Quantcast
Channel: Business Insider
Viewing all 101983 articles
Browse latest View live

Snapchat and Evan Spiegel reportedly dropped $4 million on a massive New Year's Eve party in Los Angeles — and Drake's going to be there

0
0

evan spiegel drake

  • Snapchat parent company Snap Inc. and its CEO Evan Spiegel are reportedly spending over $4 million on their New Year's Eve party at L.A. Live, according to TMZ.
  • Spiegel and Snap rented out several venues, including the Microsoft Theater, a bowling alley, and Wolfgang Puck's restaurant.
  • They're flying in Snapchat employees from around the world, and Drake is said to be performing.

 

Snapchat parent company Snap Inc. and its CEO Evan Spiegel are reportedly spending north of $4 million on their New Year's Eve party tonight, according to documents obtained by TMZ.

Snap's party to close out 2017 will reportedly be held at L.A. Live, the massive entertainment complex in downtown Los Angeles that includes various restaurants, movie theatres, and venues. According to TMZ, Spiegel and Snap rented out "Microsoft Theater and virtually every venue facing Microsoft Square — Katsuya, Lucky Strike, Tom's Urban, Conga Room and Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill."

TMZ claims Snap has been planning this party for months, and secured permits to host as many as 5,000 guests. The company is reportedly flying in employees from around the world to be at the event, which will reportedly include a "105-foot DJ tower and pyrotechnics." Oh yeah, and rapper Drake is also said to be performing.

So... what do you have planned?

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: These popular devices keep a recording of everything you ask them — here's how to find it and delete it


The 25 worst movies of 2017, according to critics

0
0

The Snowman Universal Pictures

Another year is about to end, and as we all praise the movies that we loved (and made billions), it's also a time to look back on the ones that didn't turn out so great.

The list of 2017's worst-reviewed movies has a little bit of everything in it: the colossal box office duds, the movies that became nothing more than a joke on social media, and the one that cost its director a "Star Wars" movie.

Here are the 25 worst-reviewed movies of 2017, as rated by critics' scores on Metacritic:

SEE ALSO: RANKED: The 11 best movies of 2017

25. “The Book of Henry”

Metacritic score: 31/100 

What a critic said:“‘The Book of Henry’ is the most misguided film since the 2003 Gary Oldman abomination ‘Tiptoes.’ [Director Colin] Trevorrow is slated to helm an upcoming ‘Star Wars’ film, so y’all have fun with that.” — The Austin Chronicle (Editor’s Note: Three months after the release of this movie, Lucasfilm announced it had “mutually chosen to part ways” with Trevorrow on “Star Wars: Episode IX.”)



24. “Absolutely Anything”

Metacritic score: 31/100 

What a critic said:“[A] depressingly inept comedy.” — Screen Daily



23. “Friend Request”

Metacritic score: 31/100

What a critic said:“An utterly idiotic movie that uses social media as a conduit for witchcraft and mayhem.” — The Wrap



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Here are all the confirmed original shows coming to Netflix in 2018

0
0

Jessica Jones 2

Netflix has a lot of original content in store for the new year. 

While fan-favorite shows like "Marvel's Jessica Jones" and "Grace and Frankie" are returning with new seasons on Netflix in 2018, the streaming service is also set to release some new and anticipated originals, like the sci-fi series "Altered Carbon" and a new interview-based show from David Letterman.

Netflix has said it will spend between $7 billion and $8 billion on shows and movies in 2018 — up from the $6 billion it spent in 2017. 

To help you sort through all of the upcoming content, we've compiled a list of original shows that Netflix has confirmed are coming out in 2018. This excludes movies, kids' shows, and series that might not come out until 2019 or later.

Here are the 14 shows we know for sure Netflix is putting out in 2018, along with their release date if available:

SEE ALSO: Netflix's content boss listed 5 big upcoming Netflix originals you should be excited for

"Lovesick" (Season 3) — January 1

Netflix description: "In his quest for true love, Dylan found chlamydia. Joined by friends Evie and Luke, he relives past encounters as he notifies all his former partners."



"Grace and Frankie" (Season 4) — January 19

Netflix description: "They’re not friends, but when their husbands leave them for each other, proper Grace and eccentric Frankie begin to bond in this Emmy-nominated series."



"One Day at a Time" (Season 2) — January 26

Netflix description: "They’re not friends, but when their husbands leave them for each other, proper Grace and eccentric Frankie begin to bond in this Emmy-nominated series."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

I spent a week skipping breakfast and working out for 2 hours a day just like Gwyneth Paltrow — and it helped me break some of my worst habits

0
0

Gwyneth Paltrow

• Actress and Goop founder Gwyneth Paltrow spoke with Net-a-Porter about her diet and exercise routine.

• She said she exercised for two hours a day and usually skips breakfast and eats a low-carb lunch.

• I decided to tackle her habits for a week.



I tried to live like Gwyneth Paltrow for a week, and it didn't quite work out the way I'd planned.

Paltrow famously leads an intense life. In terms of exercise, she used to do an hour of cardio and an hour of weights six days of the week. Her lifestyle brand Goop also hawks all sorts of hardcore detoxes and cleanses.

But all that doesn't really reflect Paltrow's current reality. She recently told Net-a-Porter that she doesn't have the time or energy to tackle that grueling schedule anymore: "I'm getting old, my back hurts! It's depressing. Some days, the gym gives me this rush of energy and I feel amazing, but then my body's like 'f--- you.'"

She also doesn't stick to any Goop cleanses for a long amount of time. She told Net-a-Porter she passes on breakfast and eats a low-carb lunch "so my energy levels don't peak and valley through the day." Then, for dinner, she typically decides to "loosen the reins."

I decided to follow her diet as best I could, as well as take up her previous exercise routine. Here are the rules I was determined to follow for a week:

• Skip breakfast.

• Have a low-carb lunch.

• Put in an hour of cardio exercise.

• Go for an hour of weights-based exercise.

• Eat a dinner along the lines of her typical evening meal: "A glass of wine, maybe a baguette dripping in cheese, some fries."

I didn't prepare at all for this. I just jumped into it, sparking concerns among the people I know. "You're going to die," several coworkers told me when I described my plan. Family members predicted I would "seriously injure" myself and expressed concerns about my shambling running style.

All of this just bolstered my determination to rise to the occasion.

The experiment itself left me somewhat surprised. On the one hand, some of Paltrow's dietary habits were easier to tackle than I thought. On the other, I ended up pulling my shoulder.

Here's a look at what happened when I tried to live like Gwyneth Paltrow for a week:

SEE ALSO: I tried productivity 'Hell Week' created by a former Norwegian paratrooper, but all I learned is I'm great at making excuses

I skipped breakfast every day.

Before this Gwyneth Paltrow challenge, bagels were my go-to morning meal. I'd often grab one — poppy seed with cream cheese or butter — before heading into the office.

But, like some celebrities, Paltrow skips breakfast altogether. So I had to kick the habit. Instead of stopping by the bagel shop, I'd just hop on the train at head to work.

Truth be told, this wasn't particularly challenging for me. Back in college, I rarely ate breakfast. It may or may not be the most important meal of the day, but I've never had a problem skipping it.

I managed to follow this aspect of Paltrow's schedule for the entire week. To be honest, I think the week-long bagel cleanse worked. I haven't had a bagel since. Health-wise, they're far better as an occasional treat than a breakfast staple.



For lunch, I'd eat a salad at my desk.

I didn't have too much trouble with lunch either. Normally, I'd grab a sandwich or a slice of pizza from some place near the office. For the experiment, I needed to spring for low-carb choices instead.

I tried to get fancy and even looked up some of Paltrow's salad recipes. There were some tempting options in her cookbooks. I figured I'd try to make a few, to tide me over for the week. Heck, I even bought a jar of cornichons — which are adorable, tiny pickles.

But, to be honest, I ran out of time before I could snag all the ingredients necessary to throw together some of Paltrow's recipes (what the heck is "silken tofu," anyway, and where am I supposed to find it?).

So I ended up improvising. My non-fancy salad was pretty good, though. I'd pack it up in Tupperware and eat it at my desk every day around noon, with a ginger ale.

I enjoyed the salads, but I was bummed to have to decline a ton of delicious offerings throughout the week. In the run up to the holidays, my coworkers seemed to show up to work with chocolates, cookies, and other sweet treats every other day.

By the end of the week, I was getting a bit bored with salad, although I tried to spice things up by switching up the dressings.

In fairness, I probably could've gotten more experimental with my lunches — "low carb" can include a whole range of meals, of course. But I only have so much brain power to devote to planning out and cobbling together what I'm going to eat ahead of time.

Still, I didn't have much of a problem sticking to low-carb lunches for the entire experiment.



Once I got home, I'd tackle the weight-lifting portion of the exercise routine first.

Once I got home, I'd hide in the basement, where no one could see me flailing around with a medicine ball and hand weights, looking like a reject from the world's worst workout video.

I was unsurprised to find out that weights aren't my strong suit. I didn't really know what I was doing, so I just switched in between different moves for the hour. It was boring and hard. And I'm sure my technique left much to be desired.

Around Wednesday, my left shoulder began to really hurt. An hour of weights is probably too much if you're clueless about exercise — especially if you're making a leap from couch potato to workout fanatic, like I was. After Wednesday, I had to cut down on the weights a bit.

Overall, I'd say I truly disliked this aspect of the experiment. I'd rather do cardio for an hour than do weights for an hour. At least you can read while walking on the treadmill. The weight exercises just felt repetitive and tedious after about a half an hour.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

300 top Hollywood women reveal sweeping anti-harassment action plan with a $13 million legal defense fund

0
0

shonda rhimes

  • Hundreds of top women in film, TV, and theater have launched an initiative to fight sexual harassment and misconduct in workplaces across the US.
  • A legal defense fund to assist women in blue-collar industries is already backed by $13 million in donations.
  • The initiative, Time's Up, includes Hollywood figures such as Shonda Rhimes, Ashley Judd, Eva Longoria, and Reese Witherspoon.


Hundreds of top Hollywood actresses and executives, directors, producers, writers, and agents have launched a sweeping initiative to combat sexual harassment in workplaces across the US, with a focus on blue-collar industries.

The initiative, Time's Up, includes a legal defense fund backed by $13 million in donations to assist women in low-wage industries, a campaign to advocate gender parity among corporate leadership, and proposed legislation to push companies to adopt policies on harassment and discourage the use of nondisclosure agreements.

The movement addresses a common criticism that the national conversation around sexual misconduct in workplaces has frequently excluded women who typically have less public influence and fewer resources to take on systemic abuse than Hollywood stars.

"Harassment too often persists because perpetrators and employers never face any consequences," said an open letter from 300 women in film, TV, and theater. "This is often because survivors, particularly those working in low-wage industries, don't have the resources to fight back."

The letter ran as a full-page ad in The New York Times and the Spanish-language newspaper La Opinion on Monday. It also addressed another open letter written in November on behalf of 700,000 women in the agriculture industry who said that they stood in solidarity with the Hollywood women and that they, too, suffered from widespread sexual harassment and assault in their industry.

"We particularly want to lift up the voices, power, and strength of women working in low-wage industries where the lack of financial stability makes them vulnerable to high rates of gender-based violence and exploitation," the Time's Up letter said.

The initiative includes top Hollywood figures such as Shonda Rhimes, Ashley Judd, Eva Longoria, Reese Witherspoon, America Ferrera, Natalie Portman, Emma Stone, Kerry Washington, and Rashida Jones.

It comes amid a series of accusations of varying degrees of sexual misconduct against numerous high-profile men in Hollywood, media, politics, Silicon Valley, and academia that began in October.

"If this group of women can't fight for a model for other women who don't have as much power and privilege, then who can?" Rhimes, the executive producer of hit TV series like "Grey's Anatomy" and "Scandal," told The Times.

"It's very hard for us to speak righteously about the rest of anything if we haven't cleaned our own house," she said.

SEE ALSO: The 6 women suing Harvey Weinstein are using a gangster law originally designed to take down the Mafia — and experts warn it won't be easy

DON'T MISS: 36 powerful men accused of sexual misconduct after Harvey Weinstein

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The bizarre history of the Yule Log Christmas special

Evan Spiegel personally paid Drake to perform at Snap's New Year's party — check it out (SNAP)

0
0

evan spiegel drake

  • Snap Inc.'s massive New Year's Eve party in downtown Los Angeles cost $4 million, with CEO Evan Spiegel sponsoring a performance by Drake, TMZ reported.
  • There was a strict "no photos" rule for employees there, and the Snapchat app even blocked them from sending pictures and videos from the venue, a Daily Beast reporter said.
  • However, some photos and videos that got out showed a massive and lavish bash.


Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat, held its lavish New Year's Eve party at the LA Live complex in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday. The highlight of the night: a surprise performance by Drake.

TMZ reported that the party cost about $4 million and that the company flew in employees in from all over the globe. Snap declined to confirm that number, but a representative said CEO Evan Spiegel sponsored Drake's appearance.

Taylor Lorenz of The Daily Beast reported via Twitter that party attendees were under a strict order of secrecy — the Snapchat app blocked any photos or videos sent from the LA Live complex, and employees were told not to share any photos otherwise. Snap did not immediately respond to a request for confirmation.

Regardless, some photos and videos of the night appeared on Instagram, and they show a massive, formal bash. Captions on some of the posts seem to confirm the "no photos" rule at the party.

Pretty lit down here by work and again im at work lol

A post shared by Jovanny Lopez (@chipy_pls) on Dec 31, 2017 at 11:32pm PST on

Happy 2018 everyone! Had fun and the Snapchat New Year's Eve party tonight! 🎉 Thanks for having us Andrew!!

A post shared by Holly Ann-AeRee (@hollyannaeree) on Jan 1, 2018 at 1:18am PST on

And Drake apparently gave a performance to remember.

Random free (for me) Drake concert on NYE 😂😂😂 Shit crazy.

A post shared by Louie St. Claire (@2klouiesaint) on Dec 31, 2017 at 11:01pm PST on

Snap was celebrating a year that saw its long-awaited initial public offering. It's now a $17 billion company that posted a $561 million loss for the first nine months of 2017.

SEE ALSO: Evan Spiegel reportedly dropped $4 million on a massive New Year's Eve party for Snapchat — and Drake's going to be there

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The real reason Snapchat photos taken on Android phones look terrible

See inside the swanky party where the Trumps celebrated New Year's Eve

0
0

mar a lago new year

President Donald Trump hosted a New Year's Eve party at his Mar-a-Lago private club on Sunday night complete with the glitz and glam his fetes are known for.

See inside the party, with details from the White House press pool:

SEE ALSO: See inside the swanky party where Trump watched the Super Bowl

DON'T MISS: The life of Donald Trump Jr., who once lived out of a truck, didn't speak to his father for a year, and is now embroiled in the Russia scandal

Trump, first lady Melania Trump, and their 11-year-old son, Barron, paused to talk to reporters on the red carpet leading into the Grand Ballroom, where the dinner party was held.



Barron and Donald Trump were in tuxes, and Melania Trump wore a $3,485 embroidered rose satin Erdem gown with $675 Christian Louboutin pumps.

Source: Erdem, Christian Louboutin, White House Fashion



Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin was there with his wife, Louise Linton, who wore a fur caplet — like many of the women in attendance.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Regular people went undercover in an Atlanta jail as part of an experiment — and for the first time in 4 years, someone blew their cover

0
0

60 days in

  • Nine law-abiding citizens went undercover in an Atlanta jail for the documentary series "60 Days In."
  • The show, now in its fourth season, shines light on different aspects of life in jail.
  • Each participant was given a fake identity and booked under false charges, but one of them blew their cover story.


At Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, violence, drug use, and gang activity run rampant.

It seems like the last place any law-abiding citizen would want to visit, let alone live for two months.

But that's exactly what nine people did on the A&E documentary series "60 Days In," whose fourth season premieres Monday.

The show took participants from all over the country and sent them undercover to live as inmates at Fulton County Jail. Given false identities and booked under fake charges, the participants lived among the population of the jail without corrections officers or their fellow inmates knowing their secret.

The participants are tasked with finding out as much information as possible about the inner workings of the jail and reporting back to chief jailer Col. Mark Adger, one of the only jail employees in on the ruse.

In early episodes, the undercover volunteers are constantly tested by veteran inmates. Some participants had their cover stories immediately questioned for possible inconsistencies. Others had their property stolen or were pressured into buying items for other people from the jail's commissary, a common experience for new inmates.

"It can be very difficult, especially depending on the strength of your own psyche, to withstand such pressures," Adger told Business Insider. "They felt hopeless. They felt they were at the mercy of whatever happens next."

As much as 20% of the jail's 2,500-inmate population is affiliated with a gang, according to data provided by Adger, and learning to navigate gang life was critical to fitting in. 

"The easiest thing for most civilians is stay in your own lane," Nate, one of the participants, told Business Insider. "Don't try to cross the gang members in a negative light because you know they will take care of it if they feel disrespected."

Season 4 marks the second installment of the show to take place in Atlanta, with the first two seasons filmed at Clark County Jail in southern Indiana. Previous seasons shined a light on various aspects of life in jail, including the brutal living conditions, the demoralizing food, and the inventive ways inmates create and distribute drugs.

This season comes with a built-in twist — according to A&E, Adger had to end filming early after one of the participants blew their cover and compromised the safety of the other undercover inmates. 

"60 Days In" premieres Monday, January 1 at 9 p.m. EST on A&E.

SEE ALSO: 7 undercover inmates spent 2 months in jail — here are the most outrageous things they witnessed

DON'T MISS: A woman who spent 2 months as an undercover inmate is now a guard at her old jail

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: A world famous hacker explains what it was like being locked up in solitary confinement


YouTube star Logan Paul apologised after filming a dead body in Japan's 'suicide forest'

0
0

Logan Paul

The YouTube star Logan Paul has apologised and deleted a video of him and his friends discovering a body in Japan's so-called suicide forest.

The Aokigahara forest has developed a reputation as a site where many Japanese people have killed themselves.

In the video, released late last month, Paul and his friends were planning to camp in the forest overnight but stumbled upon a corpse hanging from a tree.

Paul blurred the face of the body, but he and his friends stood around the corpse and filmed it before leaving the forest.

"I've never made a mistake like this before," Paul said in an apology on Twitter on Monday.

Paul initially found fame through the Twitter-owned video service Vine and has since migrated to posting daily videos on YouTube. His younger brother is Jake Paul, a fellow YouTube star who has been accused of turning his neighborhood into a "war zone" after a series of parties, stunts, and fan attention.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here's why Boeing 747s have a giant hump in the front

Hoda Kotb will be Matt Lauer's permanent replacement as 'Today' coanchor for NBC

0
0

Television personality Hoda Kotb arrives at The Hollywood Reporter's 23rd annual Women in Entertainment breakfast,  in Los Angeles, California December 10, 2014.  REUTERS/Jonathan Alcorn

Hoda Kotb will be the permanent replacement for Matt Lauer on the "Today" show, serving as coanchor, NBC announced Tuesday.

Kotb, a beloved NBC veteran who has been with the network since 1998, had been filling in since Lauer was fired from NBC in November following an accusation of sexual misconduct. She has also cohosted the 10 a.m. (fourth) hour of "Today" since 2008, which she will continue to do moving forward, according to NBC.

"We are kicking off the year right, because Hoda is officially the coanchor of 'Today,'" the coanchor Savannah Guthrie said during Tuesday's broadcast. "This has to be the most popular decision NBC News has ever made, and I am so thrilled."

"I am pinching myself," Kotb said. "I think we should send some medics to Alexandria, Virginia, where my mom has likely fainted after hearing the open of that show."

NBC News' chairman, Andy Lack, announced the news in a memo right before the "Today" broadcast, according to CNN.

"Over the past several weeks, Hoda has seamlessly stepped into the co-anchor role alongside Savannah, and the two have quickly hit the ground running," Lack said in the memo. "They have an undeniable connection with each other and most importantly, with viewers, a hallmark of 'Today.'"

SEE ALSO: Matt Lauer breaks his silence on sexual-misconduct allegations: 'There are no words'

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Stop using champagne flutes — this is the best way to drink champagne

The 50 most incredible photos of 2017

0
0

trump paper towels puerto rico

2017 was undoubtedly a wild year. 

President Donald Trump was inaugurated, which has led to a seemingly never ending string of debates and controversies: the crowd size at his inauguration, the travel ban, his war of words with North Korea's Kim Jong Un, and so on. 

But there were many other events not necessarily related to Trump that unfolded as well: the Rohingya genocide, multiple mass shootings and terror attacks, hurricanes, the Mayweather/McGregor fight, and more. 

As 2017 comes to a close, we rounded up 50 of the most incredible photos from the year. 

Check them out below. 

SEE ALSO: The 50 most incredible photos of the US military in 2017

DON'T MISS: These are the most incredible photos of the US Navy in 2017

President Barack Obama wipes away tears as he delivers his farewell address in Chicago, Illinois, on January 10.

Watch Obama's speech here



Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is escorted by soldiers in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, as he is extradited to New York on January 19.

Read more about Chapo's extradition here



Attendees partake in the inauguration ceremonies to swear in Donald Trump as the 45th president of the US at the US Capitol in Washington DC on January 20.

Read more about the controversy over the crowd size here



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Carrie Underwood shares that she had a 'gruesome' facial injury that required 40-50 stitches

0
0

Carrie Underwood

  • Country singer Carrie Underwood said she suffered a "gruesome" injury that resulted in her needing between 40 and 50 stitches in her face.
  • She wrote in a note to her fans that a fall on the steps of her Nashville home in November has left her "not quite looking the same." 
  • Underwood previously said that she broke her wrist in the same fall.

 

Carrie Underwood suffered an injury in a fall at her Nashville home that resulted in her needing between 40 and 50 stitches in her face, the country singer said in a year-end note to her fans.

Underwood, 34, previously said that she broke her wrist in the same fall, which occurred on the steps of her home in November. 

"There is also another part of the story that I haven't been ready to talk about since I have still been living it and there has been much uncertainty as to how things will end up," Underwood wrote in the fan-club message, according to People and the country music site Taste of Country, which quoted the note. 

"It's crazy how a freak random accident can change your life. In addition to breaking my wrist, I somehow managed to injure my face as well. I’ll spare you the gruesome details, but when I came out of surgery the night of my fall, the doctor told [Underwood's husband] Mike that he had put between 40 and 50 stitches in."

Seven weeks after the injury, Underwood said she is "still healing and not quite looking the same." She added that she is soon returning to the studio to record new music.

"And when I am ready to get in front of a camera, I want you all to understand why I might look a bit different," Underwood wrote. "I'm hoping that, by then, the differences are minimal, but, again, I just don't know how it's all going to end up."

In her most recent Instagram photo, as Variety notes, Underwood's face is covered by a scarf in an apparent sponsored post. 

Underwood's last album, "Storyteller," went platinum in 2015.

SEE ALSO: Here are all the confirmed original shows coming to Netflix in 2018

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Legislation is being introduced to close a legal loophole that prevents workplace sexual-harassment stories from going public

Justin Timberlake announces the release of his new album, 'Man of the Woods'

0
0

justin timberlake

  • Justin Timberlake's fifth studio album, "Man of the Woods," will come out February 5.
  • The first single drops on Friday.
  • Watch a trailer video for the album below.

 

Justin Timberlake has announced the release of his next studio album.

The album is titled "Man of the Woods," and it's set for release on February 2. The LP's first single drops on Friday.

Timberlake announced the release of the album with a trailer video that contains new music with an apparent country-western bent, as well as an appearance from Pharrell Williams, a longtime Timberlake collaborator.

"This album is really inspired by my son, my wife, my family, but more so than any album I've ever written, where I’m from. And it's personal," Timberlake says in the video. 

Timberlake's last releases were the two parts of the album "The 20/20 Experience," which came out in March and September 2013. 

Watch the trailer for "Man of the Woods" below:

SEE ALSO: Carrie Underwood shares that she had a 'gruesome' facial injury that required 40-50 stitches

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Celebrities flocked to these underground poker games where someone once lost $100 million in one night

These were Obama's 22 favorite songs in 2017

0
0

obama piano

Former President Barack Obama has made no secret of his love for hip-hop, soul, and all kinds of popular music throughout his eight years in office.

He released his Spotify summer playlists last year, and reportedly used Eminem's "Lose Yourself" to get hyped before his 2016 speech at the Democratic National Convention.

Since leaving office, Obama has continued to share his eclectic music tastes with the world. Here are the 22 songs the former leader of the free world says he listened to the most in 2017:

SEE ALSO: Trump is the first president in nearly a century to end his first year without hosting a state dinner

DON'T MISS: Spotify created a job listing that's tailor-made for Obama

"Mi Gente" by J Balvin & Willy William

Youtube Embed:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/wnJ6LuUFpMo
Width: 854px
Height: 480px



"Havana" by Camila Cabello (feat. Young Thug)

Youtube Embed:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/BQ0mxQXmLsk
Width: 854px
Height: 480px



"Blessed" by Daniel Caesar

Youtube Embed:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/Eicw_dIi2dw
Width: 854px
Height: 480px



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Dave Chappelle calls women who accused Louis C.K. of sexual misconduct 'weak'

0
0

Dave Chappelle Netflix

  • In his latest Netflix stand-up special, "The Bird Revelation," Dave Chappelle discussed the allegations that Louis C.K. masturbated in front of multiple women.
  • Though he called the allegations "terrible," Chappelle said they "were the only ones that made me laugh" and wondered whether people's response was "disproportionate."
  • Chappelle called one woman who said the incident stopped her from pursuing a career in comedy "weak."


In a new stand-up special for Netflix, Dave Chappelle discussed the allegations that Louis C.K. masturbated in front of multiple women.

Chappelle talked about the subject at length and said one of Louis C.K.'s accusers was too "weak" to pursue a career in comedy.

"Louis was like the turning point," Chappelle said in "The Bird Revelation," the second of two stand-up hours he released on Netflix over the weekend.

"All these allegations were terrible," he added. "I shouldn't say this, but his allegations were the only ones that made me laugh. When you think about it, all his friends are reading it, and he's jerking off — he's surprising people. I just picture all the comics in comedy reading it like, 'What?'

"It's terrible. I know. It's terrible. I'm sorry, ladies. You're right. You are right," Chappelle said. "But at the same time, I mean — you know what I mean. I don't know. Jesus Christ, they took everything from Louis. That was like, I don't know, it might be disproportionate. I can't tell. I can't tell. This is like, where it's hard to be a man."

Chappelle then turned his focus to a woman who told The New York Times that Louis C.K.'s masturbating in front of her stopped her from pursuing a career in comedy. Louis C.K. has made a general statement saying the stories of his sexual misconduct are "true."

"You may have never had a dream," Chappelle said of the woman. "That's a brittle spirit."

Chappelle said the woman had a lack of drive for a career in comedy, even comparing her to Martin Luther King Jr., whom, Chappelle said, "actually had a dream."

"You think if Louis C.K. jerked off in front of Dr. King, he'd be like, 'I can't continue this movement'?" Chappelle said. "'I'm sorry, but the freedom of black people must be stopped. I didn't know this n---- was going to pull his d--- out and jerk off like this. I thought we were going to get a couple of drinks and chill.'

"Show business is just harder than that," Chappelle said. "I hate to say it, y'all: They sound weak."

Chappelle dismissed another woman's accusation that Louis C.K. masturbated on a call with her, saying he wondered whether she knew how to hang up the phone.

"How the f--- are you going to survive in show business if this is an actual obstacle to your dreams?" Chappelle said.

SEE ALSO: Here are all the confirmed original shows coming to Netflix in 2018

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Everything we know about 'porgs' — the penguin-like creatures from 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi'


Psychiatrists studied 400 movies to find the most realistic psychopath — here are their 6 key takeaways

0
0

the silence of the lambs

Psychopathy, loosely defined, is a combination of cold-heartedness and violence. The most extreme psychopaths may kill without remorse, mutilating victims with as much emotion as you or I might brush our teeth.

This is known as "classic" or "idiopathic" psychopathy, but sometimes the disorder is more covert, as with some manipulative smooth talkers who aren't necessarily violent.

In 2014, Belgian psychiatry professor Samuel Leistedt wanted to find out which movie characters embodied psychopathic traits best.

Leistedt called on 10 of his friends to help him watch 400 movies over the course of three years. The films spanned nearly a century, from 1915 to 2010. When the team finished watching all the films, they'd found 126 psychopathic characters

Here's a breakdown of their findings.

SEE ALSO: Bill Gates and Steve Jobs raised their kids tech-free — and it should've been a red flag

Anton Chigurh of "No Country for Old Men" was the most realistic psychopath.

Javier Bardem's character in "No Country for Old Men" is a classic psychopath, Leistedt and his colleagues concluded in their report.

Chigurh approaches murder with an uncanny sense of normalcy, perfectly happy to empty his trademark bolt pistol without so much as a wince.

"He seems to be effectively invulnerable and resistant to any form of emotion or humanity," the researchers wrote.



Honorable mentions went to two characters: Hans Beckert in "M" and Henry Lee Lucas in "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer."

In the 1931 German film "M," Peter Lorre plays a child-killer who embodies many of the traits now thought of as belonging to a child predator, Leistedt and his colleagues observed. 

"Lorre portrays Beckert as an outwardly unremarkable man tormented by a compulsion to murder children ritualistically," the researchers wrote.

In the 1986 John McNaughton film "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer," the titular character's inability to plan ahead, coupled with his turbulent personal life and poor family relationships, make him a textbook idiopathic psychopath, Leistedt said.



Early representations of psychopaths weren't very accurate.

Characters like Tommy Udo in the 1947 film "The Kiss of Death" and Cody Jarrett in "White Heat" (1949) played to people's misunderstanding that "genre villains," such as gangsters or mad scientists, typified psychopathy.

"They were often caricatured as sadistic, unpredictable, sexually depraved, and emotionally unstable with a compulsion to engage in random violence, murders, and destruction," the team wrote, "usually presenting with a series of bizarre mannerisms, such as giggling, laughing, or facial tics, often creating famous and unreal characters."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

MACQUARIE: Netflix is leaps and bounds ahead of the competition (NFLX)

0
0

Reed Hastings Netflix

  • Shares of Netflix spiked Tuesday morning after Macquarie gave the stock a $220 price target. 
  • The bank says Netflix will continue to dominate any existing and future streaming service. 


Shares of Netflix spiked 4.42% Tuesday morning, crossing $200 mark for the first time since October, after Macquarie upgraded the streaming video giant from neutral to outperform.

The upgrade was "part of a broad realignment of views on media," analyst Tim Nollen said in a note to clients Tuesday. "Where we prefer companies with subscription over ad-driven content, and scaled distribution with an international presence. We also appreciate the improving quality of Netflix’s revenue and earnings."

As annoying ads continues to drive consumers to subscription streaming services, Netflix is "miles ahead of its peers," the bank said. Even Disney, which plans to launch its own service and yank its content form Netflix in 2020, "won’t threaten Netflix."

Macquarie now has a price target of $220 for shares of Netflix — 10% above Tuesday’s prices and roughly in-line with Wall Street’s consensus target of $217.

Netflix will report fourth-quarter 2017 earnings on January 22. Analysts polled by Bloomberg, as well as Macquarie, expect the company to report earnings of $0.416 per share. In October, Netflix reported third-quarter earnings of $0.29 per share, lower than the expected $0.322.

"Quality of revenue and earnings are important," the bank said. "We believe Netflix is taking several steps to improve this beyond the market’s obsession with sub numbers to date. On the revenue side, a second round of price increases is now coming through." 

Shares of Netflix gained 56.48% in 2017, more than doubling the S&P 500's 19.14% benchmark in the same period. 

Netflix stock price

SEE ALSO: Roku soars 23% after a Wall Street analyst says it could compete with Netflix

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: PAUL KRUGMAN: Bitcoin is a more obvious bubble than housing was

Hoda Kotb says Matt Lauer texted her congratulations after she replaced him as 'Today' show coanchor

0
0

hoda kotb matt lauer

  • Hoda Kotb said Matt Lauer congratulated her after she replaced him as the "Today" show coanchor on Tuesday. 
  • Kotb told Entertainment Tonight that Lauer sent her a text with "some really nice words."
  • NBC fired Lauer in November after receiving a complaint of "inappropriate sexual behavior." 

 

Hoda Kotb said in an interview with Entertainment Tonight that Matt Lauer congratulated her after she replaced him (permanently) as a "Today" show coanchor on Tuesday.

"I did hear from him, yeah, he texted me and he said congratulations and some really nice words, and it meant the world when I saw the text pop up," Kotb told ET of Lauer's reaction. "My heart just went like, you know, it meant the world to see that."

NBC fired Lauer in November after receiving a complaint of "inappropriate sexual behavior" from a "Today" show colleague. A Variety report later detailed a pattern of Lauer's alleged sexual misconduct.

Kotb, an NBC veteran who has been with the network since 1998, had been filling in alongside Savannah Guthrie on "Today" since Lauer's firing. She has also cohosted the 10 a.m. (fourth) hour of "Today" since 2008, which she will continue to do moving forward, according to NBC.

Kotb, 53, told ET that she still stays in touch with Lauer, whom she considers a "good friend." 

"You know, Matt is our good friend and continues to be, and I think for both of us, we've just been trying to navigate this time and honor our love and friendship with Matt, but also understand and try to learn more about these circumstances," Kotb said. "So, it's complicated when you are surprised by revelations, but you still care deeply for somebody who's a friend. I think for all of us, we've just been trying to navigate through that, with straightforwardness and honesty and integrity."

SEE ALSO: Hoda Kotb will be Matt Lauer's permanent replacement as 'Today' coanchor for NBC

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The bizarre history of the Yule Log Christmas special

Paris Hilton just got engaged with a $2 million ring — here's a look at her 2-year relationship with actor and model Chris Zylka

0
0

paris hilton chris zylka

Socialite and billionaire heiress Paris Hilton is engaged. Her new fiancé, actor Chris Zylka, proposed during a ski trip in Aspen, Colorado over New Year's weekend.

Hilton and Zylka have been together for about two years and they're known for their lovey-dovey Instagram posts and public gushing about their relationship.

Below, check out the highlights of Hilton and Zylka's romance.

SEE ALSO: The fabulous life of Alexa Dell, the 24-year-old billionaire heiress who grew up in 'The Castle,' dated Tinder's CEO, and just got engaged with a million-dollar ring

Paris Hilton, 36, just got engaged to Chris Zylka, 32. Zylka proposed during a weekend ski trip in Aspen, Colorado, with a 20-carat, pear-shaped diamond. The ring's designer told PEOPLE it's worth about $2 million.

Instagram Embed:
http://instagram.com/p/Bdc913pn0MZ/embed/
Width: 658px

Source: PEOPLE



"I am so excited to be engaged to the love of my life and my best friend," Hilton told PEOPLE. "I have never felt so happy, safe and loved. He is perfect for me in every way and showed me that fairytales really do exist!"

Source: PEOPLE



Zylka is best known for playing Tom Garvey in the television series "The Leftovers."

Source: IMDB



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

All 14 new Netflix original TV shows and movies coming out in January

0
0

The Polka King Andrei Bowden Schwartz Sundance Institute

If your New Year's resolution was to watch more TV, you're in luck.

Netflix has 14 new originals arriving in January — though only a few are worth your time. 

There will be a new season of "One Day At A Time"(one of our picks for best shows of 2017), a true crime documentary about food called "Rotten," and a biopic starring Jack Black as Polish-American polka band leader Jan Lewan (who was imprisoned in 2004 for running a Ponzi scheme). 

Here's the full list:

SEE ALSO: Here are all the confirmed original shows coming to Netflix in 2018

"Lovesick," season 3 — available January 1

Netflix description: The third installment picks up with Dylan, Evie and Luke still trying to navigate their way through their love lives, in a warts and all take on twenty-something romance.



"Devilman Crybaby," season 1 — available January 5

Netflix description: A demon possesses a boy's dead body to do evil. But after falling in love with a human girl, he has a change of heart. Based on Go Nagai's hit manga.



"Rotten" — available January 5

Netflix description: From the team behind Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown and The Mind of a Chef, Rotten gives food the true crime treatment, diving deep into the food production underworld to expose the corruption, waste and real dangers behind your everyday eating habits.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider
Viewing all 101983 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images