Quantcast
Channel: Culture & Arts
Viewing all 18485 articles
Browse latest View live

Your Favorite Book Characters Are As Real As You Feel They Are

0
0





For readers who really dive into a book, it can be difficult to accept that the characters within are mere constructs of ink on paper.


Perhaps you’ve heard Jane Austen’s wry omniscient voice narrating the events of your life for days after you turned the last page of Pride and Prejudice (guilty!). Perhaps you have to remind yourself that Hermione Granger isn’t real and can never offer you personalized study tips. These fictional people seem real ― don’t they?


A new study performed by The Guardian and researchers from Durham University suggests that they are, in a way. The study found that, for 19 percent of readers surveyed, “the voices of fictional characters stayed with them even when they weren’t reading.” This included readers having thoughts in the voice of specific characters, experiencing narration of their life by a character, or simply having their own thoughts influenced by the tone or perspective of a character. 


To be clear, the study did have a small and limited frame of reference. The research was carried out at Edinburgh International Book Festival in 2014, and the nearly 400 respondents were drawn from a pool of novelists, nonfiction writers and others likely to be particularly passionate and imaginative readers. Perhaps the phenomenon of fictional people romping gaily through one’s consciousness is less common than this study suggests. 







The results echo an earlier, smaller study from 2012, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, which found that readers of fiction could come to identify so closely with a character that it could, at least temporarily, change their own beliefs and behaviors. In one experiment, subjects who read a first-person story about a student who votes in an upcoming election, despite obstacles, were significantly more likely to vote than subjects who read another story.


No wonder Fifty Shades of Grey can inspire thousands of women to demand more sexual dominance from their parters ― while reading, many fans of the book were likely feeling Anastasia’s excitement. No wonder millions of “Harry Potter” fans secretly longed for a letter from Hogwarts ― just reading the books was enough to feel bathed in Harry’s own feelings of long-awaited acceptance and joyous wonder.


So if you ever feel crazy because you find yourself carrying on a muttered conversation between yourself and Christian Grey (probably about the music of Moby), don’t. You definitely 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.


Ruth Bader Ginsburg's Relationship Advice: 'It Helps To Be A Little Deaf'

0
0

It should come as a surprise to no one that the notorious RBG has some great life advice. 


On February 6, the Supreme Court Justice sat down with Stanford University’s Dean for Religious Life, Jane Shaw, to discuss Ginsburg’s accomplishments, her recent book My Own Wordsand to share some of the best advice she’s ever received.


One of RBG’s best nuggets of advice came from her mother-in-law on Ginsburg’s wedding day, she reportedly told the crowd. “’In every good marriage, it helps sometimes to be a little deaf.’”


RBG added that she applies this relationship advice not only to her marriage, but also to life.


“I have followed that advice assiduously, and not only at home through 56 years of a marital partnership nonpareil. I have employed it as well in every workplace, including the Supreme Court,” she said. “When a thoughtless or unkind word is spoken, best tune out. Reacting in anger or annoyance will not advance one’s ability to persuade.” 


After the discussion, Ginsburg took a few audience questions. One student asked her how she would like to be remembered in 100 years. 


True to form, her response was perfection. “That I was a judge, who worked as hard as she could to be the best of her ability to do the job right.”


Watch a short highlight reel from Ginsburg’s conversation with Shaw. 





type=type=RelatedArticlesblockTitle=Related... + articlesList=563128fae4b00aa54a4c728b,58082464e4b0180a36e8db88,5783af3de4b01edea78ea5c8

-- 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.

18-Year-Old Captures The Daily Plights Of Black Women In Profound Poem

0
0





Poetess Stella Binion has just entered the throes of adulthood but she’s wholly grasped the burdens of being a black woman in America.


In her poem “Black Girls Be Boxing,” the 18-year-old high school senior uses the sport of boxing as a backdrop to discuss the experiences of black women and their relentless fight against oppression.  


“I tried writing a poem where I stood in the middle of a boxing ring ― a metaphor of black womanhood,” Binion says in the poem. 


Binion, who was honored by Michelle Obama as a member of the 2016 class of National Student Poets in September, originally performed the piece at a poetry slam competition in her hometown of Chicago last February. She stopped by The Huffington Post to perform the poem (shown above). 


In the poem, Binion artfully shares the emotional blows black women constantly face with lines like: 



“Every morning, I look in the mirror and I see black girl hook. Ever since I couldn’t be the princess on the playground because princesses don’t look like me ― open hand hit. The first time I didn’t say anything when n****r slipped through the white  boy’s lips ― full crouch. The first time I learned to love myself, everyone still didn’t ― backhand hit.”



Although Binion worked through several revisions of the poem before finalizing it, she said she was committed to performing it for its “exposure of both [black women’s] mistreatment and undying endurance.”


“[Black women] experience so much abuse that is so rarely addressed. The fact that we have to have the toughest skin against constant overt and microagressive racism, sexism, internalized hatred, etc,” Binion told The Huffington Post.


“Constantly proving our worth and abilities and be okay with not receiving recognition for all our work is unbelievable to me,” she continued.


Binion said she’s long considered the black women’s frequent endurance of hardships ― and their ability to overcome them ―comparable to the fight some face during boxing matches.



Black girls be boxing. Breathing the dirt and sweat coated-air of a lifelong bout surviving corruption and poison."



“I’ve always been taken aback by people who don’t understand how traumatic [it] is—like heavy-weight boxers get real brain damage from that physical experience,” Binion said.


“It got me thinking about how that comparison is not too different to the common deterioration of Black women’s sense of self that stems from internalizing constant messages of inferiority. They’re both mental experiences due to outer, violent forces,” she added.


Binion not only uses the boxing metaphor as a depiction of common adversities black women encounter; it also represents her experience writing the poem: 



“This poem must be black girl resilience. [It] is me telling you I’m hurt, but breathing still. This poem is not one in which my strength is written and weighed only at the whim of a black boy. Our hurt is more than just his. This poem is all the black girls missing and not looked for. All whose names aren’t said. This poem is me saying them and saying we are magic too.”



This video was produced and shot by Savannah O’Leary and animated by Isabella Carapella.

-- 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.

Constance Wu, Actual Asian Person, Will Star In 'Crazy Rich Asians'

0
0





Rejoice! National treasure and Asian-American icon Constance Wu will soon appear on the big screen. 


The “Fresh Off the Boat” actress is in talks to star in “Crazy Rich Asians,” an upcoming film based off of Kevin Kwan’s novel of the same name, according to The Hollywood Reporter, who broke the news on Wednesday.


And she sounds just as excited about it as we are. 


“Thrilled to be joining the movie #CrazyRichAsians directed by an Asian American Jon M. Chu, written by Asian Americans Kevin Kwan and Adele Lim, starring an Asian American (me!), and featuring a global, all Asian cast!!” she wrote in a Facebook post. 


Wu is slated to play Rachel Chu, a Chinese-American economics professor who takes a trip with her boyfriend, Nick Young, to his hometown of Singapore. Things take a turn after Chu finds out that Young, a fellow professor, is actually the heir to a giant fortune. She attempts to prove herself worthy to be his wife. 


The film hasn’t officially been greenlighted yet, THR noted, but it’s already on the development fast-track.


It’s fitting that Wu is involved in the project, which features an all-Asian cast, as she’s been outspoken about diversity in Hollywood ― particularly the lack of Asian representation on screen. Last year, the actress broke down how difficult it is for Asians to nab lead roles to the New York Times.


“An Asian person who is competing against white people, for an audience of white people, has to train for that opportunity like it’s the Olympics,” she told the outlet. “An incredibly talented Asian actor might be considered for a leading role maybe once or twice in a lifetime. That’s a highly pressured situation.” 



She’s also been vocal about Hollywood’s whitewashing problem. Wu aired her objection to the casting of Scarlett Johansson as the star of Japanese anime franchise “Ghost in the Shell” back in April. And she’s criticized the movie “The Great Wall” as well for featuring a white actor, Matt Damon, as its lead. 


“We have to stop perpetuating the racist myth that a only white man can save the world,” she wrote on Twitter. “It’s not based in actual fact.”


Those working on “Crazy Rich Asians” seem to mirror Wu’s passion to lift up members of the Asian community, as well. 


Earlier this year, director Jon M. Chu actually opened up casting to individuals across social media in an effort to give opportunities to aspiring Asian actors. People interested in auditioning submitted clips to various platforms with the hashtag #CrazyRichAsians for a chance to be in the movie. 


“You may or may not know that [’Crazy Rich Asians’] is the first all-Asian cast from an American Hollywood studio in a long, long time,” Chu said in the contest video. “So it’s a great opportunity to showcase all of the Asian talent out there.”


Now we’re just pumped to see who else joins Queen Constance! 

-- 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.

Russell Westbrook: 'I Don’t Do Anything That I Don’t Want To Do'

0
0





Russell Westbrook was in a predictably good mood while recording his NBA-best 27th triple-double in a win over the Knicks Wednesday night. Premiering a new celebration after key plays to replace his “guns holstered” act, the 28-year-old lighting rod of a point guard finally seemed at peace after a tumultuous week.


This came after consecutive blowout losses to Kevin Durant’s Golden State Warriors ― when he committed 11 turnovers and his 47 points were not enough ― and to the Washington Wizards, a game in which he shot a season-worst 5 of 19 from the floor.



Westbrook, who will represent the Thunder in New Orleans this weekend during his sixth All-Star appearance, was reflective in an interview with The Huffington Post. 


“Basketball has given me a platform to do different things that I wanted to do and obviously work hard at it to be successful,” he said. “With basketball, I’ve been able to create relationships and do different things.”






Despite playing in Oklahoma City, one of the league’s smallest markets, Westbrook’s ascendance as a legitimate superstar has been undebatable. With his unique fashion sense, he has morphed into a sartorial icon, not afraid to wear anything and quick to say he never regrets even the strangest of outfit choices (see above).


Additionally, few players are more frequently seen in commercials. Air Jordan and Mountain Dew have both made him the face of their campaigns, in part because of an electric and goofy personality rarely on display during mundane post-game interviews when he routinely doesn’t look reporters in the eye. 


type=type=RelatedArticlesblockTitle=Related Content + articlesList=58a1e39ee4b03df370d8b804

“Going into [the film shoots], I kind of know what I’m doing,” Westbrook says. “I look forward to it. The more and more spots you do, you get an opportunity to be creative.


“I don’t do anything that I don’t want to do. That’s just how I feel. ... If it’s something that I believe in,” he says, “than that’s what I do.”


Doing what he wants, after all, is what got him here. Growing up in Los Angeles, Westbrook was the shortest player on his high school team, and wasn’t even able to dunk until his senior year ― shocking given that many people consider him the NBA’s best overall athlete. He was lightly recruited, a general afterthought when he arrived on campus at UCLA (only because another player bolted for the NBA), ultimately alongside mega-recruits Kevin Love, Arron Afflalo and Jordan Farmar. To his credit, however, he worked and worked until, well, you know the story.



During the summer as a pro, Westbrook’s training regimen is so loaded that he might be the only one who can understand it. When I asked him how even during the strenuous 82-game season of playing and producing at such an elite level, he never seems tired, the league’s leading scorer simply said: “It’s something I don’t think about.”


For as much personality and flair as Westbrook has on the basketball court, he remains mostly an enigma off of it. Known to be intensely private and have an insatiable appetite for improvement, he is in the running to join Oscar Robertson as the only other player ever to average a triple-double for the entire season. Remember too, that when Robertson accomplished the feat in 1962-63, it was in an era of breakneck pace, rife with extra possessions, easier to compile showy statistics.


Even so, don’t dare ask Westbrook about the possibility of such a dynamic achievement.



“Honestly, man,” he told reporters earlier this season, “this triple-double thing is kind of getting on my nerves. People think if I don’t get it, it’s like a big thing. When I do get it, it’s a thing.” He added, “For the 100th time, I don’t care.”


Whether you believe that is immaterial to Westbrook, who earned All-NBA first-team honors last year. He will continue his relentless quest for a championship sans Durant, while maintaining an unorthodox routine some might even call crazy.






Pay extra close attention to him during the weekend as he attempts to win a third straight All-Star MVP. He may let his guard down just a tad, even if he won’t admit that not being voted a starter irked him. (Stephen Curry, Durant’s new teammate, is the starting point guard for the West.)


“Once you’re selected for the All-Star game,” Westbrook says, “you don’t take that for granted.”


Email me at jordan.schultz@huffingtonpost.com, ask me questions about anything sports-related on Twitter at @Schultz_Report, and follow me on Instagram at @Schultz_Report.


type=type=RelatedArticlesblockTitle=Related Content + articlesList=5888ee75e4b0737fd5cafb39

-- 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 Cool New 'Vertical Forest' Skyscrapers Are Designed To Help Fight Smog

0
0





Buildings don’t have to just be buildings anymore. Sometimes, they can double as forests. 


That’s the radical idea behind architect Stefano Boeri’s upcoming vertical forest skyscrapers in China. The Nanjing Green Towers will be the first of their kind in Asia, and are designed to help reduce smog by emitting oxygen and filtering carbon dioxide. It’s a concept Boeri initially built in Milan in 2014. 


The towers will be outfitted with over 1,100 trees and 2,500 plants and shrubs, according to a press release. Boeri’s ambitious design hopes to produce 60 kg of oxygen per day while also absorbing 25 tons of carbon dioxide annually. The future skyscrapers will be located in the Nanjing Pukou District, an area in China that has struggled with heavy smog




The new towers should be completed by 2018. The tallest is nearly 700 feet high and will house offices, an architecture school and a private rooftop club.


The shorter tower will contain a Hyatt hotel and boast a rooftop swimming pool. 




As hundreds of millions of people in China are affected by serious air pollution, here’s hoping this helps.  


-- 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.

Pregnant Mom Does Gym Photo Shoot To Show Women Are 'Strong And Capable'

0
0

Lauren Ferris wants the world to know just how strong women can be. The Connecticut mom posed for a fitness photo shoot while pregnant with her second son, and the result was totally badass. 


Photographer JoAnn Marrero took the pictures of Ferris at the gym. She first met the mom in 2014 and photographed the birth of her first son, Connor, who is now 2 years old. Her next baby boy is due Feb. 25.


Ferris told The Huffington Post she’s been “CrossFitting” for five years and did it throughout her first pregnancy. Fitness has become a big part of her family life as well. She and her husband, Garrett, sometimes bring Connor to the gym with them. 




“He loves it and has his own little plastic toy weights that he brings to the gym but he doesn’t know they aren’t real,” Marrero said. The photographer added that Ferris attributes her short labor, easy pushing and quick postpartum recovery with Connor in part to her fitness.


She hopes to have a similar experience with her second son’s birth and has remained committed to exercising during her pregnancy. “My midwife encourages me to stay fit!” Ferris told HuffPost. “There hasn’t been a whole lot that I’ve had to modify. A few things  ― like sit ups for example ― I can’t do, and I don’t do any very heavy lifts. But for the most part I can do the workouts that are prescribed.” 



Marrero shared the photos on the Facebook page for her business, From Labor to Love. From there, they reached outlets like People and even CrossFit’s Facebook page.


“The response has been overwhelmingly supportive!” said the photographer. “Lots of ‘You Go Momma.’”



While Ferris has received a small amount of negative feedback, she said she uses it as an opportunity to educate people on health and fitness during pregnancy.


“Overall both Lauren and I want to inspire other mothers and mothers-to-be to say fit during pregnancy, to stay safe with your routine making modifications to fit the growing needs of your body,” Marrero explained.


Added Ferris, “I hope it will show that even though a woman is pregnant, she is still strong and very capable!”








-- 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.

Adults Try Coffee For The First Time, And Their Reactions Are Priceless

0
0



Not all of us are coffee lovers.


Sure, the bean can reduce stress, boost liver health and may even lower the risk of skin cancer. But its bitter taste can be a real turnoff to those who haven’t tried it before.


In the funny above video from Facts, adults take their first sips of macchiato, espresso and more. One drink fares better than the others ― way better. Watch above to see the tastebud-tingling results. 

-- 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.


Photo Series Documents The Life Of Some Of China's 'Left Behind' Children

0
0

When parents living in rural China seek work in urban areas, they are usually forced to leave their children at home to be raised by family members like grandparents. These children, of which there are an estimated 60 million, are China’s “Left Behind” children. 


China-based Getty Images photojournalist Kevin Frayer followed the four Luo siblings, who live with their elderly grandparents in Anshun, China. Frayer photographed the children while attending school, in the playground and on the family farm.


Frayer explained that it is China’s hukou documentation system, which dictates that education and health care are accessible only in the district where a child is born and registered, that forces many children to stay behind in rural areas. Local schools, educators and community charities often struggle to fill the gaps the parents’ absence causes.


-- 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.

'Kaur Project' Captures The Beautiful Diversity Among Sikh Women

0
0

Many women who identify as Sikh share at least one thing in common: The name Kaur. It may be a middle or last name, and it isn’t always how they’re identified legally. But it’s a part of their heritage that dates back centuries and something many Sikh women share.


Saji Kaur Sahota and Jessie Kaur Lehail, a photographer-writer duo from British Columbia, Canada, are asking Sikh women what being a Kaur means to them. Their series, called the “Kaur Project,” aims to highlight this common heritage while celebrating the diversity of the women’s experiences. 



“We have seen a lot of feminist theory incorporated into mainstream media, but there’s been nothing specifically for and about Sikh women,” Lehail, the writer behind the project, told The Huffington Post. “So we thought why not create something ourselves.”


Lehail and Sahota decided the only parameter for the project would be that the women must identify as Sikh and use the name Kaur. Thus far all the women featured in the project are in the B.C. area, though Lehail said they’re hoping to expand to other areas in the near future.


For every woman featured in the “Kaur Project,” Sahota does a photo shoot and Lehail conducts a 20-minute phone interview. The benefit of talking over the phone, the writer said, is that it allows the women to share things they might not otherwise share in person.


Lehail asks two simple questions: “How do you identify yourself as a Kaur” and “What has your journey been so far.” The women take their answers in many different directions, addressing topics like marriage, divorce, having children, losing children, struggling with depression or abuse, managing relationships with parents and in-laws and balancing all the many roles life places on them.


Some of the themes of the interviews are specific to Sikh or immigrant communities, Lehail said, “but a lot of what’s discussed is applicable to any community and almost all women.”



It also became clear to Lehail that being a Kaur can mean different things to different people. Like Kaur for women, Singh is given to many Sikh men as a middle or last name. The naming tradition began in the 17th century as a way to resist the caste system, in which a person’s name indicated their status in society. The names Kaur and Singh act as equalizers, reminding all Sikhs of the inherent equality of all human beings.


But framing the project around Sikh identity can be tricky, Lehail admitted, partly because Sikh identity isn’t homogenous. Some Sikhs are baptized, for instance, in what’s called an “Amrit ceremony.” After this, they take on new names and commit to upholding rules of dress, including keeping their hair uncut. Some Sikh men and women also wear turbans, an item once worn only by royalty in South Asia and which has become a symbol of equality in the faith.



But not all Sikhs practice these traditions. “We didn’t want to limit the project to just females who are Sikhs who wear turbans because Saji and I both have cut hair,” Lehail said. “We believe in the religion, but there are variations to how it’s practiced.”


Across the 60 women who Lehail and Sahota have featured so far, those variations are clear. “It’s a learning opportunity for the mainstream about Sikhism and Sikh women,” she said. “But also for Sikh women to learn about themselves.”


Check out some of the photos and stories from the “Kaur Project” below:


-- 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.

Fred Armisen And Carrie Brownstein Make A Case For The 'Portlandia' Bubble In Trump's America

0
0

In 2011, just midway into President Barack Obama’s first term in office, IFC’s “Portlandia” debuted with an ode to the liberal bubble of Portland, Oregon.


“The dream of the ‘90s is alive in Portland,” sang the show’s stars, Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein, along with other young, flannel-wearing people.


The song celebrated Portland’s insular and nostalgia-prone weirdness. But ever since President Donald Trump’s unexpected election last November, people around the country have been re-examining liberal bubbles and the potential downsides that can come with living in them.


On Thursday night, one of the final episodes of Season 7, the show’s penultimate season, will debut on IFC.  Although Fred and Carrie created this storyline for the episode, entitled “Portland Secedes,” before the election of Trump, it’s hard to separate the episode (or the entire season for that matter) from the pervading existence of Trump’s America.


As such, The Huffington Post spoke to Fred and Carrie about how the rise of Trump affected their writers’ room, how his presidency puts a new viewing lens on “Portlandia,” and whether Americans should keep their cultural bubbles.  


The Q&A below has been edited and condensed for clarity.



How the rise of Trump impacted the writers’ room


The creators have said that for past seasons, Portland residents’ high level of “optimism” led to many sketch ideas. Despite not knowing the results of the election around the time you were developing Season 7, Trump’s rise was already still apparent. Did his campaign alter your approach to the characters?


Fred: Well, I mean, in the writers’ room, it came up a lot. But I think we try to avoid anything that’s too directly topical so that it has some shelf life. I think it has less to do with politics specific to an election as opposed to the politics that are happening in general. Like, whatever the general feeling is that year around that time. Because we don’t have the luxury of having, like, a live show, it’s a little less specific.


 


The value of protecting values


The “Portland Secedes” episode imagines Portland attempting to leave the United States to maintain its unique weirdness. A spoiler that’s necessary for context: They don’t succeed.


In light of the election results, it’s hard to not see the sketch as something of a parody of Trump’s America. Even so, it’s unclear whether the focus is Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan, or whether you are going for a joke similar to a recent “Saturday Night Live” sketch, which imagined putting a dome on Brooklyn to preserve its bubble. Either way, was there actually an attempt at a political lens here?


Carrie: I do think the political climate permeated the writers’ room ― that echo chamber and that sense that things were quite partisan and everyone had kind of sorted themselves into categories ― culturally or by neighborhood or by city. And I think we’ve always been a show that is about one’s relationship to place.


So, it made sense that these characters in our world would be interested in kind of protecting things that they had built and value. I think on the entire political spectrum, everybody feels they’re sort of trying to protect their values. And I guess that’s just what these people are doing in a kind of comical and absurd way. 





The opening scene of “Portland Secedes”


 


The case for keeping bubbles


In a 2015 interview with Good before the rise of Trump, Carrie said, “I think that you do have to create a bubble. And I think that anything that’s really been powerful starts with people ignoring the consensus and just focusing.”


A post-election hypothesis has been that Trump’s win came as a result of liberals living in a bubble that keeps “real America” hidden from them. But is there still any value to living in a bubble?


Fred: Well, as far as value goes, obviously it’s nicer to be in an environment where you feel comfortable. But it’s also clear that it’s probably not the most realistic thing. Also, on the other hand, I don’t know how we can avoid it. I mean, I suppose you can try to educate yourself, but just geographically, I think people are just drawn to a sort of kind of place and it just ends up being that way.


I think it’s unavoidable, but we have been able to sort of curate our surroundings. Even online so that you’re kind of giving yourself a lot of confidence in the way that you are. 



Putting out Season 7 after Trump’s victory


After the election, audiences have put a political lens on work that was created before Trump’s win. Notably, the new A Tribe Called Quest album and “The Young Pope” both have been considered resonant and responsive works to Trump’s America, even though that couldn’t have been their original intent. How does it feel to have such a lens focused on Season 7?


Carrie: Yeah, I think that’s an inevitability. You know there’s almost a level of toxicity that we’re immersed in, and I think people are realizing it was almost a privilege in some ways during the Obama administration to be able to tune out politics every once in awhile. Or to be able to kind of exist in a space that didn’t feel violent or aggressive or confusing. But I think it’s important to remember there’s always been vulnerable and marginalized populations who have felt attacked and disenfranchised under any administration, just based on institutional disparities.


But I do think that it’s just the new lens that we examine all music and television and literature. I think everyone is searching for meaning and explanation and a way of making sense of some of the .... just the confusion. So, you can’t necessarily start out with the intention of making things clear for people. But I think the best kind of ― and most lasting ― artistic statements feel relevant when they’re happening, but also feel relevant in retrospect.


In some ways that’s been our goal always. It’s just that, the fact that people can watch the show now and still feel it was in this world ― not incongruous with this current administration ― is what we always set out to do. To feel part of something and part of something that will last.


 


How the election will continue to affect the show’s characters


Recently, Carrie performed at the Women’s March and told Vanity Fair that she feels there is a “a feeling of collective despair, uncertainty, and anxiety right now.” Even if the show doesn’t take aim at specific political moments, if there is a collective despair, would that inevitably bleed into the characters’ lives for Season 8, the final season?  


Fred: It’s hard to tell, but [I have] a memory of the writers’ room and just feeling like, we had optimism then because we didn’t know what the result of the election was going to be. So there was a lot of discussion [about Trump], but I actually can’t remember what ― now that things are like this ― I can’t remember what the split was in the room.


We came up with the mens’ rights movement sketches as characters, but I still don’t know. I think that just came from a time where we thought maybe men were feeling unrepresented. It was a joke, really, but maybe it was more real than we imagined. 


Carrie: Yeah, it was almost like we were still existing in a bubble of certainty, but at the same time, I think we felt a vulnerability. An encroaching vulnerability upon that certainty. And I remember that there was an anxiety that was creeping in ― realizing that what we assumed was in our future, might actually not happen.


And I think the most telling thing is when we tried to sort of move past the discussion ― which was at the time, the primaries and then the actual general election ― that we couldn’t. That we found, even in the preamble, that there were sort of fault-lines. We had to navigate that and I think we can see that in the writing. That we would land upon that place that felt a little unstable and try to kind of write from that.


I think a lot of our characters this season are sort of exploring change or disinheritance or a sense of, I don’t know, trouble ahead, I guess. 





One of the sketches about men’s rights activists from Season 7


 


Fred and Carrie’s closing thoughts on contextualizing Season 7


Fred: The only thing I can think of is just the role of Portland. Now to me, it just represents a different kind of city. I personally just have this feeling of wanting to embrace it even more because I take it for granted less. That a whole city can have an identity like that. I think I just cherish it a little more now. 


Carrie: I think I feel lucky that we have another season of “Portlandia” because, as much as it feels very necessary to write from a satirical perspective, I also feel the need to be able to see things through a lens of absurdity, because I think so much right now feels so out of whack as to be absurd. Verging on surreal.


And also people need to laugh. People always come back to me from each season and I think I’ve heard more [right now about] this relief at laughing. Just the actual physical, emotional release that comes from laughter. And I think that’s something that we’re really able to do on the show and I feel lucky to be able to do it for another year.


“Portlandia” airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET on IFC. 

-- 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 'We Are Joy' Photo Series Challenges How We See The Black Experience

0
0

Black joy matters, and a new photo project is bringing that idea to the forefront in a brilliant way.


The “We Are Joy” series, created by Brooklyn-based photographer Laurent Chevalier, consists of intimate portraits of black millennials. Each portrait is accompanied by a personal story from the subject, recalling a happy moment in their lives when being black was the key, positive element to their joy. 


It isn’t always easy to be black in America, or in the world, for that matter. After the election, and with the rise of racial, social and political tension in the air, Chevalier was trying to think of ways to counteract the visible, palpable struggles of black life. How, Chevalier wondered, could he combat the negative narrative of the black experience?


“I thought about some of the more obvious ways, such as protesting, teaching, reporting or organizing, but I also thought of other impactful ways to support and involve myself,” the photographer told The Huffington Post.


“You can only really keep working when you are whole enough to work... and it’s hard to be effective if you are broken down. So in order to maintain ourselves, our sanity and health, I felt that we needed to really draw upon the experiences, the joys and the successes that we have individually and collectively.”



In January, Chevalier decided to embark upon the photo project, with the aim to demonstrate and discuss the ways in which it’s “dope to be black.” 


“I was intrigued by the idea of black joy in story form, because when someone tells a story you relate to, you can’t help but be impacted by it,” Chevalier explains.


“Black joy is contagious, especially when you can relate to it. Then adding to that our culture of oral history, I thought it would be a great way to present this idea.”


Most of the subjects in the series are Chevalier’s friends or friends of friends. The joyful stories they share range from one woman’s first “big chop” to a moment of fellowship and solidarity of everyone dancing to an old school jam at a party. For each portrait, Chevalier photographed his subjects as they told their stories, in order to capture the spark of their memories. The result: a collection of photos and stories forming a vibrant mosaic of black joy. 


Centering a series on the positivity and beauty of the black experience, even amidst the struggles, is a political act. For Chevalier, the idea of art as resistance is a powerful one.  



“I see this project as resistance against this current [political] climate, because at the heart of many of the issues facing our community are questions of identity and value, both within and without,” Chevalier says.


“Affirming the importance of our memories, reminding ourselves of our joy, these are aspects of this project that help fuel further resistance.”


The photographer plans to continue collecting stories and creating images, drawing from an even larger and more diverse group of black people. In addition to the series, Chevalier is also working on a book project, as well as a collaboration with writer and playwright Cyrus Aaron on creating dialogue on black identity, with two pop up discussions and photo presentations in New York scheduled later this month. 


And for the rest of Black History Month, he will be sharing a new portrait and story for the “We Are Joy” series every day on Okayplayer.


Check out some photos and stories from the series below: 


-- 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.

Two Best Friends Directed Their Negative Body Image Thoughts At Each Other

0
0



Two best friends had a heartbreaking conversation about body image and their self-worth.


Produced by The Scene, the video features two best friends, Tiffany and Alyssa, discussing the things they don’t like about their own bodies. But instead of saying what they don’t like about their bodies to themselves, the two women direct these negative body image comments at one another. The result is a powerful commentary on how so many women correlate their size to their self-worth. 


The video was originally published in October 2016, but is making the rounds again after The Scene posted the video to Facebook on Thursday.  


“Just a reminder, I love you very much,” Alyssa, an actress who’s battled anorexia, tells Tiffany before they begin. Tiffany is a producer who says she has struggled with body image her entire life. 


For the next minute and a half the women direct their own negative thoughts at one another. “Everyone is skinnier and prettier than you,” Alyssa says. “The people behind you are staring at the way your fat hangs over your bra,” Tiffany replies. 


They continue, telling each other their most negative thoughts: 


“You look so ugly in pictures that I can’t even look at them anymore.”


“He would’ve never cheated on you if you were skinnier.”


“You would be more successful if you lost 15 pounds.”  


“You will never be able to go sleeveless, not even on your wedding day.”


Afterwards, they apologize to each other through tears. 





One week after the original video was shot, Tiffany and Alyssa sat down again to discuss their conversation.  


“Wow I am hurting myself so much, all the time,” Alyssa says. “You just have to always pretend like you’re talking to me,” Tiffany replied. 


At the end, the two hug it out and make a point to treat themselves like they would treat one another. 





The last frame in the video makes an important point, with the screen reading:  “Why do we say things to ourselves that we wouldn’t ever say to (or think about) our best friends? Be a best friend to yourself.” 


If you’re struggling with an eating disorder, call the National Eating Disorder Association hotline at 1-800-931-2237.


-- 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 Beautiful Jewelry Collection Is Actually A Line Of High-End Sex Toys

0
0

Sex toys are starting to look less and less like, well, sex toys.


Sexual lifestyle company Unbound recently launched a new sex toy collection that doubles as high-end jewelry. Dubbed “sexual accessories,” the Unbound jewelry collection includes pineapple earrings that can be turned into nipple clamps, a choker that transforms into a whip and even a sleek necklace that holds your lube. One of the standout items is a set of gold bangles that double as handcuffs with the words “There is freedom in restraint” etched on each.


The collection is sexy and practical. But perhaps more notably, it’s cute. Really, really cute. 


Unbound was created by a group of NYC-based women in February 2013 to help women empower themselves through sexual exploration. The company specializes in monthly subscription boxes like the BDSM box (filled with handcuffs, nipple and clit clamps, and more), the G-spot box (comes with lube and a g-spot vibrator) and even a strap-on box. The company also offers somewhat less sexy gift boxes, such as the period box, pregnancy box and the “Ovaries Before Brovaries” box. Their latest offering is their signature jewelry collection. 


As Unbound CEO Polly Rodriguez explained to The Huffington Post, the new collection offers women “a chance to, quite literally, wear their sexuality on their sleeve” and, in the process, have more open conversations about female pleasure and sexuality. 







“The goal of the collection is to further the notion that female sexuality should not be relegated to the shadows,” Rodriguez said. “By offering women an opportunity to artfully display their sexuality in a fashion-forward, thoughtful manner, we hope to encourage a more widespread acceptance of formerly taboo topics in order to encourage frank conversations in the new year.” 


The collection was inspired by and stylized in honor of three historic women: aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart, model and actress Twiggy, and Egyptian pharaoh Cleopatra. 



As sex toys increasingly become sleeker and prettier ― a.k.a. less and less phallic in their design ― it’s opened doors for many companies to create high-end, luxury sex toy lines. 


In a 2015 article for Fusion, reporter Hannah Smothers described how this shift in design has transformed the sex toy market in the last 10 to 15 years. Smothers wrote:



As sex toys have become increasingly sleek and modern ― taking cues from the minimalistic designs of like Apple and Ikea ― one clear trend has emerged: They no longer look like human penises. In fact, they no longer look human at all ― which, according to designers, entrepreneurs, and sex therapists alike, is a very good thing.


...When sex toys start looking less like severed organs, it gets easier for consumers to take them seriously. And when consumers start to take them seriously, it opens up room for a luxury class of sex toys.  



Companies like LELO and Crave are leading the charge in this arena. LELO offers customers the Ora 2, an oral sex stimulator for women that features gold-colored accents and costs just under $200. And for the women who really want to mix conspicuous consumption with sex, LELO also sells a $15,000 24-karat gold plated vibrator which, as the website reads, is “defined by decadence and elegance.” 



We hope to encourage a more widespread acceptance of formerly taboo topics in order to encourage frank conversations.
Polly Rodriguez, CEO of Unbound


Crave tracks closer to Unbound’s designs. It too has a jewelry line that doubles as a line of sex toys. While their repertoire of sleek jewelry toys is much smaller than Unbound’s, it has a similar look. The Vesper is a chic necklace slash vibrator that users can get customized to feature sexy phrases like “Don’t forget to play.”  


As co-founder of Crave, Ti Chang, told Smothers, part of this high-end trend simply came from more women breaking into the sex and pleasure business. 


“I think the sex toy industry has really had a lot of male voices ― it’s been men designing products for women, so it tends to be very male anatomy centric,” Chang told Smothers. “Like, ‘Oh, it’s sex, she wants a big cock, so we’ll just make lots of different colors of cocks, and to make this really silly, we’ll put a little rabbit on it.’”


With high-end designs from companies like LELO, Crave and Unbound, the sex toy market is innovating, and therefore working to shift the way we approach female pleasure and masturbation. 



Female sexuality should not be relegated to the shadows.
Polly Rodriguez, CEO of Unbound


Rodriguez told HuffPost she wanted to make the Unbound Collection fashion-forward with a subtle nod to it’s other purposes. 


“The collection is intended to be an implicit wink to anyone who notices, and we think that’s incredibly powerful,” she said. “There should be a safe space in between overtly sexual and completely repressed. Women want to own their sexuality, but they want to do it in a way that’s still edgy and fashion forward.”


Simply put, often women know what works best for women. And along with this shift of approach in the sex toy industry, comes more woman-led companies that encourage honest and open conversations about female pleasure.


Luxury sex toys and sexy jewelry represent one small step toward a more feminist approach to female sexuality, pleasure and masturbation. And that’s a step in the right direction.


type=type=RelatedArticlesblockTitle=Related... + articlesList=58a1cc7ae4b03df370d87758,583f3c5de4b09e21702c6746,561d6ac5e4b0c5a1ce60eab1,55930c82e4b081449b4c9d6c




-- 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.

Activist Artist Dread Scott On Why We Need A Revolution

0
0

Activist artist Dread Scott creates in a language of searing simplicity. His work subverts American iconography to reveal the brutal injustices embedded in our nation’s marrow. 


Scott’s first major piece, “What is the Proper Way to Display a US Flag?” was on view at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1989, when Scott was just 24 years old. The participatory installation featured a photomontage of American flags in various circumstances ― draped atop the coffins of soldiers and lit aflame by South Korean students.


A genuine American flag lay across the floor. Viewers, then, were invited to write down their thoughts on the proper way to display the flag, and potentially step on the flag during the process. President George H. W. Bush called the work “disgraceful,” which signaled to Scott that he was doing something right. 


More recently, Scott erected a black flag reading “A Man Was Lynched By Police Yesterday” outside of Jack Shainman Gallery in Manhattan. The artwork was an updated version of the banner that hung outside the headquarters of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1936, re-installed after Alton Sterling and Philando Castile were shot and killed by police in the summer of 2016. 


The flag is now on view at San Francisco’s Guerrero Gallery as part of the exhibition “Past, Present, Future,” a show squarely aimed to address the current political moment, a reversal of progress for those who have spent their lives marginalized, silenced and oppressed. Along with the flag, Scott will also show a piece entitled “IMAGINE A WORLD / WITHOUT AMERICA,” named after a quote by Bob Avakian, leader of the Revolutionary Communist Party, USA. 


“I first read it in 1989 and it stuck with me,” Scott told The Huffington Post. “I began to think of it it as a provocative thought experiment.”


The piece features a map of the world, the perspective shifted so that the United States is dangling off the image’s edge, barely visible and ostensibly irrelevant. The piece dares Americans to put their own nationalism in check and imagine a radically different world where they are not the focus. 


For decades, Scott has made blistering artwork that refuses to let America avert its gaze. In this current political climate, when years of progress are in danger of being reversed, his unapologetic work needs to be seen. We reached out to Scott to discuss. 



How would you describe the way art and activism coexist in your work? 


I generally keep my art and activism somewhat separate. Typically my art isn’t bringing people to a demonstration or seeking particular demands, which my activism typically is — including when I encourage people to be part of a movement for revolution, a revolution to get rid of this entire system and replace it with one that would meet the needs of humanity as a whole.


That said, for much of the last three decades, my work has been addressing some of the big questions confronting people. As art, which I show in major museums, in galleries and on street corners, the work is engaging the viewer and encouraging him or her to think about these questions. I began doing this when I was an undergrad.


In the 1980s that wasn’t what you were taught to do with art, and my initial works tried to keep my political ideas and my art separate. But the more I looked at the world and discovered artists ― Leon Golub, Hans Haacke, Roy DeCarava, Alexander Rodchenko and others who were bringing their politics into their art ― I searched for ways to do that with my concerns and aesthetic. 


It’s crazy to think you made the work “What’s the proper way to display a U.S. flag?” when you were only 24 years old. What was your reaction when the president commented on your work? 


When President Bush Sr. called my work “disgraceful,” my response was: “The President knows about my work and doesn’t like it. Good.” It meant that the work was engaging in a discussion on a national level about an important question. And if the head of this empire didn’t like what I was doing, it was an indication that the work was powerful and that it clearly stood with the people I cared about and the people that Bush wanted to continue to oppress and exploit.


The way you folded viewers’ reactions to that piece into the work, it reminds me almost of a proto-social media experiment. Do you think there is any danger in giving a stage to those who respond to your work with such hate and negativity? 


Giving voice to white supremacist and vitriolic defenders of America can be a problem. But in the context of the “What is the Proper Way to Display a US Flag?” I think that they became part of the dialogue I initiated and they look like the racists and warmongers that they are. The context is important. 


You’ve spoken about the importance of widespread exposure, in terms of ensuring an artist’s work extends beyond a small, uniform subset of people. Has the internet changed how your work is processed and responded to?


The internet has enabled some of my projects to reach a wider audience and be seen by people who wouldn’t otherwise see it and also to be studied by students who would not have this level of access if they had to look for a monograph on me or hope that their professor had actual slides. I’m happy that works like “A Man Was Lynched by Police Yesterday” spread in many ways in social media and people far outside of the art world were able to see it and share it. My video, “Anti-Campaign Ad,” was seen by over 10,000 people in a month and that would not have been possible without the internet ― unless it was shown at a major museum, which would never happen within days of it’s creation.


You’ve mentioned, in previous interviews, critiques of your work that frame you as a “shock artist.” Can you talk about the difference, if there is one, between shocking work and challenging work, and where you see yourself fitting in?


I don’t make work to shock. This is a profoundly polarized world and if you make work that looks at important questions people are bound to be passionate about it. When the police kill 1,100 people each year, making work that calls out these murders will bring joy to people under the gun of the police and people who don’t want a society where the state gets away with murder after murder after murder. Murder by police should be very controversial, but unfortunately these murders are the status quo, and it is making art about it which some view as shocking.  



You need to get rid of a system and economy that are based on exploitation if you want to get rid of exploitation.



Your “A Man Was Lynched by Police Yesterday” piece was adapted from a flag made in the 1920s. Do you believe our society has made true progress in terms of racial justice [since then]? 


The means in which people are oppressed and exploited has changed over the past 240 years, but there is a real continuum between a society that was founded on slavery and genocide and a society that imprisons 2.3 million people, 1 million of whom are Black. Ending slavery took a war. The ideas that rationalized slavery continued under Jim Crow and an economy that fed off the labor of the enslaved continued to brutalize the descendants of the enslaved. After the tremendous fight and sacrifice of the Cilvil Rights and Black Power movement, Jim Crow was replaced by what Michelle Alexander has dubbed the New Jim Crow.


So there are changes, but ask the parents of Tamir Rice or Mike Brown whether much has changed since the ‘20s. Ask Muslims who have had hijabs ripped from their heads or Latino students barred from their own school by white students yelling “White Power” and “Trump Trump Trump” if racism has ended or changed much.


Many have spoken about Trump’s election as a backlash to the strides made in terms of social justice over the past few years. Can you talk about how you see the relationship between the past, present and future ― and whether the brutal cruelties of the past can ever be left behind?


I don’t think that Trump’s election is a backlash based solely on ideas or revenge, but rather what the ruling class in this country sees as a way forward in a world where they face many challenges, including many problems they have created. They are trying to continue to dominate the world and are facing challenges from old rivals and new ones. And those white people that are being used by Trump to consolidate his power, many of them want the unfair advantage that white supremacy afforded them for generations, that has been slightly undermined since the ‘60s.


In short, if there are jobs or cheap bank/government loans, they want to go back to a time when those advantages definitely go to white people first without question. And repression should go to black people and Latinos first. And along with all of this this, many want to put women back in the 1950s or 1850s as well.


But it’s not a backlash, but rather what’s going on in the economy, where based on the international competition, the U.S. and most other industrialized powers no longer can create the middle class existence for broad sections of society that was important to Western societies for the past 40 years. And in America, this system is going back to some of its key pillars ― white supremacy, patriarchy and Christian fundamentalism ― to negotiate the waters of continuing domination of the world.


But I have no interest in the expansion of the U.S. empire or its continued domination of the planet. The cruelties of the past, and present, can only be gotten rid of through revolution. You need to get rid of a system and economy that are based on exploitation if you want to get rid of exploitation. If you want to end racism, you need to get rid of the system that was founded upon it and that has it woven into its very fabric, including its founding documents. Democracy and freedom in the U.S. was conceived of based upon owning human beings.


The legal and political framework embodied in the constitution includes slavery. Slavery was not an aberration, mistake or “original sin”, but something that was integral to U.S. democracy. You can’t get to a society without exploitation if your vision of that is bound to a document where the freedom of some necessitated the enslavement of others. So I think that it’s possible to leave the cruelties of the past behind, but only if you make revolution to get rid of a system that needs these cruelties. 


How have recent technologies ― including the internet, social media, cameras, video, etc ― contributed to this relationship between past, present and future? Do you see them playing a positive or negative role in the fight for racial justice?


Technologies are not positive or negative. The same internet that helped the Arab Spring is used to spy on people all over the planet. It all depends whose hands it’s in. Will the Googles, Apples and Facebooks of the world build Muslim databases or will they refuse to do so? Will they build strong encryption into all technology and enable social justice activists and others to keep government snoops out of their data and prevent them from learning their connections through metadata? Or will they comply with government orders to build in back doors and turn over data, and not even inform people about secret laws and orders?


The Freedom Riders broke the law and challenged social order. Edward Snowden and Chelsea Manning may have have broken the law but their kind of courage is what is needed on a widespread level, including by corporations to stand up to tyrannical governments.


“Dread Scott : Past, Present & Future” runs until March 5 at Guerrero Gallery in San Francisco. 


-- 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.


200 Artists From Around The World Launch Initiative To Fight Fascism Through Art

0
0

For HuffPost’s #LoveTakesAction series, we’re telling stories of how people are standing up to hate and supporting those most threatened. What will you stand up for? Tell us with #LoveTakesAction.


Anish Kapoor, Steve McQueen, Laurie Anderson, Ed Ruscha, Matthew Barney, Rosalind Krauss, Hank Willis Thomas, Catherine Opie and Yinka Shonibare are among the artists, writers, musicians and curators from around the world committed to using art as a mode of resistance.


Over 200 international creatives have signed on to the global art coalition “Hands Off Our Revolution,” which implores artists of all media to channel the anger, sadness, hope and empathy ignited by present affairs into their work, providing viewers, readers and listeners with models of revolt and visions of a harmonious, peaceful future.


The initiative came together in response to recent events ― including Brexit, President Donald Trump’s election and the ongoing refugee crisis. As artist Adam Broomberg explained to The Guardian, such instances of xenophobia and populism are interrelated, and artists must join forces to tackle the larger issue together. “What is important is that it is not just seen as America’s problem, or Europe’s problem,” he said, “so we are planning shows in Mexico and Lagos.” 


The coalition pledges to host events and exhibitions around the world bringing contemporary politics into the spotlight, the first of which will be announced in March.



This is the latest art world reaction to an uncertain political climate, following a recent artist petition against Trump’s immigration ban. While art certainly possesses the power to amplify marginalized voices and visualize alternate futures, many have argued that protests must extend beyond the insular echo chamber of museums and galleries to truly change minds or make a lasting impact on the lives of others. 


“Hands Off” will hopefully find ways to reach past the confines of self-congratulatory, topical exhibitions to benefit those who are in need. So far, the platform seems promising, pledging to donate proceeds from upcoming shows and events to arts and activist causes building coalition. And who better to lead the impending revolution than those guided by creativity, empathy and curiosity? 


As put by participating artist Yinka Shonibare: “We must all unite, regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation, to oppose all forms of bigotry. Populism must never be a guide to our conduct, empathy should be our guide. As artists we bear witness and we must never be silent or be silenced.”


Read the full manifesto from “Hands Off” below:



We are a global coalition affirming the radical nature of art. We believe that art can help counter the rising rhetoric of right-wing populism, fascism and the increasingly stark expressions of xenophobia, racism, sexism, homophobia and unapologetic intolerance.


We know that freedom is never granted ― it is won. Justice is never given ― it is exacted. Both must be fought for and protected, yet their promise has seldom been so fragile, so close to slipping from our grasp, as at this moment.


As artists, it is our job and our duty to reimagine and reinvent social relations threatened by right-wing populist rule. It is our responsibility to stand together in solidarity. We will not go quietly. It is our role and our opportunity, using our own particular forms, private and public spaces, to engage people in thinking together and debating ideas, with clarity, openness and resilience.



“Hands Off” is far from the only creative response to Trump’s rhetoric and policies to emerge this week. The Davis Museum at Wellesley College in Massachusetts, for example, announced that it will be de-installing or shrouding all artwork by immigrants, as well as any art given to the museum by immigrants, to protest Trump’s executive order barring immigrants from seven Muslim-majority nations and blocking Syrian refugees from entering the U.S. 


The Museum of the City of New York has also voiced its opinion through art, staging an exhibition called “Muslim in New York” that pays tribute to the legacy of Muslim life throughout the city’s five boroughs.


Know a story from your community of people fighting hate and supporting groups who need it? Send news tips to lovetips@huffingtonpost.com. 

-- 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' Fans Are Freaking Out Because 'Jedi' In 'The Last Jedi' Is Plural

0
0






Speculation about the ninth film in the “Star Wars” franchise, “The Last Jedi,” cropped up as soon as the title was revealed.


The latest rumor pertains to what’s been featured on the non-English posters for the film. 


Fans on Twitter have noticed that “Jedi” in “The Last Jedi” is plural in both the German and French titles.
















Since the plural and singular forms of “Jedi” in English are the same, the foreign language posters indicate that the title doesn’t refer to just one Jedi, but several (or at least two).


The pluralization could signal that Luke Skywalker, a Jedi, isn’t going to be killed. Many fans had wondered whether, if the “Jedi” in the title were singular, that Luke would have to die in order to leave Rey as the titular “Last Jedi.” Really, all this means is that Luke won’t be the last Jedi.




























“The Last Jedi” comes out Dec. 15, 2017, and presumably picks up where 2015’s “The Force Awakens” left off. 


WE CANNOT WAIT.


We’ve reached out to Lucasfilm regarding the pluralization and will update this piece accordingly.


 

-- 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.

Asian Twitter Hilariously 'Thanks' Matt Damon For Saving China In 'The Great Wall'

0
0

Asians on the internet made it known that they thought the casting for the film “The Great Wall” was a great big mistake. And they were very snarky about it. 


This week, people took to Twitter to throw shade at Matt Damon for his lead role in the movie. They trolled the actor by sarcastically thanking him for “saving China” through the trending hashtag #ThankYouMattDamon. 






In the movie, which hits theaters on Friday, Damon and Pedro Pascal play mercenaries who stumble into the Great Wall and get involved in a battle between Chinese warriors and supernatural monsters. 


Because Damon plays one of the heroes, and his face has been splashed across promotional posters, “The Great Wall” has drawn an outpouring of criticism. People have accused the movie of perpetuating the white savior trope. 


The New York Times points out that the movie, which was a collaboration between Chinese and Hollywood companies, was actually casted to avoid pandering, an issue that strikes a chord with Chinese audiences. Films have been criticized in the past for putting Asian actors into roles that don’t appear meaningful to the storyline, the outlet notes. 


But with Asian representation sorely lacking in Hollywood ― and audiences having to endure casting choices like Scarlett Johansson as the lead in the film adaptation of the Japanese anime series “Ghost in the Shell” and Emma Stone as a quarter-Hawaiian, quarter-Chinese woman in “Aloha” ― Asian Twitter clearly had it up to HERE.


Check out some of the fire tweets below: 

















































-- 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.

We Need To Talk About The Homophobia In This Trump/Putin Street Art

0
0

Protest art is nothing new.


For years, people have used art in a multitude of mediums to express discontent with, among other things, a current political climate or the state of the world around them.


And on Valentine’s Day, a dating app called Hater projected an image of a naked Putin fondling a pregnant Trump on the side of buildings in New York’s Williamsburg and Chelsea neighborhoods.



#LOVETHROUGHHATE

A post shared by Hater (@lovethroughhate) on




Of course, we’ve seen similar images in the past, like when this mural of the pair kissing popped up in Lithuania’s capital last May.




Sure, the images may be made from artists around the globe, but they all share a common theme: they reinforce the idea that affection or romance between two men is either something to be mocked or a sign of weakness.


And at the end of the day, this outdated belief is rooted in homophobic notions of how men should act with one another.


The artist’s real “joke” here, of course, lies in the fragile, toxic nature of masculinity and the idea that affection between men is so outrageous that depicting these two (very unpopular) world leaders in this way is somehow funny.


But it’s not. And this idea that queer men are somehow weak or more effeminate than those identifying as straight ― and that this makes them mockable ― is something that LGBTQ people have always fought throughout history.



The questions we should be asking ourselves are: Why do we keep seeing different variations of this Trump/Putin image? What is so funny about love between men? Why is the idea that failing masculinity through male-on-male affection one that our culture reproduces over and over again? Even in art-based contexts that are supposed to be progressive?


We all know that masculinity is fragile ― so fragile in fact that it seems to be the end-game that many Americans go to when they’re reaching for something to make fun of Trump about. 


But we need to do better. There are ways to critique our president and his alleged problematic relationship with Vladimir Putin without placing that critique in a framework that, at the end of the day, is homophobic.






To be fair, there is something to be said for the idea of reframing their relationship through a queer lens that empowers gayness and celebrates queer relationships. Tenderness between two men shouldn’t be alarming, even it it’s Trump and Putin. 


But I suspect that isn’t the intentions of the artists creating these works.


We are all living in scary, surreal times. But let’s be intentional in the ways we’re dealing with that reality ― and intentional about the choices we make with our forms of resistance, no matter what medium that may be. 

-- 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 Fashion Week Is Really Like, According To These 4 Guys

0
0





Fashion Week is a mystery for anyone who’s not in the industry. So what happens when you send four unassuming guys, none of whom work in fashion, into the gauntlet of high fashion and high pressure?


Four Huffington Post employees, each varying in their knowledge and interest in fashion, visited four different shows presented by Anniesa Hasibuan, Tome, Badgley Mischka and Sherri Hill, to find out what really happens at these elusive events.


There was unexpected front row treatment, some anxiety about finding the perfect outfit, and a mysterious banana sighting. You’ll have to read below and watch the video above to learn more. 


Andy Campbell, Reporter



Show attended: Sherri Hill 


“I’m used to being underprepared and unwelcome. Even so, the prospect of covering New York Fashion Week ― a cultural phenomenon I know nothing about ― was nerve-wracking. I’ve covered murder, toured maximum security prisons, and gone toe-to-toe with weapon-wielding officers at protests, and my idea of Fashion Week was far worse.”


“Fashion hack: You can wear ANY undershirt you want to a fashion show, including the penguin T-shirt you used for pajamas last night. I did, and nobody noticed. Secrets are fun!”



“I left with one question: Is that it? The event lasted about 25 minutes. Revelers came and left before I could fabricate a review of the show in case anyone asked. (’Oh, Carol, can you believe those hem lines? The contrast, the anger, the feeling, however, was superb.’)


“Basically, you don’t need to prepare for Fashion Week events. Nobody cares. And pro tip: The after-parties aren’t worth the bad Pinot and long lines. The dresses were purdy though!”


Ji Sub Jeong, Multimedia Designer and Illustrator




Show attended: Anniesa Hasibuan


“I was expecting NYFW to be a wild wild ride. I’ve previously seen these photos of people in crazy outfits and hairdos in high heels and leather suits, and I thought I would just stand out like a sore thumb in a bunch. And I was semi-correct about that!”


“I was really caught off guard as to how nice the people attending the event were! I always had this expectation that people attending these fashion events would have a very specific type of personality, but really they were all very cordial and nice to each other.”



“I was expecting to see a show that would span around for an hour or so, but the whole show went by in about 20 minutes! It’s crazy to think these designers would dedicate months and months of their time and effort just to show off their collections for 20 minutes! That being said, I think it was so great to see a designer like Hasibuan incorporating her cultural background into creating pieces that transcended what beauty looks like today.”


“I think the only thing that I was a little iffy about was the amount of bodies being piled into the showroom. And the excessive body heat. That was about it.”


James Michael Nichols, Deputy Editor, Queer Voices



Show attended: Badgley Mischka


“I’ve been to runway shows before so I had a pretty good idea of what to expect. These shows during Fashion Week are always highly performative, over-the-top and high glam ― Badgely Mischka proved to be the same.”


“I got to sit directly across from Miss J Alexander, which was perfection.”



“Just the usual fashion world pretension ― people who are obviously going from show to show, boasting about how they’re going from show to show and all of the cool shit they’re getting to do. Nothing completely outrageous.”


 “I loved sitting in the front row and feeling important.”


“It was a reminder that no matter how high the glamour or performative nature of a fashion show, our society is still crumbling around us (lol).”


Cole Delbyck, Entertainment Writer




Show attended: TOME 


“I was taken aback by how short the show was. It went by so quickly that I wanted an encore.”


“I arrived at the show and looked down at my seat to find a banana. Everybody around me didn’t touch theirs, but I hadn’t eaten breakfast that day, so I was like ‘Oooo a treat!’”



“I also stood in line in front of Cush Jumbo from ‘The Good Wife’ and was very confused why a plebe like me was allowed to breathe the same air as a GODDESS.”


“The models looked SO serious as they walked the runway that I became obsessed with thinking about what their internal monologue was like at the moment. (Don’t fall, I’m hungry, Why does Kendall Jenner have a bigger career than me?). Their expressions on their faces were a weird combination of emptiness and fierceness that is very different to witness IRL.”



“Everyone (including myself) was trying SO hard to look cool. It was a very seen and be seen kind of atmosphere, which can sometimes be fun, but most of the time leaves you feeling like that weird kid intensely staring at Cush Jumbo from across the room.”


type=type=RelatedArticlesblockTitle=Related... + articlesList=58a459b8e4b0ab2d2b1ad916,58a5d1a4e4b045cd34bf625f,589213d2e4b02772c4ea9428

-- 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 18485 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images