The Scene Category

Last week, indie rock superstars Arcade Fire unveiled the music video for their song “We Exist.”  Released May 16th, it is described by the band as “the story of a young person’s struggle with gender identity” and stars Andrew Garfield of Amazing Spider-Man and Social Network fame.  Garfield is shown shaving his head, donning a wig and going out to a bar where he is victimized and beaten by the patrons before being resurrected at the band’s Coachella set. While intended as a shot of support for the trans community, the bandRead More

There’s nothing funnier than parody. Growing up, I had a number of friends who adored the video game Halo like it was their first girlfriend (and in a few cases, it still is). They would wake up in the morning and play, come home from school and play, go to bed and probably still play. Halo was not just a game, it was a culture. It had one of the biggest online communities this side of JDate. It was a legitimate excuse for any young boy not to turn inRead More

This morning, I left my beautiful, intelligent, Android (we’re in a committed relationship) on the counter of a public restroom. Just five minutes later, when I panicked at the emptiness of my pockets, I Usain Bolted back, only to find my phone no longer there. COMMENCE PHYSICAL SPASMS OF TERROR, PROFUSE BACK SWEAT, AND INTERNAL WATERFALL OF TEARS. For the rest of the day, I was forced to go about my daily schedule while feeling completely disconnected from the rest of the world. At one point, I probably convinced myselfRead More

I’m not a football fan. I have no desire to watch games on TV, and if drug to a live game, I will promptly grab the strongest drink that I pass and enjoy myself in that way. Football, for me, means alcohol and socialization, not watching a game. But, when something like Michael Sam’s media coverage is plastered on my Facebook and Twitter, I have to pay some attention; it’s the price of wanting to stay current. So naturally, I have some opinions. Apparently, Michael Sam was recently compared toRead More

Children Take Bounce House Ride of a Lifetime I know I really shouldn’t joke about this but come on…it’s kinda funny. Besides, the children involved are okay, despite some injuries. On Monday of this week two young boys in New York were swept away while in their bounce house. A gust of wind blew the bounce house 15 to 20 feet in the air and the boys fell to the ground below. I know this is pretty scary but just imagine the scenario for a second. You’re telling me youRead More

Do you like magic? Do you like comedy? I’m guessing you answered yes to both of those questions, cause let’s be honest: who doesn’t like being amazed and laughing? NOBODY, that’s who. So, assuming you like those things and aren’t some miserable curmudgeon, I’d like to introduce you to your new addiction: Tru Tv’s The Carbonaro Effect, starring magician/comedian Michael Carbonaro. Haven’t seen the show yet? Haven’t heard of it? Well, worry not, because the show actually premieres May 15th at 10PM Eastern. However, a first glimpse of this surefireRead More

If you would have asked me ten years ago if I would have done most of my socializing online, I would have given you an emphatic no (and probably would have thrown the nearest drink in your face).  While everyone was busy glitzing up their MySpace profiles, I wagged my finger in the background swearing that social media would never take off.  Well, you can’t be right about everything.  There’s no getting around it, our lives today are inexorably tied to a little social network that you may have heard of. Read More

Although I wear high-waisted shorts, crop tops, and big-rimmed glasses every day, I am not a hipster! (See: hip-hop, see: I don’t shop at American Apparel, see: don’t like trash ‘staches, see: my intense love for guys who look like thug rappers). At the same time, the one thing I’m really hipster-y about is that I refuse to believe the hype. So much so, in fact, that when something has hype surrounding it, I’m automatically turned off to it. This has caused me to miss out on a lot of awesomeRead More

Netflix is a fickle friend. It’s difficult to resist falling victim to a Netflix addiction. It’s so easily accessible and not to sound like the stereotypical bad influence in a D.A.R.E. ad but…everyone is doing it.   Phase 1: Discovery With all this talk about Netflix I might as well see what’s up. Sometimes I like to have the TV on in the background while I do other stuff like clean my apartment or check Facebook.   Phase 2: Experimentation Top picks for me? Why thank you, Netflix. You’re so sweetRead More

I know everyone is really excited about the robot hype in Japan. Asimo is so cute and it’s super cool to watch him run and jump and do tricks! I know we humans are happy to think we’ll have extra robot hands help us around the house or at work, etc. However, did you know the UN is currently debating whether or not we should have killer robots? And by killer robot I mean a fully autonomous weapon that can select and engage targets without any human intervention. So, RED FLAG.Read More

So yesterday we came across this on the Internet: A Dutch, all-female band named ADAM recorded themselves trying to sing a song…while pleasuring themselves with vibrators and having orgasms. Interesting idea? Yes. Shock value? Yes. Good publicity stunt? DEFINITELY. See what happened below. No word on if the group is going to try this tactic while singing Usher’s “Climax” next…we think they’d be more successful.Read More

21 states and the District of Columbia have either decriminalized marijuana or legalized its medicinal use. Who’s next? Quinnipiac University released a study that found 88% of Floridians are in favor of medical marijuana so long as it is used in accordance with a doctor. Florida will vote on an amendment, Florida’s Question 2, this coming November. The vote requires 60% to pass. In Florida, cannabis possession is slightly decriminalized but the sale, transportation, or cultivation of the drug remain illegal. If Florida votes to legalize medical marijuana, look for them to continueRead More

After 10 long years of silence, Monica Lewinsky is BACK and discussing in Vanity Fair magazine how she deeply regrets her fling with President Clinton. She claims she was taken advantage of and preyed on. However, she does still stand by her original words that it was a consensual relationship.  Lewinsky says she will be focusing her life on helping victims of harassment and humiliation. Oh Monica. That’s great you want to help out others but I love that you’re playing the victim after all these years. You knew exactlyRead More

It’s Raining Fish in Sri Lanka! Yes that’s correct. And I’m not talking about cats and dogs here, I really mean fish. On Monday, during a rainstorm in Sri Lanka, villagers were surprised to have over 50kg of fish come down as well. It is believed the fish were pulled from a nearby river. This is not the first time the country has seen fish rain. Early in 2012 a nearby village witnessed prawns fall from the sky. So I guess this is kinda cool. Talk about your endless sushiRead More

EnterViews is Hilary’s weekly series with emerging artists via various forms of digital communication.   You might have noticed Jessie Kahnweiler around the internet or even on the streets of LA. Or maybe you recognize this title—I Made a Short Film About My Rape and Now I Can’t Get Laid. Last January in Park City I met Jessie in the offices of the Treasure Mountain Inn after having just seen her film and feeling overwhelmed by the collision of comedy and drama. She wore a fur coat while passing out red stickersRead More