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Can Justin Bieber ever truly come back from his latest controversy?

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Justin Bieber is no stranger to controversy.

From his arrests and blatant disrespect for authority to the recent videos that show him using the N-word, he's far removed from the innocent YouTube kid who could sing.

While his fan base seems to continuously grow for the 20-year-old international pop star, the question lies in whether his recent scandal is something he can ever truly come back from.

"The stuff he's doing hasn't completely torpedoed his career … yet," Robert Thompson, a professor of pop culture studies at Syracuse University, told the Daily News. "But this does an awful lot of damage that's not immediately measurable."

Thompson compared Bieber's uses of the N-word to Michael Richards' (Kramer from "Seinfeld") public meltdown at the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles in 2006, when he used the racial slur.

"I still can't look at (Richards) the same way," Thompson said, adding that Bieber's racist antics will undeniably leave a stain on his career and certainly his image.

"What the videos did was show us that even though Bieber was young, cute and innocent, he was still doing some pretty reprimandable things," he added. "It retroactively puts a cloud over the bad boy Bieber of today and now, yesterday."

After the first video surfaced showing a 15-year-old Bieber telling a racist joke with the N-word -- which British tabloid The Sun published on Sunday -- the pop star issued a statement of apology.

"I'm very sorry," he said in the statement Sunday to The Associated Press. "I take all my friendships with people of all cultures very seriously and I apologize for offending or hurting anyone with my childish and inexcusable behavior."

Two days after his admission another video surfaced, again showing Bieber in his teen years. This time he changed the words to his 2009 hit "One Less Lonely Girl" to "One Less Lonely N-----." In it, Bieber can be seen giggling and smiling as he jokes about joining the Ku Klux Klan.

So what can the "Never Say Never" singer do to remove the stain?

"He needs to go away because if he doesn't he can't have a fresh start," Amanda Sanders, a New York celebrity image consultant, told The News. "He needs to lay low for a month or two."

Sanders touched on Britney Spears' 2007 breakdown in which the pop star left the spotlight for some time in order to get her personal affairs in order before resurfacing.

"I'm not saying he has to go to rehab," Sanders said. "But Bieber will never be seen as that sweet, wholesome boy again. He needs to just be gone for a while."

Even the suggestion of a public apology similar to Jonah Hill's emotional admission on "The Tonight Show" after hurling a homophobic slur at paparazzo isn't advisable to correct Bieber's racist blunder.


"If he did something like Jonah Hill it would have to be believable," Sanders added, saying she didn't think Bieber could pull off a sincere apology like the "Wolf of Wall Street" star. "And it should be live and not on Twitter or online."

Because of Bieber's previous screw-ups that have received little to no reaction from the singer, the image experts agree that it's unlikely he'll ever truly own up to what he did and that smear to his credibility will remain.

"Whenever his name is mentioned, all these other things he's done will hum in the background," Thompson said. "The future of his career is going in a very different direction than if he went something like the Justin Timberlake route."

Thompson mentioned a previous Google produced video that highlighted the timeline of Bieber's career from YouTube sensation to international superstar.

"His career isn't ruined, but no one will make a video like that now," he said. "By the time people get over this completely it will be because they've forgotten Bieber."

For now, the videos of a young Bieber laughing after his uses of the N-word are still highly relevant and damaging to his image. Sadly, this could be only the beginning.

"We don't know how many videos people have made (of him like that)," Thompson added. "He grew up in the digital era."

"I thought it was OK to repeat hurtful words and jokes, but I didn't realize at the time that it wasn't funny and that in fact my actions were continuing the ignorance," Bieber said in the statement Sunday. "Thanks to friends and family I learned from my mistakes and grew up and apologized for those words. Now that these mistakes from the past have become public I need to apologize again to all of those who I have offended."

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Casting Call: Belle (Beauty and the Beast)

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Disney recently announced plans to produce their own live-action Beauty and the Beast tale. We already have La belle et la bête with Lea Seydoux and Vincent Cassel coming soon and Guillermo del Toro’s announced version with Emma Watson which may or may not ever happen. For this Disney version I’m assuming they will stick close to their animated classic and for that, I give you ten choices for who I think would be the perfect live action Belle.


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1. Gemma Arterton. Gemma is not only stunningly gorgeous but has proven herself talented in all genres and even medias (she’s headling a musical very soon!).
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2. Antonia Thomas. There’s no doubt in my mind that Disney will cast a white girl who looks like Belle from the animated film but I really wish they’d consider a WOC in the role and especially Thomas, who is one of the most beautiful and spunky actresses working today.

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3. Adèle Exarchopoulos. If they want to cast an actual French actress, who better than the lovely and extremely talented Adèle? Plus, she’s new to the scene so she’d be perfect for such an iconic role.

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4. Troian Bellisario. Troian is known for her role in ABC Family’s Pretty Little Liars and she has the right mix of youth and maturity for the role of Belle.

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5. Jessica Brown-Findlay is younger than she looks and ready for a big role since her departure from Downton Abbey.


5 more at the source

Demi Lovato Chats w/ Capital FM, Covers "Give Me Love" by Ed Sheeran

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Check out the cover below, plus acoustic versions of "Neon Lights", "Heart Attack" and "GYHAB".

"Give Me Love"
demi

*When an embedded version pops up, I'll replace the image...until then, click here to watch the cover. It'll direct you to Capital FM's original post/article.

"Neon Lights"



"Heart Attack"



"Give Your Heart A Break"



Sources: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

ITS SOAP NEWS FRIDAY!!!!

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General Hospital's Michelle Stafford On Becoming Nina And Working with Michael & Kelly!

Stafford spoke with noted soap journalist Carolyn Hinsey in a new interview about her arrival onto the Port Charles scene, where she talks about being the new kid on the block, working with Kelly Monaco and Michael Easton and working with head scribe Ron Carlivati and EP Frank Valentini to make Nina come to life!

Michelle on being a hit character on one soap (Y&R’s Phyllis) and then coming to another soap and creating a new character and the challenge of it:“Sometimes an actor makes a splash on one show and then comes onto a new show expecting they’re going to make another splash. But you have to start each new job anew. I’m the new kid on the block.”

Michelle on getting snuck onto the ABC Studios:“I wore a hat and glasses and I was there for 10 minutes. That was technically my first day. Ten minutes… that was a great work day [laughs].”

Michelle on what are her thoughts on working with Michael Easton:“Amazing. I took his parking place one day and I want to publicly apologize for that. They gave me his spot; I think they just saw the ‘M.’ He’s really smart. He’s a writer himself… God, there’s so much I want to say about our conversations but if I tell you it will give away the character. There’s so little I can say.”

Michelle on working with EP Frank Valentini:Ron [Carlivati, head writer], Frank and I spoke at length about what was going to happen in the beginning, so I knew what they wanted from me. Ron is not a careful writer. He GOES for it. So I don’t want to be careful. I’m going all out, because then if it’s too much they can bring me down. Ron writes to your strengths. He watches you and gets ideas from you. That’s so important for a head writer.”

Michelle on receiving criticism from the crew:Frank walked up to me at one point and said, “I need you to be more vulnerable.” I get that. I’m really good with, “Be funnier,” “Do it faster,” “Be better.” I know what he means by that. Listen, you don’t hit it out of the park every time.”

Michelle on the story with Sam (Kelly Monaco) and Silas:“It’s OUR story, not my story. It’s important that they kick ass and I kick ass. I already told you about Michael, and Kelly is amazing. I really like my scenes with her. I haven’t seen them yet. I hope they’re good.”





General Hospital's Maura West on Ava's News!



A baby? Maybe. Last week on ABC's General Hospital, furious mob don Sonny Corinthos had a gun pointed at she-devil Ava Jerome and was ready to shoot her dead when the ever-enterprising beauty pulled out the ultimate trump card. She's pregnant! Ava explained that she'd just taken a home-pregnancy test and it was positive — the proof was right there in her waste basket! — but then admitted she didn't know if the father is Sonny, thanks to their one-time tryst in the Quartermaine crypt, or his son Morgan, whom she's been bedding for months. Was Ava's news pure luck or pure b.s.? Either way, it saved her life. For now, anyway. TV Guide Magazine had a chat with Maura West, the sensational two-time Emmy winner who plays Ava, and got her take on this terrific baby twist. And, of course, we talked about that even bigger shocker — her lack of an Emmy nomination!

TV Guide: The reveals are coming fast and furious on GH these days. Were you surprised Sonny found out so soon that Ava killed Connie? They could have milked that forever.

West: I think it's so exciting that they didn't! This writing team is extraordinary — the twists and turns are so smart — and Ava couldn't walk around with that secret forever. Sure, the relationship between her and Sonny could have built up a lot more so that the revelation would be even more of a betrayal. They also could have kept it quiet for a long time that Ava and Sonny had sex but they didn't. [Laughs] Two minutes later, Morgan walked into the crypt and could smell it! I think this is brilliant strategy. When I was growing up and a big fan of As the World Turns, you could watch in February and not tune in again until May and pick right back up again. Nothing would really change, and that's why people didn't feel the need to watch every day. [GH executive producer] Frank Valentini and [head writer] Ron Carlivati move our show so quickly now that you must catch it five days a week.

TV Guide: What did you think when you heard about this pregnancy?

West: That it's a classic soap story that has worked since television began. Frank usually tells me what's coming up next and I always say, "I'm game." I am not the sort of actor who says, "Oh, no, not this! I don't like that story!" What the writers write is none of my business. My business is to perform what they write as best I can. It was the same when they told me Ava would be having an affair with Morgan. I don't know if they anticipated that I might shrink from it and not want to do it, but I was fine with it. Nothing bothers me. I'm here to play.

TV Guide: You mean you didn't even blanch over the crypt sex?

West: [Laughs] You know what? A lot of people seemed shocked by it and I was very surprised by that reaction. I was never even thinking about the locale! I was thinking about Ava's pain. She told Sonny that she "walks the earth with an unfathomable burden"— a line I really loved that referred to Connie's murder. She was so heartsick she almost told Sonny about it right then. But for a lot of the audience that scene was all about crypt sex.

TV Guide: So you don't think a mausoleum is an unusual place to do it?

West: Not for a second was I thinking, "Oh, my God, we're having sex among the corpses." To me, it could just as well have happened in the back seat of a Chevy. That wasn't what the scene was about. I didn't see it as disgusting or some big sin. That's too simplistic. It was much more profound than that. Ava was going through unspeakable pain over Connie. That sex was born out of grief and need and the fact that she was with someone who understood her. That's not something foul. It's something human. I'm fairly new to Game of Thrones but I just got to the episode where they also do crypt sex, so we're not the only ones! [Laughs]

TV Guide: Ava's timing with the pregnancy test was impeccable — almost suspiciously so.

West: That was a lucky moment for sure! Because Sonny was ready to off her right then and there — no question about it — and then throw her body in the sea.

TV Guide: We might not have bought his threat a few months back, but Sonny has already whacked A.J. for killing Connie, so it's not hard to believe he'd do it twice. Well, except for that fact that Ava is a fantastic asset to GH and they'd never fire you in a million years.

West: But people do die on this show! That man wants retribution and it's a very real threat. If you have a bunch of people in the mob who never really follow through on their threats, then it's just a farce. Connie's death was a mob hit. Ava didn't dislike Connie — as I recall she said several times, "I had no problem with her"— but Ava was protecting her brother, Julian, and her business, so Connie had to go. In the violent world of the mob, that s--t happens. But I also think Sonny understands the concept of mob hits and that Connie was at the wrong place at the wrong time and heard the wrong thing.

TV Guide: Meaning what? That he might let Ava off the hook because it was business?

West: I honestly don't know. Maybe. Look, I love playing this part. I don't want Ava to die. [Laughs] I'm an actress thinking desperately here!

TV Guide: Well, we know you can't spoil anything, so let's discuss all the possibilities. What if Ava is really pregnant with a Corinthos baby? What if it's someone else's baby? What if she's faking it altogether?

West: If she's pregnant it certainly buys her time and she can figure out a way to change Sonny's mind. Nine months is a long time for Ava. She moves quickly, so this is a big grace period. It's her hope that she can get out of this mess and that amends will be made and there will be forgiveness in place before any possible labor and delivery of the baby.

TV Guide: As Sonny noted, it's possible Ava could be pregnant by just about anyone. Who knows, maybe the postman.

West: I know! And I resent that! Ava doesn't put out for just anybody. This woman has taste. Usually, I will watch my scenes on GH and see Ava Jerome — I don't see Maura — but I sure did see me in that moment when Sonny called Ava a whore. Because she's not! Who else has she been with? Morgan. That's it. So when you saw that scene there was a little bit of Maura in there thinking, "Fuck you, Sonny, Ava is not a whore!"

TV Guide: And what if this is just another one of Ava's con jobs and she has to fake a pregnancy or create one? Let's face it, in Port Chuck no one seems to be able to hold onto their own embryos and characters change paternity tests as often as they change underwear.

West: Well, you could only fake something like that for so long. I guess there could be ways around it but, frankly, I don't yet know how they're going to handle it. What we've already shot is really cool, though. It's injected with the gravity of Sonny's death threat, but it's also been infused with great humor and fireworks. It's a lot of fun. The idea that this could be Sonny's son or grandson really plays into history because, for him, family and children are all-important. If Ava were pregnant with someone else's child, he'd kill her for sure.

TV Guide: You seriously think that?

West: Yeah!

TV Guide: I just can't see it. Sonny is way too Catholic. He couldn't whack a madonna and child. He'd wait till after the birth.

West: That's true, he did say that! "I'm gonna kill ya in nine months." Either way, the clock is ticking for poor Ava.

TV Guide: Aren't you also going to be a big player in the Nina-ain't-dead story? Won't Ava be at the top of Nina's revenge list?

West: I certainly hope so but that hasn't come up in scripts yet. Ava's in the thick of a major problem right now. [Laughs] She'll get to those minor problems later!

TV Guide: Speaking of major problems, your fans are still having one because you didn't get an Emmy nomination for what was widely considered the daytime performance of the year. What do you think went wrong?

West: I don't know. Maybe the reel I submitted wasn't the right choice. But that's okay. Really okay. It would have been great to be nominated and a real honor but I still show up every day on the set and work as hard as I always do. It doesn't change a thing. I was much more surprised that GH didn't get nominated for best show or writing or directing. That was the snub, if there is such a thing. I watch our show every day and it's pretty phenomenal.

TV Guide: Will you attend?

West: Of course! I am going to the Emmys to support our show and especially to support Jane Elliot [Tracy], who I am so thrilled was nominated. When I arrived at GH and met Jane it was like I knew her in a past life. I was immediately drawn to her kindness and her talent and I am more excited for her and for Dom Zamprogna [Dante] and everyone else from GH who got nominated than I could ever be disappointed about my own circumstance. It sounds hokey, but it's the absolute truth.



Could Y&R Be Bringing Michael Muhney Back As Adam Newman?



Fans have been missing Michael Muhney (Ex-Adam Newman) on The Young and the Restless since December 2013 when he was last seen on-air. The star was fired from the CBS soap opera amidst controversy, but months after he has been gone the fan fervor for him has not stopped.

More recently, Y&R sent out a casting notice for the role of Aaron Newton which clearly was the recast for Adam Newman and their search had been on-going to fill the void left by Muhney in the pivotal role of the black sheep of the Newman clan.

However there have been rumors, and now an item in this week’s Soap Opera Digest on newsstands now, that “Insiders report Michael Muhney could be back in the mix to reprise the role,” and that Muhney was reportedly “spotted at the Y&R studios.”

When pressed about Muhney possibly returning to to the show, A Y&R spokesperson told Digest, “We don’t comment on rumors or contract status.”



Debbi Morgan On Passing Of Longtime Co-Star and On-Screen Mom Lee Chamberlin!



More sad news over the weekend with the reports of the passing of actress and playwright Lee Chamberlin, who for nine years played the role of Angie Hubbard’s (Debbi Morgan) mother, Pat Baxter on ABC’s All My Children.

Chamberlin played the role from 1982-1991 and later reprised the part on ABC’s Loving. She passed away on May 25th at the age of 76 after a battle with metastatic cancer. Debbi Morgan tweeted today: “My heart & prayers go out to the family of Lee Chamberlain. I so enjoyed working w/ her back in the day on AMC.”





GH's Castillo Is A Mom!



Congratulations to GENERAL HOSPITAL's Teresa Castillo (Sabrina) and husband Shane Aaron, who welcomed their daughter into the world last week!

The actress posted to Twitter that Victoria Milani was born on Thursday, May 29. "We are in love!" she added.



GH Star Weds!



Congratulations are in order for GH alum Sebastian Roché (ex-Jerry), who married Alicia Hannah on Sunday, June 1 at a vineyard in the South Of France! "That's it!" the actor tweeted on the day. "We are married! I love you Alicia Hannah, my beautiful wife!"

GH co-star Ingo Rademacher (ex-Jax) was on hand for the ceremony as best man. "Very happy to be in France for Seb and Ali's wedding," he posted to Twitter. "And honored to be best man! Love you guys!" Rademacher also posted photos like this one you can see on Instagram.





A Legendary Return!



THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS' Judith Chapman (Gloria) will be stepping back on stage as the legendary actress Vivien Leigh in her one-woman show, Vivien, Saturday, June 7 at Theatre In The Square in Marietta, GA.

The soap vet has wowed theatergoers from coast to coast portraying the troubled star of Gone With The Wind, who suffered from manic depression.

For more information on Vivien, check out Facebook or Twitter. Also, tickets are available by calling 777-794-5576.



The Daytime Emmy Awards Will Be Online-Only!



It’s probably a blessing Erica Kane’s not around to see this. As a reflection of dwindling interest in soaps, this year’s Daytime Emmy Awards will be shown only online – aka not on television.

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) today announced 41st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards will not air on television for the first time since 1984. Instead the June 22nd ceremony will be live-streamed on daytimeemmys.net starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

The Daytime Emmys ceremony has been broadcast on HLN the past two years. Last year's telecast averaged 913,000 viewers after drawing 5.4 million viewers on CBS just two years prior.

“We are confident that the expert team we’ve brought on will flawlessly execute an evening that celebrates the outstanding talent being honored and allows fans to be a part of the action,” said NATAS chairman Malachy Wienges in a statement.

Once again this year, no one from soap operas will be given the Lifetime Achievement Award. Russ Morash, the producer and director of The French Chef with Julia Child and the creator of This Old House and other iconic public television programs will be honored at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards on June 20th.

The Young and the Restless leads the nominations with 26.



While neither soap has been officially canceled by Prospect Park/The OnLine Network, AMC actors Denyse Tontz (ex-Miranda Montgomery) and Eric Nelsen (ex-AJ Chandler) have signed on as presenters, along with OLTL's Tuc Watkins (ex-David Vickers Buchanan). Leslie Miller, who co-hosted MORE AMC and MORE OLTL for TOLN in 2013, will also attend as a presenter. Kassie DePaiva, who portrayed Blair Cramer on OLTL, both on the ABC and TOLN versions, is set to present as a member of the DAYS cast as it was announced earlier this year that she had signed on to portray the contract role of Eve Donovan (previously portrayed by Emmy Award winner Charlotte Ross). She will be joined by Freddie Smith (Sonny Kiriakis) and Guy Wilson (Will Horton).

Nominated this year in the category of Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Katie Logan on CBS' The Bold and the Beautiful, actress Heather Tom will present along with co-star John McCook (Eric Forrester).





General Hospital’s William deVry (Julian Jerome) and Lisa LoCicero (Olivia Falconeri), The Young and the Restless' Lauralee Bell (Christine Blair), Sean Carrigan (Stitch Rayburn) and Jess Walton (Jill Abbott Fenmore) will also be on hand as presenters. Bell’s web series mI promise is up for an Emmy in the category of Outstanding Special Class – Short Format Daytime Program.

Currently co-hosting The Better Show, a syndicated and online series, former All My Children actress Rebecca Budig (ex-Greenlee Smythe) will present alongside co-host JD Roberto.

For a breakdown of presenters by show talent, see below:

ALL MY CHILDREN
Denyse Tontz
Eric Nelsen





THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL
John McCook
Heather Tom


DAYS OF OUR LIVES
Kassie DePaiva
Freddie Smith
Guy Wilson





GENERAL HOSPITAL
William deVry
Lisa LoCicero


ONE LIFE TO LIVE
Tuc Watkins





THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS
Lauralee Bell
Sean Carrigan
Jess Walton





Other presenters include: Joseph Rosendo (“Travelscope”), June Lockhart (“Lassie,” “Lost in Space”), George Chakiris (“West Side Story,” “OLTL”), Leeza Gibbons (“America Now”), Jessica Carleton (“Green Screen Adventures”), Leslie Rudolph-Carrara (puppeteer, “Sesame Street”), Hayley Faith Negrin (“Peg+Cat”), “This Old House” personalities Norm Abrams, Kevin O’Connor, Richard Trethewey, Roger Cook and Tom Silva, David Rudman (puppeteer, “Sesame Street”) and Nickelodeon’s The Fresh Beat Band members.



Kate Del Castillo's Dueños Del Paraiso Trailer!



An upcoming project that created major buzz at Telemundo's Upfront presentation this year was Dueños del Paraiso starring Kate del Castillo.

The 41-year-old La Reina del Sur star made a special appearance during the event held in New York in May to present this new project.

The original story by Pablo Illanes, is inspired by real-life events during the height of the 1980s drug trade era in Miami, Del Castillo plays Anastasia Cardona, the widow of a well-known Mexican drug lord who has become psychologically disturbed by the violence that has surrounded her. When she partners up with two local cocaine traffickers to take on the Santa Norma cartel, they become the target of the so-called drug wars, transforming the streets of South Florida into a terrifying battlefield.







The Week In The Year 2013!




Katie rushed Steffy to the hospital after Steffy fainted, and the doctors concluded that Steffy could never get pregnant again. Instead of telling Liam, Steffy retreated to her loft to be alone. Eric sided with Brooke when she refused to model lingerie at a press conference, but the move left the press and Forrester executives baffled. Persisting in her mission to make a family with Eric, Brooke recreated her and Eric's honeymoon tent, but Eric urged her to confess her pregnancy to Bill. At Katie and Bill's house, Brooke announced that she had something say. Overjoyed by Maya and Rick's breakup, Caroline ordered Maya to leave Forrester. Maya, however, said Caroline shouldn't press her luck. To Bill, Maya asserted that she wouldn't be blackmailed.






Kristen begged Brady for a second chance. Stefano's jealousy over Kate's feelings for Rafe drove him to order a maiming on Rafe. Daniel began to suspect J.J. when he learned that his car had been vandalized again. Jennifer seemed concerned about J.J.'s behavior, so she told Daniel that she should spend more time with her son to help him work things out. Kate accused Sami and E.J. of stealing Mad World's secret formula. E.J. overheard Sami and Kate arguing over their feelings for Rafe. Upset at what he had heard, E.J. decided to find out Sami's true feelings for Rafe. Daniel blasted J.J. for putting Parker in danger. Gabi and Will admired their new daughter. Cameron and Chad both had Abigail on the brain. Nick told Gabi that he had married her for all the wrong reasons. Adrienne advised Sonny about all of the changes and demands that he would face in his future with Will.






Sonny and Carly agreed that Franco needed to die, so they turned to Shawn for help. Sonny arranged for the district attorney to go along with Diane's request for bail, so Franco would be released from police custody, which would make Franco an easier target for Shawn. Sonny put the hit on hold until it was safe for Shawn to kill Franco, but Carly objected because she wanted Franco killed sooner rather than later. The acrimony between Michael and Kiki turned to passion, but their near-kiss was interrupted when Morgan returned home. Morgan was frustrated when his parents refused to cosign for another credit card. Kiki wanted to move out of Michael's apartment, so Morgan suggested that it was time for Kiki to reach out to her wealthy family. Luke's doctor wanted to discuss Luke's test results, but Luke opted to drink instead. Connie was delighted when the charges against her, stemming from her alter personality's car accident, were dismissed. Franco paid the Quartermaines a visit to remind them that he was entitled to a share of Edward's estate. Franco met Kiki, who turned up at the Quartermaine mansion to meet her father's family. Silas told Sam that Danny had cancer, so Sam turned to Patrick for help. Danny underwent a bone marrow biopsy when it was suspected that he might have leukemia. Felix's sister, Taylor, arrived in Port Charles. Molly was disappointed when she learned that T.J. was taking Taylor to the prom.






Chelsea realized that Adam had paid off Madame Miranda. When she confronted Adam, Chelsea suffered abdominal pains, and he rushed her to the hospital. Chelsea and the baby were fine, and Adam agreed to back off. Chloe and Kevin sold Crimson Lights to Dylan. Kevin stole again. Chelsea and Dylan discussed baby names, and their relationship became more passionate. Lily saw a blog post with Neil's words about her tendency to stray, and another post appeared about Neil's drinking. After a heart-to-heart talk with Nick, Phyllis decided to return to Jack. Traci moved in with Abby. Avery told Nick about her past miscarriage. Michael agreed to Lauren's plea that they wait 30 days to file for divorce, and he moved back in. Carmine continued to pursue Lauren and befriend Fen. Billy took money from On the Boulevard's cash register to join a poker game, and he later gambled online. Victoria became suspicious of Billy's behavior. Summer anticipated having sex with Kyle after her graduation. Devon tried to drive a wedge between Tyler and Lily. Noah and Tyler moved into their new apartment. Dr. Watkins worried that Sharon was doing everything she could to avoid being alone. Adam kissed Sharon to prove that he had no problem moving on from Chelsea. Victor encouraged Adam to start a family. At Victor's suggestion, Adam hosted a family gathering, at which Victor declared that the Newmans had regained ownership of Newman Enterprises. Nick announced that he and Avery were getting married.





PREVIEWS FOR NEXT WEEK!




Monday
Nicole lashes out at Daniel and Jennifer; Abigail is taken aback by a deep secret.

Tuesday
Eric asks Nicole to take off her ring; Julie confronts Nick's killer.

Wednesday
Daniel is hurt by Jennifer; EJ discovers upsetting news about Kate and Stefano.

Thursday
Victor and Theresa clash over Brady; Gabi bids a tearful goodbye to Rafe, Will and Sonny.

Friday
Will realizes Sonny has kept a secret from him; Ben comforts Abigail, which leads to something more.








Sonny and Ava taunt each other

Morgan makes an assumption

Julian has orders for Jordan

Someone gets shot

Rafe's memories start to haunt him

Levi and Maxie are at odds

Sam investigates Sabrina and Patrick's car accident

Anna devises a plan for the mob

Britt conspires to get Nikolas back








Monday, June 9
Hope (Kim Matula) announces she has finally made a decision between the Spencer brothers, and it's Liam (Scott Clifton); word about events in Dubai spreads quickly at Forrester Creations.

Tuesday, June 10
Wyatt (Darin Brooks) learns Quinn (Rena Sofer) is responsible for his recent loss; Carter (Lawrence Saint-Victor) warns Maya (Karla Mosley) to stop meddling in Oliver (Zack Conroy) and Aly's (Ashlyn Pearce) relationship.

Wednesday, June 11
A marriage proposal is made in an effort to save a relationship; Maya confronts Oliver.

Thursday, June 12
Oliver works to cover his tracks; betrayal leads to a devastating loss for one woman.

Friday, June 13
Quinn makes a heartfelt plea to Hope about Wyatt; a mysterious man shows up in town.








Monday, June 9
Things get worse for Avery (Jessica Collins); Kevin (Greg Rikaart), Dylan (Steve Burton) and Paul (Doug Davidson) try to save the day.

Tuesday, June 10
Billy (David Tom) gets Chelsea (Melissa Claire Egan) to help him get information on Stitch (Sean Carrigan); things heat up between Jack (Peter Bergman) and Kelly (Cady McClain); the race to save Avery takes a disastrous turn.

Wednesday, June 11
Jack (Peter Bergman) and Nick (Joshua Morrow) work together to help Summer (Hunter King); friends and family rush to the hospital.

Thursday, June 12
A Father's Day celebration causes tension; Stitch gives Victoria (Amelia Heinle) upsetting news.

Friday, June 13
Billy and Chelsea look for Stitch's ex-wife; Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott) learns shocking news.




sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13

Tom Hardy And Benedict Cumberbatch Reportedly On Marvel's Wish List For Doctor Strange

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As things are looking a bit more hopeful for the director-less Ant-Man, Marvel Studios is still moving forward with its long-anticipated Doctor Strange big-screen adaptation. Just days after finding a director in Scott Derrikson, the Disney-owned company has began its search for Dr. Stephen Strange himself. Immediately after Derrikson's announcement July 3rd, there was an unconfirmed rumor that Academy Award-winner Jared Leto was on the studios' radar for the titular Socerer Supreme role, but Deadline has now reported only two big-name actors on Marvel's early wish list. "I’m hearing that Tom Hardy and Benedict Cumberbatch are on it," reveals the ever-reliable source.

In light of Hardy famously going up against Batman in The Dark Knight Rises and Cumberbatch taking on the Enterprise in Star Trek into Darkness, neither actors are strangers to roles in comic book movies or franchises with huge followings. However, it seems scheduling could prevent both actors from playing Marvel's Doctor Strange, should either casting progresses. It is still quite early for anything to be finalized, but Marvel could be readying some strange surprises for Comic-Con next month. Anyhow, the film will likely follow Captain America 3 in 2016 in Marvel's 'Phase 3.'

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Watch First 7 Minutes Of New Starz Series 'Power'

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Starz's highly anticipated new original series Power will debut just over a week from now tomorrow, on Saturday, June 7th at 9pm ET/PT. Ahead of that premiere, the network has released the first 5 minutes of episode 1 online.

Executive produced by Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson, Power is a crime drama set in two different worlds - the glamorous New York club scene and the brutal drug trade.



James “Ghost” St. Patrick has it all: a beautiful wife, a gorgeous Manhattan penthouse, and the hottest, up-and-coming new nightclub in New York. His club, Truth, caters to the elite: the famous and infamous boldface names that run the city that never sleeps. As its success grows, so do Ghost’s plans to build an empire. However, Truth hides an ugly reality. It’s a front for Ghost’s criminal underworld; a lucrative drug network, serving only the wealthy and powerful. As Ghost is seduced by the prospect of a legitimate life, everything precious to him becomes unknowingly threatened. Once you’re in, can you ever get out?

The cast is led by Omari Hardwick who is joined by Lela Loren, Naturi Naughton and Joseph Sikora. Hardwick stars as ‘James “Ghost” St. Patrick’; Loren plays ‘Angela Valdes’, an old flame of James’s who unexpectedly reenters his life; Naughton will play ‘Tasha St. Patrick’, wife, confidant and willing accomplice to James and Sikora plays ‘Tommy Egan’, childhood best friend and business partner to “Ghost.”

Power will also feature Andy Bean as ‘Greg’, Sinqua Walls as ‘Shawn’, Adam Huss as ‘Kantos’, Greg Serano as ‘Medina’, Lucy Walters as ‘Holly’, Victor Garber as ‘Simon Stern,’ Sonya Walger as ‘Madeline Stern,’ Kathrine Narducci as ‘Lavaro’, Luis Antonio Ramos as ‘Ruiz’, La La Anthony as ‘LaKeisha’, Diane Neal as ‘Cynthia’, J.R. Ramirez as ‘Julio’, Debbi Morgan as ‘Estelle’, Shane Johnson as ‘Saxe’, Enrique Murciano as ‘Lobos’, Vinicius Machado as ‘Nomar’, Dominic Colon as ‘Anibal’, J.P. Serret as ‘Sabueso’ and Audrey Esparza as ‘Liliana’.

The series is created by Courtney Kemp Agboh, who will serve as executive producer and showrunner. Mark Canton, Randall Emmett and David Knoller also serve as executive producers. The series is being produced in association with CBS Television Studios.

Power premieres on Saturday, June 7th at 9pmET/PT on Starz with an eight hour-long episode first season.

but more importantly, this qt is in it!



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The best VS angel, Candice Swanepoel, talks beauty and fitness

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As a Victoria's Secret Angel and model, Candice Swanepoel is accustomed to being bikini-ready at a moment's notice - rather unlike the scramble to book pedicure appointments, apply fake tan and regret not doing more exercise experienced by the British as soon as the sun shows its face. For that very reason, we asked the long-limbed, glowing-skinned South African to share her advice for being prepared for summer sunshine - and making the most of it while it's here.

1. Sun protection is really important for me. My face really burns and it's not cute! My facialist gives me a really strong sunscreen, and I wear that every day, whether it's sunny or not.

2. I leave a vanity bag always packed with my favourite stuff so it's ready to go when I travel. I have my products that I always need: my face wash, toner, moisturiser, sunscreen and body oil - I love Bio Oil.

3. Because I'm in the ocean all the time, I use a lot of different oils and conditioning creams on my hair. In Brazil it's very normal to take products and your brush to the beach, people dye their hair... so I take all of my conditioning treatments to the beach when I'm there.

4. When I'm on holiday, I try to take a break from make-up. If we have a night out, or go and see a band or something, I'll do some blush and mascara - but I try to keep it really minimal.

5. Squats are the key! It's definitely squats! They work for me if I've been on holiday and I feel like I haven't done enough exercise. Even 10 make me feel better. You know what's good - if you squat and when you come back up, you squeeze really hard. That works.

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Casey Kasem's health declining, "won't be with us much longer."

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UPDATED: The veteran DJ is "stable," but members of his family are reportedly gathering by his side.

Casey Kasem is in critical but stable condition at a Washington state hospital, according to reps for the hospital and Casey's daughter Kerri.

"Mr. Kasem is receiving wound care, intravenous antibiotic therapy, blood pressure support medication as well as treatment for his pain. Mr. Kasem is alert, appears comfortable at this time,” St. Anthony Hospital spokesman Scott Thompson said in a statement released Thursday and obtained by The Hollywood Reporter. St. Anthony Hospital is located in Gig Harbor, Washington.

He is being treated for an infected bed sore, which was present when he was admitted Sunday.

Members of Casey's family, including his brother, are flying to Washington to be with him.

"Casey Kasem's health is declining and won't be with us much longer," Kerri's rep Danny Deraney told THR in a statement. All three of Casey's daughters are by his side.

Casey is at the center of a family feud between his children and his wife, Jean.

"My Dad taught us that family comes first. We want to honor him and make sure all of his family, including Jean and Liberty are surrounding him with love at this critical time," said daughter Julie Kasem.

Added Kerri: "If he opens his eyes, I want my Dad just once to see everyone standing around him, putting our differences aside and let him know how much he is loved by everyone, including Jean and Liberty."

A message on the Deraney PR Twitter account on Thursday said Casey was in "stable condition."CNN notes that a patient can be listed as both critical and stable if his or her condition is poor but not deteriorating further.

The radio icon has Lewy Body Disease and has been bed-ridden for some time.

A judge last week granted Kerri the right to have Casey examined by a doctor. In court Friday, Kerri's health conservatorship of her father was upheld by a Washington State judge.

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The Expendables 3 Will Be Rated PG-13

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WHAT THE FUCK? NEWS

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The Expendables: Rated R for strong action and bloody violence throughout. The Expendables 2: Rated R for strong bloody violence throughout. The Expendables 3: Rated PG-13 for some horseplay and roughhousing?
That’s right, the third (and supposedly final) entry in the father of all macho movie franchises will be getting a watered down PG-13 rating. The Expendables 2 was actually originally intended to be PG-13 and was even shot that way, but after the fans blew up Sylvester Stallone’s Twitter account in an uproar, the filmmaker’s went back and added CGI blood to earn an R rating and please the violence hungry public.
However, The Expendables 2 didn’t fare as well at the box-office, taking in $85 million domestically as opposed to the first films $103 million haul. Based on that, the taming of Part 3 seems like a complete financial decision on the part of the studio in an effort to get more money out of younger moviegoer’s pockets.
Stallone almost says as much:
"We want to reach as many people as possible. It’s very close to an R, believe me, it’s right there. But I think we owe it to the next generation. We thought we’d join that club for a while."
We went through this once already and maybe another fan protest will once again force the filmmaker’s to change their minds and amp up the violence, but that seems more doubtful this time around. Money talks in Hollywood and when your franchise starts to show diminishing returns, something has to be done to correct the situation.
Now, just because The Expendables 3 will be less bloody doesn’t necessarily mean it won’t be as good as the first two. Sure, it’s disappointing for us lovers of graphic violence, but an R rating and quality don’t always go hand in hand. Just ask A Good Day to Die Hard.
Returning for the third film are Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Terry Crews, Randy Couture and Arnold Schwarzenegger. New recruits include Harrison Ford, Wesley Snipes, Antonio Banderas, Kelsey Grammer and Mel Gibson.
The Expendables PG-13, sorry, The Expendables 3 hits theaters on August 15th.

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TV SPOT
In The Expendables 3, Barney (Stallone), Christmas (Statham) and the rest of the team come face-to-face with Conrad Stonebanks (Gibson), who years ago co-founded The Expendables with Barney. Stonebanks subsequently became a ruthless arms trader and someone who Barney was forced to kill… or so he thought. Stonebanks, who eluded death once before, now is making it his mission to end The Expendables — but Barney has other plans. Barney decides that he has to fight old blood with new blood, and brings in a new era of Expendables team members, recruiting individuals who are younger, faster and more tech-savvy. The latest mission becomes a clash of classic old-school style versus high-tech expertise in the Expendables’ most personal battle yet.

TV spot won't embed click here

source 1, 2, 3

uh no
LvqHRgm

Meet the couple who stole Miley Cyrus' car

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Racy pictures show pair arrested on suspicion of stealing Miley Cyrus' $100k Maserati (and they're a couple)
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The man and woman who are suspected of stealing Miley Cyrus’ Maserati have been identified.
Us Weekly reports that a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed:
'A female and a male were arrested today in relation to this theft case. They are a 21 year old female, Naomi Charles, an LA resident, and Tylor Scott, a 19-year-old male, who is an Arizona resident.'
The suspects appear to be a couple, as they can be seen kissing in photos posted on their social media pages.

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The spokesperson added to Us Weekly on Thursday: 'Both have been arrested for residential burglary and they are being held on a $50,000 bail. They are still currently detained.
'They were taken into custody this morning around 11 a.m. in the city of North Hollywood in the 5300 block of Lankershim. They were identified by video surveillance and that’s how they were taken into custody.'
Scott was arrested in Arizona twice last year, according to Maricopa County court records. He was booked in December for 2nd degree Burglary, Theft of Means of Transportation (Auto Theft) and Drug Paraphernalia - Possession/Use.

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In September he was arrested for Unlawful Use of Means of Transportation, i.e. joyriding.
While Scott’s profession is not known, TMZ reports that Charles is a fitness model.
Charles recently shared photos of expensive cars and wads of cash on Twitter, with the caption: ‘Life goals.’
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TMZ claimed on Thursday that they were identified by officers while walking in North Hollywood, and recognisable from the surveillance video of the theft.
A witness spotted the man drop the Maserati Quattroporte off in the Simi Valley area of Los Angeles last Friday night and gave the description to law enforcement officers.
The man in question then 'jumped into the passenger seat of another car and drove off', the bystander told the website.
The car was abandoned all weekend and was picked up by police on Monday afternoon following calls from concerned neighbours.
Police were said to be 'dusting it for prints,' sources told the website.

The news comes after Miley was burgled on Friday of last week when two thieves hopped the fence of the 21-year-old singer's Los Angeles residence and made off with both her car and jewellery. The jewellery has not yet been recovered, according to reports.
The duo entered the home through the garage, Los Angeles police said in a statement to the LA Times.
Around 4pm, authorities were notified that the luxury car and other items were missing from the home nestled in the hills of LA's Studio City area.
Miley is currently in Europe for her Bangerz tour, where she was last spotted in Copenhagen, Denmark on Wednesday.
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Jezebel writes a really long article about sex on HBO and Game of Thrones

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Oh, Game of Thrones. Could it be we've gone a few weeks without a rape? Or should I say, rapes.

As I wrote for Bent: How innocent it looks now, the controversial Jaime-Cersei scene, with its single demure assault of a grieving woman by her brother beside the poisoned corpse of their incestuously-begotten son. The next episode gifted us with a whole flotilla of angry cocks as - in another departure from George R.R. Martin's source books - the Night's Watch assaulted en masse the already serially abused daughter-wives of Craster. It made for grim viewing. Watch the scene for long enough and the Cersei-Jaime-corpse caper takes on the fond, sepia edges of an Edwardian picnic. Ah, for the rapes of yesteryear.

If you're one of the large and increasingly vocal number of people who are disturbed by the treatment of sex and violence on Game of Thrones, then this scene probably provoked a familiar feeling of angry exhaustion. This reaction can be difficult to manage, because the sadness and weariness means you don't have much energy left for the anger. And – especially as a person who doesn't generally have a problem with sex and violence – you don't know where to direct the anger. Is it at George R.R. Martin, the author of the novels on which the show is based? Or should it be at the show's co-creators, David Benioff and D. B. Weiss? Maybe the problem lies with the directors of offending episodes, such as Alex Graves, who gave us the Jaime-Cersei rape scene? Or does the buck stop ultimately with HBO, who commissions this series, and puts it out into the world?

On this last point, here we have Michael Lombardo, president for programming at HBO, responding to the recent controversy in an email to The New York Times, and defending the show, arguing "the choices our creative teams make are based on the motivations and sensibilities that they believe define their characters. We fully support the vision and artistry of Dan and David's exceptional work and we feel this work speaks for itself."To which we might reply: yes, the work speaks for itself, but it also speaks for you, HBO. You're a network, a conduit. You are what you choose to present. And this statement offers a blanket endorsement while also spectacularly passing the buck.

Then there's this from Neil Marshall, who directed the second season episode "Blackwater" of Game of Thrones, and has described the 'surreal' experience of being urged by an unnamed executive producer to add more full-frontal nude shots to scenes during filming. The producer's reasoning? He's not on the 'drama side' of things; he represents the 'perv side of the audience'.

And this got me thinking about HBO's role in all of this. A lot of the anger so far has understandably been directed at the show's writers and directors. And it's true that they're the ones on the ground, making the creative choices. But HBO influences these choices. Drastic departures from agreed-upon limits must be theirs to check, if they want to. But not only does the ickiness of Game of Thrones only increase over time, but in the wake of the recent controversy – about something as serious as rape, no less – they've come out with their explicit support.

Has Game of Thrones jumped the shark?

The logical answer is of course, no. The things that were always good about Game of Thrones are still good – and in fact the show has recently upped its game in terms of tighter episode focus on compelling storylines. And certain central performances, like Peter Dinklage's, continue to deepen and delight. But what was rank in the show has only grown ranker. And you can only take in the whiff for so long before you start to wonder: is this an isolated problem with Game of Thrones, or does it signal something about HBO's approach more generally? When it comes to sex, has HBO jumped the shark?

And to point all of this out is not to say for a second that all sex should be tediously soft-tinted and petal-strewn. There's definitely a place for submission and domination, and combativeness, in consenting sexual acts, and plenty of adults play those games and enjoy them. But the point of those games is that they don't have blurred lines at all. In fact, they have very clear lines: 'safe words', agreed-upon boundaries. And those clear lines are put in place because the grey area is so dangerous (which is often why it's interesting to people in the first place). Similarly, in the world of TV and film, the danger of sexual combativeness should be played with responsibly. Show human complexity, sure – show the very human horror and humiliation that is rape – but don't show it gratuitously, or as a titillant. Don't callously present it as 'edge'.

Just don't do this:



About that scene

Does that look like it 'becomes consensual', Alex Graves, Daniel Weiss, David Benioff, HBO? Really?

But what about your other defenses, Alex Graves., that "the consensual part of it was that she wraps her legs around him, and she's holding on to the table, clearly not to escape but to get some grounding in what's going on." And that she's clearly at one point 'kissing him back.'

Both these 'defenses' articulate well some of the confusion surrounding rape. First, the idea that kissing also means consent to sex – as though every time a person makes out with someone else they're also up for intercourse (which would make going to the cinema an awkward event to say the least). Second, there's the idea that bodily actions (like the opening of legs) are somehow interpretable and meaningful over and above the literal meanings of actual spoken words (in this scene, 'no, no', 'stop', 'it's not right' etc., which as words go, aren't exactly ambiguous). It's unnerving, to put it mildly, that these classic rapey apologia are put forward as arguments by a major TV director of the world's most popular television show. As Myles McNutt has argued, this was always going to be a shocking scene in terms of character development, but it wasn't necessarily an unthinkable scene: what has been most shocking is the apparent inability of this director to see that he'd filmed a rape at all.

Add to this the fact that Graves also filmed this scene apparently without analysis or discussion of the issues involved. Says Graves:

"Nobody really wanted to talk about what was going on between the two characters, so we had a rehearsal that was a blocking rehearsal… By the time you do that and you walk through it, the actors feel comfortable going home to think about it. The only other thing I did was that ordinarily, you rehearse the night before, and I wanted to rehearse that scene four days before, so that we could think about everything. And it worked out really well. That's one of my favorite scenes I've ever done."


Well, as long as everyone thought about the issues privately, what need is there for a director to direct their interpretation? Even though the fact that "no one wanted to talk about what was going on between the two characters" was a pretty fucking sure neon sign that there was something unusual and disturbing going on between the two characters to begin with? All of which makes the 'it was consensual' apologia extra creepy: because the defence of 'kissing'! and 'look, leg-wrapping!' is coming from such a rote and reflex space, and not a space of thought and analysis, and certainly. There's also the disturbing fact that these are classic date-rape defences.

If Alex Graves had done some research into rape or even into heterosexual sex from a female perspective as part of his preparations to, you know, direct scenes of rape or heterosexual sex, he might have a more nuanced view. So here's a tip, A.G.. If a person is being penetrated, and that person can't break free, that person might as well open their legs a bit as a protective gesture. This might seem counter-intuitive to someone who doesn't get penetrated as part of sex (in which case, as a director, research! think! ask!). But the fact remains that the incorporation of something into your body might be done in such a way as to minimise the harmful effects of a violent coercive penetration you don't choose, without meaning for a moment that the penetration isn't therefore coercive (such as if a rapist holds a knife to your throat to ensure physical cooperation, and you open your legs and angle your pelvis toward him to minimise harm).

In the case of the 'wrapping her legs' scenario in the Cersei-Jaime rape scene, even a cursory look at the mechanics reveals that a woman in that situation might do this to prevent even more piercing pain and probable tearing to her already too-dry and unaroused vaginal walls, and to prevent wrenching bruising to her thighs; a woman in this situation might as well hold onto a table to keep her balance and to stop her head being pounded on the stone flags. Moving your legs and arms about while also saying, repeatedly, 'no, no' doesn't somehow cosmically change the meanings of those words, just as protecting your face by lifting your arm, or holding on to a stool to keep your balance, or using certain parts of your body to protect other parts of your body, while lying on the ground being kicked – instead of fighting back – doesn't thereby mean that you consent to being kicked.

And it would be one thing to show this because it happens, because it's part of the general horror of human life, because relationships between the sexes are often fucked-up, for a battery of complex reasons. But it's another thing to choose to show it for no obvious reason at all, when it illuminates nothing (except perhaps, the gender dynamics of a pretend patriarchy, in another dimension/planet, that's been amply 'fleshed out' already), and when there are no obvious consequences for character (Jaime and Cersei seem to have forgotten about it by the time we roll on to 'Oathkeeper', the next episode). It's beyond understanding why you, Game of Thrones, HBO, constantly choose to take acts of consenting sex and mutual desire from your source material and turn them into rapes. And then to pretend that a woman saying 'no, no' and 'it's not right', up to the very moment that she's forcibly penetrated – next to the body of her dead son no less – is somehow not being raped at all.

Remember when you knew what a rape was, HBO?

Fantasy can be serious. And ethical objections aren't always veiled pruderies.



Read the full article at SOURCE. It's interesting even if its long, the writer talks in-depth about HBO and the way they portray sex scenes in general.

‘Orange is the New Black’ Season 2: Cast Talks Prison Preconceptions, Breaking Lesbian Stereotypes

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Remember to include spoiler tags when necessary!

Mere hours after Netflix premiered season two of “Orange is the New Black in its entirety online, three of the show’s stars took the stage at the Austin Television Festival to discuss the streaming service’s critically acclaimed drama.

Uzo Aduba (Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren), Danielle Brooks (Tasha “Taystee” Jefferson) and Lea DeLaria (Carrie “Big Boo” Black) were suitably impressed that most of the ATX Festival audience had resisted the urge to binge the show in the wee hours of the morning, allowing them to watch the season two premiere on the big screen at Austin’s State Theater.

While all Netflix cast members seem notoriously spoiler averse, the trio had plenty to say about the experience of filming and the groundbreaking nature of the show, which is set in a women’s federal prison and doesn’t shy away from portraying its characters in all their blunt, eccentric, sexually liberated glory.

Aduba admitted that being cast on the show changed her entire perspective on prisons and their inhabitants, revealing that she used to watch “Lockup” on MSNBC from a “voyeuristic perspective” to get a window into the closed societies of prisons, but after reading the second script for the series, “I started to stop and realize, we’re not telling stories about crime, we’re telling stories about people who happened to commit crimes. The stories we’re talking about are these people and their journey: what it is for Red to be a wife to this man — all she wants, more than anything, is to belong. That was a change just in my own life, realizing that these are people— good people can make mistakes, they’re more than just the singular adjective or descriptor that we want to put on them. They’re not just the crime or the jumpsuit — they’re someone’s mother, someone’s neighbor, they had a job, they have a parent somewhere. That was very life-changing for me.”

The stars also applauded “OITNB’s” writers for their authentic characterization; Aduba said she was especially impressed with the way Taystee is portrayed: “It opens minds up to [the fact that] we’re all more than what we might seem on the outside. I think a beautiful thing they do with Taystee is … We think this is who she is, but she’s super well read, she’s good with numbers, she’s an incredibly intelligent young lady.”

Brooks agreed, “It gets rid of this stereotype of all women in prison, what you think they are. That’s one of the reasons I love playing Taystee — she is very educated. Yes, she has that form of being in a foster home and not having a family background, but she’s proven [she can] break out of that … it’s really great for our society to take a look at how we are judging one another with all of these women.”

“It’s like I’ve died and gone to feminist lezzy heaven,” DeLaria wryly concurred. “I’ve been a professional lesbian for over 30 years — before that I freelanced — but my entire career has been about that, putting a human face on what a butch is. To be able to finally get to portray this … usually whenever you see someone like my character in some other television show, she’s stupid, she’s fighting some other dyke with a pool cue, she’s a truck driver. It’s interesting to me that not only is Big Boo smart, she’s the smartest woman in the prison – she always has a warm heart and a warm soul, she’s three dimensional and not a caricature. I think that makes us all feel very blessed to be in the show.”

Season two of “Orange” ups the ante in many ways, Brooks promised, teasing that fans can expect a number of new character back stories – including Taystee’s. “This season is very exciting. I think it intensifies to the 100th degree … a lot of cliffhangers are answered this season, but then it leaves you with some other things,” she said.

“There’s some new characters too; Vee, played by Lorraine Toussaint — she really comes in and rocks it. I’m excited for people to see that.”

“And Kimiko Glenn – she plays a character, Brooke, that just embodies that whiny liberal that you just want to smack … she’s terrific,” DeLaria added. She also promised that we can expect further insanity from Big Boo this season: “I’m just going to say one word: #peanutbutter. I’ve been getting that hashtag all day,” she said cryptically. “I just think they sit around in the writer’s room and go ‘What’s the craziest thing we can think of and who will do it? Oh yeah, give it to DeLaria.’”

An audience member noted that she appreciated the show’s examination of authority figures and their own corruption, something that Aduba agreed was one of “Orange’s” most fascinating aspects.

“I think it is really interesting that the show touches on that — who is the real criminal, and what is the real crime?” she noted, pointing out that everyone, from Mr. Healey to Figueroa to Pornstache to gentle guard Bennett, plays in moral grey areas (or crosses the line completely) on the show.

“As much as we’re invested in [Bennett and Daya’s relationship], it’s wrong, it’s completely incorrect,” DeLaria pointed out.

“And yet we forgive it,” Aduba noted.

“For Fig, you’re going to be happy to see what happens to her in season two,” Brooks teased. “The writers are so much more brilliant than what I could come up with, so I think you’ll be pleased.”

The actors said that they’re hoping to play their characters for many years to come, and shared some of their aspirations for the layered women they portray.

“I think I would like for Suzanne to have more of the same, in that I love that they continue to place her on solid ground,” Aduba said, hoping that the writers “continue to round her out [and] keep having … questions come up for her, such as the love question: what it is to love; what it means to love; how far someone will go for love; what someone will do for love. I would love to see that continuation. I love seeing her vulnerability, her willingness to just live, I’d love to see that fire continue to be stoked.”

Touching on her character’s depth and growth, Brooks said, “I would love to see Taystee develop into Tasha. She’s not quite there yet… I would love to see her become a woman and I think for season one, we end up with that conversation with her and Poussey in the library. In season two she really takes to heart that conversation – she tries so hard. She’s so hopeful of getting out, I would love to see her grow as a human being.”

“I’d love it if Big Boo had sex with a human,” DeLaria laughed. “Had a relationship with something other than a machine — that would be awesome, I’d love to see what would happen to Boo in an actual relationship. We’ve seen her talk about a relationship so I would love to see what the writers envision for her in that situation and how I could make it happen. I would like it if she could never get out of prison – maybe she could shoot Pornstache and get a life sentence.

by Laura Prudom


SOURCE

The Original Bird Dating Sim Is Getting An English Remake

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Hatoful Boyfriend is a Japanese dating sim that replaces the usual array of sexy anime characters with pictures of birds. Devolver Digital and Mediatonichave teamed up to official bring this wonderfully creepy thing to the Western world.

Hatoful Boyfriend — literally 'Pigeon-ful Boyfriend' (thanks, AnimeNewsNetwork) — took the internet by storm in late 2011, capturing the hearts, minds and cloaca of people looking for proof that Japan is pretty weird sometimes. The original game spawned fan-made English language translations, as well as some very unfortunate fan art and fan fiction.

Devolver and Mediatonic will be showing the new English version of the game being closed doors at E3 next week, with the game coming to PC and Mac later this year. While we wait, here's my original post from 2011, complete with what might be the best headline I've ever written.

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OITNB: The Story Behind TV's Breakout Hit

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In 2004, Piper Kerman, a woman from a wealthy Boston family, served 13 months of a 15-month prison sentence for drug-trafficking and money-laundering offences. In 2010, she turned that experience into a bestselling memoir, Orange Is The New Black: My Year In A Women's Prison, which told stories of life on the inside and attempted to put a human face to the 2.4 million people currently incarcerated in the United States.

"I thought that if I was successful at what I wanted to achieve," she explains, over a coffee near her home in Brooklyn, "then people would come away from the book thinking differently about who was in prison and why they were there, and what really happens in there."

She could not have imagined just how successful she would be. In June 2013, the streaming service Netflix unveiled the series Orange Is The New Black, an oddball, 13-episode comedy-drama loosely based on Kerman's story. It already had two high-profile shows in its stable: House Of Cards, the campy political thriller starring award magnets Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright, and the rebooted sitcom Arrested Development. But at the end of the year, Netflix, usually tightlipped about its viewing figures, revealed that Orange Is The New Black was its most popular original show. The underdog had become a sensation.

Kerman, who acts as a consultant on Orange (everyone on the show uses the shorthand name), and is a prominent advocate for penal reform, says she knew early on that she wanted her story to be told on TV. "Even the best, best bestselling book only reaches a fraction of the people that filmed entertainment reaches," she says. Plus, she goes on, television is longer and goes deeper. "Film is reductive to a single protagonist, but a series allows you a degree of latitude. What was interesting about my story was not my story solely, but the fact that it interlays with all these others."

The drama initially centres on a fictional version of Kerman, Piper Chapman. She's played with impressive range by Taylor Schilling, who runs the gamut from wide-eyed terror to steely self-preservation. In the Litchfield Penitentiary, where Chapman serves her sentence, she does battle with petty bureaucracy, abusive guards, fundamentalist bigots, the etiquette of prison's micro-society, defective tumble-dryers and the hunt for a mythical chicken that may or may not represent hope and freedom for her fellow inmates.

Though the chicken is TV fantasy, Kerman says a surprising amount of the show is rooted in the truth. "I met the warden of a very large women's prison in the midwest, and she said, 'Oh, we love the show.' And I said, 'Really?' And she said, 'Oh yeah: we have a [born-again Christian] Pennsatucky, we have a [Chapman's would-be prison wife] Crazy Eyes. My response to this warden was, 'Of course you have a Pornstache, then,'" referring to the magnificently moustached corrupt guard (played by The Wire's Pablo Schreiber) who brings drugs into the prison and has sex with the inmates.

"When you talk about something like the criminal justice system in America, there are inherently political strands," Kerman continues. "Race drives incarceration, and people are disproportionately punished based on their social situation, so it would be impossible to have a show about prison and not touch on political questions. But it goes back to the intimacy of a series; you invest yourself in those characters and the fact that you really care about them and what happens to them and why, that raises questions."

The show is now entering its second season, and while it covers plenty of new ground – a fresh arrival and wannabe top dog, Vee, sets about dividing up the prison along racial lines, and we get the backstories (the show loves a flashback) of online fraudster Morello and Poussey, a sharp-tongued wise-cracker previously used more as a comic foil – it's the central romance between Chapman and her former criminal cohort Alex Vause that has many fans hooked. The pair's destructive, co-dependent love story drives much of the first season, and is the catalyst for a huge shocker at the start of the second.

Laura Prepon, who plays Vause, explains its appeal over the phone. "It's a rocky relationship, it's very tumultuous, but I think the reason fans love it so much is because it's a true love they have for each other, but they just keep fucking it up. [Alex] is a straight-shooter, she doesn't mince her words, but she's also a truthful, vulnerable person. Piper really is the love of her life, and you see her hurt and vulnerable when she's dealing with love."

Plus, of course, Vause has got attitude. "She's a total badass," agrees Prepon, who suddenly begins to shout. "Oh my God, there's all these girls running by the car right now," she shouts. "They're really running! This is crazy. There are girls surrounding the car!"

Prepon has her theories about why Orange has caused such a fuss. "You never see a show with this many strong independent women on TV, and audiences want that. They're hungry for that, and it's pretty incredible." In many ways, its success can be seen as a defiant middle finger to traditional television models. Showrunner Jenji Kohan, who also created Weeds, took Orange to various cable executives; they all passed, leaving Netflix to take the chance. "Nothing is taboo for Jenji," says Prepon. "We're just trying to tell these stories in an authentic, honest way, about these women who are stripped of their creature comforts and are thrown into this environment where it's not about the makeup and the wardrobe and the hair. It's about what these women are dealing with."

In August 2013, two months after Orange first appeared, BuzzFeed reported that Prepon was leaving the show. It caused a stink: some sites even speculated that Prepon's Scientology beliefs meant she was no longer comfortable playing a lesbian, a point she has always denied. Eventually, it was announced that she would be back for one episode, and then for four. "Because of a scheduling conflict, I wasn't able to be in the whole season, but I did as many as I could," she says now. Netflix, being relatively new to the series game, doesn't have six-year contracts in the way that traditional television does, though that "has changed a little bit" according to Prepon. "We're like pioneers of this new frontier, in terms of a place like Netflix making its own shows. It's a learning curve for all of us … But we already handled that, so I can be in every episode of season three." She will be filming it by the time season two appears online.

According to Uzo Aduba, who plays Crazy Eyes, this second season is darker than its predecessor, </b>though given that the first ended with a formerly meth-addled fundamentalist being beaten to a pulp while Christmas carols were sung in the background, that's a lofty promise. "In season two, we definitely go deeper," says Aduba. "Not just for Suzanne [her character's real name] but deeper into the show. It's like you start season one at the entrance gate of Litchfield and then go further into the walls. You're really brought in through the lens of Piper. We see everyone through the sort of funhouse mirror image that she sees them in, because they're so foreign. But as the show begins to develop, and she settles more into the world in which she lives, we start to really see the people as who they are."

Jenji Kohan has spoken in the past about using the character of Chapman, a white, wealthy blonde woman, as her "Trojan horse", a way of telling stories that might not ordinarily be heard. Kerman thinks this says more about the entertainment business than it does about what viewers actually want, however. "Jenji said she couldn't go to a major media company and say, 'I want to make a show about a wide mosaic of women of all ages and races, and they're going to be poor…' Viewers are more receptive to a huge amount of different stories than perhaps media executives give them credit for."

As we talk, Kerman suddenly spots a familiar face: "Oh, my husband just walked in!" The real Larry, played by Jason Biggs in the show and much derided by fans online, comes over and gives the real Piper a kiss. I ask Larry what he thinks of TV Larry. "He's not nearly as hot," he jokes."I appreciate my friend's teenage daughter saying, 'Dude, you're much cooler than that guy on TV.' It's just a kick, you know?"

For Kerman, whose fictional self takes up a lot more screentime, there is a lot more to consider. "I think she's a really well-done character," she says, laughing. "Sometimes I watch between my fingers: 'Oh no, don't do that!' I made plenty of mistakes when I was incarcerated. They don't mirror her choices, but her choices are very believable and as a human being, to be in this situation, which is scary and unfamiliar, you cling rather desperately to the things that make you feel better, even though they might not be the best thing for you." And with that, she nails the appeal of the show: "Any of us can relate to that, right?"

The whole of season two of Orange Is The New Black is on Netflix now

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Have you finished Season 2 yet, ONTD?

The Heathers release a cover of Lady Marmalade


Reclusive 'Calvin and Hobbes' Cartoonist Bill Watterson Makes Surprise Return To Comics

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The elusive creator of “Calvin and Hobbes” secretly penned crocodiles, Martian robots and bodacious babes in hundreds of newspapers this week for “Pearls Before Swine.” The cartoonist, Bill Watterson, best known for creating the precocious Calvin and his beloved partner in crime, Hobbes, a plush tiger, retired from the comic business disenchanted and averse to interviews and public appearances.
His work has never been forgotten, but it’s been missed.

His art appeared surprisingly in “Pearls Before Swine” on June 4, 5 and 6 in the form of a little girl named Libby, a second grader with a natural gift for drawing who effortlessly took control of the comic. Watterson made Stephan Pastis promise he wouldn’t reveal his identity until after each of the comics they collaborated on had been released.“It was the hardest secret I’ve ever had to keep,” Pastis wrote in a blog post.

As Libby, Watterson dived into the familiar fantastic imagination where a crocodile gobbles Pastis up and then, a pig and mouse debate how a new artist will change their banter as a giant Martian robot attacks. In the comic, Pastis’ character begs Libby to take over, but she backs out and calls comics a dying artform. She even complains about the lack of space — a reason Watterson cited in 1995 when he concluded “Calvin and Hobbes” in a letter to newspaper editors and readers.

The three strips are the result of weeks of careful planning between Pastis and Watterson.









Like many before, Pastis sought out the cartoonist during a book tour. He failed to catch Watterson’s attention, but he sent an email anyway. To his surprise, Watterson replied and had an idea for a comic strip. How could Pastis resist the Bigfoot of cartooning? “I will do whatever you want, including setting my hair on fire,” Pastis wrote in a blog post.

The pair fleshed out the details over email and Pastis always had that inkling that he would say something wrong and “Bill would disappear back into the ether” and the “whole thing would seem like a wisp of my imagination.” In the blog post, Pastis revealed Watterson is not a fan of technology. To avoid losing any strips in the web of snail mail, they worked with a scanner, Photoshop and email attachments, but that proved difficult for Watterson. They worked out their technical problems over email for weeks.

Pastis described working with Watterson as “editing the pope,” he said in an interview with the Washington Post. “Like telling Michelangelo: David’s hands are too big.” In a rare quote to the Post, Watterson says working on the strip was fun, but surprisingly challenging added. “Stephan kept setting up these situations that required more challenging drawings ... so I had to work a lot harder than I had planned to! It was a lot of fun,” Watterson said.

Watterson has not contributed to a syndicated comic strip since 1995 and in recent years had produced public art only twice in recent years, the Post reported, including a poster for a documentary film and a painting of Richard Thompson for charity.

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Cheryl Cole performs "Crazy Stupid Love" on Britain's Got Talent

Ellen Page with Carrie Brownstein

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The 27-year-old actress took advantage of some remaining downtime by heading to the trendy Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles on Friday.

Ellen, who was accompanied by Portlandia's Carrie Brownstein, donned straight-cut black trousers, a blue button-up blouse, black dress jacket and stylish black loafers, along with her usual trucker cap.












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Cheryl Cole is back with a bang and here to stay after huge BGT performance!

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Tonight the nation's sweetheart, Cheryl Cole made her television return. She came back, with a bang. Well, with all those lights, there were actually quite a few.
Many thought she wouldn’t, nobody more so than the singer herself.
Many slagged her off when she announced she was to star on the X Factor this year. There was a consensus across the often vile internet that she was going back on herself, that she failed at everything else so she went crawling back to Simon Cowell.
She didn’t. In fact, the very fact that exactly 12 years after she made her TV debut while auditioning for Popstars: The Rivals, Chezza is still going strong. She’s still got a career, she’s still earning millions.
Quite an achievement really. And here’s why...
After beating off thousands of other young women to win a place in Girls Aloud, Cheryl was one of five starlets. Then she met Arsenal footballer Ashley Cole, they married, he cheated, she won her role on the X Factor, Ashley cheated again - and again, then she got malaria. Then Cowell humiliated her by sacking her from the US X Factor after just a few auditions.

And she isn’t so fussed about the fame this time round either. Cheryl is doing the X Factor purely to find a talent, to find an act that will have a career as successful as hers has been. She isn’t bothered about sparring with the other female judge on the show, she couldn’t give a you-know-what.
For our Chezza is grafter and she knows how lucky she was to have won that opportunity 12 years ago.
After all of the lessons she’s learnt, nothing is going to ruin it for her this time.
So rather than bitch about Cheryl because she's a beautiful, successful woman, let's celebrate her. She is after all a working class girl who pulled herself out of poverty to achieve so much.
And isn't that what good old Britain is all about?

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Don't forget to pre-order "Crazy Stupid Love" on iTunes!

Queen Chezza

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New snippets from ULTRAVIOLENCE

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Cruel World (@ 0:00)
Sad Girl (@ 0:30)
Pretty When You Cry (@ 1:00)
Money Power Glory (@ 1:30)
Fucked My Way Up To The Top (@ 2:00)
Old Money (@ 2:30)
The Other Woman (@ 3:00)
Black Beauty (@ 3:30)
Guns and Roses (@ 4:00)
Florida Kilos (@ 4:30)

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