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  • Caroline Siede
    1:00 pm Fri, Mar 2, 2018
    All the songs from The Greatest Showman, ranked

    Though its lackluster opening weekend led many to dismiss it as dead on arrival, The Greatest Showman has gone on to become one of the biggest surprise success stories in film history. Hugh Jackman's gloriously over-the-top circus musical is now one of the highest grossing live-action movie musicals of all time and its soundtrack has been a consistent chart-topper. The film will make a victory lap at this Sunday's Oscars with what's sure to be a rousing performance of its nominated song "This Is Me." So what better way to celebrate The Greatest Showman than by pitting its songs against one another?

    Written by Dear Evan Hansen songwriting duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, every song on the Greatest Showman soundtrack is a bop in one way or another. In fact, I briefly considered making this list an 11-way tie. But tough choices have to be made, so without further adieu, here's my ranking of every song of The Greatest Showman soundtrack:

    11. "Never Enough (Reprise)"

    We really need to have a talk about which reprises should be included on a musical's soundtrack. Unless it's got the narrative resonance of the "My Strongest Suit (Reprise)" from Aida, you probably don't need it. That's especially true of this reprise of a song I have some pretty significant issues with anyway (see the next entry for more on that).

    10. "Never Enough"

    This wannabe Leona Lewis ballad is hands down the worst thing about The Greatest Showman, and that's saying something for a movie that tries to recontextualize P.T. Barnum as a hero of the oppressed. Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera set the bar for what fake opera music in a musical should sound like, and The Greatest Showman's version of opera singer Jenny Lind is no Christine Daaé. Plus I find it really odd that the film cast Rebecca Ferguson in this relatively small, singing-heavy role but then had someone else do her singing (The Voice finalist Loren Allred). The bigger problem, however, is that I just don't believe Jenny's gesticulation-heavy performance of this lackluster ballad would make Barnum fall in love with her, which is theoretically the whole reason this song exists in the first place.

    9. "A Million Dreams (Reprise)"

    Another reprise that works fine in the film, but which definitely didn't need to be included on the soundtrack. Still, it's not "Never Enough" and that's good enough for me.

    8. "Tightrope"

    I found this song pretty forgettable the first time I saw The Greatest Showman, but I've come to appreciate it during the many, many hours I've spent listening to the film's soundtrack. In fact, I think it works better as a standalone track than it does within the film, where it gets a bit lost in the shuffle. "Tightrope" blends its music box melody with an indie pop sound, both of which are complemented quite well by Michelle Williams' voice. Plus I'm always a fan of giving woefully underwritten wife characters a moment to shine. In the end, however, "Tightrope" just doesn't feel like an essential part of The Greatest Showman experience.

    7. "Come Alive"

    "Come Alive" is neither the best nor the worst song in The Greatest Showman, but it does win the distinction of being the most baffling. Most of The Greatest Showman's songs use a modern pop sound to bridge the gap between the movie's 19th century setting and our contemporary world. But for some inexplicable reason "Come Alive" is just a straight-up '80s dance track. It sounds like something Baby and Johnny would've rehearsed to in Dirty Dancing or that Footloose's Ren McCormack would've cut loose to at prom. In other words: Gloria Estefan called and she wants her song back. I also have some quibbles about the fact that "Come Alive" opens with a metaphor about zombies, which definitely weren't a cultural touchstone in the 19th century. On the other hand, I've yet to listen this song without feeling compelled to get up and dance, which definitely counts for something in my book.

    6. "The Greatest Show"

    Let's circle back to the idea of reprises for a second. Despite the fact that performances of "The Greatest Show" bookend the film, the song only appears once on the soundtrack as its opening track, which blends the two movie versions together. Though I appreciate that this hybrid version gets The Greatest Showman soundtrack off to an exhilarating start, a final reprise could've helped end the soundtrack on a high note too. That being said, "The Greatest Show" definitely does its job establishing The Greatest Showman's contemporary pop sound. While I don't love the song's aggressive, stomp-heavy opening, its chorus is catchy as hell. Plus I tear up every time I hear Zac Efron and Zendaya take over the lead vocal from Hugh Jackman. The show must go on, indeed!

    5. "Rewrite the Stars"

    Admittedly, this impassioned Efron/Zendaya duet doesn't fully soar without the film's breathtaking aerial choreography to accompany it. It's a solid enough pop song filled with the kind of drama and longing that musicals thrive on. But it's made truly unforgettable by its thrilling, inventive visuals, which see the two would-be lovers swooping around each other on ropes and hoops. "Rewrite the Stars" takes advantage of The Greatest Showman's circus setting in a way few of its other production numbers do. It also makes me wish the movie had cut the whole Jenny Lind plot and just given Efron and Zendaya more screentime instead.

    4. "A Million Dreams"

    It's hard to pinpoint exactly what makes this song so appealing. I don't really love any of its vocal performances and the lyrics are pretty unimaginative. But "A Million Dreams" features a mixture of yearning, resilience, and joy that makes it an engaging, infectious listen. Plus it builds in a really satisfying way, literally taking Barnum from childhood to adulthood. It's not a song I would necessarily love if I just heard it on the radio, but it fits perfectly within The Greatest Showman's overly sincere world. That being said, I do have to dock the song some major points for having Barnum's wife literally sing the line, "However big, however small / Let me be part of it all." Come on Charity, let's aim a little higher than that!

    3. "This Is Me"

    As an anthem and statement of purpose, The Greatest Showman couldn't ask for a better song than "This Is Me." The defiant number comes in response to a rare moment in which the film actually depicts Barnum in a less-than-ideal light. It's a perfect all-purpose "fuck the haters" anthem, and Broadway star Keala Settle absolutely knocks it out of the park. Just try to get through this workshop footage without crying:

    2. "From Now On"

    Not since Les Mis has Hugh Jackman's strained belt gotten such a stellar showcase. "From Now On" both looks and sounds like a lost song from the musical version of Once, which I mean as a compliment. The only downside is that the soundtrack version's long, quiet intro and melancholy ending keep it from fully working as a standalone track. That also means the Greatest Showman soundtrack kind of peters out with this as its final song, which, again, is why we needed a reprise of "The Greatest Show" to round things out. At its best, however, "From Now On" is folksy but passionate song that reflects the way Barnum has come to appreciate the simpler things in life (like riding an elephant to his daughter's ballet recital). It also strikes a nice balance between letting Jackman shine while still celebrating the ensemble around him. There's some great workshop footage of this one too:

    1. "The Other Side"

    The entire reason movie musicals exist is to give us scenes of two men who just can't quit each other doing synchronized choreography in top hats, and The Greatest Showman doesn't disappoint. While his soaring love song with Zendaya offers star-crossed romance, Zac Efron's friction-filled duet with Hugh Jackman provides pure sexual chemistry. It's also the only song in the movie that actually feels like it belongs in a musical. While the other tracks rely on nebulous pop song imagery, "The Other Side" uses its lyrics to build character, establish a relationship, and move the plot along. Jackman and Efron are both at the top of their showman game, the bar-set choreography is absolutely fantastic, and the moment the duo finally start singing in harmony is the sexiest thing on the entire soundtrack.

    Agree or disagree with my choices? Just want to talk about how The Greatest Showman is the best movie of all time? Come chat with me on Twitter!

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  • Caroline Siede
    5:00 am Fri, Mar 2, 2018
    Black Panther writer Nnedi Okorafor helps imagine a signature Wakandan dish

    Tasty teamed up with award-winning sci-fi novelist and Black Panther comics writer Nnedi Okorafor (Black Panther: Long Live the King) to imagine what a signature dish from the fictional African nation Wakanda might be like. Of course, M'Baku would have to make a vegetarian version for himself.

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  • Caroline Siede
    4:58 am Fri, Mar 2, 2018
    Avoiding unsolicited advice is the key to a strong friendship

    Here's some unsolicited advice: Try avoiding unsolicited advice! At least that's the recommendation of Anna Akana, who realized she would too often respond to her friends' emotional woes by making suggestions about what they should do. After spotting this pattern, Akana decided to change her conversational style and found that her friendships dramatically improved. Now instead of offering advice, Akana just tries to be a supportive sounding board by saying things like, "How does that make you feel?", "Wow, that sounds really hard, how are you handling it?", and "I totally understand why you're upset. What do you think you're going to do?" You can watch Akana explain her new friendship philosophy right here:

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  • Caroline Siede
    4:58 am Fri, Mar 2, 2018
    Watch Zach Galifianakis make the weirdest talk show entrance ever

    Famed weirdo Zach Galifianakis decided to make an Alien-style entrance on his latest Conan appearance.

    [via The A.V. Club]

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  • Caroline Siede
    3:22 am Fri, Mar 2, 2018
    Film noir gets a hilarious send-up in the short film "The Case Of The Gilded Lily"

    When it comes to artists producing smart, genre-hopping comedy, one of my favorite up-and-coming groups is Shipwrecked Comedy. Shipwrecked previously produced the delightful literary comedy series Edgar Allan Poe's Murder Mystery Dinner Party, and the group's latest project is a film noir parody/homage called The Case Of The Gilded Lily. Written by and starring brother/sister duo Sean and Sinead Persaud, the short film follows hardboiled private eye Ford Phillips and fast-talking junior reporter Fig Wineshine as they become embroiled in a case involving a Hollywood starlet. You can watch the full short film right here:

    The Case Of The Gilded Lily is a funny, lovingly made treat for film noir fans. Shipwrecked also released a behind-the-scenes video about the film's development and production:

    You can watch more on Shipwrecked's YouTube channel.

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  • Caroline Siede
    10:16 am Thu, Mar 1, 2018
    Organization nerds: Get inspired by these bullet journal flip-through videos

    As Boing Boing has written about before, there's something really satisfying about keeping a handwritten journal. And a concept called "bullet journaling" is currently all the rage when it comes to freeform, customizable life organization. Back in 2016, BuzzFeed published a helpful look at what bullet journaling is and how it works. As the article explains:

    The main idea behind the bullet journal is that you jot down quick notes instead of writing long sentences. The bullet journal website calls this "rapid logging," which makes it sound WAY more complicated than it is. It's simply taking quick notes on any number of things, and then marking those notes with simple symbols to easily categorize and track them.

    The BuzzFeed article goes on to add:

    I like bullet journaling because it's a great way to track my day-to-day activities and experiences, as well as my long-term goals. Planners/to-do lists typically only focus on what you're doing in the future, and diaries typically focus on what you did that day. But all of these things give us the complete picture of who we are. Before I started bullet journaling, the idea of keeping my diary and my personal to-do list and my work tasks in the same place seemed absurd. But now I understand both how to organize that, and also why it makes sense to do it that way.

    You can also learn more on the official bullet journal website as well as in this official intro video:

    Since bullet journaling has exploded in popularity, a lot of people now take to YouTube to share the ways in which they organize and utilize their own bullet journals. For instance, here are some flip-through and setup videos for inspiration:

    Be warned: It's really easy to fall down an organized, aesthetically pleasing rabbit hole. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of these kinds of videos showcasing bullet journals that range from the highly artistic to the super simplistic.

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  • Caroline Siede
    9:57 am Thu, Mar 1, 2018
    Modern day surrealism: Watch donuts defy the laws of physics in this freaky 3D animation

    Animation studio Aloe Design uploaded this cool but unsettling video of donuts flying towards a man's face before the laws of physics suddenly change:

    View this post on Instagram

    The fifth field test was a success. The device attracted stray donuts directly to his face. There were still a few minor kinks to work out, but the idea was brilliant. #cinema4d #render #c4d #redshift #vfx #motiondesign #mdcommunity #motiongraphics #dailyrender #digitalart #3d #maxon #graphic #graphicdesign #howiseedatworld #mdcommunity #art #lowbrowart #lowbrowpopsurrealists #popsurrealism #surreal42 #surreal #artoftheday #artoninstagram #weeditit #fa_hypnotic #awesome_surreal #aCreativeDC #thegraphicspr0ject @artcube @lucidscreen @designboom @visual.fodder @artselect @artevue_ @fubiz @dunkindonuts #donuts @jamieten24 @_blankrepository

    A post shared by @ aloedesign on Jan 1, 2018 at 12:32pm PST

    Even the caption for the video evokes an eerie sci-fi world:

    The fifth field test was a success. The device attracted stray donuts directly to his face. There were still a few minor kinks to work out, but the idea was brilliant.

    You can follow Aloe Design on Instagram or learn more on the studio's website.

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  • Caroline Siede
    8:57 am Thu, Mar 1, 2018
    Delightful Disney princess GIFs

    I recently stumbled upon artist Debbie Balboa's series of Disney princess GIFs, and I love the sense of playful movement they have. Here's the full series:

    http://debbie-sketch.tumblr.com/post/170203907723/my-second-set-of-disney-princesses

    http://debbie-sketch.tumblr.com/post/169559360424/first-set-of-my-disney-princesses

    You can follow Balboa on Instagram, Twitter, and Tumblr. She also takes commissions right here.

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  • Caroline Siede
    4:30 am Thu, Mar 1, 2018
    Sheet pan recipes make weird but efficient party food

    Maximize flavor, minimize cleaning.

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  • Caroline Siede
    4:30 am Thu, Mar 1, 2018
    Prepare for the Oscars with this Honest Trailers catch-up

    "Only one of these nine films will win the coveted title of Best Picture—unless it's accidentally given to someone else."

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  • Caroline Siede
    7:00 am Wed, Feb 28, 2018
    This "Floral Tea Story" photo series offers a whimsical tea time

    As part of her incredibly aesthetically pleasing Instagram account, Russian artist Marina Malinovaya creates these whimsical photographs in which plants and flowers stand in for tea and steam.

    View this post on Instagram

    А помнится, во времена моего детства подвал у нас ломился от всякого рода заготовок и свежих овощей. И ведь всё съедалось! Сейчас в таких масштабах уже никто не производит. Разве что я свои цветочки сушу не в единичном экземпляре: всё будет "съедено"??? Любите домашние заготовки? Делаете?

    A post shared by Цветы. Сад. Дом (@marinamalinovaya) on Jul 23, 2017 at 12:58am PDT

    View this post on Instagram

    #floralteastory ?☕️ ..в этот хмурый осенний день.

    A post shared by Цветы. Сад. Дом (@marinamalinovaya) on Sep 3, 2015 at 12:49am PDT

    View this post on Instagram

    Вообще я шла печь новогоднее печенье… #floralteastory ?? Зато у всех рождественская мишура, шарики-фонарики, а у меня вот – осень. А печеньки, кстати, очень вкусные получились.

    A post shared by Цветы. Сад. Дом (@marinamalinovaya) on Dec 18, 2016 at 12:02am PST

    View this post on Instagram

    Наша зима сменилась снова дождливой серой осенью.. Достать ярких красок в виде пионовых листьев – и раскрасить этот день?? #floralteastory Кстати, может у кого-то было какое-то хорошее событие июнем 15го? Эти пионы оттуда? Можно сотворить украшение на память о том месяце.

    A post shared by Цветы. Сад. Дом (@marinamalinovaya) on Nov 19, 2016 at 11:58pm PST

    View this post on Instagram

    My favorite tea-rose ceremony?? Сообразим на двоих?!? Приглашаю в гости: чем больше рук – тем лучше) И да, я ввела тег для таких фотографий? #floralteastory

    A post shared by Цветы. Сад. Дом (@marinamalinovaya) on Aug 16, 2015 at 1:31am PDT

    View this post on Instagram

    Приветствую вас, друзья! Я к вам снова со своим розапитием☕️? Вот и настал момент, когда вас у меня стало 10к. Даже немного грустно теперь, т.к не видно, что там творится под этой цифрой.. Спасибо всем и каждому, что вы со мной. Обнимаю? #vsco #vscocam #vscoflowers

    A post shared by Цветы. Сад. Дом (@marinamalinovaya) on Jan 24, 2015 at 12:39am PST

    View this post on Instagram

    My #floralteastory with flowers viols ? А тем временем на грядках-клумбах стремительно растут мои луковички тюльпановые, нарциссы, что-то там ещё (участок же чужой был, не знаю, что растёт на нем). Начинаю играться в садово-огородника?

    A post shared by Цветы. Сад. Дом (@marinamalinovaya) on Apr 6, 2017 at 12:46am PDT

    You can see more Floral Tea Stories, as well as other gorgeous photography, on Malinovaya's Instagram.

    [via My Modern Met]

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  • Caroline Siede
    6:30 am Wed, Feb 28, 2018
    Help kids see A Wrinkle In Time for free

    The racial justice organization Color of Change has launched the #GiveAChildTheUniverse campaign to make it easier for kids to see Ava DuVernay's highly anticipated big screen adaptation of A Wrinkle In Time. For every $10 donated, AMC Theatres will provide a ticket to a child or teen who might not otherwise be able to see the film. The premise behind the campaign is that, "Kids of all kinds should see image of themselves throughout the universe."

    Based on Madeleine L'Engle's beloved 1962 book, A Wrinkle In Time stars Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Chris Pine, and newcomer Storm Reid as Meg Murry. The movie opens on March 9th. You can make a donation to the #GiveAChildTheUniverse campaign right here or learn more about the campaign on this FAQ.

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  • Caroline Siede
    6:00 am Wed, Feb 28, 2018
    Does Marilyn Monroe's stuffing recipe still hold up?

    Tasty's Devon and Jared test out Marilyn Monroe's prized stuffing recipe and try to figure out what secrets it holds about her love life.

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  • Caroline Siede
    5:30 am Wed, Feb 28, 2018
    The NRA actually used to support gun control

    In this video, AJ+'s Sana Saeed breaks down the long history of the NRA, from its beginnings as a post-Civil War sports club to its present day pro-gun activism. It turns out the group wasn't always the aggressive Second Amendment defender it is today; the NRA actually used to support gun control. NPR has a similar video featuring senior political editor and correspondent Ron Elving discussing the history of the NRA too:

    As NPR's accompanying article explains:

    The power of the organization is legendary, especially the widely published report cards it issues giving A to F grades to lawmakers. The cards have been credited with the election (or blamed for the defeat) of many a candidate, including incumbents.

    Even the nuances of the group's affection, an A+ over an A grade, for example, can make the difference for candidates, especially in Republican primaries.

    That is why the NRA has anchored the opposition in every major gun-related debate since it altered its main aim from marksmanship to hard-edged political activism. That change came 40 years ago and was related to other shifts in political sentiment, including the departure of Southern rural conservatives from the Democratic Party. All these helped elect the first presidential candidate to ever be endorsed by the NRA, Ronald Reagan, in 1980.

    Read the full article on NPR's website.

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  • Caroline Siede
    4:50 am Wed, Feb 28, 2018
    An oral history of that insane Oscars fuck-up from last year

    It's been a year since the infamous Oscars broadcast in which La La Land was briefly crowned Best Picture before it was revealed that Moonlight was actually the real winner. The Hollywood Reporter has put together a really fascinating oral history of the entire night, which includes some great details, like how Warren Beatty literally held the envelopes hostage to ensure he wasn't incorrectly blamed for the snafu. Here's an excerpt:

    LISA TABACK, Awards consultant, worked on both La La Land and Moonlight campaigns I went backstage, and I see a security guard with Warren Beatty. Warren is really tall, and he was holding his arm up as high as he could—which must be about seven and a half feet off the ground—because in his hand was the envelopes. He was saying into the phone, I believe to his wife, "I'm not giving it up to anybody!" It was dead quiet.

    ANNETTE BENING, Actress, wife of Warren Beatty My impulse was to call him right away. And I did. And he picked up the phone. And I said, "Oh my God. You did a great job, but what happened?!" And he said, "I have the envelopes, and I'm not giving them to anyone!"

    MARA BUXBAUM, Publicist, guest of Casey Affleck I was backstage with Casey and there was a logjam by the elevator. I don't know if it was the [PricewaterhouseCoopers the accounting firm] people, but they were trying to get the envelopes from Warren, and he was like, "No, I need to make sure that everybody knows what this envelope says." Warren is really smart, and he's the first to be careful for new narratives to take over, so he would not let go of the envelopes.

    Plus there's also this great anecdote from actress Busy Philipps, who was seated in the front row:

    PHILIPPS Then I'm like, "I'm sitting next to Ben Affleck—he can stop the show because he's fucking Batman!" I kind of grabbed his arm—we're not friends, but I was like, "You have to do something! Do something!"

    You can read the full oral history over on The Hollywood Reporter. Or learn more about the terrible typography that probably caused the mishap in the first place.

    [Photo: ABC/Image Group LA]

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  • Caroline Siede
    4:47 am Wed, Feb 28, 2018
    A guide to North Indian vs. South Indian bridal makeup

    Beauty YouTuber Jovita George has a really cool series in which she contrasts two cultures' makeup styles on the two sides of her face. (She's previously done French vs. American makeup, British vs. Italian makeup, and Japanese vs. Russian makeup.) In her latest video, George contrasts the Hindu bridal makeup that's popular in South Indian states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh with Muslim bridal makeup that's popular in the Punjab region as well as Pakistan. As George points out, no one makeup look can represent an entire culture and there are plenty of regional (not to mention personal) differences that determine what someone wants to wear on their wedding day. But this double tutorial is still a fascinating glimpse into two very different bridal styles.

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