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Kanye West blows up the Brit Awards with new jam 'All Day'

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Following a surprise, day-of announcement that he'd be performing, Kanye West debuted his new song "All Day" Wednesday night during the Brit Awards.

Throughout the day, several of West's friends and others backstage tweeted out hints that Yeezus was planning to bless the crowd with a never-before performed song.

When the time came for him to take the stage 'Ye did not disappoint, as evidenced by the expressions of those in attendance, like Lionel Richie and Taylor Swift.

A rough audio version of "All Day" has been floating around the Web since last summer, and while there's still no official confirmation on whether or not the song will make the cut for West's as yet untitled new album, it's hard to imagine that he'd leave a banger like this off of it.

Hopefully we'll get the full releases of this and his other recently revealed song "Wolves" soon, but until then we'll have to stay satisfied with re-watching this performance and staying low like he tells us to.

Photo via Jason Persse/Flickr (CC BY SA 2.0)


The 5 best webseries about puppets

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Muppets aside, puppets have a bad reputation in media circles.

Next to clowns, ventriloquists, and accordion players, bad puppet shows have been known to lead to violence, hissing, and booing among audience members. And let’s not forget Craig Schwartz (John Cusack) from Being John Malkovich, who got the snot beat out of him for his graphic sidewalk puppet show.

YouTube boasts a mix of odd, funny, and just plain delusional puppet webseries that will lead to laughter (or anger, depending on your state of mind) and tolerance for this ancient art form. These videos featuring characters with someone’s hand in their back (or in a sock, as the case may be) tend to lean toward more adult themes and sarcasm. Perhaps the inherent naivete of puppetry provides a powerful juxtaposition to ribald humor… or perhaps I’m giving it far too much thought.

Here are five series worth a second look from kids of all ages.

1) Starship Sassafrass

Young kids are not left out of the puppet webseries genre. This fairly well-produced series is the story of a group of puppets on a space station with good old Dr. T (a.k.a. Dr. Tottlebottom), who resembles a more over-the-top-version of Kathy Kinney from The Drew Carey Show. She offers pearls of wisdom to her puppet friends on the spaceship, with the goal of each episode being to speak to kids about such issues as self-esteem and the power of imagination. The show is cleverly animated, and it does not go overboard with its pointed storylines. For youngsters up to age 10, Sassafrass is just cute enough to hold kids’ attention for each 10-minute episode.

2) The Kingdom of Wishes

Also aimed at kids, Tim’s Puppet Pals is a troupe of entertainers based in Salem, Ore. The group’s series, The Kingdom of Wishes, represents a strong effort with good intentions, but it’s a bit confusing in spots. The opening episode starts with a young orphan looking to escape his plight when he runs into Duffledorp, a large, white monkey puppet who has the power to grant wishes. After a brief opening scene, there is a break with a voice-over narrative that stops the momentum of the show—something likely to bore and turn off younger viewers. With just a bit of tweaking, Kingdom could be more compelling.

3) Neil’s Puppet Dreams

Heading into Avenue Q territory, Neil’s Puppet Dreams features Neil Patrick Harris, the multitalented host of the 2015 Oscars (and star of a long list of TV shows). Puppet Dreams comes off as a sequel of sorts to his 2008 Web hit, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. The premise is built around the absurd (yet cute) notion that when NPH dozes off, he dreams in puppets, giving him the chance to showcase his singing and dancing talents. The humor is strictly for adults, as in his episode called “Doctor’s Office,” in which the sleeping star is given the once over by a group of puppet doctors, nurses, and orderlies. (As an easter egg for fans, it also guest stars Dr. Horrible nemesis Nathan Fillion.) There are some great double entendres, elevating the series into a show aimed primarily at mature audiences, but the laughs never cross the line to become smarmy or uncomfortable.

4) Totally Socks

An evergreen oldie, Totally Socks lands somewhere between Saturday Night Live and a great subway busker act. Using sock puppets (not a hole in the bunch), Oklahoma filmmaker Lance Ward keeps the animation simple, relying on clever dialog that appeals to the 15-year-old in all of us. Without giving too much away, this typical episode has two puppets cast as Sherlock Holmes and John Watson attempting to identify the canine whose droppings illegally littered a public sidewalk. Trust me, it’s funnier than it sounds.

5) Just Makeda

I’m still trying to grok the concept behind this rather peculiar puppet show. Makeda is a throwback to that psychedelic ’60s era where flower power, Hair, and EST ruled the planet. The series, in which puppets are used to represent Makeda's alter egos, is the result of a successful Kickstartereffort by Brooklyn-born Makeda Declet. A graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, Declet no doubt is delivering a message with her puppetry; if someone can figure it out, let me know.

Screengrab via Nerdist/YouTube

Classic cartoons are so much funnier with Ice T's voice

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Did you know Scooby-Doo, G.I. Joe, and Dora the Explorer were all voiced by the same person? OK, they weren't before. But on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the rapper and actor Ice T re-voices our childhood favorites, and it’s pure gold. 

Does it matter if we don’t recall what the character actually said? Not really, because Ice T’s rendition is an improvement for us in adulthood—and better than we imagined, especially once he gets his hands on Dora.

If this is his audition tape for future animated projects, we’re all in.

Screengrab via The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon/YouTube

This all-senior-citizen remake of 'Uptown Funk' will have you shuffling right along

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Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson might be courting a retro feel with their chart success "Uptown Funk," but YouTuber Alex Boye gives it a real vintage feel by adding senior citizens to his parody cover.

Boye commands a gaggle of two-stepping grandpas in the "Oldtown Funk" cover, shuffling along, driving a scooter around the parking lot, and being flanked by beautiful women. The ladies in question are part of the Dancing Grannies, a Milwaukee-based squad of senior women who perform at parades and halftime shows.

A 92-year-old woman does the splits, which deserves a VMA in and of itself. All in all, the senior citizens involved have raised 500 children, 1,200 grandchildren, and 250 great-grandchildren between them. That's a lot of funk.

Screengrab via Alex Boye/YouTube

Colin Firth is a different kind of teacher in this 'Fifty Shades'–'Kingsman' mashup

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A new mashup video has given us brand-new insight into Kingsman: The Secret Service.

In Kingsman, a suave, suit-wearing gentleman takes a young apprentice under his wing, teaching him what to do, what to say, and what to wear. As it happens, this synopsis offers some surprisingly clear similarities with the premise of Fifty Shades of Grey. Of course, Kingsman involves bullets and explosions as opposed to bland sex scenes between Colin Firth and Taron Egerton, but you get the idea.

This fanvid is the perfect crossover between Kingsman and the Fifty Shades trailer, complete with seductive shots of Colin Firth giving his protege a menswear makeover and the familiar strains of Beyonce's "Crazy In Love." It probably goes without saying that, yes, many people do already ship this pairing. 

Photo via Kingsman: The Secret Service/Facebook

Here's 24-year-old Amy Poehler in a hilariously ’90s comedy pilot

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BY MARIEL LOVELAND

This week marked the last ever episode of Parks & Recreation, and while we’re all having a hard time withdrawing from our weekly dose of Leslie Knope, we’re excited to see what Amy Poehler does next.

Over the last decade, Poehler has become a comedy powerhouse after scoring a spot on the SNL cast and moving on to various TV and movie roles. She’s even broadened her role as an actress by spending some time behind the scenes as an executive producer for the breakthrough comedy Broad City.

It’s hard to believe that an actress with such an influence in the comedy world started from very humble beginnings. Poehler got her first taste of comedy at Second City where she shot a forgotten pilot for the proposed comedy show RVTV.

RVTV was written by Adam McKay (writer/director of Anchorman) and Tom Gianis (writer for SNL). It starred Poehler along with Del Close and Matt Dwyer.

While we’re not exactly sure what’s going on in this pilot, it’s hilariously ’90s with vests, floral skirts, and nods to the future of the Internet age galore.

24-year-old Poehler also does one of her signature raps that are always worth watching.

Check out clips from this ancient Amy Poehler pilot below.

Screengrab via The Second City Network/YouTube

Amy Schumer plays a hipster drug dealer in Colin Quinn's 'Cop Show'

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Episode 2 of Colin Quinn’s excellent new webseries, Cop Show, was released Wednesday and it features Amy Schumer, comedy’s saltiest sweetheart, doing Quinn a reluctant favor.

When Quinn asks Schumer to appear in his new webseries, she agrees to portray the female leader of the titular “hipster drug gang.” Schumer is dryly hilarious as she swats away unrealistic plot points and challenges Quinn and his team’s meager grasp on authority.

Episode 1 established Quinn as himself, followed by a French documentary team, as he puts together a New York City-based crime drama. Quinn is marvelously inept as he miguidedly points out all the special markings of “his” New York, like filthy snow and a graffitied doorway. Check it out for a fun cameo by an embarrassed Jerry Seinfeld, who unwittingly signed on to Quinn’s project expecting something a bit more high quality.

H/T Splitsider | Screengrab via lstudiopresents/YouTube

PBS Digital to debut new LGBT-focused series

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PBS Digital Studios has already mastered educational programming in the areas of science and literature, now it's branching out to social issues with its first LGBT-focused series, First Person.

The series is set to be a mix of host commentary, viewer interaction, and structured interviews that dives deep into issues of gender, sexual identity, and queerness. In the premiere episode, host Kristin Russo sits down with Skylar Kergil. Kergil started documenting his transition on YouTube seven years ago, and originally called the platform just somewhere to store his videos when his computer's hard drive filled up. Now he's got 64,000 subscribers, and documents both his transition process and his budding music career on his channel.

In a particularly nice touch, the show explains each guest's preferred pronouns under their name. They also don't shy away from the silly even with serious topics, with a post-credits bumper featuring Kergil's cats. This is the Internet, after all.

New episodes of First Person will premiere every other Thursday. 

Screengrab via First Person/YouTube


Talking pretentious food with the stars of Australia's best fake cooking show

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What a tease cooking shows are. Like some sort of culinary lap dance they know just how to show you all the right bits to get your juices flowing and then... you mean I don't get to eat that?? 

It's infuriating stuff but just like strippers there's no denying their popularity; from cookie-cutter cable fare that all seems to feature Ted from Queer Eye to "titillating" Korean videos of people eating (and laughing) that apparently—don't ask me how—make their temptresses money.

But if we don't get to eat, we might as well laugh, right? And so we have The Katering Show to rescue us from our unfulfilled urges and the rage that rapidly forms when, as if to rub our faces in it, the camera and sound people are invited up from behind their equipment to chow down on the finished product.

The creation of Australian comedians Kate McCartney and Kate McLennan—who previously worked together on the bound-for-TV Bleak: The WebseriesThe Katering Show is the kind of thing that would be lauded for its genre-skewering swagger if we weren't all distracted by its hilarity. It's a brilliant series, one that breathes within its own little world replete with recipes, sight gags, a consistently amusing Facebook page, and two fully formed-yet-heterogeneous characters that are both so engaging that you increasingly pine for more backstory. 

So with six episodes now released to the world we ran some questions by the two Kates—McLennan the epicurean domestic goddess, and McCartney her diversely food-intolerant friend—to get their thoughts on food culture, food television, food language, and food. 

Is it odd that cooking shows are so popular when you can't even taste the food?

Kate McLennan: I think I speak for everyone when I say that I have no problem imagining myself up there on the screen; this applies as easily to putting myself in the shoes of a My Kitchen Rules contestant eating a porcini consommé as it does to being a hot widow getting double-teamed by a pair of grave-diggers in a Romanian porno.

Kate McCartney: I don’t watch cooking shows. I’m interested in the filmmaking craft so I watch real cinema, Tom; like the trailer for Blue Velvet, and the bloopers from Battleship Potemkin, and Dogme-inspired 10-minute YouTube videos of Malaysian toddlers singing “Halo” by Beyoncé at 2am after I’ve had some "lonely wine."

In a few short years quinoa has gone from unknown to trendy to mainstream to "ethically compromised" due to its soaring prices in the places it is grown and now, perhaps, just regarded with some sort of apathy. Where do you stand on the grain?

McL: I’m not into quinoa. If I want to bulk up my salads I just add in a tablespoon of Metamucil; you get the same filling effect minus the annoying aftertaste of white guilt. 

McC: I tried to eat quinoa for a week, because according to some rat-haired grain shaman I was consulting at the time, it’s food-intolerant friendly. Not only did it taste like a mouth apocalypse but it reacted so badly with my guts that I lost 25 kgs, and I had to change my legal status to "The Undead." To this day cats still attack me and I can make the water in toilets go the other way.

I remember a young Hugh Jackman (who had just been cast as Gaston in the Melbourne production of Beauty and the Beast) appearing on What's Cooking with Geoff Jansz. I think he cooked tempura. Do you have any favorite TV chefs or memories from cooking shows?

McL: My favorite cooking show was The Cook and The Chef because there was clearly a lot of heat and sexual tension flying around in that kitchen. I’d give anything to be a slice of Berkshire Pork in a Maggie Beer and Simon Bryant sandwich. 

McC: I like it when Cookie Monster finally gets to eat the cookies. What a master of suspense.

What's the next foodie trend?

McL: Food that’s been deconstructed and then reconstructed to the point that you don’t even know that it’s been deconstructed in the first place. Or junket. It could be a massive year for junket.  

McC: Wi-Fi-capable scones.

Nigella Lawson famously remarked that she "cannot abide green bell peppers" and that she "cannot see any excuse for them." What can you not abide, food or otherwise?

McL: I am like a big, broad, money-grabbing church; I’ll accept and eat foods of all different shapes, colors, and stages of existence. However I cannot abide people who don’t like coriander. I’d never eat someone who didn’t like coriander. 

McC: It’s probably easier and quicker if I go through a list of things I can abide in this world: stretch fabric, vanilla-scented bin liners, and local news footage of the first hot day of summer at a zoo, during which animals are given fruit frozen inside buckets of water. I want that playing on a loop at my wedding.

Do you have any favorite words for describing food? Rick Stein, for example, uses the word "unctuous" about three times each episode.

McL: I like to use the word "moist" as often as possible. And not just when describing food. 

McC: "Non-corrrosive" and "free" are probably my favorites.  

What do you think of this food-powder-thing, Soylent, meant to cover all human nutritional requirements?

McL: I’d rather drown myself in a bath of Soylent than ever have to drink it. 

McC: It seems like a pretty sad, anti-social way to meet all your nutritional requirements—via a viscous food drink that doesn’t even contain human feet.

I recently went to dinner at a friend's house and they had made the sauce for the scallops into spheres by using some sort of chemical. They also own a sous-vide. How do you feel about these sort of things encroaching on the domestic kitchen?

McL: That was a private dinner party amongst friends, Tom. There’s no need to get all snarky about it. Besides, I’m pretty sure you enjoyed my sodium alginate and calcium chloride spheres at the time. Then again, maybe I failed to notice your displeasure as I was a little distracted by my respiratory system, which was failing because I’d consumed the cheap red wine that you’d brought along as an accompaniment. (Seriously Tom, who brings Shiraz from Aldi to a “Mysterious Molecular Molluscs” dinner party? It’s SEAFOOD TOM! What the fuck were you thinking? I don’t even know who you are any more).

McC: Tom, I had to look up most of what you just said, including "scallops into spheres," "sous-vide," and "friends."

I’m cool with all of that. The more time those people spend in a kitchen, the more time they spend out of our public spaces and in front of an oven gas leak that I’ve secretly engineered. 

Screengrab via Lead Balloon TV/YouTube

'Fifty Shades of Gandalf the Grey' is the mashup the world needed

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In late July of last year the first trailer for Fifty Shades of Grey was released, bringing with it limitless chances for mashups and memes. For months we had all the footage we needed to create the ultimate parody starring Gandalf the Grey, but somehow we sat idly by. 

Thankfully, Adam Harum wasn't asleep at the wheel like the rest of us and decided to put in the time and effort into making "Fifty Shades of Gandalf the Grey" happen. This Seattle filmmaker worked some magic of his own and managed to flawlessly incorporate the legendary wizard into the life of Anastasia Steele. 

Instead of tripping over ourselves to explain his brilliance even more, we'll leave you with Harum's amazing description. 

Two worldwide bestsellers become… something else… Join Gandalf the Grey and Anastasia Steele as they wrestle with their inner demons and find… love? A wizard is never late -- nor is he early... Mr. Grey will see you now. 

Let's just hope for Ms. Steele's sake that the Balrog's whip didn't find its way into Gandalf's Red Room of Pain. 

H/T Tastefully Offensive | Photo via AdamHarum/YouTube

Kanye West cries and opens up about music and fashion in new interview

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Kanye West comfortably nestled into his chair and spoke openly about his new music, working with Paul McCartney, crashing the Grammy stage in protest of Beck, and all things fashion in a remarkable 43-minute interview on Feb. 26.

Twenty-six minutes into the conversation with BBC Radio's Zane Lowe, West broke down in tears describing the last encounter he had with fashion professor Louise Wilson. She passed away at age 52 in May, and West had just seen her at what he calls his favorite restaurant in London, Hakkasan.

Shortly after the interview, West took to Twitter and issued public apologies to artists he's publicly discredited (however indirectly). 

I would like to publicly apologize to Beck, I’m sorry Beck.

— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 26, 2015

I also want to publicly apologize to Bruno Mars, I used to hate on him but I really respect what he does as an artist.

— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 26, 2015

I also would love for Bruno to sing this hook on this song 88 Keys / Puff and I produced… I even asked Tyler to shoot the vid.

— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 26, 2015

The interview is worth its weight in gold because it's an open window into the creative process of the most daring, interesting, and innovative artists of the last 11 years.

In this BBC Radio interview, West is transparent about his day-to-day hypocrisy, his reverence for other artists, the difficulty of bottling up his raw emotions when speaking to reporters, and his perpetual disdain for societal labels like "exclusivity." He comes back to one concept several times—the notion of "the two lunch tables working together. You know, humanity period man. We're one people."

It's a philosophy West extends to the fashion world, a world that he acknowledges seems like a superficial endeavor that exists solely for him to brand and package $5,000 jackets that no one can afford.

But West sees the process as a constant struggle for less conventional, socioeconomically underprivileged kids to storm the industry. He sees himself as creating liberating fashion for the heteronormative 'hood. He even apologizes at one point for the price point on the first wave of his new Adidas apparel, saying he's working to lower it for the H&M and Foot Locker consumer.

On the music front, West unofficially confirms rumors that he'll soon tour with Rihanna. He also highlights and outlines lukewarm new singles "FourFiveSeconds" and "Only One" so well that you instantly queue them up and enjoy them. He also says he's recorded "song after song after song" with Paul McCartney. 

Photo via Kenny Sun/Flickr (CC BY 2.0) 

Grace Helbig and Hannah Hart to star in remake of ‘Electra Woman and Dyna Girl’

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BY BREE BROUWER 

Grace Helbig and Hannah Hart will soon have a claim to fame as two female superheroes. The YouTubers have teamed with Legendary Digital Media and Fullscreen to bring the online video masses (and possibly television and film audiences) a reboot of the 1970s TV show Electra Woman and Dyna Girl.

Electra Woman and Dyna Girl tells the story of two superheroes who leave Akron, Ohio, for Los Angeles, Calif., to find better crime-fighting opportunities. However, the two women endowed with unique powers reach the City of Angels only to find far more competition (both internal and external) than they were expecting. Helbig will star as Electra Woman and Hart as Dyna Girl.

Here’s the show opening of the original TV show to give you a teaser of the kind of premise and action you can probably expect:

While the format and platform of the Electra Woman and Dyna Girl project is yet to be determined, Fullscreen is on board to release the project in the U.S., with Legendary Television Distribution handling global distribution. Music video director Chris Marrs Piliero is set to helm the project, and Tim Carter and Tomas Harlan of Contradiction Films (who have worked on Legendary’s upcoming Dead Rising: Watchtower and Machinima’s hit Mortal Kombat digital series) will produce. Sid and Marty Krofft, the original producers of the 1970s series, will executive produce the Electra/Dyna project, along with Helbig, Hart, and their respective managers Ken Treusch and Sarah Weichel.

“Legendary is no stranger to the world of superheroes and we’re excited that Sid & Marty Krofft’s Electra Woman and Dyna Girl will mark the first female crime-fighting duo for our brand,” said Greg Siegel, Legendary Digital Media’s ‎Senior Vice President of Development and Production, in a release. “Partnering with Fullscreen to deliver top quality digital content for our global fan base is an exciting next step for our growing digital division. I look forward to seeing how Grace and Hannah bring these caped crusaders back to life.”

“Grace and Hannah, Sid and Marty, Legendary and Fullscreen! This is basically our plot to break the Internet in 2015,” added George Strompolos, Fullscreen’s founder and CEO. “As we continue to expand our premium content strategy, we’re extremely proud to collaborate with such great partners and can’t wait to bring this amazing concept to fans everywhere.”

The Electra Woman and Dyna Girl announcement arrives just after the official launch of Fullscreen Studios. The YouTube multichannel network made it known in January 2015 it would develop longform productions with prominent social media stars. As for the program’s stars, Helbig’s E! talk show is scheduled to debut in April 2015 in a primetime slot. And Hart was recently included in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list back in January, too.

You can stay up-to-date with the latest news on the Legendary/Fullscreen version of Electra Woman and Dyna Girl involving Helbig and Hart by visiting the project’s official site at www.ElectraWomanDynaGirl.com.

Screengrab via Fullscreen/YouTube 

'Magic Mike' thrusting scene makes these South Korean girls lose their minds

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Last month, YouTube user Sw Yoon decided to import a bit of American culture to South Korea when he introduced a group of young women to all sorts of horrific junk food. After the video instantly went viral, the intrepid filmmaker decided to bring out the big guns, exposing these ladies to our country's greatest export: Magic Mike

He proceeded with caution so as not to overwhelm them. First, he played the trailer for Magic Mike XXLand asked for their takes. While some were thrilled by Channing Tatum's sensational dancing, others were a bit puzzled by the plot.

"It’s like a blacksmith who made transformers fell into the culture of pleasure," one girl summarized. 

To clear up the confusion, the filmmaker informed these innocent women about how Magic Mike makes his money. He then showed them some of the more memorable scenes from the first movie.

Reactions to Tatum's pelvic thrusting and thong were varied. Some girls blushed, others begged for more, and still others were repulsed. But regardless of your stance, it's hard to disagree with the cold hard truth of one girl's statement: "He dances really well, has a hot body, and I kinda wanna go there." 

Screengrab via swyoon/YouTube

Katy Perry's poignant status update from Auschwitz

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It would be impossible to visit Auschwitz and not reflect on its horrors. It appears Katy Perry is no different from the rest of us.

After performing in nearby Kraków, Poland, on Feb. 24, Perry made the short trip to Auschwitz, the World War II concentration camp where more than 1.5 million people were slaughtered. In a very short and poignant posting to Instagram, along with a picture taken outside the camp’s barracks, Perry wrote:
My heart was heavy today. 
For ever let this place be a cry of despair and a warning to humanity, where the Nazi murdered about one and a half million men, women and children mainly Jews from various countries of Europe. 

She then followed with the quote from philosopher George Santayana which is inscribed on a plaque at Auschwitz:

"The one that does not remember history is bound to live through it again."

Whether or not the singer had help composing these thoughts, it’s difficult to the disregard her display of empathy. Perry’s Instagram posting—liked by more than 522,000 people—became a catalyst for commentary for those touched by her social media tribute as well as those who took the opportunity to spew hatred or even irrational thoughts:

@gosiek1101 I was there.Terrible...did not even have the words to describe it.I thougt that these "stars" have no memory of the atrocites of Hitler and the Germans.Sad but true.So in general,i hope you will enjoy thr time you spend in Poland.

@greenplanethealthandhome Unfortunately, history in this world makes the identical mistakes over and over again without learning the lesson, this is obviously NOT working, how many more times does God need to show you this??

@alihosseinimehr "Judes deserve to die."

@magdalenamonster "thanks for sharing darling, i went to your concert in Cracow and you were amazing. Everyone in Poland is so thankfully for you for sharing is. This is so important for us cause  people tell so many liars about holocaust and aushwitz 😢 You are amazing!"

@cutte_giirl "@demi_britten I do not care. But the argument is why kill children, women and men of Palestine Muslims and steal their land?"

@adipiaskowski "I wish there were more people like you. Now all your followers maybe understand why we need to protect our country every day"

Perry’s quick yet meaningful message from Auschwitz has significance for two important reasons. For one thing, Perry chose not to go the controversial route (as others have), and take a selfie at the notorious death camp. Whether it was a matter of respect, we’ll never know, but by avoiding the narcissistic approach, the meaning of her words have greater impact. 

Also perhaps unintentional, Perry’s moment of Instagram-based reflection comes at a time of growing anti-Semitism in Europe. Any mention of Jewish life, history, or culture in a positive light represents a small, flickering candle of hope for greater religious tolerance for all.

Photo via fedewild/Flickr (CC BY SA 2.0) 

Here's what's up with Kevin Spacey's bad accent in 'House of Cards'

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House of Cards made its triumphant return to Netflix Friday, bringing with it a third season full of Frank Underwood's trademark southern drawl. But if you're a fan with a keen ear, you might not be buying Kevin Spacey's South Carolina accent, and for good reason. That's because there's a lot more that's off than just the show's politics. 

The folks over at Vox decided to do some deep digging into the dialect of everyone's favorite corrupt politician and figure out the error in his speech. According to linguists, Spacey's capitalized on r-dropping in his affectation. Instead of taking the time to pronounce his Rs, he glides over them like a fan boat in the bayou. 

But r-dropping mostly died out with the plantation south. So how can Spacey remedy his wonky southern accent for something more legitimate? It's all about the vowels and how they're formed in the mouth. 

Next time you want to slip into a southern accent, mind your a, e, i, o, and us and you'll fool even the sharpest of ears. 

H/T Digg | Screengrab via House of Cards/YouTube


Taylor Swift mashup proves 'Blank Space' and 'Style' are the same song

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The Web police has hunted down another pop irregularity. 

First, it was Sam Smith's "Stay With Me" that was found to have striking resemblance to Tom Petty's "Won't Back Down." But now there's another musical rip off, and this time it's Taylor Swift

But don't accuse Swift of plagiarism just yet, because the only person she's copying is herself. Earlier this week, DJ Dwibbit took to his SoundCloud profile to lay the lyrics from Swift's smash hit "Blank Space" over the hypnotic beat for her equally successful song, "Style." Needless to say that the two tracks fit together flawlessly to create some sort of ultimate Swift mashup that the ears of Swifties certainly aren't prepared for.

Of course, this isn't the first time a musician has realized what a perfect marriage these 1989 singles make. In late December of last year, Swift sent out a tweet of endorsement about an equally brilliant "Blank Space" mashup created by two Nashville singer-songwriters. 

Will Swift give this remix her stamp of approval as well? Only time will tell. 

H/T Digg | Screengrab via BRITAwards/YouTube 

7 little-known facts about 'House of Cards'

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BY JESSICA KLEIN 

Since season three of Netflix's flagship original series House of Cards is now available for you to binge, we figured it’s the perfect time to explore what’s going on behind the scenes of the Oval Office (a.k.a. a room in a giant Maryland warehouse) and bring you some little-known facts about this vicious political series starring Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright.

1) The Oval Office is in a warehouse

As alluded to above, House of Cards production took place in an over 300,000-square-foot warehouse in Joppa, Maryland. In the warehouse exists sets for the Oval Office, House of Congress, various politicians’ offices, and some fancy hotel rooms.

2) Showrunner Beau Willimon isn’t totally making stuff up

The guy actually has some political experience. In addition to co-writing The Ides of March starring George Clooney (which is actually based on a play written by Willimon), the House of Cards showrunner has worked for politicians in real life, including Howard Dean, Charles Schumer, and Hillary Clinton, as noted by Mental Floss.

3) Kevin Spacey acts like Frank Underwood in his other work

Ever seen the Kevin Spacey flick Horrible Bosses? If you have, you may recall that Spacey as Dave Harkin and his employee (Jason Bateman) play out a scene nearly identical to one that takes place between Frank Underwood and Peter Russo (played by Corey Stoll) in season one of House of Cards. In both scenes, Spacey offers the other character a drink, and when they ask if Spacey’s going to have one, he answers that it’s too early to be drinking. Dirty move, that is.

4) Art imitates life

That bandage Underwood wears after he burns his hand on hot coffee in episode nine? It was there to cover up a real burn on Spacey’s hand, one he got from holding a burning flag during a promotional House of Cards shoot, according to Mashable.

5) House of Cards shares a diner with The Wire

Various House of Cards scenes were shot in the same diner that was often used in the production of The Wire. In the former, Doug Stamper (Michael Kelly’s character) uses the place for his more secretive meetings.

Read the full story on the VideoInk website

Screengrab via Netflix 

Cartoon Network's hit 'Adventure Time' is being turned into a movie

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One of the most beloved shows on Cartoon Network is getting the big-screen treatment.  

Deadline reports that Warner Bros. is developing Adventure Time, which follows the adventures of young Finn and his dog sidekick Jake, as an animated movie, produced by Roy Lee (The Lego Movie) and Chris McKay (The Lego Batman Movie). Following the success of The Lego Movie with an Adventure Time feature is a pretty solid bet. 

No doubt Warner Bros. saw what a devoted fanbase the show has, populated by both kids and adults. The colorful, somewhat psychedelic world and oddball characters of of Adventure Time will translate easily to the screen. 

If you've dressed up as Finn or Jake for Halloween, you're likely very excited right now. 

H/T Deadline | Screengrab via CartoonNetworkEps/YouTube 

The definitive Netflix guide to modern Nicolas Cage movies

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Despite becoming a meme over the last decade, Nicolas Cage is still one of the most passionate actors of our time. Since 2007, he’s put out 24 films, and he’s never phoned in a performance, regardless of the quality of film.

In every Cage film, you’re guaranteed at least one moment of complete insanity. The fact that he summons so much energy for multiple takes implies a superhuman ability—I hypothesize that he can manufacture and voluntarily release cocaine from inside his own brain. It’s a spectacular thing to witness, and it can make the most generic movies worth watching.

This is good, because Cage came into some deep trouble with the IRS in 2007. He reportedly spent a fortune on ridiculously priced real estate, buying 15 homes right before the real estate bubble burst, as well as dozens of exotic cars, works of art, expensive jewelry, a private jet, and a dinosaur skull (he outbid Leonardo DiCaprio). He needed to work, so he'd have to be in a lot of dumb, generic movies.

How does an A-list actor climb out of crippling debt and come up with $14 million in back taxes owed to the IRS? You can stream the answer via Netflix

Each film here is analyzed for factors specific to this particular era of Cage’s filmography: body counts, characters’ professions (always distinct, sometimes goofy), antagonists, and facial configurations. Most of these movies contain half-baked plots that rely on braindead conspiracies or quandaries that are solved by happenstance detective work. Nonetheless, every single one of them is 100 percent verified to be “Nic Cage good.”

If you don’t know what that means, I highly recommend just sticking to Joe—that’s the only movie on the list that’s just plain ol’ “good good.” However, I’m certainly biased with Joe; I unconditionally love anything David Gordon Green directs, and still defend Your Highness as a misunderstood classic.

Here's how Nicolas Cage balanced his checkbook. 

1) Seeking Justice (2011)

Profession: English teacher at Dangerous Minds high school
Facial configuration: Teacher goatee
Villain: Guy Pearce is the leader of a justice-oriented underground organization that’s recently turned evil, as such organizations tend to do. 
Kill count: 8
Cage kills: Two, but they're both accidental. 
Best kill:The Walking Dead’s T-Dog is graphically run over by a semi truck.
Plot: Nicolas Cage just wants to teach troubled kids some Shakespeare, but when a guy wearing crocodile boots rapes his wife, he agrees to let Pearce kill the rapist in return for an unspecified future favor, which turns out to be a questionably motivated murder. Cage eventually becomes a wanted man, but since everybody who's after him has the IQ of a laughing gas patient, he's able to outrun the law and the evil organization fairly easily.

This is a dumb, dumb movie. It features Cage in full on paranoid mode, which, while fun, is far from my favorite mode of Cage. The real show-stealing performance here Pearce's impression of Mark Wahlberg. I have no idea why an actor like Pearce is in something like this, but if he’s going to be involved, he should be doing a Wahlberg impression.

Cage Factor: 6

Movie: 5

2) Rage (2014)

Profession: Land developer/ex-mobster
Facial configuration: Just a li'l sideburn action
Villain: Shit luck
Kill count: 19
Cage kills: Nine, but that's a rough estimate. Cage sometimes kills people in ways—punching them, stabbing their limbs—that totally shouldn't kill them. 
Best kill: Drug dealer answers door, Nicolas Cage stabs him in the neck. (No questions asked, MF-ers.)   
Plot: After successfully walking away from a life of crime, Cage is just trying to get some real estate built, maintain being ridiculously rich, and raise his daughter right. When his daughter winds up kidnapped—and, soon after, dead—his other life goals are replaced by the singular mission of avenging the fuck out of whoever is responsible.

He’s forced to reteam with his old crew (which turns out to be two people), and kill tons of Russian mobsters based on a half-baked hunch that they’re responsible. His character really hates Russian mobsters: He opens a line of communication with their higher-ups by strolling into one of their underground poker games and murderingeverybody. When this fails to get results, he decides to visit one of the mob's underground drug-dealing dens and once again murder everybody. This is truly Cage in full-on loose cannon mode. Added bonus: Danny Glover in full-on detective mode.

This is a terrible, cobbled together mess of a movie. I highly recommend watching it.

Cage Factor: 9

Movie: 5

3) Stolen (2012)

Profession: High stakes thief
Facial configuration: Clean shaven
Villain: Ex-partner in crime
Kill count: Three, which is a bit disappointing when the cover looks like this.
Cage kills: 1
Best kill: The one made by Cage, duh.
Plot: After a bank heist goes awry, Cage is locked up for eight years. Upon being released, his old partner steals his daughter and demands his share of the heist money. He goes to the cops, but they think his story is simply a cover to distract them while he uncovers the money he stashed away before his arrest eight years prior. This results in Cage running around New Orleans a lot and shouting into phones.

Like Seeking Justice, it takes place in New Orleans during Mardi Gras, because it’s cheap to shoot films in Louisiana and even cheaper if you don’t try to make it look like another city. It’s directed by Simon West, who once gave us Con Air, which adds an extra layer of sadness to Stolen

Cage Factor: 6

Movie: 4

4) The Frozen Ground (2013)

Profession: High-ranking detective
Facial configuration: Clean shaven
Villain: John Cusack as a restaurant-owning kidnapper/rapist/murderer 
Kill count: 2
Cage kills: 0
Best kill: Not really an appropriate category for this sort of film, but one kill involves 50 Cent, so let’s just go with that.
Plot: It's based on the investigation into the crimes of Robert Hansen, who kidnapped, raped and murdered several women in Alaska over the course of more than a decade. When one girl (Vanessa Hudgens) escapes his clutches, only a police officer and a soon-retiring State Trooper (Nicolas Cage) believe her story, and Cage launches an investigation into Hansen (played by Cusack, who is absolutely terrifying when portraying a sociopath). Highlights include Cage freaking out on a district attorney over a search warrant and 50 Cent as a timid pimp.

Cage Factor: 5

Movie: 7

5) Trespass (2011)

Profession: Diamond dealer
Facial configuration: Clean shaven with Stephen King glasses
Villain(s): Diamond thieves
Kill count: 7
Cage kills: 2
Best kill: Man thrown into a money fire
Plot: Cage is a diamond dealer. I’m not sure what that entails, and neither does anybody else, which means the movie can basically do whatever it wants. Some thieves break into his mansion to steal his diamonds. People are crossed, then double-crossed, and so on. Nicole Kidman is in this, despite having an Oscar—it is quite possible that she’s slowly becoming the female version of Nicolas Cage.

The time between this film's theatrical and home video release was a record-breaking 18 days. It’s a terribly generic film, and it makes you wonder why anybody bothered to make it, or why Nicole Kidman would want to be in a physically demanding role where she’s thrown around and repeatedly knocked to the floor. But it has some of the best Cage freakouts of his career. We’re talking Wicker Man levels of energy. For much of the film, Cage is drenched in sweat with his hair all over the place, wearing businessman glasses that look ridiculous on him, and screaming for minutes on end while veins pop from his neck. That makes this awful film easy for me to recommend to anybody who likes entertainment.

Cage Factor: 10

Movie: 3

6) Joe (2013)

Profession: Tree killer
Facial configuration: Badass backwoods beard
Villain(s): A deadbeat dad and the town asshole
Kill count: 5
Cage kills: Three, and one’s a little questionable. He lets a dog kill another dog, but I’m counting it. 
Best kill: Guy jumps off bridge, assumedly from shame
Plot: Nicolas Cage plays Joe, who just wants to do a hard day’s work, then pound some whisky and hang around a whorehouse to wind down. He’s awesome at cutting up deer carcasses, handling venomous snakes, and running his tree-killing company. He has a bit of a temper when he gets mad, and terrible people can easily make him mad. When he befriends a 15-year-old kid with a dirtbag father, a shitstorm begins to brew.

This is a return to form for David Gordon Green and his masterful ability to depict the beautiful grotesqueness of Southern decay. The man's direction can turn a rusty pole into poetry. When you mix Green's vision with a Nicolas Cage who's going all-in on every emotion known to man, you've got yourself a classic film.

Cage Factor: 11

Movie: 11

Screengrab via LionsgateFilmsUK/YouTube

Here's Alabama Shakes' jaw-dropping 'SNL' performance

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Last night's Dakota Johnson-hosted Saturday Night Live episode was pretty flat. Ironically, the Fifty Shades of Grey sketch—in which Kyle Mooney plays a grade-school journalist who interviews Johnson for his school paper, and inadvertently reveals some dark secrets about his dad— might have been the night's highlight, in terms of sketches. 

However, this was one of those nights where the musical guest overshadowed the host. Alabama Shakes performed two songs, "Don't Wanna Fight" and "Gimme All Your Love," and singer Brittany Howard's voice scorched the earth. The songs are off the band's upcoming album, Sound & Color, and we can't wait for it. 



Screengrab via Hulu 

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