RuPaul’s Drag Race alumni Trixie Mattel, Ginger Minj, Laganja Estranja, Gia Gunn, Tatianna, Coco Montrese, and Nicole Paige Brooks recite their favorite lines from the iconic film Mean Girls… after inhaling a helium balloon!
The post Watch the Queens Quote ‘Mean Girls’ on Helium! appeared first on World of Wonder.
Director Alex Proyas and Lionsgate issued an apology last week for the lack of racial diversity in their upcoming movie Gods Of Egypt. The movie stars Scottish actor Gerard Butler, Australian actors Geoffrey Rush, Brenton Thwaites and Courtney Eaton, as well as English actor Rufus Sewell and Danish Game Of Thrones hunk Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. Sensing the impending backlash Provas said to Forbes.com:
‘The process of casting a movie has many complicated variables, but it is clear that our casting choices should have been more diverse. I sincerely apologize to those who are offended by the decisions we made.’
Lionsgate added:
‘We recognize that it is our responsibility to help ensure that casting decisions reflect the diversity and culture of the time periods portrayed. In this instance we failed to live up to our own standards of sensitivity and diversity, for which we sincerely apologize. Lionsgate is deeply committed to making films that reflect the diversity of our audiences. We have, can and will continue to do better.’
Odd, though. They realized their mistake AFTER the movie was completed? Shouldn’t they have thought of this before? Especially after last year’s Christian Bale/Exodus disaster? I would think in 2016, every studio would know better than to incur the wrath of the internet PC police. (via Daily Mail)
The post Gods of Egypt Director Pre-Apologizes for Movie’s White Cast: “‘We Failed to Reflect Diversity” appeared first on World of Wonder.
For whatever reason, Dangerous Minds has compiled a photo series of stars in various states of undress hanging out and being photographed in the loo. Why not? Can you name them all? Answers at the end.
From top to bottom: Dame Joan Collins, Iggy Pop, James Dean, Frank Zappa, Phyllis Diller, Salvador Dali, Elvis, Babe Ruth, Jean Harlow, Sid Vicious, Sophia Loren, Donald Sutherland, John Travolta, Millie Jackson, Kim Novak, The New York Dolls, Sid and Nancy, Duke Ellington, Joan Rivers, Nirvana, and Pablo Picasso.
More at Dangerous Minds.
The post Stars in the Bathroom: Joan Collins, Iggy Pop, James Dean and MORE! appeared first on World of Wonder.
Have you guys seen all the videos the queens from RuPaul’s Drag Race have released from their fabulous holiday album Christmas Queens? Watch videos from Manila Luzon, Alaska, Katya, and Sharon Needles!
And be on the lookout for videos coming soon from Ginger Minj, Jiggly Caliente, Detox, and The AAA Girls (Alaska, Courtney Act, and Willam)!
The post Music Videos from ‘Christmas Queens’! Have You Seen Them All? appeared first on World of Wonder.
Take a trip down memory lane with Andy Cohen! A three part special only on Bravo, Then and Now with Andy Cohen premieres Sunday, December 13 at 10/9c and will showcase the year 1994. Then, Sunday December 16th is 1989, and Sunday December 23rd is the year 2000!
The multi-part special will break down key moments of three significant years in history: 1989, 1994, and 2000. In the special, Andy will be joined by newsmakers, writers, and celebrity guests to discuss trends and events that made each of those years unforgettable, including never-before-heard insider stories from those who experienced the moments for themselves. Guests will include Kelly Ripa, Connie Chung, Dr. Drew, Mariel Hemingway, Real Housewives of New York‘s Bethenny Frankel, and Margaret Cho, as well as former White House Social Secretary Jeremy Bernard.
Watch the promo NOW!
The post Get Ready For Throwback Realness and Watch the Promo for “Then & Now with Andy Cohen” Now! appeared first on World of Wonder.
The HBO Documentary Films presentation Mapplethorpe: Look At The Pictures, A Definitive Portrait of the Provocative Artist, directed by World of Wonder founders Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato is set to debut in April 2016! It is slated to release in conjunction with simultaneous retrospectives at The Getty Museum and The Los Angeles County Museum of Art!
Medium.com reports:
“Look at the pictures,” said Senator Jesse Helms, denouncing the controversial art of Robert Mapplethorpe, whose photographs pushed boundaries with frank depictions of nudity, sexuality and fetishism, igniting a culture war that rages to this day.
More than 25 years later, the HBO Documentary Films presentation MAPPLETHORPE: LOOK AT THE PICTURES does just that, taking an unflinching, unprecedented look at his most provocative work. From acclaimed filmmakers Fenton Bailey and Robert Barbato (“Inside Deep Throat”; HBO’s “Wishful Drinking” and “The Eyes of Tammy Faye”), and produced by Katharina Otto-Bernstein (“Absolute Wilson”), the first feature-length documentary about the artist since his death, and the most comprehensive film on Mapplethorpe ever, debuts in April 2016 on HBO.
As The J. Paul Getty Museum and The Los Angeles County Museum of Art prepare landmark Mapplethorpe retrospectives (both opening in March), the film goes inside the preparation for the exhibitions as a jumping-off point to tell the complete story of his life and work for the first time, and explore the interplay between his personal and professional lives. MAPPLETHORPE: LOOK AT THE PICTURES reveals a controversial artist who turned contemporary photography into a fine art.
With complete and unprecedented access to The Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation, the documentary draws upon archival materials and features never-before-seen photographs and footage. “Even his most shocking and forbidden images are included without blurs, without snickers — in other words, exactly as the artist intended,” say Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato. Mapplethorpe himself is a strong presence, telling his story in his own words with complete honesty and often shocking candor through rediscovered audio interviews.
MAPPLETHORPE: LOOK AT THE PICTURES follows his early beginnings as a young artist in New York City through his meteoric rise in the art world to his untimely death. In 1963, he enrolled at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, where he studied drawing, painting and sculpture, and soon met his first girlfriend, Patti Smith, one in a string of profoundly influential lovers. By the late 1960s and early 1970s he was taking Polaroid photographs of friends and acquaintances, and was determined to make it, which meant being recognized as an artist and becoming famous.
Almost all of the people from key relationships in his life are present in the film, including Sam Wagstaff, David Croland, Lisa Lyon, Marcus Leatherdale and Jack Walls. The documentary also features almost 50 original interviews with family, friends, co-workers and colleagues, including Mary Boone, Carolina Herrera, Brooke Shields, Helen and Brice Marden, Fran Lebowitz, Bob Colacello and Debbie Harry.
Rounding out this portrait are the recollections of Mapplethorpe’s older sister, Nancy, and youngest brother, Edward. An artist himself, Edward assisted his brother for many years and was responsible for much of the technical excellence of his photography.
The duality of black-and-white work reverberated in his life. He often mounted two shows simultaneously: An uptown exhibition might include society portraits and delicate flower still-lifes, while his sexually explicit photographs were on view downtown. Mapplethorpe’s most controversial work — which he considered his most important — chronicled the underground BDSM (bondage, dominance and submission, sadomasochism) scene of late 1970s New York City, sparking a national debate over public funding of art some deemed offensive or obscene.
Mapplethorpe was diagnosed with AIDS in 1986, when the illness was still a death sentence. He spent the remainder of his life working more feverishly than ever before, not only pursuing perfection, but also striving to secure his legacy after his death. In 1988, a few months before Mapplethorpe’s passing, The Whitney Museum of American Art mounted his first major American museum retrospective.
The man who lived to be famous became even more famous after he died. Before his death, he designed one final show, The Perfect Moment, which bought images of flowers, S&M pictures and male African-American nudes together in a museum setting for the first time. As he himself predicted, the combination proved to be too much. In 1989, the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. canceled The Perfect Moment after Senator Helms took aim at Mapplethorpe. Later that year, protests were held when the traveling exhibition arrived at the Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) in Cincinnati, resulting in obscenity charges against the CAC and its director, Dennis Barrie. After a dramatic court battle, both were ultimately found not guilty.
MAPPLETHORPE: LOOK AT THE PICTURES is a revealing look at one of the most important artists of the 20th century, whose name remains a byword for something illicit, dangerous and dark.
Image: ©Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation. Used with permission.
The post “Mapplethorpe: Look At The Pictures, A Definitive Portrait of the Provocative Artist” Is Coming This April! appeared first on World of Wonder.
Kirsten Dunst is going to win an Emmy. Period.
I’ve been a forever fan of Dunst — Kiki, I call her — but Monday night’s eighth episode of FX‘s epic second season of Fargo will make you a believer.
You’ve already heard me talk about Peggy Blumquist‘s fashion here – the nutty beautician who does something very, VERY bad in the first episode – but, she’s so damn fun to watch in the latest installment of the episodic series set in Luverne, Minnesota in the late seventies, it’s hard not to dive head first into the hype (which she lives up to AND surpasses).
Here’s my reasons for why she should finally take home the gold:
1) She won a fricken Cannes…
…(which is basically France’s Oscars).
2) She’s given Academy Award winning performances for over two decades:
Before Twilight and Vampire Diaries, there was a little vamp that could. Dunst was nominated (but didn’t take home) the Golden Globe as Claudia in Interview With The Vampire.
Lux Lisbon has played out in every film auteur’s mind because Sofia Coppola brought out a young woman in Dunst back in 1999. Virgin Suicides was shot simultaneously with Bring It On, which tells you everything about her versatile range.
A sleeper in the box office – Crazy/Beautiful was exactly what the title claims: it’s crazy. And it’s beautiful. Maybe because it was distributed by MTV Movies, people treated it like Snow Day or a Hoku music video, but she will break your heart in this film.
It’s hard to imagine sympathizing with the Paris Hilton of France at a time when the people were starving, but Dunst as Marie Antoinette was a real charmer in a full range of emotional distress.
You would think with the combo of Lars Von Trier, science fiction, Denmark, and Dunst would be enough to hit a home run, but it snoozed even on streaming sites. Her portrayal as Justine – a Daria-like woman – is doomed by the world ending an a apocalyptic performance. (That won her, her Canne).
3) She (slayed) was in all your favorite 90’s movies:
Don’t act like you didn’t hide this two-day rental from your parents at Blockbuster (so they would inevitably have to buy it) and memorize all the routines when you were 14. Because that’s how mine played out.
We all love Dick.
Shakespeare, Carmen Electra, Sisqo, and Kiki…what’s not to love?
Get Over It will make you not get over how adorable this high school musical was.
Before Emma Stone and Joss Whedon‘s “Superhero” movie makeover, Dunst was the OG Marvel woman as Mary-Jane Watson in Spider-Man.
4) Her #SquadGoals are cute AF:
I love everyone in this pic and I think it’s adorable that she’s become baes with Lizzy Caplan aka Janis Ian.
She’s like, best friends with Rodarte.
After Drop Dead Gorgeous, the late-Brittany Murphy claimed that Dunst was her best friend:
(Pause. Grab a tissue.)
When she dated Jake, this friendship made me mad jealous growing up.
5) Her swag is always on point.
6) She rocked the pixie WAY before JLaw and everyone else.
7) When fighting anti-Semitism, her facial reaction game is next level.
8) THIS moment:
9) Peggy Blumquist goes full-on Amber Atkins and Kathy Bate’s Misery in the latest episode of Fargo.
It’s brilliant how Peggy can stab a guy twice without feeling bad, but is totally modest and turns away when he needs to use the bathroom. Self-diagonised as “fully actualized,” she steals the entire season in this latest storytelling complete with a full-on David Lynch-esque diatribe where she talks to herself about “being the best me, she can be.”
If Peggy doesn’t die, can she please get a spin off?!
Carving a name for herself with zero famous family members, she’s proven herself over three decades with timeless characters (Peggy, maybe being her most iconic). It’s time to give her the gold.
The post Fully Actualized: Why Kirsten Dunst Should Win An Emmy After Monday Night’s Fargo Episode appeared first on World of Wonder.
Having guests over for game night? Drag out your boring old “Guess Who” game and transform it into “Guess Ru!” When your good Judys see the familiar faces of RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Alyssa Edwards, Roxxxy Andrews, Sharon Needles, and all your RuPaul’s Drag Race favorites, their tuck will sure pop! Shoutout to the creator of this board game. Shantay you stay!
The post Game Night: Guess Ru! appeared first on World of Wonder.
It’s the Christmas commercial that aims to tug on your… heartstrings. Internet porn giants Pornhub’s latest Christmas ad shows a family cheerfully exchanging holiday gifts – except for poor Grampa, who sits on the couch looking sad. His grandson notices and gives him the one thing he really, really wants– a porn subscription. Awwww.
“With the holidays upon us, we wanted to provide our community with the opportunity to give the most touching gift of all to their loved ones,” Pornhub vice-president Corey Price said in a press release.
Watch the poignant exchange below.
The post Awww, How “Touching”: Pornhub’s Christmas Commercial appeared first on World of Wonder.
As you probably already know, NBC completely murdered its live production of The Wiz Live last night, earning impressive ratings and cementing a new star—the amazing Shanice Williams who more than held her own in the company of established stars such as Queen Latifah, Ne-Yo, and Mary J. Blige, as Dorothy.
cI was, of course, live Tweeting because how could I not?! The show was SICKENING.
"Slide Some Oil To Me" is clearly going to be the next gay anthem #TheWiz
— World of Wonder (@WorldOfWonder) December 4, 2015
What Friday night was like vs. what I tell people Friday night was like #TheWiz pic.twitter.com/mh9dnhRr1h
— Jarett Wieselman (@JarettSays) December 4, 2015
EMERALD CITY IS LIT. #TheWizLive pic.twitter.com/pS51I3SXOO
— Aaron Edwards (@aaronmedwards) December 4, 2015
House of Wiz #TheWizLive
— Johnny Boy ☮ (@JohnTheFame) December 4, 2015
When your whole squad at the Emerald City for the weekend… #TheWiz pic.twitter.com/3dI4J6AHnK
— Corey 'DIVA' Goines (@CoreyCG) December 4, 2015
My outfits for clubbing in the Emerald City club with Common #TheWiz #TheWizLive pic.twitter.com/8TEtImElja
— GLAMAZON DIARIES (@GlamazonDiaries) December 4, 2015
@LilKim ready for emerald city like… #TheWizLive #TheWiz pic.twitter.com/QErAv0u4G0
— Kahj Kensen (@ImSoManish) December 4, 2015
Not only is it a black cast but they nae nae'd, dabbed, vogued, threw shade, slayed & served. Our emotions.. #TheWiz pic.twitter.com/qMQ6J6aQnh
— xoNecole (@xonecole) December 4, 2015
Y'all ain't right
#TheWizLive #QueenLatifah pic.twitter.com/8bjIKfuMqu
— Tha Celebritea (@thacelebritea) December 4, 2015
I hope the Wizard and the Emerald City bouncer get back together. pic.twitter.com/FAqQ2BmAh5
— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) December 4, 2015
*snaps* #EaseOnDown pic.twitter.com/gEbcdMEZk2
— Berry (@SimplyBerry) December 4, 2015
Too bad Judy Garland only got to be in the second gayest "Wizard of Oz."
— Louis Virtel (@louisvirtel) December 4, 2015
Most people could not make a kryptonite crusted jacket look cool. But Common is not most people. #TheWiz pic.twitter.com/t2evqWxNRS
— Aaron Earls (@WardrobeDoor) December 4, 2015
The Wizard of Oz: The Original Catfish #TheWiz
— Kingsley (@kingsleyyy) December 4, 2015
The post “The Wiz” Brought Out The Very Best of Twitter Last Night appeared first on World of Wonder.
Oh, Solid Gold. MY GOD! Does anyone remember the BLISS that this ‘80s syndicated pop music variety show brought? Dreamboat Andy Gibb (the cocaine-addicted baby brother of BeeGees Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb) hosted with 5th Dimension singer Marilyn McCoo, and anybody who was anybody in the late ’70s/early ’80s music scene stopped by to lip-sync their latest hits. There were the legendary Solid Gold Dancers – Who. Were. BEYOND. BERSERK, mind you –in their outrageously sexy lamé thongs, disco dancing feverishly to songs that weren’t even REMOTELY danceable (The Commodore‘s “Three Times a Lady,” say, or Air Supply‘s “All Out of Love”). SO BRILLIANT. SO WTF.
It’s hard to say whether it’s a relief or a cryin’ goddamn shame that those dancers didn’t accompany the Plasmatics in their Solid Gold performance, but either way, the very fact that that appearance even happened is amazing. This was in 1981, the year that multiple arrests for indecency made the band’s singer Wendy O. Williams notorious outside of underground music circles, and Solid Gold was a broad appeal, all-smiles show that usually aired during the family hour. But despite the general family-friendliness of the program, nothing particularly set this performance of the Metal Priestess track “Black Leather Monster” apart from any given Plasmatics show except for a lack of breast exposure. Williams shrieked, danced suggestively, and chainsawed an innocent Les Paul while the band made a spastic punk spectacle of itself. And the segment is followed by a preposterous and wonderful interview—Williams chats (or rather, haltingly reads cue cards) with ventriloquist Waylon Flowers’ famously raunchy dummy Madame. (via Dangerous Minds)
Yes, yes, definitely stick around for punk legend Wendy O Williams “interview” with Madame. It’s pure early ’80s NUTTINESS. Camp BEYOND camp.
The post #FlashbackFriday: The Plasmatics’s 1981 “Solid Gold” Performance appeared first on World of Wonder.
Bored waiting to turn up on this Friday night? Why don’t you binge watch the fabulous TS Madison in her WOWPresents series Wait a Minute! See all the episodes below.
The post Binge Watch This: Wait a Minute with TS Madison appeared first on World of Wonder.
Leeches are obviously the new hairless cats or Labradoodles. Everybody wants them. Last night on Good Work we saw them used to give blood facials. Today, we learn of a man in Japan who has a PET leech, and that he lets it feed on his arm every night!
Via Oddity Central:
The leech in the footage is so bloated, it’s as big as the man’s forearm. And judging by the bite marks on his arm, the devoted owner has been feeding the creature his blood for quite some time now.
According to a Daily Mail report, leeches grow bigger as they consume more and more blood. Some species might reach up to 16 inches in length. Leeches, being parasites, aren’t exactly ideal pets. They have been used in medicine for several centuries now, but this is probably the first time in history that a human and a leech have bonded over a spot of blood!
Watch him have his din-din, below.
A sampling of YouTube comments:
The post WTF OTD: Man Has GIANT LEECH As Pet, Lets It Feed on His Arm appeared first on World of Wonder.
I was watching MSNBC live today as this incredibly uncomfortable situation unfolded. Reporters from MSNBC, CNN, and CBS aired live spots from inside the apartment that belonged to the suspect in the San Bernardino shooting that took place on Wednesday.
Clueless reporter Kerry Sanders picked up a driver’s license, a Social Security card, about a dozen photos, and more for the inspection of the camera. The reporter freely admitted that he had no idea whom they belonged to, or who was pictured in the images. This did not, apparently, give him any pause before airing images of them on live television. (According to Vice, the identification cards belonged to shooter Syed Farook’s mother.)
The NBC reporter also expressed wonder at finding a prayer rug in the apartment.
“Now, here’s something interesting. A prayer rug . . . I don’t know if this has been moved, but this should be facing Mecca.”
The F.B.I. did NOT believe the apartment should be open to media but an F.B.I. spokesman told the L.A. Times that the agency released the apartment to the owner.
“It’s still an ongoing investigation…
When we finish our searches we release the property back to the owner.”
CNN said in a statement.
“CNN, like many other news organizations, was granted access to the home by the landlord. We made a conscious editorial decision not to show close-up footage of any material that could be considered sensitive or identifiable, such as photos or ID cards.”
A spokesperson for MSNBC said in a statement.
“MSNBC and other news organizations were invited into the home by the landlord after law enforcement officials had finished examining the site and returned control to the landlord. Although MSNBC was not the first crew to enter the home, we did have the first live shots from inside. We regret that we briefly showed images of photographs and identification cards that should not have been aired without review.”
An L.A. Times reporter on the scene quoted the building owner confirming that he allowed the reporters to enter. However, in an interview outside the home, the owner said he simply opened the door, and that reporters rushed past him “like a garage sale.”
MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell, clearly uncomfortable with the coverage, asked the reporter and cameraman to refrain from airing photos. An NBC reporter said in audio that was picked up on the livestream…
“They want wide shots, no photos.”
CNN’s Anderson Cooper described the footage his network was showing as “truly bizarre,” and a security expert on the network said,
“I am so shocked I cannot believe it.”
Fox News also went inside the apartment. C Eventually, other members of the public began going in as well, including one woman who was walking a dog.
The actions of the networks were widely denounced on social media, where many journalists reacted with a mix of shock and horror at seeing their colleagues rifle through what could be considered part of a crime scene and reveal the names and photos of individuals whom they have not identified as involved in the investigation in any way.
The world we live in. It’s a free-for-all. Sigh.
(via Vanity Fair)
The post #WTF?: TV Reporters Barge Into the San Bernardino Shooter’s Home, Broadcasting LIVE! appeared first on World of Wonder.
Mama Michelle Visage has HAD IT with Azealia Banks’ repeated use of the phrase “faggot.” In an interview with The Gay UK, Michelle explained
“All of my gay friends call each other the ‘F’ word… I don’t, and she being a female shouldn’t. It’s wrong and it’s offensive. If she were a gay man and said it with the same venom it would still be offensive.
“I wish her well but I don’t know what she’s doing with that attitude.”
Banks, of course, has a long history of using the slur, and has been heavily criticised for it in the past.
Pink News UK reminds us that she was first criticized in 2013 when she told entertainment blogger Perez Hilton that he was a “messy faggot” who should kill himself. Later she defended her comments, arguing that gay men are misogynistic and that if gay men can say ‘bitch’ then she should be able to say ‘faggot’. Banks again criticised for a homophobic outburst against a flight attendant, where she was caught on video calling him a “fucking faggot”. In response to the criticism the rapper went on a bizare and vile rant on Instagram where she said she wanted to pepper spray a gay man in the face. She subsequently labelled the LGBT community the ‘gay white KKK’.
Gay men be saying the most misogynist sh*t, but as soon as you call them a f*ggot they wanna get upset.
‘Somebody gotta check these f*ggots man. I don’t give a f*ck!! NO MAN Is going challenge my femininity. It’s not happening.
‘Gay men can call you a bitch, and talk about YA hair and YA nails, but as soon as you call them a f*ggot, all sh*t breaks loose’
(Azealia Banks photo: Pacific Coast News)
The post Michelle Visage to Azealia Banks: “You Need to Stop Saying Faggot” appeared first on World of Wonder.
My favorite story of the year: A mother takes her 7-year-old trans daughter (named M.) to a speech that Laverne Cox was giving at the local town hall. To read the whole thing go here, but I’ve reprinted the takeaway below.
“Orange is the New Black” isn’t really appropriate viewing for 7-year-olds, but I had shown M. the photo of Ms. Cox on the cover of TIME when it came out last year, so M. had a vague idea that this was someone important who was also transgender. But I don’t think she really got it until we showed up for the event.
The line snaked out of the venue for half a mile. There wasn’t an empty seat in the house. We got there early enough to snag seats near the front, and when Laverne walked into the room, the crowd went nuts. M. went nuts, too, cheering and clapping for the glamorous lady everyone seemed to love so much.
I think ours were the only kids in the audience. Most of the speech went over their heads. But here’s the message that I hope got through to them: Here is someone who is talented and smart and famous and beloved by the multitudes – and she’s also like you.
A friend of a friend knew the event organizers, and she told us she might be able to sneak us into the smaller reception following Laverne’s speech. I kind of doubted that she’d remember to put our names on the list, so as M. sat on my lap, caught up in the frenzy of the crowd, I told her that she might (“just maybe”) get to meet Laverne that night.
“Really?” she said.
Our names were on the list. Laverne wasn’t there yet when we entered the private reception hall, but M. staked out a place near some doors at the far end of the room. There were multiple entrances. Why did she think Ms. Cox would come in through those particular doors? M. ignored my question and stood alone at the far end of the room, her back to me, her eyes glued to the doors.
She was right. A few minutes later, Laverne burst through those doors, and the crowd went nuts once again. But this time, a tiny person in a flowery sun dress stood between her and that crowd, looking her in the face, waiting to be noticed.
Laverne waved her Hollywood wave at the crowd, thanked us graciously, and then looked down at the little girl blocking her path.
“Well, hello,” she said.
“I’m M.,” my daughter said.
Laverne smiled down at her. “Hello, M.”
“And I’m trans,” M. said.
I don’t think Laverne saw that coming. The crowd around me gasped their approval (“Did you hear what that little girl said?”). Laverne seemed at a bit of a loss. She looked around the room. “Is anyone with her?”
I stepped forward. “I’m her mom.” Then I got tongue-tied in the face of celebrity, and forgot how to speak like a normal human. I have no idea what I said.
But M. knew what to do. She went in for a hug. Laverne crouched down to meet M.’s hug at eye level, and as I frantically snapped photos for posterity, I heard her say to my daughter, “Remember, honey, transgender is beautiful.”
Thank you, life.
Are you crying? I’m crying. What an amazing mother. What an amazing little girl. And, of course, what an amazing star we have in Laverne.
(via kuow.org, Shakesville; via Towleroad)
The post #FlashbackFriday: What Happened When a 7-Year-Old Trans Girl Blocked Laverne Cox’s Path appeared first on World of Wonder.
It’s easy to see that Gaga is owning 2015.
From her Valentine’s Day engagement to hunky Taylor Kinney:
To her jaw-dropping (and heart stopping) performance at the Academy Awards:
To her Cheek to Cheek tour with the incomparable Tony Bennett:
Let’s not forget her important and powerful song “Til It Happens To You”:
To her being the face of Tom Ford‘s Fall collection:
And to top it off, surprising (and delighting) her Little Monsters with a turn for TV as the Countess on American Horror Story:
Plain fact: she just seems happier.
Check out this totally candid (and super cute) video of Gaga talking about life and watching the sunset with her two French bulldogs:
Like, she totally radiates happiness now – not that she didn’t before – but there was a period of time where she wanted to quit pop music as evidenced during her prolific speech at Yale this past October for her Born This Way Foundation:
Check out her sage words of wisdom from her Billboard cover story and these amazing photos by Inez and Vinoodth below where she serves Lucy Liu/Uma Thurman realness:
On turning 30:
My birthday is in March, so these are the last moments of my 20s. I already mourned that in a way, and now I’m really excited about showing girls, and even men, what it can mean to be a woman in her 30s. Why is it that we’re disposing of people once they pass that mark? It’s suddenly, ‘You’re an old woman.’ I’m not f—ing old. I’m more sexual and powerful and intelligent and on my s–t than I’ve ever been. I’ve come a long way through a lot of heartache and pain, but none of it made me damaged goods. It made me a fighter. I want to show women they don’t need to try to keep up with the 19-year-olds and the 21-year-olds in order to have a hit. Women in music, they feel like they need to f—ing sell everything to be a star. It’s so sad. I want to explode as I go into my 30s.
On her career-changing performance at the Oscars:
As soon as the Oscars were over, [former chairman of Interscope Geffen A&M] Jimmy Iovine emailed me something like, ‘That was so f—ing fantastic, and it could’ve been such a disaster.’ He’s Italian and from Brooklyn, so we speak the same comedic language, but I knew he was right. The truth is you can either nail a performance like that or butcher some of the most classic songs sung by an all-time great. I took the gamble because everyone had written me off. It took me a long time to get those notes. I told my manager, ‘I need two months working with my vocal coach every day and to be sober, which means I can’t do other work at all.’ When I work I need to drink and smoke, and I have body pain [due to hip surgery]. But I’m just like any other girl — there’s a human being in there, and if you can keep the human intact, that’s what you’re going to hear in the music.
On singing with Tony Bennett:
There is nobody more badass than Tony Bennett. That man is a part of the history of music in a way that is extremely powerful, and he taught me to stay true to who I am, to not let anybody exploit me. He is responsible in so many ways for making me happy, and I can say the same for Elton [John]. When the whole industry turned their back on me during ARTPOP, they were the ones who said, ‘Hey, this is a blip. It’s going to go away.’ On tour, I had people give me war medals and memorabilia just to thank me for exposing a younger generation to Tony Bennett because he changed their lives in such significant ways. I want to be a part of curating a culture where we don’t give credence to anyone who is rude or crass or not good for the world.
On starring in American Horror Story:
I’m not the type of girl who fits most molds. That’s why working on American Horror Story with Ryan [Murphy] is a destiny. I wanted to create something extremely meaningful by exploring the art of darkness. The reason I love watching horror films, mysteries and documentaries about crime is that it somehow numbs me from the pain I experience in my own life. You are watching something worse than whatever you think you’re going through. The terror of that suspends you, and you are able to forget about your own pain for a moment. It’s like a safe, psychological form of masochism.Ryan and I have both experienced the same sort of criticism over the intention of our work. My whole career has been built on this perception that I’m trying to evoke attention because of the things I’m interested in, when it’s not that way at all. If you don’t like to be disturbed, [American Horror Story] probably isn’t for you. If you don’t like absurdity, I’m probably not for you. I hung upside down for 45 minutes for
Robert Wilson and drained all the blood in my body, and I’ve stood in a freezing cold river naked for two hours with magnets on my head for Marina Abramovic. I’m a hard-core chick. I go there. I can put all my rage into that dark art, and then the rest of my life can be spent clearheaded, doing the things I know to be right, like philanthropy and sticking to my guns musically.
A tri-brid of fashion, art, and music, she’s transcends the human experience with her commitment to philanthropy, equality, and her craft, but most importantly being authentic to herself.
Get the full story by grabbing your copy of Billboard on newsstands today!
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December 5, 1932– Little Richard:
“Gay people are the sweetest, kindest, most artistic, warmest & most thoughtful people in the world. & since the beginning of time all they’ve ever been is kicked.”
Little Richard was born Richard Wayne Penniman in Macon, Georgia, one of a family of 12 kids. His father was a church deacon & a bootlegger & the owner of the popular Tip In Inn nightclub. He gained the name “Lil’ Richard” because of his small, skinny frame. Little Richard began singing in church at a young age. One of his legs was shorter than the other, giving him an unusual way of walking. As a kid he was mocked for his effeminate demeanor. His father brutally beat him for trying on his mother’s dresses & kicked him out of the house when he was 14 years old for fooling around with another boy.
He was inspired by the great Gospel singers of the time, like Mahalia Jackson. His family had forbidden secular music in their house, but Little Richard loved the sounds of popular artists like Cab Calloway who performed “Devil Music.”
Without a home, 14 year old Little Richard joined Dr. Hudson’s Medicine Show, performing his first secular song, the R&B flavored Caldonia. He found work performing in Black Vaudeville houses, gaining quite a reputation as a drag performer. He also began listening to more R&B music & started to get gigs as a solo artist on The Chitlin’ Circuit, where African-American musicians & comedians were able to do their thing with some degree of safety in a racist & segregated USA. He became popular for his high energy song sets & flamboyant hairstyles & costumes.
In 1955, Little Richard sent a 2-song demo to the R&B label, Specialty Records. Specialty liked what they heard & thought that Little Richard might be their answer to the immensely popular Ray Charles. His first record was called Tutti Frutti, a risqué tune that he improvised & recorded in 3 takes.
Tutti Frutti became an instant hit, reaching #2 on the Billboard R&B Charts, & crossed over to the pop charts in both the USA & England. The next single, Long Tall Sally did even better, reaching #1 on the pop charts.
Little Richard belted out the musical blueprint for Elvis Presley, Elton John, The Beatles & The Rolling Stones, while backstage he set the benchmark for bad behavior with a penchant for group sex, angel dust & booze.
Little Richard has been an influential figure in popular music & culture for more than 6 decades, but his most celebrated work remains his recordings from the mid-1950s, when his dynamic music & charismatic more or less started Rock N’ Roll. His music also played an important role in the formation of Funk, Soul & even Hip-Hop. The music he made was the very essence of the R&B era & influenced future generations of artists. His performances & those times making headlines thrust his career right into the crazy mix of 20th century American popular music.
As a singer, songwriter & pianist, he is a giant, helping define Rock N’ Roll with his hits. He is a member of the Rock N’ Roll Hall Of Fame & Songwriter’s Hall Of Fame, plus he’s the winner of a Rhythm & Blues Foundation’s Pioneer Lifetime Achievement Award. His Here’s Little Richard is ranked 50th on Rolling Stone Magazine’s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, & he is ranked number 8 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists Of All Time, & 3 of Little Richard’s recordings: The Girl Can’t Help It, Long Tall Sally & Tutti Frutti are on their 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. He received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
There’s no doubt that Little Richard has had all sorts of gay experiences. In 1995, he told Penthouse Magazine that he was gay. If there were any doubt, there is also those 6 decades lived in fabulousness. Little Richard makes Prince seem like Idris Elba.
He has identified himself as “omnisexual” & when he became a born-again Christian, he claimed to be heterosexual… for a short while.
Little Richard was lucky to have a beard with his on again, off again girlfriend since 1956, Audrey Robinson, who had a certain something the boys didn’t: phenomenal tits.
Robinson:
“I was not a fan. I was just walking down West Broad Street, in Savannah. Richard looked out of a car window, & sent for me. I said to the person he sent down: ‘Who wants me? Little Richard? Excuse me? Is he aware that I am a girl?’ I was captivated from the moment I met him. I almost fainted. I felt weak at the knees. I went through all the classic signs of falling in love. With Richard, I have had a lot of firsts.”
During one of his Jesus phases, he was married to a woman for 4 years. Little Richard was present at a series of orgies in the 1950s & 1960s where apparently some straight sex slipped in when he wasn’t paying any attention.
Still, Little Richard inspired a generation of musicians:
Elvis:
“His music has inspired me. He is the greatest.”
Paul McCartney:
“He was my idol. The first song I ever sang in public was Long Tall Sally, at a holiday camp talent competition! I love his voice & I always wanted to sing like him. It was all his fault really.”
Mick Jagger:
“Little Richard is the originator & my first idol. Little Richard is King.”
In his high school yearbook Bob Dylan states his goal was: “To be just like Little Richard.”
David Bowie:
“After hearing Little Richard on record, I bought a saxophone & came into the music business. Little Richard was my inspiration.”
Paul Simon:
“When I was in high school I wanted to be like Little Richard.”
Bob Seeger:
“Little Richard was the first one that really got to me. I always preferred a high energy vocal, a hard full-force vocal. I liked Little Richard better than Elvis.”
Pat Boone:
“No one person has been imitated more than Little Richard.”
Little Richard:
“God talked to me the other night. He said he is getting ready to come. The world is getting ready to end… & He is coming, wrapped in flames of fire with a rainbow around his throne. When I talk to you about God, I’m not playing. I’m almost 83 years old. Without God, I would not be here. Can I get an ‘amen’?”
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On this #AfterShow, RuPaul’s Drag Race season 7 fan fav Trixie Mattel sits down with Edward Hansen to break down what happened on Wednesday’s episode 8 of the fantastic American Horror Story Hotel!
The post #AfterShow: Trixie Mattel & Edward Hansen Talk AHS Hotel Episode 8 appeared first on World of Wonder.
For the first time in a decade, I’m not in Miami this week for the Art Basel festivities. So far, among what I assume is a mixture of good, bad and mediocre art, I’ve missed torrential rains, flooding and attempted murder at the convention center. A fight escalated to a stabbing inside the Miami Beach Convention Center on Friday night. Detective Kathleen Prieto, from the Miami Beach Police Department, said a woman pulled an X-Acto knife and stabbed another woman in the arms and neck following an altercation. She said;
“The injuries are non life-threatening.”
The victim was transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. The alleged assailant was arrested at the scene. Both women were attending ABMB and not exhibitors. But the incident caused some confusion among those attending the show. Some people thought the stabbing was performance art while others thought the police tape cordoning an area of the convention center was part of an installation.
The incident occurred in a corridor near an art installation titled The Swamp of Sagittarius, by Miami artist Naomi Fisher. WPLG reporter Liane Morejon posted images of the victim and assailant. Morejon says she has been IDed as 24-year-old Siyuan Zhao of NYC. ABC affiliate Channel 10 reported:
Authorities said the victim confronted Siyuan Zhao about purposely following her around the art show and bumping into her several times. Zhao then stabbed the victim in the right side of the neck and left shoulder without warning or provocation, causing several cuts.
According to the police report, when the attacker was being arrested, she said:
“I had to kill her and two more.
I had to watch her bleed.”
Fitz & Co. president Sara Fitzmaurice released the following statement about the aftermath:
“At 5:20pm a visitor was assaulted by another visitor in the Nova sector of the fair. The attack was an isolated incident that was immediately secured. The suspect was apprehended by police who were at the scene within seconds of the incident. The extensive security provided by the Miami Beach Convention Center is supporting the investigation.
The victim was taken directly to the hospital and according to the Miami Beach Police Department the victim’s injuries are non-life threatening. Our thoughts are with the victim.
NBC’S Channel 6 South Florida reports that Zhao is facing an attempted murder charge. Inside the convention center, security guards and event organizers worked to quickly clean up the scene, and to keep public attention focused on the art and not the stabbing.
(via Miami Herald, ArtNet)
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