified the character's skin color. 














And with the fan war escalating on Twitter, Queen Rowling laid down the final word:






Take that, haters. 


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The 23 Best Performances Of 2015 Across Pop Culture

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Whether an award show gave them proper due or the Internet paid them any mind doesn't matter when it comes to 2015's best performances, even though many of them accomplished one or both of those honors. Each item on this list exhibited a timeliness and wit that should live on in popular culture's annals. Presented in no particular order, here are the best things that happened on stages and in front of cameras this year.



 


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'Black Hermione' Backlash Proves Outrage Is About Race, Not Canon

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A photo posted by @hpplayldn on




The producers of the hotly anticipated play “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” following Harry and his two best friends in adulthood, announced Monday that the lead female role of Hermione Granger would be played by a black actress, Noma Dumezweni.


The announcement drew angry outcry from certain fans, who viewed Hermione as a white character in the books. “Ghostbusters with all women? Hermione turned black? Why? Can't we just leave good casting alone?” tweeted one, apparently baffled, observer.


In the blockbuster series of “Harry Potter” movies, Hermione was portrayed by actress Emma Watson, the very picture of the classic, pale-skinned English rose. But that in itself doesn’t mean the canonical character was necessarily a white girl.


In the Harry Potter books, Hermione Granger is described as having brown eyes, bushy brown hair, and an air of obnoxious self-confidence. (And, initially, oversized front teeth, before she gets them shrunk by the Hogwarts Healer, Madame Pomfrey.) Her skin color never merits a mention.


J.K. Rowling herself gently pointed this out on Twitter, in response to fans insisting that Hermione was white in the books.






Hearteningly, plenty of fans also spoke out in support of the casting. Still, it’s telling that the choice of Dumezweni, a Swaziland-born actress with a resume as impressive as Hermione herself, has been at the center of so much angry chatter.  


At the New Republic, Esther Breger pointed out that the actor cast as Ron Weasley, Paul Thornley, doesn’t exactly resemble the freckle-splattered, tomato-haired boy that readers will recall from the books. What’s more, the actor who will play Harry Potter, Jamie Parker, lacks Harry’s jet-black mop, green eyes, and angular physique.


Of course, these deviations from descriptions -- from the iconic traits that identified those characters, no less -- haven’t drawn a peep from purportedly canon-conscious fans. Actors cast as major characters in popular movies frequently differ in significant ways from their book descriptions. The "Harry Potter" films alone are an excellent example. Watson’s Hermione never displayed enormous front teeth, as she was repeatedly described as having in the books. Rupert Grint as Ron was a fiery redhead, but not a bony beanpole.



Remember when Daniel Radcliffe began playing Harry Potter -- with blue eyes? Green contact lenses were attempted, but Radcliffe suffered a very bad reaction to the lenses and the plan had to be abandoned. Ultimately, the film moved ahead with a blue-eyed Harry, despite the heavy emphasis on his green eyes in the book. There was some irritable discussion of this among fans, but no massive outcry, no suggestion that the film producers were being cavalier with the text or perverting it.


Hiding behind devotion to canon is a poor excuse for what can only be simple racism. It’s not that Hermione may look different from how we imagined her, or how she was described in the books -- it’s that she must be white, for many fans.  


This has even shown up in cases when black actors were cast as characters explicitly described as brown-skinned, such as the backlash to Amandla Stenberg’s casting as Rue in “The Hunger Games.” Even though Suzanne Collins clearly described Rue as dark-skinned, many fans felt convinced that the innocent figure of Rue ought to be a white girl, tweeting complaints such as “Awkward moment when Rue is some black girl and not the innocent blonde girl you picture.” 



In reality, translating fictional characters to the screen is a daunting task. Most readers have visions of the characters in their heads, and matching those visions for all, or even most, readers is a fool’s errand. Worse, if the character is carefully described in the text, finding a talented actor who matches that description and is available to perform might be next to impossible -- imagine being on the hunt for a pale, black-haired, green-eyed 11-year-old who’s strong enough as an actor to carry an entire series.


The actors who portray our fictional heroes won’t exactly match what we expected, or hoped, but we understand that enough to let it pass, because the real world is imperfect and messy.


Unless, of course, race is involved.


Unfortunately, that’s where the world needs understanding the most, and the insight to see not “black Hermione” and “Hermione,” but different actresses bringing an iconic character to life in unique and powerful ways. So come on, Harry Potter fans. Let’s all strive to be a little bit more like the series’ most equality-minded character.


Yes, that would be Hermione Granger herself.


 


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This 5,300-Year-Old Body Has The World's Oldest Known Tattoos

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The oldest known tattoos belong to "Ötzi the Iceman," a 5,300-year-old mummy a pair of German hikers discovered in a glacier along the Austrian-Italian border in 1991, according to a paper slated to publish in the February 2016 edition of the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports.


Scholars have for years debated whether Ötzi was actually the oldest tattooed human, according to Smithsonian Science News, because scientists identified a tattoo of a pencil-thin mustache on a South American mummy from the Chinchurro region that they initially dated back to about 4000 B.C. 


But new research has determined that the Chinchorro mummy was not as old as originally believed, and that Ötzi actually predates it by at least 500 years.


While researchers were examining the Chinchorro mummy’s radiocarbon dating, they uncovered the root of the mistake. They believe a sample of the mummy's lung tissue was dated improperly in the 1980s. This mistake was repeated in later studies, and eventually the mummy was determined to be about 4,000 years older than it actually was. 



“I was surprised by the findings because in previous publications I brought attention to the tattooed Chinchorro mummy and its early date,” research associate Lars Krutak told Smithsonian Science News.


“To me this mummy was like an underdog versus the all-too-popular Iceman that everyone was writing and talking about," he continued. "But after reviewing the facts, we were compelled to publish the article as soon as possible to set the record straight and stem the tide of future work compounding the error.” 


Researchers have known that Ötzi had a few dozen tattoos across his legs, back, torso and left wrist, but in January they discovered a previously unknown mark hidden in deeper layers of his dark-colored skin.



Ötzi has earned his title of the oldest known tattooed human, but the study's authors say he probably won't keep it for long. They used new techniques to identify Ötzi's markings -- which were found to be indicative of social and therapeutic practices that predate his existence -- that other researchers will be able to use to examine marks on future archeological finds. 


Records from the ancient Greeks mention tattoos as early as the 5th century, according to Forbes. But examining the preserved human skin of mummies has revealed that the practice of tattooing dates back further than that. 


“I hope this paper stimulates new research," Krutak said. "In turn, we may see the antiquity of tattooing being pushed further and further back in time, which is an exciting prospect.”


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13 Portraits Show Domestic Violence Survivors Will Not Be Defined By Their Abuse

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One woman is using her camera to "communicate the humanness of survivors to the world." 


Created by artist Chantal Barlow, the Unconventional Apology Project features 13 portraits of domestic violence survivors or women who know someone who has experienced some form of abuse. Instead of shooting somber portraits of victims, Barlow took photos of survivors laughing and smiling to show that these women will not be defined by their abuse.


"My focus was to communicate the humanness of survivors to the world," Barlow told The Huffington Post. "Often times, their stories and life are confined to being a victim, if ever addressed at all. I, and these women, have much more life to live: a life that is not defined by our abusers; one with love, light and hope in our hearts."



My focus was to communicate the humanness of survivors to the world.



Barlow created the project to honor her grandmother, Mableine Nelson Barlow, who was murdered by her grandfather during a drunken rampage in 1975. She didn't know the role her grandfather had in her grandmother's death until she was a teenager. 


When her grandfather died two years ago, he gave Barlow his camera which she said he used often. She described her grandfather as having a happy life, surrounded by loving family once he sobered up a few decades after the incident. Her grandmother however, was not afforded the same, with such a short life and a death that was rarely spoken about in the family.


"[My grandfather] loved taking photos with the family -- he is in thousands of pictures, while my grandmother is only in three." Unconventional Apology Project honors Mableine's memory and legacy simply by remembering her, which Barlow calls her "trail of existence."

The project, created in August of 2014, is currently ongoing until Barlow has 36 portraits to represent the age Mableine was when she was murdered. 


Each image is candid, usually taken while the woman is telling her story. Barlow said most of the women reached out to her after she posted her own portrait on social media, while a few are part of the Unconventional Apology Project team.The participants were only required to do one thing: Wear blue, because it was Mableine's favorite color. 


All the women are featured with their full names, which Barlow said she had a very clear discussions with each participant about. Everyone signed release forms with the knowledge that their full names would be included. 



This project is an apology to these women for how society has disregarded their stories and their lives. We care about them and we love them.



Every participant's experience features tragic yet powerful narratives that include intimate partner violence, intergenerational violence and gas lighting. The women come from all walks of life, and are diverse in age, ethnicity and sexuality.  


"[The women in the photos] aren't bruised and defeated. Showing them at their worst is not our purpose," Barlow said. "This project is an apology to these women for how society has disregarded their stories and their lives. We care about them and we love them. They deserve a Trail of Existence." 


Scroll below to see Barlow's powerful portraits. Read a little about each survivor and her story to learn why these women are so much more than the abuse they've experienced. 



Head over to Unconventional Apology's website to read more about the project. 


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Marvel At ​Some Of National Geographic’s Best Photos From 2015

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Committed to showcasing amazing photography, National Geographic Magazine publishes stunning images shot around the world each day on its website. Taken in locations as varied as the ice of Antarctica or the shores of the island of Larak in the Persian Gulf, the images serve as a daily reminder of the beauty and wonder of planet Earth. 


To mark the impending start of the new year, the site chose some of its favorite images of 2015 taken by both the publication's staff photographers and its Your Shot community


Take a look at part of the selection below, and head over to National Geographic's site to see more. 



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Sorry, R. Kelly, You Don't Get To Ignore Your Past

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On Monday afternoon R. Kelly sat down at HuffPost Live to plug his latest album, "The Buffet." After 17 minutes, the singer stormed off set because he felt that he was being unfairly "interrogated" by host Caroline Modarressy-Tehrani. His behavior, not only in the interview but throughout his controversial career, is a perfect, shining example of the delusion of male entitlement. 


Many of us, especially those in the black community, can name an R. Kelly song. I know all the words to "When A Woman's Fed Up" and "I'm A Flirt." I sang "I Believe I Can Fly" at my 8th grade graduation. I've binge-watched several installments of "Trapped In The Closet." Many of his songs make up the soundtrack to my childhood and adolescence. 


But I, just like so many others familiar with Kelly's music, have also read about the horrific sexual assault and rape allegations against him. This includes his alleged statutory rape of underage girls, some as young as 14, and the child pornography case that became a Dave Chapelle punchline before fading into obscurity. There are stories of R. Kelly grooming young girls in Chicago for sex, of his dubious marriage to 15-year-old Aaliyah when he was 27. (Until music journalist Jessica Hopper's explosive piece on his alleged history of assault for the Village Voice in 2013, the allegations were rarely discussed, despite having been reported on by Chicago Sun-Times reporters Jim DeRogatis and Abdon M. Pallasch since 2000.) 


"When A Woman's Fed Up" may be a good song, but it doesn't absolve R. Kelly of his past, or shield him from public scrutiny. Not when, in the years since the rape allegations against him were first made public, his music has remained much as it has always been -- a mixture of two-step party music like "Step in the Name of Love," and hyper-sexualized (sometimes hyper-misogynistic) R&B ballads like "Legs Shakin'." 


So is it really that hard for Kelly to understand that some people, even those who might actually like his music, may no longer be able to appreciate him -- or at the very least feel torn?


"Some people say they're conflicted," Modarressy-Tehrani said during the HuffPost Live segment. "That, musically they think you're a genius. But they can't support you." 


Then she read R. Kelly this tweet:






Instantly, the singer became defensive. This is at least a little understandable. What isn't understandable was the condescending and at times aggressive tone he took with Modarressy-Tehrani, continuously commenting on her appearance, questioning her intelligence, and threatening to leave after "the next something negative out of your mouth." 


It is the responsibility of journalists to ask tough questions. Bringing up the fact that you are an accused rapist, and that those accusations have affected the way fans approach your music, is not "negativity." It is a fact. R. Kelly has had the privilege to enjoy a life outside of prison, and a career that has continued to more or less thrive in spite of his past history. Being asked straightforward, valid questions about said history may be unpleasant and inconvenient, but it is not unreasonable. 


But therein lies the absurd sense of entitlement that R. Kelly seems to have, thanks to decades of not having to deal with the ramifications of his actions in the court of public opinion. He has produced some iconic music. He's broken records. He seems to think that anyone who questions him or brings up the less savory moments of his career is simply not being "supportive." 


He's perfected the formula for hit-making, but he's also perfected the formula for denial. In 2013, when asked on Atlanta radio station V-103 about the Village Voice story, R. Kelly responded, “Well, I feel like I got the football man, and I’m running towards the touchdown and if I stop and look back or mess around, I’ll get tackled.”


This is the Persecuted Man narrative that so many predators love to latch onto; the delusion that all he wants is to give us good music, and all we want to do is make him sad. Get out of your feelings, R. Kelly. You are not entitled to our praise, our album dollars, or our support. This isn't about persecution, or about trying to kick "another black man" down. This is about the young black women whose stories were ignored, ridiculed, and forgotten in favor of upholding R. Kelly's musical legacy. 


Remember this: rape culture depends on silence. R. Kelly's dismissiveness, his unwillingness to acknowledge the complications of his past, are a silencing tactic. Listen to the music, he encourages us, don't worry about that stuff. But It doesn't matter how many records R. Kelly has sold, how many sold out tours, or how many apologists have come out of the woodworks to defend his behavior. He can duck uncomfortable questions (from fans and journalists alike) all he wants. That's his prerogative. But it remains our responsibility to never stop asking. 





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Watch A Reporter Shut Down R. Kelly's Sexist On-Air Tantrum

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R. Kelly got a bit miffed Monday afternoon when HuffPost Live host Caroline Modarressy-Tehrani questioned the artist about how the sexual assault allegations against him impact the way fans consume his music.


Kelly was so affronted by the line of questioning that he up and left the studio -- but not before he commented on Modarressy-Tehrani's appearance, wondered whether she knew what the word "deposition" meant and questioned her level of intelligence. The only silver lining was that we got to see Modarressy-Tehrani keep her calm while being berated for asking the questions that any reporter should. (Watch a selection of clips from the interview below.)





In the midst of Kelly's deflection and abject horror that a reporter would deign to be anything but "positive" about him and his career, Modarressy-Tehrani responded like a boss. When Kelly called her a "beautiful woman," she reminded him, "You don't have to comment on my appearance, sir." When he continuously cut her off, she told him, "Now let me do my job for a second because I haven't been able to ask you a question for a moment," before pressing him on the topics he'd been dodging.


Asking the tough questions -- even when they don't have clear or comfortable answers -- is exactly what reporters are tasked with doing. 


A little background: Kelly has been accused of sexual assault by dozens of young women -- many of them in the context of lawsuits, many of them minors. The story was first reported in December 2000 by Chicago Sun-Times reporters Jim DeRogatis and Abdon M. Pallasch. In the years since, as the Village Voice reported in 2013, DeRogatis has "interview[ed] hundreds of people...including dozens of young women whose lives DeRogatis says were ruined by the singer."


In that same Village Voice interview, published just after Kelly's "Black Panties" album dropped, DeRogatis calls the lawsuits against Kelly "stomach-churning." As he told the Village Voice's Jessica Hopper:



 I think in the history of rock 'n' roll, rock music, or pop culture people misbehaving and behaving badly sexually with young women, rare is the amount of evidence compiled against anyone apart from R. Kelly. Dozens of girls -- not one, not two, dozens -- with harrowing lawsuits. The videotapes -- and not just one videotape, numerous videotapes... You watch the video for which he was indicted and there is the disembodied look of the rape victim. He orders her to call him Daddy. He urinates in her mouth and instructs her at great length on how to position herself to receive his "gift." It's a rape that you're watching. So we're not talking about rock star misbehavior, which men or women can do. We're talking about predatory behavior. Their lives were ruined.



A note to famous people seeking media promotion: If you've been accused of assaulting multiple minors, be prepared to be questioned about it.


As Modarressy-Tehrani told Kelly after he repeatedly dodged her questions but offered his "love," "You don't need to give me any of your love, sir...I just wanted to ask the question."


Head over to HuffPost Live to watch the full interview.


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Photographer's Hilarious Portraits Capture Dogs Trying To Catch Treats

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It must really pug these guys when they don't catch the treats.


Christian Vieler, a 45-year-old photographer from Waltrop, Germany, has been shooting fun photos of dogs for the past three years. He initially got into pup portraiture completely by accident: He bought a camera in 2012, and wasn’t quite sure how to use it, so, he shot a picture of a dog to figure it out.


“I took my first [photo of a dog] as a simple flashlight and shutter speed test in my studio,” Vieler told The Huffington Post. “But after I got the first funny results, I started asking every client that came to my studio with a dog if I could shoot them.”



He then started uploading the images to a Facebook page he called “Fotos Frei Schnauze.” The page eventually garnered more than 50,000 followers, who all begged for more pup photos.



These portraits of dogs trying to catch treats capture a plethora of precious puppy emotions. For instance, some dogs appear shocked or confused. Others seem joyous or sad. Then there are the hilarious few that seem so nonchalant about the snack shooting towards their snout, that they completely miss it.


“Every second dog isn't able to catch treats,” Vieler said.



And why does Vieler think that dogs are the perfect subjects to shoot?


“Dogs never complain about a bad session,” he said. “They don't even seem to mind as long as treats keep coming.”




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Ballet Dancers Shred Their Way Through Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody'

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This year marks the 40th anniversary of Queen's slow burn of an anthem "Bohemian Rhapsody." To honor the epic number, English National Ballet's lead principal Erina Takahashi and first soloist James Forbat performed an epic duet that truly captures what it feels like to be just a poor boy from a poor family. 


With poise and drama, Takahashi and Forbat leap, twirl and bend their way through the six-minute rock opera, yielding a performance that would put even Wayne and Garth to shame. It's so legit, Queen's official channel even uploaded the video to YouTube. Check it out above. Try not to head bang so much you miss the good parts.




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See Who Got Married This Weekend!

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Christmas came early for our readers who said their "I dos" this weekend!


See some wonderful moments from their holiday fêtes below: 



 


If you go to a wedding or get married yourself, hashtag your photos #HPrealweddings or e-mail one to us afterwards so we can feature it on the site!


For photos from other real weddings in 2015, check out the slideshow below:


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10 Short Books You Can Read Before The End Of The Year

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According to a recent survey conducted on FlipSnack, popular books are getting longer and longer. A few of this past year’s weighty tomes serve as hard evidence. Whether the trend can be chalked up to the ability of lightweight eReaders to accommodate long books, or readers' increasing penchants for immersive and fully-developed storytelling, is hard to say.


That being said, when you’re traveling home for the holidays, sneaking in chapters on flights or between meals, a quicker book might be more appealing. And as the end of the year approaches, why not fit in a couple more reads before your 2016 literary bucket list takes off?


These are just a few notable short books out recently, including ghost stories, slapstick scenes and haunting sci-fi:



The Grownup by Gillian Flynn


If anyone can take everyday scenarios -- domestic disagreements, sibling spats -- and infuse them with an eerie mood, it’s the author of Gone Girl. Before she became the harbinger of cool girl-ness, Flynn wrote a few other domestic thrillers, and this newly republished story about a haunted house was written per George R.R. Martin’s requests. But it’s not straight-up horror, of course -- the snappy story is brimming with wit, too.



A Wild Swan by Michael Cunningham


Have you ever wondered what happens after happily ever after? The worlds of fairy tales are necessarily closed and limiting, which is what makes them both so charming and so gruesome. With his latest book, the author of The Hours and The Snow Queen returns with an exploration of the scenes that go left unwritten in the enchanted worlds of fairy tales.



Eyes by William H. Gass


At a time when memoirs abound, Gass is a champion of the power of fiction. He’s written overtly about the magic of artiface, and his latest collection -- a handful of stories and two novels -- backs up his beliefs. In the fantastical “Don’t Even Try, Sam,” a piano used on the set of “Casablanca” is interviewed about its experiences -- and the stories only get weirder from there. If you fancy a ornate prose style and haven’t yet read Gass, this is as good a place to start as any.



The Festival of Insignificance by Milan Kundera


Kundera’s slim novel, translated into English for the first time this summer, was unbearably light for some readers, while others found its glib style witty and amusing. It’s scarcely over 100 pages long, and mostly catalogues the quotidian events of four friends’ lives in Paris, so if you’re a fan of the author, or of meandering, goofy plots, find out for yourself whether insignificance is worth celebrating.



Ongoingness: The End of a Diary by Sarah Manguso


The desire to catalog our daily thoughts and habits is attributed to the information age, but in fact is nothing new. The amusingly banal thoughts of amateur diarist Samuel Pepys, dating back to the 17th century, are a reminder that our want to remember has long been strong. In a book-bound essay, Sarah Manguso writes about her forgetfulness, which was abated by having a family.



Confessions of a Lioness by Mia Couto


In Confessions of a Lioness, Mia Cuoto, who was born in Mozambique, tells the story of a village in the country, called Kulumani, through two intertwined narratives. One is of a hunter hired to take care of a recent rash of lion attacks; the other is of a young girl confined to her home due to outside dangers. With a touch of the fantastical, Couto brings to life the powerful sway of collective anxiety -- a force that can be stronger than nature itself.



Paulina and Fran by Rachel B. Glaser


Glaser manages to capture the woes of severely ironic art school kids with touching sincerity, in her novel about two friends who try and fail to connect. Titular Paulina and Fran forge a strong bond on a study abroad trip, but are driven apart -- mostly by a mutual crush and other petty concerns -- upon return. Their transition from the cloistered campus to the unforgiving real world is both funny and heartbreaking, and most of all, very real.



Chocky by John Wyndham


An imaginary friend wormed his way into the hearts of moviegoers this year when Bing Bong from Pixar’s “Inside Out” sacrificed himself for the sake of his less-fictitious friend, Riley. But the figment of kids’ imaginations has featured prominently in pop culture before, too. In sci-fi author John Wyndham’s Chocky, a family becomes skeptical of their son’s created playmate when his innocuous questions become more and more unbelievable.



The Guest Cat by Takashi Hiraide


If you’re looking for a short read that’s more of a jaunt through the park than a jolt to your senses, Hiraide’s book about a neighbor’s playful cat is full of whimsy. A couple without pets of their own grows attached to a cat that visits their garden each day, and reflects on the time spent with their joyful companion.  



The Diver’s Clothes Lie Empty by Vendela Vida


If you liked Women in Clothes or other feminist celebrations of the link between style and identity, Vida’s novel about a woman lost in Morocco is a worthwhile read. The narrator’s trip -- which, like in so many novels about women traveling, is the result of her running away from suffocating affairs at home -- begins catatrophically when she loses her backpack, full of her belongings. What ensues is a screwball-y turn of events that’ll leave readers entertained and curious about their own relationships with their possessions.



 


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12 Street Artists Transforming The Walls Of Iran

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"Graffiti is an absolute crime," street artist CK1, face obscured by a black-and-white geometric mask, explains in the trailer for "Mutiny of Colours."


The documentary, still in progress and currently raising funds on IndieGogo, follows Iranian street artists spreading freedom, expression and love through visually striking and politically charged graphic imagery. Directed by Zeinab Tabrizy and Paliz Khoshdel, the film is mostly told through the perspectives of the street artists themselves, each sharing his or her experiences making art and dealing with the consequences. 


"Here in Iran," a masked street artist explains, "if they arrest you when you've finished painting on the wall, they'll consider you are supporting Western culture or Satanism! What we do is totally different. Our themes include children's rights, peace, friendship. It's not what the government thinks."


The film focuses on five artists, each bringing a unique perspective and vision to the walls and streets of the city. There's CK1, whose work takes an anti-war stance and incorporates elements of Iranian literature, and Omet, who incorporates nostalgia and childhood themes. Brothers Icy and Sot, two of the most iconic names in the Iranian street art game, create images promoting peace and friendship. The final episode follows Lady Green, who compares illegal graffiti to government sanctioned murals, also analyzing the influence of graffiti in Iran's 1979 revolution and 2009 Green Movement. 



The artists all speak to the camera wearing masks, to prevent Iranian intelligence forces from locating and arresting them. "You can't stay calm while doing street art," CK1 continues. "You can't even get out of the home comfortably. You always think someone is watching you. Or someone is controlling you. You get paranoia!" 


Apart from the five artists leading the conversation, the film touches on the work of a number of anonymous artists making Iran their living canvas. There's Black Hand, dubbed Iran's Banksy, whose work comments on sexism and the legal trade of human organs in the Middle East.


As the artist explained in an interview with The Guardian: "I chose street art because I want to guard against the galleries’ monopoly. Our intellectual and artistic society are underestimating and ignoring ordinary people’s power ... I prefer my work to be seen in public by the very same people who are not taken seriously enough. I feel that the walls in my city are the canvas for my paintings. The city is the biggest gallery with the biggest audience."


Another featured artist, known as The Joker, defaces existing graffiti and stencil art by applying that signature, terrifying Joker smile -- yes, the Heath Ledger one -- and a scribbled signature. Many are baffled by not only who this roguish artist is but how he moves so quickly


I spoke with filmmaker Tabrizy about the process of making the film and all the artists involved. She sent images of work from 12 artists crucial to the world of Iranian street art, emphasizing that little is known about many of the artists due to the conditions under which they work. Thus, the images, loud and bright and full of defiance and hope, speak for themselves. 


Below, check out the work of 12 Iranian street artists and collectives. And head to the "Mutiny of Colours" IndieGogo page to learn more and donate to the cause. 


1. Geo & Mr. Killuminati



2. Black Hand



3. Everythingbyenosh



4. Ghalamdar



5. Ill



6. Joker



7. Mad



8. PST



9. Ront



10. Taha



11. Wormbrain & Blind



12. Nafir



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Grungy, Beloved, Iconic CBGB Is Re-Opening... At Newark Airport

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Whether you were around in CBGB's hay day or never got to visit the legendary club before it shut its doors in 2006, now's your chance to get a taste... literally. The club that served as the launching pad for the likes of Blondie, The Ramones, Patti Smith and more will reportedly reopen as a "lounge and bar," likely with no stage or disgusting bathroom, in Newark Airport.



The news, which was first reported back in 2014, now has photographic evidence attached. 






Twitter and Facebook user Nicky Steidel uploaded photos of what looks like an awning emblazoned in the same font as its previous haunt. He also uploaded a photo of a menu, which appears to offer American fare like soups, sandwiches and salads.






CBGB has lived on in small ways in the years after its closing. It hinted at reopening, was the subject of a biopic starring Alan Rickman and even briefly existed in a small underground space. Now, the rumors of reopening, albeit in a very different way, appear to be legit.


Plenty of people on social media had something to say about the news. Dax Shepard decided to have his hand at reimagining iconic venues, while Comedy Central really said it best: "nothing says punk rock like a $12 wedge salad."














There is something hilariously beautiful about the airport chosen to house the beloved, previously defunct establishment. The 1970's East Village is often described as "dark" and "bleak" while Newark was rated #1 worst airport in America by Travelmath in 2015.


Sigh. To its credit, the prices are pretty reasonable for an airport establishment. So there's that.


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Melissa Rivers On Channeling Her Late Mother In Fiery 'Joy' Cameo

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About halfway through "Joy," David O. Russell's new movie about the struggling single mother who created the Miracle Mop, the title character lands a deal with QVC. She will be given the chance to peddle her invention on television, and the first time she is ushered backstage, Joy quickly finds herself face to face with the network's most famous representative: Joan Rivers. 


Just over a year since the brassy comedian's death, it's uncanny to see such a larger-than-life personality portrayed on the big screen -- and even more so because it's Melissa Rivers, Joan's daughter, who plays her. 


Not long after Joan died of complications during a routine throat operation, Melissa received a message from her agent saying that Russell and producer John Davis wanted to meet with her. Melissa had known Davis for years, but she found herself "tongue-tied" in the director's company. They discussed Joan's life and QVC tenure, but it wasn't until Melissa was driving home that she realized Russell was asking her to appear in the film.



"It was a couple of months after my mother had passed and I can’t say I was good at figuring anything out at that point. I was completely befuddled," she told The Huffington Post via phone last week. "And then I was like, 'I think they want me to be in the movie -- I’m not really sure what just happened.'" 


The grief of her mother's death hadn't yet lifted, and Melissa wasn't sure whether to accept the offer. Lying in bed one night, she considered how Joan -- a workaholic whose original show-business intent was to act -- would have advised her. 


"I swear to God I heard my mom say to me, 'Run! Don’t walk! Don’t be a schmuck! Come on!'" Melissa recalled. "And that’s exactly what she would say."


So, Melissa said yes and, in April of this year, spent three days on the movie's Boston set, sharing brief scenes with Jennifer Lawrence, who plays Joy, and Bradley Cooper, who co-stars as the QVC executive who grants Joy airtime. The moment she appears on screen is like a burst of energy for the film, whose QVC sequence is by far its strongest subplot. Knowing how much vitality she brought to a room, it's almost as if Joan herself has arrived -- a sensation that not just any actress imitating the late comedian could achieve. 


Melissa avoids the "caricature" she sought to eschew, particularly during a moment where Joan offers a piece of advice that only she could get away with. She marches up to Joy, who is dressed in black slacks and a white button-down blouse, eyes her from head to toe and barks about her legs being too nice not to wear a skirt. It's a line Melissa said she suggested after Russell asked what sort of unsolicited counsel her mother would provide. It also echoes the famous 1985 episode of "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" where, while guest-hosting, Joan told Oprah Winfrey that she was too pretty not to lose weight. 





For someone still processing the loss of her parent, "Joy" is a "bow" at the end of a long year in which Melissa and her 15-year-old son have been cementing their "new normal." Melissa's time in front of the camera has been limited, particularly outside the world of "Fashion Police," the E! series she has executive produced since its 2010 launch and began co-hosting earlier this year. Nervous for her first day on the set, Melissa found an ally in Lawrence, who invited her to attend a private workout class one evening. And at the movie's premiere earlier this month, the real-life Joy Mangano, on whom the film is based, shared warm memories of her time with Joan -- just as she did during a roundtable interview at HuffPost's offices last week, where she confirmed that Joan would instruct people not to touch the yappy dog she brought to the QVC set, as seen in the film.


"The reception has been so warm and nice, and it’s been such an emotional, up-and-down year for me and so many transitions that I was so touched," Melissa said of her experience with the movie. "It sounds so fucking Pollyanna, but I think that's what made it into a bow for me."


"Joy" opens Dec. 25.


 


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