Nigel Zeff
Alfonso Arau
Amanda Peet
Cody Simpson
Jamelia
Jason Wahler
Kim Coles
Kyle Richards
Lil Twist
Marc Blucas
Mary J. Blige
Mary Rodgers
Nadia Turner
Naomi Judd
Rockmond Dunbar
Tom Rowlands
Vicki Peterson

Thank you so much @billboard for the ICON award tonight. I am so grateful to be able to use my mess and turn it into a beautiful message. Thank you to my friend, my sister @tarajiphenson for presenting and sharing this night with me. Love you! Congrats to all the women that were honored tonight @saintrecords @selenagomez @julie.greenwald @gracevanderwaal @kellyclarkson @kehlani @camila_cabello #womeninmusic #beautifulmess #glowup #wayupifeelblessed

A post shared by Mary J Blige (@therealmaryjblige) on Nov 30, 2017 at 9:06pm PST

Harry circa 1978. Photograph by Chris Stein, via YouTube

Deborah Ann Harry is an American musician, actor, former Playboy Bunny, and fashion icon known best as the songwriter and lead singer in one of the best bands ever, Blondie. At the height of her punk power, Harry was lionised as she ironised. But, at all times she was in control, a woman whose image was no one’s business but her own. Her music is an exercise in glassy-eyed ennui.

Her recordings with the band reached Number One on the Pop and Rock charts in the USA and the UK many times beginning in 1978. She is considered the first rapper to chart at Number One in the USA with her song Rapture in 1980. Harry achieved success as a solo artist before reforming Blondie in the late 1990s. Her acting career includes over 60 film roles and numerous television appearances.

Blondie was a pioneer in the New Wave and Punk scenes of the mid-late 1970s. With their first two albums, Blondie was regarded as an underground band until the release of Parallel Lines in 1978 which became a huge hit. Over the next three years, the band had Number One hits with Heart Of Glass, Call Me, Hanging On The Telephone, and The Tide Is High. They became noted for their blend of musical styles using elements of Disco, Pop, Reggae, and early Rap.

Blondie disbanded after the release of its sixth studio album in 1982. Debbie Harry took time off to care for partner Chris Stein, who was diagnosed with Pemphigus, a rare autoimmune disease. The band re-formed in 1997, achieving renewed success and a Number One single with Maria in 1999, exactly 20 years after their Number One single Heart Of Glass.

Harry has continued to tour with and without the band and has performed around the world. Blondie was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2006. They have sold 50 million records worldwide and are still going. The band’s 11th studio album Pollinator was released last spring.

Harry confirmed rumors of her bisexuality in a 2014 interview in Rolling Stone, saying “women are more sensual” but that her most enduring relationships had been with men. She expressed a longing to fall in love again and emphasized that the gender of the person was unimportant.

At World Of Wonder, we were, as the lyric goes, wild about Harry.

Get your shopping shoes, ready!

Well, not exactly shoes, put on your shopping gloves, y’all! RuPaul has launched a brand new merch shop and, seriously, you’re gonna wanna buy everything!

EVERY. THING.

From RuPaul vinyl to RuPaul books the website seriously has everything you could ever want to buy that’s Mama Ru related.

You can even get a Ru candy bar! What sane person wouldn’t want a RuPaul candy bar?

Get your coins ready before you go over to the new RuPaul merch shop because you’re gonna wanna buy it ALL!

From these amazing t-shirts…

To these awesome accessories…

To literally everything RuPaul you could ever want! Go check it out!

Tune in to the premiere of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 3 on January 25th at 8/7c on VH1!

Save the bitcoin, you’ll need it to tip the twerking robot strippers.  This week only, robot strippers can be found gracing the pole to Justin Timberlake (we ALL saw that coming after his latest music video) at the Consumer Electronics Show.

UPDATE: so tech is still trash pic.twitter.com/wgzXVhgEl1

— Jackie Luo (@jackiehluo) July 6, 2017

According to The Daily Beast:

The robots were flown in from London for the occasion and will be performing at the club all week in honor of CES, and Sapphire Las Vegas strip club Managing Partner Peter Feinstein said it’s all in a bid to attract more women.

#CES2018 is lit pic.twitter.com/vdqK7akCPY

— Taylor Lorenz @ CES (@TaylorLorenz) January 9, 2018

The club attempted to attract the CES crowd in new in creative ways. How else would you get a bunch of tech bros into the strip club?

“Come watch sparks fly as the robo-twins shake their hardware and leave everyone wondering if those double Ds are real or made in ‘Silicone’ Valley.”

The robot twins were initially designed for by a London artist as a form of political art but have now fallen off the beaten path stripping in front of signs reading “MIT Bound” and “need money for batteries”.

Oh they’re pitting the human strippers against the robot strippers now in the spirit of innovation pic.twitter.com/EdgVpqWDdX

— Taylor Lorenz @ CES (@TaylorLorenz) January 9, 2018

So if you are in Las Vegas this weekend, make a stop by the Sapphire Las Vegas strip and help some ladies — erm— robots — bottie hotties? — pay for MIT.

Content via Daily Beast, Pixabay, PAPER, Twitter.

Hamilton, left, and Coman, CetusNews via YouTube

Same-sex couples must be recognized by every member of the European Union (EU), even if a country does not have Marriage Equality, so says the European Court of Justice. The opinion is being hailed as a major step forward for Equal Rights for all.

The European Union’s top lawyer Melchior Wathelet, an Advocate General of the Luxembourg court, said same-sex spouses now have standing in all countries even where governments have implacably opposed Marriage Equality.

Opinions given by European Court of Justice (ECJ) Advocate Generals are non-binding on the court’s judges but are almost always followed by the full court. A final decision will be delivered sometime this year.

Wathelet’s opinion was given in the case of a Romanian citizen, Adrian Coman, who wanted to live together with full rights and benefits in Romania with his American husband, Claibourn Robert Hamilton. The couple had been together for four years in the USA before marrying in Brussels in 2010.

Romania prohibits marriage between people of the same sex. It is one of six European Union member countries: Poland, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Lithuania and Latvia, that do not have Marriage Equality.

Romanian authorities refused to grant a right of residence because Hamilton could not be classified in Romania as the spouse of an European Union citizen. The couple appealed to Romania’s Constitutional Court, which referred it to Luxembourg.

Wathelet said that governments may not impede the freedom of residence of an European citizen by refusing to grant his or her spouse, who is a citizen of a non-EU country, a right of permanent residence. He explained that European Union law remains neutral on the gender of a spouse.

A 2004 directive by the European Union grants rights to an EU citizen’s spouse, without specifying how spouse is defined.

The ECJ’s final determination, when it comes, could have wider repercussions for the range of benefits and rights that may be claimed by people in same-sex marriages by ensuring that the term “spouse” is gender neutral in law.

Wathelet told the court that the EU gives spouses of EU nationals the right to live and work anywhere in the union. It only defines spouse with reference to a relationship based on marriage and was neutral about the sex of the persons concerned and the place where the couple was married.

Wathelet:

“In view of the general evolution of the societies of the member states of the EU in the last decade in the area of authorization of same-sex marriage it was no longer appropriate to follow the case law definition of marriage as ‘a union between two persons of the opposite sex’.”

The Netherlands has had Marriage Equality since 2001. Germany, Finland and Malta joined in 2017. Austria will have same-sex marriages in 2019. In 2015, Ireland became the only country in the world to have Marriage Equality by popular vote.

Today, 15 European countries recognize Marriage Equality: Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom (soon to Brexit).

Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Sophie In’t Veld of Netherlands said:

“This is fantastic news and a landmark opinion for rainbow families. Freedom of movement is a right of all EU citizens; it cannot be restricted because of whom they love. The European Union protects our rights.”

Handsome, hot Jake Gyllenhaal is on the cover the February 2018 issue of GQ Australia. The cover shot is by Doug Inglish, an American photographer mostly known for his celebrity and portrait photography, and who has shot a lot of hot dudes. The stylist is Olivia Harding. In the interview, Gyllenhaal talks about his film Stronger (2017), saying it was his most difficult role. The film is inspired by the story of Jeff Bauman, who lost both of his legs during the Boston Marathon Bombing on April 15, 2013.

The Brokeback Mountain star says:

“It pushed me more than I’ve ever been pushed. I pushed myself as a result. Sometimes I took it probably too far, admittedly. I mean, it has consumed me for two-and-a-half years. I’ve never had the honor and responsibility, and if I’m really honest, the tremendous pressure to play someone that I know I could never be. I don’t think that I would have been able to survive what he survived. And to find the sense of humor that he has.”

Inglish has photographed lots of hottie celebrities including Dennis Quaid, Don Cheadle, Aaron Eckhart, Ryan Gosling, Hunter Parrish, and Harry and Luke Treadaway.

Freak Show premiered in NYC last night!

The movie, made from James St. James amazing book, premiered in New York City last night and all the usual suspect were out to support the movie!

James St. James was obviously there, but so were Amanda Lepore, Lady Bunny, Trudie Styler aka the director of the film, her husband Sting, and even Hugh Jackman and his wife showed up!

Talk about an amazing turnout!

We spoke with James St. James and he gave us the lowdown.

According to the amazing author:

“none other than Martha Stewart showed up to the event, spotted Amanda Lepore and circled her a couple times, her mouth open! James asked Amanda if she noticed her gawking and she said she didn’t! Who’d have thought it! 

Robert DeNiro showed up, of course, and Ariana Huffington brought none other than Donna Karan! Padma Lakshmi showed up too and was the nicest person in the world! It was a giant night of downtown merging with uptown!” 

Not only was there the premiere, but the afterparty sounded amazing too. John Cameron Mitchell performed and was hilarious and sweet. Lena Hall also had a performance and blew everyone away!

The night also happened to be Trudie’s birthday, so they brought out a big cake and everyone laughed and enjoyed themselves!

Check out the pictures below!

Freak Show opens in New York City tomorrow, Friday January 12th.

The Critics’ Choice Awards were last night and some of the 2017’s best films and TV series, like RuPaul’s Drag Race were honored. Mama Ru snatched Best Reality Show host!

Along with RuPaul, World of Wonder‘s Randy Barbato was there to share in the moment along with Tom Campbell, Michelle Case, Jen Fregozo, Alicia Gargaro-Magaña, David Petruschin, Michael Fabiani, and Thairin Smothers who snapped these Instagram pics! Well done!

ConDRAGulations to RuPaul & WoW!

Best Reality Show Host

Ted Allen – Chopped (Food Network)
Tyra Banks – America’s Got Talent (NBC)
Tom Bergeron – Dancing with the Stars (ABC)
Cat Deeley – So You Think You Can Dance (FOX)
Joanna and Chip Gaines – Fixer Upper (HGTV)
RuPaul – RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1) — WINNER

RuPaul with Work of Wonder’s Thairin Smothers (left) and Tom Campbell

Giving some red carpet glamour last night

Check out the full list of Critics Choice TV and movie winners below.

T V C A T E G O R I E S

Best Drama Series

American Gods (Starz)
The Crown (Netflix)
Game of Thrones (HBO)
The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu) — WINNER
Stranger Things (Netflix)
This Is Us (NBC)

Best Actor in a Drama Series

Sterling K. Brown – This Is Us (NBC) — WINNER
Paul Giamatti – Billions (Showtime)
Freddie Highmore – Bates Motel (A&E)
Ian McShane – American Gods (Starz)
Bob Odenkirk – Better Call Saul (AMC)
Liev Schreiber – Ray Donovan (Showtime)

Best Actress in a Drama Series

Caitriona Balfe – Outlander (Starz)
Christine Baranski – The Good Fight (CBS All Access)
Claire Foy – The Crown (Netflix)
Tatiana Maslany – Orphan Black (BBC America)
Elisabeth Moss – The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu) — WINNER
Robin Wright – House of Cards (Netflix)

Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Bobby Cannavale – Mr. Robot (USA)
Asia Kate Dillon – Billions (Showtime)
Peter Dinklage – Game of Thrones (HBO)
David Harbour – Stranger Things (Netflix) — WINNER
Delroy Lindo – The Good Fight (CBS All Access)
Michael McKean – Better Call Saul (AMC)

Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Gillian Anderson – American Gods (Starz)
Emilia Clarke – Game of Thrones (HBO)
Ann Dowd – The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu) — WINNER
Cush Jumbo – The Good Fight (CBS All Access)
Margo Martindale – Sneaky Pete (Amazon)
Chrissy Metz – This Is Us (NBC)

Best Comedy Series

The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
Black-ish (ABC)
GLOW (Netflix)
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon) — WINNER
Modern Family (ABC)
Patriot (Amazon)

Best Actor in a Comedy Series

Anthony Anderson – Black-ish (ABC)
Aziz Ansari – Master of None (Netflix)
Hank Azaria – Brockmire (IFC)
Ted Danson – The Good Place (NBC) — WINNER
Thomas Middleditch – Silicon Valley (HBO)
Randall Park – Fresh Off the Boat (ABC)

Best Actress in a Comedy Series

Kristen Bell – The Good Place (NBC)
Alison Brie – GLOW (Netflix)
Rachel Brosnahan – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon) — WINNER
Sutton Foster – Younger (TV Land)
Ellie Kemper – Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix)
Constance Wu – Fresh Off the Boat (ABC)

Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Tituss Burgess – Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix)
Walton Goggins – Vice Principals (HBO) — WINNER
Sean Hayes – Will & Grace (NBC)
Marc Maron – GLOW (Netflix)
Kumail Nanjiani – Silicon Valley (HBO)
Ed O’Neill – Modern Family (ABC)

Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Mayim Bialik – The Big Bang Theory (CBS) — WINNER
Alex Borstein – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)
Betty Gilpin – GLOW (Netflix)
Jenifer Lewis – Black-ish (ABC)
Alessandra Mastronardi – Master of None (Netflix)
Rita Moreno – One Day at a Time (Netflix)

Best Limited Series

American Vandal (Netflix)
Big Little Lies (HBO) — WINNER
Fargo (FX)
Feud: Bette and Joan (FX)
Godless (Netflix)
The Long Road Home (National Geographic)

Best Movie Made for TV

Flint (Lifetime)
I Am Elizabeth Smart (Lifetime)
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (HBO)
Sherlock: The Lying Detective (PBS)
The Wizard of Lies (HBO) — WINNER

Best Actor in a Movie Made for TV or Limited Series

Jeff Daniels – Godless (Netflix)
Robert De Niro – The Wizard of Lies (HBO)
Ewan McGregor – Fargo (FX) — WINNER
Jack O’Connell – Godless (Netflix)
Evan Peters – American Horror Story: Cult (FX)
Bill Pullman – The Sinner (USA)
Jimmy Tatro – American Vandal (Netflix)

Best Actress in a Movie Made for TV or Limited Series

Jessica Biel – The Sinner (USA)
Alana Boden – I Am Elizabeth Smart (Lifetime)
Carrie Coon – Fargo (FX)
Nicole Kidman – Big Little Lies (HBO) — WINNER
Jessica Lange – Feud: Bette and Joan (FX)
Reese Witherspoon – Big Little Lies (HBO)

Best Supporting Actor in a Movie Made for TV or Limited Series

Johnny Flynn – Genius (National Geographic)
Benito Martinez – American Crime (ABC)
Alfred Molina – Feud: Bette and Joan (FX)
Alexander Skarsgård – Big Little Lies (HBO) — WINNER
David Thewlis – Fargo (FX)
Stanley Tucci – Feud: Bette and Joan (FX)

Best Supporting Actress in a Movie Made for TV or Limited Series

Judy Davis – Feud: Bette and Joan (FX)
Laura Dern – Big Little Lies (HBO) — WINNER
Jackie Hoffman – Feud: Bette and Joan (FX)
Regina King – American Crime (ABC)
Michelle Pfeiffer – The Wizard of Lies (HBO)
Mary Elizabeth Winstead – Fargo (FX)

Best Talk Show

Ellen (NBC)
Harry (Syndicated)
Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC) — WINNER
The Late Late Show with James Corden (CBS)
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC)
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen (BRAVO)

Best Animated Series

Archer (FX)
Bob’s Burgers (FOX)
BoJack Horseman (Netflix)
Danger & Eggs (Amazon)
Rick and Morty (Adult Swim) — WINNER
The Simpsons (FOX)

Best Unstructured Reality Series

Born This Way (A&E) — WINNER
Ice Road Truckers (History)
Intervention (A&E)
Live PD (A&E)
Ride with Norman Reedus (AMC)
Teen Mom (MTV)

Best Structured Reality Series

The Carbonaro Effect (truTV)
Fixer Upper (HGTV)
The Profit (CNBC)
Shark Tank (ABC) — WINNER
Undercover Boss (CBS)
Who Do You Think You Are? (TLC)

Best Reality Competition Series

America’s Got Talent (NBC)
Chopped (Food Network)
Dancing with the Stars (ABC)
Project Runway (Lifetime)
RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)
The Voice (NBC) — WINNER

F I L M C A T E G O R I E S

BEST PICTURE

The Big Sick
Call Me by Your Name
Darkest Hour
Dunkirk
The Florida Project
Get Out
Lady Bird
The Post
The Shape of Water — WINNER
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

BEST DIRECTOR

Guillermo del Toro – The Shape of Water — WINNER
Greta Gerwig – Lady Bird
Martin McDonagh – Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Christopher Nolan – Dunkirk
Luca Guadagnino – Call Me By Your Name
Jordan Peele – Get Out
Steven Spielberg – The Post

BEST ACTOR

Timothée Chalamet – Call Me by Your Name
James Franco – The Disaster Artist
Jake Gyllenhaal – Stronger
Tom Hanks – The Post
Daniel Kaluuya – Get Out
Daniel Day-Lewis – Phantom Thread
Gary Oldman – Darkest Hour — WINNER

BEST ACTRESS

Jessica Chastain – Molly’s Game
Sally Hawkins – The Shape of Water
Frances McDormand – Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri — WINNER
Margot Robbie – I, Tonya
Saoirse Ronan – Lady Bird
Meryl Streep – The Post

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Willem Dafoe – The Florida Project
Armie Hammer – Call Me By Your Name
Richard Jenkins – The Shape of Water
Sam Rockwell – Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri — WINNER
Patrick Stewart – Logan
Michael Stuhlbarg – Call Me by Your Name

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Mary J. Blige – Mudbound
Hong Chau – Downsizing
Tiffany Haddish – Girls Trip
Holly Hunter – The Big Sick
Allison Janney – I, Tonya — WINNER
Laurie Metcalf – Lady Bird
Octavia Spencer – The Shape of Water

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE

Dunkirk
Lady Bird
Mudbound
The Post
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri — WINNER

BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS

Mckenna Grace – Gifted
Dafne Keen – Logan
Brooklynn Prince – The Florida Project — WINNER
Millicent Simmonds – Wonderstruck
Jacob Tremblay – Wonder

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Guillermo del Toro and Vanessa Taylor – The Shape of Water
Greta Gerwig – Lady Bird
Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani – The Big Sick
Liz Hannah and Josh Singer – The Post
Martin McDonagh – Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Jordan Peele – Get Out — WINNER

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

James Ivory – Call Me by Your Name — WINNER
Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber – The Disaster Artist
Dee Rees and Virgil Williams – Mudbound
Aaron Sorkin – Molly’s Game
Jack Thorne, Steve Conrad, Stephen Chbosky – Wonder

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

The Breadwinner
Coco — WINNER
Despicable Me 3
The LEGO Batman Movie
Loving Vincent

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

BPM (Beats Per Minute)
A Fantastic Woman
First They Killed My Father
In the Fade — WINNER
The Square
Thelma

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Roger Deakins – Blade Runner 2049 — WINNER
Hoyte van Hoytema – Dunkirk
Dan Laustsen – The Shape of Water
Rachel Morrison – Mudbound
Sayombhu Mukdeeprom – Call Me by Your Name

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

Paul Denham Austerberry, Shane Vieau, Jeff Melvin – The Shape of Water — WINNER
Jim Clay, Rebecca Alleway – Murder on the Orient Express
Nathan Crowley, Gary Fettis – Dunkirk
Dennis Gassner, Alessandra Querzola – Blade Runner 2049
Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer – Beauty and the Beast
Mark Tildesley, Véronique Melery – Phantom Thread

BEST EDITING

Michael Kahn, Sarah Broshar – The Post
Paul Machliss, Jonathan Amos – Baby Driver — WINNER
Lee Smith – Dunkirk
Joe Walker – Blade Runner 2049
Sidney Wolinsky – The Shape of Water

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Renée April – Blade Runner 2049
Mark Bridges – Phantom Thread — WINNER
Jacqueline Durran – Beauty and the Beast
Lindy Hemming – Wonder Woman
Luis Sequeira – The Shape of Water

BEST HAIR AND MAKEUP

Beauty and the Beast
Darkest Hour — WINNER
I, Tonya
The Shape of Water
Wonder

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Blade Runner 2049
Dunkirk
The Shape of Water
Thor: Ragnarok
War for the Planet of the Apes — WINNER
Wonder Woman

BEST ACTION MOVIE

Baby Driver
Logan
Thor: Ragnarok
War for the Planet of the Apes
Wonder Woman — WINNER

BEST COMEDY

The Big Sick — WINNER
The Disaster Artist
Girls Trip
I, Tonya
Lady Bird

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY

Steve Carell – Battle of the Sexes
James Franco – The Disaster Artist — WINNER
Chris Hemsworth – Thor: Ragnarok
Kumail Nanjiani – The Big Sick
Adam Sandler – The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY

Tiffany Haddish – Girls Trip
Zoe Kazan – The Big Sick
Margot Robbie – I, Tonya — WINNER
Saoirse Ronan – Lady Bird
Emma Stone – Battle of the Sexes

BEST SCI-FI OR HORROR MOVIE

Blade Runner 2049
Get Out — WINNER
It
The Shape of Water

BEST SONG

“Evermore” – Beauty and the Beast
“Mystery of Love” – Call Me by Your Name
“Remember Me” – Coco — WINNER
“Stand Up for Something” – Marshall
“This Is Me” – The Greatest Showman

BEST SCORE

Alexandre Desplat – The Shape of Water — WINNER
Jonny Greenwood – Phantom Thread
Dario Marianelli – Darkest Hour
Benjamin Wallfisch and Hans Zimmer – Blade Runner 2049
John Williams – The Post
Hans Zimmer – Dunkirk

Zayn Malik
Megan Miller
Andrew Lawrence
Amerie
Christiane Amanpour
Gemma Arterton
Heather Mills
Howard Stern
Joe Frazier
Kirstie Alley
Luise Rainer
Melanie C
Naya Rivera
Oliver Platt
Olivier Martinez
Pixie Lott
Rachael Harris
Raekwon
Rob Zombie
Rush Limbaugh
Simon Russell Beale
Vendela
Wayne Wang

A post shared by Zayn Malik (@zayn) on Sep 13, 2017 at 5:34pm PDT

This morning Trump denies describing certain nations as “shithole countries” during a meeting in which he rejected a bipartisan deal on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program yesterday. Trump tweeted.

“The language used by me at the DACA meeting was tough, but this was not the language used. What was really tough was the outlandish proposal made – a big setback for DACA!”

But Senator Richard J. Durbin, Democrat of Illinois, said today that the president did use the term “shithole,” repeatedly, during the course of the meeting on immigration — which Mr. Durbin attended. The senator described Trump as saying

“things which were hate-filled, vile and racist.”

And White House spokesperson Raj Shah didn’t deny the “shithole” remark on Thursday evening, but instead said in a statement that Trump

“is fighting for permanent solutions that make our country stronger by welcoming those who can contribute to our society, grow our economy and assimilate into our great nation.”

Trump on Thursday rejected a pitch from a bipartisan team of senators on a compromise immigration deal to protect DACA participants while increasing border security. Trump asked senators in the Oval Office, according to a source briefed on the meeting.

“Why do we want all these people from ‘shithole countries’ coming here?”

The Washington Post first reported on Trump’s comments. Trump’s denial came among a series of other tweets in which he defended his immigration stance. Trump tweeted.

“The so-called bipartisan DACA deal presented yesterday to myself and a group of Republican Senators and Congressmen was a big step backwards. Wall was not properly funded, Chain & Lottery were made worse and USA would be forced to take large numbers of people from high crime…..

…countries which are doing badly. I want a merit based system of immigration and people who will help take our country to the next level. I want safety and security for our people. I want to stop the massive inflow of drugs. I want to fund our military, not do a Dem defund….

….Because of the Democrats not being interested in life and safety, DACA has now taken a big step backwards. The Dems will threaten ‘shutdown,’ but what they are really doing is shutting down our military, at a time we need it most. Get smart, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

Sadly, Democrats want to stop paying our troops and government workers in order to give a sweetheart deal, not a fair deal, for DACA. Take care of our Military, and our Country, FIRST!”

The tweets suggest that Trump is interested in a system that would only accept individuals from certain countries and backgrounds in exchange for a DACA deal –plus a more substantial border investment than the lawmakers had presented.

Democrats have made clear they would NOT consider some of the suggestions while some Republicans hope to gain leverage by dragging out negotiations and reject any deal that benefits DACA immigrants.

The Daily News is running the perfect cover today that illustrates what kind of POTUS we have and I would apologize for the gross gif below, except that it is now impossible to go lower than Trump. We now live in a country where the President calls countries with black and brown people “shitholes” and this is repeated on every TV news program, website and newspaper around the world. How sad for America. I would agree with satirist Andy Borowitz,

“The bar has now been lowered into a shithole.”

(via CNN, NY Times)

During his senior year at Dartmouth College, Ted Geisel and nine of his friends were caught drinking in his room. This was the spring of 1925, and the dean put them all on probation for violating the Prohibition laws. He also dropped Geisel as editor of The Jack-O-Lantern, Dartmouth’s humor magazine, where Geisel published his cartoons. To evade his punishment, Geisel began publishing his cartoons under aliases: L. Pasteur, D.G. Rossetti, T. Seuss, and Seuss. This was the first time he signed his work ”Seuss”.

After college, he got a job as a magazine cartoonist, and he began signing his work under the mock-scholarly title of Dr. Theophrastus Seuss. He shortened that to Dr. Seuss in 1928. In acquiring his professional pseudonym, he also gained a new pronunciation. Most people pronounced the name Soose, and not Zoice. And that is how Ted Geisel became Dr. Seuss.

Theodor Seuss Geisel (1904 -1991) was an author, political cartoonist, poet, animator, publisher, and artist, best known for writing more than 60 children’s books. His work includes several of the most popular children’s books of all time, selling over 700 million copies and being translated into more than 20 languages.

Geisel was a political progressive and a supporter of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and The New Deal. His early political cartoons show his passionate opposition to Fascism. His cartoons portrayed the fear of Communism as overstated, finding greater threats in the House Un-American Activities Committee.

Geisel converted a copy of one of his famous children’s books into a political parody during the Watergate Scandal by replacing the name of the main character with the name of the president everywhere that it occurred. Richard M. Nixon, Will You Please Go Now! was published in major newspapers.

Of Publishers Weekly’s list of the Top 100 Hardcover Children’s Books of All Time, 16 were written by Geisel, including Green Eggs And Ham, at Number four, The Cat In The Hat, at Number Nine, and One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, at Number 13.

His books are also among the most frequently banned by schools, with many being seen as political allegories. Green Eggs And Ham is banned in China. It was also banned in California because of Sam-I-Am’s apparent homosexual seduction of the protagonist. Also, because the ham is a phallic symbol, if you have a dirty mind.

The Hollywood Reporter has reported that Johnny Depp will produce and star in a film based on Geisel’s life.

Last night at the end of his show AC 360, after discussing Trump and his vile racist comments for nearly an hour, Anderson Cooper reflected on his relationship with Haiti and its people on the eight year anniversary of the devastating earthquake that hit the country. At one point, describing how strong Haitians are, reviewing footage of a 5 year-old boy he saw rescued after being buried for more than 7 days, he stops and his voice cracks.

Watch.

(via CNN)

After Trump made racist remarks lamenting immigrants coming from “shithole countries” like Haiti and nations in Africa rather than from Norway, people on Twitter, including some actual Norwegians, said America itself seem like a bit of a shithole.

At a meeting with lawmakers in the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump called Haiti and African nations “shithole countries” White House deputy press secretary Raj Shah later responded in a statement saying,

“Certain Washington politicians choose to fight for foreign countries, but President Trump will always fight for the American people.”

Trump recent trash talking points are just the latest in a growing list of racist remarks he’s made since he was elected. Many groups and senators, were pissed, and several members of Congress have swiftly condemned them.

People on Twitter told the president in raid response that for Norwegians, the U.S., and particularly Trump’s America, may actually not be so attractive. Norway is literally the happiest country in the world.

Someone with the whitest name on the planet, who MUST be Norwegian, Chistian Christensen, tweeted,

“Of course people from #Norway would love to move to a country where people are far more likely to be shot, live in poverty, get no healthcare because they’re poor, get no paid parental leave or subsidized daycare and see fewer women in political power. #Shithole”

I know some Americans that might be looking at moving to Norway if this keeps up much longer.

Norway: “Hard Pass on visiting your shithole country.” pic.twitter.com/Wd3VMUG9ii

— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) January 11, 2018

(Photo, Wikimedia Commons; via Huffington Post)

After the events of the last year and especially the last 24 hours, America 2018 gets more and more surreal by the day. As Trump signs Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Proclamation at the White House, as he exits, a reporter asks,

“Mr. President, are you a racist?“

Watch.

Club kid icon, phenomenon, and our FABtastic editor James St. James was in NYC the other night for the premiere of his new movie Freak Show– the story of teenager Billy Bloom (Alex Lawther) who, despite attending an ultra conservative high school, makes a bold move to run for homecoming queen, thwarting intolerance and bullying- directed and produced by Trudie Styler (Sting’s wife!), and featuring Bette Midler, Abigail Breslin and Laverne Cox.

The after party brought out tons of A-list stars, including a awesome performance by John Cameron Mitchell (Hedwig and the Angry Inch), fashion designer Donna Karan, Hugh Jackman, Billions star Condola Rashād, Grace Hightower De Niro, singer Shaggy, George Wayne (Vanity Fair), Padma Lakshmi (Top Chef), Susanne Bartsch, Rupaul’s dress designer Zaldy, lifestyle expert Sandra Lee, celeb photog Patrick McMullan… and of course…supa dupa freaks… WOWlebrities Mx Qwerrrk and Kyle Farmery, Muffinhead, Stella Rose, Kyle Brincefield (StudmuffinNYC), SSIK, Domonique Echeverria, singer Tim Young, Archie Robertson, Camille Langston, and more! Check out the cool pics below by celebrity photog Santiago Felipe. Freak Show is out on all digital platforms and in theaters today!

John Cameron Mitchell, James St. James

James, Paul Alexander, Mx Qwerrrk

SSIK, StudmuffinNYC, Mx Qwerrrk, Tim Young

Trudie Styler, Sting

John Cameron Mitchell

Donna Karan, Susanne Bartsch, Kyle Farmery, Zaldy

James, Sting

Muffinhead, Stella Rose, Trudie Styler, SSIK

Tim Young, Kyle Farmery, Kyle Brincefield

Elliot Sumner, Sting

We get all the dish from behind the scenes of the Golden Globes with Marc Malkin, and find out what Adore thinks of all of her RuPaul’s Drag Race sisters who are competing on All Stars 3!

WOWers, World of Wonder Co-Founder Fenton Bailey, Executive VP of Development Tom Campbell, and WOW Report Editor James St. James have collaborated with reality TV guru and friend of WOW, Andy Cohen, on a weekly Top Ten Countdown of the things from the past week that make us go…WOW!

It’s a pop-culture obsessed hour complete with colorful diatribes, opposing opinions, and a dissection-like discussion that will make your drive home from work more fabulous!

You can now WATCH us recording the WOW Report in our gallery storefront on Hollywood Boulevard, just across the street from Hollywood’s oldest restaurant Musso & Frank!

This week, we’re counting down the top ten stories of 2017 that made us go WOW!  We air TODAY at 3PM EST on SiriusXM, and again at 3PM PST (that’s 6PM EST). You can also catch the show on the SiriusXM app!

Let’s get started…

10) Golden Globes ’18: Oprah for President 2020 

Skip forward to Golden Globes ’18: Oprah for President 2020 @01:35

9) Golden Globes ’18: Kirk Douglas 

Skip forward to Golden Globes ’18: Kirk Douglas @05:55

8) Golden Globes ’18: Reese Witherspoon 

Skip forward to Golden Globes ’18: Reese Witherspoon @09:23

7) Hot Read: Fire & Fury 

Skip forward to Hot Read: Fire & Fury @14:55

6) Alex Lawther in The End of the F***ing World 

Skip forward to Alex Lawther in The End of the F***ing World @21:38

5) Ryan Murphy’s The Assassination of Gianni Versace 

Skip forward to Ryan Murphy’s The Assassination of Gianni Versace @23:59

4) Are We Ready for Roseanne? 

Skip forward to Are We Ready for Roseanne? @32:17

3) Attack of the Sex Robots 

Skip forward to Attack of the Sex Robots @36:13

2) Marc’s Flick Picks: The Shape of Water and Black Panther  

Skip forward to Marc’s Flick Picks: The Shape of Water and Black Panther  @39:38

1) RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 3 

Skip forward to RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 3 @46:08

Listen in at 3:00PM EST and again at 3:00 PST (6 PM EST) on SiriusXM! Or listen whenever you want on the SiriusXM App!

And be sure to give your ears the gift of THE WOW REPORT on Radio Andy SiriusXM EVERY Friday.

Do something this weekend that makes YOU go WOW!!!

According to The Wall Street Journal, a lawyer for Trump orchestrated a $130,000 payment to a porn star in October of 2016 to hush her up about claims of a sexual encounter with Trump.

The payment came just before the presidential election and as the actress, Stephanie Clifford, aka Stormy Daniels, was discussing telling ABC’s Good Morning America and Slate, according to interviews, notes and text messages reviewed by The New York Times.

Jacob Weisberg, editor-in-chief of Slate, said that in a series of interviews with Ms. Clifford in August and October 2016, she told him she had an affair with Trump after meeting him at a 2006 celebrity golf tournament. She told him that Michael D. Cohen, a lawyer for Trump, had agreed during the presidential campaign to pay her the $130,000 if she kept the relationship a secret. Clifford had told him she was tempted to go public because the lawyer was late in making the payment and she feared he might back out of their agreement.

In a text message exchange that Weisberg provided to the Times, he pressed her on details of the agreement.

“Was the Trump lawyer Michael Cohen?” he asked.

“Yep!” responded Ms. Clifford.

In an email sent to The Times, Mr. Cohen did not address the $130,000 payment, but said,

“These rumors have circulated time and again since 2011. President Trump once again vehemently denies any such occurrence as has Ms. Daniels.”

Clifford could not be reached for comment. But Cohen released a statement dated Jan. 10 and signed by Ms. Clifford in which she said that her involvement with Trump was limited to a few public appearances, and that allegations that,

“I had a sexual and/or romantic affair with Mr. Trump many, many, many years ago” were “completely false.”

Rumors that I have received hush money from Donald Trump are completely false.”

The White House issued a statement, saying,

“These are old, recycled reports, which were published and strongly denied prior to the election.”

Around the same time that Clifford was talking to Slate, a former Playboy model, Karen McDougal, sold exclusive rights to her story about an affair she claimed to have had with Trump to American Media Inc., the company that owns The National Enquirer.

American Media, whose chief executive, David J. Pecker, is close with Trump, never published her story and denied it had paid to lock down a story that would have been damaging to Trump. Trump’s spokesperson, Hope Hicks, denied that Trump had an affair or that he or his campaign had any knowledge of the talks with American Media.

This one story would have brought down any other presidency. Can you IMAGINE if this was Bush or Obama!? But with this literal shit show, it’s kind of third tier news on a Friday night. No biggie.

(via NY Times)

Atoosa Rubenstein
Frances Sternhagen
Jay McInerney
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Liam Hemsworth
Matthew Bourne
Michael Pena
Nicole Eggert
Nick Clooney
Orlando Bloom
Patrick Dempsey
Penelope Ann Miller
Richard Moll
Rip Taylor
Ross McCall
Shonda Rhimes
Trace Adkins
Traci Bingham
William Hung

#IndependenceDay 6.24.16

A post shared by Liam Hemsworth (@liamhemsworth) on May 10, 2016 at 7:06am PDT

Shane Missler, of Port Richey, won that stunning $451 million jackpot (the fourth-largest jackpot in Mega Millions history) last Friday. He’s going to take it in a lump-sum payment of $281,874,999, according to lottery officials.

“I’m only 20, but I hope to use it to pursue a variety of passions, help my family and do some good for humanity.”

His winning ticket was a Quick Pick at a 7-Eleven with money he’d won from a scratch-off lottery ticket. On Friday he tweeted,

“The power of positive thinking should not be underestimated!”

Missler claimed he was NOT shocked by his big win — as he had “a feeling” he just might hit the jackpot but minutes after the January 5 drawing he posted on Facebook at 11:33

“Oh. My. God.”

Missler told his brother first, and waited to tell his dad over coffee the next morning. The Maine native quickly “retired” from his job at a background screening company, and plans to move away from the Tampa Bay area. Missler told the Tampa Bay Times,

“Although I’m young, I’ve had a crash course this week in financial management and I feel so fortunate to have this incredible wealth and team behind me. I intend to take care of my family, have some fun along the way, and cement a path for financial success so that I can leave a legacy far into the future.”

Missler flashed a big smile as he turned in his winning lottery ticket on Friday afternoon with his dad and a lawyer. The lump sum will be paid to a trust — called Secret 007, LLC — that Missler will manage.

Even before his big win, Missler’s Twitter feed was filled with inspirational messages, like

“No more talk, only action.”

“Do or do not, there is no try.”

His winning combination was 28, 30, 39, 59, 70 and Mega Ball, 10.

I really hope he doesn’t disappear from public view, I’d like to check in at 30 and see what he did with the money. With that kind of money, he should either be broke or a billionaire.

(via NY Post)