Ye takes a step closer to God, Anne Hathaway lip-syncs to Miley, and icon Iris Apfel proves that, at 93, she’s still a force to be reckoned with
“Mary HK Choi once wrote an Aeon piece about how much she loved slash hated her immigrant mother – it made me laugh incredibly hard and then I had to sit in a bathroom stall and cry for a bit. Here she writes about being a 30-something MDMA user and how it's actually, you know, not that big a deal. Ecstasy usage is almost always portrayed as the preserve of hot OD'ed messes and white boy ravers so this not-a-big-deal piece actually feels new and fresh – unlike 98 percent of what's written about drugs on the internet.” – Zing Tsjeng, News Editor (@misszing)
“LARPing is never something that’s appealed to me – the idea of going out into a field to reenact ancient battles with fake weapons is anathema to me when you know, I could be on the internet or something. However, this one, called Dogme 99, piqued my interest – it’s a deviation of the traditional form based on Lars von Trier’s avant-garde filmmaking movement Dogme 95. Participants agree to a 'vow of chastity' that dictates behaviour, with the intention of Dogme 99 to remove the 'vestiges of gameplay' that make traditional LARPing so dull. The focus of the group is not on 'winning' or 'victory', but on story-telling. Probably the only LARPing I’d ever do." – Thomas Gorton, Digital News Writer (@AngstromHoot)
ANNE HATHAWAY DREAMED A DREAM OF WRECKING BALLS
“I’ve seen multiple remakes of this video (too many) that I just automatically assumed it wasn’t going to be funny (not one single bit). But actually, it turned out to be frickin' hilarious. Mainly because when I read the words ‘Hathaway’ and ‘singing’ next to each other, I can’t help but think of her bellowing her heart out to, “I Dreamed, a Dream” in Les Misérables. Then suddenly, she’s on my computer screen lip-syncing in some nude undies, and grinding on a giant swinging concrete ball. Miley has got nothing on Anne. I give 10 out of 10 for this stupidly funny performance.” – Alice Mosey, Editorial Intern (@AliceMosey)
BIRDEMIC REVIEW MADE SHOCK AND TERROR TEMPTING FOR THE LOLS
“I’ve never felt like wasting time on a fifth-rate film more so than I do now. Now that I have read this ROFL review of Birdemic – a nauseatingly life-hoovering movie about a killer platoon of eagles and vultures and… global warming? I guess it’s like The Birds meets An Inconvenient Truth, or something. There is one scene dedicated to a couple dancing at a green screen nightclub, while some man sings 'Just hanging out with my family'. WTF. Oh god, this looks so bad I just might… yep, it’s on Amazon for £2.99. 1-Click purchased. One review: Makes Sharknado look like Citizen Kane." – Trey Taylor, Film Editor (@TreyTylor)
“Jesus. Yeezus. Same thing, right? According to at least two people on this planet, yep, that's correct. Well, according to Ye himself and the creators of the new Bible The Book of Yeezus. While it’s not the best thing I’ve read on the web this week because I haven’t got my hands on a copy yet, it’s definitely the best thing I’ve read about. The creators explain: 'At its simplest, it is the book of Genesis, modified to feature 'Kanye' or 'Yeezus' in the place of God or Y---A. 'In the beginning Kanye created the heaven and the earth… And Kanye said, Let there be light: and there was light'. Do we need more proof of the man's greatness? Take that, haters. Now get on your damn knees." – Ashleigh Kane, Digital Assistant (@AshleighKane)
BEHIND THE UGLY FACE OF THE APPLE WATCH
"Apple shot a flower over 285 hours to create the blooming flower Apple watch face. And then they did the same with butterflies. And actual real jellyfish, in tanks in Apple HQ. Incredible. Shame the thing is still so goddamn ugly." – Natasha Slee, Social Media Assistant (@TashaLouiseS)
ARIEL LEVY CALCULATED THE PRICE OF A LIFE
“What’s the right way to compensate someone for decades of lost freedom? Ariel Levy dissects the story of wrongfully imprisoned John Restivo and tries to figure out the real price of someone's life. Realistically you’re only going to be able to read and appreciate this when you’ve got a nice 'n' cosy hour to spare – but I promise it’ll be worth every second. Levy is one of my favourite ever ever writers, and this is yet another example of what makes her great.” – Dominique Sisley, Editorial Assistant (@DominiqueSisley)
THE NEW YORK TIMES INTERVIEWED IRIS APFEL
"When I joined Dazed, Iris Apfel – then 91, now 93 – was on the cover. She is an icon of style, a New York gem and walking, talking #lifegoal. Three quotes worth remembering:
'I think, given a choice, it’s better to be unstylish but happy.'
'Being totally minimal shows a lack of history and soul, and I find it sort of pitiful.'
'There’s no free lunch, baby. You have to give up something to get something else, but that’s a very small price.'" – Charlie Robin Jones, Digital Editor (@CharliexJones)
FLYING LOTUS INTERVIEWED KENDRICK LAMAR AND THUNDERCAT
K-Dot’s crazy-ambitious To Pimp A Butterfly is still pinging around my skull three weeks after its release, and now we’ve got this great show from collaborator Flying Lotus to help make sense of it all. In a two-hour residency for Radio 1, the Cali producer takes us on a cinematic odyssey through the G- and P-funk influences that resonate through Kendrick’s latest opus, which FlyLo hails as a 'future classic'. There are also interviews with Thundercat – whose godlike bass gives the record much of its delectable flavour – and also the man himself, who shares with us a dream he once had: 'It was my first time going on an airplane, and I always used to be frightened by the whole concept of it… It was actually a nightmare, shit, I got on this airplane and I just never came down, I just stayed elevating higher and higher until I woke up, which was a trip.' – Alex Denney, Production Editor