This is one of those blog posts where the title sums it up. David Blaine—well-known illusionist and “endurance performer”—floated over 24,000ft into the sky attached to some helium balloons yesterday.
David Blaine redefines magic once again for an unprecedented live event at a time when the world could use a positive distraction. Bringing wonder, hope and untethered possibility, David tackles his most ambitious and revolutionary feat yet.
This production was filmed in strict accordance with all CDC and OSHA Covid protocols and safety guidelines including testing, social distancing, use of PPE, quarantining, disinfecting and good hygiene practices.
“Ascension” wasn’t as weird as I expected. But then, the last time I paid attention to David Blaine was in the early 00s when he was really weird. I wonder if the air is cleaner up there.
Last year, I got into Bon Appétit and fell in love with the format of cooking but with a more personable touch. I was used to shows like Kitchen Nightmares, Masterchef (back when Lloyd Grossman presented it), and Saturday Kitchen. But Bon Appétit was fun and entertaining. Until we all found out about the racism.
Jack Saint made a brilliant video called The Collapse of Bon Appétit which deconstructed the ideology behind the channel’s demise and why it was more a symptom of a racist system than an error of judgement. My favourite line was this:
“This was a burgeoning giant of online video, and it just completely shit the bed because it couldn’t stop being racist.”
For me, it was a terrible shame but also a wake up call that this is an issue for all media conglomerates trying to curry favour from the masses. We’ve seen first hand how White these corporations are and how they ill-treat their employees of colour (if they even have any). And for Condé Nast, they weren’t paying their BIPOC workers what they deserved.
But one of the most poignant points that Jack made was about how the chummy relationship between Bon Appétit cast members and their fans was very one-sided. I found myself slipping into that kind of behaviour but nowhere near the apparent fanfics people had made. Yikes. It reminded me of something my friend Keidra once said about fans:
Please y’all, don’t make these idols like your friends. They are doing a job. They have friends that are not you.
I’m not going to police how other people navigate their fandoms, especially when I’ve never been that ingratiated in one myself. From my experience, it’s probably for the best that this kind of ideology was dismantled but I wish it wasn’t off the back of racial exploitation. Again.
It shows Steve Harvey hosting Family Feud and losing the will to live. His descent into perceived madness comes from a series of wild answers to questions, all pieced together and dramatised for effect of course. But the reactions and repetitive responses make the video.
Some of my favourite quotes include:
“FART!”
“Flatulating”
“Passing gas”
Lick himself!
[In response to “Name a kind of ball that doesn’t bounce”] Men’s private parts
[In response to “Name something you like to watch your wife do”] Me
And to complete the video, there’s a Karen who winks at the end. No wonder Steve lost it.
Mike Post went hard in the studio when he composed the Law & Order: SVU theme tune and I’m grateful. The multi-award-winning composer created theme songs for hit series such as The A-Team, NYPD Blue, Quantum Leap, and Magnum, P.I. But did he envisage people dancing to it?
What is Law & Order SVU?
For those who haven’t seen it, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (shortened to SVU) is a spin-off of the police drama series Law & Order, which focuses on sex crimes in New York. Although most of the original cast has left since is started in 1999 (including Christopher Meloni), Mariska Hargitay, who plays Captain Olivia Benson, is still there.
It’s a showcase of dancing memes and the accuracy is fantastic. I tend to play the instruments for the SVU theme tune but this video got me dancing ever since I saw it.
Gav isn’t actually a baby – he’s 3 apparently – but even then, he’s huge. In the above video, Gav is bouncing on his dad’s stomach like he’s a bucking bronco. And that’s baby powder by the way, although pretending it’s smoke adds to the hilarity.
I’m not on TikTok and have no interest in joining. I prefer to catch the funniest TikToks on Twitter and save myself from the boring ones. That strategy has worked well and I hit the jackpot yesterday when I found this:
Let me address each incredible part of this TikTok one-by-one.
1. It features a dancing duck
I love ducks. They’re in my top ten animals list and in terms of cuteness, they’re second only to hippos for me. This duck appears to be a Pekin duck (I’ll wait to be corrected) and Joey and Chandler owned one in Friends.
2. Hart was getting into it
Hart is an animator and memer (seriously, go check out his YouTube) who was ready to bust moves with his duck. And he did not disappoint.
3. That song is awesome
Part of the appeal of this TikTok, besides the dancing and the duck, is the song. Twitter provided as it always does and gave the title: Vibe by Cookiee Kawaii.
By now, I’ve watched this feather-shaking duck about 10 times and I’m ready to watch it some more before the day’s up. Happy Black History Month!
First thing’s first – this content is probably NSFW. You don’t actually see Christopher Meloni’s butt in this article but there are plenty of sexual references to it.
I admit I enjoy seeing Elliot Stabler when I watch SVU reruns every weeknight on 5 USA. But not for his ass. No, that posterior worship is reserved for the people of the internet as he found out when he read thirst tweets about him.
What’s the fascination with Christopher Meloni’s bum?
Look at the guy. From his time on the drama series Oz, to his 12-year stint on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, the actor has garnered fans of his acting and physique in equal measure.
And there are a lot of webpages about his ass. BuzzFeed made the video at the centre of this article, but in 2015, Alex Naidus and Lara Parker co-wrote Literally Just 17 Pictures Of Christopher Meloni’s Butt, with the subheading “It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it.” Do a search to find the rest (with photographic evidence of said derrière).
Thirst tweets
The video clocks in at just under 3 minutes but that’s enough time for Chris to dive into some of the raunchiest thoughts of Twitter and he loved every one of them.
His favourite tweet involved someone’s imaginary conversation with a partner, a “Christopher Meloni mask” and making the “bumm bumm” sound from Law & Order when they… just watch the video and find out for yourself. This post is too erotic.
Ever heard of deepfaking? It’s a portmanteau of “deep learning” and “fake” and describes a technique involving the superimposition of images and videos onto other images and videos. Put another way, it’s like Face/Off but in 2019 and without surgery.
It has comical uses but there are some dangerous examples such as Mark Zuckerberg’s fake Facebook announcement and some fake Obama videos. But this one isn’t as sinister. Well, it is but it isn’t.
Ctrl Shift Face is a content creator who makes entertaining deepfake videos. He’s produced videos featuring Bill Murray in Full Metal Jacket, Sylvester Stallone as The Terminator, and Heath Ledger as The Joker in A Knight’s Tale. Ridiculous, right?
In this deepfake video, Ctrl Shift Face exchanges Jack Nicholson’s face for Jim Carrey’s in a scene of The Shining. It’s eerie in that we know it’s not really Carrey’s face but it kinda fits and it also doesn’t. That’s what makes deepfakes so mind-bending. It’s also The Riddler from Batman Forever swapping faces with The Joker from Batman.
At time of writing, the video has clocked just under a million so it’ll reach that milestone by tomorrow at least. Ctrl Shift Face’s videos are entertaining and it’s good to see this technology put to good use rather than scaring people in a bad way. This is just scary in a WTF way, which is fine.
If you want to help Ctrl Shift Face continue with his creative endeavours, check out his Patreon, subscribe to his YouTube channel, and find him on Twitter.
Stream it below.
The Shining starring Jim Carrey : Episode 1 - Concentration [DeepFake]
Game of Thrones Season 8 was a shitshow. I’d not watched for years so dipping back in for the last season didn’t devastate me as it did for more dedicated fans. But it did suck for many reasons.
While every episode had more holes than a slice of Swiss cheese, one thing did come to fruition: Cleganebowl. If you have no idea what that means, I recommend you read Vulture’s explainer on Cleganebowl. It’s basically The Hound vs. The Mountain – Sandor Clegane vs. Gregor Clegane. But there’s more to it as Vulture explained.
I’ve not put any spoiler alerts because you should have seen it all by now. But if not, tough luck. Sandor finally faced Gregor in Cersei’s crumbling castle and it was a futile battle from Sandor’s perspective. Why? Because Gregor was pretty much undead. But that didn’t stop him trying. In the end, he and his brother died at the hands of his ultimate fear – fire. But what if their sword battle had played out with lightsabers from Star Wars?
ImmersionVFX on YouTube reimagined Cleganebowl with lightsabers and it looked spectacular. It’s interesting that the sword-wielding motions translated perfectly to lightsabers; they never looked out of place, physically or visually.
Yes, I’m 5 years late and the series just finished but everyone was unhappy with the last season so let’s remember the good times. And mix them up with late 80s nostalgia.
YouTuber Mikolaj.Birek put together two Game of Thrones videos to make a fantastic 80s VHS intro. The font used for the titles was also used on Diagnosis Murder amongst other things so this is a late 80s/early 90s kinda mix but that synth soundtrack is pure 80s.
Most Reddit AMAs are insights into the lives and works of influential people. Unfortunately, some people never get that far and they probably wish they hadn’t taken part.
James Corden might be one of those people. Along with five of his Carpool Karaoke team members, he opened the Reddit floor for questions and didn’t receive the discourse he was after.
It’s important to point out (or reiterate) that Corden is not a liked man for numerous reasons. I am one of them. I can’t speak for anyone else but I find him odious, unfunny, and a beg friend. That’s my unprofessional opinion but if you have a different view, let me know in the comments. That being said, Redditors shared my sentiment and let him have it. Here are some of my favourites:
Damn. There was zero let off for him. And, given the stories, he deserved it. The classic “no response is the best response” tactic wasn’t great but it would have confirmed all the stories: that he’s a dick. Reddit isn’t a paragon of virtue itself but I live for these kinds of moments. I mean… it’s the internet. What did he expect?
(Trigger warning: this video contains clowns and some really creepy puppets)
Entertainment company Super Deluxe may no longer be with us but Vic Berger very much is. We featured one of his creations for SD – the will.i.am one (which had been taken down but we’ve uploaded ourselves) – and now here’s another one.
This is a compilation of videos that were on Super Deluxe but were also taken down and they show Vic Berger’s take on daytime TV and advertising as he explains:
If you don’t watch daytime television, Ellen DeGeneres, Harry Connick Jr, Logan Paul, Steve Harvey and MORE show you what you’re missing. This compilation also features creepy children’s programming and commercials for products that may or may not actually help you.
It starts with Kanye’s appearance on Ellen, made even more surreal than the real thing, followed by a commercial for jawzrsize, Paula Deen on QVC, and… well, you’ll just have to watch for yourself to see the rest.
TL;DRSo it appears that the Democracy Manifest guy was not Paul Charles Dozsa but in fact a man named Cecil George Edwards who was mistaken for Dozsa. You can find out more about him and the infamous video in this interview with Edwards.
Back in 2012, I ate at a restaurant in Hampstead, London, just outside the Royal Free Hospital where my dad was getting cancer treatment (he’s fine now). After I finished, I got up and walked out and about halfway between the restaurant and the hospital, I realised: I hadn’t paid. Then I asked myself two things – should I carry on or go back and pay? I couldn’t deal with the guilt of leaving without paying so I went back.
For some, eating and skipping the bill is a way of survival. But for others, it’s a form of arrogance and you’re gonna get caught eventually. Paul Charles Dozsa was the finest example. Born in Szeged, Hungary, in 1940, the former chef and world chess champion was eccentric to say the least. He described himself as a “Hungarian nobleman” and liked to wine and dine in the best hotels and restaurants in Australia where he spent his later life. But he didn’t like to pay for the privilege. He regularly left without paying – pleading poverty when asked. How you can say you are of noble heritage and say you’re poor is beyond me but there we are. Dozsa hustled his way through 54 of these acts. Attempt 55 was the final straw.
Or so people thought.
The infamous “Democracy Manifest” video that most of us now know was part of a longer video, taped by a reporter named Chris Reason for Australia’s Seven News. The full video shows a man being arrested but his real name – Cecil George Edwards – was revealed as well as the fact it was a case of mistaken identity. Edwards was later released that day. The shortened clip was uploaded to in 2009 and soon went viral. And, with viral content comes myths and speculation, which I clearly fell into myself.Other names suggested were John Bartlett and John Ziegler but none were true. It was Edwards all along.
Gentlemen – this is democracy manifest!
Cecil Edwards, upon being put in a “headlock”
Edwards’s identity wasn’t revealed until 2020 when an Australian punk band called The Chats made a music video for their track “Dine ‘N Dash” featuring the real Cecil George Edwards. The reasoning for his theatrics when arrested was to “appear crazy so he might be placed into an asylum where it would be easier to escape”.
For Dozsa, however, his ways of escaping payment included a misplaced wallet, bounced cheques, poverty, and convincing the restaurant that police involvement was a waste of time. As the venues for his crimes were always 5-star establishments, he was discreetly removed without arrest as not to disturb the guests. One such case involved feigning illness to avoid paying.
What is the charge? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meal?
Edwards questioning the reason for his arrest
And the reasons for his crimes? The Hungarian Army had implanted a device in his head. He was half right though. At least with the head part. Dozsa passed away in 2003, apparently from a brain tumour (although the story revelation involved breaking the Hippocratic oath). The tumour might have explained the behaviour and his subsequent cognition. But I’m sure he died as he lived – by the seat of his pants with a full belly and no money to pay for the privilege.
And you, sir? Are you waiting to receive my limp penis?
Edwards before being shoved into the car
For more info about Dozsa’s life (there’s a lot more, trust me) check out this forum thread. RIP Paul Charles Dozsa and long live Cecil George Edwards – the real Democracy Manifest Guy.
The problem is it seems to be flagging pretty much everything. Gita Jackson of Kotaku profiled some of the stranger subjects deemed inappropriate by Tumblr. They included:
I just went through the 12 most recent pages of my Tumblr archive and these were the only three photos flagged. Two photos of me fully clothed and a picture of my vase ¯_(ツ)_/¯ pic.twitter.com/dUG5K8lbCy
Look at all the explicit sex and nudity in these dragons and dinosaurs I drew. @tumblr your tech is terrible at this. So many of my illustrations are flagged, even ones that have appeared in actual children’s books nationwide. pic.twitter.com/Czd2jBBozI
The other is the one with the two white girls which I’ll post tomorrow, but back to my all-time fave. AyyOnline was a popular black British Youtuber until he left (and recently came back) and during the chili pepper challenge’s heyday, Ayy joined in. The hottest pepper at the time was the Naga Viper pepper or “Ghost pepper” as it was also known. It was the “World’s Hottest Chili” in 2011 with a rating of 1,382,118 Scoville Heat Units (SHU). Pepper X is the unofficial champion now (used in the Hot Ones’ sauce) but the Naga Viper was the king for quite some time.
The featured image for this post is the precise moment before he took the “deadly” bite; the record scratch “you’re probably wondering how I ended up in this situation” moment. What follows is hilarious. Cue removal of clothing, ice, yoghurt, and some vomiting. The initial reaction was classic. The instant realisation that you’ve made a bad decision and there’s no way out. Well, not a comfortable one anyway. But like he said, he did it for laughs and he got plenty from me over the years. I’m glad he didn’t live up to the ghost pepper’s name and came back.
Fun facts about chili peppers (courtesy of Wikipedia):
Chilis were part of the Aztecs’ staple diet and originated in Mexico.
The substance that gives chilis their intense heat is called capsaicin.
32.3 million tonnes of green chili peppers and 3.8 million tonnes of dried chili peppers were produced in 2014 worldwide.
China is the world’s largest producer of green chillies, providing 50% of the global total.
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