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Netflix Launches Its Own Awards Show

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flixies netflix

After launching its own original series "House of Cards" this year and posting a soaring fourth quarter, Netflix is getting into the awards business.  

Sort of.  

The streaming site announced The Flixies, an awards ceremony to honor the way people are consuming entertainment today online. 

The awards are completely fan-based with seven quirky categories highlighting the habits of Netflix viewers. People can vote on categories ranging from Best Guilty Pleasue to Best Marathon TV Show. 

And if there's a category missing, users can submit their own. 

On March 11, Netflix will reveal the top three winners in each category. Voting is upon from now until March 10 for both Netflix and non-Netflix members. 

While Netflix refuses to give out numbers for its most popular shows, some of its categories help give insight into the most-watched series on the streaming site.

Watch the promo below and the check out the categories and nominees afterward.

BEST GUILTY PLEASURE
Hoarding: Buried Alive
Cruel Intentions
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Teen Wolf
Bad Boys 2
The Vampire Diaries
Gossip Girl
Pretty Little Liars
90210
Clueless
Toddlers & Tiaras
Transformers: Dark of the Moon

BEST MARATHON TV SHOW 
24
Prison Break
Skins (UK)
House of Cards
Breaking Bad
The Killing
Mad Men
The Walking Dead
Revenge
Battlestar Galactica
American Horror Story
Lost

BEST COMMUTE “SHRTNR”
Louis C.K. Chewed UP
Dreamworks Shrek's Swamp Stories
Something From Nothing: The Art of Rap
Man Vs. Wild
Portlandia
Weird, True & Freaky
Mythbusters
Shark Week
Punkin Chunkin'
Best Food Ever
Oddities
Wreckreation Nation 

BEST HANGOVER CURE
Super 8
Arrested Development
Law & Order: SVU
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Family Guy
Happy Gilmore
Archer
Freaks & Geeks
Nacho Libre
The Office (US)
How I Met Your Mother
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

BEST BROMANCE 
Surviving the Cut
Blue Mountain State
Battle Royale
Snatch
The League
Rescue Me
Top Gear
Act of Valor
Goon
Bad Ass
Warrior
Commando

BEST PMS DRAMA
Brothers & Sisters
Breakfast at Tiffany's
First Wives Club
Sleepless in Seattle
Say Yes to the Dress
Friday Night Lights
Grey's Anatomy
Gossip Girl
Revenge
Glee
Hart of Dixie
Ghost

BEST TANTRUM TAMER
Transformers Prime
Caillou
Sesame Street
Phineas and Ferb
Dr. Seuss' The Lorax 
Secret of the Wings 
Car Toons: Mater's Tall Tales
Pocahontas
Dreamworks Kung Fu Panda: Awesome Secrets
Curious George
The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes
The Muppet Movie

SEE ALSO: Not even Kevin Spacey knows the ratings for 'House of Cards' >

SEE ALSO: 'House of Cards' is changing the way we discuss television shows >

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The 22 Sexiest Celebrity Mug Shots

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lil kim mugshot

This week kicked off with a ton of star gazing during an epic Oscar night on Sunday.

Jennifer Lawrence made headlines when she tripped on her way to pick up her award.

We like to see the human side of celebrities, and we really like it when celebrities get in trouble.

In honor of that great American obsession, we've compiled a list of the sexiest celebrity mug shots in history – courtesy of The Smoking Gun.

Of course porn star Jenna Jameson and entertainer Carmen Electra top the list.

But a young Frank Sinatra and and boxing legend Floyd Mayweather also looked pretty hot after they got arrested.

Porn star Jenna Jameson seems unfazed in her May 2012 mug shot, smiling seductively after she was arrested on suspicion of DUI.

Mug shot via The Smoking Gun



Boxer Floyd Mayweather was arrested in September 2010 and charged with grand larceny.

Mug shot via The Smoking Gun.



A young Frank Sinatra still manages to look debonair following his arrest in 1938 for allegedly having an affair with a married woman.

Mug shot via The Smoking Gun



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Your Guide To Everything Oscars

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jennifer lawrence oscars

If you missed out on this year's Oscars, we have you covered. 

From Jennifer Lawrence's graceful fall to Anne Hathaway's Valentino snub, relive all the moments from the 85th Academy Awards. 

See who won the Red Carpet, the biggest wins of the night, and behind-the-scenes looks at Hollywood's biggest night. 

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Honey Boo Boo Made The Best Facebook Ad Ever

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Honey Boo Boo can add social media marketing expert to her long list of credentials.

Apparently Alana Thompson is a girl scout on top of her pageant queen/reality star commitments. And since it's cookie season, Thompson had to unload lots of thin mints — and fast.

Entrepreneur that she is, Thompson is using her 700k Facebook fans to advertise her endeavors on her page. After less than two hours, her post was shared more than 100 times and received almost 500 comments — which isn't a lot when compared to McDonald's, but is a pretty good marketing move for a seven-year-old.

And she probably didn't even have to make it a promoted post. Alana and her family will also sign every $3.50 (plus shipping) box her fans buy.

honey boo boo facebook

SEE ALSO: Hooters' New Ad Blatantly Attacks Chipotle

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CBS Films Pranks And Terrifies Consumers To Get Them To Buy Movie Tickets

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In an odd twist of movie marketing, CBS films thought that the best way to get an audience into theaters for "The Last Exorcism Part II" was to absolutely terrify a group of unsuspecting ladies at a beauty salon.

"I know I'm not tripping," says a lady getting her hair done when she sees a possessed-looking face in the adjacent mirror.

Terrifying consumers and taping their ridiculous reactions has become the new norm of guerrilla marketing. Heineken played bizarre mind games with potential interns (and most of them didn't even get a job out of it!), and Nivea tried to get random strangers so worried that they were wanted by the police that they'd need to use the company's deodorant.

Let us know if you think this strategy amuses or crosses the line.

SEE ALSO:  Heineken Likes To Play Mind Games With Hopeful Interns

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Five Ways Rich People Live Frugally

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Hilary SwankA fat salary isn’t the only way someone can strike it rich. Regardless of one’s income level, people who live below their means, invest wisely, and live modestly are on the path to real wealth.

Here are five frugal habits that many of the upper class have adopted to build long-lasting wealth and financial independence:

Drive a modest car. Your car should only serve the purpose of getting you safely and comfortably from point A to point B—nothing more. When you pull up to a stoplight in an expensive car, you might impress a stranger. However, don’t let the price tag of your car define your character or image, because at the end of the day most people could care less what type of car you drive. Let Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, who drives a modest $30,000 Acura TSX entry-level sedan, be your role model on this one.

Buy a modest house. Warren Buffett famously still lives in the Omaha, Neb., home he bought back in 1958 for $31,500. Take Buffett’s cue and don’t overwhelm yourself with a large monthly mortgage payment. Buy a modest and comfortable home and use the money you save to build your savings and retirement fund.

Don’t carry wads if possible. Try to avoid traveling with a wallet packed with cash. According to Bankrate.com, 86 percent of people who spend cash on luxuries like expensive cars, jewelry, and electronics are non-millionaires trying to act the part by purchasing luxury brands. Instead, follow the example of oil mogul T. Boone Pickens, who famously shops with a grocery list and only carries the amount of cash he needs to make purchases.

Don’t pay full price. A great way to keep more of your money is by not paying full price on anything. Hilary Swank, who has an estimated net worth of $40 million, is commonly seen using coupons at the grocery store. Michelle Obama often opts to shop at Target or H&M rather than high-end department stores. A great way to build wealth is to have a frugal mindset and use the money you save on consumer goods to build your investments and savings accounts.

Have an action mentality. Almost all self-made millionaires have one thing in common: They are people of action. They don’t sit around feeling sorry for themselves waiting for something good to happen to them, as opposed to the people who I would say have the “lottery mentality.” People of action take appropriate risks, are constantly looking to improve themselves, and are addicted to knowledge, as it is the best way to gain a competitive advantage in life’s financial endeavors.

Truly rich people are those who take their income and turn it into wealth by investing wisely, saving, and living frugally. People who take their income and try to use it to support an unsustainable lifestyle are those who end up in debt and are unable to retire on their terms. When it comes to money and finances, it all boils down to choices and personal responsibility. Which road are you going to take?

SEE ALSO: 13 things you're better off buying used >

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AD OF THE DAY: Lance Bass And Other D-Listers Sing About How Miracle Whip Isn't Awful

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Thanks to Miracle Whip, we know what cause Lance Bass, Susan Boyle, The Village People, and Wynonna Judd would sing about if they got together to record a benefit song.

The "We are the World"-esque song teaches you that you need to "open your mouth" to the mayo alternative.

"In this world there's lots of turkey, but also a lot of fear - See more at: http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/miracle-whip-creates-celebrity-benefit-song-about-not-hating-miracle-whip-147464#sthash.HhuoIH4H.dpuf
"In this world there's lots of turkey, but also a lot of fear - See more at: http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/miracle-whip-creates-celebrity-benefit-song-about-not-hating-miracle-whip-147464#sthash.HhuoIH4H.dpuf

"In this world there's lots of turkey, but also a lot of fear," Bass sings.

The ad, by McGarryBowen, is ridiculous in the best possible way.

Watch the spot below:

SEE ALSO: AD OF THE DAY: Lionel Richie's 'Hello,' En Espanol, As A Taco Bell Commercial

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Adorable Kids Act Out Oscar's Best Picture Nominees


Seth MacFarlane's 'We Saw Your Boobs' Song Really Angered Women In Hollywood

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Charlize Theron Oscars reaction

Despite solid ratings for Sunday's 85th annual Academy Awards, host Seth MacFarlane is catching a lot of flak for his crude jokes about women, Jews, Abraham Lincoln and most notably, actress' boobs.

In a musical number titled "We Saw Your Boobs," MacFarlane pointed out actresses who have bared all on-screen — often during emotionally-charged or rape scenes.

Women both in the audience and watching at home were offended by the song, calling it crass and inappropriate.

We spoke with Elizabeth Cantillon, film producer and executive vice president of production at Sony who was in the audience at the Dolby Theater Sunday night, who tells us she and her colleagues were outraged:

I was with a number of women in the movie business who were shocked that that's what the Academy Awards chose to emphasize when really what we should be doing is promoting growth to our business and what's great about our business.

You're talking about the great American actresses, you're talking about Angelina Jolie and Meryl Streep. People who have had long and successful careers, have won awards, and objectifying them and it's not right — even if you're trying to be humorous it's identifying a select group and picking on them for ridicule. Which I would think, with the history of the Academy and people who are contributors in Hollywood, that wouldn't be okay.

Even if it had been hilariously funny, I don't know that that should be the source of comedy on a show that is meant to promote our business around the world. These women are international stars, that's their business, they're important businesswomen as well as artists and that's key to success in our business and appreciating them.

Tabloids can do what they do, that's the cross of the business, but not the Oscars. I would be surprised if there was any woman in the movie business who was at the Oscars or watched the Oscars who wasn't offended by that.

As for whether or not any of Cantillon's colleagues have spoken to the Academy about the offensive song and dance number, she says she's not sure, "but the head of the Academy is a woman, so that was also surprising."

 Here are some other reactions to the song:

  • “Among the women I’ve talked to today I would say I haven’t heard from any who thought it was in good taste,” Cathy Schulman, a producer who won a best picture Oscar in the past for “Crash” and is currently the president of the industry group Women in Film, tells The NY Times.
  • "MacFarlane's opening musical number, "We Saw Your Boobs," might as well have been a siren blaring, "This isn't for you" ... Actual gender equality is a ways away, but I'd settle for one four-hour ceremony where women aren't being actively degraded." — Vulture's Margaret Lyons in "Why Seth MacFarlane’s Misogyny Matters."
  • “It’s one thing to be topless and to have that in the context of the film, for a purpose in a particular scene for a particular reason. It’s another to take it out of context and just focus on women’s breasts.” — Feminist lawyer Gloria Allred told The Daily Beast.
  • “I loved the boob song, I thought [Seth MacFarlane] was great!” — Best Actress winner Jennifer Lawrence.

And at least two other actresses weren't offended by the song, either.

"Three of the actresses he sang about were evidently in cahoots with MacFarlane at some level, as they agreed to pre-record footage of their "reactions" to their shout-outs, which was then spliced in during the show, according to The Cut's Charlotte Cowles.

Watch reactions to MacFarlane's lyrics below:

"Meryl Streep we saw your boobs in 'Silkwood,' Naomi Watts we in 'Mulholland Drive.'"

Naomi Watts Oscar gif

"Kristen Stewart we saw your boobs in 'On The Road,' and in 'Monster' we saw Charlize Theron's."

Charlize Theron Oscar Gif

"Halle Berry we saw them in 'Monster's Ball,' Nicole Kidman in 'Eyes Wide Shut,' Marisa Tomei in 'The Wrestle' but we haven't seen Jennifer Lawrence's boobs at all."

Jennifer Lawrence Oscar gif

Now watch the musical number in its entirety and judge for yourself:

If you were offended my MacFarlane, New York software developer Kevin Gisi came up with the song "We Saw Your Junk" in response:

SEE ALSO: 15 photos that defined Oscar night >

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13 Beautiful But Creepy Cinemagraph GIFs From The Nicole Kidman Movie 'Stoker'

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Nicole KidmanLast year, we told you how cinemagraphs — GIFs in which only a small part of a still photo is animated, creating an eerie effect — would become the hot new creative vehicle for advertisers.

In March, the new Nicole Kidman psychological thriller "Stoker" will launch, and a huge chunk of its marketing revolves around creepy shareable cinemagraphs and GIFs. Mashable notes that there's already a trailer out on YouTube that consists entirely of GIF imagery.

The Stoker web site itself, though, is more devoted to cinemagraphs.

Here's a selection of them: Give them a few seconds to load on each page.

The movie's marketing concept is "Letters to India," the name of the central character.

Stoker letterdrop_600



This is India.

Stoker closeuphair_600



At the beginning of the movie, India's father dies.

Stoker momfan_600



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THE ACADEMY: We Have No Regrets About The 'Boobs Song'

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The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is sticking up for Seth MacFarlane and citing artistic freedom against charges that the comedians stint as Oscar host was sexist.

In the wake of the awards telecast many commentators, such asVulture's Margaret Lyons and Slate's Dana Stevens, branded MacFarlane's opening song "We Saw Your Boobs" and his quips about Chris Brown's abusive relationship with Rihanna, as misogynist. On Tuesday, those charges intensified after two California legislators, Assemblywoman Bonnie Lowenthal and Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson, sent a letter to Academy President Hawk Koch condemning the host's performance and asking the group to be more careful in the future. 

Also read: Seth MacFarlane's Oscars Had a Deaf Ear and a Blind Eye to Women

"From topical jabs about domestic violence to singing about 'boobs' during a film's rape scene, Seth MacFarlane crossed the line from humor to misogyny," the legislators wrote.

"In a world where women have historically faced challenges and obstacles when it comes to their portrayal in popular culture, Sunday evening was a setback for women fighting hard to gain appropriate respect as contributors in this industry and society and general," they added.

But the Academy did not agree with their assessment.

“If the Oscars are about anything, they’re about creative freedom," an Academy spokeswoman said in a statement to TheWrap. "We think the show's producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, and host Seth MacFarlane did a great job and we hope our worldwide audience found the show entertaining.”

MacFarlane, who is the creator of "Ted" and "Family Guy," is known for pushing the envelope when it comes to jokes about race and sexism in his shows and movies. He was brought in by the Academy in an effort to broaden the show's appeal to younger viewers.

Lowenthal and Jackson are both Democrats and co-chair the California State Legislative Women’s Caucus. Their offices did not immediately respond to request for comment about the Academy's response.

As for MacFarlane, don't look for him to return as Oscar emcee again.

On Twitter, the host responded to questions about whether he would host for a second time by writing, "No way. Lotta fun to have done it, though."

SEE ALSO: Seth MacFarlane's Boobs Song Angered Hollywood Women >

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Miss Delaware Teen USA Gives Up Crown After Sex Tape Surfaces

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Melissa King Miss Teen Delaware

Miss Delaware Teen USA Melissa King has resigned her crown after allegedly starring in an amateur porn sex tape.

In a clip that has surfaced on porn sites online, the 18-year-old brunette first sits on a bed for an interview in which she answers questions about her age, occupation and why she wants to shoot the video.

The woman, who never gives her name, tells the camera she turned 18 in March. And according to the Miss Delaware Teen USA website, King's birthday is also in March.

“I thought it be fun and I needed the money,” the woman continues. “So I just decided to do it.”

When the interviewer asks about her pageant past, the woman responds, "I’ve done them, yes.”

The interviewer then asks her if she has told anyone about doing the porn video they were about to film, to which the woman replies, “It’s not a big secret. But I didn’t tell anybody specifically what I was doing.”

While King won the Miss Delaware Teen USA title in November, at the time the alleged porn video was shot she was the reigning Miss Teen Delaware International.

When King was later asked about the video in question on Monday, she denied it was her, saying "Absolutely not."

But by Tuesday, a pageant spokeswoman released a statement saying the teen queen had given up her crown: "I would like to confirm to you that the Miss Delaware Teen USA pageant has received a resignation letter from Miss King’s attorney."

A sad ending for the teen — a former foster child — who had "exceptionally high SAT scores, GPA, and AP scores," has "been a successful competitive gymnast since the age of 9," and "hopes to work for a prestigious fashion magazine in New York City or maybe on the sidelines of an NFL game as a sports journalist," according to her official bio.

Watch the safe-for-work portion of the interview below:



SEE ALSO: Seth MacFarlane's 'We Saw Your Boobs' song outraged women in Hollywood >

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Dave Chapelle Did A Surprise Gig With Chris Rock Last Night In New York

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Dave Chappelle may finally be ready to return to comedy.  

The comedian's been in New York City performing new material at the Comedy Celler for the past few evenings. 

Wednesday night, he performed with Chris Rock for a reported hour on stage while Kevin Hart and Sherrod Small were in attendance.  

According to the comedy site Comic's Comic, the two began discussing a possible future tour on stage.  

"After next Tuesday, I'm free for like 11 years," said Chappelle.  

Rock suggested although he has filming in the works this spring, he's open to the idea.  

"I've got time between now and the movie," said Rock. "By Halloween, I could do dates."  

This summer, Rock, will appear in the sequel to Adam Sandler's comedy "Grown Ups."

Chappelle even suggested a name for the show: "Fireside chats with Chris Rock." sherrod small dave chappelle chris rock

Chappelle's last mainstream appearance was 2011 during an impromptu radio interview with San Francisco's WiLD 94.9 

Before then, the popular "Chappelle's Show" host abruptly walked away from the third season of his hit Comedy Central show in 2005.     

In an interview with TIME, the comedian reportedly headed to South Africa in 2005 on a spiritual retreat to get away from the pressures of fame and keep his routine fresh. 

Though Entertainment Weekly reported Chappelle as heading to a mental facility, he told TIME that wasn't the case.  

"I'm not crazy," Chappelle told TIME. "I'm not smoking crack. I'm definitely stressed out."

SEE ALSO: Seth MacFarlane's 'Boob Song' outraged women in Hollywood >

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Watch The Best Picture Nominees — Made For Vine

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CollegeHumor has created six-second Vine videos to replicate all nine of this year's Oscar Best Picture nominees.

Don't have time to sit through all two-and-a-half hours of "Lincoln" or haven't had a chance to catch "Beasts of the Southern Wild" yet?

Take a look at CollegeHumor's re-creations below.

"Silver Linings Playbook"

"Argo"

"Lincoln"

"Beasts of the Southern Wild"

To watch the rest of the Vine videos of nominated films, check them out on CollegHumor here >

SEE ALSO: Five-year-olds act out the Oscar Best Picture nominees >

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Jennifer Lawrence On Dior Ad Photoshop: 'That Doesn’t Look Like Me At All!'

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During Sunday's Oscar's red carpet, “Access Hollywood” reporter Billy Bush showed Jennifer Lawrence photos from her just-published Miss Dior campaign.

The actress was taken aback, exclaiming “Oh my God, I haven’t seen these. That doesn’t look like me at all!"

She then added, "I love Photoshop more than anything in the world.”

When Bush responded with “I don’t think that’s Photoshop, that’s you,” the actress replied, Of course it’s Photoshop. People don’t look like that.”

Watch the interview below and judge for yourself:

Now watch the behind-the-scenes video of Lawrence shooting the Miss Dior campaign:

SEE ALSO: Jennifer Lawrence ordered McDonald's from the Oscar's red carpet >

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Daenerys From 'Game Of Thrones' Looks Completely Different In Real Life

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Emilia Clarke plays Daenerys Targaryen on HBO's hit series "Game of Thrones."  

On the show, she's a fiery bleach blonde-haired dragon wielder.  

In real life, you probably wouldn't recognize the actress.  

Here's Clarke on HBO:

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daenerys game of thrones

And, here she is off the set sporting her natural brunette locks:

emilia clarke game of thrones

Again, Daenerys:

daenerys game of thrones

And, Clarke:

emilia clarke

You could probably walk right by her on the street and never notice it's the same person.

Clarke admitted in the March issue of GQ that's what happens when she's not filming.

"It takes a die-hard fan to actually spot me," said Clarke. "These HBO events, where I’ll be talking to someone for a fair amount of time ... they think I’m some crazy Brit who snuck her way into a Hollywood party.”

The actress says she'd love to wear the wig off set, but HBO won't allow it.

"I keep asking to go out with the wig at night, but they insist there’s no way," said Clarke. "They won’t let me go partying with it on! I would be killed on the spot."

"Game of Thrones" returns to HBO at the end of the month on March 31. 

Check out more of Clarke in her GQ Photo Shoot below:

SEE ALSO: The first trailer for the third season of "Game of Thrones" >

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3 Reasons Why Jennifer Lawrence Has Charmed Hollywood

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jennifer lawrence bradley cooper

Jennifer Lawrence is not your average Academy Award winner. 

The 22-year-old is klutzy (she tripped on the stairs at the Oscars before accepting her award for 'Silver Linings Playbook'), watches the TLC reality show “Dance Moms” (and isn’t afraid to admit it), and prefers hanging out at home to lavish nights out.

And this is exactly why many in Hollywood, and some outside it, seem to love her. 

Here’s a few reasons why she's got Hollywood hooked.

1. She's branched out

Some Hollywood stars seem to go for the money-making movie franchises and nothing else. It would be easy for Lawrence to do the same, considering her leading role as Katniss Everdeen in the young adult franchise “The Hunger Games.”

According to the website Box Office Mojo, the first film in the series, which was released last spring, grossed more than $686 worldwide in the box office. However, Lawrence avoids sticking to one type of character.

Even before her Oscar win, Lawrence was nominated for the Best Actress award for the indie film “Winter’s Bone” in 2011.

After viewing Winter's Bone, The Christian Science Monitor's film critic said of Lawrence: "She's probably the most gifted actress of her generation. How wonderful that, so young, she has already found a role worthy of her talent."

2. Open about health

When “Hunger Games” was first released, Lawrence received some backlash because some said she looked too healthy to play starving heroine Katniss. In her review, New York Times film critic Manohla Dargis wrote, “A few years ago Ms. Lawrence might have looked hungry enough to play Katniss, but now, at 21, her seductive, womanly figure makes a bad fit for a dystopian fantasy about a people starved into submission.”

However, in a Hollywood atmosphere where eating and weight have always been touchy topics, Lawrence has discussed having a hearty appetite and her love of junk food. In the January issue of Marie Claire South Africa, Lawrence said, “Nothing makes me feel better than junk food and reality TV.”  

She also told Glamour magazine, “I do exercise! But I don’t diet. You can’t work when you’re hungry, you know?”

3. She's relatable

Her quirky mannerisms and personality seem to have endeared Lawrence to many over the awards season. "She’s self-effacing and funny," New York Magazine writer Ann Friedman wrote of the actress. "She seems like an excellent party companion... Lawrence manages to exude a best-friend vibe even at a behind-the-curtain Oscar press conference."

Lawrence also shies away from the typical celebrity-gone-wild persona by avoiding drama. She told Marie Claire South Africa, “I don’t like going out that much. I’m kind of an old lady.”

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A Photo Of NBA Center Nikola Pekovic Making Zach Galifianakis Look Tiny

Mad Men Star January Jones Recommends Eating Your Placenta To Beat Baby Blues

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january jones pregnantJanuary Jones, the Mad Men star, thinks that you should eat your placenta to beat the baby blues. But why are we so consumed with celebrity notions on motherhood, wonders Sally Peck?

January Jones: actress, model, parenting guru? The woman best known for playing Betty Draper on Mad Men has revealed her secret for staving off postpartum blues and fatigue: eat your placenta.

In an interview with Glamour magazine, the mother-of-one repeats her advice to pregnant women that they have their placentas dehydrated and turned into capsules. This is, she says, a “very civilised thing which can help women with depression and fatigue”. It's a big thing in Hollywood at the moment. The practice is, Jones assures readers, “not gross or witchcrafty”.

It may not be “witchcrafty”, but is it necessary?

Placentophagy is the act of mammals eating the placenta of their young after childbirth. Advocates believe that eating the placenta prevents postpartum depression, improves breast milk supply,and increases energy. The placenta contains high levels of prostaglandin, which stimulates the shrinking of the uterus, and small amounts of oxytocin, the lovely hormone which eases the stress of birth and stimulates breastfeeding.

There is, however, no scientific evidence that eating the placenta provides these hormonal effects in the mother.

One argument often cited by supporters of the practice is that “most mammals” (though, notably, not camels – hurrah for the hump!) eat their placentas, supposedly to disguise the fact that they’ve given birth, thereby warding off predators.

I don’t buy this “most mammals” argument. It’s overused. And it’s nuts. My labrador, Mathilde, has gorgeous, glossy black fur, perfect proportions, and the best temperament of anyone I have ever met. She is, in short, a fine specimen of a mammal.

She also eats the excrement of others. When she frolics in the Sussex Downs, she snacks on sheep turds. When she speeds around the parks of London, she often picks up packages that look distinctly human in origin.

According to a “How to raise your cat” book I had as a girl, male cats eat kittens they, themselves, have sired.

When rumours were rampant that Tom Cruise, that expert in childbirth, was planning to eat the placenta after his now ex-wife, Katie Holmes, gave birth to their daughter, Suri, Maggie Blott, a consultant obstetrician, told the BBC : "Animals eat their placenta to get nutrition - but when people are already well-nourished, there is no benefit, there is no reason to do it."

Mammals do not always have the right answers. Nor do celebrities.

Celebrities are people, just like you and me. I wouldn’t take advice from a random woman on the street who presented no particular credentials proving her parenting expertise, so why would I listen to January Jones?

The Beckham kids make it into ad campaigns, and onto the pages of tabloids on a daily basis. Peaches Geldof keeps us abreast of her expanding mid-section through her twitter account . There must be an enormous appetite for this: People magazine has a whole section of its website called Celebrity Babies, in which today we can keep up-to-date on Tabitha and Loretta (of Parker-Broderick fame) and their “adorable twin style”, ogle Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck’s “close-knit clan”, note that Lou Samuel (daughter of Heidi Klum and Seal) is now wearing lipstick… at the age of THREE, and emulate Josh Duhamel (who is he??) in his habit of having “’full conversations’ with his unborn child”. C-list celebrities (for example, Six from Blossom ) blog on the site about their experience as parents (top line: “Love is… slobbery baby kisses.”).

January Jones and I gave birth at around the same time to our first children. I suppose the point of these celebrity parenting sites is that people like me can look at images of Jones and enjoy the fact that we're both on this parenting path together - a sort of cyber Ya-Ya Sisterhood.

Except that we're not on the same journey. I read, on these celebrity gossip sites, that Jones was able to return to work after six weeks. Is it possible that – just perhaps – her ability to ward off postpartum depression and fatigue might have been helped along not by placenta pills but more by the fact that, as a successful actress, she had the means to pay for help? Marvelling over the arrival of your first-born is a hell of a lot more enjoyable when there is someone else to cook, clean, go grocery shopping, do the midnight, 2am, 4am and 6am feeds and, generally, provide the support you need so that you can get a bit of rest.

Producing another human involves a lot of substances in and out. With this pregnancy, I’ve had multiple, dramatic, and highly unattractive daily nosebleeds. They tend to come on in meetings or on the tube. The last time I gave birth, I lost nearly a litre of blood. I do not want any of those making a round-trip journey, thank you. And I certainly won’t be doing it because a celebrity told me to.

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McKayla Maroney Is Finally Impressed With Something

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After falling down and settling for silver on the vault in last summer's Olympics, McKayla Maroney became an Internet sensation for making a "not impressed face" while standing at the podium.

After all this time of being not impressed, however, Maroney is debuting a new "impressed face" for her endorsement deal with 7 Up Ten.

McKayla talks to us about her "not impressed" meme, what impresses her, getting back into the gym, and her acting career.
 

 

Produced by William Wei

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