Fun Fun Fun Fest 9 Comedy Lineup Announced
Fun Fun Fun Fest 9's music lineup has been set since May, with the festival's daily lineups released a few weeks ago. However, there were still question marks as to who would be taking the festival's vaunted "Yellow Stage," which has been a platform for both comedians and spoken word artists in the past. Finally, the dust has settled and the curtains have been pulled back to reveal who'll help round out the Austin, TX festival.
Fun Fun Fun Fest 9 organizers have announced today that the Yellow Stage will feature such acts as Portlandia's Fred Armisen, Silicon Valley's Thomas Middleditch and Kumail Nanjiani, former Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra, Kroll Show's Jon Daly, and legendary filmmaker John Waters, amongst others. In addition to the comedians and spoken word artists, the Yellow Stage will also feature events including the FFF Fest Dating Show, the Air Sex Championships, the Altercation Punk Comedy Tour, wrestling matches, and much much more.
To find a complete list of Yellow Stage acts, as well as single day passes on the Fun Fun Fun Fest website.
Supreme Court Rules Corporations Have Religious Freedom
President Barack Obama's Affordable Health Care Act (nee Obamacare) has been met with so much hate and disdain from both sides of the American political spectrum, but never has a ruling against health care reform been so infuriatingly stupid. This is one of those rulings where you just read a news article and go, "Are you fucking serious?" As part of Obamacare, businesses had to cover contraceptives for its employees, specifically female contraceptives like Plan B. Two specific companies, Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties, argued that Obamacare infringed upon their First Amendment rights to operate their small, for-profit businesses under "Christian principles." If they refused to cover such contraceptives, they faced annual fines of $475 million. However, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the two businesses, stating:
The companies in the cases before us are closely held corporations, each owned and controlled by members of a single family, and no one has disputed the sincerity of their religious beliefs [...]
The Supreme Court ruled that Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties, as separate companies, can be seen as a "person" under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993. The problem is the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 was meant for employees to exercise their religious right, i.e. prayer, religious observance, etc., not employers to infringe upon their employees' basic rights. However, the Department of Health and Human Services argued that Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties forfeited those rights when they became corporations, which is true; the fact that this ruling even went to the Supreme Court, let alone passed is ridiculous.
So what does this mean in layman's terms? First and foremost, the two aforementioned companies will not cover their female employees' legally prescribed contraceptives because they are "tantamount to abortion," such as the morning-after pill. However, some of these contraceptives are prescribed for health reasons. Even then, no business should have a decision as to what their employees do with their bodies, regardless of gender. Ironically, male contraception procedures like vasectomies are still being covered under the "Hobby Lobby" decision.
Secondly, and the scariest point: This ruling opens the door for many other businesses to argue their "religious rights" are being jeopardized by Obamacare. While the specific wording for today's ruling targets small businesses, it sets a precedent for larger corporations to find loopholes to not only work against Obamacare, but to also push their religious agendas upon employees and prospective employees. Remember the uproar that Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy caused by speaking out against marriage equality (and donating to many campaigns and groups that discriminated against the LGBT communities)? That was a pebble compared to the rockslide that today's ruling may cause in the future.
As it stands, this ruling targets and punishes women and their right to health care coverage for contraceptives. White House spokesperson Josh Earnest had this to say:
President Obama believes that women should make personal health care decisions for themselves, rather than their bosses deciding for them. Today's decision jeopardizes the health of women that are employed by these companies.
This has nothing to do with religious freedom, simply because corporations themselves shouldn't be allowed to express said "religious freedom." CEOs and business owners? Whatever you believe in, that's great and more power to you and your chosen deity/deities. However, when that "religious freedom" affects your public, for-profit business and your employees? That's where the line's being crossed.
[via CNN, New York Times]
Artist Channels a-ha's "Take On Me" for Photography and Illustration Collection
a-ha's 1985 video for "Take One Me" opened the door for serious music video production by not only crafting a compelling narrative, but introducing some revolutionary (at the time) technology by combining live-action with illustration via rotoscoping (which itself was used decades later in Richard Linklater's Waking Life and A Scanner Darkly). Many artists have used the combination of real life and illustration in numerous ways over the past near-30 years, especially seen in films like Space Jam and Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
French artist Sebastien del Grosso has utilized the combination of photography and digital illustration to create his latest series, "L'esquisse d'une vie," which translates into "The Sketch of Life." We've seen some amazing Photoshop-based art collections lately, such as Martin De Pasquale's series we shared a few weeks ago, but there's something extra special about del Grosso's series thanks to his illustrations.
You can check out some of my favorite pieces from "L'esquisse d'une vie" below, but be sure to check out del Grosso's Behance page for the full collection, including a step-by-step process on how he put them all together.
[via PetaPixel]
Rahm Emanuel's Proposed Gun Law Approved 48-0
It is official: today, June 25th, 2014, marks the official allowance of gun sales in the city of Chicago. The vote was tallied 48-0 by the Chicago City Council in response to Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s proposal, which limits where firearms are to be sold and enforces a videotaping of every sale made, spearheaded after a federal judge removed Chicago’s prohibition on firearm stores.
As of now, gun retailers will be required to possess special-use permits, will face zoning restrictions and cannot be located up to 500 feet of schools or parks. Due to tight zoning requirements, the Emanuel administration asserts that gun stores can only set up shop in about half of a percent of Chicago’s geographic area. In addition to territorial mandates, dealers will need to video record sales and set a 72-hour waiting period for the purchase of handguns, and a 24-hour wait for rifles and shotguns. Only one handgun can be sold per month per buyer, and shop records would be susceptible to quarterly audits in order to hinder gun trafficking.
Emanuel argues that the regulations on firearms will be as strict as Chicago can get legally speaking in order to restrain the city’s gun violence. Whether or not enforcing this ordinance in order to “take back [our] streets” will be beneficial, however, remains up in the air, and is bound to manifest in our city hereafter.
[via RedEye]
Chicago Wins Bid for the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art
While the city of Chicago is politically known for taking few steps forward and plenty more back, it has triumphantly taken a leap ahead in the world of arts and entertainment. Back in April, we mentioned the possibility of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art electing Chicago to serve as the museum’s home base. Now, two months later, Rahm Emanuel has successfully beaten out Los Angeles and San Francisco for the city to accommodate a first-ever interactive George “Star Wars” Lucas museum, which will house a quintessential collection of artwork and memorabilia from Lucas’s films.
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, opening in 2018, will be located on Chicago’s lakefront museum campus, situating the $1 billion museum on a 17-acre site located on parking lots between Soldier Field and McCormick Place. The mayor maintains that, “Like Marshall Field, John G. Shedd and Max Adler before him, George’s philanthropy will inspire and educate for generations.” In addition to offering new channels of education and jobs for Chicagoans, the museum will attract international tourists, serving as a monumental contribution to the city’s revenue.
One of the factors contributing to Lucas’s decision to choose Chicago over LA and San Francisco was the ability to house the museum near a body of water, keeping it surrounded by nature while simultaneously retaining a central location. Lucas is planning on placing a majority of the museum parking underground in order to amplify the green space that surrounds it.
This museum will be entirely self-funded, characterized as a “history of storytelling” undertaking that is “dedicated to the power of the visual image” and is predicted to be the world’s largest interactive museum. Check out Rahm’s comments on the Chicago x Lucas victory below.
[youtube id="AK0Hle74xTg"]
[via Chicago Sun-Times]
Ex-American Apparel CEO Accused of More Than Sexual Harassment
Dov Charney, American Apparel’s founder and CEO, was said to be fired last week due to claims of sexual harassment. After Buzzfeed received AA’s termination letter to Charney, however, it seems his accused misdemeanors appear to come in bulk and stretch even further than the realm of sexual abuse. Although Charney plans on suing American Apparel for wrongful termination, it looks like he’ll have to wash out massive loads of this dirty laundry first:
- Using company funds to pay off former female employees, or distributing "significant severance packages to numerous former employees to ensure that [his] misconduct vis-a-vis these employees would not subject [him] to personal liability". These packages were equipped with legally binding signed release agreements that included the “potential subordination of perjury,” indicating that if called to court, these paid-off employees would be required to lie under oath.
- Engaging in sexual harassment and verbal abuse, or: “[engaging] in conduct that repeatedly put [him] in a position to be sued by numerous former employees for claims that include harassment, discrimination and assault.” Charney was also not an enthusiast of sexual harassment training that serves to help eliminate harassment in the workplace. The termination letter states that "in the recent past, [he] refused to participate in mandatory sexual harassment training and undermined the Company’s policies by interrupting employee sexual harassment training mandated under California law". He also made "derogatory and disparaging remarks directed at persons of certain ethnicities or related to their gender, sexual orientation or religious persuasion".
- Permitting an employee to organize a “Revenge Porn” blog. Former saleswoman Irene Morales, who accused Charney of making her his “sex slave” back in 2011, sued American Apparel for $260 million. The case was sent into arbitration by a judge in 2012, but while the case was under way, an AA employee had created a fake blog, posing as Morales and publishing multiple nude photographs of her in order to try and discredit her case. Although Charney knew this was going on, he didn’t go out of his way to try and take the blog down. He was “in a position to prevent this conduct from occurring but, since it benefited [him] personally, [he] allowed it to continue”.
- Putting his mother and father on the company payroll, while his mother is flat out not an employee, and giving his father $238,000 in AA funds, or “architectural consulting and director fees”.
- Indulging his family and friends through the misuse of company funds, by not only paying his parents with AA money but using the company credit to book them flights, allowing his friends to use corporate apartments and using them himself even while away on non-company related trips.
Check out the gallery of American Apparel ads below that expose Charney’s perviness to the public eye.
[via Buzzfeed]
Emojis Made Real by Liza Nelson
Photos by Liza Nelson
Emojis are small digital images or icons used to express an idea, emotion, or provide commentary, in electronic communication. They are used far and wide around the world, and it's even noted that President Barack Obama, and pop sensation Beyonce, are in on the goofy fad. Because of all it's fun and popularity, Los Angeles-based artist Liza Nelson, set out on a creative quest for Emojis to be made real in her series titled, "EMOJI IRL.LOL".
To get this series accomplished, Nelson photographed vegetables, props, paper mache, and people to replicate emojis we all love/hate. There are even a few that she added her own spin to, like accessories, colorful backdrops and tattoos. She then published them on Tumblr with the replicating emoji accompanying it. The series is corky and fun, and her opinion of emojis are simultaneously low and high. Although she's appreciative, she shares the following on her Tumblr page, "Emojis mean everything and they mean nothing at the same time. They’re completely personal and completely universal. They’re really quite stupid. And they’re the best thing that ever happened to our generation. They deserve to be observed and worshiped individually. By finding, posing and sculpting emojis in real life I’ve created a set of shrines to the individual characters because somebody had to do it."
Check out some of our favorites and find more here.
[Via Refinery 29]
Shepard Fairey Curates "Art Alliance: the Provocateurs" from 7/31 - 8/4
Art Alliance: the Provocateurs, curated by Shepard Fairey, will take place on Block 37 in Chicago during Lollapalooza between July 31st 2014-August 4th 2014. The art show will go beyond a typical art expo, fusing together interactive elements such as music, public art, panel discussion, charities, local community interests, and education, and making this exposition a magnet for drawing mass Chicagoan-attention to the arts.
Artists who’ll be present at the exhibition include Shepard Fairey, Swoon, HAZE, Space Invader, Dzine, Mark Mothersbaugh, Tim Armstrong, FAILE, Ryan McGinness, Winston Smith, RETNA, Stanley Donwood, Monica Canilao, Clare Rojas, Estevan Oriol, Evan Hecox, Gary Panter, Jen Stark, Camille Rose Garcia, Revok, Cleon Peterson, D*Face, WK Interact, and many others. Art Alliance will be equipped with live music, and will also host a Saturday night aftershow featuring a live set by Deltron 3030 and a set by Shepard himself, with tickets sold separately.
Single-Day Passes are available online for full access to over 40 famous street and contemporary artists for $10 per day. Walk-ins are welcome during all hours of the exhibition, specifically between the daytime hours of 10AM-6PM, and tickets purchased at the door sell for $12 each. Children are welcome for free with a ticket-holding adult.
Check out the Art Alliance website for more details on the event.