You think getting a graphic nude scene by the MPAA is tough? Try making a lesbian coming-of-age movie in Iran. Well, actually, you can’t make a lesbian coming-of-age movie there, because according to president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad , there are no lesibans in Iran. Iranian-American director Maryam Keshavarz , who grew up dividing her time between Brooklyn and Shiraz, Iran, knows this is bullshit. That’s why she made Circumstance , her new movie that explores Tehran’s underground subculture of dancing, drinking, sex, drugs, and everything else forbidden by the Mullahs, and two 16-year-old girls, wealthy Atafeh and orphaned Shireen, who fall in love in its midst. “It [doesn’t] adhere to the rules of Iranian cinema, where women have to have their hair covered,” Keshavarz says about Circumstance . “We even have sex scenes and nudity in the film”. In Circumstance , our rebellious heroines strip to their underwear for a forbidden swim in the sea, but even more controversial is a nude fantasy sequence where the girls imagine what it would be like to finally get Sapphic and graphic from the safety of a Dubai hotel room. Women aren’t even allowed to take off their headscarves in front of unrelated males in Iran, let alone film lesbian love scenes, so Keshavarz went to Lebanon to shoot her movie. But homosexuality is illegal in Lebanon too, and in order to pass the government censorship board and get permission to shoot, Keshavarz submitted a script omitting the sexy bits. “We shot those scenes anyway. We just didn’t submit them,” she says. But as filming went on, rumors started flying around Beruit than Maryam & Co. were filming a porno. On the basis of the rumors, the police decided to visit the set on the last day of shooting, so-skin-cidentally the day they were filming the lesbian scene. Keshavarz told The Daily Beast about the experience: “It was incredibly tense. We had 10 days of film on the set,” and she feared it might be confiscated before she could get it out of the country to be developed. The officials had been told they were making an American romantic comedy, so the actors were forced to improvise, in English, a scene where they were talking about their boyfriends. “Fortunately, filmmaking is such a tedious process that they left after the second take,” she explains. The film’s frank exploration of lesbian sexuality has raised feathers even in the Iranian-American community, some of whom (“it’s usually Iranian men in their 50s and 60s,” the director says) have sent her death threats. For her part, Keshavarz is laughing it off. “Threats in email are funny, because they are always in poor English,” she says. Carry on, brave nude warrior!
REO beat was passed up by Kanye West, Nas and Drake before ending up on VMA performer’s album, in Mixtape Daily. By Rob Markman Lil Wayne Photo: MTV Behind the Beats: Ramon “REO” Owens As an up-and-coming producer, having Kanye West, Nas and Drake pass up on your beats can be dejecting, but Ramon “REO” Owens proves that persistence pays. After crafting a beat nearly three years ago, the 30-year-old finally got his instrumental placed on Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter IV as the deluxe bonus track “Mirror,” featuring Bruno Mars. “Kanye heard it, Drake heard it, and it already had the Bruno [hook],” he said. “Basically, Nas had it for a while, and it just ended up in the hands of Wayne and he loved it.” With the help of Atlantic Records A&R Mike Caren, REO, who producers in tandem with his group the Soundkillers, was able to get his beat in the hands of some heavy-hitters. Originally, his goal was to land placement on ‘Ye’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy but had to settle for Tha Carter IV instead. REO said his placement boiled down to one thing: luck. “It’s to the point that they record so many songs over the time period that they’re making the album, so you just hope to God that your song resonates with everybody that has to yes it,” he told Mixtape Daily. While many online reports are crediting Bruno Mars’ production outfit the Smeezingtons with production on the track, REO insists that by the time Tha Carter IV is released at midnight after the VMAs — where Wayne will also perform — and the CD’s liner notes revealed he will be properly credited as the producer and the Smeezingtons as writers on the song. Though REO was informed that his song had made the album, he didn’t believe it until C4 leaked Wednesday, and he still doesn’t quite believe it. “I’m still kinda paranoid until I pick up that damn CD myself,” he said. On the aptly titled track, Wayne gets reflective. The sample-free instrumental features an eerie wail in the background and a smothered kick- and snare-drum pattern. Its appeal isn’t in its intricacy, but rather in its driving emotion. “I had to listen to it a few times because I’ve just been hearing my beat for so many years, and I was like, ‘Yo, this guy got off on that sh–,’ ” he said of Wayne’s performance. For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines . The 28th annual MTV Video Music Awards will air live Sunday, August 28, from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles at 9 p.m. ET/PT, following the Selena Gomez-hosted pre-show at 8. See the list of nominees, revisit last year’s highlights and vote for Best New Artist by visiting VMA.MTV.com . Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: Lil Wayne 2011 VMAs: Behind The Scenes 2011 VMA Performer Playlist: Lil Wayne Related Artists Lil Wayne
The FDA reminds consumers to take precautions for storing water and ensuring the safety of their food and medical supplies for themselves and their pets during and after this week’s expected hurricane-related rain, possible flooding and power outages. Get Prepared, Make An Emergency Plan The agency also reminds consumers that it is important to have a plan in place for emergency medication and medical supplies for both people and animals. This is especially true for those with health concerns, particularly if the power goes out. In general, FDA encourages consumers to: Food • Do not eat any food that may have come into contact with flood water. If in doubt, throw it out. • Do not eat food packed in plastic, paper, cardboard, cloth and similar containers that have been water-damaged. • Discard food and beverage containers with screw-caps, snap lids, crimped caps (soda bottles), twist caps, flip tops and home canned foods, if they have come in contact with flood water. These containers cannot be disinfected. • Check to ensure that the freezer temperature is at or below 0 °F and the refrigerator is at or below 40 °F. • Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature. • For more information, see Hurricanes and Floods: Key Tips for Consumers About Food and Water Safety http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm077029.htm and Power Outages: Key Tips for Consumers About Food and Water Safety http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm077023.htm Water • Area health departments will determine whether local tap water can be used for drinking. If the water cannot be used or is questionable, and bottled water is not available, then use the directions in the next bullet to purify it. • Boiling water will kill most types of disease-causing organisms that may be present. If the water is cloudy, filter it through clean cloths or allow it to settle and draw off the clear water for boiling. Boil the water for one minute, let it cool and store it in clean containers with covers. • For more information, see Food Safety for Consumers Returning Home After a Hurricane and/or Flooding http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm076993.htm Pets • If you have to leave your home, take your pet with you if at all possible. You are the best person to take care of your pet. • Pets should be contained in a carrier or on a leash. • Emergencies can make pets display unexpected or uncharacteristic behaviors. It may take several weeks before your pet’s behavior is back to normal. • Allow your pet plenty of time to rest and get used to new surroundings. Provide familiar toys, if possible. • For more information see Taking Care of Pets During a Disaster or Emergency http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/ResourcesforYou/ucm047099.htm Essential Things To Keep In Your Bag When You Travel Drugs Exposed to Water • For lifesaving drugs exposed to water, when replacements may not be readily available, if the container is contaminated but the contents appear unaffected –if the pills are dry—the pills may be used until a replacement can be obtained. However, if the pill is wet it is contaminated and should be discarded. • Other drug products (pills, oral liquids, drugs for injections, inhalers, skin medications) —even those in their original containers—should be discarded if they have come into contact with flood or contaminated water. In the ideal setting, capsules, tablets, and liquids in drug containers with screw-top caps, snap lids, or droppers, should be discarded if they are contaminated. In addition, medications that have been placed in any alternative storage containers should be discarded if they have come in contact with flood or contaminated water. • For more information, see Safe Drug Use After a Natural Disaster http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/EmergencyPreparedness/ucm085200.htm Insulin Storage and Switching Between Products in an Emergency • As a general rule, insulin loses its potency according to the temperature it is exposed to and length of that exposure. Under emergency conditions, you might still need to use insulin that has been stored above 86 °F. Such extreme temperatures may cause insulin to lose potency, which could result in loss of blood glucose control over time. • In any case, you should try to keep insulin as cool as possible. Try to keep insulin away from direct heat and out of direct sunlight, but if you are using ice, also avoid freezing the insulin. • When properly stored insulin becomes available, discard and replace the insulin vials that have been exposed to these extreme conditions. • For more information see Information Regarding Insulin Storage and Switching Between Products in an Emergency http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/EmergencyPreparedness/ucm085213.htm Medical Devices • If you have a “life-supporting” or “life-sustaining” device that depends on electricity, you should contact your healthcare provider for information on how to maintain function in the event of a loss of power. • Keep your device and supplies clean and dry. If possible, notify your local Public Health Authority to request evacuation prior to adverse weather events. • For more information, see FDA Offers Tips about Medical Devices and Hurricane Disasters http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/Safety/EmergencySituations/ucm055987.htm Vaccines, Blood, Biologics • If the power goes out, make note of the time and keep refrigerators and freezers closed as much as possible. • When the power is restored, if possible, determine the temperature in the refrigerator or freezer before the temperature starts to go back down. • If the power outage continues, consider removing products from the refrigerator or freezer and packing them in ice or dry ice as appropriate. • If contact with flood water occurs, the product should be considered contaminated and should not be used. • For more information, see Impact of Severe Weather Conditions on Biological Products http://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/SafetyAvailability/ProductSecurity/ucm147243.htm Find more information for consumers and industry on all FDA-regulated products at http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/PublicHealthFocus/ucm064572.htm
LeAnn Rimes is becoming known as much for fired up Tweets about her weight as she is for her music. Well, maybe not quite, but you see our point. The wife of Eddie Cibrian furiously took to the social media site to berate a fellow diner who caught the couple eating at a Chicago restaurant Friday. Here’s what she wrote , obviously irate: “How dare someone come to me at a table w/ the boys & tell me I need to eat something. What is wrong with people!? AS I’m stuffing my face… just have another drink and maybe take a class in manners! Cheers!” Like Kate Middleton , people love to obsess over Rimes’ size. Photos of LeAnn have been publicized since April, when a shockingly thin Rimes appeared at the NCAA championship game to sing the National Anthem. Months later, she was criticized over bikini photos of herself on the beach. Perhaps, in an effort to negate claims of an eating disorder, Rimes followed up with this tweet Saturday: “Pizza and Chinese food for us tonight!” What do you think? Is LeAnn too thin?
Prosecutors trying to convict Dr. Conrad Murray of involuntary manslaughter want to make sure the trial does not become about Michael Jackson’s personal life. In particular, they want the judge to disallow all testimony related to allegations of Michael Jackson molesting children, and to block a potentially key witness. Steve Robel, a key Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s investigator in MJ’s 2005 molestation trial, is on the witness list compiled by Dr. Conrad Murray’s team. Dr. Murray’s trial is scheduled to get underway next month . Prosecutors want all references to molestation barred from Murray’s trial, on grounds it has nothing to do with MJ’s death and would merely inflame the jury. Also, prosecutors have also asked the judge to block the testimony of doctors who treated Jackson but were not involved in his care at the time of his death. This is a major issue that could dramatically alter the case. Why? The defense will argue at least nine other doctors addicted MJ to meds – including Propofol – and are responsible for the condition Michael was in. Murray, therefore, cannot be held responsible for what happened. Judge Pastor has not ruled on the motions, but what he decides on that point could be critical in determining how Murray’s defense takes shape. Pastor has, however, determined that the Murray jury will NOT be sequestered during the trial, as he does not want jurors to feel like inmates. Pastor feels that even though Jackson’s death was incredibly high profile, measures will be in place to make sure the jury is not contaminated. Murray’s team argued that sequestering the jury would be the only way to prevent their client from full-on character assassination by the press. [Photo: WENN.com]
I’d been watching videos, looking at tweets and listening to songs all to do with Justin for over two years. Never ever did I think I would get to meet him, being from the UK and not America or Canada! But as Justin always says, NEVER SAY NEVER! It was Friday 3rd December and I was at home on my laptop when I noticed that a girl I knew had posted on the internet she was going to meet Justin on Sunday! Immediately I asked her how this was possible, she was really nice and told me where to get a ticket. My heart was going so fast and I was crying where I was panicking, quite sad I know! My mum was shouting at me racing to get the tickets. After about 10 minutes the ticket was brought and printed off. I was going to meet JUSTIN BIEBER! Never did I think this day would come! As the tickets were courtesy of HMV I thought the event would be in a HMV store but what they failed to tell us was that the event was at a secret location, in Highbury over the other side of London. I hadn’t even heard of Highbury let alone the “Relentless Garage”. As I am under 16 I had to have an adult accompany me and my dad wasn’t best pleased when he found out where the event was but he said he WOULD take me as he knows how much I adore the Bieber. All weekend I was buzzing, yet when it came to Sunday I couldn’t contain the excitement! I was on my own with my dad as friends didn’t mange to get tickets but I met some lovely girls in the queue and we managed for all of us to have a photo with Justin! It come to 5pm and we still wasn’t inside. Justin was 3 hours late and most of all I was frozen and I’d been waiting for 5 hours. It had been snowing the day before and I only had silly little vans on. But the time came about 5:30pm and they was letting us inside. I got my black wristband and waited inside the venue. Here they played ALL Justin’s songs like OLLG, ONE TIME AND SOMEBODY TO LOVE. Then a guy called “Black wristbands to queue”. A billion girls began screaming and ran to the railings- here we had to queue for our turn to go in with Justin! Two minutes later our group was let in and we approached a door. I was at the front and looked through to see JUSTIN BIEBER standing a few steps away! I shouted just totally fangirl’ed and with that girls swarmed in front! The security guard let us in the room and we approached Kenny, “Go on girls, groups of four or five” he said- me and my new friends rushed to Justin’s side. I stood to the right of him, the other girls surrounding. “Hi hun”, he said. I couldn’t speak all I said was “Hiya”. One girl asked where to stand and he told her to “Crouch down in front”. I just remember starring at his nose and hair. He was quite a bit taller than me and totally gorgeous. The whole 4 minutes I was with him I just zoned out and watched him, it was amazing. Me and Justin put our arms round each other and the photographer took the photo. Justin then stepped back and it was time for us to go. Kenny shuffled us along and I managed to just say, “Bye Justin thank you!”. Not a lot but just showed appreciation. My time with Justin wasn’t as long as many other girls around the world but it was perfect. So to all the girls and boys who dream to meet their inspiration, don’t give up. I never thought I’d meet the boy that I’d been staring at through a screen for the past 2 and a half years. But it happened so it can always happen to you! (That’s me in the check shirt) -Annie @anniebiebs See original here: I’d been watching videos, looking at tweets and listening…
April 26 2011: best day of my life. I met Justin Bieber at Brisbane Entertainment Centre with @IAmTaylorM , @Kathyy27 and @KellyHeartsJDB. It started with joining BieberFever.com, well my sister actually joined it then she heard there was going to be a competition to meet Justin Bieber. We entered and we had to make a video of us spreading Bieber Fever. Two days later we got the email that changed our lives. The email said something like, “Congratulations Belieber! You have won meet and greet tickets to meet Justin! Just email us your name and your friend’s name” We were so happy and we were just crying and calling every single person we know. The day after we went to the concert, we had to take the train thought ‘cause our parents couldn’t drive us. We were so excited, well actually who wouldn’t be? We finally got to the Entertainment Centre and had to wait for about 2 hours because we went early. We were just waiting there outside in the rain waiting for Justin Bieber and our meet and greet passes. Finally our passes arrived and we went inside the building. We had to wait in the building for Justin to arrive for about 10-15 minutes. We were in line to meet Justin and this guy with this American accent came out and he was like if you want to give Justin something give it to me and I’ll pass it on. That’s when I started crying, I couldn’t believe I was going to meet him. Then Kenny Hamilton came out and said keep in line guys then I started crying more and more. We finally got to go in the room and he said “Hey guys” and gave us each a hug then he said “How are you?” but no one answered ‘cause everyone was just crying and then he grabbed me to take the photo. Later we said our goodbyes and I love you’s and left. Then CONCERT TIME! We were looking for our seats and we finally got in our seats and we couldn’t believe how close to the stage we were, we were 3rd row! The best song played was “U smile”, that was when Justin looked straight and me and winked. It was definitely the best day of my entire life thanks to my sister and to that one email that changed my life. Read the original here: April 26 2011: best day of my life. I met Justin Bieber at…
Steve Wozniak says his fellow Apple co-founder Steve Jobs needs to relax. In the wake of Jobs stepping down as CEO of the company they both founded, the Woz said, “Steve needs now to just have some ‘Steve time’ … He deserves it.” Why? Not just because of his physical health problems, but mentally. “[Jobs] really has had to sacrifice a lot to run Apple … I mean, just your time, everybody wants you day and night, that’s what I mean by sacrifices.” “He has given his all. It takes so much out of anyone to be under just constant pressure and demands like that,” Wozniak said of his fellow mogul. As to the future of Apple, Wozniak is optimistic: “Remember, [Jobs] was surrounded by great, great people at Apple … those people are still there.” It’s true. Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook, who will take over as Apple CEO, has effectively run the company since Jobs’ medical leave in January. Short story: The iPad 3 and iPhone 5 are gonna be so awesome. [Photo: WENN.com]
I’m not sure why I keep posting pictures of this Selena Gomez chick, I mean she’s cute and all, but she’s far too wholesome for my taste. I prefer a woman who knows what the inside of a strip club looks like, someone who has their own hangover cure, someone who feels that wearing panties is only a suggestion, someone who knows what it’s like to get punched in the face by a drunken prostitute… For some reason I don’t think Selena fits that description. Don’t worry, if I ever need a date to the county fair I’ll be sure to give you a call princess. I wonder if Mercedes is out of prison yet?
This is what I like to see, after those nasty Katy Perry pictures I needed something to clear my mind, here’s blond bombshell do-nothing Victoria Silvstedt showing off her amazing body in a very small bikini. This woman just belongs in a bikini hanging out with some rich old dude, it just suits her, some women are great teachers or lawyers or mothers and others are just arm candy. Victoria is some awesome arm candy. I don’t know who the rich old guy is this time, but I bet that he’s got a very big….. Bank account.
