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Blake Shelton named People’s Sexiest Man Alive??

People Magazine revealed their cover choice for Sexiest Man Alive… and they chose Blake Shelton.

Not to sound disappointed— but I am. And it seems like I am not alone. The People Magazine Sexiest Man Alive edition is one that always makes the news, with the big reveal used to send women to the grocery stores just to pick up a copy. Anyone remember Johnny Depp’s 2009 cover or Channing Tatum’s heart stopping  2012 photo when all the women were going crazy for Magic Mike? Good times.

Blake Shelton is a relatively good looking guy (for someone with a dad-bod) and, from what I’ve seen on The Voice, he is very funny, talented and always in joking competition with his other co-star Adam Levine, who was named Sexiest Man Alive in 2013. When Shelton’s cover was revealed, it felt like a prank. I was waiting to hear, “Just kidding folks!”  Blake and Adam’s playful relationship was even highlighted in the promotion of this cover issue, as People TV revealed a short and funny video of Shelton displaying cue cards, similar to that famous romantic scene in Love Actually, that poked fun at Levine’s cover title.

https://twitter.com/people/status/930601811471486976

It makes me wonder, is this an extension of their funny-frenemy-relationship extended from outside of The Voice. Will Levine respond to this? I have so many questions. What I do know is that previous cover holders are normally Hollywood heartthrobs — stunning and attractive men that make you swoon. Shelton…well, he doesn’t exactly cut the bill. And I’m not the only one who thinks so

The 41-year old country music singer brushed off most of the negative chat and thanked people on his twitter for his ‘sexy’ cover. Sheldon tweeted “thank you @people!!! don’t hate me because i’m beautiful…” He then continued to make fun of his sexy title for the rest of the night. And maybe that’s just it. Shelton is fun. He’s charming, cute and humorous, but does that make him sexy? Most would say no.

There were a few fans who supported Shelton, who say that sexy doesn’t mean a good body and abs. While this may be true, most of the previous titles by People always featured hollywood steamers. It’s kind of what everyone expects.

Here are some of the previous cover holders and even some double winners.

  • 2016- Dwayne Johnson
  • 2015- David Beckham
  • 2014-Chris Hemsworth
  •  1995 and 2000-Brad Pitt
  • 1997 and 2006- George Clooney
  • 2003 and 2009- Johnny Depp
  • Youngest cover- 1988- The late John F. Kennedy Jr at 27
  • Oldest cover- 1989-  Sean Connery at 59
  • Unusual cover- sexiest couple edition 1993- Richard Gere and Cindy Crawford
  • ‘What is should have been’ cover – 2017- Idris Elba

Revealing Sheldon as the Sexiest Man Alive 2017 felt like an insult. Like, are you even real 2017 ? But this is all fun and games, because there is nothing we can do about it.

Photo provided by: Disney Channel/Image Group LA

So what determines the sexiest man alive? Comment below.

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Lupita Nyong'o
Racism

Lupita Nyong’o is beautiful…but I guess not European beautiful

As I sat scrolling through Instagram Saturday afternoon, I came across a post by Lupita Nyong’o. Nyong’o is a Hollywood actress who rose to fame after her role in the award-winning 12 Years a Slave in 2013. She became the first Kenyan-Mexican actress to win an academy award for Best Supporting Actress. After her breakout role in 2013, Nyong’o was adorned as this African princess of sorts- exotic, beautiful, but never more beautiful than the euro-centric standard of beauty displayed in Hollywood.

The image of Nyong’o that Hollywood approved of was a dark-skinned woman with a shaved head — regardless of the fact that her hair had grown since her role in 2013.

Pre-conceptions aside, what followed over the last week was a complete slap in the face. Nyong’o was photographed for the latest cover of Grazia U.K., a fashion news magazine. When the magazine came out, Nyong’o, and many others (myself included) were surprised to see that she looked completely different. The photography and editorial team had lightened her skin and completely removal of her Afro-puff. How on earth was this ok?

The complete alteration of Nyong’o image shows that, according to western Hollywood standards, a black woman cannot be too dark, a black woman must have straight hair, a black woman must speak properly, and a black woman must never be too sexy.

The photographer issued the following apology: “My altering of her image was not born out of any hate, but instead out of my own ignorance and insensitivity to the constant slighting of women of colour throughout the different media platforms.”

Many people who are unaware of the postcolonial issues that black women have faced, much less in Hollywood, are just willing to brush this off and hear the apology of the photographer that altered the image. There is no apology that can fix what has already been done. These events just prove how many people remain ignorant to the struggles women of colour face in the world.

The photographer, while apologetic, was merely following the pre-set Hollywood guidelines for cover photos. Nyong’o has been vocal about how removing her Afro-hair from the cover of the magazine speaks to the prejudice that still exists with black kinky and curly hair. It is tolerable to have straight smooth hair, but utterly classy and unkempt to be walking around with frizzy coils. Blacks are judged on their social inferiority based on their features like skin-tone, hair, and nose structure. This was just another example.

Taking away a black woman’s natural hair is like asking her to repress her culture and her heritage — to be compliant in the never-ending fight for what is deemed beautiful. If you have a problem with understanding this, then you need to kindly check your privilege.

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Spacey
Gay Post

Kevin Spacey shouldn’t confuse sexual assault with sexuality

There is never an appropriate time to connect sexual assault with sexuality. News broke over the weekend that actor Kevin Spacey, known for his role in Netflix’s House of Cards, allegedly made sexual advances towards Star Wars Discovery actor Anthony Rapp when Rapp was 14.

The incident took place almost 32 years ago when Spacey was 26 and hosted a post-show Broadway gathering. Rapp was a child actor at the time and they were both performing on shows. Rapp attended the party at Spacey’s apartment and, being a child, he was bored socializing with adults. Rapp said he found a bedroom and started watching television. It is alleged that Spacey appeared in the bedroom doorway, visibly drunk, long after the guests were gone.

“He picked me up like a groom picks up the bride over the threshold . But I don’t, like, squirm away initially because I’m like, What’s going on? And then he lays down on top of me. He was trying to seduce me,” Rapp told the press.

Rapp said that, at the time, he knew that Spacey’s advancements were sexual and he was able to remove himself and left the apartment.

Not long after the accusations were made, Spacey posted a statement on his social media saying he was “beyond horrified” to hear of Rapp’s account of that evening. Spacey then went on to say he owes Rapp a sincere apology if he did behave in the manner in which he was accused. He said he was extremely drunk and did not remember the incident.  Spacey’s apology was barely a paragraph long. In the same statement, he went on to address his own personal life, using this assault as an opportunity to highlight his normally quiet personal life.

Spacey said “As those closest to me know, in my life, I have had relationships with both men and women. I have loved and had romantic encounters with men throughout my life, and I choose now to live as a gay man. I want to deal with this honestly and openly and that starts with examining my own behavior.”

In just a few sentences, Spacey was able to purposely dismiss the fact that he was accused of making sexual advances to a child and, worse, use the incident as an opportunity to come out of the closet. It is insulting and disrespectful to the LGBTQ community to use your sexuality as an excuse for wild drunken behaviour and deeply disturbing allegations of trying to have sex with a minor.

There is already a (very untrue) stigma surrounding sexual promiscuity associated with the LGBTQ community, despite the fact that lesbian, gay and bisexual people experience sexual violence at similar or higher rates than heterosexuals. Spacey’s “apology” further perpetuates this stigma, creating a correlation between sexuality and sexual violence that does not exist. This is dangerous and cowardly, especially coming from a man who now identifies as gay.

Spacey’s coming out was poorly timed and comes off as a poor cover-up for his inexcusable actions 32 years ago.  Since the news broke, Netflix has cancelled House of Cards after next season and Spacey’s  International Emmy Founder’s Award has been revoked. Many in and out of Hollywood shared their views on Spacey after this situation has come to light.

Comment below with your thoughts.

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Weinstein sexual assault
Feminism

Weinstein allegations desserve more than an apology

It’s funny how no one talks about sexism or harassment within an industry until a bigwig gets caught with his pants down. It’s funny how a woman can tell her coworkers, bosses, and friends about an uncomfortable and dangerous situation and be pushed out the door. It’s hilarious how sexual harassment and “locker room” banter has been normalized over the years.

In case you missed my sarcasm – no, it’s not funny at all. It’s sickening. When news of film producer and director Harvey Weinstein came out, I couldn’t help but think back to Jian Ghomeshi case in Toronto. The press went crazy and people expressed their disgusted, but as soon as a trial started the women making the accusations were shamed and Ghomeshi disappeared. No one got justice.

The latest allegations against Weinstein have done more than tarnish the reputation of the accused. They have opened up a larger debate about the treatment of women in Hollywood. The number of women who have now come out and made accusations of rape and sexual assault against Weinstein increases every day. And he has hardly denied it. In fact, he has fled the country to “seek treatment”’. While police have opened a formal investigation, there is not much hope these women will get their day in court.

While the world waits to find out if the Hollywood mogul will ever be charged, there are a number of debates that have circulated the press and the Internet. Women’s Post discusses three of them:

Apologies

One of the byproducts of a big scandal like this is that all sorts of actors, producers, and directors are coming out to speak on the subject. Women and men are now talking about their abusive experiences in Hollywood, which is absolutely necessary if the system is to change. However, there are a lot of apologies circulating as well–mostly men apologizing for not taking their female colleagues seriously after they confided in them.

Friday, Colin Firth came out and said he was ashamed he didn’t act on what his co-worker Sophie Dix, one of the women making allegations of sexual assault against Weinstein, told him during the filming of their movie The Hour of the Pig. He told the Guardian she never went into detail regarding the incident, but he could tell there was something wrong and all he did was sympathize. And Firth isn’t alone. Dozens of men have come forward and apologized for being party to this system of abuse.

And then there is Ben Affleck, who admitted to sexually harassing a co-worker (grabbing her ass) and then proceeded to apologize for it. There may have been a good intention somewhere in this claim, but honestly it seemed like a slight defense of Weinstein and the whole sexist Hollywood mentality. Sure, I guess it’s a good thing Affleck recognized he was in the wrong, but does it take a big Hollywood scandal for men to acknowledge their role in perpetuating the sexualization of women? Or even in harming them physically, emotionally, or psychologically? And how much do you want to bet there will be no repercussions for the men who come out now and say sorry?

Fathers of Daughters and Husbands to Wives

A lot has been written about the use of this phrase by men speaking against sexual abuse. Actor Matt Damon was quoted recently used this phrase in relation to the Weinstein allegations.“‘As the father of four daughters, this is the kind of sexual predation that keeps me up at night,” he said. And it caused a big uproar on the Internet. To be fair to Damon, he isn’t the only one to use the phrase “as a father to a daughter’” or “”as a husband” and the rest of his interview showed deep sincerity in his disgust. 

But, let’s get back to the phrase itself. “As a father of daughters”. Let me get this straight. Before, it was okay to grab a woman’s ass, but now that you have a daughter and you don’t want some guy sticking his hand (or anything else) down her pants, all of a sudden it’s not okay to sexually harass a woman. It’s like these men suddenly have skin in the game – they can’t picture their little girls being harmed like their co-workers, colleagues, and friends were.

Men often use these phrases without thinking. I’m pretty sure most don’t mean they were disrespectful before they had their offspring. But, just in case, listen up guys. Here is what you need to know about the phrase “fathers of daughters” or “as a husband.”

You should be respectful to all women, regardless of whether or not they have something to do with your penis. Teach both your sons and daughters to respect each other, and treat all of the women you meet the same way. It doesn’t matter if you are married or have children. Be a good human being and recognize when someone (of any gender) is being mistreated — and then say something.

And just stop using the damn phrase!

A broken system

There is a very real possibility that Weinstein’s abuse of women was an openly known secret in Hollywood. There are a lot of people who had to know this was happening. And yet, it took the strength of a few select women and a group of reporters at the New York Times to actually get people to listen and open their eyes. 

While these public revelations have disturbed most of us, there is a slight glimmer of hope. Women and men who have been sexually assaulted are speaking out. Regardless of whether or not Weinstein is charged, the system will have to change, if only because less people are going to accept it now. 

And it’s not just Hollywood. Social media users are starting to see that sexism exists within large corporations as well. Following Affleck’s sexual harassment revelations, actress Rose McGowan tweeted about it. Twitter then suspended her account, claiming she included a personal phone number. It has not been confirmed if that is the case. McGowan was one of the women featured in the New York Times expose on Weinstein and has alleged Weinstein rapped her.

Twitter is not getting a kind response from its users. In fact, numerous women have vowed to boycott Twitter on Oct. 13th in support of McGowan.

For most, the irony over what is considered a violation of Twitter’s terms is too much. Most compared McGowan’s use of Twitter to that of United States President Donald Trump, who has used the platform to threaten foreign countries, attack free speech, and personally bully reporters and politicians. Trump has never been suspended.

Many users have also said that Twitter violations are not enforced fairly.

What do you think? Can this system ever change? Will this scandal be enough to help spur it?

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#OscarsSoWhite: Should you join the boycott?

The biggest weekend for actors and actresses in Hollywood is just a few days away.

It’s the event movie enthusiasts look forward to every year. The event that encourages us to watch films that provoke various think pieces, blogs, and occasional snore-fests. But, for a few years now, the Oscars have brought on a different kind of conversation – and quite an important one, for that matter. It’s the kind of conversation that causes a certain discomfort not only within the industry, but also in the midst of friends and colleagues who have to decide whether or not they’ll even be watching the Oscars this year. And if you do – should you be feeling guilty?

Awkward, indeed.

Basically, for the last two years, no person of colour was nominated in any of the major categories for the most prestigious award in Hollywood; the Academy Award. Upon realizing this rather questionable circumstance, many actors and actresses have called on a boycott, agreeing not to partake or watch the Oscars this year. The boycott may, or may not, have started with critically-acclaimed actor Will Smith, who was said to have been snubbed for his role in Concussion. Thus, the question arises as to why the boycott really began. Was it due to feelings of bitterness and denial that his performance, specifically, was snubbed, or is it because there truly is a lack of diversity that needs to be addressed? Well, here are my thoughts.

oscars-2016

No one is playing ‘the black card’ here. People of colour don’t want to be nominated because of their colour. They want to be nominated because of their talent, their performances, and their input to the film industry. Thus, the conversation about lack of diversity in the film industry is not an invitation to provide people of colour with pity nominations. It’s an invitation to look at the bigger picture, and the problems that are currently present in Hollywood. The fact that the Academy felt no persons of colour were eligible to be nominated for the past two years is not due to lack of talent in the industry – it’s due to the lack of roles available for people in the industry.

It’s not that progress isn’t being made. I see the slow emergence of colour in the industry when I flip through the channels on television. Still, very rarely, do I come across people who look like me. Sure, Viola Davis and Kerry Washington are tearing up Thursday nights and Priyanka Chopra is currently gracing Sunday’s with her South Asian beauty, but why is it when we watch movies, the people that are supposed to look like a certain race and ethnicity – don’t.

If you’ve seen John Oliver’s take on #OscarsSoWhite (below), you’ll know what I’m talking about. A compilation of video clips reveal that the lack of roles given to people of colour are largely due to part that it is in fact, white people, that are being cast in these roles instead. We saw this during the release of Aloha, where Emma Stone was cast as an island girl despite her pasty white skin and huge, buggy eyes. And we saw it again during the release of Prince of Persia, played by a very non-Persian looking Jake Gyllenhall. Although we’ve come a long way from black-face days in the industry, casting decisions like these really make me think – why?

The scariest part is, I, as a person of colour, did not notice the problem with some of these roles until it was pointed out to me. For me, watching Prince of Persia meant taking in the beauty of Jake Gyllenhall in a lot of armour. Gerard Butler in Gods of Egypt is equally yummy. We get so caught up in the star power, car explosions, sword fights, and all the basic eye-catching elements of a Hollywood movie, we forget to think about the more intellectual aspects such as historical accuracy and ethnic requirements.

The fact that we run off to the theatre as soon as a new Jennifer Lawrence movie or Leonardo DiCaprio flick comes out just comes to show that not only has Hollywood whitewashed the industry – it’s winning. With a few splashes of colour here and there with the likes of Lupita Nyong’o and Penelope Cruz, it seems the lack of diversity in Hollywood didn’t even matter to us – until now.

Stick all the nominees into one frame and the visual leaves you with a slap in the face. “Where are all the coloured people?” The thought flicks in our minds and the conversation is sparked. #OscarsSoWhite may not be the ideal hashtag for the board, but it’s the first step to initiating change and raising awareness. The only people we have to blame is ourselves for not starting the conversation sooner. Tje comments left by people named ‘John Goldman’ and ‘Stephanie Smith’ under these videos and think pieces will still leave you speechless. The reverse racism is prevalent and the thoughts and opinions are just plain ignorant.

To answer your question, there’s no need to boycott the Oscars. With Chris Rock set to host the night, we can already expect a plethora of black jokes and digs at the absence of colour in the hall. What we do need to do is continue the conversation and ask questions when casting mistakes happen again – as they will. With the hashtag circulating and the dialogue active, we’ve done what we need to do for now.

So it’s best that we acknowledge the nominees who have worked equally hard this year as the rest of us and enjoy the night. Besides, this may finally be the year that America’s sweetheart (and mine) wins an Oscar for his role in ‘The Revenant.’ DiCaprio, of all people, should know whats it’s like to be snubbed year after year. It’s only fair we repay the favour and root him on.

Of course, the decision is yours.

Will you be watching the Oscars this Sunday? Let us know in the comments below!

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What's Hot

Girl Crush: Mindy Kaling

I’ll admit it: I was late getting into The Office. I had seen an episode here and there, and knew I had a giant crush on John Krasinski, but until two weeks ago never sat down and watched the series as a whole.

I’m here to tell you that I watched eight seasons in two weeks and I’m not sure if I’m happy with that statistic yet or not. What I am happy about is how The Office introduced me to my new favourite lady: Mindy Kaling.

On The Office, Kaling plays Kelly Kapoor, the lovable office chatterbox, but she also holds the title of producer, writer and she made her directorial debut in season 6 with the episode “Body Language.” Now Kaling is the creator of the show The Mindy Project, which she also stars in, writes for and produces. The Mindy Project is a fun show that takes place in an Ob/Gyn clinic, and is the perfect show to fix your post-Office withdrawal. (This is coming from someone who is almost done with The Office and quickly needs to find her next television obsession.)

As if Mindy Kaling doesn’t already seem like the busiest woman in show business, she wrote a book called Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) which I finished in just over a day and then promptly lent out to all my friends. Kaling covers a wide variety of topics including chest hair, one night stands, punching your best friend in the nose, and her own funeral wish list.

Kaling’s book left me in hysterics; it felt like I was reading the diary of my best friend. Her cheek-in-tongue humour perfectly captures the tone you would use while out for lunch with your girlfriends, and her brutally honest tales of Hollywood fame are refreshing.

The reason why I love Kaling is because she has worked hard her entire life to get to where she needs to be. When she couldn’t find roles that suited her, she wrote her own. She produced her own work until someone noticed her, and then she became the only female on the writing staff at The Office. She works 16+ hours a day. She is not afraid to be completely herself and show herself at her most unfiltered and unflattering.

Mindy Kaling is warm, personable, talented and very, very funny.

And once I finish making her a friendship bracelet, she will officially be my best friend.

Follow Andrea on Twitter @andreeahluscu.

Follow Women’s Post on Twitter at @WomensPost.

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Farewell to Winnipeg’s Sweetheart

Deanna Durbin, Canada’s own Shirley Temple, died yesterday at the age of 91.

A top child actress during the Depression, Durbin played the part of the perfect child, fixing the problems of the adults around her with charm and grace.

She hit Hollywood royalty with her first movie 1936’s Three Smart Girls, a musical comedy co-starring Nan Grey and Barbara Read. A box-office smash, it saved the faltering Universal Studios and turned her into one of Hollywood’s highest-paid actresses.

Then, in 1938, she was given a special Academy Award for her “significant contribution in bringing to the screen the spirit and personification of youth.”

Like many child actresses, problems arose when she started to move onto more adult roles. Her public wanted her to retain her youth and innocence, and reacted negatively to any attempts of Durbin’s to expand her range.

First married at 19, Durbin was told that she was not allowed to divorce because it would “ruin the image.” A second marriage would also end in divorce. Finally, at age 28, Durbin met director Charles David and married for the last time.

At this point, after starring in 21 feature films, Durbin retired.

She will be remembered by many as what she was officially dubbed: “Winnipeg’s Sweetheart.”

 

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