Swiffer’s Rosie The Riveter campaign caused a feminist backlash this week, and rightly so, but the appropriation of an icon of female liberation is quite sadly only a small bit of the horrible advertising subtext aimed at women on TV, in print, and on the web.

While Swiffer’s Rosie The Riveter ad was notable for its immense tone deafness, Swiffer is a good place to start with sexism in cleaning ads. Sure, many would argue feminists get their panties in a twist over the smallest things — after all, it’s just an ad, right? Turn off the TV and buy a regular mop if it bothers you so much!

But Swiffer and its fellows actually do women a massive disservice when it comes to this sort of thing. Ads are influential not only because of the products we buy due to their influence, but also due to the subtle social concepts they reinforce. It is a big deal, and it is creating years and years of unbalanced, overworked, overwrought misery for women who are coupled and parenting with men who have internalized these toxic concepts.

I had to think back a bit to consider Swiffer’s previous advertising bent, and it seemed to be centered upon “breaking up” with your old mop, depicting women in dramatic cleaning implement scorning scenarios and involving traditional romantic woo-ing on the part of Swiffer mops. Ew.

The message, of course, is one that plays out in American homes each day. When was the last time you saw a man on television shilling laundry detergent (Billy Mays aside), or wearing yellow rubber gloves at the sink, or cooking in the kitchen? Never, because any housework done by men is generally viewed as a bonus and not an obligation, and many are happy to continue on with this way of doing things. After all, does anyone really want to mop the kitchen or clean out the fridge? Yuck.

And the result, of course, as horribly yet casually depicted in Swiffer’s Rosie The Riveter campaign, is undeniable — women still do the lion’s share of unpaid labor in the home. In the past, this was part of a social contract in which men tended to work and women tended to do domestic duties — a contract that was notably subverted with the appearance of Rosie.

Now, the tide has turned and women are more often breadwinners — several studies this year have examined the trend of women doing the primary income earning for their households, and stay at home dads are no longer an anomaly. But when it comes to the laundry, the dishes, the kids? We do that too. We’re expected to earn (and often outearn) our husbands, partners and exes, and still have a spotless home with no assistance.

Our core value is to make cleaning easier, no matter who’s behind the handle. We apologize and are working hard to remove the image.

— Swiffer (@Swiffer) June 4, 2013

It’s still women toiling at this second job, unpaid, hindering our ability to “lean in,” as it were. Even if the woman is the house’s bacon bringer, she’s still more often than not also the oven-scrubber, dinner-cooker, laundry-folder and dog-walker.

Now we’ve learned that Swiffer’s Rosie The Riveter campaign is being quietly withdrawn — but if Swiffer, and Jif, and other brands that use consistently sexist advertising really want to make female decision makers take notice, perhaps they should just try (just once!) a campaign in which men are using their wares without the frame of it being unusual or the requirement of a female to, in exasperation, bail them out.

Are you a working woman who is tired of things like the Swiffer Rosie The Riveter ad reinforcing terribly sexist and exploitative gender roles?

Swiffer’s Rosie The Riveter Celebrates Unpaid Female Labor In The Home is a post from: The Inquisitr

The National Security Agency (NSA) is tracking the phone calls for millions of Verizon Wireless customers.

According to a new report the NSA is using Patriot Act, 50 USC section 1861 to monitor “business records.”

Opponents of the Patriot act have long argued that section 1861 allows for the unlimited collection and storage of “metadata” in direct violation of privacy rights. The records collected allow the US government to track the identity of every person a Verizon customer contacts.

The NSA collects Verizon Wireless metadata in order to discover an individual’s network of associations and communication patterns.

The NSA uses the massive amount of information collected to datamine for terrorist and other illegal associations. The program was started under the Bush administration and has continued to grow in strength under President Obama. The NSA started the collection of data program on October 4, 2001 after President Bush issued a secret authorization for data collection.

As you may recall a USA Today report in 2006 exposed the program which it says had “been secretly collecting the phone call records of tens of millions of Americans, using data provided by AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth” and was “using the data to analyze calling patterns in an effort to detect terrorist activity.”

The NSA was started to track foreign intelligence, however, in recent years the company has become ever increasingly focused on domestic communication. In fact it was that shift in focus that caused 30-year NSA veteran William Binney to leave the agency as it shifted from foreign targets to a focus on US citizens.

Democratic senator Frank Church says of the agencies shift in focus:

“The NSA’s capability at any time could be turned around on the American people, and no American would have any privacy left, such is the capability to monitor everything: telephone conversations, telegrams, it doesn’t matter.”

Do you think the NSA is overstepping its bounds?

NSA Tracking Millions Of Verizon Customer Phone Calls is a post from: The Inquisitr

An Arizona man was charged with DUI after a late-night traffic stop — despite the fact that a breathalyzer test showed a blood-alcohol content of 0.000.

64-year-old Jessie Thornton’s DUI that wasn’t cost the Surprise, Arizona resident more than $5,000, and the retired former Ohio resident tells a story of frustration that began when he committed the crime of driving his night nurse wife to and from her job — behavior deemed suspicious by police in Surprise.

Thornton explains that in the evenings, he runs errands and goes to the gym, but a late-night swim could have led to the DUI accusation.

According to the former firefighter, he understands that police have jobs to do, but he received four tickets after ten total traffic stops since he moved to Surprise.

But the most recent Surprise police run-in had Thornton contacting a lawyer, after he was accused of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and his car was subsequently impounded.

News reports indicate that Surprise Police Department paperwork shows Thornton was “ pulled over for crossing the white line in his lane,” and his nightmare began. Thornton recalls the night in question, saying:

“[An officer] walked up and he said ‘I can tell you’re driving DUI by looking in your eyes.’ I take my glasses off and he says, ‘You’ve got bloodshot eyes.’ I said, ‘I’ve been swimming at LA Fitness,’ and he says, ‘I think you’re DUI … we’re going to do a sobriety test.’ I said, ‘OK, but I got bad knees and a bad hip with surgery in two days.’ ”

Thornton indeed was slated for hip surgery two days later, and says his hip issues made the arrest painful:

“I couldn’t even sit on the ground like that and they knew it and I was like laying on the ground, then they put me in the back of an SUV and when I asked the officer to move her seat up ’cause my hip hurt she told me to stop whining.”

With a BAC of 0.000, the situation should have been resolved quickly, but Thornton was evaluated for possible drug use as well.

A drug recognition expert was summoned, and Thornton says:

“After he did all the tests, he says, ‘I would never have arrested you, you show no signs of impairment.’ ”

Documents corroborate the man’s statement, but he adds:

“I then get this message that my license is being suspended and I have to take some sort of drinking class or something … [My wife] was at work and had to come get me, it was a mess, I couldn’t believe it … On top of that my car was impounded on a Friday night and they said I couldn’t get it until Monday.”

Thornton says the arrest cost him $5,000, and his attorney, Marc Victor filed a notice of claim against the City of Surprise for $500,000.

Do you think the city is liable for the DUI given the man’s BAC was 0.000?

Man Charged With DUI Despite BAC Of 0.000 is a post from: The Inquisitr

A film adaptation of the long running DC Comics fantasy series Fables has been announced.

In addition to the A Wolf Among Us video game by Telltale, the Fables mythology will see another huge adaptation, this time for the big screen, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Fables was created in 2002 by Bill Willingham, and is published through DC’s more adult-oriented Vertigo imprint. The book adapts fairy tale characters who have been tossed out of their dimensions by a villain known as the Adversary and now live in secret in New York City.

The titular “Fables,” referring to those fairy tale characters who can’t blend into the human world, have to live on “The Farm” which is located upstate.

The book has earned 14 Eisner Awards (like the Oscars but for comic books).

Danish director Nikolaj Arcel (last year’s A Royal Affair) is reportedly attached to the film. His most recent flick was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film, so he at least has the dramatic chops to pull off the film. Heyday Films, the company behind the Harry Potter series, is producing.

The Fables film has actually been in development hell for quite some time. Warner Bros. originally tried to jump-start a film in 2004, but it went nowhere.

ABC then tried to do it as a TV show in 2008, but it never materialized. With the recent success of shows with similar premises like Once Upon a Time and Grimm, now is probably as good a time as any to kick the tires again.

Would you see a Fables film? Leave us your dream cast in the comments below!

DC Comics’ ‘Fables’ Film Adaptation Announced is a post from: The Inquisitr

Linda Evangelista and her billionaire boyfriend have split after close to seven years of dating.

The Canadian model started dating Peter Morton, co-founder of the Hard Rock Cafe, in 2006. But the relationship seems to have come to an abrupt stop this week.

There were signs that Evangelista’s relationship may have been on the rocks. This week she presented at the CFDA Fashion Awards, showing up alone. But she and Morton have kept a low profile in the past and hadn’t been seen in public together since attending a benefit in March.

There were no details as to what caused the split. The New York Post tried to get more information from Evangelista’s modeling agency about the split, but was turned away.

“We do not comment on the private life of our clients,” a representative said.

Linda Evangelista and Morton have broken up before. In 2010 they split following a series of arguments, but reconciled within a few months.

Morton had been with Evangelista through her custody battle with former beau François-Henri Pinault. The child-custody case brought several revelation, including how Pinault allegedly told Evangelista to have an abortion.

Pinault met Selma Hayek four months splitting from Evangelista in January 2006, reportedly around the time he found out Linda was pregnant. Pinault, the chief executive of PPR — which owns Yves San Laurent and Gucci — would go on to marry Hayek.

Last year the two came to an agreement on child support that Evangelista pegged at $46,000 a month, though sources denied the amount. Evangelista originally claimed she needed round-the-clock nanny care, armed ex-NYPD bodyguards, and a separate apartment near the youngster’s school for play dates, court documents showed.

“Everybody’s glad for the sake and the benefit of the child that it’s done,” Pinault’s lawyer David Aronson said outside the Manhattan Family Court.

Linda Evangelista might be used to living a high-priced lifestyle. She once famously quipped that supermodels “don’t wake up for less than $10,000 a day.”

Linda Evangelista Splits With Billionaire Boyfriend

Linda Evangelista Splits With Billionaire Boyfriend is a post from: The Inquisitr

If it seems that more and more world premieres are taking place across the pond, they are. Some of the latest productions to open in London are Star Trek Into Darkness, Fast and Furious 6, Iron Man 3 and Les Mis just to name a few.

Big Hollywood studios are taking advantage of tax incentives that were put in place in the UK for this particular purpose. Those incentives make shooting in the UK cheaper than doing it in L.A. even though the cost of living is higher.

Over 1,000 people have made use of the tax breaks since they were implemented 5 years ago in an effort to revive the dying UK economy. The rebates have brought in approximately £800 million (about $1.2 billion) in revenues for the country.

Most major studios have embraced the opportunity and made London and other locations in the UK part of their films. Most recently the billion dollar Universal franchise Fast and Furious. For their sixth installment director Justin Lin was allowed to film car chases in London proper, something only done twice previously.

Disney recently announced that filming of their new Star Wars saga would take place in the UK. All of the previous six films of the franchise were at least partially shot in UK studios, but this announcement appears to imply that the bulk of the production will take place on English soil.

The US is trying to compete and avoid being left behind by movie studios. States such as New Mexico and North Carolina have had their tax incentives challenged by lawmakers. The UK has actually broadened their offers to include television productions, which has piqued the interest of HBO and others.

Producers worry that in the US the tax laws will change with no notice. The UK has been consistent and very willing to increase their incentives to attract more business.

According to the report in Yahoo! Movies L.A.is trying to keep up, and while they have their own tax breaks which amount to $100 million annually, it doesn’t amount to much when one blockbuster alone spends three or four times that amount.

The California Film Commission lottery was held earlier this week to determine who will receive the tax credits. It saw a jump of 18 percent in the number of applications. However, producers complain that it is too restrictive, for instance it excludes films with budgets over $75 million as well as new premium cable programs.

In stark contrast the UK welcomes these with open arms. London refunds 20 to 25 percent of the money spent in the country. They also include aspects of productions that are created in L.A. but used in the UK, such as costumes.

The UK also has incentives that reimburse the studios for how much it cost them to have any given star on their film. If a movie star gets a percentage of what the studio makes at the box office, the UK reimburses part of that money back to the studio.

This is a unique aspect of this incentive program and it is giving the British a clear advantage compared to other countries such as Germany and Canada, who also offer tax breaks.

The move is happening, even though London is more expensive to live in and has higher taxes. Production companies are making the switch from L.A. to London already with many special effects and post-production houses setting up shop across the pond.

As for the actors, many are willing to pay more money to live in London while being part of these big productions.

Some of the studios that have not followed this trend are being left behind and face serious financial peril. One such studio is Oscar winner Rhythm & Hues Studios, who has been forced to file for bankruptcy.

England also has incredible talent due to the vibrant and first class theater world from which most big screen actors come from. According to the CEO of a new special effects studio just opened, they don’t have to spend extra money housing and bring talent from abroad.

Hollywood has long been considered the movie capital of the world and while production decisions, such as casting and choosing which movies get a green light are still made at the studios in Hollywood, more and more productions are moving to England.

[Image via Bikeworldtravel / Shutterstock.com]

Is Hollywood Moving To London? is a post from: The Inquisitr

A Chrysler recall has been issued for 630,000 Jeeps and SUVs.

The announcement arrives two days after the company refused to recall 2.7 million older-model Jeeps. Those recalls were requested by US safety experts.

Now the automaker has issued a recall for 409,000 Jeep Patriot and Compass small SUVs that were produced from 2010 through 2012. The recall is being issued to fix problems with air bags and seat-belts.

Chrysler is also recalling 221,000 Jeep Wranglers worldwide. The Wranglers were produced from 2012 through 2013. The Wrangler models can suffer from transmission fluid leaks. The transmission issue was first revealed in posted documents from the  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

According to the Chrysler recall the Patriots and Compasses feature a software glitch which can cause the  late deployment of the side air bags and seat-belt tightening mechanisms. The glitch can cause injuries specifically in rollover crashes.

Starting in July the Patriots and Compasses will be fixed free of charge at Chrysler dealers around the world.

Jeep Wranglers with 3.6-liter V-6 engines are susceptible to a power steering fluid line issue in which the fluid line can wear a hold in the transmission oil cooler line. When fluid is leaked from the SUVs it can cause damage to the vehicles automatic transmission. After inspecting the lines for free dealers will replace lines or install a protective sleeve. The Wranglers recall also begins in July.

Chrysler spokesman Eric Mayne  notes that no injuries or accidents have been reported as a result of the Chrysler recall issues.

254,400 Compass and Patriot vehicles are being recalled in the US and 45,400 in Canada. 109,400 vehicles are being recalled from outside North America.

The Wrangler involves 181,000 vehicles in the US and 18,400 vehicles in Canada. The company has also recalled 3,300 vehicles in Mexico and 18,400 outside of North America.

Customers who would like more information about the Chrysler recall can call (800) 853-1403.

In the meantime Chrysler’s refusal to recall certain vehicles is far from over, the company is working with the NHTSA to examine what it believes is flawed data.

Chrysler Recall Targets 630,000 Jeeps And SUVs is a post from: The Inquisitr

Sharon Stone is at the center of rumors swirling this week about whether the 55-year-old Basic Instinct star is dating the much younger 46-year-old millionaire Hamptons hotelier Michael Wudyka.

As The Inquisitr reported earlier, some of the rumors suggested that Wudyka and Stone had started dating in April. Despite Stone being nine years older, the two seemed to have a lot in common.

Hotel millionaire Wudyka is a single father of two, while Stone herself has three adopted sons ranging in age from six to 13.

Now, we all live down here on planet earth, and we all know that millionaires don’t normally get serious about fiftysomething mothers with minor children still in the nest. However, Sharon Stone’s previous eight month relationship with 27-year-old Argentine model Martin Mica suggested that she does hold at least some appeal for younger men.

And nine years isn’t quite as ridiculous an age gap as 27 years.

But if we’re honest, there were a lot of rumors that the brief Stone/Mica relationship was a publicity stunt or pretty rocky or both.

The talk seemed to start when Stone and Wudyka attended a Creative Coalition event in Washington, D.C. to promote government funding for the arts.

Even though she attended the recent Cannes Film Festival on her own, the Stone/Wudyka rumors got noisy enough that a Sharon Stone rep told E! reporter Narcus Mulick on Wednesday that the couple is not an item:

“They are not dating. They are dear friends who work together on the Creative Coalition. And not at all dating.”

Apparently, we’re all still in high school, and if a man and a woman appear in public together, they’re assumed to be dating until their reps issue a denial.

What do you think about the Sharon Stone dating rumors? Or were you just surprised to find out Sharon Stone was still  around?

[Sharon Stone photo by Joe Seer / Shutterstock.com]

Sharon Stone: Is She Or Isn’t She Dating Younger Millionaire Hotel Mogul? is a post from: The Inquisitr

California lawmakers have their sights set squarely on people who post “revenge porn” online.

SB 255 has passed California Senate’s Public Safety Committee and if eventually placed into law it would codify revenge porn with strict criminal penalties based on the unauthorized distribution of sexual materials.

According to the law:

This bill would make it a misdemeanor for any person who, with the intent to cause substantial emotional distress or humiliation to another person, by means of an electronic communication device, and without consent of the other person, electronically distributes, publishes, emails, hyperlinks, or makes available for downloading nude images of the other person along with personal identifying information of the other person.

The law could put offenders in jail for up to one year while issuing a fine up to $1,000.

Not wanting to miss any type of distribution types the bill defines “electronic communication devices” to include  cellphones, computers, any internet-connected device, and actual web pages.

According to bill sponsor Anthony Cannella:

“There has been a recent increase in what is commonly called ‘revenge porn,’ and this bill seeks to discourage the act.”

Cannella further adds:

“People who post or text pictures that are meant to be private as a way to seek revenge are reprehensible. Right now, there is no tool for law enforcement to protect the victims. Too many have had their lives upended because of an action of another that they trusted. This is a common sense bill that clamps down on those who exploit intimacy and trust for revenge or personal gain.”

Revenge porn has become a hot topic as sites such as SnapChat Leaks and UGotPosted continue to expose unsuspecting men and women who have sent nude photographs to former lovers, friends, and others. Those sites often cite section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. That section protects websites from being liable for user-submitted content.

The new bill looks to subvert section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.

It should be noted that the bill doesn’t only target “revenge porn” but also any images that are posted by secondary parties.

Do you think a revenge porn bill is needed to stop the onslaught of personal photos and videos that are being posted online on a daily basis.

Revenge Porn Targeted By California Lawmakers, Criminal Penalties Featured In New Bill is a post from: The Inquisitr

Glenn Beck is not thrilled with Rachel Maddow comparing him to wild (some might say delusional) conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.

Let’s be fair. It’s not like Beck hasn’t ever beat the conspiracy drum before, and Maddow has shown her own fair share of questionable labeling. But while Beck is not exactly immune to criticism, being compared to far-right firebrand Alex Jones is apparently where he draws the line and decides to speak out.

In a segment titled “Maddow’s Intellectual Integrity Questioned,” Beck plays soundbites of the MSNBC host calling out a number of conspiracy theories and labeling them the “Glenn Beck-Alex Jones view of the world.” Beck says that he has never been called a conspiracy theorist in his life.

“Instead, I have debunked the 9/11 conspiracy stuff. We did an entire show on the Sandy Hook stuff. I received death threats because of the debunking of the Sandy Hook thing from the Alex Jones people,” Beck said. “So to put us into this group is so ridiculous.”

Maddow has ripped Jones in the past, most recently over his belief that the Boston bombings constituted a “false flag,” opining that they were an inside job, and even going so far as to suggest that the Oklahoma tornado that devastated Moore last month was caused by a governmental “weather weapon.”

She has also hosted segments on fringe conspiracy theories that made their way into Republican politics.

Defending Beck, co-host Steve Burguiere said: ”In her effort to come up with one thing that you’re a conspiracy theorist on, she came up with none. All of the examples were all things that you didn’t believe and have been on the air saying you don’t believe for years.”

You can check out a video of Beck’s response to Rachel Maddow here.

[Images via: Gage Skidmore, Paul Schultz]

Glenn Beck Slams Rachel Maddow Over Alex Jones Comparison is a post from: The Inquisitr

Talk show host Wendy Williams is riding hight at the moment. The talk show host’s daytime talk platform was just renewed through the 2017 season and she has just released her sixth book, Ask Wendy. 

If you are unfamiliar with her talk show the segment Ask Wendy is one of the shows highlights. The segments involve everything from dealing with backstabbing friends to cutting off deadbeat boyfriends, and everything in between

The new book talks about everything from body image and office etiquette to style and wild sex questions.

Wendy Williams recently sat down with theGrio to open up about her struggle with weight loss, a big topic in the Ask Wendy book.

According to Williams:

“I could lie to you and tell you that I’m fine with the way that I am right now, but the fact is my parents have done a number on me. And that number will forever have me pinching an inch, checking in the mirror and obsessing over calories for the rest of my life… I’ve been on a diet every single day of my life.”

Wendy Williams is currently being called the “queen of daytime talk” but she has long said Oprah Winfrey didn’t inspire her to jump into the talk show game. Talking about the lady she is largely replacing on network TV Williams says:

“Hats off to all the woman and men who did it before me. Especially Oprah, because she was the first one to grab the brass ring and not just take ownership of her show, but turn everything she is into what culminates into a billion dollar business, which is fantastic. But I just want my fair slice of the pie here on daytime.”

You can pick up Ask Wendy at national retailers and you can turn in Monday through Friday to watch her chat up guests and fans.

If you need a good laugh Wendy Williams almost always appears on The Soup segments thanks to her often outrageous segments and choice of words.

Wendy Williams Talks Weight Loss And Oprah Winfrey is a post from: The Inquisitr

The River Walk duck killers reward has been raised to $15,000. Two men are believed to be responsible for the death and torture of George, the beloved San Antonio, Texas, duck.

George was well known to patrons of the River Walk area. He like to walk around and greet visitors who shopped and dined in the area. Last week he was hanging out around the Original Mexican Restaurant.

As reported by WOAI, two men approached George the duck and began to kick and beat him. He was then strangled and thrown into the river. The city of San Antonio is mourning the loss of the River Walk’s unofficial mascot, and they want to find the men responsible for his death.

Surveillance cameras captured footage of two men carrying George’s lifeless body. The two suspects met with four other men before carelessly tossing the body into the river.

Unfortunately, the footage is not clear enough for authorities to identify the suspects. They are counting on help from anyone who may recognize the men. Several organizations have come together in support of the investigation. Animal Care Services, Crime Stoppers, the Humane Society, and Habitat Action Network Defense have all donated time and money to the investigation into George’s violent death.

The duck killers reward has been raised to $15,000. Authorities are asking anyone with information to please contact local law enforcement or crime stoppers.

As reported by KENS5, a local artist has created a watercolor portrait of George the duck. Ginette Callaway painted the portrait, which includes the words “In memory of George who loved everyone and was murdered. RIP.” Any proceeds from the sale of the painting will be contributed to the reward fund.

The painting, which is available on ebay, has received 30 bids. The current bid is over $200. A Facebook group has also been started to offer updates, support, and information on the investigation into George’s death.

The duck killers reward has increased to $15,000, highlighting how much he was respected and loved by everyone.

[Images via Wikimedia and Facebook]

Duck Killers Reward Raised To $15,000 is a post from: The Inquisitr

A brilliant marketing campaign in Brazil has made chemotherapy — an arduous prospect even for adults — into “superformula” for superheroes in need of regenerating their powers, in a move that will hopefully spread to other children’s treatment facilities worldwide.

The superhero superformula story has been huge in geek realms, and it’s easy to see why. Everyone loves comics and superheroes, and the idea of kids having a less clinical and more imaginative hospital stay due to a clever bit of branding makes the idea of kids battling cancer ever so slightly more palatable.

A.C.Camargo Cancer Center in São Paulo, Brazil, has also undergone a makeover — becoming the Hall of Justice, with the theme carried throughout the ward in partnership with D.C. Comics. A press release from agency JWT, the ad agency in part responsible, explains:

“Covers for intravenous bags were constructed based on characters from the Justice League, creating … a child-friendly version of the treatment. Co-developed with doctors, the covers are easy to sterilize and handle and meet all hospital hygiene standards … (The) experience went far beyond the covers by also providing a new look to the entire Children’s Ward: the game room was turned into the Hall of Justice, corridors and doors were decorated in the same theme, and the exterior acquired an exclusive entrance for these little heroes.”

The boxes that hold IV bags of chemo solution are brightly colored and superhero themed, and children learn about the “superformula” before their treatments.

The hospital in Brazil isn’t the first to recently boost the morale of ailing kids with superheroes. Another hospital recently utilized window washers dressed as comic book legends to brighten the stays of kids in their facilities.

The superhero superformula idea has gone over overwhelmingly well across the web, with many sharing the upbeat concept on sites like Twitter:

Would be awesome to implement something like this locally Superformula to Fight Cancer: youtu.be/KC2y3s-MCMs #illustration #social

— Lab 206 (@Lab206) May 29, 2013

Kids with cancer join the Justice League at one Brazilian hospital: dly.do/ZRI8uj

— The Daily Dot (@dailydot) June 6, 2013

Do you think the superhero superformula chemo rebranding for kids should be implemented within more hospitals?

Cancer Stricken Kids Given Superhero ‘Superformula’ Chemo To ‘Regenerate Powers’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

Miguel’s unfortunate “leg drop” incident was planned all along, and no one tried to stop him.

According to TMZ, Miguel actually practiced his dramatic flying leap from stage to stage twice during rehearsals for his performance at the Billboard Music Awards. When he actually jumped, he botched the landing and came down hard on audience member’s Khyati Shah.

Shah may be facing possible brain damage after the infamous “leg drop” incident.

The singer’s reps told the gossip rag that Billboard Music Awards producers didn’t tell Miguel that he couldn’t perform the stunt, even though earlier reports suggested that they had warned him against the jump. A rep for the singer also said that the show’s producers even asked Miguel about the stunt so that it could be captured on camera perfectly.

This sentiment is seemingly corroborated by the video of the singer’s performance, as it very clearly cuts to and shows the unfortunate leap right in the nick of time. If Miguel’s version is the truth, then it puts the onus on Billboard’s reps who appear to be covering their own butts.

So it’s pretty much a he-said, he-said argument between Miguel and Billboard, and it is currently unclear who Shah will target if she chooses to sue. Her attorney says that she is suffering from “difficulties” that suggest “a neurological head injury” and that she hasn’t ruled out suing if her medical exams confirm her suspicions.

Her lawyer seems to suggest that the injury is more Billboard’s fault that Miguel’s. After the “leg drop,” she was given an ice pack and given the opportunity to appear backstage with Miguel for an interview.

What do you think of Miguel’s infamous “leg drop” incident? Who should be held responsible is Shah truly has brain damage? Sound off!

Miguel Leg Drop Conspiracy: ‘Billboard Never Said I Couldn’t Jump’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

Karl Malone and Michael Jordan had quite a rivalry on the court, and it appears the tension between the two NBA greats continues into retirement.

Though Jordan beat Malone in consecutive NBA finals, the Utah Jazz great said he would pass over Air Jordan in creating an  all-time starting five list.

During an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show, Karl Malone talked about LeBron James and the best players of all time. When asked who he would put on the floor to assemble the greatest possible lineup, Malone had John Stockton and Oscar Robertson at guards, Wilt Chamberlain at center, LeBron at power forward, and Scottie Pippen at small forward.

Karl Malone said Michael Jordan didn’t carry the Bulls the way Scottie could.

“Scottie Pippen led the team in every statistical category while he was there without Michael Jordan,” Malone explained. “That’s why I have to put him there. So now you know.”

Malone’s preference for Pippen shouldn’t be too much of a surprise. In an interview last year in anticipation of a Dream Team documentary, he again said he would take Jordan’s sidekick over Jordan.

“I would have to start my team with Scottie Pippen,” Malone said according to CSNChicago.com. “This is why I would take Scottie: Do you remember the time that Michael retired? I watched Scottie Pippen when the Chicago Bulls weren’t really good and Scottie led that team in every statistical category, and I just remembered that. Plus, he’s a guy who could care less about scoring. He wants to stop the best player on the other team. That would have been pretty cool, to see Scottie guarding Michael.”

It isn’t just Karl Malone who thinks Michael Jordan isn’t the best all-time. His own coach, Phil Jackson, said he would pick Bill Russell over Jordan if he had to select one player to build a team around.

Karl Malone Snubs Michael Jordan On All-Time Starting Five List is a post from: The Inquisitr

Samuel L. Jackson is raising money for Alzheimer’s research and to gain some attention he has recorded a famous monologue from Breaking Bad. 

The Snakes on a Plane actor took to YouTube this week to record some of the lines made infamous by Bryan Cranston.

In raising money for Alzheimer’s research Jackson took to Reddit and asked fans what he could do to earn more donations.

One of the most popular requests was that Samuel J. Jackson read the I am the one who knocks scene from the popular AMC series.

After watching the awesome clip fans are now asking Bryan Cranston to read the famous “Ezekiel” scene from Pulp Fiction.

When donations for Alzheimer’s research hit the $175,000 mark Samuel L. Jackson says he will record personal voicemail messages for three randomly selected fans.

If a voicemail message from the A-list actor isn’t enough, a donation registers you for a chance to win a trip to England where a lunch meeting with Jackson will be held. The winner also received an invitation to attend an Alzheimer’s benefit.

I know you are probably eagerly waiting to hear Samuel L. Jackson perform the Breaking Bad monologue so here it is:

The video has received more than 86,000 pageviews and continues to receive plenty of attention.

On the YouTube page which is run by PrizeoTV the description reads:

Visit http://www.prizeo.com/samuelntw to win a lunch with Samuel L. Jackson and donate to the Alzheimer’s Association!

What did you think of Samuel L. Jacksons reading of the Breaking Bad monologue?

Samuel L. Jackson Performs ‘Breaking Bad’ Monologue [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

6,000 gallons of Scotch were dumped Tuesday when a tanker truck overturned in an accident in Woodbridge, New Jersey. Fire Chief Dan Gregan of the Fords Fire Company told local media that a B-Line Trucking tanker truck clipped a telephone pole, bounced off a parked Cadillac, and then overturned.

As a result of the accident, either the spill of the diesel fuel or the 6,000 gallons of Scotch itself caught fire. In addition to the fire company, police, Hazmat workers, and the Woodbridge Office of Emergency Management coordinator responded to the scene.

Fortunately, for all concerned, the fire was put out quickly, with no harm done to the mixed residential and commercial neighborhood other than a rather powerful scent of scotch, fuel, and fire. Although the Fords firefighters responded almost instantly from their nearby station and had the fire out within moments before it could spread, township workers  needed about six hours to clear the resulting mess.

The truck driver reportedly only had minor injuries.  However, he was brought to Raritan Bay Medical Center, Perth Amboy Division to make sure that he’d be OK.

The local police authorities haven’t actually confirmed the identity or brand of the booze in the tanker truck in question, but it’s widely being reported to have been about 6,000 gallons of Scotch.

If true, 6,000 must be an unlucky number for Scotch drinkers. In early March, The Inquisitr reported on a sad story where 6,000 gallons of Chivas Brothers Scotch was accidentally dumped by employees at a bottling plant in Scotland. Ouch.

Here’s a tweet from the scene of Tuesday’s smelly accident:

@middlesex_nj the fiberglass was on fire. They finally took it away. Fire trucks left twitter.com/Redheadsays/st…

— LoriK (@Redheadsays) June 4, 2013

You’ll have to excuse me now while I go sniffle a bit over the spilled 6,000 gallons of Scotch.

[photo by Aleksandra Pikalova via Shutterstock]

6,000 Gallons Of Scotch Dumped When Truck Overturns, Catches Fire is a post from: The Inquisitr

Is English funnyman Ricky Gervais our next Oscars host?

Gervais has been rumored as a front-runner for hosting the 2014 Oscars, but said that he’d only take the job if the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences agree to his terms.

“I doubt the job offer would come without some strings attached,” Gervais said of the potential for hosting the Oscars.

“The worst string being, handing in my credentials as a comedian in favor of a family entertainer. We have to be able to poke fun at society without favoring any part of it because we are beholden to someone. And it’s a fine line between feeling like you’ve sold your soul and feeling like you’re ruining someone’s party. It would be very temping though, I must admit.”

Still, if the invitation is officially extended, Gervais said that he would be “incredibly flattered.”

“It would be a thrill and an honor,” he said. So far, no official announcement on an Oscars 2014 host has been made, but we know that this year’s host, Seth MacFarlane, will not be returning.

“Traumatized critics exhale: I’m unable to do the Oscars again,” MacFarlane said. “Tried to make it work schedule-wise, but I need sleep.”

Gervais has offered to host the Oscars before. ”I’ll do it,” he said in 2011 after Eddie Murphy bowed out. “I’ll do that as well. I’ll be in town any way for the [Golden] Globes.”

Billy Crystal took up hosting duties in 2012 instead of Murphy.

Gervais also has some award show hosting experience, having emcee’d the Golden Globes twice already.

What do you think? Would Ricky Gervais be a good Oscar host, or would he be, to put it bluntly, just an English version of Seth MacFarlane? Sound off!

[Image via: Featureflash / Shutterstock]

Ricky Gervais Calls Oscars Hosting Gig ‘Very Tempting’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

In Rochester, a family says their kids were “drunk” after a restaurant accidentally served the children mimosas instead of orange juice during a Sunday brunch.

The parents allege their kids got drunk over the weekend at Bazil restaurant upstate in New York. Jeremy and Dawn DeRoo didn’t realize at first that their children were tying one on during the outing, but the 7-year-old complained of a funny taste in the OJ. Dawn says she sampled the beverage but put the kid’s complaint down to differing brands.

When fellow diners complained that their juice, too, tasted off — identifying the difference being the drink was a mimosa — the couple alerted the waitress who apologized and replaced the cocktails with milk.

However, the issue of the kids’ drunk at brunch was not addressed beyond a drink replacement, and the parents say their ordeal didn’t end there.

A local news source reports that the family contacted police, but cops said the incident was a mistake and that such occurrences are not considered criminal in nature. DeRoo is angry, though, saying the kids “appeared hungover” and slept all day Monday.

Jeremy fumes:

“That’s not good enough for parents having kids, drunk and sleeping all day. It’s not fair. These little kids shouldn’t have any alcohol period.”

Danny Daniele owns Bazil, and he says he later contacted the DeRoos to apologize for the drunk kids mixup, offer the family a refund on the meal they consumed Sunday, and explain what steps were being taken in light of the situation that day.

Daniele explained that Sunday was Bazil’s first ever brunch service, and juice containers have since been relabeled to avoid the embarrassing situation in the future. DeRoo says the family does not plan to sue, but admits they are still unsettled that their kids were inadvertently served booze at brunch.

Do you think the drunk kids restaurant mixup is an understandable mistake, or should the issue be addressed more seriously?

Kids Drunk, Restaurant Accidentally Serves Mimosas, Causing ‘Hangovers’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

Nintendo will be revealing Super Smash Bros. Wii U gameplay for the first time during E3 2013.

Super Smash Bros. has always been one of Nintendo’s aces in the hole. On the Nintendo 64, it gave gamers the chance to take such favorite characters as Link from The Legend of Zelda, Mario, Samus Aran from Metroid, and even the powder puff Kirby, and beat the bejeezus out of the rest in dynamic stages with multiple platforms and special moves. It was a hit every time it was released on any console, introducing the insanity levels of Power Stone and combining it with the side-scrolling fighting action of the then-popular fighting game genre.

Between Super Smash Bros. and Mario Party, Nintendo was able to keep the otherwise flagging Nintendo 64 afloat in a console war being waged among disc-based systems. Most of their first-party games helped in that scenario, alongside first-person shooter gems GoldenEye 64 and Perfect Dark.

The Wii U is the latest console to feel the strain that its predecessor did, just waiting for more games to give it a boost and make it relevant. Super Smash Bros. is once again here to help save the day, and at Nintendo’s Direct webcast for E3 2013, they are offering a first glimpse of the game for the Wii U.

Designer Masahiro Sakurai announced today in a tweet, translated from Japanese, “I should note: In the Nintendo Direct scheduled for 11 [pm] on June 11, a new video of Smash Bros. will be unveiled for the first time. [It will be shown] simultaneously worldwide, here for the first time! Don’t miss it.”

Masahiro Sakurai is of course referring to the time in Japan, as the E3 2013 Nintendo Direct webcast is being planned here in the US for June 11, at 10am EST.

It should be interesting to see a high definition Super Smash Bros. title and see what Nintendo is adding this time around for the Wii U. Perhaps they put in more Pokemon, say from X and Y, this time around?

Are you excited about Nintendo’s Direct E3 2013 webcast reveal of the new Super Smash Bros.?  What do you think Nintendo might be adding this time around?

‘Super Smash Bros.’: E3 2013 Nintendo Direct To Host First Coverage is a post from: The Inquisitr