Quantcast
Channel: Culture & Arts
Viewing all 18505 articles
Browse latest View live

Blac Chyna Bares It All 'In Celebration Of Black History Month'

$
0
0





Blac Chyna has never been afraid to show some skin, and the reality star said she took it all off for a recent photoshoot to celebrate her heritage. 


Chyna shared three photographs on her Instagram on Thursday, all taken by photographer Orin Fleurimont. Each photo shows her wearing white body paint and is respectively captioned with a single word: “Queen. History. Bold.”


“In celebration of Black History Month, I wanted to push out my inner Queen, express my ethnicity and beauty unapologetically!” Chyna told People magazine.



Queen

A photo posted by Blac Chyna (@blacchyna) on





History

A photo posted by Blac Chyna (@blacchyna) on





Bold

A photo posted by Blac Chyna (@blacchyna) on




Fans couldn’t get enough of Chyna and chimed in on Twitter to praise her pictures:


















She sure knows how to keep the surprises coming. 

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.


These Lullaby Versions Of Beyoncé Songs Are Coming Out At The Perfect Time

$
0
0

Unless you’ve been avoiding the internet this week, you’ve likely heard by now that Beyoncé is pregnant with twins


But did you know parents now have a new way to introduce Beyoncé’s music to their babies? Rockabye Baby ― a company that produces lullaby versions of pop and rock songs ― announced that it will release an album of baby-friendly Beyoncé hits.



“Beyoncé is a cultural icon ― a socially conscious artist, feminist, business woman, mother and obviously so much more,” Rockabye Baby co-creator and VP Lisa Roth told The Huffington Post. “Who she is makes this release special for us. The fact that our release is happening close to her pregnancy announcement is purely coincidental, but also special.”


Though Rockabye Baby began as a purely rock-focused series, over time the creators have realized that “every genre has its rock stars,” Roth explained. She added, “I can’t think of a more relevant rock star right now than Beyoncé.”


One of the icon’s many hits that will appear on the album is the lullaby version of”Single Ladies,” which is available for listening online ahead of its Feb. 24 release date.  





“What we always hope is that our albums bring some joy and fun to the experience of parenthood, that we provide music parents recognize and love, and that they can share with their little ones,” Roth explained.


“Beyoncé is a cultural touchstone for many, especially right now,” she added. People care about her. With everything going on in the world, how great that her pregnancy announcement appears to be providing a little light and hope.”


Parents can pre-order the 13-track album on iTunes

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

An Adaptation Of George Orwell's '1984' Is Coming To Broadway

$
0
0





A play based on George Orwell’s 1984 is headed to Broadway. If you prefer your dystopian narratives with uncanny resemblances to present-day political realities get your blood pumping, boy, is this the show for you! 


Orwell’s 1949 classic, which you may or may not have read in ninth grade, has spiked in popularity recently because of its eerie similarity to current events. Specifically, it’s been compared to the Trump administration’s penchant for propagating contradictory versions of the truth, a classic move for The Party, the fictional authoritarian regime in Orwell’s novel.



Just in time for its newfound relevance, the London stage adaptation of the current bestseller is coming to New York this summer. Starting June 22, you will be free to watch as gifted performers act their way through a regime that might begin to resemble, more and more, our political landscape. Yay!


The play, co-adapted and directed by Robert Icke and produced by Sonia Friedman and Scott Rudin, is slated to open the 2017-2018 Broadway season at the newly-restored Hudson Theater. Unfortunately, it will not be scored by David Bowie.


The timing for the coming play is right on point. Interest in Orwell’s 1984 particularly mushroomed after Donald Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway described White House press secretary Sean Spicer’s lies as “alternative facts.”



Many described her statement ― which encouraged followers to distrust their senses and trust their elected leaders instead ― as “Orwellian.” Specifically, Conway’s attempt to disguise a lie through convoluted language recalls 1984’s practice of “doublethink,” in which a political regime attempts suppress thought and rewrite history by convincing citizens that, as Orwell put it: “War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.”


Thanks to Conway’s unintended literary allusion, Amazon can hardly keep up with the growing demand for books depicting dystopian dictatorships. If you can’t get your hands on a copy ― or, like our president, you don’t read books ― a Broadway show might be the way to go. 


Spoiler alert, though: It looks absolutely terrifying.



Want to read something other than 1984 but can’t ignore the raging garbage fire that is political commentary right now? We’ve got a recommended reading list for that.


Correction: An earlier edition of this article misstated the play was a musical. We regret the error. 

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

What Curtis Mayfield's 1960's Music Can Teach Us About Resistance Today

$
0
0

If you ask his son, Curtis Mayfield would have a lot to say about the current political climate in America.


Todd Mayfield, the 1960s singer’s son, explores his father’s life and work in the context of the Civil Rights era in his new biography, “Traveling Soul: The Life of Curtis Mayfield.”  


Mayfield, who was known as one of the most influential musicians of his era, was born and raised in the poverty stricken slums of Chicago, wrote notable hits including “People Get Ready” and “Keep on Pushing” with soul group The Impressions. He later pursued a solo career and launched four music labels, Windy C, Mayfield, Curtom, and CRC Records.


Todd Mayfield told The Huffington Post that it wasn’t necessarily his father’s goal to be overtly political with his music. Instead, Todd views his father’s music as a source of social commentary of the harsh realities of life in America.


“He was very observant so he wrote about things that he saw,” he said. “He always said that he wanted to provide food for thought, so as you see all these things going on around you, it was like social commentary. I don’t think he necessarily set out to influence the Civil Right Movement, but it was just the content of the music that touched people and caused them to embrace it. But I don’t think that was necessarily his goal, I just think he was writing what his feelings and observations were about our society at that time.”


Unlike other prominent artists of the ‘60s, such as Nina Simone, who sacrificed commercial success to record political-themed music, Mayfield thinks it “wasn’t his father’s primary concern to be commercial.”



Given the current state of America, the author believes Mayfield ― who died in 1999 ― would have encouraged black America to become more progressive about their objectives.  


“He would probably say, ‘The more things change, the more they stay the same,’” Todd said. “He would talk about the things we [black people] need to do to better themselves, and at the same time you work towards your goals and not let the forces that are against you stand in your way. That was really the underlining theme of a lot of it [his music], but a lot of it had to do with personal responsibility and introspection.”


Mayfield says he wants the book to serve as a catalyst for readers to re-examine the legacy of the elder Mayfield, who’s a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 


“It’s just a reminder that this person was very prolific in many ways and very relevant in terms of his musical genius and his message. So I think hopefully we can get it back out there and that folks really appreciate it as much as I do,” he added.


-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

The First Of Many Upcoming Zelda Fitzgerald Retrospectives Has Arrived

$
0
0





Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald has become a poster child for the women history overlooked.


Two film projects in the works highlight the so-called “first flapper” as a gifted writer and creative in her own right ― that is, not just as the wife of 20th-century literary icon F. Scott Fitzgerald. Scarlett Johansson will appear in one, called “The Beautiful and the Damned,” which will reportedly dive headfirst into long-told rumors that the author claimed many of his wife’s ideas as his own. And Jennifer Lawrence is set to star in Ron Howard’s film “Zelda” which, per The Hollywood Reporter, asks the question: Can love exist between creative equals?


Amazon’s original series, “Z: The Beginning of Everything,” beat them both to the screen. Christina Ricci takes on the starring role, opposite David Hoflin (”American Crime”) as F. Scott, in the series adaption of Therese Anne Fowler’s novel Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald.


Released by the streaming service last week, the 10-episode series covers only the earliest years of the Fitzgeralds’ relationship, kicking off with a teenage Zelda Sayre, the Montgomery-bred daughter of Alabama Supreme Court Justice Anthony Sayre, sneaking out to dance with soldiers en route to fight in WWI. Soon, she meets one who claims he’s on track to become a famous author and finds in him a kindred rebel spirit with a similar appetite for hard liquor. Her father, of course, disapproves.


And while Lawrence and Howard will evidently ponder the two Jazz Age celebrities’ comparative artistic worth, “Z” has already made up its mind. 



Presenting F. Scott as a petulant alcoholic poisoned by entitlement, the series allows plenty of sympathy for Zelda, the sharp-witted Southern belle who is far too often charged with managing her husband’s mood and validating his talent as a Great American Novelist. At first, she doesn’t even recognize his manipulation. Upon discovering how much he’d borrowed from her own diaries and writings in This Side of Paradise, she is flattered that he would think so highly of her work. Between bubble baths and sips of champagne direct from the bottle, Zelda juggles her own mission of self-discovery (she simply can’t stand New Yorkers’ penchant for black) and her husband’s irritatingly persistent writer’s block.


The couple needs constant income to fuel the posh, partying lifestyle they both enjoy. F. Scott’s singular goal, which he instills in Zelda, is his own commercial literary success ― at the expense of any budding career of hers.


Historically, Zelda Fitzgerald is often remembered as a profligate spender with chiefly material concerns ― she wouldn’t marry her husband, for example, until he’d achieved some success. (In the series, marriage is simply the carrot Zelda dangles over F. Scott’s head to encourage him not to give up on his dream.) Her struggles with mental illness were seen as the cause of much marital strife between the couple and, although they were known to be competitive with one another, she has been relegated to the rank of muse, rather than creator. 


Zelda once jokingly (or perhaps not) reviewed one of F. Scott’s works in The New York Tribune by writing, “Mr. Fitzgerald ― I believe that is how he spells his name ― seems to believe that plagiarism begins at home.” Well after her 1948 death in a hospital fire, accusations that her star husband had borrowed perhaps too liberally from her writing were revisited, and the couple’s creative relationship dissected. It became more apparent than ever how vital Zelda was to her husband’s achievements. As Fowler notes, reports of the extent of Zelda’s mental illness may have been unfair, as well. The author claims the diagnosis Zelda received ― schizophrenia ― was “often applied to women who suffered depression or exhaustion brought on by impossible circumstances” at the time.


Yet, as a portrait of the writer, socialite, wife, creative and, later, mother, “Z” doesn’t seem to trust its audience, working too hard to make us love its leading lady for her status as history’s victim instead of as a smart, talented, richly complex human being with, yes, flaws. We might be allowed to adore her in spite of her imperfection, but instead we are hand-held through an often one-dimensional depiction of someone who was, in life, a passionate and ambitious 20th-century woman. 


We’ll be looking out to see how other projects lay out the life of Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

The 20 Funniest Tweets From Women This Week

$
0
0

The ladies of Twitter never fail to brighten our days with their brilliant ― but succinct ― wisdom. Each week, HuffPost Women rounds up hilarious 140-character musings. For this week’s great tweets from women, scroll through the list below. Then visit our Funniest Tweets From Women page for our past collections.       






















































































-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Milo Yiannopoulos' Upcoming Book Grabs Top Spot On Amazon's Best-Seller List

$
0
0





Milo Yiannopoulos might have been forced to cancel his recent appearance at U.C. Berkeley following riotous protests in the streets, but his “dangerous” message hasn’t been silenced.


After his upcoming book, Dangerous, appeared for pre-order on Amazon, it rocketed to the top of the site’s hourly updated best-seller list. The book is slated to hit bookstores on March 14. In second: the now-restocked mass-market edition of 1984 by George Orwell. 



Yiannopoulos’ publisher Threshold, a conservative nonfiction imprint at Simon & Schuster, stood by their decision to print the book despite widespread outcry over giving the “alt-right” poster boy and notorious Twitter bully such a respectable platform. Financially, this appears to have been a solid bet. Despite the mass protests and sudden popularity of anti-authoritarian literature witnessed in the streets and on best-seller lists, respectively, in the past few weeks, hard-right viewpoints still muster plenty of support. 


Threshold described Dangerous, in a statement confirming the book deal, as “a book on free speech.” Yiannopoulos, an editor at Breitbart News and popular speaker in alt-right circles, told The Hollywood Reporter that he “spent half an hour trying to shock [Simon & Schuster executives] with lewd jokes and outrageous opinions. I thought they were going to have me escorted from the building — but instead they offered me a wheelbarrow full of money.”



On Breitbart, and during his “Dangerous Faggot” speaking tour, he has repeatedly espoused such “outrageous opinions” as the assertion that transgender people are “deeply mentally damaged,” that the U.S. has a “Muslim problem,” and that women should leave the internet to make it more fun for men.


Yiannopoulos’ provocative stances have been termed hate speech by some critics, and CNN noted recently that his college speaking tour has “coincided with a flurry of hate crimes around the country.” The recent cancellation of his Berkeley speech was not the first of his appearances on college campuses to be shut down by massive protests. 


Nonetheless, his anti-political-correctness stance and his trollish, outspoken approach to political dialogue has won him fame and considerable support in far-right circles. As Publishers Weekly’s Jim Milliott told The Los Angeles Times last month, “Conservative books sell at least as well as quote unquote liberal books.” Novels and nonfiction works by right-wing figureheads such as Bill O’Reilly, Ann Coulter and Sean Hannity have routinely lingered at the top of best-seller lists.


As President Donald Trump’s agenda has elevated those right-wing policies from fringe to mainstream, from opposition to party in power, previously complacent liberals have seemingly turned for insight to Hannah Arendt and Orwell ― but the buying power of conservative readers is holding strong.


The country, it’s been said, is more divided than ever. For anyone in doubt, the sight of Yiannopoulos’ right-wing screed battling for the top spot on Amazon with the anti-totalitarian dystopia 1984 is just one more piece of evidence.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Laurie Hernandez Makes Some Tough Decisions In A Game Of 'Would You Rather'

$
0
0





Gymnast Laurie Hernandez is a 16-year-old Olympic gold medalist, the youngest contestant to win “Dancing with the Stars,” and the author of a memoir, titled I Got This: To Gold and Beyond.


But did you know she’d rather listen to Drake for the rest of her life than never eat chocolate again? Well, The Huffington Post sat down with Hernandez to learn which direction she would flip in a game of “Would You Rather.” 


Watch it all go down in the video above. 

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.


Langston Hughes' Harlem Home Is Officially For The People

$
0
0

Harlem artists and writers can finally call Langston Hughes’ home their own.


The I, Too, Arts Collective, named for Hughes’ poem “I, Too,” held an opening event Wednesday evening at Hughes’ Harlem brownstone and invited the community to mingle, have refreshments and check out its new space.


There was reason to celebrate. Not only was it Hughes’ birthday, but Wednesday marked the culmination of a months-long process to lease the home in which the poet lived for his final 20 years.


The brownstone first caught the eye of the collective’s founder and executive director Renee Watson when she moved to Harlem from Portland, Oregon more than a decade ago. She was disappointed to find out the home was neither a museum nor community center. In June 2016, she decided to take matters into her own hands. 


“I was tired of waiting on someone to do something with this space,” Watson told The Huffington Post.


Watson found the owner of the brownstone, who told her that if she could raise the funds to lease it for a year, her newly founded non-profit could take over the space. The collective raised $150,000 goal through an online fundraising campaign, several separate donations and donation matching in a month and signed the lease in October. 



The brownstone, which will house workshops, open mic nights, poetry salons, discussions with authors and more, opened during a time of serious change in Harlem. With rents skyrocketing and big businesses moving in, the grassroots action to lease the space marks a small victory for the community. 


“It’s a testament to wanting to hold onto Harlem,” she said. “And just make sure that we also take care of the history here and that we guard it [fiercely].” 


Given the current political climate, having a place for artists of color to come appreciate Hughes’ work and be inspired to create their own is especially important, Watson said. 


“[Artists of color have] always responded through art when stuff is happening in the world,” she said. “We are the rebukers. We are the people who are going to put on record the truth of what’s happening and document our experiences.” 


She also hopes the space can act as a “safe haven” and provide opportunities for self-care. The collective plans to have open forums, writing circles and healing spaces for those who need to step back from “the struggle.” Ultimately, Watson wants to provide a springboard for budding authors to get their work published and carry on Hughes’ legacy of “generosity and hope.”


“Given the time that we’re living in I just feel like [it’s] really important for people to have a space where they feel seen and validated,” she said. “And I think that’s something to continue that his work did for us as a people.” 

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

NYT Bestselling Author Mychal Denzel Smith Explains How To Resist Trump

$
0
0





President Donald Trump kicked off his presidency with a flurry of actions that threatened Obamacare, restricted immigrant travel, and pressed for the construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. 


Mychal Denzel Smith, who is the New York Times bestselling author of Invisible Man, Got the Whole World Watching and a Knobler Fellow at The Nation Institute, joined the latest episode of HuffPost Black Voices’ biweekly show the “BV Breakdown” to weigh in on Trump and encourage dissatisfied citizens to make their voices heard.


“If you can, if you are physically able to, show up. You have to be out there in the streets,” he told the show’s hosts Lilly Workneh and Zeba Blay. “He has to feel uncomfortable everywhere he goes. We have to let our presence be known,” 


Trump’s policies have already sparked protests at airports, medical schools and even Vice President Mike Pence’s D.C. home. Smith said that Trump’s actions mark “unchartered territory” and it’s time progressives take a stand, participate in “unsettling and upsetting” conversations and call their representatives to communicate their concerns. 


“This is beyond Nixon. This is beyond Reagan. This is beyond Bush one or two,” he said. “This is harkening back to [the] Reconstruction Era, where they are snatching away rights. This is a backlash on a level that we are not accustomed to in our lifetimes and we’re going to have to do some things that are probably uncomfortable for us.” 


Trump’s extreme policies have also forced Smith to grapple with his role as a writer and the degree to which he can affect change with his work. It’s a debate that is especially important considering the president’s adversarial relationship with the media and facts


“I’ve been struggling with this myself, like I don’t know the utility of me just writing words, I don’t know how effective that is,” Smith said. “But what I do know is that it’s all hands on deck. Everything feels urgent, everything feels useless, but everything must be done.”


Hear more from Smith in the video above and watch the full episode of “BV Breakdown” here

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

MoMA Responds To Travel Ban By Putting Muslim-Nation Art On Its Walls

$
0
0

In times of injustice, the Museum of Modern Art ― one of the most influential art institutions in the United States ― is not remaining neutral.


According to The New York Times, MoMA is responding to President Donald Trump’s executive order barring immigrants from seven Muslim-majority nations — Yemen, Somalia, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Sudan and Syria — and indefinitely blocking entry for Syrian refugees. And it’s doing so by hanging work by artists from the majority-Muslim nations affected by the ban on its walls.



The seven works now on view at the New York museum include pieces by painter Ibrahim el-Salahi (Sudan), sculptor Parviz Tanavoli (Iran), painter Tala Madani (Iran), architect Zaha Hadid (Iraq), painter Charles Hossein Zenderoudi (Iran), photographer Shirana Shahbazi (Iran), and painter Marcos Grigorian (Russia, of Persian descent). 


The artworks were installed in MoMA’s fifth floor galleries on Thursday night, replacing seven artworks by Western artists like Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse. Placards next to each work read:



This work is by an artist from a nation whose citizens are being denied entry into the United States, according to a presidential executive order issued on Jan. 27, 2017. This is one of several such artworks from the Museum’s collection installed throughout the fifth-floor galleries to affirm the ideals of welcome and freedom as vital to this Museum as they are to the United States.




When asked whether or not MoMA’s decision to hang specific works should be characterized as a protest of Trump’s executive order, as the NYT reported, MoMA’s Chief Curator of Drawings and Prints Christophe Cherix explained that it was more of a “clear reaction” that was meant to express “solidarity with artists from different countries.”


“Since the museum formed, it has always provided safe haven for artists from around the world,” he said. “So many immigrants came to New York and made their work here, and the museum helped some do that. [...] Traveling is important for artists, scholars and historians. So we felt this gesture was inclusive not disruptive.”


Cherix emphasized that the initiative, a multidisciplinary project that involved a team of curators from several MoMA departments, embraces works that were already in the museum’s collection, that come from artists both established and emerging. He pointed out that more works by artists from Muslim nations will likely be added to galleries currently under renovation on MoMA’s fifth floor, and that four screenings of films later this month will highlight directors affected by the travel ban. 


Iranian-American artist Siah Armajani’s aluminum and steel sculpture was also placed in the museum’s lobby.


-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

'Drunk Feminist Films' Lets You Get Smashed And Smash The Patriarchy, Too

$
0
0

There are films we love because they open our eyes to unseen narratives and different ways of being, through carefully woven plots and complex characters. And there are films that we love because, during that one lazy summer between fifth and sixth grade, we watched them over and over and over again, memorized all the lines and found ourselves in unhealthy relationships with the romantic leads. 


It’s this latter category that brings so many to Drunk Feminist Films (DFF) ― a space for feminists to simultaneously indulge in and criticize the many Hollywood movies whose representations of race, gender, sexuality and class are so flawed or completely absent, it’s laughable. You may not have realized as a preteen, for example, how ridiculously sex work is portrayed in “Pretty Woman,” or how creepily virginity is framed in “Crossroads,” or that not a single queer person speaks in either. 


DFF offers live events, as well as webisodes and other online media, that allow women to watch films they love without letting them off the hook, providing drunken commentary that pokes fun at the shortcomings and tropes of mainstream Hollywood films. As the women state on their website, “we aim jokes at the oppressor and the system (and sometimes the fashion), not those experiencing oppression.”







The first film to be drunkenly mocked by a group of hilarious and socially conscious ladies was everyone’s favorite vampire love story, “Twilight.” 


Gillian Goerz, one of DFF’s founders, hate-read her way through the books and, like so many, was curious to see how Bella and Edward would play out on screen. So she drafted a drinking game that would inject some feminist exegesis into the supernatural romance. Or, at the very least, it would get her drunk. Goerz invited friends over to participate, including DFF co-founders Amy Wood, Steph Guthrie and Shaunna Bruton, and a movement was born. 


After the success of the “Twilight” drinking game, the DFF team decided it would be fun to film future rounds and share them on YouTube. They also set up a Twitter account soliciting requests for more films for DFF to tear into. And they recruited a larger cast, ensuring that the DFF ringleaders would embody the diverse representation they were demanding of their movies. 


“Expanding from the original four founders into a cast was so important to us,” Goerz told The Huffington Post. “It was initially four white women, and we didn’t think that was OK. We wanted to reach out as soon as people were interested in the idea. We didn’t want it to be us front and center.”


Today, DFF has 13 rotating cast members who, when they’re not smashing the patriarchy, work as comedians, writers, social workers, public servants and designers. They participate in DFF both through making pre-recorded YouTube videos and hosting live events, most often held at Toronto’s arthouse theater Royal Cinema. The in-person happenings, which regularly sell out, invite angry viewers to yell at the screen, throw things, and release all the pent-up tension that comes from secretly loving “Save the Last Dance” despite knowing that Julia Stiles has absolutely no rhythm. Like none. 





“I think it’s a way to sort of alleviate some of the guilt,” cast member Resh Brown said in a phone interview with The Huffington Post. “Especially with some of the movies that came out when folks were younger. Being able to enjoy those movies together but also hate on them and trash them, I think it’s a way to connect around films that bring up a lot of feelings inside.”


Goerz agreed. “A lot of these movies, as Resh said, have this element of nostalgia. I think there is something about commiserating with people that helps you make peace with your own problematic past. Being able to a appreciate what was good while not ignoring what is bad is part of growing up. It’s a more forgiving way to handle all of your beliefs.”


The first element of a DFF screening is choosing a film ― any somewhat lovable movie with blindspots in terms of representation or truthful, empathetic storytelling. Sadly, there are plenty of options. Past showings have included films like “The Craft,” “Gone Girl,” “Spice World,” “Bollywood/Hollywood,” and “Fifty Shades of Grey.” Some, like “Bridesmaids,” are progressive by Hollywood standards ― it features a female-led cast. However, as Goerz put it, “you can’t gloss over some of the weird racist jokes in there.” 


Before showing a film to a live, drunk audience, the DFF team will do a test screening, where they’ll sketch out questions and point out details to be discussed. In “Love Actually,” for example, the “drink” triggers include “Sexy man boss” ― whenever an older male boss becomes romantically involved with his younger, female subordinate. There’s also the less political “Turt Alert!” ― a drink for every heinous turtleneck featured on screen, of which there are too many. 







Many of the drinking games’ rules, however, emerge on the fly. Moviegoers shout suggestions from their seats, live-tweeters chime in using the evening’s previously selected hashtag, and DFF hosts update the audience accordingly. “It’s something we can all join in on,” Goerz said. “The hosts also say a few words about each screening before the film starts. They share their personal experience with the film and point out what is problematic, what is lovable and what is of interest.”


One unifying factor aligning DFF’s chosen films ― which range from romantic dramas to thrillers to slapstick comedies ― is that most were made within the last 30 years. Before then, Brown explained, films were often so problematic and dated, she felt uncomfortable even recommending them. “We want viewers to get something from the film beyond hate-watching,” she said. 


Although older films are often more glaringly exasperating in terms of on-screen representation, both Brown and Goerz are dubious of whether film is substantially more diverse today. “Maybe we have more general diversity, but do we have true intersectional feminist film?” Brown asked. “’Star Wars’ had a white woman leading it, but very few other women in the entire movie. There has certainly been some progress, but I think we’re a long way away from true representation and a genuinely diverse set of stories.”


Goerz agreed. “Even when you do see some representation, it can feel tokenistic,” she added. “It can feel like one step forward, 10 steps back.”





Meaningful diversity and representation in film are clearly topics Goerz and Brown have spent many a cocktail discussing. They’re well aware that true progress will require a fundamental shift in the film industry, not another actor of color on the red carpet. “I don’t want to see Dev Patel playing every role,” Brown said. “True representation isn’t just the one super hot South Asian actor over and over again.”


One major problem, Goerz and Brown agree, is that too often movies are made for the sole purposes of making money, and end up repeating easy formulas sure to yield mindless, box-office hits. As Goerz put it: “What is the incentive to change if they’re still making money on ‘Transformers 17’?”


Just as much as DFF rails against monolithic representation, they also campaign against lazy writing, one-dimensional characters, dumb humor and half-assed plots. Good films, they suggest, both respect and reflect their audience. “Perhaps we will reach equity when someone stops paying Adam Sandler to make movies,” Brown pondered. 


Both Goerz and Brown look forward to a future in which movie studios seriously reevaluate what they are making and why. “The thing that will bring more interesting diversity to film is not only casting more people of color,” Goerz said, “but having studios shift so the crew can have freedom.” The women expressed their confidence that such a change is possible, citing BBC’s recently launched diversity and inclusion strategy as an example. 


BBC’s ambitious initiative sets concrete targets to hit by 2020, ensuring challenging on-air portrayals of people with disabilities, women, ethnic minorities and LGBT people, as well as a diverse roster of employees from various ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. “I want us to make sure we are leading by example,” Tony Hall, the BBC director-general, said upon announcing the objectives, “working with and learning from others in the industry, and using our influence to bring about real change.”


The BCC’s goals show what is possible when people, and studios, take inclusion, representation and, um, good writing seriously. Until Hollywood follows suit, one thing remains certain. The ladies of DFF will be vigilant. They will be outspoken. And they will be drunk.  



Watch episodes of “Drunk Feminist Films” on YouTube and see their upcoming live events schedule here. 




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

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Beyond The Dab: 8 Reasons Why Migos Has Become Hip-Hop's Trendsetters

$
0
0

Rap group Migos has been soaring to heightened levels of success month after month, banger after banger.


The Atlanta-based group, which consists of rappers Quavo, Takeoff and Offset, seem pretty much untouchable at this point. And while many trap music aficionados have long seen the group’s star potential since the release of their 2013 smash “Versace,” their latest hit song “Bad and Boujee” which is featured on their recently released album “Culture,” has only helped to cement their status as superstars.


In light of all their success, the group took a trip to New York University last Saturday for a sold out “culture class” led by The Fader’s Naomi Zeichner. The discussion, which was primarily attended by NYU students, touched on topics ranging from their early days as emerging rappers to the crucial role women play in the popularity of their music. 


Here are eight takeaways from the event that partly explain how the three Atlanta natives have catapulted to success and become trap culture’s trendsetters.



1. They received some timely mainstream recognition. 


Few people can be successful without a helping hand. In the case of Migos, that hand belongs to musician and actor Donald Glover who declared their song “Bad and Boujee” to be the “best song ever” on stage at this year’s Golden Globe Awards. 


Quavo said his phone “caught fire” immediately following Glover’s mention of the group and that they are constantly getting stopped in airports and public spaces. The song also soared to the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 the day after the awards show. 


2. They were creative in their hustle. 


During Saturday’s conversation, VFiles CEO Julie Ann Quay, one of the event’s moderators, mentioned that Migos used to employ a clever come-up tactic by offering to buy DJs drinks in exchange for playing one of their songs. Now, the group is being paid to promote brands. 


3. They built their brand early on.


Many artists like to expand their brands with clothing lines, colognes or apps after they’ve garnered fame. But Migos went with a brand that directly aligns with their craft by partnering with Rap Snacks, which claims to be “the official snack of hip-hop,” and they did so prior to achieving mass stardom. In July 2016, they partnered with the snack brand for their own line of chips “Sour Cream with A Dab of Ranch” to which they created a fitting rap jingle. It doesn’t get more on-brand than that. 


4. They’re authentic. 


When discussing their debut album titled “Yung Rich Nation,” which didn’t perform as well as they expected, Quavo said the album’s sales were disappointing because they weren’t being true to their sound and style when creating the album. Once their music was able to be reflective of their personas again, they opened themselves up to rave reviews and a co-sign from hip-hop mogul Kanye West


5. They don’t take themselves too seriously.


During a break in the discussion, technical malfunctions caused two of the Migos’ songs to play at the same time prompting Quavo ― whose class clown demeanor is instantly disarming ― to say that the mix actually sounded good, so much so he “didn’t know which way to bounce.” Zeichner even noted that she found Quavo to be a funny guy, to which he of course replied, “you like the way I sound, girl?”


6. They’re loyal to the concept of “family first.” 


Aside from the music, the other element that ties Migos together is the DNA they share. Quavo and Offset, who are both 22-years-old, are cousins while 19 year-old Takeoff is Quavo’s nephew. When asked by an audience member if they think anyone will attempt to come between their family ties, Takeoff replied “nobody can separate us because we’re real family, we have to stick together...we’re going to come back to the same dinner table.”


7. They like to be in control of their product.


“Nobody’s gonna care about your stuff the way you do,” Quavo said at the event, adding that that he likes to have as much control over their products as possible. The rapper shared that he mixed and mastered their entire “Culture” album. 


8. They know how important a woman’s opinion is.


When asked about the impact women have on their music, Quavo replied that women “set the trends” and that “men always like what the ladies like.” He then wonderfully concluded his final response with “girls run the world.” Amen, bro. 

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Eminem Goes After Donald Trump On New Big Sean Track

$
0
0





Eminem is once again taking a firm stand against Donald Trump.


The Detroit rap star calls the president “a bitch” and vows to “make his whole brand go under” in a verse on Big Sean’s track “No Favors.”


It features on Big Sean’s new album “I Decided,” which he released on Friday ― and the song also contains references to racism and police brutality.


It’s the second time that Eminem has come for Trump, with the rapper releasing a nearly eight-minute track in the month before the 2016 presidential election:






Consider me a dangerous man, but you should be afraid of this dang candidate,” Eminem rapped on “Campaign Speech,” before calling Trump a “loose cannon who’s blunt with his hand on the button.”


type=type=RelatedArticlesblockTitle=Related Coverage + articlesList=5895853ee4b0406131372618,57372a6be4b08f96c1835749,57c18cbce4b04193420f6554,57f8bafde4b068ecb5dec90e

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

'Dirty Dancing' Was A Safe-Abortion Champion Wrapped In A Rom-Com Bow

$
0
0



Who knew, when we were watching and re-watching “Dirty Dancing” decades ago in our teenage years that it would be the one slyly feminist VHS in our collection to stand the test of time?


Perhaps screenwriter Eleanor Bergstein had an inkling. “As my husband says, if I’m not happy about [the film’s longevity], I better make films on the moon,” she told The Huffington Post over the phone of the film’s 30th anniversary. Since its 1987 release, Baby’s unforgettable summer at Kellerman’s Catskills resort has been seen — and loved — worldwide.


It’s also one of the few films we can point to when looking for honest depictions of abortion on the big screen, through the character of Penny, a dancer who must miss a performance in order to undergo a back-alley procedure in 1963, a decade before Roe v. Wade. It’s this event that serves as the catalyst for the rest of the plot: The wide-eyed resort guest Baby (Jennifer Grey) offers to take Penny’s place and learn a routine with the mysterious and volatile dance instructor Johnny (Patrick Swayze), whom she’s undeniably attracted to. The classic rom-com back-and-forth ensues.


“It didn’t take a lot of space on the page,” Bergstein said of the film’s abortion plotline. “As it came to be, right before the movie came out, a national sponsor saw it and asked to take the abortion out. The studio came to me when the film was already shot and asked me to take the abortion out. I could say quite truthfully, ‘Well, I can’t, because if there’s no abortion in it, there’s no reason for Baby to learn to dance, to fall in love with Johnny — so the whole story falls apart.’”



”They didn’t really notice [the abortion plotline],” Bergstein said. “Sometimes, somebody noticed it and said, ‘Why is this here? You know, this is 1987. Roe v. Wade is in. It’s silly.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, but in ‘63 it wasn’t, and who knows.’ Nobody cared enough to even fight with me about it but they thought it was a little foolish to put it in. Now, of course we know that Roe v. Wade is hanging by a thread.”


In this way, a film that on its surface appeared to be a straightforward love story also portrayed the dark reality of illegal abortions — a big-screen reminder of the importance of rights that generations of women have fought to protect. In a frantic scene, Baby calls upon her doctor father when she’s learned Penny is experiencing complications from the shoddy operation. Another employee of Kellerman’s explains the unsanitary conditions to which Penny was subjected.


“One of the reasons I had that purple language in — ‘dirty knife,’ ‘folding table’ — was that young women, when the movie came out in ‘87, would have thought [having an abortion] was like, going to Planned Parenthood or having an appendectomy. They wouldn’t have understood exactly what would happen because they were in that little bubble of total safety,” Bergstein explained. At that point, a viewer of “Dirty Dancing” could have lived with the protections from Roe v. Wade as a given her whole life. While Bergstein said she’s happy to have been able to share this particular story, she said, “I have no pleasure over the fact that it’s an issue now.” 


For some, abortion on screen can seem unremarkable. However, looking more closely, a storyline like that of Penny’s doesn’t often come along in Hollywood. Bergstein recalled going back and looking at other films that might have depicted an uncertain pregnancy, and being surprised that few addressed abortion frankly. 


One film Bergstein does cite as portraying an abortion story realistically is 2014’s “Obvious Child,” where a broke stand-up comedian has to grapple with an abortion after having a one-night stand.


“What ‘Obvious Child’ does do is show how hard it is even to have a legal abortion,” Bergstein said. “How expensive, how painful, how emotionally difficult it is.”


“We went through them all, and it turned out that since ‘Dirty Dancing,’ all the radical feminist movies about unwanted pregnancies ended up with the woman deciding to have the baby after all,” she explained. “So there really weren’t any legal abortions in films in the last 30 years. And I was more surprised than anybody by that, ‘cause I thought, well we put it in and after that, it opened the doors.”


The “Dirty Dancing” 30th Anniversary Collector’s Box is available Feb. 7.




Hit Backspace for a regular dose of pop culture nostalgia.


-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.


'Star Wars' Is Pretty Much Happening In Real Life Because Beyoncé Is Pregnant With Twins

$
0
0

It was Oscar Wilde who said, “Life imitates art far more than art imitates life.” And right now, the basic plot of “Star Wars” is pretty much happening in real life because Donald Trump is president and Beyoncé is pregnant with twins. 


 Look, it just works: 





It's Star Wars, people!

A photo posted by The Daily Show (@thedailyshow) on








If you need that spelled out for you, just like the fictional Queen Padmé Amidala, our Queen Bey is carrying the twin and future rebels who will one day save us from the Dark Side. 

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Dustin Lance Black Calls 'Bullsh*t' On Hollywood's View Of Trans Actors

$
0
0





Count Dustin Lance Black among the Hollywood heavyweights who are unsatisfied with the treatment of transgender people on the big screen.


The Oscar-winning “Milk” screenwriter is currently in the midst of a media blitz in support of his seven-part ABC minseries, “When We Rise,” which premieres on Feb. 27 and chronicles the LGBTQ rights movement throughout history. When it came to casting the series, Black told PrideSource that he could officially “call bullsh*t” on those who say they have difficultly finding talented transgender performers to portray trans characters on film and television. (You can view the trailer for “When We Rise” above.) 


“First and foremost, when I’m casting any role, I’m gonna look for somebody who can bring a part of their experience to the role. They still have to be a great actor, so if I can’t find anyone in the world who shares some experience that they’re about to portray in this character, who’s also a good actor, then I’ll happily go for someone else,” the 42-year-old told PrideSource’s Chris Azzopardi. To those who say it’s difficult to find skilled trans stars, he added, “They should call our casting directors because they found unbelievable trans actors and actresses, and it was actually tough to decide who to cast.”


Recalling the struggles he had developing “Milk” years ago, Black said he was especially proud to find a home for “When We Rise,” which also stars Guy Pearce and Mary-Louise Parker, on ABC. The network’s decision, he added, feels like a particular subversive one, given that the results of the 2016 presidential election cast a dark cloud on the future of LGBTQ rights


“We’ve come to a place where we can perhaps talk the same language of family between these two Americas, and perhaps change hearts and minds in a time when that seems absolutely, critically necessary,” he said. “You want to change a mind in that other America? You gotta lead from the heart, and you do that by telling stories.”


He went on to note, “There’s not a lot we think we have in common right now, but both Americas have family stories, and we can both be moved by each other’s family stories.”


Check out the full PrideSource interview with Dustin Lance Black here.


For the latest in LGBTQ entertainment, don’t miss the Queer Voices newsletter

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Luke Bryan Kicks Off Super Bowl LI With National Anthem

$
0
0




Luke Bryan started off Super Bowl LI by singing the national anthem, and it looks like he didn’t even need to write the lyrics down on his hand this time. 


Ahead of the game, the 40-year-old country singer told Rolling Stone he was pulling for the Atlanta Falcons to win and had been practicing as much as he could. 


“You have to not think about what’s going on outside of the stadium,” he said. “It’s almost like, [you] do an unbelievable job for the people in the stadium and then it’ll turn into that. It’s only a little over two minutes long. Get up there and do what I’ve always loved to do: sing for people. And try to take it at that – don’t overthink it.”


Bryan follows this year’s halftime performer Lady Gaga, who belted out “The Star-Spangled Banner” in 2016. Previously, Idina Menzel, Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson, Jordin Sparks and Carrie Underwood each honored America by singing the song at past games. 

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Lady Gaga Gave A Subtle Nod To The LGBTQ Community During Her Super Bowl Performance

$
0
0





Some people tune into the Super Bowl to watch football, but for others, it’s all about the halftime show. And on Sunday night, Lady Gaga demanded everyone’s attention. 






The score was 21-3 in favor of the Atlanta Falcons over the New England Patriots as the pop star descended on the stage at Houston’s NRG Stadium. She opened her set with a few verses of “God Bless America” and “This Land Is Your Land” before singing “Poker Face” off her debut album, “The Fame.” She then performed “Born This Way,” “Telephone,” “Just Dance, “Million Reasons” and “Bad Romance.” 








Despite reports that Gaga would shy away from making a political statement, the singer claimed in a press conference a few days before the show that her performance would convey messages of “equality” and “inclusion.”


“The only statements that I’ll be making during the halftime show are the ones that I’ve been consistently making throughout my career,” Gaga said. “I believe in a passion for inclusion. I believe in the spirit of equality, and that the spirit of this country is one of love and compassion and kindness. My performance will uphold those philosophies.”


In the end, Gaga didn’t actually make any blatant political statement (aside from her opening number), but she did perform “Born This Way,” which celebrates individuality and takes a specifically pro-LGBTQ stance with the lyrics, “No matter gay, straight, or bi / Lesbian, transgendered life / I’m on the right track baby / I was born to survive.”








In October, the singer revealed that her halftime show was 26 years in the making. 


“I’ve been planning this since I was 4, so I know exactly what I’m going to do,” Gaga said interview with Fox Sports. “For me, it’s all about giving to the fans and bringing people together that wouldn’t normally come together.”


She added, “The thing is it’s such a big world stage in terms of how many people see it and it’s been done so many times, I think the challenge is to look at it and say, what can I do differently? How can I elevate certain little things here and there and also make it about the music?” 


Last year’s halftime show featured Coldplay as the headliner, though it was Beyoncé who stole show when she performed “Formation” and joined both Bruno Mars and Coldplay for a rendition of “Uptown Funk.”




-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

This Artist Absolutely Nailed It With His Comics About Anxiety

$
0
0

Life with anxiety or depression can feel like a constant struggle. And experts recommend drawing or writing as a healing way to express symptoms when talking just doesn’t seem to summarize them properly.


Enter these comics from artist Sow Ay, a reminder that no matter how scary anxiety feels, you aren’t alone.


-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Viewing all 18505 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images