Beyoncé's Pregnant With Twins: Questions People Are Asking After the Bombshell Announcement!
Beyoncé is officially a legend of the surprise reveal.
On Wednesday, the "Formation" singer casually broke the news on Instagram that she and Jay Z are not just welcoming one but two new siblings for 5-year-old Blue Ivy Carter.
Now that Beyoncé's announcement is full on breaking
the internet, we find ourselves asking a few questions in the aftermath
of the double baby bump bombshell. 1. Will she perform at the GRAMMYs?
GRAMMY producer Ken Ehrlich played coy to ET on Tuesday if the 35-year-old pop star to take the stage on Feb. 12.
Good news is, Beyoncé hasn't let a baby bump deter
her from performing before. In fact, the singer broke the news that she
and Jay Z were pregnant with Blue Ivy with a major shocker during her
"Love on Top" performance at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards. 2. Does this affect her upcoming Coachella gig?
This has to be in the back of everyone's mind who's been gearing up for Beychella 2017.
ET has reached out to Bey's and the festival's reps, but fans can likely make Lemonade, as she'll likely
be around six months pregnant during the two week music and arts event
-- far away enough from her due date for her to slay all night in the
Saturday headlining slot. 3. What is the story behind that photo shoot?
Beyoncé's pregnancy reveal photo can only be described as an amazingly bizarre masterpiece that truly only she could pull off.
We really just want to know everything we can
about this. Who art directed it? Who did the floral arrangement? And
how quickly will the Beyhive's expectant mothers co-opt it for their own
pregnancy announcements in the style of Bey? 4. How can you ever top Blue Ivy as a name?
We'd have to imagine it will be difficult,
given that Blue Ivy is one of the all-time great celebrity baby names,
but if Beyoncé didn't make a habit of blowing our expectations out of
the water, then she wouldn't be Beyoncé.
Given Blue Ivy's connection to the roman
numeral IV, the basics in us go immediately to Red Vee, and Purple Vye,
but those 100 percent will not be the names. 5. Are her kids the future Destiny's Child?
Er... Destiny's Children.
This one's a bit presumptuous, but if it comes to pass, remember this story during the 2035 GRAMMY Awards. 6. Why are twins such a pop star thing?
Mariah Carey, J.Lo, and now Queen Bey joins the echelon of titans of pop who are welcoming two babies at once. 7. What will the gender(s) be?
Three little girls sounds SO adorable (see:
Destiny's Child: The Next Generation) earlier, but so does one or two
little Sean Carter Jr.'s running around! This will honestly probably be a
win no matter what the outcome. 8. Will the Internet ever recover?
After Beyoncé's announcement, the internet's reaction was both swift and incredible. Here are some of the best responses:
"I am pregnant with
333.3333333333333333333333333333333333333 triplets," Chrissy Teigen
joked on Twitter. "But really. Congrats to my best friend Beyonce I love
you so much. Hive forever."
Serena Williams, 35, is now just won major championship behind the
legendary Margaret Court - who won 24 majors but more than half of those
(13) came before 1968 when amateurs also participated in the events.
Serena Williams broke Steffi Graf's record for career Grand Slam
titles in the modern era Saturday when she defeated sister Venus
Williams 6-4, 6-4 for the Australian Open title.
The victory also pushed Serena Williams back to No. 1 in the world
rankings, a spot she fell out of in September when she was ousted from
the U.S. Open.
The win was the 23rd Grand Slam tournament win for Serena Williams,
and it marked the seventh time in her career she was won the Australian
Open. The sisters have met in Grand Slam finals nine times, and Serena
has won seven of those nine titles.
Serena Williams has a 17-11 mark against her older sister and has dominated the Grand Slam matches 10-5.
Venus Williams is 36, and the sisters' combined age of 71 years and
11 months made this the "oldest" Grand Slam women's final of the Open
era in terms of age.
We all come in different shapes and sizes. Some of us are tall. Some
of us are short. Some of us are D cups. Some of us are A cups. And, of
course, some of us have small thighs... and some of us have big thighs.
Maybe
you got your thighs from years of dance and other activities in which
you constantly were doing exercises to make your legs stronger... or
maybe you were born with it. Whatever the case, you've got thighs. Here are 10 struggles every lady with strong thighs probably understands: 1. Your pants always fall down so by default, you hate pants.
You need to buy a size that fits your thighs, which means the pants
will be way too big everywhere else, and you'll end up pulling them up
alllll day long. Not even a belt can save you. 2. Rompers? Nahhhh. Those are obviously just for tall people with lanky legs. 3. Wearing shorts.
Just the act of wearing shorts in general is terrifying to you. In
order to find shorts that actually fit around your thighs without
cutting off your circulation, you have to go up a size, which is just
not OK. Same goes for spandex shorts... or soffee shorts. Soffee shorts
were OK, though, because they left room for your thighs to breathe as
long as, again, you went a size up. Thank god for the invention of
high-waisted yoga pants. 4. Chafing. A thigh gap
was never in the cards for you, so your thighs touch each other when in
shorts or a dress... and they chafe. They chafe so bad. Just thinking
about the rash that will appear on your inner thighs when summer rolls
around makes you cringe. Help. 5. Running. Due to chafing and the constant slapping of your thighs against one another, running can get real annoying, real fast. 6. You often find yourself comparing your thighs to thighs of the opposite sex. And when a guy has smaller thighs than you (which is pretty standard), you immediately want to curl up in a ball. 7. Bikinis.
Even if the rest of your body is tiny and fit, exposing your bare
thighs to the world is still your nightmare. And finding the perfect
bottoms? It's not easy. It's actually the worst. 8. The "Hot Dogs or Legs" Game. Your thighs will never look like hot dogs, no matter what Instagram filter you use. Turkey sausage, on the other hand...
Look at it this way, most would prefer turkey sausage over hot dogs nowadays, right? 9. Crossing your legs.
The bigger the thighs, the harder it is to cross your legs. This is the
ultimate big thigh struggle. Even if you CAN cross your legs, chances
are it's not comfortable. The real struggle: When you want to cross your
legs, but there is a surface (for example, a table) stopping you from
doing so because you need to lift your leg higher than that surface.
Also, deciding what to do with your legs at a job interview. Or any time
you're wearing a dress. The struggle is real, people. 10. Waiting for thighs to have their moment.
Big butts had a moment. Big boobs had a moment. Even big arms had a
moment (or are having a moment). What about big thighs?! When are they
going to have a moment? Let's start a motion!
No matter your size,
you should embrace your body and flaunt when you got. And if what you
got is thighs, then you should be proud to flaunt them. After all, thick
thighs are strong thighs, and strong IS the new skinny.
400-year-old church emerges After Water Level Drops
The remains of a mid-16th century church known
as the Temple of Santiago is visible from the surface of the Grijalva
River, near the town of Nueva Quechula, in Chiapas state, Mexico, Oct.
16, 2015.
(AP Photo/David von Blohn)
Huh, this wasn't there last year—a 16th-century church
emerging from the waters of a Mexican reservoir. But it actually makes
sense, because drought has caused the water level to fall 82 feet in the
Nezahualcoyotl reservoir, revealing a church that was flooded during
construction of a dam nearly 40 years ago, the AP reports.
Known as the Temple of Santiago, the building is about
half-way visible in the watershed to the Grijalva river. This isn't the
first time the church has resurfaced: In fact, the water level got so
low in 2002 that people could actually walk inside: "The people
celebrated. They came to eat, to hang out, to do business. I sold them
fried fish," says a fisherman who's now offering Temple of Santiago boat
tours.
The church harks back to colonial times, when the Spanish
friar Bartolome de las Casas showed up with a group of monks who built
the Temple of Santiago, the Independent reports.
Las Casas, the first bishop of Chiapas, initially believed
in subjugating the native people, but later argued for abolishing
slavery and helped persuade King Charles of Spain to grant the natives
their freedom, notes Latin American History.
But when conquistadors and settlers revolted, Charles
reversed much of the new legislation. As for the church, it was
abandoned during plagues of the 1770s, an architect says.
Re-discovered in the 20th century, he says, it contained
"a large ossuary of the victims of the plague that depopulated the
area." (In the US, drought is causing Lake Mead to give up a few secrets, too.) This article originally appeared on Newser: 400-Year-Old Church Emerges in Reservoir
When
eaten on a regular basis, foods with anti-inflammatory properties can
help reduce inflammation in the body, helping to prevent the long-term
health consequences associated with it — but only if you also eliminate
the foods that cause inflammation. When inflammation is under control,
not only will you have more energy and feel better overall, but you’ll
also find that weight loss and reduction of belly fat both become
easier!
Try adding anti-inflammatory foods into your meal plan on a daily
basis. The more often you eat these foods, the less inflammation that
will be present in your body. The following foods and nutrients can
fight inflammation:
All fruits and vegetables, due to their rich
nutrient and fiber content, help to combat chronic inflammation, so make
sure to include adequate amounts of these foods daily. Some types of
fresh produce, however, are even more potent than others.
Some terrific anti-inflammatory fruits and vegetables to include in
your meal plan include apples, berries, broccoli, mushrooms, papaya,
pineapple, and spinach.
This mild beverage is great for helping shrink
your waistline as well as for decreasing inflammation. The flavonoids in
this tea have natural anti-inflammatory properties. And the compound
EGCG in green tea has been shown to help reduce body fat.
These heart-healthy fats help raise your
healthy HDL cholesterol levels and reduce overall inflammation. Great
sources include olive oil, almonds, and avocado.
Research has shown that a diet with a high
percentage of omega-3 fatty acids and a low percentage of omega-6 fatty
acids has been linked with decreased inflammation. Food sources of
omega-3s include walnuts, flaxseed, and fish, such as wild Alaskan
salmon.
Certain spices, including garlic, turmeric,
cinnamon, ginger, and chili peppers, have potent inflammation-reducing
capabilities, so try adding them to meals as often as possible.
Staying hydrated is essential to flushing inflammation-causing toxins out of your body. Aim for 64 ounces of water per day. Remember: Add an additional 8 ounces of water for every 30 minutes of exercise as well.
Rich in fiber, whole grains help control the
insulin response in your body. The high B vitamin content of whole
grains also helps reduce the inflammatory hormone homocystine in the body.
From Lesbianism To S&M, Transparent Explores Sexuality in Unique Ways.
Transparent Season 1 introduced us to the Pfeffermans.
Season 2 helped us to get to know them much better — the women, in
particular. This season is devoted to themes of physical discovery,
female sexual empowerment and giving in to pleasure. It is so rare to
see a full season of television so committed to those ideas, and Transparent
is unique in allowing its female characters to truly explore their
sexualities and all of the complications that go along with that.
At the start of the season, the Pfefferman
women think they know what they want: Maura and Shelly are rekindling
their flame, Sarah is marrying Tammy and Ali wants to reconnect with
Syd. They're all on the right track, but their visions of happiness at
the start are a bit off base.
Maura is right about wanting to be in a relationship for
the first time since her transition, but Shelly has never been the right
woman for her. Sarah is right to be divorced from Len, but marrying
Tammy was never going to be the answer (blame it on her "f*** goggles,"
as Ali puts it). And Ali is right to start exploring her lesbian
desires, but she just isn't ready for a monogamous, long-term commitment
the way that Syd is.
So where do their journeys to self-discovery take the
Pfefferman women? And what might it mean for what will be in store for
them next season? Let's get to theorizing.
I was pretty excited to see Maura and Shelly back together
at the start of Season 2. They seemed so happy at the wedding, even as
the rest of the world crashed down around them. And at first glance, it
looked like this could truly be a new chapter for them. If Maura's
secrecy about her identity is what led to their relationship's demise,
maybe they really could begin anew now that she is living openly.
Maura's transition was never going to be enough, though.
She still can't handle Shelly's clinginess and indecisiveness, and
Shelly's sexual aggression is too much for Maura in this early stage of
her transition, as she is just beginning to get to know her body in an
authentic way. That moment in the bathtub was thrilling for Shelly, but
it pushed Maura too far. It underscored her sexual shyness and
embarrassment.
"Don't make me do this," she begs, reluctantly consenting to pleasuring her ex-wife for the first time in more than 20 years.
But even once Maura realizes that things with Shelly won't
work, she doesn't understand how to find something that will. Her
friends, Davina and Shea, are interested in "trans-amorous" men,
straight-identified men who fetishize transgender women. But Maura's not
interested in fetishization or men, and she's especially not interested
in men who want her to look or dress a certain way.
Her journey comes to a head at the Idyllwild Wimmin's Music
Festival — a stand-in for the recently disbanded Michigan Womyn's Music
Festival. Both Michfest and Idyllwild share a transphobic admissions
policy: only "women-born-women" (or cisgender women) are allowed to
attend. Maura realizes the policy too late, and though no one asks her
to leave, she chooses to do so — but not before hitching a ride with
Vicki, a supportive queer woman whose status as a breast cancer survivor
means that she doesn't see Maura's body parts as signifiers of her
gender.
When Maura and Vicki sleep together after leaving
Idyllwild, we see Maura experience sexual pleasure for the first time in
the entirety of the series. She takes it at her pace, she tells Vicki
what she does and does not want, and she allows herself to feel
satisfaction.
This is a huge turning point in Maura's journey — perhaps
the biggest step her character has taken in two seasons. Vicki might not
stick around for long, because, let's face it, none of the Pfeffermans
know how to manage long-term relationships. But now that Maura has seen
what she wants, and she knows how to find it, I anticipate that she'll
be feeling much more sexually fulfilled come Season 3.
Early in Season 2, it becomes clear that Sarah's not
interested in either of the romances that she pursued in Season 1. She's
not even particularly interested in dating. What she wants is sex, and
not necessarily sex with a man or with a woman, and not even necessarily
sexual intercourse. What Sarah wants is BDSM.
After her marriage with Tammy officially dies, she moves
into a tiny apartment close to Len's house, to be near the kids. This is
the first time Sarah has lived totally on her own in years — possibly
in her entire adult life — so she gets lonely fast. And when she does,
she turns to sexual fantasies of Mr. Irons, the high school
disciplinarian who wandered the halls with a paddle during Sarah's
youth.
The most fascinating element of Sarah's sexual fantasy
about Mr. Irons is that he never actually touches her. He just watches
her, and talks to her, and slaps his paddle against his hand. He doesn't
have to touch her; he exists solely for Sarah's own enjoyment. And
goodness, does she enjoy this fantasy.
But she struggles to implement it in real life. When she
has a date with Dr. Steve, her weed dealer, and asks him to enact her
fantasy, he does so goofily, not having any real desire to hurt her,
even consensually. Just because Dr. Steve is a man doesn't mean he knows
the first thing about dominance.
Like Maura, Sarah's transformation happens at Idyllwild.
She sees a woman leading another woman on a leash, and she follows them
to the festival's BDSM camp. The woman who so captivated Sarah's
attention is Pony, a pro-Dominatrix, who Sarah starts paying to see for
spankings and other impact play. She can't stop smiling when Pony slaps
her, so excited that her fantasy has become something tangible.
Sarah's transformation is about something much deeper than a
newfound interest in kink, however. After all, it's not a coincidence
that this desire is stirred within her once she begins life as a single
mother and starts to feel out of control in every aspect of her life.
The former superstar housewife can't focus on cooking or cleaning or PTA
events or any of the things that used to bring her joy. So she finds
joy in the lack of control, in the play of submission and powerlessness.
Sarah's starting to embrace the chaos and find her control in its
midst. She is going to be more empowered than ever come Season 3.
Ali's Season 1 journey was more dramatic than in Season 2,
but the changes she goes through this season can't be ignored. After
brushing off Syd's advances in last season's finale, she decides to make
amends, and, in the process, finds herself falling for Syd, her best
friend since childhood.
As Ali develops a comfort in Syd's lesbian community — and
in her bedroom — she also develops a friendship with Leslie Mackinaw, a
poet (and former colleague of Maura's) who may also make it possible for
Ali to pursue a master's in Gender Studies at UCLA. But Leslie's of a
different generation — she doesn't believe in monogamy, she doesn't
believe in age gaps, and she doesn't believe in taking things slowly. So
when she makes her interests obvious to Ali, Ali's interest is piqued.
That's not what Syd wants, though. Syd's comfortable in her
queerness and with women like Leslie; in Season 1, we learn that she's
already dated one of Ali's professors. Ali's a few too many steps behind
her, exploring her curiosities in a way that makes Syd deeply
uncomfortable. And Syd's discomfort isn't exactly misplaced; by the time
Syd calls off the relationship, Ali's interest in Leslie is already
firmly established.
You might be recognizing a pattern by now: Everything
culminates at Idyllwild. Ali likes Leslie's queer circle, and being in a
forest filled with women and music and sensuality drives her to
Leslie's tent late at night. They sleep together, convincing Ali more
than ever that her interest in women will not be fleeting.
The future of Ali's relationship with Leslie is left ambiguous, which
is for the best. Ali's new to lesbianism, and settling into a long-term
relationship with anyone probably isn't going to help her move forward
in deepening her self-awareness. Slowly, though, she is starting to
realize who she is and what she wants, and come next season, a lot of
her questions may have clearer answers.
Jessica Simpson made fashion waves during a recent trip to
New York City, but it wasn’t because of the skintight black cocktail
dress and stiletto sandals she was wearing — it was because she was
noticeably not wearing a bra.
Why everyone from boldfacers, like Selena Gomez (above), to regular New York women are ditching their brasPhoto: Pacific Coast News
Simpson is in good company. A half-century after the
bra-burning 1960s, what was once considered a political message has
suddenly become a fashion statement. While Drew Barrymore was ridiculed
for letting gravity get her down in a figure-hugging green Gucci gown at
the 2006 Golden Globes, today going braless is picking up steam among
fashionistas and boldfacers — Kendall Jenner and Jennifer Lawrence among
them. And regular women are following suit: According to market
research company NPD Group, bra sales in the US fell 3 percent in 2014
to $6.5 billion.
Leandra Medine of the blog Man Repeller stopped wearing bras
several years ago because they were uncomfortable and not necessary to
support her A-cup bust.
Jessica Simpson lets the girls out for the night.Photo: AKM-GSI
“I hated when sometimes they would show through my
button-down blouses,” says the 26-year-old. “As far as I can tell, the
slight glimpse of a nipple appears far more, dare I say, elegant when
peeping through my blouse than a bra does.”
For the most part, Medine says, people don’t even notice.
And while it’s more obvious when curvy women pink-slip their bras, it
hasn’t stopped them from getting onboard with the trend, too.
Nneya Richards ditched her bra about a year ago — despite her D-cup
size. “I’m not burning my bras or anything like that, but a pushup bra?
That’s just not the look I’m going for,” says the 29-year-old, who’s
styled shoots for fashion bibles like InStyle. “It looks like I’m trying
too hard.”
She finds bras uncomfortable, and it’s hard to find stylish options.
And she confesses to going bra-free in everything from a blouse for a
business meeting to a jumpsuit for a night out.
“When I do wear a bra, it’s for the fashion element of it, not for support,” says Richards.
Besides some stares — “It’s noticeable” — Richards says most of the
reactions she gets are positive, especially since she refrains from
being overly risqué, like wearing a sheer top sans bra, which seems to
be the last remaining taboo. “One woman came up to me recently and said,
‘You’re not wearing a bra! You go girl!’” she says.
J.Crew creative director Jenna Lyons goes bralessPhoto: WireImage
As women relinquish their bras, lingerie brands are eager to offer
in-between options — everything from bralettes to triangle bras to
everyday sports bras, a category that has grown to account for 20
percent of the market in dollars, according to NPD.
University of Pennsylvania graduates Marissa Vosper and Lauren Schwab left careers in consulting and finance to found Negative Underwear in 2014, an e-commerce brand that offers minimalist yet functional lingerie.
One of Negative’s top sellers is its $55 “Sieve” nonwire bralette, a semisheer mesh bra.
“We were fed up with our options,” Vosper says. “So many women we
spoke with when we were doing market research [said] the first thing
they do when they get home is rip off their bra.”
Ladies should consider cup size and the particular construction of a
top or dress when debating whether to ban the bra, says stylist Mary
Alice Stephenson. She advises using transparent fashion tape or having a
tailor add lining to the top of anything worn braless.
Don’t expect the trend to be fleeting. “If you’re comfortable, go for
it,” says Richards. “It’s about time we stopped nipple shaming.”
Selena Gomez is a fan of the braless look.
Photo: AKM-GSI
Photo: Splash News
"Hunger Games" star Jennifer Lawrence even goes braless on a glam night.
Photo: Getty Images
And with bestie Amy Schumer on a more casual day.
Photo: Splash News
No bra for the "Goop" queen Gwyneth Paltrow.
Photo: Getty Images
Of course, Kim Kardashian joined the trend.
Photo: INF
Even girl-next-door Jennifer Aniston leaves her bra at home.
