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:
This is arguably the best media news I’ve heard all year. If you haven’t heard of Media Diversified, familiarise yourself now by visiting their website. On 19th November, they announced Marcus Daniel as their new editor-in-chief. This means even more to me personally as Marcus is a friend of mine but from a subjective point of view, this is a brilliant acquisition.
Marcus has written numerous essays on LGBT issues and music for Media Diversified, The Queerness, SoSoGay, and IndyVoices. His passion for equality and diversity is abundant and prevalent in everything he does. Samantha Asumadu, founder of Media Diversified, expressed her delight in the appointment saying:
“I have had an eye on him for a few months for a key role in our organisation’s future and have always enjoyed both how he uses his social media presence to highlight important issues such as the Windrush scandal, and how he highlights how racism and LGBTphobia intersect to marginalise LGBT people of colour.”
From myself and everyone at Cultrface, I would like to congratulate Marcus on his new position. I would also like to wish everyone at Media Diversified a prosperous future under his editorship.
You can follow Marcus on his personal Twitter account (I highly recommend you do this): @marcusjdl
And follow Media Diversified on Twitter (do this too): @writersofcolour
And, if like me, you want to hear Marcus and his dulcet tones, you can stream a video below where he discusses new articles, Hillary Clinton, and Widows alongside MD founder, Samantha Asumadu.
Other than windmills, clogs, canals, and Johan Cruijff, tulips are a quintessential part of Dutch culture. And thanks to the versatility of vodka, there’s a new brand made of the national flower.
The origins of tulip vodka
Most vodka is made from grain or potatoes but tulip vodka is created using the bulb. Flemish botanist Carolus Clusius grew the flowers in his university garden when it was brought over in the 16th century and a distillery bearing his name make the drink with fermented tulip bulbs.
Two types of tulip tipple
Two types are made:
Dutch Tulip Vodka Pure – comprised of water and 350 fermented tulip bulbs
Dutch Premium Blend – blended with grain spirits and uses only 40 bulbs
However, as only a few retailers stock the vodka in the Netherlands, prices aren’t cheap. The “Pure” blend costs €295 but the “Premium” blend is more reasonable at €48.
Did you know: The clusia plant, native to tropical America, is named after Carolus Clusius.
Alcohol for the palate and the hands
Like many distillers, the makers of Clusius Tulip Vodka are giving away free bottles of Clusius hand sanitizer with every bottle of their vodka. If you’re curious as to why, here’s the reason behind it:
To survive the crisis, Clusius Craft Distillers switched to the production of hand sanitizer alcohol. Normally the distillery makes vodka from tulip bulbs. The tulip vodka is mostly served in cocktail bars and sold at Schiphol airport. At the moment these parties have been shut down and sales numbers have fallen for Clusius. The (online) liquor stores are still open but are also facing a hard time.
CONTENT WARNING: This article may contain spoilers or descriptions that may be distressing for some readers.
I have a casual interest in comic books. It has waned over the years but I still like the stories and love the art. The relationship between Spider-Man, Venom, and Carnage is my favourite of all comic book stories. While Venom remains my favourite villain of all time, I know little about Carnage in comparison. I knew Cletus Kasady was a serial killer but nothing about who he killed or why. Then I found this video.
Variant Comics is run by a team of two comic book lovers, Arris Quinones and Tim Connolly. For this “Most Evil Carnage Moments” video, Arris delves into the mind and behaviour of Carnage and I think I need to see a psychiatrist. He is pure evil! Cletus’ back story stems from the classic “neglected as a child” trope. This spawned a murderous spree including pushing his grandmother down the stairs, killing animals, and even… throwing a baby out of a window. Thankfully, Venom saved the baby as he partnered with Spider-Man to stop him.
Could Carnage feature in the Venom movie sequel? If it does, it’d be interesting to see how far they push that story – from a purely subjective point of view of course.
It comprised of 4 members: Jacques, Princess Kashmir, Lurlene Lumpkin, and Mindy Simmons. The reason for the name is simple: each person had a tête-à-tête with either Marge or Homer Simpson. While three of them lay a strong claim to the name, Mindy’s inclusion is questionable.
(This article may contain spoilers if you’ve not seen Season 5 Episode 9)
The last temptation of Homer
Her first episode, “The Last Temptation of Homer”, starts with Homer’s involvement in a nuclear gas leak. Along with the hiring of an illegal immigrant, Mr Burns is told to hire at least one woman: Mindy Simmons (v0iced by Michelle Pfeiffer). This was after he hired Marge in Season 4 Episode 7, who became the apple of Burns’ eye so if anything, he should have taken Mindy’s place in the Home Wrecker’s team but I digress.
Homer becomes instantly attracted to his new colleague, although he remains in denial, blaming it on a “packet of powdered gravy he found in the parking lot”. Ah, classic Homer. As the episode progresses, the attraction grows between them. He confides in Barney about his troubled feelings and, via a philosophical bar napkin, suggests Homer talk to Mindy and find out they have nothing in common. This only fuels the fire between them as he discovers they both love beer, donuts, and naps at work.
What if…
Coming home one day does little to dissuade his emotions. Marge is ill, Bart looks like a goofy nerd with big boots and greasy hair, and Lisa manages to burn fish sticks whilst they remain frozen inside (did she blow torch them?). That all makes perfect sense. Colonel Klink from Hogan’s Heroes comes in the form of Homer’s guardian angel to show him what life would be like if Homer chose Mindy instead of Marge. While Homer appears to be rich and happy, it’s suggested that Marge becomes president (like Lisa in another future alternate reality).
The episode nears its climax ahem when Homer and Mindy are chosen to represent the plant at an energy conference in Capital City – The Windy Apple. Even the hotel porter gets in on the innuendos, to which Homer stops him immediately. They win a three-course dinner at the sexiest restaurant in town. A fortune cookie suggests Homer give in to his temptation and they both go back to the hotel. Homer finally addresses the elephant in the room (which isn’t actually an elephant as this isn’t Family Guy) and admits his feelings. Mindy says the decision is up to him.
Did Homer cheat on Marge with Mindy?
In an ambiguous ending, the scene fades to one with Marge in the room with Homer, in the same red dress. She finds a turkey behind the bed, the lights go out, he sings, the hotel porter finds his way in and gets a black eye for his troubles. The end.
Now, between that synopsis and watching the episode in full, I don’t think Mindy did anything wrong. The idea of a homewrecker is bias towards the person outside the proverbial home. 99% of the time, it’s a woman and sexism reigns supreme in a lack of reproach for the adulterous man. Earlier, I suggested the ending to the episode was ambiguous because Homer and Mindy kiss then Marge appears in the same dress as Mindy. Was Marge there or did he imagine Mindy as Marge to make himself feel better? Did they do the deed? These questions remain unanswered.
But between the two of them, Homer is more explicit with his temptations – or at least voicing them. It’s implied that Mindy had expressed hers but other than that, Mindy minds her own business. The episode is set up to pair the couple in situations rather than either of them pursuing an affair.
The misconceptions of Mindy Simmons
Another reason I don’t think Mindy is a homewrecker is that Marge seems to know nothing about what happened. In the case of Jacques, Homer knew what was going on. Marge knew about Lurlene. And Marge caught Homer dancing with Princess Kashmir. But there was no awareness of Mindy from Marge. The closest we got was when Homer rang a crisis hotline, only for Ned Flanders to receive the call and attempt to conference Marge.
Let’s say Homer DID have sex with Mindy that night in Capital City. In a later episode, it’s suggested she was fired after “hitting the bottle”. She later made brief appearances in a couple of other episodes. Homer is notorious for his inability to lie. Marge would have picked up on it. He would have admitted to it and we’d have a follow-up episode on our hands. But we didn’t. Because nothing happened. Homer fancied another woman, and then she left.
Nothing more than a crush
Writer David Mirkin did not like the idea of Mindy being flirtatious. He said the two characters had “so much in common” that it was “not just a physical relationship, but a mental connection as well”. Most importantly, he claimed Mindy wasn’t “a seductress but rather a woman just as nervous as Homer”. This was nothing more than a work crush between two people with similar interests and personalities that built up through “unfortunate” circumstances.
Have I taken this too far? Probably. But if you read this far, you probably didn’t think so.
Oh Mindy, you came and you gave without flaking, But I sent you Ben-gay, Oh Andy, you kissed me and stopped me from something, And I…
Fresh Prince of Bel-Air - Uncle Phil Hustles the Hustler
I looked up to my dad even if we didn’t see eye-to-eye in my teen years. I saw certain similarities between our relationship and Will and Uncle Phil’s in The Fresh Prince. And like many episodes, Will got himself into some trouble and couldn’t get out. Until Uncle Phil came through once again. There were times you might have been on Will’s side in certain episodes but others, you were rooting for Phil. What made their relationship so strong was Uncle Phil always stood up for him and made sure he knew he loved him and he was there for him (when the time was right).
“Don’t mess with my boy again. You mess with him, you messing with me.”
Uncle Phil
In this clip, Will gets himself in trouble with some pool sharks and Uncle Phil has to come and bail him out. But there’s a debt to settle. Rather than just pay the money, Uncle Phil decides to take pool shark on with comical effect. Until Lucille makes an entrance. Who’s Lucille? You’ll have to find out.
It’s a pleasure to have Simon take part in our Black History Month festivities. Besides being a good friend of mine, Simon is also a speech-language therapist and founder of Power In Discussion, an organisation creating positive discussion in the context of mental health and well-being, identity, and experiences faced by Black communities in Britain and Black LGBTQ+ representation.
What is your favourite city in the world?
Las Vegas.
What’s the most unusual item you take everywhere you go?
Almond oil.
Why do you do what you do?
Currently, I’m working on Power In Discussion, a platform which recognises the importance of having conversations both on and offline. I do it because I love communicating and I recognise the value in sharing our stories.
When was the last time you told someone you loved them?
Her love of visual storytelling has taken her around the world and she recently had her video, He’s Not Like That, featured at the BAFTAs as a finalist. We interviewed her for Black History Month.
What is your favourite city in the world?
To not be biased and say my own, I would say Oslo. I recently went there for a little weekend trip to visit one of my best friends and I wish I could have stayed longer. Such a beautiful city, friendly people and the food is great. Plus the flights are really cheap!
What’s the most unusual item you take everywhere you go?
There’s nothing usual that I take with me, although I’ve weirdly had a few people ask me before why I carry moisturiser with me all the time… I mean who wants ashy skin? Especially when you already have eczema.
Why do you do what you do?
I do what I currently do because I’m passionate about film and TV. So I currently have a full-time job as a logger for a production company and we’re working on a series about Formula 1 racing which will be on Netflix. I also do the odd videography/editing freelance job. It’s all to help pay the bills and fund my filmmaking hobby so that eventually I can start producing my own work for film/tv.
When was the last time you told someone you loved them?
I can’t remember and that’s terrible.
Where do you go to relax?
The only place I have to relax is my room really. I came back home last year and my room was still the same way I left it at 18 and so as I’m almost 23 now I decided it needed a makeover to match the woman I am now. So I’ve been slowly turning it into my own relaxing sanctuary where I can just edit and write, or watch crap on YouTube.
69, 280, or 420?
420, always.
How do you say goodbye in your culture?
Unfortunately, I don’t know Vincentian Creole, but my family have this habit of mostly saying ‘in a bit’.
He's Not Like That | Vlogstar Challenge Grand Final Entry
I certainly didn’t think he’d be the same person who voiced Tigger and Pete from Goof Troop. It was one of those things I questioned but had no deep inclination to research. When I found out it was Jim Cummings, I was blown away by the breadth of his voice acting career and how many of my childhood faves he voiced.
Cummings was born in Ohio but relocated to New Orleans, where he worked as a deckhand on riverboats. After a few years in the mid to late 80s voicing characters in The Transformers, Disney’s Adventures of the Gummi Bears, and Duck Tales, he joined the voice cast of The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh where he voiced Winnie the Pooh and Tigger. Since then he’s appeared in a plethora of animated and live action movies and series.
In this video, Jim Cummings discussed four of his best-loved characters and the inspiration behind them. You can check out the video below.
Breaking Bad turns 10 this year! The show only ran for 5 seasons but is cited as one of the greatest TV dramas of all time. It spawned a heap of Heisenberg cosplays, memes, t-shirts, and quotes. To celebrate, Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul are inviting you to cook with them in the original RV. (Un)fortunately, that will be culinary cooking as opposed to Class A cooking. The promo video sees Paul (as himself) promoting the competition and visiting the RV. Upon entry, he discovers Bryan Cranston living there. What I found funniest is the Hal Wilkerson-esque acting which is what I knew him for before I started watching Breaking Bad. There’s also a hidden secret about Paul towards the end of the video but I won’t spoil it.
To join them, head over to the Omaze page and know all entries will support the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and Kind Campaign. Flights & hotel included (sorry, you can’t stay in the RV or defecate in the bucket either).
Aaron Paul Discovers Bryan Cranston Living in Breaking Bad RV // Omaze
That’s the line I’m going with anyway. I won’t pretend I knew about him for years. He was a name I’d heard but not explored further than occasional utterances. Then I went to see his Boom For Real exhibition at the Barbican in London and everything changed. His bodies of work (and that pun was intentional) were the true definition of expressionism. He flew by the seat of his pants when it came to life and art, neither discipline far from each other nor mutually exclusive.
“I cross out words so you will see them more; the fact that they are obscured makes you want to read them.”
Jean-Michel Basquiat
He proclaimed himself a legend and nobody can take that status away from him.
The chaotic brilliance of artist Jean-Michel Basquiat - Jordana Moore Saggese
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 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.
Bear Grylls loves a bit of danger and feels no way putting his body through hell in the name of survival. It’s what early humans did after all. Except this is the 21st century and you can get honey from a supermarket for about £2 (or the DVD starring Jessica Alba for about £3 on Amazon). But don’t be silly, I hear you cry, he’s in the wilderness and he needed to aggravate some bees in order to get some sweet honey. Winnie the Pooh he ain’t.
When did you last laugh at a podcast while shopping in Tesco Express? Never? Then you’ve not heard Regretflix.
The podcast comprises three hosts – John Kerrison, Sophie Cowles, and Nicola Robey as review the 100 worst films on IMDB. The trio picks films at random from the list and despite the unordered selection, the films get hilariously worse as the episodes go on. I love a podcast that can make you laugh and entice you to experience the topics discussed. In this case, I felt compelled to watch these horrendous films to see what the fuss was all about.
Episode 11 was just released on 15th but you can subscribe to all the episodes on iTunes or any Android podcast directories such as Player FM.
