I never actually planned on joining the circus.
Ministry of Cool
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From begging our mothers to let us get our ears pierced in elementary school to the rite of passage that is the 18th birthday tattoo, body modification is engrained in many human cultures, including American society. Body modification has lasted the tests of time and developed independently in societies around the world, and while some look down on it for its bad connotations, many others embrace it as a means of expression, community and spirituality.
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The french fork. The hulihee. The carnie. The duck tail. The anchor. These are not cleverly named sandwiches at the local indie deli; they are a few of the many titles for modern facial hair styles. Yes, facial hair — beards and mustaches and sideburns. Not only has the list of facial hair styles vastly expanded, but actual facial hair competitions have recently become a growing trend.
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When a red carpet interviewer approached The Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney at the Grammys this year, Carney was asked whether he believed tween heartthrob pop sensation Justin Bieber deserved an award that evening. Carney replied, “He’s rich, right? The Grammys are…for music and not for money. And he’s making a lot of money. He should be happy, I guess.” The Biebz retorted via twitter, and so the gauntlet was thrown.
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When most people think of competitive eating, thoughts of “all-American” pie and hotdog eating contests come to mind, with rows of sweaty competitors stuffing their faces with as much food as they can fit in their mouths. While such contests are not uniquely American, they did begin gaining popularity in the United States after Nathan’s Famous held its first hotdog eating competition on Coney Island 96 in 1916.
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Twenty years ago, when The Real World first aired on MTV, it would have been hard to guess exactly how much influence reality television would have on American audiences. Reality television gives viewers a window into worlds that they would never be exposed to, along with people to root for, and people to hate, while knowing that these characters are “real.” They are not characters that audiences fall in love with, only to find out what a jerk the actor is in real life. They can see the people we are meant to love and hate, and have the satisfaction of knowing that we are judging them as people and not simply as characters.
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CompetitionMinistry of Cool
RAW FROM THE SAW: Hearthrob Album Review
by Samantha Guter March 27, 2013Tegan and Sara’s seventh studio album, Heartthrob, rings with all of the classic folk-indie-pop sounds you would expect from the identical twin duo, while adding in a new twist of electronica and synth.
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CompetitionMinistry of Cool
RAW FROM THE SAW: Beyonce- Life is but a Dream
by Lizzy Rosenberg March 27, 2013You haven’t seen genuine swagger until you’ve watched HBO’s most recent documentary, Beyoncé’s self-directed Life is But a Dream. In the film credits, Beyoncé Knowles…
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It was Feb. 13th, and excited concertgoers were gathering inside the State Theatre to see their one true love: Jeff Mangum. Mangum initially achieved fame the frontman of indie rock band Neutral Milk Hotel, which broke up in 1999. What was so incredibly special about this performance was that this year marked the first time Jeff’s been on tour, playing Neutral Milk Hotel songs since 2001.
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CompetitionMinistry of Cool
BUZZSExXx: Anyone you can do I can do better
by buzzsawmag-import March 27, 2013Like anyone’s, my younger school years were met with a lot of angst—partially because I couldn’t fit into Abercrombie clothing, and partially because of the people I was surrounding myself with. As soon as my best friend and I hit puberty, she suddenly had a boyfriend, and never hesitated to rub it in my face, saying, “You’d be pretty if you lose weight. You might get a boyfriend then.” Thank you, because my formative years weren’t depressing enough already.