This year was filled with thought-provoking, page-turning, nail-biting and "aha" inducing literature. 

From fiction to non-fiction, there were some undoubtedly moving books by black authors that deserves a spot on everyone's bookshelf or Kindle. The poignant words of Ta-Nehisi Coates, who won the National Book Award, are all too vital given today's racial climate, while producer extraordinaire Shonda Rhimes makes overcoming a personal obstacle as simple as saying "yes." These along with Toni Morrison's God Help the Child, Mat Johnson's Loving Day and Joy-Ann Reid's Fracture have made this a great year for black authors. Take a look at some of our favorites.

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Dad Martin Bruckner made headlines a year ago for his illustrations of the hilarious things his toddler daughter says. He shares his work on a Tumblr and Facebook page called Spaghetti Toes. 

Over the past year since his project went viral, Bruckner has seen Spaghetti Toes grow significantly, as he sells prints of his illustrations and takes orders from parents around the world who want their own kids' quotes brought to life. In 2015, the dad fulfilled nearly 500 orders.

"Spaghetti Toes went from a fun side project to keep track of my daughter's funny sayings into something that takes up almost all of my free time," Bruckner said. In addition to working around the clock to meet requests for individual prints and personalized books, the dad said he has signed his own book deal "with a big publishing house in New York" and collaborated with companies like Disney. 

Ultimately, however, his goal is simple: "I just hope people have a nice laugh," Bruckner told HuffPost. "This world desperately needs innocent humor, and if I can provide that for a few minutes in a person's day, then that makes me very happy."

Throughout the year, Bruckner has also continued illustrating the hilarious and insightful things his now 4-year-old daughter Harper says. He even has a backlog of about 200 Harper quotes to bring to life. 

"The best part, aside from getting to hear what my own weird child says, is receiving all the messages from different people, every single day, saying that my little family's hi-jinks makes their day and puts a smile on their face," the dad said. "I don't think I'll ever tire of hearing that."

Keep scrolling and visit Spaghetti Toes on Facebook and Tumblr for some standout kid quotes and illustrations.

H/T BuzzFeed

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There's never been a better time to be a "Bachelor" fan -- and we would know.

Ben Higgins' turn as the Bachelor premieres on Jan. 4, a couple potential "Bachelor" weddings hover in the offing (we're looking at you, Jade/Tanner and Kaitlyn/Shawn), and the franchise's golden couple, Sean Lowe and and Catherine Giudici, are back on TV every week starring in WE tv's "Marriage Bootcamp." 

And all that means one more thing: HuffPost's own reality TV podcast "Here to Make Friends" is officially back from hiatus. 

Sean and Catherine came into the studio to open up about "Marriage Bootcamp," their relationship with Bachelor Ben, whom Catherine described jokingly as a "brunette Sean," and what it's like being reality TV royalty. 

Spoiler alert: The clearly glowing couple admit they made it through "Marriage Bootcamp," traditionally a show geared toward intensive marital counseling for troubled couples, with their happy marriage intact. Good news considering they're expecting their first child.

Sean and Catherine also hinted that they may know whether Ben Higgins will find love on his season of "The Bachelor," which has already completed filming -- and it sounds like things are looking good for the fan favorite. "I think he will find someone, much like Catherine, someone who doesn't care to be in the spotlight, someone who maybe doesn't show up until midway through the season," said Sean.

Hmmm ... is that a hint? We can't wait to find out. 

Listen to the full interview:

Do people love "The Bachelor," or do they love to hate it? It's unclear. But here at "Here To Make Friends," we both love and love to hate them -- and we love to snarkily dissect each episode in vivid detail.

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Another year, another 366 days of photography, painting, printmaking, drawing, sculpture, performance and more.

As 2016 approaches, two of our culture editors and writers -- Katherine Brooks and Priscilla Frank -- sat down to contemplate the future of art and which emerging figures (or, in some cases, seasoned favorites) we're excited to follow. What resulted is a list of the 17 people we think you should know in the new year, from a 75-year-old painter to a newly minted Instagram star to a textile aficionado who blends West African weaving with Southern quilting.

If you're making New Year's resolutions in the next week or so, make it a goal to explore these 17 artists. From gallery darlings to grassroots icons, this is the multifaceted team of creatives you should watch out for, celebrated through original portraits.

Mernet Larsen

Larsen is a Florida-based painter whose work depicts banal, daily pleasures rendered in awkward angles and beach-happy colors. At 75 years old, Larsen has only recently begun exhibiting her work outside the U.S., though she’s been painting ardently since the 1960s. Her canvases house humanoid figures who’ve been stretched and sharpened like cartoonish origami, often shown enjoying the simple pleasures in life: pizza, reading in bed, exercising. Yet the ordinary becomes quite bizarre through Larsen’s disorienting geometry.

"A lot of people look at my paintings and see alienation because of the geometry,” Larsen told The Huffington Post, “but I always see them as somewhat humorous and somewhat warm, in a very quietly warm way. I'm not about trying to convey alienation. I'm just trying to say here it is. This is the way it is." -- Priscilla Frank

Ala Ebtekar

Ebtekar is a San Francisco-based painter and illustrator known to blend aspects of his Persian ancestry and pop culture to create stunning scenes often rendered on what appear to be the pages of traditional text. Whether he's working in two-dimensions or dabbling in installation work, his pieces are reminiscent of both contemporary graffiti and ancient mythological imagery.

"I grew up on the Persian carpet," he explained in a past interview. "No, literally. I used to drive my toy cars around on the carpet. The Persian carpet has a border, with those intricate patterns, and those were my freeways and intersections. To this day, I think that's where my love for patterns comes from." -- Katherine Brooks

Nona Faustine

Faustine is a photographer, born and based in Brooklyn, New York. In her photography series “White Shoes,” Faustine revisited New York locations once plagued by slavery. Faustine incorporates her naked body into the images -- sometimes marching up the steps to City Hall or lounging on the rocks of the Atlantic Coast, exposing her vulnerability while rendering herself almost anonymous. Inspired by artists including Zanele Muholi, Lorna Simpson, Kara Walker and Grace Jones, Faustine’s work recalls a history that’s often buried and forgotten, juxtaposing past atrocities with present injustices.

"The images are my truth," Faustine said in an interview with HuffPost. "My work is situated inside a photographic tradition, while questioning the culture that bred that tradition ... I often feel like an ethnographer or anthropologist. Ours is a haunted, incomplete history, one that contradicts what we are taught about this country and its people. We must acknowledge and pay tribute to those that founded and built this country. Not just some of them, but all of them. Like the thousands of Africans buried under lower Manhattan, there are others in long forgotten places." -- Priscilla Frank

Rupi Kaur

Rupi Kaur, the poet and visual artist who posted the "period photo" that rocked Instagram earlier this year, was just an art student when her work went viral. In an interview with The Huffington Post, she explained how a class assignment morphed into an Internet sensation thanks to the photo sharing platform's ambiguous censorship methods coupled with the general stigma associated with menstruation. 

Kaur recently published a collection of poems dubbed Milk and Honey, but I'm excited to see what the young artist brings to 2016. "I understand that anything I create after this might not cause such a stir," she remarked in the interview with HuffPost, "but I feel good about the fact that I've gotten so much attention and I've grown an audience and I can share my work." -- Katherine Brooks

Paul Anthony Smith

Multimedia artist Paul Anthony Smith combines photography, painting, printmaking and sculpture to produce darkly mesmerizing portraits. Based in New York, he often begins with photos he takes during trips back to Jamaica, where he was born, that reveal the faces of friends, family and community members. He then transforms the images using paint, prints and other means, evoking the slightly sweet and sometimes sinister act of putting on a mask. 

"Smith has noted that a compelling aspect of tribal masks is their symbolism of human’s duality between body and soul," Zieher Smith & Horton gallery notes online. "[His work] can ultimately be seen as an optimistic reflection of a world where human spirit transcends the material, self-awareness trumps stereotypes and community is collateral." -- Katherine Brooks

Rebecca Goyette

Goyette is a New York-based multimedia artist whose work explores sexual fantasies transgressive, queer and outlandish. You may know her by her X-rated alter ego, Lobsta Girl, the star of a feminist lobster porno/hard-core, interspecies romp that toys with traditional gender roles, sexual agency and the multiplicity of desire. For any lady who’s felt alienated by the dull predictability of most heteronormative porn, I highly recommend watching Goyette get it on in boxing gloves-cum-lobster claws, squealing on a sailboat while seagulls caw in the background.

“I’m from Massachusetts originally, and my initial interest in the lobster is connected with New England folklore,” Goyette explained to Slutist. “Digging a bit further, I discovered how lobsters have sex. The lobster female is initially the sexual aggressor, choosing only the strongest males. She boxes the male down, squirts him with aphrodisiac drugs and gets inside his cave to have sex. But in order to have sex, she has to molt her shell completely, leaving her submissive to the male.” -- Priscilla Frank

Tschabalala Self 

Self is a painter and printmaker who earned her MFA from the Yale School of Art in 2015. Her collage-like work, reminiscent of Wangechi Mutu, dissects and reimagines a woman's body, exploring the beauty and adulteration of fantasy. Combining bright hues and captivating patterns, she physically twists and transforms the appearance of a human form, forcing the viewer to pore over her images as if they are necessary detectives, or, unnecessary voyeurs.

"My current body of work is concerned with the iconographic significance of the Black female body in contemporary culture," she writes on her website. "I hope to correct misconceptions propagated within and projected upon the Black community in regard to Black femininity ... My project is  committed to this exchange, for my own edification and of the edification of those who resemble me." -- Katherine Brooks

Nicki Green

Green is a Bay Area-based artist whose craft-based works, namely ceramics and textiles, provide visibility to marginalized communities. Much of her ceramic work resembles traditional pottery or Judaica from a distance, but a closer look reveals a bountiful harvest of vaginas, tongues, butt cracks and phalluses.

Her series “Small Venus” revisits classical mythology, reimagining Venus as a trans woman. As Green explains in her statement: “I am interested in the notion of ‘birthing,’ as a Creation process parallel to the notion of self-creation or ‘doing’ presentation (so commonly discussed in trans politics and gender theory), and use Venus' recognizability as an entry point to the idea of mythologizing the trans body as an act of empowerment.” -- Priscilla Frank

Brendan Fernandes

Fernandes is a Canadian performer and scultpor of Kenyan and Indian descent whose work often explores the myth of authenticity and the hybrid nature of identity. For his piece in the travelling exhibition “Disguise,” Fernandes showed a herd of 12 fiberglass deer, the kind used as hunting bait, donning identical white resin masks, replicas of the African-esque masks sold on Canal street. The sterile creatures allude to a certain heritage or history, though all aspects of them are fake, built out of thin air.

“We have two fake objects,” Fernandes told The Huffington Post. “The mask itself embodies the political attributes of a Kenyan nomadic male warrior, but in Kenyan tradition we don't wear masks. So somebody made this mask up and sold it as a souvenir in an African market on Canal St. These fake masks that have their own identity that's made up and created. How is that real? How is that authentic?... Hybridity is something I'm contemplating. The idea of becoming, queering, a transitional space." -- Priscilla Frank

Dominique Pétrin

Pétrin is a multidisciplinary artist from Montreal who works in performance and visual arts to create "altered states of conscience and perception, be it through cognitive or visual illusions, or, for her performances, the use of hypnosis." Take a peek at her website, and you'll see a burst of geometric design and neon color, punctuated by repetitive patterns and cartoonish imagery that subtly transforms familiar settings like living rooms and metro stations.

The former member of the band Les Georges Leningrad (she was also known as Pony P) recalled her relationship to color and performance in an interview with Opening Ceremony: "Color is everything. I’ve been extremely sensitive to it since I was a kid. I’m a color nerd ... I improvise most of my installations in situ, which makes the installation process explorative ... The overall assemblage experience is as important as the work itself. This is intimately connected to performance, but on a very personal level.” -- Katherine Brooks

Kenya (Robinson)

Multimedia artist Kenya was raised in Gainesville, Florida, before earning her MFA in sculpture from the School of Art at Yale University in 2013. Her work, in both performance and sculpture, mines themes of privilege and consumerism, prodding our perceptions of gender and race along the way. From "The Inflatable Mattress" to "White Man In My Pocket," she operates under the mantra: "you are more privileged than you think, no matter your gender, socioeconomic status or the color of your skin."

I recommend following Kenya on Instagram to see what she's up to in 2016. -- Katherine Brooks

Alberto Aguilar

"This is a statement in the form of a letter. This is a statement as an artwork. This is a letter as an artwork. This is a letter as a statement. This is an artwork as a letter. This is a voice recording that I am making as I walk but you are now reading it as a statement made up of letters on a screen."

So begins multimedia artist Aguilar's personal statement, which captures the Chicago native's coy outlook on art. Take "Threewalls," his series of 40 clipboards painted with discounted "mistake" paint from a home improvement store. For the project, he painted clipboards in two three-hour sessions, applying color and markings in strategic but seemingly ordinary ways. He then made drawings on a small legal pad with ink and correction tape, containing each in a heavy duty zip lock bag. Combined together, these components reveal two precise actions in the artist's practice, presented as seemingly arbitrary minutiae. 

(Bonus, Aguilar helps to run Pedestrian Project, an initiative that attempts to bring art to all walks of life.) -- Katherine Brooks

Genieve Figgis

Figgis’ acryclic paintings tell stories of a different time -- a time filled with petticoats, picnics, silver wigs and sidesaddle horseback rides. Yet Figgis’ layers of paint become like frosting turned rotten, as her 18th century idyllic scenes are wonderfully naughty and ghoulish at once. A regal looking nobleman goes down on a nude woman, her pink face obscured by skeletal mush. A banquet crowd smiles at the viewer, revealing the monstrosity of their goopy, toothy grins. In other paintings, she renders classic erotic paintings like “Olympia” and “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon” with an extra dose of nasty, the male gaze mutating into a melting mess before your eyes.

"When we’re little we’re brainwashed with history that’s just facts and dates,” Figgis told GQ. “I try to imagine it back to life with more reality and a sense of humor. Being Irish, you have to have a wicked sense of humor. Some think my work is dark, some think it’s crazy, some just think it’s hilarious." -- Priscilla Frank

Vanessa German

German, based in Pittsburgh, is known for totemic sculptures she dubs “power dolls,” which she collaborates on with kids in her neighborhood. Working in her basement, which she’s transformed into what she calls the Art House, German uses found materials to create mixed media assemblages reminiscent of Betye Saar and Joseph Cornell. The dolls become energy totems, bolstered with the strength of numerous hodgepodge objects with forgotten histories.

“People do renovations and literally dump everything in the alleyway, so I can find great materials off the street,” German explained to The Huffington Post. “People are always dropping things off at my front porch. Somebody’s grandma died and she collected those travel spoons, and they gave me her collection. Somebody else, his partner was a drag queen and she left all her drag shoes. Huge, beautiful, glittery, stacked drag queen shoes.” -- Priscilla Frank

Aidan Koch

Koch is a comic book author and artist born in Olympia, Washington, and currently based in New York. Koch's luscious style lands somewhere between Egon Schiele and Raymond Pettibon, sans the male gaze, often emblazoned on pinkish, peach and yellow backgrounds with enveloping dashes of white, blue and black. Works like Heavenly Seas amount to beautifully fragmented stories told in words and pictures, which can excite fans and frustrate dissenters.

"Some people are irritated by not understanding what’s going on," she explained to The Paris Review, "whereas others are excited by that, excited to reread it and try and figure it out. Part of the point is that there is not necessarily a definitive view, so the more you read it, the more you might pick up on other details and see how they relate to each other." -- Katherine Brooks

Diedrick Brackens

Brackens’ category-jamming textiles interweave elements of European tapestry, West African weavings and Southern quilting techniques. His works, somewhere between painting and sculpture, folk and fine art, rest partly on the wall and partly on the floor. Combining elements of domestic craft with various artistic traditions, Brackens sometimes opts for commercial colors, other times, he creates his hues from tea, wine and bleach, yielding a fleshy shade that alludes to bodily fluids and the gay vernacular.

“I can use the medium (weaving) to talk about my identities as a black, gay man in America,” Brackens explained in an interview with The Daily Californian. “I pull on textile traditions from the cultures that are a part of my makeup: European tapestry, strip-woven kente cloth of Ghana, and the quilts of the American South. Through weaving and sewing, I am able to make a fabric that fully integrates all parts of my experience.” -- Priscilla Frank

Kaye Blegvad

London-born, Brooklyn-based Blegvad describes herself as an illustrator, designer and "general maker-of-things" who moonlights, every so often, as a ceramicist. She crafts everything from provocative jewelry -- think of a pin depicting a nude woman leading another naked lady on a leash -- to similarly romantic illustrations that render female figures in fantastical scenes.

One of my favorite pieces happens to be a ceramic pipe that turns traditionally masculine smoking devices on their heads, literally. Instead of a phallic piece, she dares her fans to puff out of a delicately painted woman's ponytail. -- Katherine Brooks

Also on HuffPost Arts: 

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Steve Grand surprised his fans with a early holiday treat this week: a spirited cover of the Mariah Carey classic, "All I Want For Christmas Is You." 

In the video for the song, the out singer-songwriter trims a tree, sips hot cocoa and gets cozy with a handsome gentleman (Trevor LaPaglia). Still, a twist ending suggests that things are not always what they seem on Christmas Eve.

Grand, 25, told Billboard that his version of the song is inspired by the arrangement used by Michael Bublé on the 2011 album, "Christmas." Though he first performed the song at the Richmond/Ermet AIDS Foundation benefit in San Francisco on Dec. 7, Grand said that the self-released song and video project came together in just less than a week. 

"Last Thursday, I decided it was time I do something holiday oriented for you guys," Grand wrote on his official YouTube page. Crediting LaPaglia, director John Lavin and producer Nicholas M. Block, he added, "Two days later, the song was recorded and the video was shot, all thanks to the very talented group of people I pulled together." 

It also caps off an epic 2015 for Grand, who released his debut album, "All-American Boy," in March and spent much of the year on the road.

Talk about the perfect way to get us in the yuletide spirit! 

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If you're an avid follower of entertainment media, you've probably been inundated with Best of 2015 lists recently. They're everywhere! And they're a lot of fun. But here's the thing: We've always been a little dubious of lists like that. Because no one is capable of watching every TV show or movie, or reading every book, that comes out in a year. And everyone has their own subjective taste. What does it even mean for one movie to be the best of the year? 

So we're trying something a little different. Instead of telling you what the best things are, we're just going to tell you about our favorites. And to make it even more subjective, we're going to be really upfront about our own biases and preferences. That way, you can look at a few different lists in each category, and pick the one written by the person whose taste comes closest to your own.

Here goes!

TV

Sasha Bronner's 10 Favorite Character-Focused TV Shows of 2015

Title: Senior Reporter

Taste: "I don’t have to be the first to the party as long as I’m having the most fun. The dramas I loved this year feature layered and complex characters -- often with undiagnosed emotional issues -- and the comedies I loved display some of the smartest writing on the air. I guess I like my people messed up and my jokes perfectly constructed."

1. 
   

   "Veep" (HBO): Let’s all pray that the show's satirical take on Washington D.C. antics is nowhere close to reality. But let’s also take a moment to thank everyone involved in it for the best laughs of a lifetime. 

   
   


2. 
   

   "Transparent" (Amazon): This is no simple comedy. It features one of my favorite families on television ever and explores timeless issues like love, sex, identity and worth. It’s a must-watch.

   
   


3. 
   

   "The Americans" (FX): Stars Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys can make me care about anything, but the best part about the show is how well suspense is built slowly until it hits you upside the head. I have never watched just one episode in a sitting.

   
   


4. 
   

   "The Jinx" (HBO): No one could make up a character as off and viscerally weird as Robert Durst. Every twitch, cough and throat clearing feels like a signal you’re just waiting to crack.

   
   


5. 
   

   "Louie" (FX): Louie pulls at every emotion you have stocked away inside your body. It’s funny, sad, desperate, poignant, confusing, nostalgic: everything at once. In other words, it feels like the most realistic portrayal of life that I’ve seen on television.

   
   


6. 
   

   "The Affair" (Showtime): The best thing the show did this season was draw us deeper into the lives of the side spouses -- the ones left behind -- as a way to learn more about our main characters’ motivations and mistakes.

   
   


7. 
   

   "Black-ish" (ABC): I unfairly judged a show by its key art and thought that "Black-ish" would be just another watered down network family comedy. Boy was I wrong. The show is edgy, hilarious and surprising. The three kids steal the show every week.

   
   


8. 
   

   "Silicon Valley" (HBO): This is another show I misjudged at first. I wasn’t interested in the Silicon Valley setting or the trials and errors of tech guys trying to make it. But the pacing of this show and the comedic timing of each episode is flawless. 

   
   


9. 
   

   "Girls" (HBO): Lena Dunham’s controversial show had me from the beginning. It doesn’t have to be the most universal or realistic show for me. It works for these characters and the issues that come up via relationships, work and life changes all feel very real.

   
   


10. 
    

    "Catastrophe" (Amazon): Like "Louie," sometimes it’s hard to tell if this show is a drama or comedy or some weird stepchild. But the chemistry between comedians Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney is palpable and it keeps the show alive. It’s genuine, honest and refreshing in its messiness. I watched it all in one weekend.

    
    

Joe Satran's 10 Favorite High-Drama TV Shows Of 2015

Title: Staff Writer

Taste: "I'm a TV obsessive -- I watch literally dozens of shows -- but my favorites tend to be dramas, especially high-concept, plot-driven dramas. I have a great fondness for procedurals, genre shows and political drama. That said, I also like comedies, as long as they're whip smart. Goofiness and earnestness don't turn me off, but dullness does." 

1. 
   

   "Game of Thrones" (HBO): Season 5 was not its best, but the high points -- Drogon saving Dany in the fighting pits, the battle at Hardhome, that wrenching scene at the Wall -- were as great, and as tear-jerking, as ever. There's no show I look forward to watching nearly as much. 

   
   


2. 
   

   "Transparent" (Amazon): Brave, witty, honest, idiosyncratic, perfectly acted ... This show is a revelation. 

   
   


3. 
   

   "The Americans" (FX): This is not a show you can watch while playing with your phone. A surfeit of subtitled or dialog-free scenes -- and a deeply complicated plot -- force you to play close attention. But if you do, you'll discover one of the richest shows on air. Each season so far has built toward a breathtaking climax.

   
   


4. 
   

   "Fargo" (FX): Like "The Americans," Fargo plays a very long game, setting up plots early in the season that initially seem pointless, but later prove crucial. Season 2 was worlds better than the slightly dull Season 1.

   
   


5. 
   

   "Person of Interest" (CBS): Perhaps the most underrated show on TV. Though it appears, on the surface, to be a boring CBS procedural, it's actually super thrilling, and even profound. It presents a vision of artificial intelligence that's terrifyingly sublime. 

   
   


6. 
   

   "Veep" (HBO): Come for the hilariously mean jokes, which will have you howling with laughter every episode, and stay for the stellar performances, especially the divine Julia Louis-Dreyfus. 

   
   


7. 
   

   "Jessica Jones" (Netflix): 2015 gave us the first great superhero show and the first great platform for the riveting Krysten Ritter. They just happened to both be "Jessica Jones."

   
   


8. 
   

   "The Good Wife" (CBS): It makes me sad that I can't put this higher. Because at its best -- in Seasons 3 and 5, for example -- it was as good as any show on air, bar none. Terrific performances and lots of sophisticated writing keep it excellent, but some stupid, aimless plots in the most recent two seasons have been bummers.

   
   


9. 
   

   "Broad City" (Comedy Central): I'd follow the uproarious Ilana and Abbi to the ends of the earth. 

   
   


10. 
    

    "The Fosters" (ABC Family): "The Fosters"? Really? YES. I sob every episode. I devour new seasons late into the night whenever they come on Netflix. I once made a pilgrimage to the house in Long Beach where the central family lives. While I don't know that I would say that it's the 10th best show of the year, it is certainly my 10th favorite. 

    
    

Matt Jacobs' 10 Favorite Witty TV Shows Of 2015

Title: Entertainment Editor

Taste: "I like sharp, topical sitcoms that don't ignore the parts of life that aren't funny. There were more than enough to choose from in 2015."

1. 
   

   "Getting On" (HBO): Life on this show has always been frail, but the humor in its third and final season was very much alive. 

   
   


2. 
   

   "Transparent" (Amazon): The first season of Jill Soloway’s show made us rethink how intimately half-hour dramedies can capture messy family dynamics. Its second season reinforces what it means to accept your bloodline when you can hardly accept yourself.

   
   


3. 
   

   "Black-ish" (ABC):“Black-ish” ended a decent first season in May to return with a masterful round two in September. Most network comedies could hope for half of this show’s wit and charm.

   
   


4. 
   

   "Veep" (HBO): By far the best political show on television, “Veep” has improved with each season. In its fourth, Selina Meyer sought the presidency while her staff imploded, to wildly humorous results and damning pronouncements about the state of American politics.

   
   


5. 
   

   "Silicon Valley" (HBO): It can be exhausting to watch good characters battle increasingly onerous circumstances, but the tech-nerd heroes at the center of “Silicon Valley” made every struggle in Season 2 worth the cringe. 

   
   


6. 
   

   "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" (HBO): Through sharp diatribes about transgender rights, fantasy sports and televangelism, John Oliver showed, via his weekly format, that the news needs far more accountability than its daily bloviating provides.

   
   


7. 
   

   "Broad City" (Comedy Central): Whether hallucinating on pain meds, coaching each other through unlikely sex acts or paying a visit to Kelly Ripa, the “Broad City” ladies and their comrades proved there is no sitcom that better understands its demographic. 

   
   


8. 
   

   "Please Like Me" (Pivot): Josh (Josh Thomas) and his pals grew up in Season 3 of this Australian gem. Relationships -- platonic, romantic, familial, individual -- have always been the nucleus of “Please Like Me,” but this year, more than ever, they came with an added bout of bliss.

   
   


9. 
   

   "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" (Netflix): We didn’t need a TV show to prove that females are strong as hell, but if there was ever one to do just that, it’s Netflix’s layered cult-aftermath comedy.

   
   


10. 
    

    "Master of None" (Netflix): Aziz Ansari’s sharp Netflix series dares every other depiction of soul-searching 30-somethings to be this effortless. Whether he’s encountering racism in movie auditions or discovering the values of a pasta maker, Ansari’s Dev is a walking case study in finding humor amid constant impediments. 

    
    

MOVIES

Maddie Crum's 8 Favorite Fantastical Movies Of 2015

Title: Books & Culture Writer

Taste: "As a big reader, I like watching movies that add a visual component that's hard to pull off on the page. I'm interested in mood more than plot, and I'm a sucker for ambiguous endings and anything super-stylized. I also like flights of fantasy with one foot on the ground. If the magical or oddball elements are a metaphor for human experience, I'm definitely interested. And if the lead is a lady, I'm definitely game."

1. 
   

   "Carol": Everything about this movie is lovely, not least of all Cate Blanchett’s ability to deliver off-hand lines loaded with room for interpretation. It’s shot in a way that makes Therese and Carol’s world feel small, and therefore both intimate and, at times, suffocating. 

   
   


2. 
   

   "Diary of a Teenage Girl": Based on a graphic novel, this story about a budding artist using her sketches to soothe her anxieties about sex, gender and growing up is tender and uncomfortable in all the right ways.

   
   


3. 
   

   "It Follows": Of the primal emotions, fear is my least favorite. I like to keep my heart-rate as low as possible, at least while sitting still. But “It Follows” was a rare exception, with its central monster’s ability to generate constant, low-grade anxiety. 

   
   


4. 
   

   "The Martian": Ridley Scott’s adaptation of Andy Weir’s book isn’t all techno-babble -- it’s sharp and funny, too. 

   
   


5. 
   

   "Grandma": Two words: Lily Tomlin. A few more words: this very funny, slightly screwball-y film about three generations of women is precious in parts, but overall it’s a thoughtful character study about a frustrated, misanthropic feminist.

   
   


6. 
   

   "Crimson Peak": Speaking of suffocating: Guillermo del Toro’s gothic story about a wayward sibling relationship and a haunted house has a grotesque sort of beauty. The movie’s made even better by Mia Wasikowska’s performance as a willful yet naive aspiring novelist.

   
   


7. 
   

   "Wild Tales": Argentinian-Spanish director Damián Szifrón's collection of vignettes is absurd, and absurdly good. 

   
   


8. 
   

   "Room": Another book adaptation, “Room” is a tragic story carried by lead Brie Larson and some creative choices made while shooting it: the first half of the movie is set within a tiny shed, but the world within those four walls is made to feel much larger.

   
   

Cole Delbyck's 3 Favorite Movies To See In Theaters In 2015

Title: Entertainment Writer

Taste: "From the second I first stepped into a movie theater, I knew it was the place for me. Ever since then, going to the movies has become a sort of sacred ritual, one that helps you forget your troubles by watching Katherine Heigl try on 27 dresses for two hours. Sorry, Netflix. Nothing else compares." 

1. 
   

   "Fifty Shades Of Grey": This camptastic train-wreck had it all -- terrible dialogue, uncomfortable amounts of sex, a completely unnecessary Rita Ora cameo (seriously, what was that?) and, most importantly, a winning self-awareness that made the whole affair, ahem, easier to swallow. 

   
   


2. 
   

   "Goodnight Mommy": The Austrian horror film about twin boys who turn against their own mother was the best time I've had at a midnight movie since I threw spoons at the screen watching "The Room." The film's final moments are so filled with dread that the thought of watching it without 30 other strangers around me is terrifying. 

   
   


3. 
   

   "Stonewall": "Stonewall" deserves most of the criticism it attracted during its limited release earlier this year. But watching it in theaters, however, was strangely empowering. Audience members booed and eye-rolled their way through the film, creating a powerful energy in the theater that challenged the depiction of the events on screen. What moved me most wasn't the film's trite revisionist history, but the impassioned response from a community that no longer applauds mere inclusion.

   
   

Honorable Mention: "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" should obviously be on this list, but I haven't been able to see it yet because it's sold out EVERYWHERE. 

Tricia Tongco's 8 Favorite Feminist Movies Of 2015

Title: Arts & Culture Social Media Editor

Taste:“I tend to enjoy movies that pass the Bechdel test with flying colors, focus on the female gaze or tell a satisfying revenge tale. These films probably meet at least a couple of those criteria.”

1. 
   

   "Spotlight": I loved that this movie is decidedly unhip and unglamorous (hello, ill-fitting business attire), focusing on the compelling details of the investigation and how corruption spreads and sustains itself.

   
   


2. 
   

   "Wild Tales": One of the most fun movie-going experiences I had this year. Co-produced by Pedro Almodóvar, it features one of the best scenes set at a wedding I’ve ever seen.

   
   


3. 
   

   "Tangerine": This movie garnered a lot of attention for being shot on iPhone 5Ss, but what I enjoyed the most about this film was how it captures the complex dynamics between women (transgender or not).  

   
   


4. 
   

   "Carol": I loved that this is a gay love story that doesn’t have a tragic ending (like "Brokeback Mountain"), or rather, a more open-ended one. This film inspired me to be braver in love as a human being.

   
   


5. 
   

   "Diary of a Teenage Girl": The perspectives of horny teenage boys have gotten a lot of screen time but sadly, those of horny teenage girls haven’t. "Diary" is filling that gap.

   
   


6. 
   

   "Mistress America": This film is full of so many clever lines. One of my favorites is “Holy s**t, those pregnant women are super smart!” It’s incredibly generous to its female characters, especially the ones who might have been villainized by less capable storytellers.

   
   


7. 
   

   "Magic Mike XXL": With Jada Pinkett Smith onstage, saying, “Queens, gather,” "XXL" caters completely to the female gaze. Take your mom, your sister, your grandma -- and squeal together for the perfect bonding experience with the women in your life.

   
   


8. 
   

   "Mad Max: Fury Road": I’m not a big fan of action movies, but I decided to watch it after hearing (on NPR) how the director handled the topic of sexual slavery with sensitivity and thoughtfulness. I loved everything from the way it catapults you into this apocalyptic world to the motorcycle tribe of badass older women.

   
   

MUSIC

Lauren Zupkus' 5 Favorite Jersey-Style Songs Of 2015

Title: Social Media Editor 

Taste: "Like a true New Jerseyan, I'm partial to rap, a hater of country, and predisposed to anything that makes me involuntarily fist-pump. Whew, it feels good to be honest."

Antonia Blumberg's 5 Favorite Enchanting Musicians Of 2015

Title: Associate Religion Editor

Taste:“I love beautiful music. Otherworldly music. Music that enchants. As a musician and poet, I listen closely to the artists I love and constantly learn from their ability to fuse genres, craft mind-bending lyrics and weave sonic narratives. Genre-wise, I live for folk music of all varieties and I find myself dancing to hip hop, soul and funk-fusion.”

1. 
   

   Jessica Pratt: This goddess came out with a new album, “On Your Own Love Again,” in 2015, and if I wasn’t already hooked by her self-titled first album, this baby did the trick. It’s probably the No. 1 played record on our turntable this year. 

   
   


2. 
   

   Chance the Rapper: I’m continually floored by the amount of supposed hip-hop lovers out there who haven’t heard of Chance the Rapper. He and a group of musicians under the name “The Social Experiment” released an album called “Surf” this year, and it beautifully fuses hip hop, jazz and neo-soul. You can hear the ocean in it.

   
   


3. 
   

   Hiatus Kaiyote: This Australian quartet describes their music as “multi-dimensional, polyrhythmic gangster sh*t,” and that’s pretty accurate. I had the pleasure of seeing their shenanigans live in Philadelphia. Top five concerts of my life. 

   
   


4. 
   

   Kendrick Lamar: His 2015 album “To Pimp a Butterfly” is masterful. It’s got a little D’Angelo-esque sexiness with “These Walls,” spoken-word playfulness in “For Free?” and some funky Dre-style beats in “King Kunta.”

   
   


5. 
   

   Joanna Newsom: We waited five years for Newsom’s 2015 release of “Divers,” and it is well worth the wait. I don’t know what to say, other than that I love Joanna Newsom. I love her strange voice; I love that she plays the harp like an electric guitar; I love that she tells long, rambling stories for 7+ minutes and leaves us feeling like we’ve just been through a tumultuous love affair.

   
   

Chanel Parks' 10 Favorite Jams Of 2015

Title: Associate Style Editor

Taste: "I am terrible at making decisions. Because of that, it shouldn’t be surprising that I listen to a lot of different genres. Dej Loaf, Tchaikovsky and Ace of Base are just a few artists that fit into my ~interests.~ Oh and another thing, I’m a sucker for sick harmonies and interesting chord progressions, because yes, I was in band during high school. Also, I'm way to indecisive to put these in any kind of definitive order."

"2Shy" by Shura: I know I said I wouldn't rank these, but "2Shy" is definitely the best song of 2015. It sounds like a late '80s, early '90s song produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (examples here and here for the uneducated). If the hook doesn't catch you, I don't know what will. 

"California Nights" by Best Coast: Best Coast's "California Nights" was one of my favorite albums this year. The title track instantly places me into this dark dreamlike, slow-mo space, where Bethany Cosentino and the band just rock out. Who doesn’t want to go to that place??

"Company" by Justin Bieber: Unlike some of my peers, I was never ashamed to say that I liked Bieber’s music, so I was low-key annoyed when people were like “OMG Purpose is so good what happened.” Well after listening to “Sorry” more than 500 times in a week, I decided to deem another Biebs song, “Company,” as my favorite. It’s nice and smooth, and is definitely a break from his usual big beats.

"Do You Go Up" by Khai: You know when your partner asks you “does this feel good” and you’re instantly annoyed? Well, they should take a note from Khai, who asks that question in the most beautiful way I could possibly imagine. “Do I make waves in your body, love?” LIKE COME ON.

"Ghosts (Live At SXSW 2015)" by Ibeyi: Twins Lisa-Kaindé and Naomi Diaz are such treasures to the music world with ethereal sounds and on-point harmonies. Their live version of “Ghosts” is truly a work of art and is such a testament to their musical training.

"How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful" by Florence + The Machine: Florence + The Machine’s recent album was swoon-worthy, which is to be expected. The instrumentals kill it behind Florence Welch’s raw voice and the title song just seems like one, huge crescendo that just swells my heart every time I listen.

"Antidote" by Travis Scott: What I love about this song is that it feels like the note progressions are paying a bit of an homage to classical music. I might be the only one that hears this, or I’m super late to the game, but it’s just really good.

"The Valley" by Miguel: I sweat just thinking about “The Valley.” If you’ve heard it, you probably feel me on this. The combination of Miguel’s sensual vocals and the super, super lusty lyrics (ahem, the chorus) is just beyond explanation in words.

"Want Some More" by Nicki Minaj: Minaj’s album was a treasure in itself, but there was something about “Want Some More” that sealed the deal for me. I think it’s her willingness to celebrate her worth and success proving that a black woman can be powerful. Wow, who would’ve thought …

"No Shade In The Shadow Of The Cross" by Sufjan Stevens: The beauty of “No Shade” is apparent from its first note. It’s sad, but pleasant at the same time, which totally appeals to my indecisive brain.

BOOKS

Katherine Brooks' 8 Favorite Mind-Bending Books of 2015

Title: Senior Arts & Culture Editor 

Taste: "I tend to veer on the side of speculative fiction and short story collections. I like absurd comedy more than sincere drama. Give me a good sci-fi read (but, please, no Ernest Cline) -- or a non-fiction book about exoplanets -- and I'm happy. That being said, I blazed through Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan Novels, because they are GREAT."

1. 
   

   You Too Can Have A Body Like Mine by Alexandra Kleeman: Vogue called this book a "Fight Club" for girls. I'm not sure if that's the best analogy, but Kleeman's delicate prose picks away at our perceptions of feminine beauty and consumerism in a highly entertaining way. 

   
   


2. 
   

   My Documents by Alejandro Zambra: Chilean author Zambra tells coming-of-age stories set against a constantly changing technological landscape. 

   
   


3. 
   

   Upright Beasts by Lincoln Michel: Dark comedic turns + supernatural phenomena + recession-era fabling = a highly enjoyable collection of short stories.

   
   


4. 
   

   Sisters of the Revolution: A Feminist Speculative Fiction Anthology edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer: This is an impressively diverse compilation of sci-fi, fantasy and plainly bizarre fiction written by women with a feminist bent. So good.

   
   


5. 
   

   The Story of the Lost Child by Elena Ferrante: In the fourth installment of Ferrante's Neapolitan Novels, the author weaves together the story of two women, born and raised in Italy amongst the fall of fascism and the rise of contemporary regional politics, who navigate the hardships of motherhood and aging in incredibly poetic ways.

   
   


6. 
   

   The Star Side of Bird Hill by Naomi Jackson: Jackson's ability to craft stunningly complete characters and moving tragedy makes this book worth reading more than once.

   
   


7. 
   

   Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl by Carrie Brownstein: I love Sleater-Kinney and you should too.

   
   


8. 
   

   Ugly Girls by Lindsay Hunter: This year was the year female friendships superseded romantic entanglements in the eyes of fiction writers, both on TV and in literature. (Hurray!) Hunter's unique depiction of Perry and Baby Girl's relationship somehow sets it apart from the pack.
   

   
   

CELEBRITY

Leigh Blickley's 8 Favorite Intimate Celebrity Profiles Of 2015

Title: Senior Entertainment News Editor

Taste: "I love all things Hollywood, but nothing gets me more than a solid celebrity profile. Whether it’s a New York Times feature or a Vogue cover story, when a reporter gets into the deep, dark depths of a celebrity’s mind, it’s pure entertainment."

1. 
   

   Jennifer Garner in Southern Living’s March Issue:For her photo shoot, Garner posed with her mother, Patricia, and sisters, Melissa and Susannah, solidifying her title as America’s Sweetheart. 

   
   


2. 
   

   Caitlyn Jenner in Vanity Fair’s July Issue: Caitlyn Jenner’s story captivated the world this year, as did this cover story and shoot.

   
   


3. 
   

   Miles Teller in Esquire’s September 2015 Issue: You know, the one where the writer basically tries to prove he’s a d*ck.

   
   


4. 
   

   Angelina Jolie in Vogue’s November Issue: The actress opened up to the fashion mag about her preventative double mastectomy and her movie “By the Sea,” which she wrote, starred in and directed. But the best part was the intimate photographs Annie Leibovitz snapped of Jolie’s children and husband -- you know, that actor, Brad Pitt. 

   
   


5. 
   

   Rihanna in T Magazine’s “The Greats” Issue: Author and filmmaker Miranda July asked RiRi the big questions, and captivated us all.

   
   


6. 
   

   Taylor Swift in GQ’s November Issue: During her chat with reporter Chuck Klosterman, Taylor got a call from none other than J TIMB aka Justin Timberlake and put the interview on hold to talk to him about movies, sleep and aging for 15 minutes. YAAAS.

   
   


7. 
   

   Adele in Rolling Stone’s November Issue: After a long break, Adele returns with a new album and a gorgeous au natural photo shoot in RS. Every quote in this piece is notable.

   
   


8. 
   

   Chris Hemsworth in Vanity Fair’s December Issue: Because he’s my favorite. And, it’s a Christmas-themed issue. Also, reporter Lili Anolik writes, “he’s not just a lovely human but a lovely human being.” (Duh, I've known that for years!)

   
   

Julia Brucculieri's 6 Favorite Ridiculous Celebrity Interviews Of 2015

Title: Entertainment Writer

Taste: "I'm a huge fan of celebrity profiles, regardless of who they're about. I don't even particularly love celebrities (even though I write about them all the time) but give me an interview to read and I'm all over it. Oh, and the more ridiculous/candid the better. The only thing I can say I dislike is when a celeb stars spewing canned responses."

1. 
   

   Rihanna in NY Times Magazine, interviewed by Miranda July: This profile basically reads like a love letter to Rihanna, and features her and July just chatting about typical "girl" stuff like Googling childbirth. Stars! They're just like us.

   
   


2. 
   

   Justin Bieber in Complex, interviewed by Joe La Puma: In this piece, the 21-year-old talks about everything from religion to Selena Gomez and being arrested. (Note: the worst part was being "really cold.")

   
   


3. 
   

   Kendall Jenner in GQ, interviewed by Zach Baron: Out of all the Kardashian-Jenners, I'm most fascinated by Kendall. This profile of the 20-year-old offers a humanizing glimpse into her life as both an in-demand model and a young woman who has grown up in front of cameras. 

   
   


4. 
   

   Grimes in Dazed, interviewed by Owen Myers: Grimes got real in this interview. The Canadian singer talked about her disdain for Top 40, the role narcotics played in her music and facing sexism in the industry. 

   
   


5. 
   

   Kanye West's "In Camera" Interview with SHOWStudio: If you like reading/hearing Kanye-isms, you'll probably love this interview. But be warned, it's two hours long, so you'll need to set aside some time to give it the attention it deserves. 

   
   


6. 
   

   Heidi and Spencer Pratt in Complex magazine, interviewed by Andrew Gruttadaro: This interview was all kinds of amazing, strange and admittedly, a little bit sad. 

   
   

Honorable mentions: Caitlyn Jenner in Vanity Fair, Miley Cyrus in Paper magazine, Amandla Stenberg in Dazed, Adele in Rolling Stone

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The results are in! Charlotte and Ezra are the number one names on Nameberry’s list of most popular names of 2015.

The Nameberry Most Popular Baby Names list provides rankings based on the number of page views each name attracted on the website in 2015. The popularity list can predict which names parents will choose for their babies in the next year and IT also gauges the influence of pop culture and news events on name trends.

While Charlotte, the name of Britain’s new princess, and Ezra, the biblical hero, rose to the top spots, names like George -- along with those related to fictional royalty like Khaleesi, Daenerys and Elsa -- dropped down the list. 

Charlotte reclaims the crown she held on Nameberry from 2009 until 2013, when she was unseated by Imogen last year. Ezra is a newcomer in the top spot, taking over from another boys’ name from the Bible, Asher. Hebrew for “help,” the biblical Ezra led 1500 Israelites out of slavery; the name also has creative credibility via poet Ezra Pound and alternative rock band Better Than Ezra.

Asher fell to second place for boys, while the number two girls’ name was Amelia, the most popular name for girls in England and Wales.

Without further ado, these were the 10 most popular baby names for boys and girls on Nameberry in 2015:

Girls

Charlotte

Amelia

Ava

Olivia

Cora

Eleanor

Isla

Lucy

Evelyn

Penelope

Boys

Ezra

Asher

Atticus

Declan

Oliver

Silas

Milo

Jude

Henry

Jasper

Nameberry also calculated the top 10 "hottest" girls' and boys' names, based on those that have risen the most through the ranks in 2015. Those fastest rising names, along with the number of spots they have climbed since 2014, are as follows:

Girls

Esme, +55

Evelyn, +51

Mia, +35

Abigail, +32

Luna, +30

Chloe, +27

Emily, +26

Arabella, +24

Ava, +23

Anna, +22

Boys

Kai, +55

Austin, +53

Lachlan, +50

Graham, +47

Everett, +34

Theo, +33

Elliot, +29

Matthew, +23

Lincoln, +22

Axel, +21

For the full top 100 lists, visit Nameberry.

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The force is strong with this gingerbread man -- or at least the icing that holds it together is. 

It took Oslo artist Caroline Eriksson three weeks to create this impressive 3-foot, 9-inch gingerbread Darth Vader. 

The edible sculpture, which is now housed at the Ringen cinema in Oslo, Norway, is comprised of a metal skeleton, cloth and carefully crafted pieces of homemade gingerbread.

"I have to make the dough myself to make it stronger using more syrup and flour," Eriksson told the Huffington Post. "I use melted sugar as 'glue', which is effective, but I always manage to end up with a burn injury."

This isn't the first time Eriksson -- a 3-D artist who works on commercials and movies -- used gingerbread to create edible movie characters. In the past she's made an intricately detailed Smaug the Dragon from "Lord of the Rings" and the leader of the Autobots, Optimus Prime, from "Transformers." 

"My love for movies is probably the reason why all my creations are movie-related," Eriksson said.

Interested in how Eriksson made Darth Vader gingerbread man? Check out the the step-by-step images below.

You can follow Caroline Eriksson's work on Twitter and Instagram.

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Latinos gave us plenty to think about in 2015, and it's time to revisit some of the best mic drop moments of the year.

From pointing out Hollywood's lack of diversity to exemplifying the importance of redefining masculinity, there was no shortage of food for thought from wise Latinos. Take a look at what John Leguizamo, Zoe Saldana, America Ferrera, Gina Rodriguez and many more Latinos said that really got us thinking in 2015. 

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Katie Dylewski is an artist from Kenosha, Wisconsin who normally enjoys working in oils, but is not above speed-painting her favorite work -- John William Godward's "Ionian Dancing Girl" -- onto a giant sugar cookie using food coloring gels.

Dylewski has also painted using wine and coffee, and her work has been featured on "Anderson Live." But see this amazing time-lapse cookie art below.

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As Hollywood continues to grapple with how to effectively achieve diversity across the board, there's a lot to be excited about in 2016. Some of our favorite black actors are going to be featured in big name titles in the new year. 

We’ve rounded up 11 films with black stars that we’re anticipating will make a major impact at the box office in 2016.

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This week in WTF art news, the makers of Cards Against Humanity -- you know, "the party game for horrible people" -- are threatening to shred an original Picasso print.

Gird your loins, museums, 'cause the folks at CAH have no qualms about holding relatively famous art hostage, all in the name of good old irreverent fun.

The stunt is part of Cards Against Humanity's "Eight Sensible Gifts for Hanukkah" project, in which the company invited fans to sign up (read: pay $15 each) to receive eight days worth of mysterious, holiday-themed gifts. Around 150,000 people signed up, and so far they have received socks, socks and socks.

Oh, and then the company used some of the money fans paid to invent the Cards Against Humanity U.S. Treasury Inflation Protected Securities Fund, donate to Chicago’s NPR station WBEZ, and provide paid vacations to the folks working at CAH's Chinese printer. All seemingly great or OK things. 

After all, according to a delightful Wikipedia entry, "the creators of Cards Against Humanity have been charitable." Giving paid vacations to the people who have helped turn a Kickstarter campaign into a wildly popular manufacturer of naughty party tricks is indeed great.

But on the seventh day of Hanukkah, CAH used some of its money to purchase "Tête de Faune," an original 1962 Picasso print, and now its fate is in the hands of the Internet. Over on the "Eight Sensible Gifts" website, the company is asking fans to vote on whether it should shred the print into 150,000 laser-cut pieces, or donate the work to a museum.

Should we be upset? CAH is known for trolling the World Wide Web. Remember last year when it gave participants the "exclusive" license to one square foot of a remote island in Maine? That being said, destroying a moderately well-known work of art is not exactly a novel idea.

Artists have been destroying other artists' works for a while now. There was that one time, when Miami Artist Maximo Caminero purposefully destroyed Ai Weiwei's vases to protest the fact that a local museum was only promoting international art. Or, that time New York artist named Tony Shafrazi actually vandalized another Picasso -- "Guernica" -- to protest the Vietnam War, among other things. OR, that time Jake and Dinos Chapman defaced some of Francisco Goya's art.

All right, all right, we get it. Destruction is performance! But what are we really to make of the "Tête de Faune" debacle? Well, here's everything you need to know before you a) become unreasonably angry because the world makes no sense, or b) start laughing hysterically because ... the world makes no sense.

Which Picasso work is it?

According to Artsy, "Tête de Faune" is a linocut that dates back to 1962. There are 50 editions of the linocut -- a version of a woodcut using linoleum -- so Cards Against Humanity's edition is not the only one. 

Is it famous?

Well, it's a Picasso, which in itself is pretty famous. But compared to, say, one-of-a-kind paintings like "Guernica" or "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon," editions of "Tête de Faune" pale in comparison.

How much is it worth?

A sale at Swann Galleries in 2008 slapped "Tête de Faune" with a price tag between $15,000 and $20,000. In 2014, Sotheby's estimated the piece to be worth as much as $30,000. Most recently, the work went for about $14,000 at a Swiss auction.

What happens if it's shredded?

If participants vote to laser-cut the print, the Cards Against Humanity folks will shred "Tête de Faune" into 150,000 tiny squares and send everyone who's participating in Eight Sensible Gifts for Hanukkah their own scrap of a real Picasso. 

What happens if it's donated?

The work will end up in the Art Institute of Chicago's permanent collection.

What do we think?

Just donate the piece, guys. As much as CAH thinks shredding a Picasso could be a solid, nihilistic time, it's just not that new of an idea.

What can you do?

Voting opens on Saturday, Dec. 26, and runs through the end of Thursday, Dec. 31. You can select "Cut it up and send me a 1.5mm scrap of a real Picasso" or "This is an outrage! Donate it to the Art Institute."

The results will be posted here. Stay tuned. 

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A church that used to be a spiritual center for the working class in northern Spain has been repurposed for a completely different kind of community.

After sitting abandoned for decades, a church in the Spanish town of Llanera has been converted into a skating park, complete with a fresh coat of brightly colored paint.

Madrid artist Okuda San Miguel, who covered the church's walls and ceilings with his work, said in a video interview that he believes this piece may be one of the most important in his career. He was intrigued by the challenge of using the same classic blank canvas -- the interior of a church -- that artists throughout history have used to create masterpieces.

"It’s like my personal Sistine Chapel,” San Miguel, 35, told the arts website Restos De Cultura earlier this month. 

The church was built in 1912, according to The Guardian, and was used by munitions factory workers until the end of the Spanish Civil War.

The drive to repurpose the church was led by a local collective of skaters called the Church Brigade. San Miguel began working on the interior on Nov. 23 and finished within a week, Zigor Cavero, the artist's press representative, told The Huffington Post. The church reopened to the public on December 10 and Spanish skateboarder Danny Leon was the first person to try out the new space.

The church is now called La Iglesia Skate, and the community hopes to host cultural events and gatherings inside the space. Scroll down to see snapshots from the amazing church and head over to San Miguel's Instagram for more of the artist's work.  

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A new study shows that when it comes to abortion on the small screen, we still have a long way to go.

Researchers Gretchen Sisson and Katrina Kimport examined depictions of abortion on U.S. television shows across cable and network TV from 2005 to 2014. Their findings, published in the journal Contraception, reveal that the demographics of characters who consider and have abortions on most shows do not quite reflect the reality of women who actually get abortions in real life. 

As shown in the graphic below, there were 78 storylines on American television between 2005 and 2014 where a character considered having an abortion. In 51 percent of those storylines, the character chose to move forward with the abortion. However, the majority of these fictional women were young, white, and rich -- despite the fact that statistically the majority of women who get abortions are black, Hispanic, and from poorer socioeconomic backgrounds. 

And that's not the only gap between TV and reality when it comes to abortions.

"It's not just a function of different racial and socioeconomic demographics," Gretchen Sisson told The Huffington Post. "Most real women getting abortions are already mothers; their stories aren't often shown on television."

According to the study, only 15 percent of characters that got an abortion on TV already had children, while in reality, 61 percent of women who get abortions already have children. 

Most indicative of the gap between fictional abortions and real life, though, are the reasons TV characters get abortions. Sisson and Kimport found that 47 percent of the TV characters who got abortions chose to do so because an unplanned pregnancy would interfere with future opportunities. While this certainly plays into many women's decisions to have abortions in the real world, 40 percent of women who have an abortion report doing so first and foremost because they are not financially able to raise a child. 

Luckily, it's not all bad news. In the past year alone, there have been several small shifts towards representing abortion in a more realistic and diverse way on-screen, including Olivia Pope's guilt-free abortion on "Scandal," and Hope's medication abortion -- one of the first times this has been portrayed -- on Netflix's "Jessica Jones."  

One could argue, of course, that because scripted television is by its very definition "fictional," the authenticity of depictions of abortion doesn't really matter. But as Sisson points out: 

There is ample research evidence showing the entertainment television can influence public beliefs and knowledge, whether or not those stories are fantastical or bizarre. But it's important to understand that the abortion stories we're seeing aren't unrealistic on an individual level. There are over 1 million abortions every year in the US -- that means there were plenty of young white women getting abortions. They're just not getting 90 percent of abortions, like we see on television. The best way to make television more realistic is to diversify the stories being told, and make them reflective of a broader range of realities.

Abortion on the small (and big) screen helps to push the conversation forward, normalize a still very taboo topic, and de-stigmatize abortions and the women who have them. 

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Where’s… panda?

The Internet is going bananas this week over an illustration created by Hungarian artist Gergely Dudás (also known as Dudolf) in which a panda is cleverly-camouflaged in a sea of snowmen.

Dudolf first posted the image on his Facebook page last week. It’s since been shared more than 120,000 times, frustrating and entertaining netizens the world over.

Even Grammy Award-winning DJ Paul van Dyk got into the panda-seeking spirit.

Dudolf told i100 that he was blown away by the image's mass appeal.

"The popularity of the 'panda' picture amazed me, I still can't believe it, but it makes me really happy! Glad to see how people like something I made," he said.

So, can you find the panda? Tell us in the comments. (No spoilers though!) 

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Music just makes everything better -- even traveling through a busy and crowded train station. 

Which is precisely why French train company SNCF decided to put pianos smack dab in the middle of select train stations.

The pianos -- which are known as “À vous de jouer” pianos, or "It’s your turn to play" -- are free for anyone to use, and lucky travelers in March of this year were treated to a real show when two complete strangers improvised a beautiful and original piece together. 

One man had just sat down at the piano and started playing around when the second man, in the white shirt, approaches and observes admiringly. At the 1:10 mark, the second man jumps in, augmenting the original music. 

The two men barely look at each other as their composition grows, but more and more travelers stop to watch as it becomes obvious something beautiful is unfolding. 

The men really hit their stride around the 2:50 mark, then shake things up again around the 4:30 mark, at which point the entire train station seems to have stopped in awe of them. 

After their big finale, they finish with nothing more than some shy shrugs and a high-five, proving once again that music is not only universal, but truly magical. 

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This year has been one of both despair and hope.

Americans died tragically, from Baltimore to San Bernardino, California. In Paris, a deadly shooting devastated the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in January, and a series of terror attacks, for which the self-described Islamic State claimed credit, killed at least 130 in November. Civil wars and terrorist campaigns plagued the Middle East and North Africa, driving many to flee their homes in search of safety. Over 1 million people, many of them escaping the war in Syria, crossed Europe's borders.

But 2015 was also a year of hope. The people of Ireland voted to legalize same-sex marriage, and international leaders adopted a watershed agreement to try to mitigate climate change. In July, Iran and six world powers reached a historic deal to curb Iran's nuclear program in exchange for lighter economic sanctions. And while European countries disagreed on how to resolve the ongoing migrant and refugee crisis, many individual Europeans stepped up to show solidarity with and support for the newcomers.

As the year draws to a close, just as we did in 2014, we've compressed 365 days into 52 stunning images, gathered from Getty's "News Pictures of the Week." Take a look at the photos below for a trip through 2015.

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In Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where photographer Danelle Manthey grew up, holiday decorations were less a festive tradition and more a competitive sport. Each year, her family drove through nearby neighborhoods to witness homes covered in faux-snow and bright lights, no shrub or rain pipe exempt from the glowing glee.

Sioux Falls isn’t the only suburban spot with light-frenzied residents. As a 2012 Wired article estimates, Americans spend roughly $233 million each year on electricity to power holiday displays.

But ornate holiday decor isn’t for everyone. Strings of lights inspire nothing but frustration for some. And while nonsecular homeowners and those practicing religions other than Christianity aren’t decoration-averse, the most decadent displays seem to be Christmas-centric.

"Personally, I would have rather stayed home and opened presents,” Manthey writes on her site. "One year when I was visiting my family as an adult, my sister and I were wedged in the back of my father’s car when she suggested I photograph the lights. I responded that I’d be more interested in the people who decorate their homes than the decorations.”

That's when it occurred to her: getting to know the people constructing extravagant light displays might help her better understand the meaning behind the time-consuming practice so many Christmas celebrators partake in.

So, Manthey started taking portraits of the extravagant display-makers in Sioux Falls, and eventually took her project to 12 states, getting to know her subjects inside of their homes after snapping shots of them amid the controlled chaos of their holiday lights.

“It never ceased to amaze me that I was allowed into their homes to photograph them and their families when they had never met me before,” Manthey wrote, emphasizing that in many cases the lighted homes serve as community centers, and sites of social events and donation drives.

For this reason, and the lack of formal training on the part of the creators, she attributes the craft to the broader practice of folk art.

“The majority of the people that I met along the way are more working class people who would not consider themselves artists but are still compelled to display this pageantry for their communities,” Manthey told The Huffington Post. “With the lights’ bold colors and traditional themes we can see these parallels even more.”

Manthey mentioned that she selects subjects whose displays have a regional flair or include homemade decorations. When it comes to unique, photograph-able decorations, Manthey doesn’t think bigger is necessarily better. One light aficionado, for example, embraced his Mississippi roots by creating a river-like pool of blue lights and an accompanying paddleboat.

“I think when most people see these displays they write them off as gaudy or tacky,” Manthey said. “But I think with a little deeper understating of why these people create, people that view the photos and read the stories might have a better appreciation for what my subjects are trying to do.”

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You may not yet have heard of Ahamefule J. Oluo, but his story, the broad outlines, will be familiar.

He's the son of a white Kansan woman and a Nigerian man who met while his father was studying at an American university. After several years of marriage and the birth of two children -- Ahamefule and his sister Ijeoma -- his father returned to Nigeria. The two American-born children would never see him again. They rarely spoke to their father before he died.

If you've read Barack Obama's Dreams From My Father -- which Oluo has -- the similarities are striking, and he knows it. "It’s definitely not a thing that I have a problem with," he laughed when I brought up his biographical doppelgänger. "I love Barack Obama, man. When I was a little kid, I wanted to be the president so bad. I never really was someone who thought, 'Oh, I can’t achieve my dreams,' but at the same time there’s a moment when Barack Obama got elected where I was like, 'Wait, I could have actually been president? Like, that’s a real thing!'"

Having set presidential dreams aside, Oluo is putting his own distinctive mark on a very different world: musical theater. The Seattle-based musician's category-defying pop opera, "Now I'm Fine," will be staged at the renowned Public Theater in New York next month, capping off a decade of determined work to craft and refine the autobiographical performance piece.

"Now I'm Fine," which has previously been staged in Seattle, draws its unique flavor from Oluo's artistic background -- a jazz musician and a comedian, he's long worked at high levels in both forms. He's written with comedian Hari Kondabolu and told a tragicomic story about his father on "This American Life"; he's also performed as a trumpet player and conductor, including for the acclaimed Seattle jazz quartet Industrial Revelation. "Those worlds were completely separate for me for a long time," he told me. He's not a comic musician or a musical comedian -- he's just a comedian, and a musician, two artists in one person.

At significant moments, the 17-piece orchestra and vocal performers take over, seeming to strike a more feverishly dramatic tone with their clamorous melodies, yet somehow mirroring the emotions elicited by Oluo's overtly comical monologue. "Now I'm Fine" marries biting comedy and deeply-felt anguish simply, with the recognition that both simply exist in our lives.

I recently spoke with Oluo over the phone about the limits and possibilities of making art from personal experience, the Sisyphean task of creating a theatrical work without institutional backing, and the balance between joy and sorrow in both life and art:

When did you start working on the show?

The show is centered on the period of time when I was sick and my dad died. A lot of the material -- the music and a lot of the jokes -- really originated in that time. That was about 10 years ago. It’s been 10 years of slowly growing.

The show combines stand-up monologues and musical portions -- was that your original vision? 

I developed the elements of the show independently. I developed the music on its own, I developed the stories on their own. I knew that both were incomplete. I just wasn’t aware that putting them together was what was going to complete them.

Working in theater requires a lot of resources for cast, etc. How difficult is that when you don’t have institutional backing? How did you negotiate that when you were working on this?

That’s always the toughest part. That’s the reason it takes 10 years. By the time this show received any institutional support, it was already built. It takes finding dedicated people who believe in what you’re doing and are willing to spend some time pro bono to allow the idea to develop.

The reality is, when we started rehearsing the music to the show, 10 years ago, it sounded bad. [Laughs] If that had been the final version of it, it just would have been this thing that wasn’t very good.

All of these musicians have been playing it for years. All of these people have been built into the show. The way that they play it, I think it’s a huge part of why it’s effective. So when we go to New York, we have to bring the people, because the people are the show, really.

A lot of shows are written down the line to be recast and performed down the line -- would you ever want that to be done with "Now I’m Fine," or is it more personal?

It’s very personal. I also couldn’t imagine doing it a thousand more times. It really is something where I want to know that each time I’m doing the show, there’s no barrier between me and the audience, there’s no barrier of me being jaded, or no barrier of me being sick of doing this, or no barrier of me being very tired and just wanting to get through the night. I want to feel 100 percent engaged every time I do the show, and if I feel like that isn’t happening, I don’t want to do it.

The show has a very unconventional alternation of comic monologue with very dramatic musical interludes. What sort of effect did you want this juxtaposition to have?

I think that I like balance. In the sense that the darker you go, the lighter you can go. The funnier you are, the more serious you can be, and it doesn’t seem overwrought. I don’t know that there was a conscious effort to balance serious music and funnier stories, but there was, I think, a conscious effort to stretch just as far as I could in the spectrum of emotion.

I believe that even though I can’t point to specific similarities between the jokes and the music, I know that when that was originating, there were similar emotions behind the jokes and the grand music. There is, to me, something cohesive about them.

Have you started working on another show?

I haven’t started actively writing, I haven’t started actively composing. I really like this format of having this large ensemble of music and then going small, just a person telling a story. I like this format. I’d like to explore what this format can do.

You mentioned that your musical style has evolved a lot since you wrote this show. A lot of the music is deliberately off-kilter or discordant -- how would you describe your style within the show?

I come from a jazz background, but I think the music in that show is very intentionally less jazz-based than a lot of what I do, and I think a lot of that comes out of discontent with jazz, and anger at an art form that I love, and wanting to, in my 20s, feel like I was part of modern music.  I feel more comfortable exploring things that I know, now.

I feel like at that time, any time I wrote a pretty melody, I had to just slap as much dissonance all over the top of it as I possibly could to be OK with how pretty it was. But my lack of confidence adds something to that early stuff … it colors it in a way that’s interesting.

At one point, you describe an unspeakably bad thing that happened in your life, but without words -- only through a passage of music. Can you talk about that?

There are just certain things that for very pragmatic reasons have to remain private, and I think those things exist in everyone’s life. I also think that certain things are hard to explain why they’re so horrible.

But when I tried to just skip over it, it just didn’t feel right. Just because for me personally, when I think over that period of time and all the horrible things that happened, that is the worst thing. That is the thing that is, to me, the emotional climax. I can’t present that as the emotional climax, for the reasons I described earlier, but I need to process the whole story in order to deliver the fullest version of the story that I can.

I think that if I provide myself time to sit in my own personal knowledge of that and allow myself the time to reflect on the whole story that only I know, that somehow the gist of that information will be conveyed. The emotional information will be conveyed. It allows me to keep it honest. It allows me to give it the weight it deserves. It allows me to not sensationalize something that in my own mind doesn’t need any sensationalizing.

In society and a lot of art right now, extreme self-revelation is such a big trend, just getting everything out there, and making this conscious choice to say "there’s something about myself that I’m just not going to tell you" -- it’s a very specific counternarrative to that.

And it is really just a practical decision, as well -- it is just something I can’t tell people. I like things that are just straightforward like that. I think that the show is straightforward in a way, it’s music and talking. It’s like, baking bread is one of the hardest things to do, but it has three ingredients. I like those challenges.

There are some really awkward truths about living in a racially mixed family in your show -- what was it like for you and your family to have those come out in a performance?

My family is incredibly supportive. My mom, who I think gets the brunt of it, she loves it. I think the next show I make is going to be completely about her. My sister [Ijeoma Oluo] is a writer, and she also writes about very personal things, and it’s just a thing that in our family has never really been an issue. Between me and my siblings and my mom, we know all of the worst things that we’ve ever done.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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This holiday season, Judy Garland is being celebrated with a trio of remastered re-releases of her most famous recordings on vinyl. 

One of the three albums re-released, 1965's "Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli: Live at the London Palladium," received something a little extra special to mark its 50th anniversary, liner notes penned by none other than Liza Minnelli herself. 

In the text, Minnelli, 69, reveals that her mother, who died in 1969 at age 47, "tricked" her into doing the now-legendary 1964 performance captured on the album, which was first released a year later. 

"She asked me to come perform in London with her, but I declined," she writes. "I felt I wasn't ready, I was too young."

Fortunately for the world, Garland "didn't take no for an answer," and once Minnelli spotted an advertisement for the concert, she "knew there was no turning back."

"Listen, Mama owned whatever stage she was on. So we did it, and it was great and exhilarating and terrifying," Minnelli recalls. Still, the scope of Minnelli's talent surprised even Garland, who wasn't about to be upstaged by an ingenue, even if there was a familial connection: "She always gave, never took. But something slightly competitive came out that night, an energy I hadn't seen before." 

Ultimately, the performance paid off in spades for Minnelli, too. "After working with her, I was never nervous about appearing with anyone again. I had already appeared with the best," she writes. "It's part of history I guess, though I don't think of myself like that. I suppose, for me, it's a personal history." 

The remastered "Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli: Live at the London Palladium" is being released on vinyl in a 2-LP set alongside 1961's "Judy at Carnegie Hall" and 1955's "Miss Show Business." In the meantime, you can have a listen to the pair joining forces on "Smile" below. 

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