by Madeline Roth 25 mins ago

Next time you’re watching an award show on TV — like the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday — pay super close attention to the panning shots of the crowd. Amidst the sea of A-list celebs, you may spot a couple random “nobodies” looking stoic, silent and slightly out-of-place.

Chances are, those people are seat fillers.

Their job is exactly what it sounds like: To be a warm body in an empty seat. See, since most award shows are televised, producers don’t want random, empty seats on display for everyone at home to see — that’d just look sad. That’s where a seat filler comes in. When a celeb gets up to go to the restroom, grab a drink at the bar, schmooze with their peers or discreetly make out in a coat closet, a seat filler is there to pull up and park it. Essentially, their job is like playing a game of musical chairs: They see an empty seat, they hop to it.

Here’s the best thing about being a seat filler: Pretty much anyone can do it. Just follow these simple steps, and you’ll be warming Brad Pitt’s chair in no time.

1. Find an event

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Some big events might only use employees or their friends for seat fillers. But if you don’t know any industry insiders who can give you the hookup, a simple Google search will bring up a few sites you can use. One of the most tried and true is Read More →

by Madeline Roth 26 mins ago

If you’ve read the erotic romance novel “Fifty Shades of Grey,” chances are you’ve developed an utter fascination for the slick Christian Grey — along with a new-found appreciation for jets, ties and elevators. But those aren’t the only ways the novel might affect you.

A new study shows that young adult women who read the BDSM-filled series are more likely than non-readers to show signs of eating disorders, binge drinking, having abusive sex partners and other unhealthy behaviors. The study, led by Michigan State University researcher Amy Bonomi, said all of these behaviors are risks associated with being in an abusive relationship, much like the novel’s protagonist, Anastasia Steele.

Related: How To Talk To Your Mom About Her Creepy ‘Fifty Shades’ Obsession

The study looked at more than 650 women between the ages of 18 and 24, which Bonomi says is a ripe time for testing sexual intimacy. Researchers found that those who read “Fifty Shades” were 25% more likely than nonreaders to have a verbally abusive partner and 34% were more likely to have a partner with “stalking tendencies,” like Christian Grey. Furthermore, 75% of readers were more likely to have fasted or used diet aids for longer than 24 hours. Those who read all three books in the series were 63% more likely to have more than five sex partners and 65% more likely to binge drink.

Bonomi says one caveat to the study is that some women may have showed signs of those dangerous behaviors before ...

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by Madeline Roth 23 mins ago

Here’s a quick life lesson: Disappointment happens. All. The. Damn. Time. But you gotta learn to take it like a man, instead of running and crying to the cops every time you feel shorted. Because chances are, you’ll put yourself into deeper s–t than you were in before.

A 53-year-old Montana man was having a regular ol’ doozy of a night at Sagebrush Sam’s Exotic Dance Club, which sounds like quite the impressive establishment. After dropping $350 for a private dance, William McDaniel had the engine all revved and expected to have as well. That’s when the dancer informed him that sex doesn’t fall under her job description. Doesn’t he know there’s no sex in the champagne room?

The lap dance was supposed to last several songs, but when McDaniel became “sexually aggressive” toward the stripper, she stopped the dance short. McDaniel demanded a refund, but the club wouldn’t give it to him. That’s when he got so peeved that he called 911 to register a consumer complaint, and it all went downhill from there.

Police arrested McDaniel for solicitation of prostitution. “He felt he was ripped off by the bar,” said George Skuletich, Butte-Silver Bow undersheriff. “He assumed he paid the $350 for sexual acts that didn’t occur.” McDaniel was released after posting $550 for bond, so overall, the night cost him $900… and all of his manly pride.

by Madeline Roth 7 mins ago

There’s some pleasing news for the lesbians of the world: They’re apparently having better sex than straight women are.

A study conducted by Indiana University found that lesbian women have orgasms at a significantly higher rate than heterosexual women. Using a sample of 6,500 participants between the ages of 21 and 65, researchers found that straight women reported having an orgasm during sex with a familiar partner only 62% of the time. For lesbians, that number jumped up to an impressive 75%. Weirdly enough, there’s not much of a middle ground — bisexual women only reported hitting the big “O” 58% of the time.

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The study’s authors theorized in the Journal of Sexual Medicine that lesbian’s intimate understanding of one another probably benefits their sex lives. “One possible explanation is that lesbian women are more comfortable and familiar with the female body and thus, on average, are better able to induce orgasm in their female partner,” the authors wrote.

For comparison’s sake, dudes seem to be having the best sexual experiences of all—no matter which way they swing. Straight men said they experienced orgasms 85.5% of the time. That stat dropped only slightly for gay men, who came in at 84.7%. Bisexual men had the lowest rate of all, at 77.6%, but they’re still doing better than any of the women are.

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by Madeline Roth 16 mins ago

Interns are often stereotyped as overeager, coffee-wielding victims of mundane tasks and lousy pay. But here’s a pro tip: Internships are actually really important, and if you want to get hired full-time one day, maybe try not to embarrass your boss with a colossal mistake and/or international incident.

Earlier this week, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank called the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), which regularly hosts talks by U.S. and foreign leaders, raised eyebrows when a strangely malicious tweet was sent from its account in reply to human rights organization Amnesty International. Amnesty’s tweet read, “US can’t tell other countries to improve their records on policing and peaceful assembly if it won’t clean up its own human rights record,” referring to Ferguson, Missouri.

CSIS’s reply — broadcast to the account’s 81,000+ followers — read, “Your work has saved far fewer lives than American interventions. So, suck it.”

Twitter

Soon after, CSIS scrambled to repair the damage, deleting the tweet and assuring followers that it was posted “in error.”

But since this is 2014 and Twitter never sleeps, the reply was saved and screengrabbed dozens of times over. Andrew Schwartz, vice president for external relations at CSIS, explained to BuzzFeed that the culprit responsible for the embarrassing tweet was actually an intern. “It was sent by a CSIS intern who had access to our account for monitoring purposes,” he said. “Apparently he meant to send something reflecting his personal views from his personal Twitter account.”

Schwartz didn’t comment ...

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by Madeline Roth 9 mins ago

Next time anybody tries to shame you for having too much no-strings-attached sex, throw this truth bomb their way: You’re just taking a unique path to the altar.

A study released today from the University of Virginia reports that a whopping 32% of married couples had no intention of having a relationship the first time they got physical. The study (which began in 2007) followed 1,300 participants, all of whom had started dating someone after a hookup. Five years later, almost a third of them had gotten hitched.

“People who started out as a hookup sometimes evolve to something more,” sociologist Kathleen Bogle told USA Today. “Sooner or later, they want to settle down and have a relationship.”

Related: How Long Can You Date A Girl Before She Expects A Ring?

This sounds like promising news for anyone who’s reading this while taking the walk of shame. (You just met your life partner! Your parents will be so proud!) But there’s one big caveat: Marriages that begin as hookups are apparently less happy.

Oh, and in case you do eventually decide to wed what’s-her-face from last weekend, remember to invite a s–t ton of people; the study also found that the more wedding guests a couple has, the higher their marital satisfaction. Not to mention, you’ll get loads of gifts. Score!

by Madeline Roth 29 mins ago

Oh, Johnny. Sweet, innocent Johnny Manziel. You finally get your big Monday night debut playing for an (albeit spotty) NFL team, and what do you do to show the world you’re the real deal? You flash your middle finger like a middle schooler. C’mon, man.

During the Browns vs. Redskins preseason game last night, things got heated. The first time Manziel got sacked, Redskins players were shown making the money sign, taunting the former Heisman trophy winner. So late in the third quarter, after Mr. Football threw an incomplete pass near the Redskins sideline, he appeared to exchange some words with Washington players.

As Manziel jogged back to the Cleveland huddle, he flipped the bird over his shoulder in their direction. Because this is 2014 and ESPN was televising the game, the gesture was immediately seen by everyone watching.

@CharlesRobinson

In a postgame press conference, Manziel expressed his regret, saying he simply lost his composure: “I should’ve been smarter. It was a Monday Night Football game — the cameras were solidly on me.” You got that right.

This doesn’t help Manziel’s fight for the Browns starting quarterback position, either. Even though Cleveland’s other QB, Brian Hoyer, suffered just as much in last night’s 24-23 loss to Washington, Manziel’s immature gesture makes him even less appealing for Browns fans and coaches. “It does not sit well,” Browns coach Mike Pettine said of the rookie’s slip-up. “I was informed of it after the game and it’s disappointing. Because what we ...

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by Madeline Roth 15 mins ago

There are artists who hole up in their tiny studios with blank canvases and paint cans, lazily waiting to be inspired by the outside world. And then there are artists who go balls-out and make s–t happen. Mischa Badasyan, a 26-year-old Russian-born performance artist, is the latter kind.

For the sake of “art,” Badasyan says he plans to have sex with a different person. Every single day. For one whole year. Whoa.

The project, called “Save the Date,” aims to explore the connections between loneliness and hook-ups, specifically as it relates to gay culture. Badasyan was inspired by a wild few days of his own in Glasgow: “I felt very bad, I was crying all the time. I am always sad after these kind of meetings,” he said. Badasyan says he also wants to explore the idea of “non-places,” which he describes as, “supermarkets, shopping malls, airports, motorways… where people lose their identity, there’s no communication. People don’t feel a belonging to somewhere and that causes the loneliness of people.”

Related: Everything You (N)ever Wanted To Know About Condoms

Badasyan plans to start the project in September, and he seems to be more than ready. He says he’s been tested for STD’s and gotten the all-clear. He’s signed up for sex websites and hook-up apps like Grindr. He even has a condom sponsor. Sounds like he’s all set, except for one minor detail: the partners. He only has his first and last “dates” planned–the other 363 people are still ...

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by Madeline Roth 39 mins ago

If you’ve ever been on Tinder before (don’t lie!), you may have noticed a super weird, random trend going on: Guys posing with tigers. Real, live, scary tigers. We don’t know why dudes think this screams “boyfriend material,” but they’re at least entertaining to look at, right? Ehh, not according to New York State, which is taming the tiger trend.

Back in June, we told you about how state legislators had passed a bill that would ban taking a photo while touching a tiger. This week, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed it, making the ban official.

Until now, posing with lions and tigers was a popular attraction at state fairs. Even local zoos and traveling animal shows got in on the racket, once they figured out how in-demand the pics were. Now it carries a $500 penalty.

Even though this is a major loss for a hefty chunk of Empire State Tinder bros, it’s a huge victory for wildlife advocates. “This is a serious issue,” said Manhattan Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal. “People who take selfies with wild animals are fooling with their lives. And it harms the animal because they’re generally not well-treated. They’re seen as profit-making props.”

She definitely has a point — stupid, preventable, selfie-related accidents have been on the upswing lately. Sorry, boys, but you’ll have to woo girls some other way. Here’s a free idea: Try posing with a house cat. We hear they’re pretty tame and easy to find.

by Madeline Roth 2 mins ago

Know what’s cray? The fact that a slew of new millenial-approved words are now being totes legitimized. Amazeballs!

Related: 30-Year-Olds Have No Clue What Teenagers Are Saying Anymore

The latest addition of words to Oxford’s online dictionary (not to be confused with the more prestigious, serious Oxford English Dictionary) basically reads like an ode to our texts. The fresh batch of slang is filled with abbreviations like “FML” and “ICYMI,” as well as phrases that Drake and Kanye coined, like YOLO and cray. All in all, it’s a small victory in millenials’ quest to be taken seriously. If the trend continues, who knows…we could be seeing emojis creep its way into the dictionary in no time.

Check out some of the best new entries below, and then forward this on to your parents. You’ll want them to start studying so they can stop giving you blank stares when you humblebrag that you just binge-watched the entire series of “Beavis and Butt-head.” SMH.

adorbs (adj.): arousing great delight; cute or adorable.
air punch (n.): thrusting one’s clenched fist up into the air, typically as a gesture of triumph.
amazeballs (adj.): very impressive, enjoyable, or attractive.
binge-watch (v.): watch multiple episodes of a television program in rapid succession.
bro hug (n.): a friendly embrace between two men.

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cray (adj.): crazy, but without that time-consuming extra syllable.
doncha (contraction): don’t you.
douchebaggery (n.): obnoxious or contemptible behaviour.
fandom (n.): the fans of a particular person, team, series, etc., regarded collectively as a community or subculture.
FML (abbrev.): ...

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