Eat Your Art Out Folks, This Erotic Exhibition Is 'Hotter Than July' (NSFW)

May 4, 2014, 1:06 am

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Warning: This post contains a fair amount of erotic art. It is, as the title notes, not safe for work.

This past winter has been a true test of New York will, pushing city dwellers to the brink of insanity with perpetually gray skies and frigid temperatures that kept even the most stalwart residents indoors, cursing the weather goddesses. The end of April offered bits of reprieve, but we may have wandered too far into the depths of seasonal depression to be plucked out of misery with just hints of warmer days. No, we need a real jolt; an undeniable sign that hibernators everywhere can shed their snuggies and take to the streets with fervor.

Thankfully, in true NYC fashion, there's an art exhibition for that.


Alexandra Rubinstein, From the series. Looking For Mr. Goodsex #19, oil on canvas

"Hotter Than July: Eat Your Art Out" promises -- in name and content -- an escape from the chill drudgery, closing the door on winter with a collection of erotic art. What better way to welcome the upcoming summer months than with a dizzying visual display of wet lips, back dimples, "O" faces and ass spankings. It's nude or go home at Savannah Spirit's carefully curated show, and (as if we had to say it) it's naughtier than your average gallery soiree.

“Itʼs important to escape from the bullshit in the world, especially right now," Spirit explains in a statement for the show. "I canʼt think of any better escape than sex… if itʼs done right. This exhibition is based on my own personal fantasies and the desire for carnal escape. Itʼs a chance to include everyone in the conversation and talk about something else for a while. The conversation always steers back to sex anyway."

The art on parade ranges from Daniel Maidman's ethereal nudes to Keren Moscovitch's blush-worthy photography to Trevor Guthrie's studded expletives. "The artists bring their own interpretation of sex to the exhibition, which is exactly what I hope viewers do," Spirit adds. "I know Iʼm not the only one who desires to be taken on a erotic adventure even if itʼs just imagined.”

If you're in the mood to couple sunshine with NSFW artwork, head to NY Studio Gallery this week (the works are on view from May 2 to May 9 only) before the pieces go on display in magazine form in On. Bonus: There's a tumblr too.

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White House Correspondents' Dinner 2014 Video: Watch Obama's Entire Speech

May 4, 2014, 6:25 am

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President Barack Obama cracked some serious jokes at the 2014 White House Correspondents' Dinner.

Obama ripped on Fox News, joked about the Obamacare website's big troubles and poked fun at Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) during his speech.

Watch a video of Obama's speech above.

White House Correspondents' Dinner Video 2014: Watch Joel McHale's Speech

May 4, 2014, 6:28 am

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President Barack Obama might be a tough act to follow when it comes to speeches, but comedian Joel McHale proved he was worthy during the 2014 White House Correspondents' Dinner.

McHale was the host of the dinner, cracking jokes about Obama's failed promise to close Gitmo and why former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would actually be a great president for America.

Watch McHale's speech above.

'RuPaul's Drag Race' Dresses Recreated With Paper By Instagram User Paperdragrace

May 4, 2014, 6:35 am

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We're quickly coming to the bitter end of another riveting season of "RuPaul's Drag Race," and one fan has taken his dedication to the show to a whole other level.

Instagram user paperdragrace has spent his time over the part several weeks recreating some of the queens' most popular looks -- using only paper.

“It varies from dress to dress, but it usually takes about 3-4 hours from taping on the wig to taking the picture,” the artist notes in one of the portrait's comments.

Check out some of the incredible work below and head here to follow paperdragrace on Instagram.













(h/t NNN)

'Boi-- Song Of A Wanderer' Documents Nitzan Krimsky's 10 Year Transgender Transition

May 4, 2014, 6:36 am

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Nitzan Krimsky is a Jerusalem-born photographer who has spent the last ten years documenting his transition into living as his fully realized gender identity.

"Boi -- Song Of A Wanderer," a documentary, photobook and exhibition, chronicles his story of inner struggle and the pursuit of one's authentic self. This project follows Krimsky not only through his own personal journey of identity but also through his physical journey all over the world.

"Boi -- Song Of A Wanderer" is currently engaged in a Kickstarter to fund the post-production of the project. In order to better understand this body of work and Krimsky's experiences over the last ten years, The Huffington Post chatted with the artist about what he is trying to accomplish and what he hopes individuals encountering his art will take away from it.



The Huffington Post: Do you remember the moment when you realized that you wanted to transition? Where were you? How did it come about?
Nitzan Krimsky: Of course I do: It was in Tel Aviv when I was about 15. I left home early and was sent to a boarding school to finish high school. On summer vacation I went to work in Tel Aviv, which is where I met my first trans friend who back then was an extremely feminine man (I thought she was a woman the moment we met). When my friend first started talking about her transition we used to joke that we both will go through it some day. That was when I first realized there are people out there doing such transformations and changing their lives according to how they really feel inside. It was such a brave thing to do back then -- I completely denied that notion.

You use the word "boi" to define yourself. What is it about this term that exemplifies or captures how you feel and/or identify?
I use boi since it's a funny way to say boy. I don't feel like a man or like a woman. The closest definition I can think of in social terms is that I'm a masculine entity with a feminine core -- meaning I see myself physically as masculine, yet carry a lot female inner characteristics.

I also looked like a young boi for the first two years of my transition, so it was fitting then more so then it is now. The truth is I have no definitions and try not to live with one, even when I need to explain to someone (say a potential partner) about my sex, I say I'm a trans person. I feel that the word "person" makes things more human, rather then the word "gender" which, in my opinion, creates a separation just by defining me under a group that is mostly included as a minority (if included at all). I'm human before anything else and I think that's a key feature in explaining such subjects.



What have you learned about yourself since you began documenting your transition over 10 years ago?
To always follow your heart and instincts -- they always know exactly what you should do and they are your source of inspiration for creating and acting in your life towards your real dreams and goals. I learned that I cannot allow fear to paralyze my life and that I am not a victim of the consequences I create, rather the one who sets the circumstances to appear according to my will and abilities. And that life in denial is a sort of an inner death, as you are consciously trying to hide a part of yourself (in my case a BIG part) and that is literally going against your natural flow of life. It often involves lying to yourself and to others and what starts as a little secret becomes this huge burden until it shuts you down. Sooner or later the truth comes out, and so living in your truth, no matter what your sacrifices might be for doing so, is so much more liberating and life-giving then hiding in the closet and trying to belong where you don't.

How do you think the process of documenting your transition has or hasn't affected and/or shaped your transition? Do you think things would have progressed differently if you hadn't been documenting the journey? How so?
I think my self-portraits are what kept me alive. It really started as a game where I could be whoever I wished to be in my own private world -- no one could see or judge. As the years went by it was the only place (besides Halloween once a year) where I could express who I really felt like inside. I think If I wouldn't of had that as an outlet I don't really know where my life would have taken me. The documentation was my stage to prepare for life's real show, the flesh and blood transition. In front of the camera I could see how close I got with looking like a man/creating a masculine attitude. If I wouldn't have documented it, I guess I would have found another way to express that world. I also sketch and write poetry/short stories so I feel blessed. I have many outlets. I can definitely say that living secretly as two beings (one you feel like inside and one the world perceives you as -- the sex you're born to) can cause you severe emotional/mental damage over time and may encourage extreme negative thoughts and actions -- hence it's no wonder the highest percentage of suicide cases happen among the transgender part of the LGBT community.

What do you hope those who see your photos and learn about your journey take away from it?
First and foremost I would like to give back the power to the children who made me come out and start transitioning, like Jazz who was featured on Barbara Walters. Also parents of kids such as her, or young trans people who are uncertain/experimenting with their gender to see this story as an inspiration to liberate themselves and go through a transition (according to their will/need). I want them to know that things do get better the moment you start living in your truth -- that anything is better then living in denial, which is going against your natural flow. I would like this project to uplift people in any different sect of society to come out and live openly as who they are, accepting themselves and making their life happier and empowering them. We can only change our world by changing ourselves, as change starts from within.

Watch the trailer for "Boi -- Song Of A Wanderer" above and see more photos from the project below.

For more information on Nitzan Krimsky, visit his webpage here and the official "Song Of A Wanderer" page here. For more information on how you can take part in the "Boi -- Song Of A Wanderer" kickstarter, head here.

'Lost Kingdoms' At The Metropolitan Museum Exhibits Hindu, Buddhist Sculptures Of The First Millennium (PHOTOS)

May 4, 2014, 7:22 am

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Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and Myanmar are just some of the countries lending treasured Hindu and Buddhist sculptures to New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art for its stunning 'Lost Kingdoms' exhibition.

The show's title refers to Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms of Southeast Asia ranging from the 5th through the 8th centuries. Nearly 160 sculptures are included in the exhibition, reflecting themes from those faiths' traditions.

As a cooperative, international effort, the exhibition draws together religious sculptures scattered in countries around the world.

Show curator John Guy said in a statement:

“Lost Kingdoms represents the first exhibition to present the Hindu-Buddhist sculptural achievements of first-millennium Southeast Asia, a major tradition barely acknowledged in Asian art surveys. With loans from six Southeast Asian countries, this exhibition is a long overdue corrective. The works are sophisticated, subtle and often breathtaking. We are very privileged to have been permitted to include such major loans from the national museums of the region, including the first-ever loans from Myanmar, works of the utmost importance to our understanding of the early Buddhist world."

Here is a sampling of works from 'Lost Kingdoms', on display at the Metropolitan through July 27, 2014:

The Bible In Comics: How Genesis, Other Biblical Stories Come Alive Through Illustration

May 4, 2014, 7:35 am

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This article first appeared in Sacred Matters housed at Emory University.

The Bible was written on scrolls, papyri, and parchment, and rendered in languages ancient or dead. For some religious people, it would seem an act of disrespect, if not sacrilege, to translate its stories and lessons into pictures. Yet down the centuries, countless believers have eagerly translated the Bible into art, sculpture, music, and architecture. To encounter the Bible in art is to encounter the reverence, the joy, and even the missionary zeal of the artist. In the most notable examples, we also feel the artist’s curiosity, the will to explore the unexplored dimensions of his or her skill. We see the artist discover fresh aspects of a craft, if not a theological meaning.

The Bible in comic book form is a contemporary example of the artist’s translation of words into pictures. Some Bible comics are done in collaboration with other artists or with churches, while others are creations of a single artist following a personal vision. Whether Bible comics are created from a perspective of faith or not, they are works of exegesis. By translating words into pictures, their creators limit the possibilities of meaning, stripping away everything non-essential and leaving a focused and purposeful message.

A fine example is the celebrated Book of Genesis Illustrated by R. Crumb (2009.) In his introduction, Crumb offers some thoughts on his strategy for illustrating such a “venerable” and “powerful” text, which include reproducing every word of the original text “without interpretation,” to the best of his ability. The resulting work is, in his view, a “visual, literal interpretation of the Book of Genesis.”

Crumb created a masterpiece. His interplay of words and pictures is expressive and beautiful. The Book of Genesis is Western civilization’s definitive meditation on the human condition, and Crumb’s work is intensely focused on that. The faces and feelings of the book’s subjects consume every panel, exploding out of the crowded and passionate pages and into the eyes and hearts of readers. Crumb writes that he does not believe the Bible is the word of God. He believes it is “the words of men.”
And that belief resounds throughout his art, a message clear and true.

It is hard to be literal about some passages, however; that is where the artist might rely on inspiration if no greater purpose is at hand. In his panel depicting Genesis 2:18, Crumb gives his male subject a look of sadness, though the text makes no mention of Adam’s emotional state. Crumb’s interpretation of man’s loneliness is touching because it speaks directly to the need we all have for companionship. But for all we know from the Biblical text, the man was feeling nothing at all, and God was not even in the garden when making the decision to create a helper for him. All of this was added by Crumb.

Crumb’s illustration of Genesis 2:25 provides another good example of the interpretive aspect of any Biblical translation. The Bible tells us that Adam and his wife felt no shame; Crumb shows them frolicking! Interpretation in translation cannot be avoided and there’s no good reason to try. No artist should shy away from inspiration. Crumb didn’t, and it’s his inspiration that makes his comic so special.

While Crumb’s purpose was faithfully agnostic, Bible comics are generally produced by believers and are aimed at exhorting or enlightening the reader. We find the stories of Genesis used as visual means to a theological end. DC Comics’ The Bible (1975) written by Sheldon Mayer, edited by Joe Kubert and illustrated by Nestor Redondo, tackles Genesis 1-19 in a larger-than-life way. With an audience of children in mind, these “most spectacular stories ever told” in “the most beautiful comic magazine ever produced” (according to DC promotional materials) were aimed at countering the influence of science on children’s religious education.

This agenda is established in the first few pages of the comic. A contemporary boy and girl are visiting their grandfather. The boy says that the stories in the Bible never happened. He says, “According to my science teacher, Gramps…it all began millions of years ago!” Gramps replies,

Scientists would be the first to tell you that they don’t have all the answers… They’ll tell you that life probably began in the sea! But – if it did – how’d it get there?… And what controls the delicate balance of nature?

The comic does not advance a creationist position, but it does argue for a theory of intelligent design. In one panel, Gramps and the children are all shown as tiny creatures obscured by a shadow cast by a giant tree that occupies two-thirds of the panel. The proportions imply that human life is too small and too ignorant, by divine standards, to fully grasp the origins of life and the workings of nature. We need the Word of God.

It is within this context that the comic book tells the stories of Genesis 1-19. In these pages, we don’t see God. We can’t because the stories are told from God’s point of view. The art is striking for its power and intensity (editor Joe Kubert was legendary for his war comics.) The story is striking for its large size and cosmic scale. We are often looking down on the action as if from on high, and just as often, people are depicted looking upward in order to speak to God. The message is clear: only God possesses the power and majesty to create life and keep nature within its delicate balance.

Perhaps the most unusual and beautiful of all Bible comics was created between 1958 and 1972 by Basil Wolverton, a cartoonist well-known by secular fans for his comics in MAD and Plop!, among others. His Bible comics were commissioned by the Worldwide Church of God, of which Wolverton was a member, for its magazines The Plain Truth and Tomorrow’s World. The Worldwide Church of God was focused on end-time prophecy; Wolverton’s version of the Book of Revelation is possibly his finest achievement. The pages ooze violence, pain, death and dread, with alarming clarity .

Like his Revelation, Wolverton’s Genesis is also exquisitely conceived. While other Bible comics translate sacred words into pictures, Basil Wolverton’s Bible comics supplant the words with pictures. Contrary to Crumb’s strictly faithful reproduction of every single word of scripture, Wolverton’s comics include captions that sweetly and simply summarize major plot points and themes. While it would be hard to fully understand the pictures without the captions, these captions are mainly small props to help things along. In Wolverton’s Bible, the pictures are the scripture.

His account of the creation and fall serve as a wonderful example of this . The entire story is told in a sequence of only six pictures. The first shows the cosmos, an unformed Earth at its center. The second shows the Earth, Moon and Sun, with the Milky Way and galaxies in the distance. The third shows man emerging from the earth. The fourth shows the man and woman sitting together in a lush and populated garden. The fifth shows the woman sneaking up to a tree. The sixth shows a clothed man and woman fleeing into rocky terrain, a sword at their backs.

The style of these drawings is uncluttered and unhurried while rich with detail. In the 2009 reprint, each drawing occupies a single page. Just as in Crumb’s work, these are stories of human beings, and Wolverton says as much. His caption for the very first image states his theological vision quite plainly:

A long time ago God had a wonderful plan to create human beings. But he had to provide a place for them to dwell. He made the stars and planets and placed them in motion and in order in the vast realm we call the universe, and among them, he created the earth.

It is in the page depicting the creation of the man that Wolverton’s theological purpose merges most fully with his craft. We see man rising from the dust of the earth radiating light and energy, taking shape before our very eyes. This single moment of creation is the only reason for everything that came before. This man is God’s sole focus, God’s singular creation, God’s “wonderful plan.” In his introduction (2009,) Wolverton’s son Monte notes that the original drawing contains well over 1,000 dots. We cannot mistake what we are seeing.

Scripture is a unique kind of literature. It speaks directly to us. It is multivalent, its complexity sustained by the language in which is it expressed, its meaning shifting and morphing along with the vagaries of life and changing circumstance. When translated into images, something of its complexity is lost, replaced by an encounter with an artist and a message. As seekers of truth, we might prefer the words of scripture and the open possibilities they present. But in the capable hands of a talented artist, a Bible comic may bring us closer to an equally compelling mystery. It may connect us to our humanity.

Chris Martin Gives Andrew Garfield A Lesson In French Kissing On 'SNL'

May 4, 2014, 9:14 am

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Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone are the world's new favorite couple, and even when one of them makes a misguided comment, it seems that they can do no wrong. This was before we saw them try to kiss on last night's, May 3, episode of "SNL."

Acting out a mock Spider-Man scene, Garfield and Stone prove that they have no idea what to do when it comes to locking lips, awkwardly licking each other's mouth areas and violently sharing oxygen. Thankfully, tongue guru Chris Martin was in the house, and so he slapped on a wig and showed Garfield what true romance tastes like.

"Now you listen to me, you beautiful spidery man," Martin said to Garfield. "Why don't you go ahead and show me that beautiful little tongue."

Watch the hot video below.

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11 Gorgeous Porches And Patios We Need To Relax On This Spring (PHOTOS)

May 4, 2014, 9:20 am

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Of all the rooms in a house, sometimes the most impressive spaces aren't really rooms at all -- and these outdoor areas are certainly proof of that. From their stunning seating areas to their swoon-worthy fireplaces and bars, our friends at Porch.com rounded up warm weather retreats that bring the indoors out and add an al fresco touch in the most perfect way.

Where could you see yourself spending time this spring?




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Are you an architect, designer or blogger and would like to get your work seen on HuffPost Home? Reach out to us at homesubmissions@huffingtonpost.com with the subject line "Project submission." (All PR pitches sent to this address will be ignored.)

'Amazing Spider-Man 2' Slings In $92 Million During Box Office Debut

May 4, 2014, 10:14 am

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NEW YORK (AP) — Spider-Man can still sling it at the box office.

"The Amazing Spider-Man 2" debuted with $92 million in North American theaters over the weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. It was a solid opening for Sony's Columbia Pictures, which has released five movies about Marvel's web-slinging superhero in the last 14 years. The release of "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" essentially kicks off Hollywood's summer season and its annual parade of sequels and spectacle. Marvel movies have regularly commenced summer moviegoing in recent years, and the "Spider-Man 2" opening begins the season with a business-as-usual blockbuster performance.

Last week's No. 1 film, the female revenge comedy "The Other Woman," starring Cameron Diaz, slid to a distant second with $14 million in its second weekend.

The rebooted "Spider-Man" franchise starring Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone isn't performing quite as strongly as Sam Raimi's trilogy with Tobey Maguire. On opening weekends, the Raimi films grossed, in order: $114.1 million, $88.2 million and $151.1 million.

The "The Amazing Spider-Man," also directed by Marc Webb, opened on a Tuesday in 2012, making $62 million on its debut weekend and $137 million over its first six days.

The new sequel, which began rolling out overseas two weeks ago, is also doing huge international business. It has already grossed $161 million abroad, and it added another $116 million over the weekend.

That included $10.4 million from China, where it opened Sunday on a record 11,002 screens. And it set a record for Hollywood titles in India with a $6.5 million debut.

"Everywhere we opened just popped," said Rory Bruer, head of domestic distribution for Sony.

Domestically, families made up 33 percent of the audience of the PG-13 "The Amazing Spider-Man 2," a high percentage for a superhero film.

"It did seem to have a very strong component to the film, which we felt was an opportunity," Bruer said. "It also lends itself to a picture that will be around the market for a while, too."

But as Hollywood's summer rolls on, the competition gets stiffer. In two weeks, Warner Bros. opens the highly anticipated monster movie "Godzilla."

Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for box-office tracker Rentrak, said that shouldn't pose problems for the Marvel juggernaut.

"In the summer, two weeks is a lot of time between blockbusters," Dergarabedian said. "You don't see this kind of consistency in a particular genre that often."

"Spider-Man" follows Marvel's "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," released by Disney, by just a month. (The "Captain America" sequel is still in the top 5, with $7.8 million in its fifth week.)

The marketplace made way for "Spider-Man" over the weekend with no other new wide releases. Sony's "Heaven Is for Real" continued to appeal to faith-based audiences, hauling in $8.7 million in its third week.

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Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak. Where available, latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released on Monday.

1. "The Amazing Spider-Man 2," $92 million ($116 million international).

2. "The Other Woman," $14 million ($19.5 million international).

3. "Heaven Is for Real," $8.7 million.

4. "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," $7.8 million ($10 million international).

5. "Rio 2," $7.6 million ($24.5 million international).

6. "Brick Mansions," $3.5 million ($3 million international).

7. "Divergent," $2.2 million ($9.8 million international).

8. "The Quiet Ones," $2 million.

9. "God's Not Dead," $1.8 million.

10. "The Grand Budapest Hotel," $1.7 million ($8.6 million international).

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Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada) for films distributed overseas by Hollywood studios, according to Rentrak:

1. "The Amazing Spider-Man 2," $116 million.

2. "Rio 2," $24.5 million.

3. "The Other Woman," $19.5 million.

4. "My Old Classmate," $19 million.

5. "The Great Hypnotist," $14 million.

6. "Frozen," $11.1 million.

7. "Qu'est ce qu'on a fait au Bon Dieu?!," $11 million.

8. "The Fatale Encounter," $10.5 million.

9. "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," $10 million.

10. "Divergent," $9.8 million.

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Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jake_coyle

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Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by 21st Century Fox; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.

The Force Is Strong With These 35 'Star Wars' Fan Families

May 4, 2014, 3:07 pm

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It's been a big week for "Star Wars"-loving families, with the casting news for the upcoming movie, Episode VII announced on Tuesday.

While Adam Driver and Andy Serkis may make excellent acting choices for the upcoming film, there is some overlooked talent lurking in our online midst. Yes, not so long ago, in a galaxy not at all far away, these children (and their geeky parents) put together "Star Wars" auditions of their own -- and they didn't even know it.

J.J., if you need extras, look no further. (Or, in the words of Chewie, WAAAARGHGHGHHAAAAAGH!)

Rachel Dratch Looks Back On 'Debbie Downer' For Its 10th Anniversary

May 4, 2014, 7:37 pm

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You're having a great time at dinner, and she reminds you of rampant mad cow disease. You're celebrating your birthday, and she brings up hurricane victims. She's Debbie Downer, and she ruins everything -- wah wah waaah.

The bob-wearing, side-smirking, gloomy Debbie was one of the funniest characters on "Saturday Night Live," always bringing everyone down while simultaneously making the entire cast crack up with laughter. She's destroyed lingerie parties, been worse than the Grinch on Christmas, and, in the best sketch of them all, she made Disney World the unhappiest place on earth.

The Debbie Downer sketch turns 10 this month, on Sunday, May 4, and Dratch was just as shocked as we were to realize how much time has passed. Since her "SNL" days, Dratch has made various cameos on TV shows (let us never forget her "30 Rock" Cat Lady) and most recently she hosted the Clorox Ick Awards last month, which Dratch called "a live improv Internet event" with The Second City comedy group.

To celebrate the 10th anniversary, HuffPost TV caught up with Dratch to look back on the Debbie days, hear about her upcoming pilot, and find out if she's returning to "Broad City" next season.



We’re coming up on the 10th anniversary of Debbie Downer.
Oh my gosh, we are?! That’s horrifying! Has it been that long?!

Yeah! It first aired on May 4, 2004.
Oh my gosh! I did not know it’s been that long. Let’s celebrate. Time is ever marching on, wah waah!

I read that for the Debbie skit with Ben Affleck, NBC later aired the dress rehearsal instead of the live version since it was funnier.
You know what’s weird? I didn’t know that, but it’s funny because that was our second time out -- whenever you’re bringing out a new character that did really well once -- and that’s true because the dress rehearsal went so much better. I think I was told to not laugh, keep it together and I was really in my head for air, “I cannot laugh.” That one felt a lot less fun, but I never knew that they aired the one where we actually laughed.



Do you have a favorite Debbie Downer sketch?
My favorite was the first one [with Lindsay Lohan] where we call cracked up because, you know you try not to laugh when you’re on "SNL." It’s such a cheat because the audience loves when you crack up and I would really try not to, but that one was just out of control. It was so fun. People often ask, “Is the show really live?” I like it when things go off a little to remind you, yes the show is truly live and anything can happen. That seems to be the one people remember the most of the Debbie Downers.

Do you think you’ll make an appearance on “SNL” again any time soon?
You never know when you might get the call to go back. I guess what I would pray for is that some politician comes along who I look exactly like and I can play her all the time. Maybe something big will happen with Ruth Bader Ginsburg and I could play her or something, but so far that’s my front runner.

I’m really excited about your new pilot, “Dead Boss,” with Jane Krakowski! What can you say about it?
Well it’s just a pilot, so we hope it gets picked up. It’s called “Dead Boss” and it’s based in the British series created by Sharon Horgan, who’s done a bunch of shows over there. Basically, Jane Krakowski’s Helen is wrongly convicted of killing her boss, who’s played by David Cross. I’m her prison cellmate and I’m very excited to have a new roommate, a little too excited. That’s the premise of the show. I’m one of the characters in her world, but a lot of characters have different reasons for wanting her to stay in prison.

You play Christine in the pilot and she’s described as an “emotional but needy arsonist.” That sounds hilarious.
Yes, I’m a funny arsonist! I am an emotional, needy arsonist and super excited to have a roommate and, like I said, very over eager to show Jane’s Helen all the ins and outs of prison.

I also loved your appearance on “Broad City.”
I loved that show so much! When I did that I didn’t even know really -- like I knew Amy Poehler was producing it, so I was like, “Of course I’ll do this.” But I didn’t really understand the whole world of these two characters. I just showed up to do this part. Now I watch it and I love the show so much. The unique friendship and weird take on New York, it’s just a really cool show.



Do you think you’ll return next season? They may need more temps ...
I’ve heard rumors that I might. So knock on wood that it happens because I’d love to now that I fully understand the show.

If you had to pick one of your many characters to live as for an entire day, who would you be?
Oh my god! That’s a good one! I thought you were going to say “Who’s your favorite,” which is what they usually ask. But to live as, wow. I think I kind of already live as Debbie Downer. [Laughs] That came from my own -- let’s see. Maybe I would pick The Love-ahs because they’re so into their own wackass sensuality. It’d be kind of interesting to live like that for one day in a hot tub.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

'Napoleon Dynamite' Dance 100 Times Is Now Off The Bucket List

May 4, 2014, 9:53 pm

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Talk about dedication.

Matt Bray not only learned how to do a spot-on version of the classic dance scene from the 2004 film "Napoleon Dynamite," he also went ahead and filmed himself dancing it.

And then he did it again. And again. And again.

Every day for more than 100 days, Bray danced -- and the edited video above shows him completing "100 days of dance," or item #117 on his bucket list.

"Technically it was around 120 something days but 100 days sounds better," he writes in the description of the video of him dancing to "Canned Heat" by Jamiroquai.

Bray has been documenting his efforts to cross items off his unusual bucket list and posting the videos to YouTube under the name "ProjectOneLife."

"I have a Bucket List and I am trying to live life to the fullest," he writes in the description.

Bray spoke to the Naperville Sun about his project.

Some of the list items he's taken care of so far include "Crash a Wedding" (#13), "Eat White Castle Like Harold and Kumar" (#45) and "Break a Guinness World Record" (#11).

His record? "Most whoopee cushions sat on in 30 seconds."

(h/t Gawker)

Coldplay Dedicates Song To Mick Jagger At New York Concert

May 6, 2014, 5:09 am

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NEW YORK (AP) — Coldplay dedicated its slow tempo tune "Fix You" to Mick Jagger at a concert in New York City.

Chris Martin told the crowd Monday before singing the encouraging song about recovering, "It's for Mick Jagger." Jagger's longtime girlfriend, fashion designer L'Wren Scott, committed suicide in March. A memorial was held in New York last week.

Martin doesn't quite have Jagger's moves, but the singer danced wildly onstage with his arms swinging as he sang tunes from the band's catalog, including songs from their new album "Ghost Stories," out May 19.

He played the piano and guitar throughout the hour-long set at the Beacon Theatre, performing well-known hits like "Speed of Sound," ''Clocks," and "Viva la Vida" as colorful laser lights beamed and white stars hung from the ceiling above the stage. Confetti burst from the sides of the stage after they performed the dance-flavored tunes "Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall" and "A Sky Full of Stars."

Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow, who married in 2003, announced they were separating in March. While singing the song "Magic" — which features lyrics like "No I don't ... want anybody else than you" — one girl yelled: "Hang in there, Chris!"

The British foursome closed the show with "True Love," which Martin asked the crowd not to film and post on YouTube.

"(This) is the best song off our new album that no one has ever heard yet," he said. "Sometimes you have to keep these things to yourself."

He made a heart symbol with his hands after performing the tune, which included the lyrics, "Once upon a time I was yours, you were mine."

"Ghost Stories," the Grammy-winning group's sixth album, features production work from Paul Epworth, best known for producing and co-writing "Rolling In the Deep" and other tracks on Adele's colossal "21" album.

____

Online:


http://www.coldplay.com/


____

Follow Mesfin Fekadu at twitter.com/MusicMesfin

Miranda Lambert Leads CMT Nominations

May 6, 2014, 5:15 am

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Thanks to her friends in country music, Miranda Lambert leads the Country Music Television nominations by pairing with her husband Blake Shelton, her girl group Pistol Annies and good friend Keith Urban.

She's up for two individual awards for her video "Automatic," two for collaborating with the Annies on Shelton's song "Boys 'Round Here" and two more for singing with Urban on his song, "We Were Us." Lambert will be hard to beat this year, with three videos in the top category of Video of the Year and two in the Collaborative Video of the Year category. Luke Bryan and Florida Georgia Line have five nominations each, and Urban and Taylor Swift are tied with four nominations.

Urban found out he had earned two nominations for his music video, as well as two more for working with Tim McGraw and Swift on "Highway Don't Care," while rehearsing on Monday for a musical benefit show for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

"Well, I love that those are for collaborative efforts," Urban said. "That's extremely gratifying."

Voting begins Monday at CMT.com and continues until June 1. The awards show will be held in Nashville, Tennessee, on June 4.

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Online:


http://www.cmt.com/

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The 'Amazing Spider-Man 2' Ending Leaves Big Questions For Third Film

May 6, 2014, 5:25 am

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This post contains major spoilers about "The Amazing Spider-Man 2."

Marc Webb did the unthinkable at the end of "The Amazing Spider-Man 2": He broke up one of the best onscreen couples in a decade, Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield, with the permanence of a character death.

As had long been expected, anticipated and rumored, Stone's Gwen Stacy dies in Webb's blockbuster sequel, fulfilling the character's destiny from the Spider-Man comic books. That leaves Garfield's Spider-Man in a state of mourning as the film hurdles toward its closing credits, and puts the franchise itself on a shaky emotional ground as it heads to the forthcoming third installment.

"That's exactly the problem that Peter Parker has, which is a good place to be: How do you go on? How the fuck do you go on after that?" Webb told HuffPost Entertainment about the decision to kill Gwen. "It's a big question, and it's a question that we're going to have to hit on the head."



Webb's right about that one. Even detractors of what he has done with the friendly neighborhood web-slinger have found the on-screen chemistry between Stone and Garfield (an off-screen couple) to be the franchise's high point thus far. Not having that to fall back on will change the dynamic of "The Amazing Spider-Man 3" in fundamental ways.

"In a weird, terrifying and ironic way, Andrew, Emma and I were on a path of discovery in the first movie. Then in this movie, we were having fun, but there was also a gravity to it," Webb said about the development that occurred between films. "In the next movie, we're not going to be able to rely on the things that we have relied on in these last two movies. We're going to have to ask the question: Can Peter Parker love again?"

Well, probably. Shailene Woodley was initially cast as Mary Jane Watson, Spider-Man's other famous love interest, in "The Amazing Spider-Man 2," but her scenes were excised because Webb wanted to focus the sequel on Peter and Gwen's relationship. "It was just a little like hint," Webb told ScreenCrush about the lost Mary Jane role.

While it's doubtful that Woodley will play Mary Jane in part three -- "'Divergent' is a massive hit and I think it's going to be tricky for schedules," Webb said to Movies.com about trying to wrangle the burgeoning A-list actress for the next film -- the character will likely appear in some capacity.

"There are broad strokes of the story that we have worked out from beforehand," Webb said of what to expect from the third film. "We're teasing the Sinister Six, too. But we haven't figured out how all those things are going to overlap and interact. It's still in the developmental phase."

Fortunately, Webb has some time: "The Amazing Spider-Man 3" isn't due out in theaters until June 10, 2016.

The Black Keys New Album 'Turn Blue' Is Now Available To Stream In Full

May 6, 2014, 5:44 am

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In a surprise that at least made a difference for Black Keys fans suffering through a boring Monday night, the band released their new album, "Turn Blue," to stream in full, a week prior to its May 13 release via Nonesuch Records.

The 11-track LP, co-produced by Danger Mouse, includes previously released singles "Bullet In The Brain" and "Fever," for which the band unveiled a sweaty-preacher-themed music video earlier this month.

"Turn Blue" marks the band's eighth studio album, a follow-up to 2011's "El Camino." Patrick Carney notes that "it pays to listen to it more than once," and you can listen to "Turn Blue" twice or even nine hundred times over at iTunes radio. Also, don't forget to watch that sweaty preacher video.

Welcome To The Isle Of Klezbos, Where Yiddish Tradition Meets Queer Culture

May 6, 2014, 6:18 am

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About to get married to the gay love of your life? Consider hiring a klezmer band. The centuries old Yiddish music, so long associated in lay circles with "Fiddler On The Roof" and arranged marriage, is actually in the midst of a queer revival.

One female sextet in New York, The Isle of Klezbos, has as many members who identify as Jewish as they do lesbian. Their music –- pointed enough in spirit to have earned a spot on "The L Word" -– goes beyond the traditional subjects of the kale and khusn, or bride and groom.

All source material is fair game. The band's recently released sophomore album, "Live From Brooklyn," includes a track inspired by an episode of "Gomer Pyle, USMC." The 1960s sitcom entered the marriage rights conversation last year, when its star, Jim Nabors, married his longtime partner, effectively coming out at the age of 82.

The Klezbos track is based on the score to a 1968 episode. Titled "A Little Chicken Soup Wouldn't Hurt," the episode guest stars the legendary Yiddish actress Molly Picon. She plays a Jewish mother who lives to serve... food mostly -- her homemade gefilte fish, kreplach, and of course chicken soup, to any young person who'll eat it.



A former archivist, the band's founder Eve Sicular heard Nabor's news and immediately thought of the Picon episode. She dug up the video (found easily enough on Youtube), thinking she'd post the funny little overlap of Yiddish and queer culture to her Facebook page to celebrate.

Watching it beforehand, she noticed a bit in which the two stars seem to share an "in-joke" about homosexuality. Picon, in character as a typical mamaleh, refers darkly to a "sissy" who decorated her home. In reality, she was known for a disregard for gender roles. Her female characters often cross-dressed in a bid to escape their lot, and Picon herself once wore a tux and pinky ring to accept an award.

"Given the two in the scene," Sicular said in a phone interview with HuffPost, the exchange struck her as somewhat momentous: a playful wink-and-nod between a pair of performers acquainted with homosexual culture, rather than a "put down."

Her other discovery: a "lovely klezmer underscoring" playing through much of the 23-minute episode, which somehow escaped her attention years ago when she first saw it. This is the kind of material that's right up Sicular's alley. With the help of an archivist at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, she tracked down the widow of the composer, who agreed to let the band rearrange her late husband's creation. A bonus track on the album, it's now called, "When Gomer Met Molly."


The Isle of Klezbos performs a more traditional klezmer hit, the Hungarian drinking song, Szol a Kakas Mar.

Other bands simply edit the classics to their liking. Gay Iz Mer, a San Francisco-based outfit, who call themselves the only LGBTQ klezmer "house" band in the world (they are members of the synagogue they play for, Sha'ar Zahav), sings an updated take on the "Khosn-Kale Mazel Tov." Theirs is a "Kale-Kale Mazel Tov," for a bride and bride.

The band name is also a twist on a standard: the famous Yiddish kvetch, "vey iz mer," or "woe is me." Now it's "gay is me." (Queer puns are held to a high standard in this crowd. Sicular says she didn't even consider calling her band The Klezbians. "It was already kind of cliché," she explains.)

It helps that klezmer is a hybrid art, cobbled from Eastern European folk songs and Yiddish influences. Its dynamic history is often cited by performers as license to write new songs and change old ones without stepping outside the bounds of the form.

Obviously the timing is right for creativity in gay marriage music in particular. And yet the subculture of queer klezmer formed decades ago, long before that was the case. Partly this had to do with the music's Yiddish roots, which posed an intriguing counterpoint to the Israel-obsessed "mainstream establishment" Sicular says she remembers setting the rules of life in New Jersey, when she grew up in the 1960s.

Much of the bias had to do with the trajectory of cultural pride launched by the founding of Israel in 1948. In an essay exploring the line between queer and klezmer culture, Dana Astmann, a staffer at the Yale School of Music, orients the start of "a long-lasting Jewish interest in Israeli music and culture" to the establishment of statehood. In this jingoistic atmosphere, Yiddish, with its Germanic roots, didn't really belong. Sicular remembers parents insisting their kids learn Hebrew and take Israeli folk dance classes. Watching TV at a friend's house one day, she was shocked when her pal understood a short Yiddish phrase that appeared in a commercial.

Sicular eventually enrolled at The Juilliard School and became part of what Astmann identifies as the "klezmer revival" of the late seventies, spurred by a national interest in folk culture. In 1976, the first notable "neo-klezmer" recording appeared: "East Side Wedding," a rhythmically loose 18-track album cut by a band that called themselves, simply, The Klezmorim, the technical word for klezmer players.

Sicular joined in after attending a concert in college, at a time when she was deep into Appalachian and Irish folk music. Hearing klezmer -- for the first time in her life -- touched her differently. Its clarinet-driven sounds, which to her sounded Jewish, both thrilled and upset her. It was as if, she says, she'd stumbled onto a “party for me in my own backyard that nobody told me about."


This arrangement of Ale Birder by The Klezmatics features a provocative change to the lyrics in the last verse, from "We're all brothers," to "We're all gay, like Jonathan and King David."

Alicia Svigland, an out member of the Klezmatics, a Grammy-winning band that's both prominent and queer-focused, describes a similar sensation. In a 2007 article for the Jewish journal Sh'ma, she gives a name to the imaginary space where queer, Jewish musicians began to congregate. "Yiddishland," like the backyard of Sicular's metaphor, remains “a safe haven, a frontier world we can begin to populate unmolested.”

The Yiddishness of Yiddishland, naturally, is critical. Says Sicular: "One of my theories is that people who already have a sense of the value of things that are maybe considered a little more outside" -- in this case, being queer -- "are more open to venturing into other things like," for instance, Yiddish culture.

That's not to say the music coming out of this new frontier is strictly Yiddish in spirit. The sound of modern klezmer, in Sicular's words?

“New Orleans second line meets cantata, as dreamt by a Romanian shepherd.”

What If Disney Princesses Didn't End Up So Happily Ever After?

May 6, 2014, 6:20 am

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New York- based animation storyboard artist Jeff Hong got his start working on classics like "Hercules," "Mulan," "Tarzan" and "The Emperor's New Groove." Since his time at Disney, however, he has re-imagined the fate of characters had they actually lived in, you know, the real world.

Hong's series "Disney Unhappily Ever After" pictures some of your favorite heroes affected by social, political, environmental and economic consequences, showing us what happens when fantasy meets reality.

"The idea just popped in my head to put Disney princesses into environments that they wouldn't be associated with," Hong told The Huffington Post in an email. "Once I started putting them together, I realized a lot of social issues that are always important to me could be woven in as well. I think that's what has made it really successful and a bit controversial as well, so I'm glad it has started debates and discussions on the issues of racism, animal abuse, drugs, etc."

Hong is not the first artist to place Disney characters in dark contexts, but his pictures make us reconsider what "happily ever after" actually means.

For more photos, check out Hong's Tumblr here.



Alice in Wonderland looks a little down trodden, as she's getting curiouser and curiouser about what she can find on the streets.



Cinderella was the bell of the ball... until she wasn't.



Not even Dumbo's magic feather can save him from the horrors of animal abuse in the circus.



Ariel wants to get out of the water... but her motives have nothing to do with Prince Eric.



King of the zoo's lion enclosure?



Suddenly a life as a frog seems like a better alternative for Tiana from "The Princess and the Frog."



Not even Aladdin could convince Jasmine to trust him now.



Pocahontas took a gamble on coming to America, and this is what happened.



Forget the Huns, Mulan can't save her country from pollution.



Even Bambi's mom might have had a better fate than this, and that's saying a lot.



Maybe you should think twice about eating fried chicken.

'Star Wars: Episode VII' Reportedly Has A Working Title

May 6, 2014, 6:27 am

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Now that a bunch of actors have been cast in "Star Wars: Episode VII," it's about time that the new adventure in a galaxy far, far away gets its name. According to Harry Knowles at Ain't It Cool News, J.J. Abrams' forthcoming "Star Wars" film has the working title of "The Ancient Fear," a reference to one of the film's villains, played by Max von Sydow.

HuffPost Entertainment contacted a representative for Lucasfilm to comment on the rumored title. This post will be updated if and when they respond.

Whether or not "Star Wars: Episode VII" becomes "Star Wars: Episode VII - The Ancient Fear" is unclear, but the title does slide in well among past "Star Wars" names: "Episode I - The Phantom Menace," "Episode II - Attack of the Clones," "Episode III - Revenge of the Sith," "Episode IV - A New Hope," "Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back," "Episode VI - Return of the Jedi."

For more, including what to expect from von Sydow's evildoer, head to Ain't It Cool. Whatever it's called, "Star Wars: Episode VII" is out in theaters on Dec. 18, 2015.