Make-up artist Jake Bailey has died at the age of 37. The Utah native worked most of young Hollywood it seems from Kate Mara, Jessica Chastain, Selena Gomez and Nina Dobrev to Angelina Jolie, Cameron Diaz, Kristen Stewart, Mariah Carey and his bf Katy Perry. Posting a tribute on Instagram, Katy said;

“What a wonderful journey and friendship we had together. What beautiful art we created together. We conquered the worlds biggest stages, together. I know you felt life so intensely and it created this incredible artistic passion in you that came out in everything you touched, from the amazing images you took to the ways you painted your muses, highlighting the beauty in everyone.

You essentially created my ‘look’ ever since we met on the music video for Hot and Cold. We always confided in each other, rallied each other at our lows and pushed each other to be our best. We never got comfortable and I know that was why we did the best work together.”

I know sometimes it was hard to find consistent happiness here on this earth, I understand you in that way. I want you to know now finally and forevermore that I appreciate you and all the lessons we traded each other in this life.

I love you. No more work, no more searching, you are finally at peace. Every time I sit in that chair we shared, just know, no one holds a brush to you, friend. Be free now.

My prayers are with the Bailey family.”

Bailey was found yesterday in his car by his assistant and he is thought to have taken his own life by carbon monoxide poisoning, though this hasn’t been confirmed. An autopsy will be carried out by the country coroner.

Jake- My sweet, sensitive soul. What a wonderful journey and friendship we had together. What beautiful art we created together. We conquered the worlds biggest stages, together. I know you felt life so intensely and it created this incredible artistic passion in you that came out in everything you touched, from the amazing images you took to the ways you painted your muses, highlighting the beauty in everyone. You had the most otherworldly eye to detail… we would laugh about how you could take a nap in that eyelid crease you created (cause it was so deep) or Jake's 45 minute eyes… Which was such a precise lash that even Bambi couldn't rival. You essentially created my "look" ever since we met on the music video for Hot and Cold. We always confided in each other, rallied each other at our lows and pushed each other to be our best. We never got comfortable and I know that was why we did the best work together. My favorite moments of recent times is when we would meditate together during breaks on different jobs…tune all the noise out, forget about hollywood and the chaos that surrounds it, and look for a slice of peace, 20 minutes at a time. I know sometimes it was hard to find consistent happiness here on this earth, I understand you in that way. I want you to know now finally and forevermore that I appreciate you and all the lessons we traded each other in this life. I love you. No more work, no more searching, you are finally at peace. Every time I sit in that chair we shared, just know, no one holds a brush to you, friend. Be free now. My prayers are with the Bailey family.

A photo posted by KATY PERRY (@katyperry) on Oct 23, 2015 at 11:54pm PDT

(via Attitude)

The post #RIP: Katy Perry on Pal, Makeup Artist Jake Bailey’s Death appeared first on World of Wonder.

Why are these queens so f*ckin’ fab??? San Fran’s queer no genre boundary duo Double Duchess (Krylon Superstar and David Richardson) turn up and out on new remix collection, from debut album All Eyes On Me, just in time for some serious dance floor destruction. Check out epic reworked tracks by Baltimore club veterans Normaling, JAVASCRIPT, NYC house music duo The Carry Nation, and an OVAHNESS voguing version of Grace Jones cover Bullshit by Ballroom icons MikeQ and Divoli S’vere. Double Duchess should DEFINITELY be on your radar by now. Download All Eyes On Me/Remixes for FREE below!

The post Double Duchess Remixes Debut Album with Help From Other Queer Artists appeared first on World of Wonder.

James McGowan
Simon Morley
Adam Goldberg
Adam Pascal
Barbara Cook
Bat for Lashes
Chad Smith
Chely Wright
Chrissy Amphlett
Ciara
Craig Robinson
David Furnish
Helen Reddy
Josh Henderson
Katy Perry
Marion Ross
Mathieu Amalric
Mehcad Brooks
Michael Boatman
Nancy Cartwright
Tracy Nelson

The post October 25: It’s YOUR Birthday, Bitch! appeared first on World of Wonder.

October 25, 1927– Barbara Cook. The Husband isn’t quite the musical theatre aficionado that I am, but he does have a theatre background & he is a gay man of a certain age & he has excellent taste. In NYC, on a beautiful 1998 October evening, it wasn’t too difficult to pull him into my agenda of seeing Hedwig & The Angry Inch downtown & then hightailing to the Upper Eastside to catch a late night show with one of my most favorite performers, Barbara Cook, doing her cabaret act at The Carlyle. It was our 19th anniversary & we had seen Cook at the same venue on our 16th. I was hoping for a new tradition. To see one of my favorite performers in that tiny venue, just inches away & to listen to that gorgeous, august soprano doing the best music of the past century, & sharing it all with the man that I love.

To fans of musical theater, cabaret, or just superb singing, Tony & Grammy winner Cook has given 2 lifetimes’ worth of happiness. In the 1950s & 1960s, Cook originated the leading roles in many of the best musicals including Candide (1956), She Loves Me (1963) & The Music Man (1957). Among many other achievements, she is possibly the greatest interpreter of the music of Stephen Sondheim.

Much loved by gay people, Cook even starred in a Broadway musical titled The Gay Life (1961). She is also the mother of an out & proud gay son, 56 year old LA based actor/ teacher/ vocal coach Adam LeGrant. She speaks movingly of their experience together with the same warm openness that she brings to her songs. Cook:

“When he told me he was gay, I laughed. I laughed! Because it was the farthest thing from my mind. He said: `Mom, I’m not kidding.’ It was like a thunderbolt, & I was very upset. The family & the grandchildren & all that stuff bothered me. But more than that, here was this person whom I thought I knew so well, & here was this enormous part of his life that I knew nothing about. I felt as if I didn’t know my own son. I was very upset, not so much at the time, because I was in shock, & I also didn’t want to make Adam feel bad. Then I went into a kind of depression & really, really cried for 5 days & mourned the son I thought I’d had. On about the fifth day of that, I said to myself: What the hell is going on?”

“I’ve always felt that I was not a part of the mainstream of life. I don’t know what the hell I mean by that, but it’s the only way I know how to put it. When I had a son it seemed to connect me more to the mainstream. When Adam told me that he was gay, I felt, I’m no longer a part of the mainstream. Then my next thought was: my son is not here to make me feel comfortable. He’s here to be the fullest person he can be & what I have to do is help him fulfill himself as much as I can. When that came to me, the whole thing lifted. I love him so much. I loved him then, & I love him now. & I like him…that’s the thing.”

Cook has been involved with PFLAG (Parents, Families & Friends Of Lesbians & Gays) for a long time:

“What I will never, never be able to understand is how a family or a mother or father could ever be able to turn their backs on a child because of homosexuality, & do that to themselves, much less to their children. I can’t understand how anyone could come to that.”

Cook is candid about her struggles with depression, weight, alcohol, & the disappointments of show biz.

As a youngster, I was the ultimate little musical theatre fanatic. I had every Original Cast album of every musical, with a specialty in obscure shows & the flops. Among that collection were shows that had featured Barbara Cook: Flahooley (1951), Plain & Fancy (1955), The Grass Harp (1971); plus hit revivals of classics Show Boat, Carousel, & The King And I. My personal favorite of her many hits is the perfect bon-bon of a musical She Loves Me (1963).

In the 1970s, I was firmly a fan before Cook resurrected her career with a successful turn doing cabaret & concerts. In the summer of 1975, her Barbara Cook At Carnegie Hall concert album was my most played record.

I was so excited about the first time I saw Cook live. I was a 21 year old college student in LA in 1975. In line to see her cabaret act, I sent Cook a note backstage at Studio One, a gay disco in West Hollywood. My missive explained that was I a huge fan, that her concert album was the soundtrack to my life at that moment & that my date for the evening was not a fan of standards or show tunes, but a rock n’ roller that had been won over by the repeated listening of her album while in my company, explaining that she had won over a Led Zeppelin fan with her resplendent interpretations of pop & Broadway & standards.

I was more than a little shocked when a clip-board holding staff member of Studio One, asked those in line: “Stephen? Stephen? Would you come with me? Ms. Cook would like to speak to you”. I was ushered into the tiniest of dressing rooms, where I was treated to a meet & greet with one the most perfect virtuoso performers of the popular song. Cook told me had a real laugh reading my note, What must she have made of me, this young, gushing, saucer eyed fan sporting a big red afro?

Cook received a Kennedy Center Honor in 2011. She continues to give concerts. Her singing has not declined, but it has changed, mellowed & even has more weight & emotional depth.

The post #BornThisDay: Actor/Singer, Barbara Cook appeared first on World of Wonder.

Legendary DJ Anita Sarko left us on Friday. There was a Danceteria reunion that same night and I would have expected to see her there. To Anita, life was a party, and from the sound of it, it just wasn’t fun anymore. So she left. Slipped out the back door while no one was looking. If anyone would had known she was about to split, they would have grabbed her arm and said, “Honey, you’re not going anywhere!” But nobody knew. So, rather than give you a rundown of her accomplishments, I’ll quote her dearest pals, loved ones and most ardent admirers here (unedited)…

“I am speechless and heartbroken. Anita Sarko was a giant. I remember, decades ago, a packed party at the jefferson theatre. Anita deejaying, I was high as a kite huddled in behind her in that tiny corner booth. She forever altered my idea of a DJ with her set that night. one instant which consisted of playing an hour long recording of timothy leary speaking psychedelic wisdom overlaid with recordings of birdsong, mixing that with the sounds of steam rattling in pipes. it was amazing and the whole crowd loved it. it truly was another time and another place. I will always love you and will never forget carrying those huge crates of records for you. rest in power dearest anita.” -artist, Chuck Nanney

“Anita was a very special person to me, when I first met her in the 80s she scared me, I thought she was mean LOL and she loved that years later when I admitted it to her. Anita was anything but mean, she was fun, she was kooky and above all she was a very smart person. I wish she had asked for help, I would have helped her. I hope she is at peace and I will always remember all of the funny and great times that we had together. I am happy that the last time I saw her I whispered in her ear ‘I LOVE YOU ANITA.'”… and I do!” -author, PR man, Mao Padhila

“We Love You and will miss you. There was no one more fun, more clever with an interesting sense of the world around then her than Anita Sarko. I am so sad, but choose to remember the laughter with a smile.” -photographer, Patrick McMullen

“She was my friend, my co-worker and often my devils advocate. Fiercely loyal, fiercely independent, and just plain fierce. She was equal parts sensitive and ferocious – and we didn’t always agree on things. Which made her more a sister than just a friend. We all always tried to be there for her but she was also fiercely proud. I think we are all in shock that it’s come to this. RIP Anita. You will be more missed than you realize.” -former doorman, designer,Sally Randall Brunger

“My dearest and closest childhood friend , Anita Sarko, has passed. Although she has lived in NYC for many years, we remained close through phone and Facebook. Although she was a celebrity to many, a brilliant and talented writer and DJ, she was and always will be a wonderful reminder to me of our younger and more carefree days. I am sure they are “rockin” in heaven now that Anita is there. I will always love you.” –Linda Dorfman Feldman

“Unlike many folks who were already adults and working it in the late 70s and 80s in NYC, Anita embraced the younger crop of folks who arrived mid-80s; and, like Michael Musto and other creatives, contributed to DV8 magazine and similar mags that were popping up via desktop publishing. When Stella-Lynne and I threw our NYC party HUSH which moved around and found a home on 9th street, Anita would poke her head in to touch base with our now legendary then young DJs. We chatted recently and she always wanted to know what we were up to and I had absolutely no idea she was in so much pain. I’m quite floored by her passing. We loved her so very dearly.” -astrologist, Quinn Cox

“In a scene with few female role models, she was downtown royalty. As I fledgling DJ and scenester in NYC, I was blessed to have been summoned to her court of cool. I am pissed off that artists and unique individuals like Anita and so many other Creatives have been crowded out of their livelihoods and stripped of their self esteem. To me it seems like the only creativity our current culture values is entrepreneurial. That seems boring and short sighted.” –Jean Caffeine

“The last time I talked to her, I made a point of telling her she was “legit”. She was so much more than that. A brilliant woman, and I loved her more than I can say.” –writer, Michael Musto

“Anita was the very essence of the nightlife I thrived on for decades. The nights with Haoui Montaug and Anita & No Entiendes were my earliest and best memories of her. This is terribly terribly sad. What is happening to so many in my generation is excruciating, and frighteningly real. We have to find our way through this together.”–Jackie Rudin

“In 1980 Anita Sarko, David Azarch, Justin Strauss and I were hired as DJs at the now legendary Mudd Club. I’m not sure about David (he seemed pretty together) but Justin and I were both pretty new at it (Justin was a lot more together than me). I knew nothing about DJing. I was in art school and just saw it as a temporary job. Coming from college radio, Anita was really the one who not only knew what she was doing, had a VERY strong vision of where she wanted to go. She was smart, stubborn and relentless. Butting heads with every club owner who ever hired her, every DJ who ever complained ‘she can’t mix’ and every poor sap who ever made the mistake of asking her for a stupid request, she could be a deadly hurricane. Anita could be incredibly kind. After assessing that I was no threat, she not only explained the concept of DJing to me (remember this was 1980 and DJing was still a pretty new thing) she let me sleep on her couch for weeks until I found a place to live. We stayed up many nights until dawn eating chocolate and talking (me listening) about music. Over the years I took to DJing but I never forgot the kindness that Anita showed to me during those early years. We stayed close friends. She liked to boast that she taught me how to DJ and that Chi Chi’s and my first kiss was in front of her DJ booth. Both are totally true. We will miss you “Auntie Anita”. P.S. I think that I may be the one who named you ‘Auntie Anita’. Sorry.” -DJ, Johnny Dynell

“I’m so sorry to hear about the death of Anita Sarko, a great personality, a bold gal and a woman I have called my friend for 30 years. She will be missed!!!!” -actress, Lisa Edelstein

“In shock. Numb. Devastated. The world feels so much emptier without this amazing, smart, talented, hilarious, insightful, wise, cultured and dazzling New York treasure. Anita Sarko, it was exactly your many years of incredible experience that made you valuable! Now I won’t get to read your memoir and that makes me mad. But I am not mad at you. I love you. Always and forever, whevever that Forever ends up residing. I always looked up to you. You were a soul sister, an inspiration, a fellow LedZep lover (remember that nutty Zeppelin party we hosted?) and always had the right combination of wisdom and wit in that extraordinary brain of yours. Not to mention the best platters to spin and your fabulous hats! Say hi to Edwige and, of course, Haoui and all the other starchildren who went to sparkle in the galaxy ahead of us.” -actress, writer, Ann Magnuson

“Never looked so so head on
Clean cut beautiful then lately
Just stepped out there chic fancy and friendly and funny.
Oh Anita”
–writer, poet, Edit DeAk

“Anita was a great wit. She could be tart when it was called for but was terribly sweet if you passed muster. She suffered no fools, that’s for sure. She loved a loud look for work but was really a glamour girl at heart. And she knew more about music than anybody… One of my favorite moments with Anita, and there are many, was when she agreed to dj at my 22nd birthday on the roof of Danceteria. She was the best dj in the world at a time when dj’s weren’t celebrated the way they are now, a fact even more hard-won as a woman. Inexplicably, Nina Hagen was there and at one point she sidled up to Anita and said ‘ooh I really like this song. What is it?’ Anita just turned to her with that look of droll incredulity she did so well and said, “umm… Stairway To Heaven?” –designer, Michael Schmidt

The post #DowntownLegend: An Appreciation of Anita Sarko, By Her Friends appeared first on World of Wonder.

James and I both posted that the legendary DJ Anita Sarko left us on Friday. Rather than give you a rundown of her accomplishments, I quoted her dearest pals in an appreciation of Anita here. My pal Laurie Wolfe just sent me this video of Anita that was posted yesterday, called Sound & Silence by Svetlana Samoshina. It seems to have been shot very recently and is Anita interviewed on the street and on the High Line about life, today’s culture, art and her views on just about everything. As Laurie said,

“…this is so poignant, spot-on and beautiful… just how I want to remember her.”

Ditto. Even if you didn’t know her, it’s fascinating. Watch. You might learn something from the one we called, “Auntie Anita”.

The post #SoundandSilence: The Late, Great Anita Sarko in Her Own Words appeared first on World of Wonder.

In 1980 Keith Haring adopted a collage style where he manipulated choice phrases from the cover of the New York Post to Dada-ist headlines where his most hated public figures became the butt of the joke. In Keith Haring: The Authorized Biography by John Gruen, Haring wrote:

“The most notorious of my street pieces were the ones that looked like the front page of the New York Post. I’d cut out letters from the Post and rearrange them to make fake headlines, like REAGAN SLAIN BY HERO COP or POPE KILLED FOR FREED HOSTAGE or MOB FLEES AT POPE RALLY. I Xeroxed these in the hundreds and I’d paste them on lampposts and on newsstands. Because they looked so real, people were forced to confront them. They were completely confused—and the posters really made a mark, because they got into people’s consciousness.”

I met Keith in ’80 and I have couple of these xerox collages somewhere. He would often hand them out at clubs or as he was pasting them on the street at night. Gotta look for those…

(via Dangerous Minds)

The post #DowntownLegend: Keith Haring’s Lesser-Known “Post” Collages Pack a Punch appeared first on World of Wonder.

Bobbie and her boys

Last night was another in a series of nights at Howl! Happening Gallery during the exhibit Secrets of the Great Pyramid: The Pyramid Cocktail Lounge as Cultural Laboratory. The opening night celebrated Cafe Iguana and last night was Whispers hosted by Hapi Phace (Marc Phred) and Hattie Hathaway (Brian Butterick). From their own description back in the day Whispers was conceived as a response to the gentrification and pasteurization of New York in 1984, and billed as;

“The Complete Suburban Gay Experience as a party for hairdressers, display queens, theatre folk, fashionistas, florists, and sensitive straight people.”

Fran Lebowitz in the Pyramid dressing room. Photo, Lynn Grabowski

Trey Speegle on the cover of STH, design by editor/ art director Victor Weaver

Whispers was tongue firmly-in-cheek and last night brought it all the chickens home to roost. Back in the day I hosted a Sunday night series called Straight To Hell and as I explained to the crowd last night, STH was the Manhattan Review of Unnatural Acts, which was true homosexual exploits in ‘zine form. (The exhibit includes the issue of STH with a 19 year-old me on the cover.) I put together a lineup which I cannot believe in retrospect. The first dozen or so Sundays featured John Waters, Cookie Mueller, Fran Lebowitz, Jackie Curtis, Taylor Mead, Quentin Crisp, Kenneth Anger, and on and on. We also had wet underwear contests and sexy guys dancing on the bar. I enlisted party promoter pal, Daniel Nardicio to find me a guy and he sent me the very cute Alex Killborn, who danced on the bar along with David Caskie as “The Painted Man”.

Hapi and Hattie bantered along and introduced the performers when they weren’t cracking us (and each other) up with corny jokes. The night began with pioneering experimental theater guru Agosto Machado who told a story of dancing on the bar with the late drag legend Ethyl Eichelberger. Drag icon Charles Ludlam appeared in the crowd and when they saw her, they hopped off to head to the dressing room where Charles asked Ethyl…

“WHY, oh WHY are you dancing on the bar! You’re a legend!”

To which Ethyl replied,

“For the view.”

So Ethyl, and so true. It was THE view from up there. (You could see all the cute boys you wanted to flirt with when your set was over.)

Poet Kennon B. Raines was up next and –not to toot my own horn– but she gave me a surprise shout-out from the stage, saying I was one of the first to encourage her to read her poetry. Well, she mesmerized the crowd and it all came back why I thought she was SO good. Electrifying. Probably why I didn’t get a better picture. Sorry, Kennon. (I’m also sorry I stepped outside for a minute and I missed Edgar Oliver but I heard he was fantastic.)

In from Montreal, our resident chanteuse Marleen Menard wowed us as all with an original composition and in a tribute to the late trans superstar, International Chrysis, Bobbie and her own hot guys gave a updated taste of glam and sexy bar moves. And to top it all off Whispers & Pyramid co-founder Sister Dimension pulled off a last-minute performance that left us all wanting more. Butch icon Dee Finley finished off the night with her own brand of bar dancing.

It really was a fun night night marred only by our missing comrades and the very recent passing of Edwidge & Anita Sarko. They along with Ann Craig, John Sex, Wendy Wild, Bobby Bradley, and unfortunately scores of others were toasted and adored. As I said to DJ Johnny Dynell as we were leaving;

“This is what happens when you don’t die.”

My STH shirt photographed by Andy Warhol in the Pyramid dressing room

Angelyne, Nina Hagen & Cassandra Peterson (Elvira) wearing an STH shirt

Straight To Hell posters, designed by Trey Speegle

My Hapi Phace t-shirt postcard/Whisper promo postcard. (Note the performers include The Pop Tarts, aka Wow’s Fenton Bailey & Randy Barbato!)

Hapi & Aleta Wolfe were SO happy that you’re gay…

Hattie & Agosto

Cutie Alex was our lone STH bar dancer

David Caskie as “The Painted Man” with Alex Killborn. Photo by Aleta Wolfe

Agosto Machado regaled us from on high

Kennon B. Raines was razor sharp despite my blurry pic

The incomparable Marlene Menard

Bobbie’s tribute to the late trans icon, International Chrysis was spot on

Sister Dimension came from another dimension

Ta-da! Whispers’ finalé

Bar dancing’ Dee Finley closed out the night…

The post #DowntownLegend: “Whispers” Night at Howl! Happening Gallery Brought Back the Gay Old Pyramid appeared first on World of Wonder.

Feminist author Germaine Greer has accused Caitlyn Jenner of stealing the limelight from other female members of the Kardashian family, in comments that have further alienated those who object to the writer views about transgender people. The Australian-born writer said in a BBC2’s Newsnight interview that “misogyny played a big part” in the rumoured decision by Glamour magazine to give Jenner its woman of the year award. She has refused to back down from her position that transgender women, who have begun life as men before undergoing surgery and hormone treatment to become women, are “not women”, saying they do not,

“look like, sound like or behave like women”.

Asked about Caitlyn Jenner being made Glamour‘s Woman of the Year, as reported earlier this week, Greer said:

“I think misogyny plays a really big part in all of this, that a man who goes to these lengths to become a woman will be a better woman than someone who is just born a woman.

It seems to me that what was going on there was that he/she wanted the limelight that the other, female, members of the family were enjoying and has conquered it, just like that.”

A petition on Change.org, which was started by Rachael Melhuish, women’s officer at Cardiff University students union, alleged that Greer has

“demonstrated misogynistic views towards trans women, including continually misgendering trans women and denying the existence of transphobia altogether”.

While debate in a University should be encouraged, hosting a speaker with such problematic and hateful views towards marginalised and vulnerable groups is dangerous. Allowing Greer a platform endorses her views, and by extension, the transmisogyny, which she continues to perpetuate.”

Greer has maintained her position on transgender women,saying:

“I’m not saying that people should not be allowed to go through that [sex change] procedure. What I’m saying is that it doesn’t make them a woman. It happens to be an opinion. It’s not a prohibition.”

Addressing claims that she had been hurtful towards transgender women, Greer added:

“People are being hurtful to me all the time. Try being an old woman. For goodness sake, people get hurt all the time. I’m not about to walk on eggshells.”

The organisers claimed her views were “problematic” for transgender people. Greer had been due to give a lecture next month called Women & Power: The Lessons of the 20th Century. She has now said she will not make the speech if the university cannot guarantee she “will not have things thrown” at her.

Greer was speaking after it emerged that an online petition had been launched seeking to prevent her giving a lecture at Cardiff University. Asked about the petition, she told The Guardian on Friday:

“I don’t really know what I think of it. It strikes me as a bit of a put-up job really because I am not even going to talk about the issue that they are on about.

What they are saying is that because I don’t think surgery will turn a man into a woman I should not be allowed to speak anywhere.”

What do you think? Should she be allowed to speak or are her views dangerous? Sound off on our Facebook.

(via The Guardian)

The post #LGBT: Feminist Germaine Greer Says Caitlyn Jenner Is “Not a Woman” appeared first on World of Wonder.

After posting Season 2 of lady reporter Damiana Garcia‘s sketch show “Pretty Things” on The WOW Report over the Summer, here’s the first of the 8-episode Season 1 of the series. This season of “Pretty Things” includes the sketch videos that Damiana made with her cohort Amanda Barrett from 1999 to 2002, spanning the time they lived in New York City to when they moved back to their hometown LA. This episode features the sketches “Bellacini,” “Popcorn,” “Car Jams,” “Mulberry Commons” (shot in an NYU classroom), “Opal,” “Erica and Tamara in: Community Service,” “What If,” “Chance Meetings,” “Times Square Reverie” and “Fingernail Girl.” Another episode will be posted on The WOW Report every Sunday night – be sure to subscribe to the “Pretty Things” YouTube channel to not miss an episode!

The post Watch Now: “Pretty Things” Season 1 Episode 1 appeared first on World of Wonder.

It’s one of the biggest bombs in cinema history, grossing an estimated $1.32 million in 2,413 theaters in North America – which breaks down to about $547 per theater. That means Jem had the third worst opening weekend ever for a first-run movie debuting in more than 2,000 theaters (the other two were Delgo, an animated movie from 2008 and 2012’s Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure).

In fact, as BuzzFeed points out, Jem had the worst wide opening weekend ever for a movie released by a major studio (Universal Pictures) with major marketing muscle behind it.

Serves them right. Whatever the hell it was, it wasn’t Jem & the Holograms.

Director Jon M. Chu (G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Step Up 2: The Streets) and producer Jason Blum (Paranormal Activity, Insidious) chose to re-imagine Jem for the 2010s, moving away from the outrageous sci-fi fantasy of the ’80s cartoon into a (relatively) more grounded, tween-friendly movie about fame in the viral age.

That creative decision appears to have backfired in the most spectacular fashion imaginable — tweens unfamiliar with the Jem brand were clearly not interested, and neither were millennials and Gen Xers with a fond memory of the ’80s TV series. The movie, it seems, was for no one.

It’s the same thing that happened to Stonewall, where the director felt his ideas were superior to the original concept. In this case, it was a blatant disregard of everything that made Jem, well, JEM. It could have been done in a kitschy retro ’80s style, it could have been updated à la the Transformer movies or Goosebumps, it could have been marketed as feel-good nostalgia for Gen-Xers and their kids– but no. They chose to throw out crucial elements like the Misfits and Synergy in favor of a generic plot about modern age of social media. Crash and burn guys. Crash and burn.

The post Jem and the Holograms Tanks BIG TIME appeared first on World of Wonder.

Reddit asked readers to come up with their best two-sentence horror stories. Here are some of the results:

(via BuzzFeed)

The post Two-Sentence Horror Stories appeared first on World of Wonder.

After publicly coming out to the world, 2014 Olympic slopestyle silver medalist Gus Kenworthy is now explaining why he waited. He told the Chicago Tribune about his difficult decision to stay in the closet while competing in Russia. When Kenworthy would let his mind wander into how his perfect Olympics might play out, he imagined a fantasy scene. He’d land his best tricks on his final run, win a medal and then jump into the stands to kiss his bf.

“The idea of kissing my boyfriend at the bottom of my run would’ve been, in addition to me coming out, a silent (screw) you to the anti-gay legislature in place in Russia. That would’ve been an amazing way to come out.”

Because he wasn’t ready, the journey to Sochi was far less perfect.

“I felt like I was already being so courageous with my body and my actions and the things I was doing in order to try to win and be the best. Then, I was being such a coward in this other way, where I wouldn’t let anyone know. So they were battling each other. I’m excited where those two things can go hand in hand.”

Winning athletes always go on their post-Olympic interview tours and Gus faced all sorts of personal questions. He was asked about his celebrity crush and he lied. Miley Cyrus. But the truth was, at the time he was nothing more than a casual fan of hers. (They are now friends.)

If you remember, he was the “Dog Guy” who saved a bunch of dogs that were abandoned in Russia? Well, he couldn’t tell the real story there either but the person who did most of the hard work with the dogs was his boyfriend at the time. He stayed behind in Russia for more than a month to get them back to the States.

“He got zero credit and I was getting asked about it on every show and in every interview.”

Gus said he likes the idea of coming out while he’s at the top of his game, while people in his sport — especially kids — are paying attention. Tiger Shaw, the CEO of U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association says.

“We admire Gus for having the strength to tell the world who he is as a person, and paving the way for others to do the same.”

So, how will a gay skier be received among his fellow daredevils?

“I don’t know what the future has in store, but I’m kind of looking forward to it.”

(Photos, Instagram; via Chicago Tribune)

The post #LGBT: Olympian Gus Kenworthy Explains Why He Waited ‘Til Now To Come Out appeared first on World of Wonder.

We know you’ve been busy getting your entire holiday life with RuPaul‘s new Christmas album Slay Bells, but you’re about to have another masterpiece to add to the season! A slew of fabulous RuPaul’s Drag Race queens including Violet Chachki, Manila Luzon, Jinkx Monsoon, Alaska Thunderfuck, Miss Fame, Katya, Ginger Minj, and Detox are releasing a holiday collection, Christmas Queens, dropping November 13! Its track list (below) features classic covers and original songs (via People Magazine).

1. “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” Christmas Queens
2. “Everyday Is Christmas,” Alaska
3. “Christma-Hannu-Kwanzaa-Ka,” Ginger Minj
4. “Toyland,” Miss Fame
5. “Jingle Bells,” Sharon Needles
6. “12 Days of Christmas,” Katya
7. “From Head to Mistletoe,” Courtney Act
8. “Ratchet Christmas,” Jiggly Caliente
9. “This Is How We Jew It,” Detox
10. “Christmas Sweater,” Alaska, Courtney Act & Willam
11. “A Very Cozby Christmas,” Willam
12. “Christmas Is Coming,” Darienne Lake, Ivy Winters & Pandora Boxx
13. “The Night Before Christmas,” Violet Chachki
14. “Naughty or Nice,” Phi Phi O’Hara
15. “Red & Green,” Jinkx Monsoon
16. “Slay Bells,” Manila Luzon

The album will be available for pre-order this Friday!

The post RuPaul’s Drag Race Queens To Release A Christmas Album! appeared first on World of Wonder.

Actors doing accents. Oy. The potential for ham-fisted over-acting is all too prevalent – and often just an excuse for an A-lister to trot out some silly voice that has nothing to do with ANYTHING. And really: Why not? Why go all Meryl Streep and nail down the subtle intricacies of a regional dialect 99% of the audience has no knowledge of?

In this recent video by Cracked, host Tom Reinman speaks very plainly about the audience’s tacit acceptance of the some of the most horrible and exaggerated accents employed by actors in certain roles who don’t normally speak that way.

The realism of the accent is nothing to do with how much you enjoy it . An actor’s job is not to get it right, their job is to get a thing that we think sounds rate or that’s just entertaining.

Examples include Tom Hardy as Bane, Hannible Lecter, GoT‘s Cersei Lannister (who sounds like an English governess), Jeff Bridges (who has lately descended into incoherence), and Renee Zellweger (who was doing a weird Foghorn Leghorn accent in Cold Mountain). (via The Laughing Squid)

The post The 16 Worst Accents in Movie History appeared first on World of Wonder.

Superfab throw pillows from Horror Decor with printed images from classic horror films like  Night of the Living Dead, Nosferatu, and The Exorcist – and many others – on them. The square ones come in small and large and cost $14 and $20, respectively – and not all pillows come in both sizes. The rectangular ones cost $16. Check them out afte the jump. 

(via Dangerous Minds)

Horror Decor also carries other great horror knickknacks like candles, placemats, and pot holders,

The post Must-Have Home Decor: Horror Movie Pillows appeared first on World of Wonder.

Real life nymph goddess Claire Boucher AKA Grimes released the first single/new video “Flesh Without Blood/Life In The Vivid Dream” for her long awaited new album “Art Angels” – the follow up to the critically acclaimed “Visions” (Even GOOPer Gwenyth Paltrow‘s a fan) – which comes out NEXT week (November 6th). And we are GAGGING.

We live for Grimes at WOW, and her many (and often bloody) fashion looks in this seven minute masterpiece remind us a lot of some of our favorite RDR Queens’ looks from the main stage runway challenges.

Check them out (and maybe get a last-minute-DIY-Halloween-costume idea in the process!):

LOOK 1:

THIS:

PLUS:

EQUALS:

Add a little of THIS:

And you get THIS:

LOOK 2

THIS:

PLUS:

EQUALS:

Add a little of this:

And you get:

LOOK 3:

THIS:

Just equals THIS:

LOOK 4:

And THIS:

Equals THIS:

Grab the nearest bottle of fake blood, white contacts, and peep the video for yourself:

The post #NewMusic: Grimes Recreates RDR Queen’s Runway Looks In “Flesh Without Blood/Life In The Vivid Dream appeared first on World of Wonder.

I just let out a blood-curdling scream and scared everybody in the office, omg. THIS ONE IS TERRIFYING. The setup: A woman is taking selfies for her boyfriend. But every picture she takes has the terrifying silhouette of a man in the background, getting closer… closer… closer… BOO!

Selfie from Hell is a spine-tingling short film by actress and producer Meelah Adams and director Erdal Ceylan of Fuck you Zombie. Watch it below… IF YOU DARE

Also from Fuck You Zombie: “Dreamy” about a young lady who sees a horrifying man and the end of a dimly lit hallway. She wishes very much that she was dreaming. (via The Laughing Squid)

The post “Selfie From Hell” – Your Bone-Chilling Short Horror Film of the Day appeared first on World of Wonder.

Adam Scott, who goes by the name Mahurma on Imgur, shared the picture below of a BONE-CHILLING phantom that he took inside his Connecticut hotel room. In it, the wraith-like face appears to be watching them from the corner of the room! BOO!

‘Didn’t believe my girlfriend when she said she saw a face on the wall,’ he wrote. ‘Then I took a picture of it.’

Adam and his GF were staying at hotel just outside of New Haven – which he describes as ‘extremely ghost-y with a rich colonial history’ – when the saw the demonic apparition which can be made out against the beige wall.

From the Daily Mail:

The face is partially in line with a ray of light that is shining through a window behind them, though the outline of the face moves well beyond the illuminated sliver peeking through the drapes.

‘I want to show hotel management but I’m worried it will scare staff away!’ Adam commented.

So far over 2 million people have weighed in on the pic of eerie specter, with many commenters noting that the face looks like that of Albert Einstein or George Washington, with a few throwing in some more guesses like Mark Twain or Ben Franklin.

The post G-G-Ghost Appears Lurking in Connecticut Hotel Room! See the TERRIFYING Picture! appeared first on World of Wonder.

Kim Kardashian West threw a Troop Beverly Hills themed baby shower over the weekend that will literally pitch a tent in your heart strings (and make you want to buy all the cookies) for the classic late eighties film about a woman on a mission in the wilderness.

Can you even handle North West? (I can’t.)

332’s Troop Leader Shelley Long AKA Phyllis Neffler’s fashion game was so strong,
did you EVER see any flaws in her fierceness?

Cool. Just checking.

Without further adieu, let’s take a one-way ticket to Rodeo Drive as we countdown the top ten fashion moments from Troop 332 that still slay today!

10) 

Phyllis KNEW how to enter a room and even in this uniform…she made a point to stand out. This look left such an impact on the cultural zeitgeist that thousands of fans worldwide have impressively recreated it’s fashion iconography for Halloween (or just for fun).

Myself included.

9) 

Neffler AKA real-life Strawberry Shortcake could create shapes out of any silhouette. Carry an assortment of designer shopping bags and you too can shop til you’re drop dead gorgeous.

8) 

That’s SO raven. Who’s never met a Raven they didn’t like…

7)

Be the girl with the most cake, and let them eat it!

6)

Literally the ONLY way to count sheep at night.

5) 

This. Is. Everything.

4)

What’s more chic than a carton of Lucky’s and a floor length white fur coat? NOTHING.

3) 

I live for a monochromatic moment and what better than metallic gold?!

2)

Nothing transitions from day to night better than a tuxedo dress. You’ve got business on the top, and party on the pants. This priceless pastel frock makes me go like:

And will make all the other partygoers go:

1)

This floral cupcake (or two hard-shell tacos, depending on how you see it) dress will adorn your lawn FAR better than any pink flamingo.

There you have it!!!

She’s just SO:

The post #CookieTime: Top Ten Troop Beverly Hills Fashion Moments That Still Slay Today appeared first on World of Wonder.