Zoe Saldana's "Guardians of the Galaxy" character, Gamora, plays a big part in the hit film — but you wouldn't know it based on the movie's merchandise.

A current controversy is brewing over this T-shirt from kids’ clothing retailer, Children's Place, that only features male characters:One disturbed mom tweeted her outrage:

Who's missing from this #GuardiansOfTheGalaxy shirt at @childrensplace? WHY NO GAMORA SERIOUSLY. pic.twitter.com/QJLif6Fyve

— Kristen (@kristenrapp) August 17, 2014

After contacting the company for an explanation, she received a surprising reply:

.@justjenn@amy_geek@HiddlesEducates@Guardians FYI, I got a reply from @childrensplace and... this IS 2014, right? pic.twitter.com/MT3A855HcF

— Kristen (@kristenrapp) August 18, 2014

She wasn't satisfied with Children's Places' response:

.@childrensplace So, I tell my daughter, “there’s no female on this because the shirt isn’t for you in the first place" and that's OK?

— Kristen (@kristenrapp) August 18, 2014

The Internet humorously weighed in on the situation:

@TheMarySue@metaAnnelies@childrensplace@Guardians I hadn't realised they sell more shirts to racoons and trees, than they do to girls

— Jo Wright (@kvetchup) August 18, 2014

@anneursu@kristenrapp@childrensplace Little boys don't have a prob wearing girls on shirts unless someone tells them to.

— Brandy (@brandymuses) August 19, 2014

.@annesobe@awarenews@kristenrapp@childrensplace My 10yo boy thinks this is dumb. "If it doesn't have everybody, it's not a GotG t-shirt."

— Amy Jo Cousins (@_AJCousins) August 19, 2014

Then people even started taking to The Children's Place Facebook page:

Oh my god, there's a bunch of irate posts on @childrensplace's FB page now: pic.twitter.com/lGd5yg8wPd

— Kristen (@kristenrapp) August 19, 2014

But the mom eventually fixed Children Place's mistake:

Fixed your glaring #GuardiansOfTheGalaxy mistake for you, @childrensplace. Please send a check c/o my kid, thanks. pic.twitter.com/TkeIdgmxZg

— Kristen (@kristenrapp) August 17, 2014

But this isn't an isolated incident, Gamora has actually been missing from a lot of the movie's merchandise.

A quick search on the Disney store website reveals a similar situation:

Blogger Amy Ratcliffe started the hashtag #WheresGamora after noticing that Walmart was selling tons of merch featuring the male stars of "Guardians," but no females. See photo proof on her blog here.

The #WheresGamora hashtag has since gone viral, with some great observations being brought to light:

Hey @Marvel and @Disney, 44% of your opening week audience for Guardians were women... so where's my Gamora merch??? #wheresgamora

— Kat (@thekatosaurus) August 7, 2014

Gamora deserves equal amounts of merch and exposure for both girls and boys. Same goes for Black Widow. @Marvel@DisneyStore#wheresgamora

— Diego Armando (@phanta5magoria) August 7, 2014

When even a 4 yr old with an empowering family says "maybe superheros aren't for girls" it's a problem. #wheresgamorahttp://t.co/GY5MTF7C9A

— Andrea (@tinytall) August 8, 2014

Um... #WheresGamora? Superhero-crazy Anya & Stella scour toy aisles to find her [VIDEO] http://t.co/ikETnyDNNXpic.twitter.com/lhn55JqyW2

— WomenYouShouldKnow® (@WomenYSK) August 12, 2014

Here's what happened when young "Guardians" fans, Anya and Stella Marcotte, went to target to find a Gamora action figure (spoiler alert: there isn't one):

The girls' dad further explained what happened on their Target outing to WYSK:

“The only female action figure we were able to find in the entire aisle was Wonder Woman, and she was only available as part of a seven-hero set that cost $50. So in order to get one Wonder Woman, the girls would have to buy six heroes they didn’t want and pay $50 for the privilege. That was a non-starter.”

SEE ALSO: The Incredible Story Of How Chris Pratt Got His Big Break While Living In A Scooby Doo Van In Maui

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As both Disney and Warner Bros.’ studios continue to expand their respective DC and Marvel cinematic universes, the race is on for each side to stake claim in big recognizable actors to carry future franchises. 

“Fast and Furious” franchise star Vin Diesel has already signed onto team Marvel, first with a role in “Guardians of the Galaxy” and more recently hinting at a larger role still to come. 

His co-star, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, has been in talks with DC Comics for some time to work on a film, and it sounds like we’ll finally learn which superhero he will play. 

The Associated Press reports Johnson is up for the roles of superhero Shazam and anti-hero Black Adam. 

According to AP, it sounds like Johnson has the final say in who he gets to play. 

“[He] has yet to decide between superhero Shazam and his arch-nemesis Black Adam.” 

The Rock has previously told fans Black Adam is one of his favorite superheroes.  

Green Lantern (John Stewart) and Black Adam are my fav superheroes, but GL's already been made and stamped. #RockTalk@CFitzyy

— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) March 25, 2014

If you’re not familiar with the characters, here’s a quick rundown on the duo. 

Shazam 

The hero started out as a young orphan named Billy Batson. He was given the ability to transform into an adult superhero by an old wizard (named Shazam) any time he utters the phrase Shazam. 

Originally known as Captain Marvel, Shazam is an acronym which stands for the six heroes he gets his powers from: Soloman, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury. This allows him to fly, have super strength and speed, among other powers. 

If the character seems a bit like the Man of Steel, you’re not alone. The character was deemed so similar to Superman that it resulted in a lawsuit between National Comics (Superman’s distributor) and Fawcett Publications (who ran the then Captain Marvel comics). 

The character was later reimagined in the ‘70s as Shazam. 

Black Adam

Best known as Shazam’s arch-nemesis, Black Adam is essentially the dark version of the superhero with the same powers. Adam was granted his powers before Shazam and after he finds out about his existence his main goal is to destroy him.  

More recently, the character has been written as an anti-hero since his reintroduction to the comics in the '90s.

Black Adam could possibly be for Warner Bros. what Tom Hiddleston’s popular antihero Loki is for Disney and Marvel. 

Which role could you see Johnson as?

SEE ALSO: Why a Marvel/DC movie crossover will never happen

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It’s been about a year since the final eight episodes of “Breaking Bad” aired on AMC.

If you miss the duo of Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul on television, this should make your day.

The two reunited for a six-minute video to promote next week’s Primetime Emmy Awards. However, instead of reprising their beloved roles of Walter White and Jesse Pinkman, they star in a parody of History’s “Pawn Stars” series. 

Julia Louis-Dreyfus from “Veep” joins in, too. 

It’s comedy genius.

Meet Buzz Jackson.

... and Randy Jackson.

They work at “Barely Legal Pawn” (a knockoff of History's reality show “Pawn Stars”). 

Louis-Dreyfus stops by to try and auction off one of her Primetime Emmys for “Seinfeld."

However when Buzz learns the award is for a supporting Emmy instead of a lead, this results in a debate about the value of an Emmy for a leading role versus a supporting role.

Cranston has won three Outstanding Lead Actor Emmys for his role on "Breaking Bad."

Randy comes quick to her defense. After all, Paul has two supporting actor Emmys of his own for the AMC drama.

The Emmys air Monday, August 25 on NBC. 

Watch the entire video below:

SEE ALSO: All of the Primetime Emmy nominees

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Actor Adam Driver is currently most well known for playing "Adam" on HBO's "Girls" — but with a new villainous role in "Star Wars: Episode VII" and five other projects in the works, this 30-year-old is about to be the next big thing.

But Driver's success didn't happen overnight. In fact, the actor first had a completely different career path as a marine. He discusses what prompted him to join the Marine Corps in the upcoming September issue of GQ:

"On September 11, 2001, Driver was almost 18 years old, living in an apartment in the back of his parents' home and "not doing f------ anything," he says. In the swell of patriotism that followed the terrorist attacks, he decided to enlist in the armed forces. "It just seemed like a badass thing to do," he says, "to go and shoot machine guns and serve your country. Coupled with: 'There's nothing for me here, there's nothing that's keeping me here, there's nothing that's stopping me from going.'" He was shipped off to Camp Pendleton in California."

Driver loved everything about the experience, even basic training, telling the mag: "You see what your body can do and how discipline is effective ... It's hard to describe. You're put in these very heightened circumstances, and you learn a lot about who people are at the core, I think. You end up having this very intimate relationship where you would, like, die for these people."

But after two years in the program, Driver broke his sternum mountain biking and never saw real war.

The early dismissal, he says, still "f-----' kills me," he says. "To not get to go with that group of people I had been training with was ... painful."

After being forced to move home to Indiana, Driver decided to apply his military-like mindset to a new craft — acting.

He applied to Juilliard and was working as a security guard at a warehouse when he heard he'd been accepted.

"The Marine Corps is supposed to be the toughest and most rigorous of its class," Driver says, comparing it to Juilliard. "Obviously the stakes are different. You have the risk of getting shot or killed in one and just embarrassed in the other. I thought, 'This will be easy.'"

To make his Juilliard experience even more difficult, Driver created a workout and study plan to accompany his schooling.

"I wanted to make it extreme," he says, telling GQ of his regimen:

To stay fit, he'd run from his apartment in Queens to the school's Manhattan campus. He'd often start his day with six eggs and later prepare and consume an entire chicken. Nights he spent binge-watching classic movies or at the library reading plays. Since he'd been a lousy student and grew up sheltered from a lot of secular art and music, "I felt like I was behind," he says.

Driver says his old military pals started to jokingly give him a hard time.

"I was trying to explain to them what I was doing at Juilliard. And I'm like, 'Yeah, we wear pajamas, and we talk about our inner colors, and there was this exercise where we all gave birth to ourselves...' And they're like, 'What the f--- are you doing?'"

To help Driver mesh his two worlds, he founded Arts in the Armed Forces — an organization that deploys actors to perform at military bases.

"I felt like the military could handle something a little more thought-provoking" than the usual cheerleaders they send in as entertainment, Driver explains.

"When I think of my military experience, I don't think of the drills and discipline and pain," adds Driver. "I think of these, like, really intimate, human moments of people wanting to go AWOL because they missed their wives, or someone's dead and they can't deal with it. And that's what I wanted to show."

Read Adam Driver's full GQ interview here >

SEE ALSO: The Incredible Story Of How Chris Pratt Got His Big Break While Living In A Scooby Doo Van In Maui

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Don't tell New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) that musician Bruce Springsteen doesn't like him.

A woman learned this lesson the hard way Tuesday afternoon after she informed Christie, a potential 2016 White House contender and devout fan of "The Boss," that Springsteen objected to Christie's politics and requested he stop using Springsteen's music at his town hall events.

"No. Never did that. Nah, you’re wrong about that. Bruce has never asked me to do that. I saw Bruce about a week and a half ago. And he had every opportunity to tell me not to. He didn't and he never has," Christie informed her, according to a video clip played by MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on Wednesday morning.

A heated exchange soon followed. Christie insisted he was well acquainted with the singer and the woman was simply wrong about her claim.

"Nah, listen: I know him and you’re wrong. I understand you’re now expressing your politics. You’re now expressing your politics and your objection, and that’s fine. Don’t put it in Mr. Springsteen’s mouth. Put it in yours," he said. "Don’t put it Bruce’s mouth. I know Bruce. I’ve spoken to Bruce. And you’re wrong. Speak your mind. Be angry or not. It doesn’t matter to me."

The Republican governor, well known for his various confrontations with political foes at his town hall events, kept shooting down the woman as she tried to interject with policy arguments.

"No, no, no. I think I’ve heard pretty much what you’ve had to say. I think we got the idea. Seriously, when you start off by mis characterizing something … you’ve got no place else to go with this story," he said. "If you want a debate, run for governor and then I'll debate you."

Watch the exchange below.

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For the first time in 38 years, the Emmys will occur on Monday night. 

The last time the ceremony was held on Monday was during the 28th Primetime Emmy Awards in May 1976.

Typically, the event is held on a Sunday evening in late August or September, but we'll be watching the 66th annual awards ceremony on a different night for a few reasons.

Ever since 2006 when NBC has aired the Emmys they have taken place in August. 

According to The Hollywood Reporter, this is because of NBC's deal to air Sunday Night Football, a big rating's winner for the network. When asked about the shift to Monday, Deadline reports NBC attributed the move to avoid any conflict with the NFL preseason. 

A quick look at television scheduling shows NBC probably made the decision to move to Monday night to avoid going head-to-head with another big awards' show.

MTV's Video Music Awards just so happen to be airing Sunday, August 24.

This isn't out of the ordinary as the VMAs usually air some time at the end of August or early September on a Sunday.

This year's event is expected to is expected to have Taylor Swift debut her new song "Shake It Off" on stage. Beyoncé is also set to perform and will receive the Video Vanguard Award, MTV's lifetime achievement award.

Instead of getting two awards shows competing against each other (and HBO's series finale of "True Blood") for similar demographics in the ratings, we'll be getting two big awards shows back-to-back.

The three-hour Primetime Emmys will air August 25 from 8-11 p.m.

SEE ALSO: Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul reunite for 6 minutes of comedy gold to promote the Emmys

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Actor Adam Driver — a former Marine and Juilliard alum currently most famous for playing "Adam" on "Girls" and an upcoming villainous role in "Star Wars: Episode VII" — dropped some deep, dark insights on life in a new interview with GQ magazine:

"Life's shitty, and we're all gonna die. You have friends, and they die. You have a disease, someone you care about has a disease, Wall Street people are scamming everyone, the poor get poorer, the rich get richer. That's what we're surrounded by all the time. We don't understand why we're here, no one's giving us an answer, religion is vague, your parents can't help because they're just people, and it's all terrible, and there's no meaning to anything. What a terrible thing to process! Every. Day. And then you go to sleep. But then sometimes," he says, leaning forward, "things can suspend themselves for like a minute, and then every once in a while there's something where you find a connection."

Driver says it's this connection that he loves so much about acting, offering people a brief respite from the trials of their existence.

But despite having six films slated for release in 2014 and 2015, the married 30-year-old tells the magazine he still "believes things are going to go to shit at any minute."

"I still don't feel like I've really put in my dues. Like it doesn't feel earned," Driver explains of his fame after joining the cast of HBO's "Girls" in 2012. "Everyone is so used to having everything immediately, and that doesn't seem to lend itself to things being good."

Read Adam Driver's full GQ interview here >

SEE ALSO: How Adam Driver Used His Training As A Marine To Get Into Juilliard

MORE: 'Girls' Actor Adam Driver Will Play The Villain In 'Star Wars: Episode VII'

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Like it or not, Jonathan Liebesman’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a hit. Audiences are packing screenings from coast to coast, helping the Turtle reboot power to nearly $120 million in domestic ticket sales and close to $200 million in global earnings. Fans heading to movie theaters are having a lot of fun. This story is about a fan who didn’t have to travel to a theater to see the anticipated movie, thanks to some help from Paramount Pictures. 

Reddit user Harpster604 shared this story, stating that his cousin – a huge TMNT fan-- suffers from Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and is confined to a hospital bed. It prevents him from getting to a theater to see the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie in a multiplex, surrounded by fellow fans. Understanding the power of the Reddit community, Harpster started asking around. He explains: 

I decided to message the r/movies mods beforehand to see if this was appropriate, and to my surprise one of the mods, /u/kleinbl00, knew someone who had worked on the movie and offered to help out!"

And help out, they did. A screener of the movie arrived with a copy of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles saved for viewing. The following images were shared via Imgur. They show an official Paramount masthead, a handwritten letter, and a heartbreaking image of a strong Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fan smiling from a major accomplishment. 

What a spectacular trend this has become. Do you recall, recently, when Marvel went out of its way to secure a private screening for Bill Mantlo, co-creator of Rocket Raccoon who, also, was unable to see a finished film in a theater? Of course, the cynic in me is reminded of Bobby Brady faking an illness to get to meet his favorite football player, Joe Namath, on a classic episode of The Brady Bunch.  

But I think these sentimental gestures are being made from the heart, to get the films in front of the true fans who might not be able to enjoy the big-screen experience, but still want to take that thrilling ride alongside the Guardians or the Turtles. Classy move, Hollywood. Classy move. 

SEE ALSO: 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' Blasted Past 'Guardians Of The Galaxy' At The Box Office

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Burning Man is a 50,000-person event in the middle of the desert filled with music, strange outfits, and drugs.

It is also a favorite event for many important people in Silicon Valley: CEOs Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Larry Page have all attended. Mark Zuckerberg helicoptered in once.

Now some of the tech elite have decided they don't want to fry in a normal tent without air-conditioning. They don't want to use nasty outhouses. And they don't want to feast on snack food all week. So they're paying to create premium services and build fenced-in rich-people zones with RVs, The New York Times' Nick Bilton reports.

Here's some of what rich techies are spending their money on:

• Sherpas who cater to their every need throughout the week.
• A sherpa tells Bilton what the experience like: "Lavish RVs are driven in and connected together to create a private forted area, ensuring that no outsiders can get in. The rich are flown in on private planes, then picked up at the Burning Man airport, driven to their camp and served like kings and queens for a week. (Their meals are prepared by teams of chefs, which can include sushi, lobster boils, and steak tartare.)"
• One camp detailed by Bilton says models get flown in free, but every other member has to pay $25,000 to join. Collectively, the guests pay about $2 million for the weekend. The camp has "the craziest chefs in the world," with AC and beds.
• Another camp promoted by The Key boasts Wi-Fi, electricity, water, and chefs.
• Luxury restroom trailers are being brought in, like the ones used on movie sets.

Business Insider's Aly Weisman went to Burning Man last year and visited one of the more luxurious camps. Inside, she found a pool table:

And vegan chocolate mousse:

Average burners are getting frustrated by the "gentrification" of Burning Man. One tells Bilton that the festival now "mirrors society," which is a bummer.

"Anyone who has been going to Burning Man for the last five years is now seeing things on a level of expense or flash that didn’t exist before," a burner tells Bilton. "It does have this feeling that, 'Oh, look, the rich people have moved into my neighborhood.'"

Dustin Moskovitz, cofounder of Facebook, has been to Burning Man for five years and counting. He wrote a blog post detailing some of what the tech elite does at Burning Man and asking those who are less wealthy not to judge.

"I smugly read about startups 'invading' Burning Man ... and a reference to Mark Zuckerberg 'helicoptering in to serve grilled cheeses.' I’ll go ahead and confirm the rumor, since it’s clearly out there now anyway," Moskovitz wrote after reading The Verge. "The implication in the article is that he paid into a turnkey experience, but I know he was a guest in the camp I built and no money changed hands. Along with its other inhabitants, he helped pitch his own tent."

Moskovitz believes Burning Man is for anyone — from plumbers to millionaires — who wants to live lavishly for the week.

"The animosity towards wealthy burners is supposedly based on the concept that they are violating the core principle of Radical Self-Reliance," he writes. "Burning Man is for absolutely everyone. Everyone. That’s what Radical Inclusion means."

NOW WATCH: A Billionaire's 5 Keys To Success And Happiness

SEE ALSO: A Strange Thing Happened The First Time Facebook's Co-Founder Met The Winklevoss Twins — They Hugged

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The 66th annual Primetime Emmys are Monday, August 25.

If you're filling out a ballot, or if you can't remember who's nominated in the big categories, here's a quick look at who's slated to take home the Emmy gold.

We've consulted awards show predictor site Gold Derby's expert analysis for picks. Here are the numbers to help select the winners for the top categories.

So far, it looks like the final eight episodes of AMC's "Breaking Bad" are set to sweep the ceremony.

Outstanding Drama Series

"Breaking Bad" - 1/10
"True Detective" - 33/1
"Game of Thrones" - 50/1
"House of Cards" - 50/1
"Mad Men" - 100/1
"Downton Abbey" - 100/1

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama

Matthew McConaughey ("True Detective") - 1/4
Bryan Cranston ("Breaking Bad") - 11/2
Kevin Spacey ("House of Cards") - 50/1
Jon Hamm ("Mad Men") - 100/1
Woody Harrelson ("True Detective") - 100/1
Jeff Daniels ("The Newsroom") - 100/1

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama

Julianna Margulies ("The Good Wife") - 10/9
Robin Wright ("House of Cards") - 19/10
Claire Danes ("Homeland") - 12/1
Kerry Washington ("Scandal") - 12/1
Lizzy Caplan ("Masters of Sex") - 100/1
Michelle Dockery ("Downton Abbey") - 100/1

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama

Aaron Paul ("Breaking Bad") - 2/3
Josh Charles ("The Good Wife") - 4/1
Peter Dinklage ("Game of Thrones") - 10/1
Jon Voight ("Ray Donovan") - 12/1
Mandy Patinkin ("Homeland") - 100/1
Jim Carter ("Downton Abbey") - 100/1

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama

Anna Gunn ("Breaking Bad") - 1/4
Christine Baranski ("The Good Wife") - 10/1
Joanne Froggatt ("Downton Abbey") - 12/1
Maggie Smith ("Downton Abbey") - 50-1
Lena Headey ("Game of Thrones") - 100-1
Christina Hendricks ("Mad Men") - 100/1

Outstanding Comedy Series

"Orange is the New Black" - 3/2
"Modern Family" - 19/10
"Veep" - 11/2
"Louie" - 12/1
"The Big Bang Theory" - 50-1
"Silicon Valley" - 100/1 

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Jim Parsons ("The Big Bang Theory") - 10/9
Ricky Gervais ("Derek") - 4/1
Louis C.K. ("Louie") - 11/2
William H. Macy ("Shameless") - 11/2
Matt LeBlanc ("Episodes") - 100/1
Don Cheadle ("House of Lies") - 100/1

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

Julia Louis-Dreyfus ("Veep") - 2/11
Taylor Schilling ("Orange is the New Black") - 10/1
Amy Poehler ("Parks and Recreation") - 50/1
Melissa McCarthy ("Mike and Molly") - 50/1
Edie Falco ("Nurse Jackie") - 50/1
Lena Dunham ("Girls") - 100/1 

Outstanding miniseries

"Fargo" - 1/10
"American Horror Story: Coven" - 33/1
"Luther" - 50/1
"The White Queen" - 50-1
"Treme" - 100/1
"Bonnie and Clyde" - 100/1

Those are only the top categories. You can view all of the odds here.

SEE ALSO: A ridiculous rule is allowing "True Detective" to go up against "Breaking Bad" at the Emmys

AND: Why this year's Emmys will air on a Monday night for the first time in nearly 40 years

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Digital Music News' Paul Resnikoff has put together a pie chart GIF showing 30 years of U.S. music industry change in 30 seconds. 

Not only is it unrecognizable from what it looked like in the '80s and '90s, its unrecognizable from even five years ago, as Spotify and Pandora had yet to enter our lives. 

You know how we feel about pie charts— but the ugliness seems well suited to that particular data display:   

Data from RIAA. We saw this on reddit.

SEE ALSO: The Most Dominant Summer Songs Of All Time

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The family of former Kremlin media chief Mikhail Lesin is apparently living quite large in Los Angeles.

Their lavish Hollywood lifestyle, which has provided an entré into the movie business and has brought them into the orbit of the industry's biggest A-list stars, has some wondering where the family's money came from. 

According to U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi), after leaving the Russian government in 2009, Lesin "moved his immediate family to Los Angeles, California, where he acquired multiple residences at a cost of over $28 million." In a letter sent to Attorney General Eric Holder last month, Wicker requested a Department of Justice investigation into whether Lesin's real estate purchases were part of violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act or Anti-Money Laundering statutes.

"That a Russian public servant could have amassed the considerable funds required to acquire and maintain these assets … raises serious questions," Wicker wrote.

Real estate purchases are just one aspect of Lesin's family's business interests in Los Angeles. Since last year, Lesin's son, Anton Lessine, has produced four major Hollywood movies with stars including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, and Woody Allen.

On Aug. 1, Radio Free Europe's Luke Johnson and Carl Schreck published a report on Wicker's request for a probe into Lesin's finances. Citing documents provided by the senator's office, the report noted evidence that Lesin and his son had linked business interests. According to Radio Free Europe, Lesin bought three properties in the Los Angeles area. One of these was a 13,000-square-foot Beverly Hills home purchased by Dastel Corporation for $13.8 million in August 2011. Records show Lessine was a corporate officer of the company. Radio Free Europe also identified a corporation in which Lesin's daughter, Ekaterina Lesina, was an officer, which purchased a $5.6 million Beverly Hills home in 2012. (Despite the different surnames, Business Insider has confirmed these family relationships.)

According to Wicker's letter, the elder Lesin was "Russia's Minister for Communications and Mass Media from 1999-2004." Radio Free Europe reported that Lesin "played an instrumental role in solidifying state control" over an independent television network and subsequently was "seen as the mastermind" behind Putin's launch of the international news network RT, which U.S. officials have described as a "propaganda bullhorn" for Moscow.

Critics say the Lesin family fortune is troubling because Putin and his cronies have a reputation for corruption — illegally enriching themselves and spiriting their wealth out of Russia. 

"Putin and his inner circle have enriched themselves through the seizure of private assets, using dubious legal maneuvers, coercion, and intimidation," said a senior Capitol Hill aide who spoke to Business Insider about Lesin. "Ironically, even Putin's cronies know that they too may fall out of favor. As such, tens of billions of dollars are cloistered and concealed in banks and investments throughout the world."

"The modus operandi of Putin's corrupt inner circle has been to siphon the money out of Russia and into their foreign accounts and foreign assets," noted Vladimir Kara-Murza, a member of the federal council of the People's Freedom Party, an opposition party in Russia. That way, he added, the funds were "completely closed from any scrutiny" inside Russia. He says these tactics are the reason the U.S. government has attempted to sanction top members of Putin's regime and their business associates.

Despite the concerns about Russian officials' getting their money into the U.S., Lesin's son, Anton Lessine, has managed to invest in some very high-profile projects. 

Lessine's career as a Hollywood producer appears to have begun in earnest around 2012, when he was attached as a producer to the horror movie "Haunt," which was produced and financed by a company called QED International. On its website, QED is billed as "a leading independent motion picture production, financing, and sales distribution company." Business Insider reached out to QED CEO Bill Block, who was also credited as a producer for "Haunt," and he referred us to a spokesperson who did not respond to our request for comment. After "Haunt," Lessine was credited as an executive producer on three QED films: 2013's "Fading Gigolo"; "Sabotage," which opened in March; and "Fury," which is set to be released in October.

These projects boasted some serious star power. "Fading Gigolo" starred John Turturro and Woody Allen. "Sabotage" featured Arnold Schwarzenegger as an elite DEA agent. Brad Pitt starred in "Fury" and also executive produced the movie along with Lessine.

Lessine could not be reached for comment for this article. Ilya Tsipis, who has a LinkedIn page describing him as the president of Dastel Corporation and is listed in records as the company's registered agent, did not respond to a request for comment. Business Insider also attempted to call Lessine's sister, without success. Lessine's father, Putin's former media czar, could not be reached for comment. 

Lessine is hardly the first person with controversial foreign connections to be drawn to the movie business in Hollywood. Saadi Qaddafi, the son of the late former Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi, enjoyed a short-lived stint as a movie producer before his father was deposed in a bloody revolution. Earlier this year, LA Weekly published a lengthy report documenting the backgrounds of producers Remington Chase and Stefan Martirosian, which included "convictions for cocaine trafficking; ties to the Russian oil business, the Armenian government, and the African diamond trade ... stints as federal informants," and alleged links to a contract killing in Moscow. 

Peter Newman, who heads the joint MBA/MFA graduate program at the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU and has produced more than 30 films including 2005's "The Squid and the Whale," told Business Insider that "dumb money," or financing from inexperienced investors who are new to the industry, has a long and colorful history in Hollywood. Given the difficult economic climate, Newman said, the industry's appetite for such financing had only increased in recent years.

"The major studios at present really would rather not develop, produce, or finance motion pictures," he said. "They'd rather do it off balance sheets, because the economics of making movies, especially big movies, just are very, very dicey."

Newman added that movies made outside the studio system are more likely to involve questionable financing. Specifically, he pointed to larger independent films produced by companies like QED and then distributed by other studios.

"The studio is basically saying, 'Deliver the movie with such and such, and such and such, and we'll pay this much to promote it in the United States.' But they're not really getting their hands dirty," Newman said.

Three of the four major films produced by Lessine — "Fading Gigolo," "Haunt," and "Fury" — followed this model. They were produced by QED and distributed by a studio. "Sabotage" was produced and distributed by QED. Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is the worldwide distributor for "Fury," did not respond to a request for comment on this article. Millennium Entertainment, which distributed "Fading Gigolo" in the U.S., and IFC Midnight, the American distributor for "Haunt," also did not respond to requests for comment.

For larger movies made outside the studio system, Newman said, it is especially important to have cash up front to secure an A-lister.

"The agencies basically say, 'If you want a Brad Pitt, or a Bruce Willis, or whatever ... there has to be $20 million in the bank," Newman said. 

This star power is critical because these movies need to guarantee foreign box office to secure further financing. A proven, marquee name is the best way to do this. 

"These projects you're talking about are really large independent films that the studios handle the U.S. distribution of, and the equation is usually, there is a foreign sales agent selling territories," Newman said.

Given this system, it's not hard to see why people with cash to burn — whatever their backgrounds — are so popular with movie production companies. And the financiers benefit as well: In addition to the chance to clean up their money, an association with a global celebrity can help otherwise controversial figures add some shine to their reputations.

"The economics of filmmaking itself are so dicey, and then you add in the vanity factor of people wanting to be around famous people and attractive people," Newman said. "It's sort of a deadly chemical mix that has been around for a long time and will continue to happen as long as there's a film business." 

Furthermore, in his decades of making movies, Newman says he has seen few checks and balances that are likely to keep Hollywood's hands off dirty money.

"Observationally, I really have seen very little vetting going on," Newman said. "You know, the only vetting that goes on in Hollywood is, does the check clear?"  

There is no evidence that Lesin's money came from corruption. But the suggestion that Putin's inner circle has a reputation for making money through less-than-legal means and getting that cash out of the country is well established. Furthermore, as Wicker said in his letter requesting the investigation, the "considerable" sums used by Lesin for his real estate transactions seem questionable for a "public servant." 

Lesin's son's filmmaking activities would seem to raise similar issues. That the two have linked business dealings is already clear in the case of one real estate property. Additionally, Lessine does not seem to have any history of involvement in film financing or other major business deals in the U.S. prior to his father's departure from the Kremlin and subsequent spending spree in LA's real estate market. 

Lesin's critics in Washington say that without forceful government intervention, corrupt money spirited out of Putin's Russia will continue to be laundered in the U.S.

"Money laundering is like electricity, which follows the path of least resistance," the Hill aide said. "Without robust sanctions from the U.S. and the international community, Putin's cronies will continue to stash their plundered loot beyond the scope of U.S. jurisdiction. Time will tell whether the crisis in Ukraine will stir the international community into substantive action."

Meanwhile, Lessine's forthcoming production, "Fury," opens Oct. 17.

SEE ALSO: Here Are The American Executives Who Are Working On Behalf Of Putin

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When the Emmys air Monday, HBO's hit series "True Detective" will go head-to-head with AMC's "Breaking Bad" in one of the closest races of the night.

The mystery crime thriller received a total of 12 nominations this year including nods for both Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series and Outstanding Drama Series.

While that sounds fair, both shows were incredibly talked about in the past year receiving high praise from critics and fans alike, some say it makes little sense for the HBO series to be sitting alongside "Breaking Bad" during its final season. 

Back in March, HBO announced "True Detective" would compete as a drama series. The news was met with surprise since the show fits the Emmys' definition of a miniseries. 

A miniseries is based on a single theme or story line, which is resolved within the piece. In a single awards year all of the parts must be presented under the same title and have continuity of production supervision.

A miniseries consists of two or more episodes with a total running time of at least four
broadcast hours (at least 150 program minutes).

However, it also fits the definition of a drama series: 

Comedy and drama series are defined as programs with multiple episodes (minimum of six), where the majority of the running time of at least six of the total eligible episodes are primarily comedic for comedy series entries, or primarily dramatic for dramatic series entries, in which the ongoing theme, storyline and main characters are presented under the same title and have continuity of production supervision.

Since day one, it's been known "True Detective" would have a different cast and storyline every season. 

It's an unusual television format that FX's "American Horror Story" adopted when it first aired in 2011. It's also one that the network's new show "Fargo," nominated for 18 Emmys, also shares.

However, both of those shows are dueling it out in the TV movie/miniseries category.

What gives? Is HBO's drama getting special treatment?

Not exactly.

Vulture pointed out a closer read of the Emmy's rules shows exactly why "True Detective" never would have been put into the miniseries category unless producers went out of their way to receive permission to run in either category.

A limited-run series with a "created by" credit CANNOT enter as a miniseries
unless the producer for the limited run series applies for and receives entitlement to dual
qualification, i.e. qualification in more than one category, because of an affirmative
determination by the Awards Committee that the limited run series has elements of both
drama series and miniseries categories.

The jarring line there is the fact that any miniseries that conveniently has a "created by" credit can't be labeled a miniseries unless a petition is submitted.

It's a rule that has allowed "American Horror Story" to be nominated first as a drama and later as a miniseries after it lost to "Homeland" at the 2012 Golden Globes in the drama category. 

The move was met with a lot of backlash from critics who claimed the show thought it had a better chance of winning in the Outstanding TV movie or miniseries category. But honestly it seems kind of weird for a show with a revolving cast and storyline to receive the same treatment as longer dramas.

Vulture reports the only reason "Fargo" didn't have the same issue this year is because the FX series cleverly made the decision to phrase its credit as "created for television by" instead of "created by."

It's a very unclear and murky way for the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences to deal with the nomination categories for shows.

It's not just "True Detective" that was placed into a category that may not correctly define it. "Orange is the New Black" is being labeled as a comedy so it doesn't go up against fellow Netflix series "House of Cards." Showtime's "Shameless" is also in the category after being considered a drama for three years now that award-winning "30 Rock" is over.

What's worse is that we could very likely see "True Detective" in the miniseries category next year if there isn't as much buzz about season 2 and it doesn't want to go toe to toe with AMC's "Mad Men." 

The "created by" loophole, if you will call it this, allows HBO to take advantage of a brilliant opportunity to try and take down TV favorite "Breaking Bad" during its final Emmy run.

Think of the headlines if "True Detective" shut out "Breaking Bad" from the biggest awards of the night.

Yes, "True Detective" certainly has the legs to possibly upset the AMC show, but the bigger win for HBO may be knowing it beat out a show it passed on so many years ago all because an exec thought the series' premise was too boring during a pitch meeting. 

SEE ALSO: How HBO blew its chance to air "Breaking Bad"

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For diehard Simpsons fans, the next 12 days are going to be some of the best that time on Earth has to offer, as FXX begins its massive marathon, during which every episode of the classic series will air. No one is stopping you from watching everything from end to end, but we wouldn’t advise it, as things might start to get pretty off the wall by Day 3 and you start eating dry coffee on toast. 

To help you figure out the best times of the day to escape your own city and head to Springfield – or at least when to set your DVRs – we’re picking five can’t-miss episodes from each day of the marathon. Why only five, you ask? Because I’m liable to put all 550 episodes on this list otherwise, thus drawing endless waves of ridicule and ire for still getting value out of episodes like “Wedding for Disaster” and “The Principal and the Pauper.” (Call me Armin Tamzarian.) 

Thankfully, The Simpsons’ early days were absolutely stuffed with amazing episodes, thus making this a list of diamonds in the slightly less perfect diamonds. Later seasons are far less carat-filled, but we’ll cross that haggard bridge when we come to it. Kick your feet back, grab your favorite beer with Duff scrawled on it in black marker, and enjoy. 

There’s no better way to first experience TV’s longest-lasting family than with their very first full-length episode. (I guess nobody at FXX wanted to pony up that Tracey Ullman Show money.) Season 1 is quite unlike any Simpsons season to follow, telling fewer jokes and landing bigger emotional punches, but you get it all and more in their network debut. Not only is it a Christmas episode that works all year round, but the family is shown doing things that they would still be doing today. Homer screws up and backends his way into family appreciation, Bart disobeys common sense in an effort to make someone like him, and Marge gets just mad enough for it to count before allowing everyone back into her good graces. I guess Lisa is the least developed at this point, but she matures the fastest of anyone in the years to come. 

Highlight: Santa’s Little Helper joins the family! 

4. Treehouse of Horror I – 5: 30 p.m. ET

It’s a shame to skip the rest of Season 1 to get here, but when “here” is a Treehouse of Horror episode, it’s all worth it. This inaugural Halloween special not only began one of the most enjoyable trends in all of TV, but it still stands tall among the rest of its kind. After a quick warning from Marge – because The Simpsons was still quite controversial at this time – the episode jumps into an Amityville-style segment that sees everyone in the family besides Marge actively trying to murder one another. (And the house has the worst fate of all, go figure.) Then we get a classic Twilight Zone parody, with the first appearances from the big-headed aliens Kang and Kodos, plus Serak the Preparer. And with stark, shadowy animation, “The Raven” might still be one of the most lush sequences The Simpsons has ever put out there, eschewing jokes for atmospheric disquiet and James Earl Jones’ narration. There is nothing about this episode that isn’t wonderful. 

Highlight: How to Cook for Forty Humans, because the more punchlines the better.

3. Bart the Daredevil – 7:00 p.m. ET

If you want another good emotional story that showed off some Simpson sibling rivalry, check the episode before this one, Bart vs. Thanksgiving. But if you want a laugh bonanza that starts to tease the quick-witted utopia of this series' golden age, you can’t go wrong with “Bart the Daredevil.” It’s probably best known for introducing Homer’s lengthy gorge pratfall into television’s visual lexicon, but it was also a sly response to parents and media who like to think children will do every stupid thing they see on TV. In showcasing the idiocy of Bart amateurishly mimicking the daredevilry of his idol Lance Murdock, the writers proved that sometimes things are best left to the professionals, no matter how much you want to impress someone. Especially when the professionals themselves have broken every bone in their bodies several times over. 

Highlight: Lance Murdock’s speech and subsequent fall into the pool. 

2. The Way We Was – 9:00 p.m. ET

Throughout the many years that The Simpsons has been on the air, some of the more effective story arcs have been those where Homer and Marge are at odds with one another. (In as realistic a way as possible, preferably.) This episode sees the loving couple sharing the story of how they met with Bart, Lisa and Maggie. It was the first time audiences were taken back into Homer and Marge’s past, and what a treat it was, especially in hearing Dan Castellaneta and Julie Kavner skew their voices younger. Though Homer’s oafish and dishonest ways almost lost him the future love of his life, it all came down to the busy hands of Artie Ziff, an appalling dweeb voiced with smarmy perfection by Jon Lovitz, who would reprise the character in later episodes. Homer and Marge’s relationship problems here are nowhere near as convoluted as they get in future seasons, and it’s nice to just relive the good old days of prom dancing. 

Highlight: MCBAIN! 

1. Oh, Brother, Where Art Thou? – 10:30 p.m. ET

Homer’s family has a lot of skeletons in the closet, and one of the most handsome ones is Homer’s half-brother Herb Powell (Danny DeVito), revealed by a fatalistic Grampa. Herb is everything that Homer wishes he could be: successful, employed by a good company, and non-bald. As the family takes a trip to Detroit to see what the good life is like, Homer attempts to assert himself in the car designing world while Herb assimilates himself into the Simpsons family. As you can imagine, Homer screws everything up by creating the dumbest and least sensible vehicle imaginable, and Herb cuts off all ties (until a future episode). I always enjoy when the Simpsons head into unfamiliar territories, and it was nice to see the kids all actually content with life for a change. Leave it to Marge to figure out that money doesn't equal happiness. 

Highlight: The Homer, which was actually turned into a real car last summer.  

SEE ALSO: FXX Paid $750 Million For An Upcoming 552-Episode 'Simpsons' Marathon

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IGNITION: Future of Digital is quickly approaching. Early-bird rates are expiring just after Labor Day on Wednesday, Sept. 3 at 11:59 p.m., so get your tickets now!  

Join senior executives from the converging worlds of media, technology, marketing, and investing to explore the ongoing explosion of new business models being fueled by digital technology and the Internet.

Speakers include:

• Amazon.com CEO and founder Jeff Bezos
• Accel Partners’ Jim Breyer
• athenahealth CEO Jonathan Bush
• Kleiner Perkins’ John Doerr
• Whisper CEO Michael Heyward
• Evernote CEO Phil Libin
• Shutterstock founder and CEO Jon Oringer
• Oculus VR CEO Brendan Iribe
• Bloomberg Media CEO Justin Smith
• Mailonline CEO for North America, Jon Steinberg
• 3D Robotics co-founder and CEO Chris Anderson
• former Apple CEO John Sculley

For a taste of what you can expect in December, check out the latest IGNITION 2014 lineup. And reserve your spot now before the early-bird rates expire!

P.S. If you're interested in sponsorship opportunities at IGNITION, contact events@businessinsider.com.

Follow @BI_Events on Twitter for IGNITION updates.

SEE ALSO: Check out the awesome list of IGNITION speakers

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"Banshee" may be smashing network records at Cinemax, but it still hasn't hit mainstream audiences. This may have something to do with its dreaded Friday night timeslot or the fact that Cinemax is a premium cable channel in significantly less households than HBO.

The testosterone-fueled series from Alan Ball, creator of HBO's "Six Feet Under" and "True Blood," seems to have been relegated to "guilty pleasure" status. "Banshee" enters its third season next year, and while many acknowledge the show is totally ludicrous, that's exactly what makes the series so fun. 

"Banshee" opens with our protagonist (Anthony Starr) walking out of prison after a 15-year stint for what we later learn was a botched robbery. He immediately tracks down his ex-lover/partner-in-crime and discovers that she has since become a completely new person with a new identity and family to boot.

The unnamed criminal treks all the way to Amish country in Banshee, PA to find her, but once he does, she tells him to stay out of her life. This leads our hero to a local bar to drown his sorrows, and the only other patron at this bar just so happens to be the new Banshee sheriff, who starts the job the following day. Some thugs with horrible luck decide to rob this bar, and after a spectularly violent sequence, the new sheriff as well as both thieves are dead.

In a moment of fleeting stupidity/total genius, our mysterious drifter takes the dead sheriff's credentials and assumes his identity, effectively becoming Lucas Hood, sheriff of Banshee, PA. As of the end of season two, his real name still remains a mystery.

If that mini-synopsis makes "Banshee" sound like the pulpiest, kitschiest show on television, that's because it is. What starts as a flimsy plan to win back his woman winds up cutting way deeper as Hood learns that Banshee is a town full of dirty little secrets and takes it upon himself to legitimately patrol the town. What may read as convoluted on paper works on screen due to the show's frenetic energy and total disregard for political-correctness. 

Alan Ball and showrunners Jonathan Tropper and David Schickler seem to believe that crafting impressive action sequences and graphic sex scenes are more important than all else, and in this case, I'd argue they're right. Fortunately, the characters that inhabit Banshee are all fascinating and given just enough backstory to allow the audience to really connect.

There's Carrie Hopewell, Hood's old fling and the entire reason he came to Banshee in the first place, Kai Proctor, the evil mastermind (of Amish descent) on the top of the Banshee food-chain, his niece Rebecca, Alex Longshadow, a Native Kinaho, and Job, Hood's flamboyant right-hand-man who is to "Banshee" what Lafayette is to "True Blood." Ulrich Thomsen's performance as villain Kai Proctor is easily the most compelling part of the show — you'd be hard pressed to find anybody as crazy as he is anywhere else on television. He steals every scene he's in and truly earns his horrifying reputation time and time again.

Once connections between the Amish community, the Kinaho tribe, and all the relevant players are made explicity clear, the show really takes off running and moves from one terrific setpiece to the next as Hood tries his best to both protect the town from the evil mastermind who essentially runs the town and deal with his own demons. Eventually, Hood's past comes back to haunt him when his two worlds collide. 

"Banshee" is an exercise in excess — the sheer amount of violence, sex, and evil in each episode is astounding. The show is so ridiculously over-the-top that it borders on absurd brlliance. Before you know where one completely crazy subplot is going, another one even more off-the-wall pops up. 

The action on "Banshee" is more well-choreographed and satisfying than the majority of major motion pictures. There's one particularly bloody fight scene from episode three in which Lucas Hood scraps with a MMA fighter for what feels like 15 minutes. This sequence is so memorably brutal and encompasses the philosophy of the show that it can act as a litmus test for whether or not someone will enjoy the series. 

Empirically, "Banshee" shouldn't work as well as it does. The dialogue can get a bit hokey, and some of the big action sequences go too far even for the standards set by the series. From my brief description, it may sound like a violent misogynist's wet dream with little artistic merit, but there's more to it than that.

The beauty of the show is all in the execution. Ball knows his way around crafting entertaining television, and as the show progresses it's hard to not get wrapped up in all its eccentric, visceral glory. 

"Banshee" is expected to return to Cinemax in January 2015. The first two seasons are currently available to Cinemax subscribers.

Check out a trailer for the series below:

SEE ALSO: 'Hannibal' Is The Best TV Show No One Is Watching

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Rapper Talib Kweli went on CNN to discuss the protests in Ferguson, Missouri over the police shooting of an unarmed black teenager, and the interview went off the rails. 

At multiple points, Kweli even threatened to walk out of the Thursday afternoon interview with Don Lemon as the two attempted to shout over one another.

"Let me finish my point. Let me finish my point. ... Let me finish my point before you talk. Let me finish my point before you talk. Can I finish my point? We don't have to have an interview if I can't talk. If I can't talk we don't have to have an interview," Kweli said as he began to walk off the set, according to video posted by Talking Points Memo.

Kweli also took exception to Lemon for being rude before the interview began.

"I would listen to you if you had the decency — let me finish! — if you had the decency to greet me — to greet me, to greet me!" Kweli exclaimed.

Lemon insisted he had in fact treated Kweli well and even invited him to come onto the show. But Kweli, who strongly criticized CNN for its alleged bias in covering the protests, rejected that argument.

"Let me tell you what happened: You didn't even invite me. Nicole invited me, first of all.  You came up, you didn't even say nothing to me. You were on your phone the whole time. You asked how to pronounce my name. You have no respect for who I am," the rapper said. "Let me finish saying what I have to say else I'm going to leave."

Watch the entire exchange below.

NOW WATCH: 7 Crazy Facts That Sound Fake But Are Actually True

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It pays to head to online television.

TV Guide released its annual salary list revealing how much TV's top stars earn.

According to the five-page report, Chelsea Handler will be making a whopping $10 million for her new Netflix deal.

Handler's Netflix deal comprises of a talk show which is expected to be the online service's first foray into scheduled programming, a stand-up comedy performance in October, and four "docu-comedy" specials in 2015.

Last year, TV Guide reported Handler's salary for E!'s "Chelsea Lately," at $8 million. In 2012, the New York Post named Handler one of the most overpaid TV stars estimating her paycheck at $12 million per year. 

The $10 million tag would be in line with the salaries of network late-night talk show hosts Jimmy Fallon ($11 million) and Jimmy Kimmel ($10 million). 

Meanwhile, TV Guide reports late-night host John Oliver makes $2 million for his weekly HBO series, "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver."

You can check out more salaries from TV Guide's salary issue here.

SEE ALSO: Here's how Netflix plans to destroy late-night talk shows

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The 27th annual Burning Man — a crazy, week-long festival in the Black Rock Desert of northern Nevada — starts this Monday and everyone is already buzzing about it.

In preparation of the Labor Day weekend festival, a new book "Burning Man: Art of Fire" details the elaborate art structures displayed throughout the past years of the event.

The book, by author Jennifer Raiser with photography by Scott London and Sidney Erthal, is the only authorized collection of the best of Burning Man art with incredible photography.

The book contains more than 200 striking photos and interviews with the artists about their inspiration and how they transport such large structures to the middle of the desert.

With permission from Race Point Publishing, we have 12 of the stunning images here.

Every August, over 50,0000 people gather to celebrate artistic expression and social freedom in Nevada's barren Black Rock Desert. Braving extreme elements, over 200 works of art are created and intended to delight, provoke, involve, or amaze.

New book "Burning Man: Art of Fire" details the many art pieces in the desert, like this piece titled "Evolution Man," which was made entirely of irregularly shaped wooden triangles intended to represent the chaos at the heart of life.

There is ritual surrounding every aspect of the Man’s creation and destruction. He is traditionally 40 feet tall, standing on a tall wooden base that participants can enter and climb. The blueprints for his construction are a closely guarded secret, provided only to the carefully selected crew, largely volunteers, who gather at Burning Man’s Nevada work ranch in June for the process of carefully cutting, assembling, joining, and sanding of the Man with a level of craftsmanship befitting an antique piece of fine furniture.

(Photo: Courtesy Race Point Publishing/Sidney Erthal and Scott London Photography)

Artist Marco Cochrane's "Truth is Beauty" 2013 structure of the female body was held up with steel and mesh.

Cochrane credits the open-minded culture of Burning Man for inspiring the sculptures. He says: “I’m trying to demystify nudity. I see how free women are on the playa, how they can possess a playful energy here that they cannot do in real life.”

(Photo: Courtesy Race Point Publishing/Sidney Erthal and Scott London Photography)

50 Cent is changing the rules of the game in the Ice Bucket challenge.

Instead of the usual cold water-on-head routine, the rapper is challenging his former friend, boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr., to "read one full page of a 'Harry Potter' book out loud without starting and stopping or f------ up." The initial challenge was posted on 50's Instagram account.

The reward? $750,000 to any charity of the boxer's choice. Clearly 50 doesn't understand the ice bucket challenge.

In the below YouTube video, the hip hop star reiterates his challenge — except he flubs "ALS" and calls the disease "ASL/ELS."

(Warning: explicit language)

The beef between the two former friends was reportedly heated up by Mayweather's interview with MLive.com, in which he stated: "Hip hop artists, they come and go. They come and go. But I'm still here."

Mayweather has also been nominated to complete an actual Ice Bucket Challenge by magician Criss Angel.

Mayweather has yet to respond to either challenge.

SEE ALSO: Bob Iger Nominated Chris Pratt For The Ice Bucket Challenge, And His Response Was Great

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