WebProNews

Tag: selfie

  • Darth Vader Posts First “Selfie” via Instagram

    The Oxford English Dictionary recently declared “selfie” as the word of the year, stating that the origins of the word date back to 2002. While the word “selfie” may have not been used until 2002 in this galaxy, the word and practice existed a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…

    Or at least it did according to the new Star Wars Instagram account. Twenty-one hours ago, the Star Wars franchise posted its first ever photo on Instagram, which just happened to be a selfie taken by Darth Vader. The force must have been strong with this post considering the fact that the Star Wars Instagram account has gained over 90,000 followers in less than one day.

    The popularity of the account was spurred by even further use of social media, as the Star Wars Twitter account tweeted a message to all of its followers to promote its newest foray into promotion for the next movie set to be released in December of 2015:

    While many have appreciated the selfie taken by Darth Vader, others have gone to the internet to critique his method. The most obvious flaw that many have pointed to is the fact that Vader failed to use the front-facing camera available on all smart phone devices these days, especially the iPhone which Vader seems to be championing (With Disney buying Lucasfilm, one could expect to see this relationship between Star Wars and Apple develop even further, hopefully leading to neat, new goodies). One could also point to the fact that Vader is also using a touchscreen phone with gloves on, or the fact that Vader forgot to use any filters to eliminate the fact that there are dead Stormtroopers in the background….

    Whatever the beef, one cannot deny the happiness that is derived from the fact that Star Wars is already starting to promote its newest episode of the Star Wars franchise. Recent news from the Star Wars camp reported that J.J Abrams will now be working with Lawrence Kasdan in writing the script; Fans everywhere should rejoice at the news considering Kasdan was the writer for The Empire Strikes Back, easily the best movie of the 6 Star Wars films thus far.

    Before Kasdan came aboard, Michael Arndt, writer for Little Miss Sunshine and Toy Story 3, was working on the script for Episode 7. One can only imagine Darth Vader as a space-cowboy dealing with suicidal tendencies.

    [Image via Instagram]

  • ‘Selfie’ Beats ‘Twerk’ for Oxford’s Word of the Year

    ‘Selfie’ Beats ‘Twerk’ for Oxford’s Word of the Year

    Eleven years after it was first used, the word “selfie” has been declared the Oxford Dictionaries Word of the Year for 2013. Those of us who are resistant to seeing such words added to the dictionary, let alone being made Word of the Year, can at least be thankful that “twerk” didn’t win out.

    Oxford Dictionaries adds hundreds of new words each year, and this year was no exception. Some of the new words added to Oxford Dictionaries Online (all of these may not make the Oxford English Dictionary) include selfie, twerk, me time, buzzworthy, TL;DR, bitcoin and derp.

    When selfie was added to Oxford Dictionaries Online earlier this year, the following definition was included: a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website.

    Oxford Dictionaries decided on “selfie” as Word of the Year because its usage has exploded recently. According to Judy Pearsall, the editorial director for Oxford Dictionaries, the first documented instance of “selfie” being used was in 2002 on an online forum. “But usage wasn’t widespread until around 2012, when ‘selfie’ was being used commonly in mainstream media,” Pearsall said.

    Saying that selfie is “being used commonly” might be a bit of an understatement. We all see dozens of posts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram tagged with “#selfie” every single day as people use their smart phones to document pretty much every mundane event. Everything from waking up to eating a sandwich for lunch to standing on some random street corner is selfie material for some people. And let’s not forget some of the more cringe-inducing selfies such as those taken at funerals and historical sites.

    Not surprisingly, some people were less than thrilled with hearing that selfie is Word of the Year:

    And then we have those people who have decided to celebrate the announcement of selfie being Word of the Year by posting…you guessed it, selfies:

    [Image via YouTube]

  • Paulina Gretzky Featured on Maxim Cover

    With the advent of Instagram came the ever-increasing popularity of the “selfie” – a niche art-form in which one is able to contort their body in the most awkward way possible in order to capture the perfect “glamour” shot, without the aid of an external photographer (This process became a WHOLE lot easier whenever smart phones started integrating forward-facing cameras – perhaps they are to blame?). And now, thanks to a sexually-repressed culture and internet addiction, one person has been able to use her talents as the “Selfie Queen” to establish a career posing for the camera – Paulina Gretzky.

    Yes, she is the daughter of the G(HP)OAT (Greatest Hockey Player of All Time – we all know Muhammad Ali is the true GOAT) Wayne Gretzky. And yes, Mr. Gretzky is not a fan of his daughters risque selfies. Despite her father’s disappointment, Paulina has no intentions of ceasing her selfie addiction: “Some people gave me such a hard time for posting all these swimsuit pics on Twitter. I’m sorry, I’m not posting pictures when I’m reading a book. I feel like social media is supposed to be for fun, to share what you’re doing when you’re enjoying life.”

    According to the December edition of Maxim magazine, Paulina has been enjoying life by wearing an itsy-bitsy-teeny-weeny white bikini while driving/washing/admiring a yellow Lamborghin:

    (image)

    If you think that her Maxim magazine spread is as hot as it gets, think again. According to TMZ, Paulina recently set her top on fire during a visit to a local bar. While relaxing next to an outside fire-pit at the restaurant, Paulina apparently turned to throw away a cigarette (Any less attractive now?) and in the process, dipped her sweater into the fire and was set ablaze. Fortunately for Paulina, the bar was full of male patrons who rushed to her aid, pulling the sweater off and saving Paulina (while also achieving instant gratification).

    This was apparently Paulina’s second run-in with this particular fire-pit, as the bar had once before escorted her from the premises for dancing atop said pit.

    Now, sit back, relax, and enjoy what you would rather be doing than reading my words – looking at pictures from Paulina Gretzky’s Instagram account:

    (image)

    (image)

    (image)

    (image)

    (image)

    [Images via Maxim and Instagram]

  • Mariah Carey Gives Enticing Birthday Gift to Husband Nick Cannon

    So, today’s Nick Cannon’s 33rd birthday. While most people indulge in routine celebrations such as birthday dinners, and blowing out candles on a cake, Cannon’s wife, platinum-selling singer Mariah Carey felt the need to shake things up a bit.

    Although she’s been busy putting the finishing touches on her highly anticipated album, “The Art of Letting Go,” Carey took a minute to give her husband a rather interesting birthday gift.

    Most would automatically assume that she’d conjure up a lavish gift such as an exotic vehicle or an expensive watch, but Carey decided to take a more provocative approach. Her gift was simplistic – something money can’t buy. But it was downright enticing!

    However, the most unique part of it all was that she shared it with the world on Twitter. In the wee hours of the morning, Carey tweeted birthday wishes to her husband along with an enticing picture of her cleavage.

     

    In addition to the “selfie” picture from his wife, the former rapper and TeenNick Chairman also received more special gifts from the two little special people he and love so dearly. Nick shared their gifts with the world via Instagram.

    Nick Cannon and Mariah Carey have been married for five years and they have two children together. Carey gave birth to their fraternal twins, Monroe and Moroccan Scott Cannon on April 30, 2011 which is also the couple’s wedding anniversary.

    Image via Twitter | Mariah Carey

  • Pope Francis Calls for Day of Prayer for Syria

    During Pope Francis’ Sunday blessing from the Vatican, the pontiff called for the world to hold a day of fasting and prayer for Syria. “May the cry for peace enter the hearts of everyone,” he said, promising to lead prayers and a five-hour vigil on Saturday from St. Peter’s Square. Pope Francis—who went viral this week for his selfie taken with young pilgrims in St. Peter’s Basilica—extended an invitation to all faiths and non-believers to promote peace in Syria.

    The pope said that, “There is judgment from God and history on our actions that no one can escape,” referencing the use of chemical weapons. He refrained however from directly accusing Syria of the crime.

    Tugging at heartstrings, the pope called forth the images of the last week and a half, “My heart is profoundly wounded in these days by what is happening in Syria and I am anxious about the prospect of dramatic developments.”

    As US leaders plan to debate responses to the Syrian regime, the Vatican opposes plans for military action by global powers and favors a negotiated solution. “Never again to war!” Pope Francis said, calling forth a historical reference to late Pope Paul VI’s Vietnam War-era speech at the United Nations. The last call for global fasting and prayer was from late Pope John Paul II in mourning for the September 11 attacks.

    In other Vatican-related developments, the pope appointed Archbishop Pietro Parolin, an Italian and former deputy foreign minister at the Vatican, to be Secretary of State. Italian Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone has maintained the position since 2006, but Bertone has become a divisive figure as the Holy See attempts to recover from embarrassing scandals and financial probes. Bertone also acted as a key inside advisor for retired pontiff Benedict XVI. Parolin will take over the role on 15 October, after returning from his papal envoy duties in Venezuela.

    [Image via Facebook.]

  • Selfie, Twerk Additions Narrated by Morgan Freeman

    Respected actor Morgan Freeman had the dubious privilege of reading the definition of twerk this morning on HLN. Twerking received recent celebrity status with references to Miley Cyrus’ performance at this week’s VMA’s.

    Freeman helped announce recent additions to Oxford Online Dictionaries, which the group announced in its August update. The new additions are a collection of buzzworthy tech, fashion and foodie terms as well as acronyms and word blends such as jorts (a blend of jeans and shorts).

    Known for his award-winning film career and distinguished voice, Freeman appeared on the program to promote current projects. He offered his views on current race relations and said that during the March on Washington, being celebrated today for its 50th anniversary, he was working at the post office in San Francisco.

    [Image/Video courtesy of YouTube]

  • Selfie: One of the New Words Added To Dictionary

    You know those words that you are always saying and texting that are slang and not really words? Well, now thanks to the Oxford English Online Dictionary, (ODO) those slang phrases, like “phablet” and “srsly” are included in the official dictionary.

    The words have been added in an effort to keep up with the popular lingo. With the everyday changes in technology, people constantly shortening the actual words while texting, the terms have become part of people’s daily vocabulary. Fashion and cooking terms, such as “jorts” and “cake pops” have also been amongst those words that were added.

    The additions come at a good time, seeming as the word “twerking” has been a trending topic since Miley Cyrus’ raunchy performance at the VMA Awards on Sunday Night. The dictionaries official definition of “twerking”: a dance to popular music in a sexually provocative manner involving thrusting hip movements and a low, squatting stance. I think I can safely say that Miley was at least attempting to “twerk” during her performance.

    “By last year, it [twerk] had generated enough currency to be added to our new words watch list, and by this spring, we had enough evidence of usage frequency in a breadth of sources to consider adding it to our dictionaries of current English,” Angus Stevenson, the head of dictionary projects at Oxford Dictionaries told CNBC.

    “The internet and social media has given people a new place to discuss things and it is giving rise to a huge amount of vocabulary such as ‘selfie’,” she said.

    Selfie is another popular term that has been added. According to ODO, the definition is: a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website. Now, come on, who has not taken a “selfie”?

    Over 40 new words have been added this year, and many others are being tracked with ODO’s Words on the Radar. Here are some other definitions that have recently been added:

    Girl Crush: an intense and typically non-sexual liking or admiration felt by one woman or girl for another.

    FOMO (Fear of Missing Out): anxiety that an exciting or interesting event may currently be happening elsewhere, often aroused by posts seen on a social media website.

    Srsly: short for seriously.

    Phablet: a smartphone having a screen which is intermediate in size between that of a typical smartphone and a tablet computer.

    Image via Thinkstock

  • Geraldo Rivera Tweets Semi-Nude Selfie. Seriously.

    It seems like every other day a nude photo of some celebrity or another is leaked onto the internet. Sometimes those photos are “accidentally” tweeted. Only those celebrities with the utmost confidence in their bodies actually tweet the photos themselves.

    Enter 70-year-old Geraldo Rivera.

    The elderly news reporter, who is perhaps most well-known for his 90s talk show and current work on Fox News, tweeted a photo of himself shirtless and nearly bottomless, assumedly to show how he is in great shape for a man of his age. The text of the tweet read “70 is the new 50.”

    The tweet has since been deleted by Rivera, but that did not stop the rest of Twitter from pouncing on the absurdity of the situation, as well as the unbecoming nature of the photo.

    It is hard to say why Rivera would commit a mistake relegated mostly to teenage girls and the occasional young celebrity. Perhaps he just wanted the world to see what the body of a man who has been married five times looks like to be an example for those with such aspirations.

    Rivera also announced last month that he would not be running for senate from his home state of New Jersey. Considering that many view Jersey governor Chris Christie’s lap-band surgery as a sign that he will be seeking a presidential nomination, having a physique like Rivera’s may have won a few votes.

  • Instagram Selfie Catches Reporter’s Near Miss with Flying Baseball

    Talk about perfect timing. And incredible luck.

    Tampa Bay Rays reporter Kelly Nash almost got plunked in the back of the head with a baseball this past weekend. And the near miss was captured by a once-in-a-lifetime selfie and posted to Instagram.

    As the story goes, Nash was in Boston working on a feature on the Tampa Bay Rays. According to Nash, she wanted to snap a photo atop the Green Monster in Fenway Park because her whole family is from Massachusetts.

    “I knew they would be so excited to see me working at Fenway Park, and when I went to text them the picture I noticed the baseball by my head!” Nash told Fox Sports Florida.

    “I laughed pretty hard when I saw such a surreal picture that I had no idea I took. I thought, you have got to be kidding me, maybe there ARE really angels in the outfield. I actually brought the movie with me on the trip and had it in my bag at the game.”

    Nash says that her producer found the ball and gave it to her, so at least she has some hard evidence of her near-serious injury experience.

    Just add this to the growing list of reasons that self-shots are rarely ever a good idea.

    (image)