Killer Mike explained the outrage over Beyoncé‘s Super Bowl performance of her new song Formation perfectly on Real Time with Bill Maher on Friday night saying,

“White people, not everything is about you.”

But SNL took it all the way with their sharpest and funniest parody in years, The Day Beyoncé Turned Black. Watch.

The post #MustSee: SNL’s Perfect Parody, “The Day Beyoncé Turned Black” appeared first on World of Wonder.

New York Magazine ran a brilliant, exhaustive piece recently on The 100 Jokes That Shaped Modern Comedy over the last 110 years. There are far too many to even begin to describe the genius, but I have a personal relationship to one of the Kings of comedy, Michael O’Donoghue, so I scanned to see where he appeared, and for what. He was the original head writer of SNL, the first five seasons of the show were his dark humor and it set the tone for the show that continues to this day. He was a good pal and his collection of vintage paint by number paintings (which I now own, and have multiplied ten-fold) are the basis for my art and my transformation to being a full-time artist. Sadly, he died in 1994 of of a massive brain aneurism and his death was announced live in the cold open on SNL by his old pal Bill Murray. Fitting, because Michael was the very first person you see on screen in SNL‘s very first sketch 40+ years ago. Below are that, and a joke that changed comedy forever. Watch.

1976 The King of Impressionists
Michael O’Donoghue, Saturday Night Live

“There’s one thing I think everybody agrees on, and that’s who the nicest guy in show business is. And, of course, I’m talking about Mr. Mike Douglas. Yeah! Yeah, come on! You know, I was home the other day and I happened to catch Mike’s show, and a funny thought occurred to me. I wondered: What if someone took very large steel needles, say 15, 18 inches long, large steel needles with real sharp points, and plunged them into Mike’s eyes. What would his reaction be, huh? I think it might go something like this.” [O’Donoghue turns his back to the camera to prepare his impression. He turns back around, puts his hands to his eyes, and screams maniacally.]

SNL’s inaugural season left viewing audiences reeling for many reasons, not least among them the show’s penchant for raw, rough humor, and the cast’s irreverence toward the popular culture they were raised on. The grim prince behind much of the darkness was Michael O’Donoghue, a performer and writer famous for not only contributing to National Lampoon but creating pitch-black satires such as “The Vietnamese Baby Book.” In addition to teaching John Belushi’s eager foreign man to speak English phrases such as “I would like to feed your fingertips to the wolverines,” O’Donoghue made himself known in SNL’s first year as an impersonator of sorts. Buck Henry came to the stage and informed the crowd that the “king of impressionists” was on his way. O’Donoghue, dressed in Vegas-standard jacket and tie, amiably wondered what it would look like if Mike Douglas had steel needles shoved in his eyes. The aggressive screaming and flailing that followed was a shock, and O’Donoghue’s wild commitment sold it as comedy. (Henry capped off the bit by asking genially, “Uncanny, isn’t it?”) The violent, gross-out gag was a gauntlet thrown down to its audience, a test to see how far they were willing to go, and the reverberations of the gesture can be felt in generations of black-comedy acolytes.

(via New York)

The post #MichaelODonoghue: One of 100 Jokes That Changed Comedy Forever appeared first on World of Wonder.

Annie Liebovitz

“What’s in a name? that which we call a rose/ by any other name would smell as sweet.” –William Shakespeare, Romeo & Juliet

Flowery prose and art for you on Valentine’s Day. What more do you want in a post? From Picasso‘s “Rose Period” to Annie Liebovitz‘s portrait of Bette Midler who is “The Rose” and a dozen others too. Love and art. All that’s missing is champagne and chocolate…

Pablo Picasso

David LaChapelle

Irving Penn

Andy Warhol

Cy Twombly

Trey Speegle

Rachel Feinstein

Georgia O’Keeffe

Anh Duong

Kenneth Pietrobono

Will Ryman

Cecil Beaton

David Bailey

The post #VDay: 14 Artists Give You Dozens of Roses For Valentine’s Day appeared first on World of Wonder.

It’s a very special Valentine’s Day episode of Bro’Laska, Alaska and her bro Cory Binney talk about love, past Valentine’s Day lovers, and what to do if you’re single.

The post Bro’Laska: Happy Valentine’s Day from Alaska & Cory appeared first on World of Wonder.

It didn’t take long for the GOP to step over Scalia corpse and start shouting. The same happened almost immediately on Twitter yesterday with an insane POTUS murder plot. The leading conspiracy theory about Antonin Scalia’s death? Obama did it. The Supreme Court justice died in his sleep on Saturday at a luxury resort in West Texas, putting the Court’s conservative majority at risk. Whether President Obama’s eventual nominee somehow gets confirmed this year is no sure thing. The GOP has vowed to block any nominees. But in the election year, it gets complicated. The Washington Post says,

Most of the country, though, is governed by appeals courts dominated by Democrats. The suit against Obama’s environmental initiative, which the Supreme Court just stayed, came from the liberal D.C. Circuit, which had unanimously refused to grant the stay. Now the Obama administration can simply have the Environmental Protection Agency come up with a slightly different new plan and run to the liberal D.C. courts to bless it and refuse to stay it. It’s unlikely the now-divided Supreme Court would come up with a majority to stay the new rules: The vote to stay the old ones was (naturally) 5 to 4.

That’s why the effect of an equally divided court has enormous potential to strengthen Obama’s hand in dealing with the Republican Senate in picking a replacement: Even if the GOP blocks his nominee, the policy outcomes would be very similar to what they’d be if the court had a liberal majority.

Sorry, TV political dramas, nothing you can invent will be as good as what reality has cooked up for us this election year. Check out the residents of Crazytown, below.

(via New Republic)

The post #Conspiracy: The Leading Theory on Scalia’s Death? Obama Did It! appeared first on World of Wonder.

Impress your lover tonight by telling them the tragic true story of St. Valentine, who lost his life to save couples from the tyranny of an evil king. Watch the video below, told in chibi animation, of course.

Valentine was a third-century Roman bishop who made it his mission to marry couples in love despite tyrannic laws banning marriage because the emperor felt it made his “soldiers weak.”

The ban on marriage was a great shock. The kind Bishop noticed the injustice of the decree. He held the law of the church and helped lovers who came to him,uniting them in a holy matrimony. B ut it was only a matter of time before the Emperor heard about this “friend of lovers” and had him arrested. … After a while, the emperor issued a verdict. Valentine was asked to agree with the Emperor about the ban on marriage thus giving up his religion. Valentine refused. Just before his execution Valentine asked for a pen and paper and signed a farewell message to his lover – “from your Valentine”. Valentine is believed to have been executed on February 14, 270 A.D.

(via The Presurfer)

The post The Animated History of Valentine’s Day appeared first on World of Wonder.

Sweethearts Candies made by Necco is celebrating 150 years of making their tiny heart-shaped candies with sayings like “I Love You” and “Be Mine” by featuring Jack & George, a gay couple who are celebrating their 55th anniversary together.

Jack & George have been together for 55 years, but only got married after the Supreme Court decision to legalize gay marriage in June 2015, so this will be the first Valentine’s Day they’ll be able to celebrate together as a legally married couple. Watch the ‘Sweethearts’ story:

Sweethearts Candies would like for you to share your sweet story at ShareYourSweetStory.com.

The post Sweethearts Candies is Celebrating 150 Years With the Love Story of Jack & George appeared first on World of Wonder.

Bill Murray apparently threw a few cell phones off the rooftop of Vesuvio restaurant in Carmel, CA on last month. The incident occurred after Murray caught the fans snapping pictures of him at the restaurant. Commander Paul Tomasi said,

“Mr Murray admitted to being present and was willing to pay for the damaged property. [He] was not on the scene when we arrived; however we contacted a representative for him the following morning. None of the victims wanted to press charges. They just wanted their phones replaced. This was handled as a civil matter between Mr. Murray and our victims.”

The Carmel Police Department told The Hollywood Reporter they responded to a disturbance call at the restaurant on the night of Jan. 11. Three people claimed Murray took their cell phones and threw two of them over the rooftop. The other cell phone was lost but not damaged.

So, what do you think? Was Murray justified in tossing these phones – or was he being a dick? Either way, let this be a warning Billy lovers!

The scene of the crime…

(via Hollywood Reporter)

The post #InstaSlam: Bill Murray Tosses Fans Phones Off Roof! (Then Offers to Pay For Them) appeared first on World of Wonder.

My converted barn in the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York, has nice views, but nothing like this place. Wow. NYC architect Joel Sanders designed and built this house in Hudson, New York 2008, which is marked by a butterfly roofline supported by V-shaped beams. The main level contains is an open-plan living and dining room with a glass wall and balcony facing the river and mountains. The master bedroom suite in on that level and features the same views.

The 2,200-square-foot house was updated and expanded to 3,000 square feet by Sanders at the current owners’ request. The lower level of the home now has two guest bedrooms, with additional expansion still a possibility on the four-acre property. The balcony outside the main living space leads to a terrace with a heated pool and outdoor dining area with courtyard on the ground level. Price? Just shy of $3 million.

(via Curbed)

The post #RealEstatePorn: This Upstate New York House Has TO DIE FOR Views! appeared first on The WOW Report.

Every other gay man “of a certain age” has a mid-century modern fantasy of owning the perfect home in the perfect climate, which usually involves Mexico, the Caribbean or South America as choices. But if you’d rather stick with the U.S., Florida and California are big destinations. My old pal, the brilliant illustrator John Pirman and his bf, hairstylist Steve Tetreault, set out to build in Sarasota, FLA. Tetreault owned a beach house by the famed architect, Paul Rudolf, which he bought some 30 years earlier on Siesta Key. But as time went on (as it does) the 950-square-foot getaway started to feel tiny as it became a full-time residence for the two. In 2008, Michael Epstein of Seibert Architects—a firm opened in 1955 by Edward Seibert, who got his start working for Rudolph— was commissioned to build a contemporary house for them. And here is the gorgeous result. You can read an interview with them about the process in the new Dwell or here.

(Photos, Josh McHugh; via Dwell)

The post #RealEstatePorn: A New Mid-Century Modern Dream House In Sarasota appeared first on The WOW Report.

Well, not really…Videos surfaced today of Katy Perry performing with the Christian metal group P.O.D. You remember them. They sang this song – “Youth of the Nation.” Five years after that song was released in 2001 Katy Perry, then known as Katy Hudson, sang back-up vocals for the group and even appeared in their video for “Goodbye For Now.” She also performed with the band on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. You’ll remember, Katy started her career as a gospel/Christian singer. And now you know!

The post Wait… Katy Perry Was in Christian Metal Group P.O.D.? appeared first on The WOW Report.

In case you didn’t know, WOW’s presence on the internet reaches further than just the WOW Report! Did you know we have a YouTube channel, WOWPresents? YUP! It has tons of original content of your favorite #Queens and #WOWlebrities. You can also follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Tumblr! AND you can also sign up to receive World of Wonder’s Top 5 Newsletter every Friday. But it doesn’t stop there. You can ALSO follow RuPaul’s DragCon on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. And sign up for the RuPaul’s DragCon mailing list for exclusive early access to tickets & VIP packages and be the first to know which #WOWlebrities and #Queens will be attending!

Subscribe to World of Wonder on YouTube: WOWPresents

Follow World of Wonder on Twitter: @WorldofWonder

Follow World of Wonder on Instagram: @wowreport

Follow World of Wonder on Facebook: @WorldofWonder

Follow World of Wonder on Tumblr: wowreport.tumblr.com

Sign up for the World of Wonder Top 5 Newsletter: worldofwonder.net/newsletter

Follow RuPaul’s DragCon on Twitter: @RuPaulsDragCon

Follow RuPaul’s DragCon on Facebook: @RuPaulsDragCon

Follow Rupual’s DragCon on Instagram: @RuPaulDragCon

Sign up for the RuPaul’s DragCon Mailing List: rupaulsdragcon.com/#mailing

The post Are You Following World of Wonder? We’re on Twitter! Instagram! Facebook! Tumblr! appeared first on The WOW Report.

Jewels the French Bulldog showed these big bears who was boss when they showed up on her porch! It happened in Monrovia, CA which is just east of Los Angeles at the home of Jewels’ human David Hernandez. He said “It blew me away, I couldn’t believe that she turned into a wolverine.”

(via NBC SoCal)

The post French Bulldog Protects Her House From Big Bears! appeared first on The WOW Report.

Well, THIS is exciting news! Gorgeousgorgeousgorgeous rockstar-turned-makeup mogul Jeffree Star has signed on as an official sponsor of RuPaul’s DragCon 2016! Not only will he have a booth where he’ll be selling his much-coveted makeup line, but he’ll be THERE, ON THE FLOOR, TAKING SELFIES WITH THE QUEENS! Yes, Jeffree Star, LIVE, up close and personal!

I recently had a chance to talk to him about his makeup line, what his plans are for DragCon, and his style inspirations:

JSJ: Tell me, lover, what makeup product (of your own or anybody else’s) can YOU not live without?
Jeffree Star: I’m obsessed with full coverage foundation so I’d die without my Dior Airflash and my MAC Studio Fix!

Are there any new products that you’ll be debuting at DragCon?
I have my first eye shadows launching in May, the attendee’s will have early access! It’s called the Beauty Killer™ palette and will have 10 shades!

Do men/drag queens need different makeup than women? Do you design with that in mind?
The art of drag may have heavy and beautiful makeup, but I don’t think men need a different type. Drag queens need cosmetics that WORK. Formulas that don’t need touching up, or at best, minimal. I spend months on each product to make sure they’re going to do exactly what the box says. The worst is when a customer has a high expectation and get’s let down by a brand… As a consumer, this has happened several times with all different brands. I’m trying to avoid that!

Can we look forward to any new music? Or are you a full-time cosmetics mogul these days?
Right now I’m dedicating all my time and creative energy into the makeup line! It’s been a dream of mine to have makeup products since I was in junior high so I want to give my all to this project! Doesn’t mean I won’t ever do music again!

What makeup trend should we all be featuring at DragCon this spring?
The trend of bold lipsticks isn’t slowing down any time soon and I think Spring you will see a lot of bright shades. And having flawless brows are a must!

What are you looking forward to seeing at DragCon? Any queens you are dying to meet?
My favorite part about doing conventions is meeting the supporters and customers who support me! But I hope I get to sneak away and see some of my favorite queens… You know I love my bitches Laganja, Alyssa & Miss Fame! I’ve never met Trixie Mattel and I’m obsessed with her makeup, so I better get a selfie!

Every queen in the world is gagging on your velvet lipstick. How did it come about?
My favorite makeup product is anything with “lip” in the beginning. Lipstick is my obsession so when I started to create products, I naturally went with first! Liquid lipstick wasn’t perfected when I launched my product a year ago… The formulas out there weren’t the best and I wanted to make something that I thought was “perfect” – It’s gotten rave reviews form celebrities, drag queens, and the general public! I think the consumer’s reviews speak volumes. If it’s good, it’s good. We live in a cut-throat world where honest reviews go viral so it’s amazing to see the positive feedback of something I created!

Finally, who are YOUR beauty icons?
The Spice Girls. David Bowie. Barbie.

Yay! Thanks gurl!

RuPaul’s DragCon 2016 is fast-approaching! May 7th and 8th! DO YOU HAVE YOUR TICKETS YET?

The post WOW Exclusive: Jeffree Star Talks RuPaul’s DragCon, Makeup Trends, His Style Icons & MORE! appeared first on The WOW Report.

Here’s a lovely visual gem to brighten up your Monday: a GIF of gorgeous, shelarious wowlebrity Deven Green, as photographed by visionary wowlebrity Mathu Andersen. Enjoy!

The post Gorgeous GIF: Deven Green Photographed By Mathu Andersen appeared first on The WOW Report.

While we celebrate music with the Grammys tonight, we get the sad news that Prince protegé, Vanity, lead singer of the ’80s girl group Vanity 6, has died after years of battling kidney failure. Her real name was Denise Katrina Matthews. She passed away in a Fremont, CA hospital earlier today t the age of 57. A few months ago she set up a GoFundMe page, and said she’d been diagnosed with sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis –an inflammation of the small intestines. She said,

“Boy, it is not fun suffering in this body of weak flesh… but Jesus is straightening out all my crooked places in my heart as I go through this time of pain.”

She had also battled crack addiction in the ’90s, and after a 1994 OD, her kidneys were done for. To stay alive, she had to undergo almost daily dialysis treatment.

Her biggest hit came in 1982 with Nasty Girl, produced by Prince, and her group Vanity 6 toured with Prince on his ’99 tour. She went on to sign a solo record deal with Motown, and starred in movies like “The Last Dragon” and “Action Jackson.” Vanity eventually ditched Hollywood, quit drugs and became a born-again Christian in the mid ’90s. She remained active in her local church up until her death. We’re told she was in church just this Saturday evening and told the congregation she was “ready to go home.”

(via TMZ)

The post #RIP: Prince Protegé, Vanity appeared first on The WOW Report.

The East London drag documentary Dressed as a Girl – produced by Colin Rothbart, Chris Amos, Christopher Hird and World of Wonder – will be released on iTunes on February 23! Check out the trailer below to hold you over until then!

The post WOW Co-Produced Documentary ‘Dressed as a Girl’ Coming to iTunes on February 23! appeared first on The WOW Report.

Jamaica’s health ministry put out a catchy new PSA warning people to get rid of all standing water that Zika-carrying mosquitoes can breed in. It also encourages people to use mosquito repellent and that pregnant women should take extra care. Watch it after the jump.

The Zika virus is linked to birth defects like microencephaly.

The post Jamaican Health Ministry Releases Zika PSA that’s Better than Most Grammy Performances appeared first on The WOW Report.

Next year’s Grammy DOMINATOR (mark my words!) Zayn Malik arrived at Clive Davis‘ 2016 Pre-GRAMMY Gala And Salute to Industry Icons in Los Angeles last night sporting THE MOST PERFECT pink hair on the planet. Just look at it. Other attendees include yummy James Bey, Lana Del Rey, Juliette Lewis, Adam Lambert, Courtney Love, Sylvester Stallone, Carly Simon, and an on-the-mend Barry Manilow. Also, one quick question: Is Jane Fonda recycling outfits from the ’80s? She looks GREAT, don’t get me wrong… but that outfit looks a wee bit… dated.

(Photos: Pacific Coast News)

The post Zayn Malik Debuts Perfect Pink Hair at Clive Davis’ Pre-Grammy Party appeared first on The WOW Report.

Kanye West finally released his new musical masterpiece The Life of Pablo on Saturday night following his Saturday Night Live appearance, and it didn’t take long for the reviews to come crashing in. Surprisingly, Kanye still pays attention to them, inspiring him to write a pretty intense string of tweets targeting the reviews from “white publications” (specifically some of the biggest names—Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, and New York Times).

First, he clapped back pretty hard, even though all of the reviews mentioned were generally positive.

Pitchfork, the album is a 30 out of 10

— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 15, 2016

To Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, New York Times, and any other white publication. Please do not comment on black music anymore.

— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 15, 2016

I love love love white people but you don't understand what it means to be the great grandson of ex slaves and make it this far.

— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 15, 2016

The system is designed for colored people to fail and one of our only voices is music. One of our only ways out is music.

— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 15, 2016

Don't tell me Lebron had a bad game. What yo jump shot look like???

— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 15, 2016

Aight then …

— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 15, 2016

Shut the fuck up and enjoy the greatness.

— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 15, 2016

This was made with love. Only God can judge me. So I only expect love back!!!

— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 15, 2016

Then, he started a more in-depth discussion about his position as an artist.

I’m an artist… the definition of art – or at least my definition – is to be able to see the truth and then express it…

— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 16, 2016

This is clearly a complicated and loaded topic, and I happen to believe that pop music (in general) is fair game for criticism. However, Kanye has managed to bring “message music” into his realm of hip-hop, which is a genre that isn’t necessarily always for the masses and is better suited being criticized by the niche it was created for. In other words, of course most white writers don’t understand where Kanye and his art comes from. It’s a slippery slope, but Kanye’s position of expecting white people to listen and use his brand of hip-hop as a tool for reflection and learning will also attract people with differences of opinion.

All that aside, Kanye’s tweets have me more concerned about his mental health and well-being than anything. His album is no less than another stellar collection of musical genius—as per usual for Mr. West, but I’m hopeful that he’s well and healthy underneath all of the Twitter rants and alleged backstage antics.

The post Kanye West Goes After ‘White Publications’ In Response to ‘The Life of Pablo’ Reviews appeared first on The WOW Report.