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Daniel Radcliffe reveals the truth about what the rest of the world thinks of Southern accents

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Daniel Radcliffe

Daniel Radcliffe loves Southern American accents. 

And so does the rest of the world. 

In an interview on Marc Maron's WTF podcast, Radcliffe and Maron talked about accents. Specifically, Southern American accents. 

"The thing I always find hilarious about America is that America and Americans have a thing about the Southern accent as sounding sort of dumb," Radcliffe said.

"Whereas the rest of the world thinks they sound f***king cool. We're all just like, 'They sound like cowboys, they sound tough, they sound awesome.' That is a great accent."

Maron, who is American and isn't from the south and doesn't have an accent, said that while of course you'd think, as an American actor, you'd get a coach to learn, say, a fake Russian accent, it didn't occur to him the same would be true for Southern accents. 

"Well of course!" Radcliffe said, confirming what my international colleagues would probably agree is true: Americans have a very hard time being introspective about their own culture. 

Radcliffe — who rose to fame as a child actor playing Harry Potter — was just in Virginia shooting a movie in which he played an American with an American accent (though this part did not require a Southern accent), added that the irony is that the nicest people in America are found in the South. 

Maron, of course, agreed. 

You can listen to the whole interview here »

SEE ALSO: Obama tells Marc Maron he saved the stock market

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NOW WATCH: How they shot the epic opening scene in the new Bond movie 'Spectre'











Charlie Sheen said he paid $10 million in ‘shakedown’ money to keep his HIV a secret

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Actor Charlie Sheen revealed that he's HIV-positive in an interview with the Today Show.

He then goes on to explain that since his diagnosis four years ago he has been extorted out of millions of dollars by people threatening to leak the information.

He put the amount he has paid in "shakedown" money at "upwards of $10 million," and added that "What people forget is that's money they're taking from my children."

One of the reasons he decided to go public with the information was to end the extortion.

Story by Tony Manfred and editing by Alana Yzola

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Val Kilmer confirms he's back for 'Top Gun 2' in Facebook post, starts other sequel rumors

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top gun

Val Kilmer took to his official Facebook page to announce his role in "Top Gun 2," the sequel to the 1986 original film. 

According to his status, he had no reservations about accepting the script without even reading it. He'll presumably reprise his role as Iceman. 

I just got offered #topgun2 - not often you get to say "yes" without reading the script..."It's starring Gene...

Posted by Val Kilmer on Monday, 16 November 2015

But his status also gave some false hope that Gene Hackman would be coming out of retirement or that Francis Ford Coppola would take over directing for the late Tony Scott. In a comment, Kilmer clarified that those examples are fantasy scenarios.

val kilmer facebook

Business Insider contacted a representative for Jerry Bruckheimer, a producer on "Top Gun 2," who said, "The project is in development, so we have no comment on it."

The sequel was confirmed earlier this summer by Skydance CEO David Ellison. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Ellison said the sequel would explore the modern world.

"It is very much a world we live in today where it’s drone technology, and fifth-generation fighters are really what the United States Navy is calling the last man-made fighter that we’re actually going to produce," Ellison said. "So it’s really exploring the end of an era of dogfighting."

Tom Cruise is set to reprise his role as Maverick. 

SEE ALSO: The long-delayed 'Top Gun' sequel is definitely happening with Tom Cruise

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NOW WATCH: Emma Watson had an awesome reaction when Malala Yousafzai called herself a feminist










Charlie Sheen's ex-girlfriend says he never told her he was HIV-positive

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charlie sheen

The fallout has started from Charlie Sheen's revelation Tuesday that he's HIV-positive.

Bree Olson, Sheen's former girlfriend (and a former porn actress) who lived with him, appeared on Howard Stern's radio show immediately after Sheen's announcement on the "Today" show and said that she was with Sheen at the time he says he was diagnosed and having "night sweats." Despite that, she alleges that Sheen did not disclose his HIV-positive status to her. (She has tested HIV-negative.)

"I was living with him. We were sleeping together every single night," she told Stern. When the host asked if Sheen ever said anything, she responded, "Never said a word, ever. 'I'm clean,' he told me."

Olson also says that the two had unprotected sex, and when they did use protection, Sheen insisted on lambskin condoms.

On the "Today" show, Sheen told Matt Lauer that since his diagnosis, he has informed all his sexual partners about his HIV status.

"I made the same mistake that a lot of people do. I trusted him," Olson continued on Stern's show.

When Stern asked if she would accept an apology from Sheen, said said, "I don't want it. I would say, 'F--k you.'"

Another ex-porn star, Lisa Ann, has gone on Twitter to lash out against Sheen's comments on the "Today" show, calling his actions "criminal."

Sheen alleges he was the victim of "shakedowns" from "unsavory and insipid types" whom he paid off after telling them of his HIV-positive status and having sex with them.

In most states, you're legally required to tell someone about your HIV status if you're exposing them to a significant risk of contracting the virus.

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NOW WATCH: Charlie Sheen: 'I'm here to admit that I am HIV-positive'










Here’s why an Indian American actor almost turned down a role on Aziz Ansari’s new show

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"Master of None," the new Netflix comedy co-created by Aziz Ansari, is one of the most critically-acclaimed new shows on television. One of the show's standouts was the episode "Indians on TV," which is about trying to be an Indian actor without resorting to stereotypes.

Actor Ravi Patel guest-starred in the episode, and argues with fellow actor Dev (Ansari) about whether or not it's okay to do a stereotypical Indian accent while auditioning for roles. Patel thinks it's fine, while Dev refuses.

However, their real-life differences on the issue almost made Patel turn down the role. Despite saying he was flattered, Patel told INSIDER that he initially said no.

"When I read it I thought it was kind of condescending to the blue collar Indian actor," he explained. "He was talking a lot about how he doesn’t do the accent. I felt it was condescending to guys who do do the accent. I'm one of those guys, and I’m also friends with all of those guys, and I just have a lot of sympathy for the inherent kind of s****y role exposure that you have to endure if you're a blue collar actor... just trying to work your way up to get to a place where you can say no..." 

If you've seen the episode, this might sound familiar. Patel and Ansari talked it out in real life, and it was this disagreement that led Patel to being cast.

"He called back and he was like, ‘Hey man, I can see why you think that but that's not at all what I want. In fact, that's why I want you to do this,'" Patel said. "I just thought it was a really mature response."

The entire first season of "Master of None" is now streaming on Netflix, and "Meet the Patels," a documentary that Patel co-directed with his sister, Geeta, is playing in select theaters.

Story by Ian Phillips and editing by Chelsea Pineda

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SEE ALSO: Aziz Ansari nails Hollywood's race problem in one great episode of his new Netflix show 'Master of None'

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Watch two kids hilariously try to figure out how a Walkman works

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Back To The Future, walkman

Walkmans are, believe it or not, already slipping out of our cultural memory.

When one mom found an old Walkman and cassette tapes from the 80s, she decided to see if her kids could make any sense of them. The video below is evidence that they had many amusing difficulties even understanding how the thing actually worked.

They do finally figure it out, but not before puzzling over the ribbon ("Definitely don't pull the ribbon"), and fumbling around various ways the tape should go into the player.

See the video below:

 

SEE ALSO: 11 things 'Back to the Future Part II' got right about today's tech culture

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NOW WATCH: A model who uses social media for good explains what the viral 19-year-old got wrong about the internet










Bill Maher and Stephen Colbert had a curse-filled debate about Donald Trump

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bill maher stephen colbert

Bill Maher and Stephen Colbert may not agree on some things, but they had fun hashing it out on Monday night's "Late Show."

Things kicked off with practicing Catholic Colbert urging Maher to return to religion, an institution that the host of HBO's "Real Time" abandoned long ago.

"I do admit there are things in the universe I don't understand," Maher responded. "But my response to that is not to make up silly stories."

The two men also disagreed over Donald Trump's chances of getting elected to president. Maher admitted that he had changed his mind about wanting shorter election cycles in the US like the British.

"Americans are slow and dim and dumb, and they need extra time," Maher said. "If we had a two-month election cycle, they would've elected Trump already... For the first couple of months, people were enamored with him. Now, they see his shtick. He has two things: 'Me build wall. Me great.'"

bill maher stephen colbert trump late show cbs

Then Colbert told Maher that a recent poll shows Trump still has the support of 42% of likely Republican voters. Their lively exchange had bleeped-out expletives.

"Maybe, but we have another year to go, sweetheart," Maher responded, referring to the general election.

Colbert wasn't backing down: "I can't wait to come back here and serve you a bowl of Trump when he actually wins in Iowa and wins in New Hampshire and wins in South Carolina."

They do, however, both doubt Dr. Ben Carson's medical credentials.

Watch the video below:

SEE ALSO: Stephen Colbert dares to test the limits of TV censorship on the 'Late Show'

MORE: Stephen Colbert will set a first for late night with coveted post-Super Bowl spot

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NOW WATCH: The 10 most incredible things about the 'real' Stephen Colbert










'I lead with condoms and honesty': Charlie Sheen writes an open letter about being HIV-positive

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charlie sheen

Following Charlie Sheen's announcement that he's HIV-positive on the "Today" show, NBC has shared an open letter from the actor about discovering his status and his life since then.

"The news was a 'mule kick' to my soul," Sheen wrote of his diagnosis around four years ago.

But after starting treatment under his doctor and the "leading infectious disease expert in the known universe," Sheen says, the virus went into "remission."

"Like every other challenge in my life, again, I was victorious and kicking this disease's ass," he wrote.

Sheen then goes on to talk about when he "chose (or hired) the companionship of unsavory and insipid types." Sheen alleges that women he had sex with who knew of his HIV status shook him down for money. "To date, I have paid out countless millions to these desperate charlatans," Sheen wrote.

The actor claims he has always been forthright about his HIV status to his partners since being diagnosed, although his former girlfriend Bree Olson alleges he did not tell her while they were living together, despite the fact that they were sleeping together "every single night."

"Regardless of their salt-less reputations, I always lead with condoms and honesty when it came to my condition," he wrote. "Sadly, my truth soon became their treason, as a deluge of blackmail and extortion took center stage in this circus of deceit."

Read Charlie Sheen's full open letter here.

SEE ALSO: Charlie Sheen confirms he's HIV-positive on 'Today' show, says he has paid 'millions' to silence blackmailers

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NOW WATCH: Charlie Sheen: 'I'm here to admit that I am HIV-positive'











Bobby Cannavale tries to save rock music in the new trailer for HBO's 'Vinyl'

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Vinyl Bobby Cannavale final

Sex, drugs, and rock and roll are the main pillars of the new HBO series, "Vinyl" (premiering February 14). 

The latest trailer looks at the obsessive drive of a struggling 1970s record label president, Richie Finestra (played by Bobby Cannavale). Richie wants to bring the music world into the future, and make a lot of money as he does it. How does he go about that? Well, you'll have to watch the show, but it seems there are a lot of drugs and struggles to keep the lights on at Finestra's New York City office to pull it off.

The show is highly anticipated at it's executive-produced by Martin Scorsese and Mick Jagger (who knows a bit about the subject matter), and it's created by "Boardwalk Empire" mastermind Terence Winter. 

Along with Cannavale, the show stars Olivia Wilde, Juno Temple, and Ray Romano, and Mick Jagger's son James Jagger.

Watch the new trailer:

SEE ALSO: The composer behind some of the most memorable movie scores gives his 4 favorite

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Bill Murray parties with George Clooney and Miley Cyrus in new Netflix Christmas special trailer

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A very murray christmas bill murray

Who wouldn't want to attend a Christmas special hosted by Bill Murray?

Well, in the new trailer for Netflix's "A Very Murray Christmas," Murray is having trouble getting his esteemed guests to arrive thanks to a massive snowstorm shutting down New York City.

But with the help of Paul Shaffer, Amy Poehler, and Julie White, Murray gets ready to throw a music-filled Christmas bash in the Carlyle Hotel, even with Michael Cera's insistence that it's going to be a "Christ-mess." 

Directed by Sofia Coppola, the musical comedy also features Miley Cyrus, George Clooney, Chris Rock, Maya Rudolph, Jason Schwartzman, and Rashida Jones. 

"A Very Murray Christmas" will be released on Netflix December 4. 

Watch the trailer below:

SEE ALSO: The one role Bill Murray regrets not getting

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NOW WATCH: A Hispanic advocacy group offered $5,000 to anyone that called Trump a racist during 'SNL' — and Larry David did it










AMC's 'Into the Badlands' is the surprise highest-rated series debut of the season

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into the badlands premiere ratings

Move over, "Blindspot" and "Supergirl." A new series has just scored fall's highest-rated debut — on both broadcast and cable: AMC's "Into the Badlands."

AMC's kung fu-fantasy series premiered to 6.4 million total viewers and earned a 3.15 rating with the advertiser-coveted 18-to-49-year-old audience, according to Deadline.

That means it beat "Blindspot" and "Supergirl" by just a half-point.

The series from "Smallville" creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar definitely got some help from its "Walking Dead" lead-in. It scored 12.9 million viewers and a 6.51 rating in the advertiser demographic.

So, yes, the show lost about half of "TWD's" audience, but Deadline points out that it did 5% better than "Breaking Bad" spinoff "Better Call Saul" did in the same slot last fall.

"Into the Badlands" stars Daniel Wu as Sunny, a highly skilled warrior called a clipper. In service of one of the land's several barons, Sunny finds a young boy on the run who may force Sunny to challenge his dedication to his baron. It airs Sundays at 10 p.m.

SEE ALSO: AMC is putting zombies on a plane for new 'Walking Dead' special

MORE: 'Supergirl' ties for biggest debut of the fall

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NOW WATCH: Science explains why we're obsessed with zombies and shows like 'Fear the Walking Dead'










Bill Nye slams NASCAR in an epic take-down calling it the 'anti-NASA'

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Bill Nye Green Screen

For famed science educator, comedian, and author Bill Nye (the science guy) watching a NASCAR race with his family is bittersweet.

The super-fast cars zipping around the track is "exciting," Nye explains in his latest book, "Unstoppable: Harnessing Science to Change the World."

But the technology is "depressing," Nye writes because:

"Here I am trying to envision the smart, efficient transportation technology of tomorrow, and there is NASCAR celebrating a very old transportation technology of yesterday. You might call NASCAR the anti-NASA."

In his book, Nye explores the many pitfalls of climate change and the numerous available technologies that could turn things around. He dedicates an entire chapter to the multi-million dollar business NASCAR, asking: "What if NASCAR became more like NASA?"

It's not an absurd comparison. Both NASCAR and NASA hold competitions where they present a money award to the winner. The only difference is that NASCAR awards the fastest, whereas NASA awards the smartest.

Battle of Bristol"There's no reason why NASCAR couldn't be like [NASA]: a race with rules designed to reward the coolest, most advanced vehicle technologies," Nye writes.

There's no reason why NASCAR couldn't be like [NASA]: a race with rules designed to reward the coolest, most advanced vehicle technologies

To spur this kind of change, Nye says it would only take a single change to NASCAR's rule book:

Place a limit on how much fuel teams can use during a race. Nye suggests no more than 21 gallons — about half a tank for most modern cars.

Right now, NASCAR racing vehicles get around 3 miles to the gallon.

Even if racers were allotted 50 gallons for a race, you could easily beat them in 2004 Toyota Prius — that's how inefficient NASCAR race cars are.

"We could drive this real 'stock' (off-the-showroom-floor) car around and around the course for a while. Then we could stop and have pizza. We'd get back in the car and win. No other [NASCAR] team could even finish the race," Nye writes.

NASCAR vehicles are great at going fast, but terrible at everything that forward-looking companies like Tesla are trying to do, which is to design vehicles that produce little-to-no greenhouse gas emissions.

According to the EPA, transportation accounted for 27% of US greenhouse gas emissions between 1990-2013. Cleaner cars could make an important impact on our nation's carbon footprint.

And Nye says that NASCAR could be an important leader in this change:

"I get it. I understand the appeal of a stock car race. It's just exciting, and I'm all for it," he writes. "I just want NASCAR to adapt to the new mainstream. I want the circuit to produce vehicles that could compete in races anywhere in the world, and win. I want the racing series to spin off new tech that will do more with less. For me, as an American mechanical engineer, I hope NASCAR decides to look forward rather than backward."

LEARN MORE: MIT scientists have charted a course for Mars that they say beats NASA's by a landslide

CHECK OUT: QUIZ: Are you smart enough to be a NASA astronaut?

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NOW WATCH: Bill Nye: This scientific fact blows my mind










Verizon thinks it's created the go-to entertainment app for Millennials — and it might be right

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go90

Launched earlier this month, go90 is Verizon’s answer to the youth market that has given up on cable TV and tends to get addicted to all kinds of things on its phones.

The company aims to create a one-stop destination for sports, news, and original entertainment series, all as fast-paced as the attention spans of a busy Millennial. Verizon hopes to compete with the likes of Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu.

The brainchild of Brian Angiolet, senior vice president of consumer products at Verizon, the free app (available for iOS and Android phones) began to take form two and a half years ago, when Angiolet started crunching the numbers and realized paid TV customers were declining, but viewership on mobile devices was skyrocketing. 

“The fact that 41 percent of Millennials are cord cutters, and their favorite content is not coming from traditional networks, this was a real opportunity to bring together content they want on a platform," Angiolet recently told Business Insider, referring to people who have ended their cable TV subscriptions (or never started one).

151116_AngioletThe idea for go90 became a reality last September. Angiolet used the relationships he had from his media-buying days with prominent companies in web entertainment like Vice, AwesomenessTV, Machinima, and Maker Studios, to get them onboard and be the main pillars for the app’s original series.

Most of the companies that are involved with go90 will be providing content exclusive to app users, though Angiolet admits that in this beginning phase, users may see some content on the app that also appears on these companies' YouTube pages.

For go90, Vice has developed  “Daily Vice,” which is currently on the app and offers five- to seven-minute episodes that focus on culture and lifestyle news. Vice also has “Autobiographies” premiering in December, which will profile cultural personalities.

AwesomnessTV is providing the sketch-comedy show “Betch,” which caters to the female audience. It’s also developing a hosted music show called “Top Five Live,” which Angiolet said will be similar to MTV’s popular early-2000s show “Total Request Live.”

Angiolet’s goal by the end of the quarter is to release 50-55 new original series that will generally range in episode running times of 3-7 minutes, though some will be as long as 22 minutes. Those longer pieces come from an existing Verizon exclusive deal with Viacom, which allows go90 to have a library filled with shows like “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” (though many shows featured in that portion of the app are only available to Verizon Wireless customers). If all goes as planned, go90 will have substantially more original programs than Netflix, Amazon, or Hulu.

Trevor noah daily show after surgeryAngiolet is also excited about go90's sports deals. With the existing Verizon Wireless deal, app users get select NFL and NBA games to stream (both are still only available for Verizon Wireless customers; Angiolet hopes in the future go90 will be fully cross-carrier). go90 also recently signed a deal with beIN Sports that gives any app user 1,000 live games per year of European Premier League soccer.

As we discovered when we tried out the app, it's easy to maneuver, and already filled with a lot of options, from original series and movie trailers to live streams of concerts that are exclusive to go90 (one was Kanye West live at the Hollywood Bowl, done in September when the app was still in beta). The app was going to live-stream the Live Earth concert last weekend, but the event was canceled due to the terrorist attacks in Paris.

A fun feature Angiolet hopes will catch on is “Cut and Share.” For most of the content on the app, you can tap the screen and, with a scissor icon, cut a moment from the content you’re watching, add a comment, and share it to your social media. Essentially, you can create your own meme.

go90_cut_and_share“We’re taking things that we think are working out there, but also carving out a couple original, exclusive, and unique things that make us a little different,” Angiolet said of going up against more established companies like Netflix.

Angiolet wouldn’t go into specifics about the budget the app has in acquiring content or the number of people currently using the app, but he did admit that one of his goals within the next year is to build word of mouth around go90’s programming.

“We really want to build a reputation around these original shows only on go90,” Angiolet said. “I would love to be in the conversation with a lot of these other content providers and in a leadership position in that world.”

SEE ALSO: 3 reasons Aziz Ansari took his critically acclaimed new show, "Master of None," to Netflix

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NOW WATCH: Charlie Sheen said he paid $10 million in ‘shakedown’ money to keep his HIV a secret










This new Barbie commercial stars a boy and people are loving it

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Mattel just aired an ad for a new Barbie, and it's the first time a boy has starred in a commercial for the doll.

The ad is for Mattel's limited-edition Moschino Barbie, and opens with a young boy with a mohawk stating, "Moschino Barbie is so fierce!"

The boy co-stars alongside a diverse line-up of little girls.

Since the ad hit airwaves, comments on Moschino's YouTube page have been positive, with one user writing, "This almost made me cry! I used to play with my sister's Barbies and felt such shame afterward. I'm so glad we can just let kids be kids. Thank you for this! Boys like dolls too!"

Moschino creative director Jeremy Scott said the $150 dolls sold out in less than an hour. Moschino Barbies are now selling on sites like eBay for more than double that price.

Story by Aly Weisman and editing by Stephen Parkhurst

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This tattoo artist inks all the hottest celebrities — for a minimum of $350 an hour

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Bang Bang Tattoos in New York City is where the hottest celebrities go to get their body ink.

The parlor is named after its owner, Keith "Bang Bang" McCurdy. McCurdy tattooed Rihanna when she was still a teenager, and is now the most sought after tattoo artist among celebs.

He's inked Lebron James, Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, Selena Gomez, and Kylie Jenner, and even tattooed Justin Bieber in the singer's private jet. 

McCurdy is now releasing a book about his life, which follows him from Delaware public housing projects to the top of the tattoo world.

The book hit shelves on November 17th.

Story and editing by Jeremy Dreyfuss

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How this Googler is trying to shake up Hollywood's idea of who an 'engineer' is (GOOG, GOOGL)

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Julie Ann Crommett

Julie Ann Crommett describes her job as a "tech-and-Hollywood hybrid."

She's Google's entertainment industry educator-in-chief, striving to banish stereotypes about computer science from mainstream media. 

Since founding the initiative in 2014, she has worked with TV shows ranging from HBO's "Silicon Valley" to Disney Junior's "Miles from Tomorrowland" to encourage more inclusive portrayals of what an engineer or computer scientist looks like.  

Because what people see on TV affects them more than you might think.

A new survey by Google and Gallup found that students and their parents perceived fewer portrayals of women, Hispanic, or black computer scientists on TV or in movies versus white characters. And in an earlier survey of more than 1,500 women and men, Google found that perception accounts for 27% of girls' decisions about whether or not she should pursue computer science. 

Like the rest of the tech industry, Google has dismal diversity stats, with women and minorities holding a small percentage of all tech and leadership positions. One way it's trying to change that is by finding ways to shake up the pipeline, like by working directly with high school and college students. Crommet's media efforts are one more way to try to attack the CS diversity problem at its roots. 

Images of CS panel 2

"When we asked girls what they thought of computer science, they associated it with negative stereotypes," Crommet tells Business Insider. "We want to see, 'Can we work with Hollywood to create a different narrative around computer science and tech that is more inspiring for more people?' How can we get away from that 'lonely hacker boy in the closet, usually with glasses' portrayal?"

The company wants to recreate the "CSI" effect: Studies have shown that since that show started airing, it increased the number of forensic science majors in the US by at least 50%, with the majority of the students women. 

So, Google started providing "engineering advisement." 

"We literally invite Google engineers into rooms with writers, producers, studio network heads and we have conversations," Crommett says. "We just say, 'Talk to each other. See what happens.' And then, usually, magic happens. We've seen the growth of storylines and characters happen through these conversations."

For example, the Disney Junior show "Miles from Tomorrowland" stars a boy named Miles who adventures through space with his family. After meeting with Google, the creators decided to flesh-out the character of Miles' sister Loretta, making her a brilliant coder. Many producers are focusing on including more racially diverse characters in their shows, but STEM continues to be a blind-spot. 

Crommett's the one who sets up all these educational rendezvous

Miles from Tomorrowland

More recently than "Tomorrowland," Crommett introduced creators of the Fox show "Empire" with a mentor of its "Made with Code" initiative, which tries to get girls excited about computer science and all its varied applications. Ebony "Wondagurl" Oshunrinde, a music engineer, will make a cameo on the show later this week.

Crommett can adeptly make connections like that one because she's been tackling behind-the-camera diversity issues for years. Before coming to Google, she worked at NBCUniversal, where she spearheaded a fellowship program that launched the careers of 25 writers and directors of color. And she's personally passionate about the media's portrayal of diversity in part because of her own background. 

She still remembers the first time that she saw "A Latina like me" on TV through America Ferrera on "Ugly Betty."

Crommett calls her work with diversity her "life's beacon," and says that the Google engineers who she wrangles into lunches and workshops with Hollywood execs love it too. 

"At a very personal level, our engineers very much understand the power of image that possibly had an influence in their career choice and their life, and they want to pay it forward," she says. "Hopefully, we’re leaving nuggets of thought that percolate long after we’ve left the room. That’s really the exciting part."

SEE ALSO: Google Ventures chief: If tech only serves 'rich white people in Silicon Valley, then we've failed'

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NOW WATCH: The insanely successful and unorthodox life of Google founder Sergey Brin










Here's everything we know about Apple's plan to change the way we watch TV (AAPL)

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tim cook future of tv is apps

Apple is almost certainly working on building a streaming TV service.

The company is known for taking products with frustrating and unfriendly user experiences — for many Americans, cable and satellite TV service would definitely fall into this category — and creating beautifully designed products and services that appeal to millions of people.

If Apple were to come out with a streaming TV service, it could have broad implications across the TV industry. As soon it's released, millions of people will be able to choose another company to pay for their TV.

Meanwhile, Apple just released the new version of the Apple TV box, which lets you download third-party apps for the first time. It's the first big move into its vision for the future of TV.

Apple hasn't said anything publicly about a TV service, but there are plenty of rumors and leaks about what it could look like.

Here's everything we think we know about Apple's rumored TV service.

It will likely be a smaller "bundle" of channels.

Don't expect Apple's TV service to have hundreds of channels like a typical cable or satellite package. The Wall Street Journal reported in March that the service will have around 25 channels, including ESPN and FX. 

Bloomberg reported in August that Apple is looking "to find the right mix of channels to appeal to cord-cutters."



It will likely be based on the new Apple TV

Cook has repeatedly referred to the new Apple TV, which went on sale late last month, as "the foundation of the future of TV."

The device, which starts at $149, has an App Store, so TV networks, game designers, and other developers, can build apps for it. 

Already, people can download apps for HBO Now, Showtime, QVC, Netflix, Hulu, and more.

Cook has also said that "the future of TV is apps," which makes perfect sense if you think about Apple's bundle of channels being just that — an app.

As Cook said in October, "The first thing that has to be done when you buy a house is lay the foundation."



Siri on the new Apple TV would work really well with a live TV service.

The new Apple TV is built around Siri, and you can speak into the new remote to ask it advanced questions like "show me all of the James Bond movies with Sean Connery" or "show me animated TV shows for kids."

It's easy to imagine asking Siri to do tasks like "DVR the next episode of the Daily Show," or show you "what's on ESPN right now."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider








Hear DraftKings CEO Jason Robins talk about the future of sports at IGNITION 2015

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DraftKings CEO Jason Robins runs one of the hottest digital companies in the sports industry, and he's joining Business Insider at IGNITION: Future of Digital on December 8 to discuss the future of sports. Get ready to hear about sports data, virtual reality, fantasy sports, and more.

Nicknamed "the Super Bowl of startups," DraftKings reportedly sees over 50,000 active daily users by running fantasy-sports contests that allow users to earn money based on player performances across all major sports leagues: MLB, NHL, NFL, NBA, PGA, Premier League, UEFA Champions League, NASCAR, MMA, and American college football and basketball.

Don't miss this exciting opportunity to glean insights from a superstar entrepreneur as he discusses what's to come in sports with Fortune's lead sports writer Daniel Roberts.

Keep ahead of the digital-media curve and get your tickets before it's too late. IGNITION sold out in 2014, so reserve your seat!

 

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The father of 'disruption' theory explains why Netflix is the perfect example — and Uber isn't

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House of CardsClayton Christensen popularized the term “disruptive innovation” in his iconic book, "The Innovator’s Dilemma," published in 1997.

The phrase describes a specific way that smaller companies can outcompete and eventually destroy their bigger rivals. And it has become an obsession for entrepreneurs, particularly in Silicon Valley.

But the Harvard Business School professor says the way his theories are thrown around in the tech industry is often just plain wrong, and he’s taken the time to set the record straight in the Harvard Business Review.

To explain, Christensen points out two big tech companies: one that is disruptive (Netflix), and one that is not (Uber).

Let's look at Netflix first.

The primary reason why Netflix is disruptive is that, when it launched its mail-in subscription service, it didn't go after the core customers of competitors like Blockbuster. Those customers rented new releases “on-demand,” two things Netflix originally didn’t provide.

Christensen claims that, initially, Netflix only appealed to a few customer groups: “movie buffs who didn’t care about new releases, early adopters of DVD players, and online shoppers.”  

For Christensen, this is a hallmark of disruption. A disruptive company targets segments of the population that have been overlooked by its competitors, delivering an inferior (but more tailored) alternative, often at a lower price.

Then, eventually, a disruptive company like Netflix moves upmarket. It keeps the advantages it had at the beginning, and adds the things mainstream customers want. All of a sudden, there is no reason to have Blockbuster anymore.

In the case of Netflix, the huge shift came with the rise of streaming video. Netflix was able to appeal to Blockbuster’s core audience by providing, “a wider selection of content with an all-you-can-watch, on-demand, low-price, high-quality, highly convenient approach.”

And just like that, Blockbuster collapsed.

The reason why disruptive companies are often able to rise so quickly is that their larger competitors overlook them. They are not initially competing for the same customers, so the big guns brush them off — and in Blockbuster’s case, even refuse to acquire them for only $50 million.

But not every company that is innovative is disruptive, according to Christensen.   

The example he gives is Uber.

When it launched, Uber didn’t go after overlooked segments of the population, or provide a cheaper alternative to taxis. Uber just made a more convenient taxi system using your smartphone, going after the taxi companies’ core business right from the start. While Uber does now serve people living in areas often overlooked by taxis, they moved more downmarket than upmarket — the opposite of a disruptive company like Netflix.

Uber is innovative, sure, but not disruptive in the way Christensen used the word.

Read Christensen’s full argument over at Harvard Business Review.

SEE ALSO: This chart shows how good Netflix is at making shows compared to TV networks

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NOW WATCH: Easy ways to make your Mac run faster










Justin Bieber dies and Will Ferrell is jacked in the 'Zoolander 2' trailer

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After years of rumors and speculation, Ben Stiller is finally giving the world a sequel to his 2001 cult comedy "Zoolander," and the full trailer is here.

Stiller returns as supermodel Derek Zoolander, whose trademark move "Blue Steel" is still the most iconic pose in the fashion world. 

In fact, it has become the death selfie made by the world's most beautiful people — yes, Justin Bieber, too — who are suddenly being killed.

zoolander2 finalAnd only Zoolander and his best bud, Hansel (Owen Wilson), can solve the case. 

There are familiar faces coming back, like the evil Mugatu (Will Ferrell), who has changed since going to prison.

zoolander3 finalWell, not really...

ferrel zoolander 2And there are new faces like Benedict Cumberbatch and Penélope Cruz.

Watch the trailer below. "Zoolander 2" opens in theaters February 12.

 

SEE ALSO: This new Barbie commercial stars a boy and people are loving it

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