If there's one thing we can say about Pornhub, it's that they're dedicated to their April Fools' Day jokes. At least they are when it comes to their latest one.
This year, Pornhub decided to celebrate April Fools' Day by renaming their site Cornhub and redesigning their home page with nothing but steamy (and slightly disturbing) videos of, you guessed it, corn. Just take a look at this cringe-worthy gif made by Mashable.
The concept is actually pretty hilarious but we'll go ahead and warn you now that clicking anything on the site can cause things to go from 0-100 real quick (i.e. you're one click away from being taken to the real Pornhub where things get pretty NSFW).
It's no question that Beyoncé has impeccable style—and now you can dress like Queen B, too! On Thursday, Beyoncé shared an Instagram photo announcing the name of her new fashion line, Ivy Park. The name is obviously inspired by the songstress’s 4-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy.
The fashion line, which was confirmed last November, is inspired by the athleisure trend that everyone has been loving. Ivy Park will feature an assortment of activewear, including everything from leggings to sports bras. The collection will be available at Topshop, Net-a-Porter and Nordstrom on April 14.
Of the line, Beyoncé said, “When I’m working and rehearsing, I live in my workout clothes, but I didn’t feel there was an athletic brand that spoke to me. My goal with Ivy Park is to push the boundaries of athletic wear and to support and inspire women who understand that beauty is more than your physical appearance.”
Beyoncé also released an insanely adorable commercial for the brand, featuring her daughter. In the video, you can hear Beyoncé giving a passionate voiceover about her inspiration for the fashion line. Queen B gives us a reason not only to hit the gym but also to get our credit cards ready for the line’s release.
Slay, Beyoncé, slay! We cannot wait to see the full collection when it hits stores. Now if only we could look as good as Beyoncé when we work out.
The Board of Visitors at George Mason University has voted to rename the university's law school after the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, according to the Wall Street Journal.
.@georgemasonlaw will be "The Antonin Scalia School of Law at George Mason University" pending State Council of Higher Ed for Va. approval.
The school announced the name change Thursday, along with $30 million donation to GMU, $20 million of which came from an anonymous donor while the other $10 million was donated by Charles Koch, billionaire, philanthropist, CEO of Koch Industries and famous conservative.
Scalia had a pretty controversial career in the Supreme Court, which is why GMU's decision to honor him in this way isn't exactly making some people jump for joy. Before his death in February, Justice Scalia's rulings on many issues were detrimental to women, minorities, and members of the LGBT community. After the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in all states last June, Scalia wrote in a statement that the decision was a "threat to American democracy." To add, many users on Twitter are finding humor in the university's decision by trending a hashtag for the school's very unfortunate acronym.
George Mason was named after one of the founding fathers who refused to sign the Constitution, which is another reason why some found the name change a little ironic. A piece published on Above the Law critcized the decision, pointing out that Scalia didn't even go to George Mason.
"That's the guy you are renaming your school after," the post's writer, Elie Mystal questioned. "Your Twitter hashtag is now #ASSLaw (Antonin Scalia School of Law). Who was in second place, Donald Trump?"
Still, some people such as Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg claim that the name change only makes sense and is one of the best ways that the school could honor Scalia.
"It is a tribute altogether fitting that George Mason University's law school will bear his name," she said. "May the funds for scholarships, faculty growth, and curricular development aid the Antonin Scalia School of Law to achieve the excellence characteristic of Justice Scalia, grand master in life and law."
On Wednesday, Harvard University President Drew Faust announced the Ivy League university's plans to recognize four former school employees who were also slaves.
Writing in The Harvard Crimson, Harvard's student newspaper, Faust explained that in order to come forward and acknowledge its role in slavery, the university plans to install a plaque honoring the four slaves who worked for two Harvard presidents in the 1700s: Bilhah, Venus, Titus and Juba. Harvard's decision to do this comes from the institution's desire to recognize and acknowledge most university symbols that have any tie to the slave trade era.
"Although we embrace and regularly celebrate the storied traditions of our nearly 400-year history, slavery is an aspect of Harvard's past that has rarely been acknowledged or invoked," Faust wrote. "Harvard was directly complicit in America's system of racial bondage from the college's earliest days in the 1700s until slavery in Massachusetts ended in 1783."
On April 6, Faust, along with Congressman John Lewis, plans on installing the plaque on Wadsworth House, the second-oldest building on campus. She has also put together a committee of historians who will offer her insight into other symbols on campus that have ties to slavery.
Faust hopes that the recognition of Harvard's roots will help the school better deal with current racial issues.
"If we can better understand how oppression and exploittion could seem so commonplace to so many of those who built Harvard, we may better equip ourselves to combat our own shortcomings and to advance justice and equality in our own time," she wrote.
Donald Trump has done it again. The Republican candidate made sweeping statements about women and abortions Wednesday night, even saying that women who have abortions should be punished by law.
In a clip from MSNBC Chris Matthews asked Trump if he believes there should be punishment for having an abortion. CBS News reports Trump responded saying: "The answer is there has to be some form of punishment." When Matthews clarified that he meant punishment for women, Trump confirmed that's what he meant.
His campaign issued a statement Wednesday night, withdrawing the comments he made to Matthews, and restating his position on the matter:
Both Republicans and Democrats denounced Trumps statements, that advocates for the pro-life movement say are not in line with their beliefs.
“No pro-lifer would ever want to punish a woman who has chosen abortion,” Jeanne Mancini, the president of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund told The New York Times.“We invite a woman who has gone down this route to consider paths to healing, not punishment.”
Stephen Chastain, 24, a senior at Salem State University in Salem, Mass. has been charged with attempted murder of a professor who was stabbed on campus Wednesday afternoon, Boston.com reports.
Chastain was caught just a block away from the scene, though authorities are unsure of his link to the faculty member, who CBS Boston reports was Pierre Walker, a professor in the English department at Salem State.
“It seemed to be very random,” university spokeswoman Karen Murray Cady told Boston.com.
The professor sustained a wound to his neck, but is expected to recover from his injuries. The student is being charged with attempted murder, assault and battery, and strangulation or suffocation, CBS Boston reports.
Classes were held Thursday. However, one student told CBS Boston that he questions how long it took school officials to alert students of the dangerous incident Wednesday night.
“I know the suspect was apprehended, I’d like to know a violent crime happened very close to us while in class,” sophomore Stephen Jack told the station.
Once again, Taylor Swift proves she’s one of the most relatable celebrities ever. Earlier today on Instagram, Swift shared a video of herself working out—with a little twist.
The video, which is a collaboration with Apple Music, starts off with the pop star getting ready for a workout by choosing a song to jam to. Swift settles on a Drake and Future song and (of course) starts rapping along to the music. As she starts running, she gets more and more into the music. But, unfortunately her balance isn’t as good as her singing, and we then see Taylor falling belly-first onto the treadmill. At least we're not the only ones who fail miserably when it comes to workouts.
From what we can see, it looks like Taylor may have actually performed this stunt for real, too. That’s got to hurt! But on another note—when is Taylor going to record a song that features her hidden rap talents?
Friday, the Mississippi legislature voted to pass a law that, according to BuzzFeed News, is being called “the most sweeping anti-LGBT legislation in the United States.” The bill was passed on the basis of protecting religious freedoms for Mississippians, that is, potentially allowing religious people to refuse “services, goods...medical treatment, housing, and employment” to LGBTQ+ individuals. Democrats have delayed the bill's final vote until Monday, hoping to stop it before it goes to the governor.
The bill is titled the “Protecting Freedom of Conscience From Government Discrimination Act,” and its supporters say that it preserves the civil liberties and dignity of those individuals “who cannot in good conscience” offer goods and services to queer folks. This legislation is similar to laws that were passed in North Carolina last week.
While supporters argue that the bill is for the sake of religious people and organizations and has mostly to do with same-sex marriage, the bill itself has a portion on gender identity that reads gender is “objectively determined by anatomy and genetics at birth,” invalidating trans people and their identities.
In addition to allowing private businesses and citizens to deny goods and services to LGBTQ+ people, the bill also “prohibits the government from ‘discriminating’ against” those who choose to do so. The effective immunity given to religious Mississippians here is shocking. When conservative religious people are cast as the victims, it seems likely that even more harmful acts against LGBTQ+ folks will be perpetrated without any consequences.
To suggest that you're allowed to infringe upon others’ freedoms in the name of religious freedom doesn't really make sense—It follows the same line of logic that kept segregation legal for much of the 20th century. Much like freedom of speech, religious freedoms can't extend to the point where they hurt other people.
As stated by the ACLU of Mississippi, “[religious] freedom does not give any of us the right to harm or mistreat others.”
In the wake of hearings and testimonies last week, Brock Turner, a 20-year-old former Stanford student, was found guilty for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman in January of 2015.
On the night of the incident, the victim was reportedly so intoxicated that her blood-alcohol level was over three times the legal limit, while Turner's was over two times the limit. Turner claims that he is still able to remember the events of the night (allowing him to argue his apparent innocence), while the victim testified that she doesn't recall what took place.
According to police reports and investigative evidence reported by The Washington Post, “bruises to [the] body” of the young woman were found when she was taken to the hospital after being found with Turner on top of her by two passing bicyclists.
The San Jose Mercury News points out that Stanford was one of the colleges and universities being investigated by the federal Office for Civil Rights for negligence in handling sexual assault cases and response.
The Washington Post calls also this “a stunning fall from grace for Turner,” as he was a talented swimmer and aspired to the Olympics. One man told a local TV station that he “will always wonder if consent happened or not.” These comments take the focus off the actual victim of an attempted rape, painting the perpetrator himself as the victim.
It's important to avoid making this another “he was so young” or “he had so much potential" story that perpetuates victim blaming and rape culture. This case should be, for Stanford and for other schools and communities, a force for reforming sexual assault response systems and rape culture in general. Rape is an attack on someone’s body and livelihood. One cannot give consent under the influence of substances, coercion or, as in this case, while unconscious. Consent may not be sexy, but it's required.
Turner is set to be sentenced June 2, and for now remains free on bail.
Violent altercations at Donald Trump rallies seem to be in the national headlines every week, and Tuesday was no different.
In Janesville, Wisconsin, Alex Drake, a 15-year-old protestor, was sprayed in the face with pepper spray by a Donald Trump supporter. Before the altercation, Drake held up a sign saying “Damn Donald, back at it again with the white supremacy,” and chanted “black lives matter” along with another female protestor.
Trump supporters did not respond well, instead shouting “all lives matter,” back at them. One man even went so far as to tell black people to “stop killing people,” and “stop doing crimes,” according to a video posted by the The Washington Post.
Things turned even more heated when one man allegedly touched Drake's breast. She confronted the man and threw what appears to be a punch or pushed the man. Immediately, another man standing behind the man who was punched sprayed a can of pepper spray directly onto her face. Another female believed to be the other protestor received secondhand spray. Both women were treated at a local hospital.
Police are currently looking for the two men. “A male in the crowd groped the 15 year girl. When she pushed him away; another person in the [crowd] sprayed her. We are currently looking for two suspects, one for the sexual assault and one for the pepper spray,” Janesville police said in an official statement as reported by New York Magazine.
Violence is obviously never the solution, but the fact that a grown man had the audacity to get up close, wave his fingers, and argue in a teenage girl's face like that is unacceptable. If he did indeed grope Drake's breast, it's just another example of how invincible Trump supporters think they are. It’s mind boggling that the man who used the pepper spray wasn’t even the one who was hit by the punch. These so called “men” should walk away next time before they really hurt someone else.
It’s no joke that today is April Fools' Day. Everyone around the globe has been participating in all the trickery and foolery that this infamous day brings. Here are some of our favorite pranks that the Internet pulled on us today.
1. Trump Agrees to One-on-One Debate with Cruz
This would be the epitome of the U.S. presidential campaign. On Ted Cruz’s website, it was announced that Trump accepted Cruz’s invitation for a one-on-one debate. Even politicians have a sense of humor!
Although we love when new flavors come out, this shake sounds like something out of our worst nightmares. Thankfully, this fast food restaurant was just joking around.
3. John Stamos Freaks Out at Netflix Headquarters
Uh oh, Uncle Jesse has a temper. In a video posted to YouTube, John Stamos is seen yelling at Netflix employees and calling everyone’s favorite streaming site a “glorified Blockbuster” in response to an earlier Netflix prank. Luckily this is a joke because who doesn’t love Netflix?!
This joke is way too cute! Hallmark fooled the public by saying it was introducing a service that would have dogs deliver cards to your door.
5. The Free Hamilton Concert that Trolled Trump
Hamilton is one of the most popular Broadway musicals in a long time, so of course people would jump at the chance to see this show for free. However, when people called the listed number to score some tickets, it went to Trump campaign headquarters. We bet you’d rather see Lin Manuel Miranda than Trump any day.
6. Mark Zuckerberg and H&M Collaboration
Evidently, Zuckerberg and H&M are partnering up for a special “collection pack,” complete with seven grey T-shirts and a pair of jeans. While Mark Zuckerberg is talented at many things, we wouldn’t take him for a fashionista. So it’s no surprise that his supposed fashion collaboration with H&M is another hoax.
7. Virgin Australia’s Kids Class
Introducing Virgin Australia Kids Class – the world’s first kids-only aircraft cabin.
Flying is never fun, especially if you’re only a kid—but imagine what it would be like if there was a cabin only for children! You can kick the seats as much as you want and jump down the hop-scotch aisles. Sign us up!
8. The U.S. Army’s Teleportation Technology
Even the army likes a good joke. On their official website, the U.S. Army announced they have successfully perfected technology that allows people to teleport. This would be so helpful for getting to class on time.
9. National Geographic Says It Will Stop Publishing Photos of Nude Animals
We wouldn’t really think National Geographic is the type of magazine for tricks and games. However, once you click on the headline, the publication makes it clear that they’re just having some April Fools' fun!
Okay, this is one product we wish was real! Seriously, how cool would it be to be able to drink beer without having to worrying about the calorie count? Whatever, it’s not like we care about calories when it comes to alcohol.
11. These Self-Driving Bicycles
This is another product that would be incredible if only it was real. Google Netherlands released a prank video advertising bikes that drive themselves. Someone needs to make this a reality fast!
12. Hot Topic’s Golden Girls Fashion Line
While Golden Girls will be forever iconic, we think this fashion is best left in the ‘80s. Thankfully, there’s no need to worry that Hot Topic is off its rocker since this is only a prank.
McDonald's fooled us all by saying it was introducing a new monthly subscription service that would bring your favorite fast food to your door. But, seriously, they should totally do this.
It’s safe to say 2016 was a pretty successful year for April Fools'. Now that it’s over, it’s time to start planning the perfect pranks so we’re totally ready for next year. What tricks did you play on April Fools'? And did you fall for any of our pranks?
In all my twenty-something years of life, I've never sported anything other than my jet black hair. Okay, there was that time in college when I took the bus to the grocery store and, on impulse, decided to stop at the salon next door instead to spend my measly college budget on an ~edgy~ streak of purple rather than on food (I am now older and wiser and definitely do not advise this). That streak turned orange that same night when I fell into a heavily chlorinated pool—but that's a story for another time. For the most part, hair color was never something I experimented with. I liked my hair the way it was—black goes with everything, after all.
Well, that all changed. Being in my twenties, I'm in this place where I feel like I need try EVERYTHING, immediately. So what better time than the present to run with the trend and go platinum? I started my research, and came across Sable Yong's piece on xoVain about what it took to get her Asian hair platinum. It sort of sounded like the worst experience in the world but DAMN did she look good. Extreme pain + an exorbitant amount of money = platinum blonde? Probably not the best idea, but... SOLD.
Fast forward a couple weeks, and there I was in the stylist's chair at Lunatic Fringe, a local salon in Salt Lake City. I'd been prepping in advance with overnight coconut oil hair masks every night for a week leading up to my appointment, and—this is important—PAINKILLERS about half an hour before heading in. Full disclosure, I took way more than what's recommended on the bottle and it still hurt like hell, but we'll get to that in a minute.
V scared, trying to maintain my composure
My stylist Cajun Howe (seriously, bless his soul for being so damn patient) sat me down and jumped right into it. He chopped a few inches off my locks first; I was planning on going shorter, so there was no reason to bleach all of my hair, but we kept a little length so there'd be more to cut after bleaching. I mean, it makes sense. I was going to be frying my hair, so being able to trim the ends afterwards would be a smart move.
AND THEN IT BEGAN. Cajun slathered my entire head with bleach. It wasn't so bad. I felt nothing more than a slight tingling and patted myself on the back for thinking ahead and taking all that ibuprofen. I also prayed that it wouldn't get worse, because my tolerance for pain basically doesn't exist. I mean, I once made my boyfriend late to his first day of work (sorry, Charlie) because I had to get blood drawn and was being a child about it, in case that helps paint you a picture of what I am capable of handling. But LOL, this was all about to get significantly worse, and naive me sat there thinking I could be a real adult and handle it.
Here I am looking smug af... If only I'd known what was to come
The rest of day one turned into sort of a waiting game. And a long one, at that—four hours, to be exact. We did a double process to lift as much color as possible from my heavily pigmented hair. There were moments of searing pain—as in, my scalp was burning so hot it started to feel cold. It was going to be "spicy," Cajun warned me. It was spicy AND THEN SOME. Oh, and that smell—a combination of bleach and burning hair... it was enough to make my eyes water.
10/10 do not recommend this fragrance
Two rounds later, my dark hair was history. But it wasn't anywhere where I wanted it to be. I knew it'd be a long process, but that in-between period is the absolute worst. I kept thrusting my inspo photos at Cajun, asking him if he REALLY thought I'd reach platinum (I'm annoying). He kept assuring me that no, really, this is how it's supposed to go.
Not quite the look I was going for
As evening hit and the salon started emptying, we did one more round with foils—thankfully avoiding my roots. Newer hair that's closer to the scalp lifts more quickly than the ends, so to even out my hair color, we had to do a little extra throughout the rest of my hair. It didn't change my color that much; by the end of it, my hair still sort of looked like a "campfire," as Cajun called it. Accurate. It was at this point that a part of me started panicking—What have I done? I'm going to have to go into hiding! Which tbh is fine because I work from home anyway. But then I was like YOLO (do you kids still say that these days?), worse things have happened. It gave me the strength to keep my eye on the prize, but not enough to go out into public just yet. I mean, I went to the drive-thru at Wendy's for dinner, because it was either that or starve.
When I got home, my cat literally DID NOT RECOGNIZE ME
Since I wasn't about to walk around with orange hair (NOT with my skin tone!) for longer than necessary, I went in to see Cajun the next day. I was feeling pretty good—despite the pain from the first day, there had been no damage to my scalp that I could see, and my hair was actually feeling really healthy. Having good hair was something I'd always been proud of; I actually hadn't blow-dried or heat-styled my hair in about two years prior to this appointment. "The hard part is over," Cajun told me as I sat down. Maybe he was trying to put my in a positive state of mind, which worked for about two seconds until we once again slathered my hair in bleach. I thought I was going to pass out from the SEARING BLEACH (yes, even post-ibuprofen). I mean, I could actually hear it sizzling.
So this is a good look
I'll spare you a close-up, but if you *really* want to, feel free to lean in and get a good look at the side of my face, where blisters were already starting to form—and this was only the beginning of what was about to be a 6 hour day. Twice, we processed my hair like this, before aggressively toning my hair to get it closer to the white blonde I was after.
Was I in pain? Yes. But was I happy with the progress? Also yes.
Hours later, we were finally done with the bleach. A blissful cool rinse later, I was like, hallelujah. That feeling didn't last for long, though. We still had two rounds of toner to go; one to tone out the orange hues, and another to take care of the yellow. Cajun didn't bother with gloves, so I thought I'd be fine, too. Nope—turns out when you put more chemicals on a scalp that's been burned raw, it burns even more. Should've known. Pain-wise, toning was THE. WORST. I was shaking. I thought I was maybe going to pee my pants. I gripped the salon chair like my life depended on it (which it sort of did). This explains the lack of photos during this process. Trust me, you're not missing out, you didn't really want to see visuals of me ugly-crying/on the verge of passing out anyway.
So, let's just fast forward. Cajun finally did the big reveal and there I was, staring at myself in the mirror as an actual blonde. Everybody in the salon ooh-ed and ahh-ed, because let's be real, I didn't start out with many believers. Well, here we are now.
It's only been a day and I still have the battle scars from the experience (TMI scabs are literally flaking off my scalp as we speak)... but I am full on IN LOVE. I love how my new hair looks with my wardrobe (even though there might be some colors I can't wear anymore). Bold lipstick shades look even better against the bright blonde. Do blondes have more fun? TBD, because I spent the rest of the night petting my cat and watching Netflix.
As for how my hair is doing? My once-healthy hair actually isn't as bad as it could be, but it's certainly not in the best condition—it's still crazy porous, so it has this weird, slug-like texture when wet. It takes forever to dry, but when it's dry, IT'S DRY. As in, I could pour an entire bottle of olive oil on my head and I'm 99 percent sure my strands would soak it right up. I've stocked my bathroom with an arsenal of masks, oils, leave-in conditioners and just about every hair product you can think of to try to restore my new mane to its old condition. I'll let you know how that goes later... but in the meantime, I'm going to go enjoy the blonde life.
Your drunk self is great, but sometimes needs to be put into check. Wouldn't it be wonderful if there was a sober you around at all times to make sure you don't do anything stupid? Here's a few things your sober self would probably want to let your drunk self know:
1. “That is not dancing…please, stop.”
2. “SHHHH, JUST SHUT UP.”
3. “He’s not David Beckham, it’s just dark in here…chill.”
4. “STOP GIVING YOUR NUMBER OUT TO RANDOS!”
5. “People are trying to sleep you inconsiderate asshole.”
6. “Do you like jail? ‘Cause that’s where you’re headed.”
7. “Don’t get into a stranger’s car! Do you want to end up in a dumpster?”
8. “Why are you getting mad at your friend? She’s the only one looking out for you, stupid.”
9. “Why aren’t you embarrassed right now?”
10. “Go home to your bed…please.”
11. “No, he doesn’t want to your number. Please, walk away.”
12. “I hate you.”
13. “Your ex is crazy, HANG UP THE PHONE, WHY ARE YOU CALLING HIM?”
14. “Dude, he’s not hot.”
15. “Leave the nice Uber driver alone.”
16. “I’m not drunk enough to deal with you right now.”
17. “You’re–No, I’M–going to feel like shit in the morning.”
18. “Calm the fuck down.”
19. “Put your god-damned clothes back on.”
20. “You can’t afford all of these drinks, you can barely afford Starbucks.”
21. “Stay. Off. Snapchat.”
22. “STAY AWAY FROM YOUR PHONE. Wait…do you still have your phone?”
23. “That’s not cute.”
24. “No, she does not want a sip of your drink. She doesn’t know you.”
25. “Are you forgetting that you’re a lightweight???”
Curly hair: It's a love/hate relationship. We were born with it and there's nothing we can do about it, and we probably wouldn't even if we could. Curly hair rocks…until it doesn't. But on the real, having curly hair is a blessing and a curse, and these are the pros and cons that every curly-haired collegiette knows to be true:
Pro: You can roll out of bed ready to go…
Con: …But Heaven help you if you have a snarl.
Pro: No need to do your hair! Screw you, heat styling tools.
Con: That is, until humidity hits.
Pro: You're going to hair-flip your glorious mane until the cows come home.
Con: 50 percent of the time, you look and feel like a lion.
Pro: Volume!
Con: The cutie you’re making out with may or may not be drowning…
Pro: Your hair is kinda like a pillow/sweater.
Con:Hair should not be a pillow/sweater…
Pro: You would have killed it in the '80s and '90s. Seriously, those decades were made for you.
Con: The year is 2016, and you missed the boat. Instead, you'll settle for shining at throwback parties.
Pro: Your hair is WAY more interesting than straight hair. So many twists and turns! So many secrets!
Con: With great hair comes great responsibility. Can you even deal with being that fabulous 24/7?
It’s no secret that Britney Spears is on top of her Instagram game. With her flawless bikini photos and adorable shots of her kids, Britney is one of our favorite Instagramers. But her newest #TBT photo may just be her best post yet.
A photo posted by Britney Spears (@britneyspears) on
The photo features Britney alongside everyone’s childhood crush, Leonardo DiCaprio. Britney’s only caption was “#tbt,” so we have no clue when, where or why this photo was taken. But we have no complaints! We’re thrilled with all the Leo the universe has given us this week.
But, on a serious note, what in the world is Leo doing with his hand?
As a part of the millennial generation, we're used to constant changes, and nowhere are the changes more free-flowing than social media. This change is a pretty big one!
Posting photos on Instagram is still wildly popular among millennials. Where else can you share such a perfectly filtered, curated version of your life? However, looking at social media trends right now, it's clear that videos are on their way to dominating the social media market. Noticing this shift, Instagram has made a big change to better serve this video craze. Previously, the social media site would only allow uploads of videos up to 15 seconds long. However, Wednesday, the site released their latest update, allowing up to 60 seconds of video to be posted.
According to BuzzFeed, people have consumed 40 percent more video on Instagram in the last six months. And now, with longer videos to watch, that percentage should grow even more. The Huffington Post suggests that this change was made in order to compete with apps like Snapchat and YouTube. Can this new update draw more users to Insta? We'll see which site site is able to take the crown, and whether this big change was worth it.
In August 2015, Cara Delevingne told London's The Times that she was "not doing fashion work anymore," explaining that working in the fashion industry severely affected her mental health. However, on March 30, 2016, Delevingne was announced as the new face of Yves Saint Laurent, and fans were confused as to why she suddenly returned to the industry she was speaking out against just last year. Delevingne took to Twitter to clarify her previous comments, as well as her current career move.
In a series of tweets, Delevingne revealed that she "never quit modeling" and furthermore, she does not "blame the fashion industry for anything." She views her depression as a personal trouble separate from her work in the fashion industry; it only exacerbated her feelings of self-hatred rather than causing them, an aspect of Delevingne's struggle that many fans misunderstood.
She went on to say, "I am so lucky for the work I get to do but I used to work to try and escape and just ended up completely exhausting myself." This statement suggests that she is in a better place now, where she is able to handle working in the fashion industry without using it as an "escape" from mental illness.
It's no secret that women are harassed on dating sites. According to research conducted by Consumer's Research, roughly 57 percent of women who have used an online dating site or app have been harassed. This is a whole lot higher than the 21 percent of men who have faced harassment on these sites.
With that being said, when it comes to harassment, not all dating sites are created equal. Using certain ones definitely increases a woman's chances of being harassed. When looking at four of the post popular dating sites, Tinder and OkCupid allowed for the highest amount of harassment, while eHarmony and Match produced the least.
Tinder was responsible for the highest percentage of unwanted harassment. Out of the four sites analyzed, Tinder had 39 percent of the female harassment—unsurprising as it's one of the more juvenile apps. The Huffington Post suggests that Tinder is considered by some to be "just a hook-up app for the 'hit-it-and-quit-it' culture." While 60 percent of women clarify in their Tinder bios that they are NOT looking for a hookup, most men on the app are looking for just a hookup or one-night stand.
Harassment is lower on sites like eHarmony and Match, but it would be best if there were no harassment and no disgusting guys, period. It's important to be aware of the possibility for harassment on these dating sites, but that doesn't mean that they're to be avoided at all costs. Some online dating sites prove to be great ways to meet a significant other. According to Consumer's Research, over 50 percent of relationships started on either eHarmony and Match are successful relationships. Harassment on these sites is a serious threat, but being cautious and using some sites over others can certainly be worth it.
Apple has recently made some very important tweaks to the iPhone's personal assistance tool, Siri.
If you were the victim of domestic violence or sexual assault, and you recently tried to talk to Siri about it, her answer would have been less than helpful. Her response, "I don't know what you mean by 'I was raped,'" was not well received by doctors participating in an investigative medical study regarding the assistance tool.
Now, if you were to tell Siri, "I was raped," the assistance tool would give you the number to the National Sexual Assault Hotline and suggest you reach out.
This update stems from Apple's recent team-up with the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network to figure out how Siri can best help in situations like this.
With Apple stepping up to the plate to make these improvements, the other companies cited in the study are expected to follow in their footsteps, according to Cosmopolitan.
Emma Watson has long advocated for intersectional feminism since she launched her HeForShe movement in 2014. So when a Lancôme commercial from 2012 resurfaced showing Watson promoting a skin whitening product, a lot of fans were left angry and confused as to why she participated in such a non-intersectional campaign.
The commercial features the Lancôme Spot Eraser, a skin care product that breaks down the production of melanin to prevent dark spots from appearing. But the video seems to advertise the product as a skin whitener rather than as a dark spot corrector. Keep in mind that skin-whitening products are typical in Asian countries due to the Euro-centric beauty standards that have developed since Western colonization of the continent. Many viewed this product as yet another promotion of the ideal that lighter skin is more beautiful than darker skin, and Watson faced criticism as the star of the advertisement.
After the ad resurfaced and criticisms came flooding in, Emma’s rep issued a statement explaining that her client no longer partakes in beauty campaigns for the exact reason everyone is upset.
"Many artists often have limited control of how their image is used once an endorsement contract is signed... My client no longer participates in advertising beauty products, which do not always reflect the diverse beauty of all women."
Watson’s decision not only shows that she does not agree with the lack of diverse representation in the beauty industry, but it also makes space for ethnically diverse women to participate in beauty campaigns and promote the idea that all women of all skin tones are beautiful.
