A new trailer for a movie based on global anti-censorship campaign Free the Nipple has been criticized by viewers because it features actresses whose nipples have been blurred out.
The movie, which is due to be released on December 12, is a satirical account of the story behind the Free the Nipple campaign and is directed by the movement's founder, Lina Esco, who also stars as one of the main characters.
But while the full-length film, which will reportedly not contain any censorship, focuses on the group's fierce battle to see censorship laws changed, the only scene in the trailer where there is any nudity has been censored - much to the outrage of the campaign's most dedicated supporters.
Scroll down for video
'Why are there no nipples?' The movie's trailer only shows one clip of the topless campaigners in which their breasts are completely blurred out
Baring all: Free the Nipple is a global anti-censorship campaign which was started in 2013 by director Lina Esco
'Is the boob blurring meant to be ironic or...?' Emily Collins commented on the video, which was posted on YouTube by production company IFC FIlms.
'And yet they don't show any nipple. the courage,' user MaghoxFr added, while on Facebook, Luca Turenhout asked: 'Why aren't there nipples in this trailer?
Ironically, despite the blurred-out breasts, the clip is otherwise full of positive messages about why women should be able to show their nipples in public.
Okay, my favorite thing about Thanksgiving actually comes the day after when i use the turkey bones to make JOOK. It’s a soup, I think they translate it toCONGEE, but i have no idea what that is. This is down-home Asian food.
Anyway, you put the bones in water in a big soup pot, add some washed Japanese or Chinese rice (enough that when cooked the rice will have a thick soup consistency, a slice of ginger root, some soy sauce. Then you just keep cooking until the meat falls off and the rice has thickened the soup. later you can add some chopped green onions, a little salt to taste, and maybe a little sesame oil.
When they were little, my daughters used to go nuts when they saw me making this because they said it looked like gruel. Perhaps i should not say that as to turn folks off, but it just meant there was more leftover for ME. I grew up with nice traditional Japanese American parents, and JOOK is one of my favorite recipes and memories.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving Holiday!
You can help fight hunger now. Join KPIX 5 and Whole Foods Market as we help feed hungry families this holiday season. Stop by any Whole Foods Market and drop healthy non-perishable foods in the bin. Your donation is a lifeline.
performance at the 2014 American Music Awards was, in a word, NUTS. In two words? SUPER NUTS. That “Darling I’m a nightmare dressed like a daydream” lyric has never been more real.
The performance, which kicked off the AMAs Sunday, Nov. 23, opened on am opulent, Tim Burton-esque dining room with Taylor and her man of the moment seated at opposite ends of a dining room table. Cute, right? WRONG. There were no chai eggnog cookies to be had — only bitterness, betrayal and BURNING ROSES OH MY GOD.
ABC/MTV
Two set changes, a burning rose garden and one dramatic dress tear-away later (always here for a tear-away), and Tay Tay’s crazy face was in full effect. Yes, I know that the 24-year-old singer, who received the Dick Clark Award For Excellence later that night, was satirizing the love-crazy man-eater the media often portrays her as, but… I have another, crazier theory.
And no, it’s not about the Illuminati.
What we witnessed at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live might very well have been an act of possession. Do you really think that was Taylor up there, lighting all manner of topiary aflame as she annihilated victim after unsuspecting male victim? No, it’s Becky.
When you're trying to buy the perfect gift for a friend or family member this Christmas, you're probably going to think about something digital. With smartphones, tablets, TVs, headphones, home theater soundbars, gaming consoles, robots, cameras, cases, video games and more in stores, the options are endless.
Before you spend your hard-earned money, take a second to read the following list. These tech no-nos are either on the way out, not quite ready for prime time or something you just shouldn't buy for someone else.
So, without further ado, here are the tech gifts to avoid this holiday.
1. Cutting-edge technology
This first category is a bit broad and includes smart watches, Amazon Echo, Vessyl and other cutting-edge tech products. Not only are these expensive – $100 to $3,000 – they're so new that no one really knows how useful they'll actually be in day-to-day use.
Both Vessyl and Amazon Echo are so cutting-edge that you can only pre-order them now. Amazon Echo even requires an invitation.
Vessyl is a $100 cup that knows exactly what's in your drink and keeps track of calories, hydration and other information for you. It's beautifully designed and executed, but I'm not sure the novelty will last long for most users.
Amazon Echo looks interesting as a personal assistant for your home, but it's not clear how useful it will be for the average person, or basically how well it works. Even as a family gift, you'll probably want to wait a year until the next version comes out. It might also come down from its $200 price by then.
There's another consideration. Even if you know the person on your list is an early-adopter who would love something like a smart watch, they may have a very specific model they're already interested in. People are particular when it comes to tech. Or they might be waiting for the Apple Watch, which doesn't even arrive until next year. You don't want to spend hundreds of dollars getting them the wrong thing.
2. High-end TVs
You'll see fantastic deals on TVs this holiday. However, if you look closely you'll notice the deals are on low-end TVs – screens less than 48 inches, off-brand manufacturers and lower specs like 60Hz refresh rate or no Internet connection.
The TVs from major manufacturers like Sony, LG and Samsung with 48+ inch screens, 120Hz or 240Hz refresh rates, 4K resolution, Internet apps and other advances are just as expensive as ever. Expect to pay north of $1,500.
Most stores wait until just before the Super Bowl to drop the prices on the high-end models.
If you're after a cheap second TV, this is a good time to buy. To replace your main living room TV, however, it's a better idea to wait until late January.
Don't forget that 4K TV prices are still dropping rapidly – some 40-inch screens are dipping below $1,000 – so every month you wait to buy gets you closer to affording the latest and greatest TV technology.
Buyer beware: Most stores will sell you a cheap TV and then try to make the money back with expensive cables and other accessories. Don't fall for it; cheaper cables work just as well as the expensive versions.
3. Streaming media gadgets
Sticking with home entertainment for a minute, I'd also avoid streaming-media gadgets like the Roku, Google Nexus Player, AppleTV, Amazon's Fire TV and similar streaming boxes.
Not that there is anything wrong with these units, but they're just not something I would buy for someone else – unless it is specifically stated on their Christmas list.
Even if the person could use a streaming box, not every streaming box supports every online service. AppleTV, for example, is the only one that supports streaming and downloading from iTunes. If you buy a Roku for an iTunes user, it does them no good.
Like a smart watch, a streaming box is a tech item that you can only really buy for yourself. If you want to help your friend or relative with the purchase, get them a gift card to an electronics store or online shop. Streaming gadgets cost $50 to $100.
4. Standalone gadgets
This is another broad category, and it covers any low-cost gadget that does just one thing, such as a point-and-shoot camera or a media player, like an iPod.
Odds are that the person you're buying for already has a smartphone or tablet that takes decent pictures and holds plenty of music and movies. A smartphone or tablet also has a calendar, address book, video chat, video recording, games and tons more that used to require separate products.
Unless someone specifically asks for a standalone gadget, steer clear. If they do ask for one, then they probably mean a gadget that's better than what's in their smartphone like a mirrorless hybrid camera – these start around $500 – or a GoPro video camera, which starts at $130.
5. Laptops
A laptop is a good gift for a college student or someone on the go. However, the holidays aren't the best time to buy. Laptops generally see the best deals after the Consumer Electronics Show in January or during back-to-school sales in July and August.
Plus, if your gift recipient is looking for a bargain laptop – say less than $400 – to surf the Web, watch movies, listen to music, read books, play casual games and perform other light computing tasks, they might just want a tablet instead. A tablet is more portable, has a better battery life and you don't have to worry as much about viruses.
Bonus: For the person who has everything
Every year, you get that one person whose gift wish list is a shrug and an "I don't need anything."
Every year, you get that one person whose gift wish list is a shrug and an "I don't know." Instead of knocking yourself out trying to find the perfect gift anyway, get them a gift card. That way, they can buy what they want. Check out CardCash, Cardpool andGiftCardRescue to save up to 35% on the face value of gift cards.
For the kid who already has enough stuff, look at a 529 college-savings plan through a site like Upromise. Sign up for a free account and then make purchases on Upromise-linked sites or stores. Up to 8% of the purchase goes into the child's account. You can get other relatives to sign up to the account and their purchases will contribute as well. With the average cost of college starting at $19,000 a year, the kid's parents will love this gift – and the kid will too, eventually.
Sleazy. Everyone thinks the “trained” pickup artist is a sleazy, predatory lizard stalking women. The truth is some are like that, but quite a lot of them, I can tell you, are painfully shy guys who break out in sweats at the thought of even speaking to a girl.
When I joined an intensive weekend course in London in picking up women, all I had to go on was the The Game, the bible of the pickup artist. It had been a publishing sensation a few years previously when it lifted the lid on the international “seduction community”. It was full of terminology: “negs” (comments designed to subtly reduce a woman’s self-esteem so that she seeks your approval); “HB10s” (hot babe or hard body 10/10); “F-closing” (getting a girl into bed). But that weekend opened my eyes to the reality of the scene, which is a lot more downbeat and often a lot more depressing.
The course was run by a celebrated pickup artist known as Gambler (real name Richard La Ruina). He wrote a book a few years ago entitledThe Natural Art Of Seduction – a more British approach based on less aggressive techniques than The Game, but with the same intended outcome. His methods certainly have nothing in common with the violent techniques espoused by Julien Blanc, the US pickup artist who was banned from entering Britain last week.
So 15 students, aged 25-35, assembled in a private bar in the centre of town that had been hired for the weekend, eagerly awaiting our induction into the pickup artist lifestyle. It became quickly apparent that the class split neatly into two groups: there were a few wannabe Don Juans, who claimed they were already having quite a lot of sex yet felt they should be having more, and a much larger group of shy and very genuine guys who would normally panic if they were within five feet of a woman.
For them it was a form of anxiety disorder. Most admitted to being virgins. They were there to learn some techniques that would act as armour so they could at least talk to a girl. Gambler empathised with their plight. “Most of you know my story,” he told us. “Until I was 21, I was a shy, geeky virgin. But then I changed.” And now he was going to change us in the same way. He explained that if we believe we are “a force of nature” then women “won’t be able to keep their hands off you”. To do this we need to dominate the physical space by standing with our legs apart, cut out any fidgeting, and wave our arms about when dancing.
Once you had taken ownership of the space, there were other tricks for getting closer. You could be distracted by her earring, reach out and touch it and say: “This is nice. Is there a story behind it?” – because there would always be a story behind it and you had then made physical contact. “Be bold and assume she’s attracted to you,” Gambler explained.
Alongside him were a number of trainers who were apparently specialists in certain aspects of pickup artistry. One would give us a 30-minute seminar on body language, then another on opening lines. “Your opener is the first words out of your mouth. Most guys leave it to chance. Not us,” said Gambler. We then got to try them out on a team of female models hired for us to practise on.
We were also taught to confidently make decisions for the group, such as where to go next after the bar. Women love a leader. Gambler told us to watch Don Draper from the 1960s-set drama Mad Men for a masterclass in old-fashioned male dominance. The character may be a better model than he intended, because Don Draper turns out to be a fraud who has built a fake persona that slowly unravels.
And this fakery is not just for girls in bars. The pickup artist industry is built on self-mythologising – it’s all about marketing. Marketing yourself to girls, sure, but also to younger and more desperate guys in their bedrooms who want to be like the character you have created, who watch your online videos and buy your DVD tutorials.
This became apparent when the course culminated in a trip to a nearby bar where we had to try out our new skills “in the field”. We had been encouraged to make up our own openers, so with my “wing man” I approached a girl who was laughing with a friend.
“Hi, this will only take a second,” I said – a time constraint means she won’t worry about you outstaying your welcome – “We’re going dancing, do you know the best place near here?” I ended up dancing the tango in the street with her and she gave me her phone number.
Meanwhile, a couple of the other more confident students were happily chatting away to the girls they had targeted, but most of the dozen or so painfully shy students were just standing at the bar watching the rest of us, unable to get over their nerves. It was apparent that they had paid £700 for the weekend and were going to come out of it with little to show but a dent in their bank balances.
The pickup artist scene is a house of self-myth. The “master pickup artists” really don’t have much more going for them than a bit of self-confidence and, it seems, enough time on their hands to approach hundreds of women in bars and play a numbers game. After all, the videos they post on the internet don’t tend to include the times they are politely ignored.
And for their part, the acolytes, the guys who spend a lot of money on these courses, are often living their lives vicariously because they have low self-esteem. They watch their idols in the same way that teenage boys watch James Bond and hope one day to be just like him. It just doesn’t work out that way.
A mother trapped in her car under a mountain of snow wrote goodbye letters to her children, fearing she would not survive Buffalo’s epic winter storm.
“It felt like I was underground, buried in a casket,” Karen Rossi told The Buffalo Newsof her 13-hour ordeal.
Rossi was driving home Tuesday at 3 a.m. from Mercy Hospital in South Buffalo, where she works as a pharmacy technician, when her car got stuck in a snowbank. A plow passed to her side, covering her car with more snow.
“Sitting in the car, it’s funny what you think about,” she said. “You get punchy. You realize the magnitude of the situation. You never think this is the way you’re going to pass away. I started to think about my life and my family and my daughters.”
Her 17-year-old daughter called her and begged her to keep the tailpipe clear so she wouldn’t die of carbon-monoxide poisoning.
When Rossi’s phone died, she found some paper in her purse and wrote letters to her two daughters.
Eventually, she managed to climb out her window and tunnel a small hole to the surface, through which she waved her red snow brush until a passing motorist spotted it and dug her out around 4 p.m.
And those farewell letters? “My kids don’t even want to see them,” she said.
