Writer and artist Courtney Privett was reading the news on Wednesday as she prepared breakfast for her two daughters, 2 and 5 years old.

Like many around the country, she’d already learned how Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) cut off Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) as she tried to read a 1986 letter written by Coretta Scott King about Senator Jeff Sessions, who was nominated by President Donald Trump to serve as attorney general. 

“Sen. Warren was giving a lengthy speech,” McConnell said later. “She had appeared to violate the rule. She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.” 

It didn’t take long for those final two words to gain traction around the internet, becoming a rallying cry for all the women who had spent their lives being judged, objectified, condescended to, ignored, silenced, attacked and, yes, “warned.” Women who, nevertheless, persisted. 

The event made Privett think of her young daughters and what micro- and macroaggressions they would endure because they are women. “I was thinking, ‘I hope they don’t have to listen to the same stuff I did,’” she said in a phone interview with The Huffington Post. 

To express her fears and frustrations, Privett began to draw. “Drawing has been my way of not getting overwhelmed recently,” she explained. “Then I can put it on paper and set it aside.” 

In the middle of Privett’s paper, she drew a woman, her back facing the viewer. The space around her is jam-packed with speech bubbles, filled with loaded phrases women spend their lives hearing. “That’s a man’s job,” reads one. “She was asking for it,” another. “Slut.” “Dyke.” “Whore.” 

Many of the quotes were lines that had been lodged at Privett throughout her life. “I have an engineering degree,” she explained. “While I was going through school and interviews, a lot of times I was told to be quiet, don’t be bossy, know my place. I would do interviews and would be the only female there. They would make it a point to say that, basically, I was just there to fill a quota.”

Others, she’d heard through stories from friends. Such sentiments, Privett was careful to say, had been expressed to her by both men and women, all equally embroiled in a patriarchal society. “The piece isn’t anti-male at all,” she said. “This stuff comes from everybody; our whole society is doing it.” 

Clearly, the image resonated. Within minutes of being shared on Facebook, it began to pick up traction. Strangers left comments like: “As a neuroscience student and a bartender I’ve heard so much of this shit.” This morning, the Women’s March organization shared the piece on Twitter. 

“It’s overwhelming,” Privett said. “I drew this 24 hours ago. The shares kept multiplying and everything started taking off.” During our conversation she said her computer was abuzz with notifications. “I have young kids to take care of,” she laughed. 

“I was kind of surprised and saddened that it connected with so many people,” she said. “I think we can feel alone when things like this are said to us, but it’s happening to everyone. We are not alone.”

See more works from Privett below:

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First he got married, then he stayed married, and now he’s going to be a father. 

Hollywood’s former most eligible bachelor, George Clooney, is expecting twins with wife Amal Clooney, multiple sources confirmed to People. Julie Chen of “The Talk” spilled the beans, announcing that George told her in January that Amal was pregnant with two bundles of joy. The babies are reportedly due this summer.

“Beyoncé is not the only superstar expecting twins,” Chen said on the daytime show. “Congratulations are in order for George and Amal Clooney!”    

Pregnancy rumors first started flying after Amal stepped out sporting a loose-fitting floral dress at the Netflix special screening of “The White Helmets” hosted by The Clooney Foundation For Justice on Jan. 9 in London. The lawyer, activist and author was glowing at the event with her husband by her side.

The twins will be the first children for both George and Amal, who tied the knot in September 2014 in Venice. In 2015, George admitted that he hadn’t really thought about having children, but never said never. 

“I’ve thought about it I suppose, but I haven’t really — it hasn’t been high on my list,” he told Charlie Rose. 

Well, it appears his list changed a bit! Congrats to the happy couple. 

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Thanks to her husband’s comments and political positions, first lady Melania Trump has been ostracized by some members of the fashion community. Now it looks like Vogue, the bible that guides that entire community, is loosening its opposition to a Trump presidency. 

The publication made its first political endorsement during the 2016 election, supporting Hillary Clinton, who was also personally advised by Editor-In-Chief Anna Wintour. But Wintour told the Wall Street Journal in a new interview that the magazine’s relationship with first ladies will stand, regardless of how it views an administration. 

“We have a tradition of always covering whoever is the first lady at Vogue and I can’t imagine that this time would be any different,” Wintour explained.

“Covering” and “putting on the cover” are two different things, of course, but consider the mag’s track record: Clinton appeared on the cover during her time as first lady in 1998, while fashion sweetheart Michelle Obama graced the cover not once, not twice, but a whopping three times during her tenure in the White House. 

Add that to the fact that Trump is a former model who already graced the cover of Vogue in 2005, and the fact that Wintour visited Trump Tower to chat with the president-elect back in December, and well, the statement feels all the more expected.

Head to the Wall Street Journal to read more. 

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Now this is the style hero we need right now.

Solange Knowles is rocking the March cover of Elle magazine in a fiery red puffy coat, with a pose that may or may not be a nod to our favorite female figurehead. 

Like her cover look, Solange’s recent album “A Seat A The Table” contains some fierce and much-welcome attitude as she sings about the black experience in America. But as the singer told Elle, she’s tried to infuse her “hard, messy” political conversations with “a certain lightness and airiness that could maybe help me get closer to having more light and airiness in my life.”

From red hot to white hot, we totally approve.

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2. Sometimes she needs you to take care of her. And sometimes she doesn’t.

3. Understand that she has fought many, many battles ― and she’s still standing.

4. The best thing you can do for her during hard times is to simply keep her company.  

5. She doesn’t need your protection, she needs your support. 

6. Don’t tell her to “calm down” or “get over it.” Let her feel her emotions without shame.  

8. Every woman is unique. Honor and celebrate her exactly as she is. 

9. Recognize the sexism she’s faced and work with her to combat it. 

10. Communication is everything. Without it, you’re both lost. 

11. Trust her ability to make the best choices for her body.

12. Keep your word. 

13. Don’t get caught up in gender roles. Love is love is love ― we’re all human.  

14. Listening goes a long way. 

15. She is worthy of equality, regardless of her relationship with you. 

16. Respect her. Respect her. Respect her. 

17. The little things in life are important. Prioritize them for her. 

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For a novel originally titled First Impressions, Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice spends little time describing what one of its principle characters, Mr. Darcy, actually looks like.

This hasn’t stopped readers from surmising ― or from projecting their own favored attributes onto a character who at the beginning of the story seems priggish and by the end is cast as kind-hearted and reserved. Someone so dreamy is sure to have the boyish, devil-may-care looks of James Dean, right?

Austen does, briefly, tell us what Lizzy Bennett might look like, from the perspective of Darcy, just after he realizes he has feelings for her. Darcy confesses that she is “rendered uncommonly intelligent by the beautiful expression of her dark eyes,” and he is “forced to acknowledge her figure to be light and pleasing.”

But what about Darcy? Contemporary readers might imagine the strong-jawed, kind-eyed, moppy-headed Colin Firth as the character; the actor captured Darcy’s temperament in an onscreen adaptation. But a thorough study by John Sutherland at University College London suggests otherwise, The New York Times reports. 

The professor combined his knowledge of values of the period with Austen’s descriptions of Darcy’s social status in order ensure a complete dismissal of preteen readers’ romantic hopes and dreams.

According to Sutherland, Darcy “would be elegant rather than brawny.” Not a soldier but a gentleman, he’d likely have “sloped shoulders,” and no facial hair, but mid-length, powdered hair on his head. “It was all about the legs,” Sutherland wrote in his “dramatic re-appraisal” of the character. “The six-pack was unknown.”

But don’t be too hasty in writing him off; prejudice has the power of interfering with what could otherwise be a lasting kinship.

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Jaime Camil is proud of the respectful way “Jane The Virgin” has portrayed Latinos.  

The Mexican-born actor, who plays Jane’s dad Rogelio de la Vega, spoke to Mic recently about his role in the show and Latino stereotypes in Hollywood. Camil explained that one of The CW show’s strengths is how they treat their Latino characters. 

“Jane the Virgin portrays Latinos with a lot of respect,” Camil told Mic. “Just because we’re Latinos doesn’t mean we need to have hot pink houses and piñatas and shout things like, ‘Tacos! Fiestas!’ We’re a powerful Latino cast, the characters are humans and the show is written for a mainstream market.”

In the interview, Camil also discussed the narrow-minded stereotypes that still impact how Mexicans specifically are portrayed by Hollywood.  

“You don’t have to portray Mexicans as nannies or gardeners. We are not rapists or drug dealers. Mexico is cosmopolitan and our films show that,” he said, referencing Trump’s infamous remarks about Mexican immigrants. 

In a 2015 interview with Latina magazine, the actor also spoke about how the industry doesn’t understand the diversity, complexity and power of the Latino demographic. 

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The stars of “The Crown” are just telling it how it is.

Claire Foy and Matt Smith ― who portray Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, in Netflix’s royal drama ― reveal the real meaning of polite British phrases in a new video posted online.

Find out what the British really mean when they say things like, “It’s not quite what I had in mind,” and, “You look like you had fun last night,” in the video below:

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Here are all the charming things Betty White shared with us in an interview that aired Thursday on CNN:

• She thinks Melissa McCarthy and Tina Fey are the “best” comedians working today. “They’re craftsmen,” White said. “They know what makes it work. They know timing.”


• Regarding McCarthy’s Sean Spicer impression from last week’s “Saturday Night Live,” she stated: “It made me laugh out loud. It was fun because it was so spontaneous.”


• White thinks President Obama was “lovely,” but she once spent an hour sitting alone with Bo, Obama’s dog, on her lap. In her words: “I’d sit there and I’d think, ‘I am sitting with the president’s dog and I’m having a better time even than I would sitting with the president, and I love the president.”


• “I am the luckiest old broad on two feet. I’m still able to get a job at this age. I will go to my grave saying ‘Can I come in and read for that tomorrow?’”

Watch an excerpt of the interview above, or see the full clip in Brooke Baldwin’s tweet below. 

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You wake up in the morning and how do you feel? Groggy, perhaps, from spending too much time scrolling through Twitter before drifting off to sleep. Sad and anxious because of what you read there, but cozily tucked into bed. It’s hard to know what to feel most or what to do first, so, for a while, you just kind of lie there.

Ambivalence is often equated with passivity and therefore aligned with weakness. Yet the anonymous artist known as Ambivalently Yours hopes to reveal, through her work, how ambivalence can be a mode of resistance, especially for women.

Misogynist stereotypes often cast women as being unable to make up their minds, showing them to be fickle in relationships or indecisive when it comes to dinner plans. However, as AY sees it, this constant ambiguity stems from a place of complexity and a rejection of societal standards.

“The world benefits from people being one thing or another,” AY told The Huffington Post. “Refusing to see things in a binary language is an act of resistance against the system.”

AY first began thinking critically about ambivalence about five years ago, when she was studying feminist art in graduate school while working in fashion. The two fields’ divergent languages, especially in terms of feminine expression, left AY feeling stuck in between. At work, she was the “feminist killjoy,” she explained, and at school, she was the “fashion girl getting duped by the patriarchy.”

Rather than choose between the fields, and adopt the identity that properly corresponded with the victor, AY opted to remain staunchly rooted somewhere in between. “I realized I was being defined in different ways depending on where I was,” she said. “I didn’t know how to situate myself. I decided to embrace both and neither, embrace my ambivalence as an active way of being.”

For centuries in art, literature, real life and the imagination, the range of roles women could safely occupy was severely limited. Madonna and whore, mother and lover, beauty and hag. Today, though the categories have eased up a bit, women are still urged to choose fixed identities that make them legible to the outside world. Many today, for example, feel compelled to choose between feminist and feminine, unable to balance some radical tenants with more traditional ones.

With her art practice, AY jams the circuit, imploring women to be complicated, unsure, messy and indeterminate. “In making our identities more complicated and not trying to fit into boxes,” she said, “that’s a powerful place to be.”

AY’s drawings always begin with a sheet of sweet pink paper, the artist’s favorite color. In ballpoint pen and watercolor she draws young women with Margaret Keane-esque eyes and cotton-candy-colored hair, their bodies often warped to resemble mythical monsters that had recently given up on fitting in with the human race. 

“My work has been evolving from something a bit cuter to something more grotesque,” AY said. “I’m interested in that juxtaposition between softness and this other ― almost creepy ― gross aesthetic.” The women’s indeterminate bodies mirrors their ambivalence within, their jumbled insides translating into appropriately hybrid physical forms. There is something wonderfully monstrous about a woman who refuses to fit into fixed categories.  

Mostly, AY prefers to draw when she’s feeling kind of off, a feeling she described as “a weird state of kind of sad for not any particular reason.” This, too, illuminates what is possible when emotions, even glum ones, are translated into creative expression or activist resistance. She often leaves her drawings in public spaces for others to stumble upon, as subtle gestures of rebellion for the unknowing passersby.

Along with the drawings, AY will also leave handwritten notes that confess contradictory feelings or opinions on subjects ranging from Tokyo to boobs. One reads: “Dear boobs, I love how you fill out a dress, I hate that you could be a ticking time bomb on my chest.” She documents her generous gestures on Tumblr, where she often waxes poetic about issues ranging from fashion to philosophy to colonialism. 

It’s a very internet scenario, to see AY divulge so many personal details about her life online without ever revealing her identity. It’s her anonymity, the artist believes, that allows her to be so unabashed in her expression. “I was worried if I did this work as who I am I would censor myself too much,” she said. 

It’s fun to imagine AY, without knowing her human form, as one of the lopsided ladies in her images, floating indeterminately from sketchbook to keyboard. It feels that her mystique puts her fans at ease, as well. They often share intimate details about their lives on Tumblr and avidly seek her advice. Yet because AY doesn’t feel qualified to give advice, she usually responds with a drawing. 

AY’s mission has remained relatively constant since she started the project in 2011. It has always been political, she said, though not, perhaps, in an obvious way. “I tend to focus on the emotions and the small moments,” she explained. “My goal is to comfort people who are struggling, not to convince the people who are making us struggle.”

Next time you wake up feeling weak but passionate, nervous but comfy, there’s no need to rush out of the muddle. Lie there for a minute or two and, bundled under the covers, begin to plot the feminist revolution.

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.

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Sometimes when you read a book to a child, you reach a part that’s meant to be sung. But what do you do when you don’t know the intended tune and don’t see any sheet music on the page?

According to the funny moms of the BreakWomb, you just make it up.

In their latest comedy video, the ladies debate the merits of their various musical interpretations of children’s book songs.

Let’s just say there’s quite a bit of variety in melody, tempo and tone. Clearly, they need a little guidance from Sandra Boynton herself ... or this helpful CD.

The HuffPost Parents newsletter offers a daily dose of personal stories, helpful advice and comedic takes on what it’s like to raise kids today. Sign up here.

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In our previous salutes to Black History Month, we’ve looked back to activists, pop culture icons and other barrier breakers of the past. Today, we’re focusing on the present ― the history that’s being made right now with this year’s increased numbers of nominees and winners of various screen awards. Many more people of color made the lists this year than in years past, and these include not just actors, but also directors, producers, writers and musicians.

Here are some of the more outstanding names for baby name inspiration.

August

August Wilson ― the late Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, born Frederick August Kittel, Jr. ― wrote both the play and screenplay for “Fences,” which won him a posthumous Oscar nom. August is by far the most popular month name for boys, now at number 195, and a celebrity favorite. 

Ava

Ava DuVernay has won several past awards and is the first black woman nominated for an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature, for her film “13th.”  The name Ava, promoted via its use by such celebs as Reese Witherspoon and Hugh Jackson, has been a massive hit, on the top 10 baby names list since 2005 and now the fourth most popular name in the U.S.

Courtney

Courtney B. Vance won a SAG award for his portray of defense counsel Johnnie Cochran in the TV movie “The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story.” The name Courtney was predominantly male when Vance was born in 1960, ranking at number 724; it left the boys’ list in 2001, after peaking at 254 in 1977. The girls took it over in the 1970s; it was a top 100 female name from 1976 to 2002, in the top 20 for several of those years.

Denzel

After receiving the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2016 Golden Globes, previous Oscar-winner Denzel Washington got the SAG Award for best actor this year. Denzel Hayes Washington is a name he inherited from his father, Denzel being an old Cornish name that reached number 310 in 1993, largely inspired by the iconic actor.

Issa

Issa Rae was nominated for a Golden Globe as best actress on a TV series for her work on “Insecure,” based on her breakout web series “Awkward Black Girl.” She was born Jo-Issa Rae Diop to a Senegalese father. Jo-Issa is a combo of her grandmothers’ names ― Joyce and Isseu, and Rae is after an aunt. Issa is an Arabic name that is currently popular in France, where it ranks at number 275. 

Mahershala

For his performance in “Moonlight,” Mahershala Ali was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe and won the SAG Award for Best Supporting Actor. And if ten letters seems like a lot of name, consider that he was actually born Mahershalalhashbaz, the name of a biblical child.

Naomie

British actress Naomie Harris received numerous nominations for her strong performance in “Moonlight.” Her name is a distinctive spelling of the Biblical Naomi, but she was born Naami, a variation of the Hebrew Naamah, meaning sweetness and beautiful ― and referring to one of the wives of King Solomon.

Octavia

This previous Oscar winner Octavia Spencer also received Academy Award, Golden Globe and SAG nominations for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as mathematician Dorothy Vaughn in “Hidden Figures.” She has been bringing attention to her historic Latin name, which also figures in “The Hunger Games.” The elegant Octavia is number 143 on Nameberry.

Pharrell

The prolific and versatile all-around music and more entrepreneur, got a 2017 Oscar nomination as one of the producers of “Hidden Figures.” His name, which may relate to that of his father, Pharaoh Williams, is pronounced Fa-RELL. The father of a son named Rocket, he recently welcomed twins.

Sterling

Sterling K. Brown won an Emmy and a SAG award for playing Christopher Darden in The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story. As a Jr., he was known as a child by his middle name, Kelby, but when his father died he began going by Sterling in his honor. The silvery name Sterling has been rising rapidly— it’s now at number 495, perhaps influenced by the main character Sterling Archer on “Archer.”

Taraji

Taraji P. Henson won a SAG award as one of the cast members of the film “Hidden Figures,” where she gave an inspiring speech about unity.  She has also won a Critics’ Choice Award, a Golden Globe and an Oscar and two Emmy nominations. Taraji is a Swahili name meaning ‘hope’ and is likely to inspire other parents to use it. 

Viola

Viola Davis won the SAG Award for Best Supporting Actress for “Fences” and is nominated for an Oscar in the same category, after already winning a Golden Globe. Following in the wake of Violet’s popularity, musical, Shakespearean Viola is seeing something of a resurgence: she’s number 319 on Nameberry, though yet to rank nationally.

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Will Arnett is known for his signature gravelly voice, which made him the perfect actor to voice the title character in “The Lego Batman Movie.”

Appearing on BBC Radio 1’s “The Matt Edmondson Show,” Arnett put his Batman voice to use beyond the animated film world. Edmondson prompted the actor to make a prank call to a local toy store and speak to employees using his character’s voice.

Another hitch: He had to start each sentence with a different letter of the alphabet in order. 

Watch Arnett’s hilarious (and impressive) prank call mission in the video above.

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I’ll admit I was a bit shocked the first time I saw Brendan Maclean’s video for the song “House Of Air.” 

The clip, released Jan. 30 and inspired by Hal Fischer’s 1977 essay “Gay Semiotics,” features graphic scenes of water sports, fisting and even coprophilia (look it up), but it wasn’t the sex that surprised me — it was seeing it showcased in a music video on YouTube.

Granted, it wasn’t long before the clip got yanked for violating the video site’s community guidelines. But it managed to rack up over 700,000 views in 10 days before it was pulled down. In many ways, that’s beside the point. What matters is that for a period of time, however brief, Maclean’s explicit celebration of gay sex and sexuality existed right alongside videos by Katy Perry, Kanye West, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and every other offering deemed innocuous enough to live on YouTube.

Though the video is no longer available for viewing on YouTube, the 29-year-old Australian singer isn’t exactly complaining. For him, being able to present a work that challenges both the music video industry’s status quo and the shift in political power currently happening around the world is a victory in and of itself.

“Nothing I’ve shown is particularly new but what was new was the context: a pop music video with fetish porn,” Mclean told HuffPost in an email. “The pendulum has globally swung to the right and that’s scary. In creating this video we wanted to give a royal fuck you to this concept of moving to a centrist position.”

Determined to learn more about one of the smartest, most compelling videos I’ve seen in years — and the man responsible for creating it — I asked Maclean about the reaction to the “House of Air,” his response to those in the queer community who think it’s problematic and more.

The Huffington Post: Where did the idea for the video come from?
Brendan Maclean: A rare sunny day in London with a joint or two led me to a sex toy store. Within it was a teeny tiny library which included Hal Fischer’s landmark essay Gay Semiotics. He wrote it in 1977 and apparently it’s still shocking today. The models were dressed all very Tom of Finland but the photography was very basic, awkward even, kind of like Fischer had just asked his friends to pose, and I loved that so much. I knew I had to create something from that.

Did you know from the start that you wanted it to be as explicit as it ended up being?
There always had to be a sense of explicitness to it. Did I know my directors, Brian Fairbairn and Karl Eccleston, would hire actual porn stars to feature and have real sex? No. But looking back at the reaction, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

What was the reaction to the video like? And what’s your reaction to the reaction?
Wasn’t it just a reaction and a half? It’s funny to think if I’d just made a clip where I was shooting up a mall or stabbing people it probably would have got a couple thousand views and be forgotten about. Unapologetic, joyful kink? How very dare you!

Look ― I get it. I’m not sitting here playing dumb. Many people were just mad I was getting away with having the video on YouTube but let’s not pretend the homophobia in the comments had anything to do with platform selection. I know the images we presented can be triggering for people but they are all very real. Nothing I’ve shown is particularly new but what was new was the context: a pop music video with fetish porn. I will say it’s pretty incredible that these conservatives who wish death upon me sat through a blow job, a cum shot, anal, piss play and fisting just to comment on two seconds of rather tame scat play (it was fake poo but it really came out of a butt). It really makes you wonder what they were hoping for...

Talk to me a bit about the political implications of the video. We live in a time when many queer people are more interested in assimilating into non-queer culture than celebrating or honoring or progressing queer culture. What do you make of that?
”House of Air” is pulled almost directly from a 40-year-old essay ― if anything it’s a look at queer history. Obviously we’re not even ready to embrace the reality of our past, which is concerning. Coming from Australia, filming it in London and watching the rise of Trump in America was hugely impactful on the video.

It’s why it ended up being so important that the sex was real ― because some people truly want to tell you what you can and can’t do in your bedroom. You want to hurl shit at me and my culture? Well, guess what? I can do it myself and without leaning into bigotry or normalizing the disgusting orange sock puppet that is President Trump.

What do you say to those people who claim that the video is doing a disservice to the LGBTQ community or “setting the community back”?
You have to wonder if they’ve ever been to PornoTube if they really think a four-minute video has the power to set back the culture of an entire sexuality. It’s a shortsighted, weak comment. To people who say, “Well great, now you’ve given them a reason to hate us more” I want to ask do you really think if I’d censored the scat the conversation wouldn’t have been about fisting? Censor that and it’s about piss-play. Censor that and it’s about a blowjob. And guess fucking what: you censor that and put in a hetro-friendly cuddling scene with two guys just kinda smiling at each other and someone will say, “Why do they have to be fags?”

Get a grip. If you don’t like this video I’ve made, go make your own and stop wasting your time and mine.

Do you feel (more) pressure to make art that has an agenda and/or provokes strong reactions in an era where Trump is president of The United States and has selected one of the most anti-queer cabinets in history?
It’s been a wake up call. I’m not about to say, “Trump will make Punk great again.” Instead let’s be honest and admit that a lot of us simply were not paying attention when the corruption wasn’t so obnoxiously shoved in our face. I had a comfortable privilege as a cis white guy of not needing to hit back or create provocative art, and now I see that simply is not good enough. I see that I need to march, to donate, to piss off “the man” as it were. And if anything, I’m sorry to people I claimed to be an ally to that I wasn’t stepping up earlier.

How do you feel about the way sex is approached / understood / packaged at this moment in history ― both within queer culture and mainstream culture? Are you disappointed? Hopeful?
Maybe it’s just me getting older ― my circle of friends and gay uncles and family, both biological and logical, have always had a sex positive attitude. But a lot of this project was a reaction to the vanilla depiction of gays. Why are we always just hugging or proposing in marriage equality ads or when it’s a political commercial the queers are always doctors and scientists saying, “Hey! We’re all normal, just like you.” We’re not normal, we’re fucking fantastic and weird and things we do in bed might not make you comfortable, but guess what Janet, we didn’t make “Rocky [Horror Picture Show”] for you!

But some of the most wonderful responses have come from queer folk a little older than me. I got a lot of hope from a man in his 70s who said he laughed until he cried watching the video. We like to think we’ve come so far but it’s clear we’ve actually become very ashamed of the word “pride.” Remember that? Pride? Pride for everyone? Pride for the those of us who aren’t “the right kind of gay”? Pride for the gays who don’t fit in at the office Christmas party? Where did that go?

Were you surprised the video stayed up on YouTube as long as it did?
Oh my god, I thought it’d be up for an hour. So while the Helen Lovejoy’s of the world are throwing themselves a little tupperware celebration at it getting taken down, 10 days and a million views across Vimeo and YouTube has me pretty stoked.

What do you want non-queer viewers to understand about and take away from the video?
You know I get so many kind messages from heterosexuals saying, “Hey! I don’t think this was made for me but it was kind of amazing!” That’s heartwarming. But most of all, just in case anyone forgot, it’s just a reminder that queers exists and we’re still fighting, we still hurt and we won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.

What’s next for you?
Back to touring my record funbang1 (which features “House of Air”). The video has been getting a lot of love from film festivals so it’s probably time for me to get my butt back over to New York and San Francisco, my favorite places in the world, and whore it out some more. In the mean time, I have one more music video to make so every song on the album has a clip and otherwise, back home in Australia I’ve been cast in a television show called “F*cking Adelaide.” If you’ve seen “Please Like Me,” think that but with more me having sex with bears.

“House of Air” from Brendan Maclean’s funbang1 is available on iTunes. Check out the NSFW video and behind-the-scenes photography at www.houseofair.info.

This interview was edited for length and clarity.

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Tracee Ellis Ross has never been one to shy away from being honest. 

She’s beloved in Hollywood for telling it like it is and having fun while doing it. But she’s also keenly aware of the need for perseverance to survive life’s pain and challenges. The Golden Globe-winning actress has recently partnered with, yes, pain relief brand Motrin to launch their #WomanInProgress campaign, which aims to empower women by transforming the way they view painful moments and encourages them to see that pain can mean progress.

“We all know pain is a part of life,” Ross told The Huffington Post. “But I think changing our relationship to pain and looking at it in a different way is really revolutionary and important in how women and people move forward in their lives.” 

Ross is right; reflecting on our pain is usually a private act that often reminds us of unflattering moments and memories. But Ross says it’s important that we explore ways to try to acknowledge and grow from such challenging experiences.

“Pain is not a stopping point,” she said. “It really is an opportunity to dig deeper and take a look at what the choices are to empower you as you move forward and keep growing.”

Ross admits that while her life may seem “glamorous” to the public, she herself is no stranger to experiencing pain. In fact, she says, most of the extraordinary things that have happened in her life, whether big or small, included some element of pain, discomfort or fear. Ross says moving past that pain and fear is actually where “so many of the gifts of life come from.”

In one humorous example, Ross referenced the night she hosted the 2016 Black Girls Rock Awards show and the pain she underwent in prepping for her epic opening dance performance.

“I’m not a dancer, I have bad knees, I do not have the hinge at the back of my hips that Rihanna has nor do I on a regular basis do what Beyoncé does, so I knew it was going to be a challenge for me, I was afraid to make a fool of myself,” Ross admitted. “It was a challenge and at the same time, it was really hard on my body. I threw my back out, my knees were incredibly swollen. I could have used all of those as as a reason to stop and not do it.”

Ross persevered and said it turned out to be one of the best nights of her life. “What I left with was this incredible experience that I never would have tried if I had let the idea of the being in pain or being afraid stop me,” she said.

Yet Ross knows that emotional pain also has the potential to be burdonsome. “Just like anybody else, I’ve experienced the pain of disappointment, of things not going the way I want on certain things or the way I wish that they had or being at a certain place in my life and thinking why has that not happened,” Ross said.

But she added that while these carrying these emotions can be cumbersome, digging deeper to identify lessons to learn from them can be a more rewarding experience. She encourages people to seek a holistic approach to looking at pain as a “part of our lives,” and not as something that should usher in retreat.

Ross’ empowering message comes as many marginalized communities face the fear and pain caused by President Donald Trump. As an advocate for equality, Ross acknowledges the heightened racial and political climate America currently faces.

“It’s frightening in a very real way for a lot of people,” Ross said. “I think right now this is a time for people to stretch outside of their comfort zone and help each other, listen to each other, support each other and be a voice for those in certain situations [who] don’t have a voice.”

“I also think this is really a time to listen to those who have been at the pointed end of discrimination and that through their own personal life experiences have gathered and gained and have amazing tools and abilities and know how to navigate this kind of climate,” she added. “I think we need to take each other’s guidance and learn from each other.”

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Frogs are, as far as the animal kingdom goes, pretty peaceful creatures.

With slimy bodies and bulging eyes, they enjoy chilling by ponds in groups of frog friends, croaking during mating season, and using their sticky tongues to catch slugs, spiders or whatever they can grab. By all accounts, pretty damn chill, with no latent predilection for racist jokes. 

These mellow vibes are what compelled artist Matt Furie to make a frog one of the recurring characters in his stoner bro zine “Boy’s Club” in 2005. The series followed the shenanigans of four 20-something housemates of different species but similar interests ― namely, weed smoking, pizza snarfing, and mad dissing. One of those roomies was a frog named Pepe.

And then, amid the chaos of the 2016 presidential election, things got weird.

Through a very bizarre and very internet-y sequence of events, little Pepe became an unlikely mascot for the so-called alt-right. The green dude popped up in various corners of the web sipping from a swastika teacup and policing the U.S.-Mexican border. Donald Trump Jr. even posted a meme with his likeness mixed with that of the innocent frog.

Things came to a head when, in September 2016, the Anti-Defamation League declared Pepe an official hate symbol.

Ever since, Furie has been on a mission to #SavePepe, restoring the amphibious scapegoat to its natural, chillaxing habitat. His latest move is a creepy-cute illustration of a frog with a curious likeness to MAD mascot Alfred E. Neuman, which will appear in the latest edition of MAD Magazine on Friday. 

“I’ve been drawing frogs for a long time,” Furie explained on the phone with The Huffington Post. “It’s been strange for me to have a frog character become so politicized. I thought it was a good fit for MAD because they’ve been the go-to place for political cartoons that comment on the weirdness of politics. I was trying to express the creepy feelings I had from the whole 2016 political frog meltdown.”

The psychedelic depiction features a gap-toothed frog with a dopey smile, surrounded by sinister swamp creatures lurking in the background. “The piece was done before I even heard about the whole ‘drain the swamp’ thing,” Furie said. But, as the artist explained to Vulture, “I have family in Florida near a beautiful swamp reserve. It’s a great refuge for swamp critters that need the ecosystem to survive. I hope they never drain it.”

As for the homage to Neuman, Furie speculated that Pepe and Alfred would get along if the two fictitious characters were to ever share a beer. “Their attitude toward politics, in general, reflects my own,” Furie said. “Which is not really caring so much about it or making a funny comment about it in kind of an idiotic way.”

Furie hopes the MAD drawing will help Pepe continue along his rehabilitation tour, eventually reaching a place of love, peace and chillness. His other recent efforts include collaborating with Save the Frogs! on a line of Pepe-centric swag with proceeds benefitting a wildlife organization devoted to protecting endangered frog species. 

The artist is also enlisting the internet to help #SavePepe from the land of alt-right trolls. Furie is looking for frog-lovers, regardless of their artistic talents, to draw their own peaceful Pepes and submit them via email or Twitter. You heard the man. Make Pepe chill again! 

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All weird things must come to an end.

Shia LaBeouf’s live-stream video installation “He Will Not Divide Us” ― which had been planned to last the duration of Donald Trump’s presidency ― was shut down Friday amid concerns over public safety.

New York’s Museum of the Moving Image, which has played host to the installation since Trump’s inauguration in January, released a statement on its website about the closure despite pushback from the “American Honey” actor. 

“The installation created a serious and ongoing public safety hazard for the Museum, its visitors, staff, local residents, and businesses” the statement reads. “The installation had become a flashpoint for violence and was disrupted from its original intent.”

The interactive installation encouraged visitors to say the words “he will not divide us” into a camera mounted outside the museum. Visitors included celebrities like Jaden Smith, who was first to participate in the project. 

The site, however, soon became a hotbed of confrontation between protesters and presumed Trump supporters. In January, a video of LaBeouf engaging in a shouting match with a white supremacist quickly went viral. That same week, the actor was arrested during an altercation with a 25-year-old man after LaBeouf allegedly grabbed the man by the scarf and scratched his face. Ever since, police have been patrolling the installation day and night to prevent future incidents.

“While the installation began constructively, it deteriorated markedly after one of the artists was arrested on the site of the installation and ultimately necessitated this action,” the museum’s statement continues. “Over the course of the installation, there have been dozens of threats of violence and numerous arrests, such that police felt compelled to be stationed outside the installation 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

LaBeouf took to Twitter to express his disapproval about the closure with a screenshot from the former installation’s website: “THE MUSEUM HAS ABANDONED US.”

Despite the negative public attention, the museum maintains it was “proud” to host the digital art installation, which attracted attention from millions of viewers across the world. 

“HEWILLNOTDIVIDE.US generated an important conversation allowing interaction among people from many backgrounds and with different viewpoints,” the statement concludes. “However, ending our engagement with the installation is the most prudent path forward to restore public safety to the Museum, its visitors, staff, and the community.”

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A slew of celebrities are not happy with Under Armour’s CEO, Kevin Plank.

In an interview with CNBC on Tuesday, Plank called President Donald Trump “highly passionate” and a “real asset” to the country.

Naturally, many of the stars affiliated with the athletic apparel brand ― as well as fans of the brand ― had something to say about those statements.

The Golden State Warriors’ Steph Curry was one of the first to share his opinion. In an interview with the San Jose Mercury News’ Marcus Thompson on Wednesday, Curry said that he agreed with Plank’s description of Trump “if you remove the ‘et’” from asset.”

Curry was not alone in his opinion. He was joined on Thursday by actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, actress Emmy Rossum and professional ballerina Misty Copeland, who each shared messages on social media.

Johnson posted on Twitter and Facebook with memos stating he felt Plank’s words “were divisive and lacking in perspective.”

Rossum shared a brief tweet indicating she’d be renouncing the brand entirely.

Copeland posted on Instagram to say she had reached out to Plank directly, in hope that he “take public action to clearly communicate and reflect our common values in order for us to effectively continue to work towards our shared goal of trying to motivate ALL people to be their best selves.”

Despite their statements online, however, Johnson, Copeland and Curry have not cut ties with Under Armour completely (yet).

The hashtags #BoycottUnderArmour and #GrabYourWallet have both surged since Plank’s comments and the celebrities’ responses.

The brand also released a statement Friday morning to stress that it “engage[s] in policy, not politics” and is “against a travel ban and believe[s] that immigration is a source of strength, diversity and innovation for global companies based in America like Under Armour.”

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Music has always been a sacred outlet of expression for black Americans.

From singers like Nina Simone to Marvin Gaye, music made by black artists can provide a unique perspective on the meaning of being black in America. Songs like Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit,” which bemoans racist lynchings in the South, and Lauryn Hill’s “Black Rage,” which captures the many sources of black frustrations, echo tales of injustice, despondency and rage.

In fact, it was Simone who said that “an artist’s duty is to reflect the times.” And she certainly wasn’t alone in her pursuance of that mission. So in honor of the musicians that used their music to amplify the struggles of black Americans, we’ve compiled a list of 17 songs that sing truth to the black experience. 

Billie Holiday — “Strange Fruit”

 Sam Cooke — “A Change Is Gonna Come” 

Curtis Mayfield — “Keep On Pushing” 

Nina Simone — “Why? (The King Of Love Is Dead)”

James Brown — “Say It Loud - I’m Black And I’m Proud” 

Gil Scott-Heron — “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”

Marvin Gaye — “What’s Going On”

Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes  — “Wake Up Everybody”

Prince — “Sign O’ The Times”

Michael Jackson — “They Don’t Care About Us”

Erykah Badu — “Soldier”

D’Angelo & The Vanguard — “1,000 Deaths”

Alicia Keys — “We Gotta Pray”

Lauryn Hill — “Black Rage”

Usher ft. Nas, Bibi Bourelly — “Chains”

Beyoncé ft. Kendrick Lamar — “Freedom” 

Solange Knowles — “For Us By Us”

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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.

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