Pablo Cuadra/FilmMagicIn the forthcoming May 7 episode of David Duchovny’s Fail Better podcast, Ben Stiller unpacked what Zoolander 2 bombing did for him for better or worse.The 2016 movie tanked at the box office and was critically drubbed, which took a toll on him, Stiller says in the interview."It hurt," Stiller said, according to The Wrap.“I thought everybody wanted this, and then it’s like, Wow, I must have really f this up. Everybody didn’t go to it. And it s gotten these horrible reviews."Stiller adds, "It really freaked me out because I was like, I didn’t know [it] was that bad? "The director of the 2008 comedy Tropic Thunder recalls, "What scared me the most on that one was l’m losing what I think what s funny, the questioning yourself,” he added. “It was definitely blindsiding to me. And it definitely affected me for a long time.”That said, there was a silver lining. "The wonderful thing that came out of that for m
Robert Deyrail/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images(LONDON) An Iranian court sentenced outspoken rapper Toomaj Salehi to death after his arrest over songs that criticized the government, his lawyer said Wednesday."The primary court sentenced Toomaj Salehi to the harshest punishment, death, on the charge of corruption on Earth, " Salehi s lawyer, Amir Raesian, said in an interview with Iranian news outlet Shargh Daily.The sentence by the Islamic Republic Revolution Court of Isfahan contradicted an Iranian Supreme Court ruling that said Salehi s case qualified for amnesty, Raesian said. The lawyer criticized the "obvious legal conflicts" in the revolutionary court s decision. "We will definitely appeal this sentence," he added.Salehi, who has been arrested multiple times by Iranian forces, frequently called out the regime s corruption and suppression of dissent in his music and shamed the regime s apologists who "whitewash" those crimes. He is one of th
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images(NEW YORK) As pro-Palestinian protesters gather in solidarity and their tents, sleeping bags and banners dot the greenspace on campuses across the U.S., many students Jewish and non-Jewish alike could be seen at makeshift tables this week over a Seder dinner to honor the Passover holiday.The start of this year s Jewish holiday of Passover, which marks the Hebrews liberation from slavery in Egypt, coincided with intensifying calls against Israel s war in Gaza on college campuses."We as Jews have this idea of Tikkun olam to repair the world," said Zoe Kanter, a student protester with Yale Jews for Ceasefire. "And that s really a guiding principle for me … recognizing where there is injustice and suffering and working to repair it any way possible."At Passover Seders when Jews traditionally gather to recount the story of the Exodus, share symbolic dishes and pray participants reflect on themes of oppression, persecution,
Tourists visit San Marco Square on April 24, 2024 in Venice, Italy. (Marco Bertorello/AFP via Getty Images)(NEW YORK) Peak summer travel season is fast approaching, and some cities abroad have already implemented fees in an attempt to protect popular destinations from potential damage from increased tourism.Bustling European cities from Barcelona to Amsterdam that get flooded with tourists, especially at historical hotspots during the high season, have used tourist taxes to help raise revenue without taxing local citizens.Now, the city of bridges is following in the footsteps of Spain, Greece and Germany, which have all utilized a similar fee-based approach, testing a new entry fee for any visitors who come to Venice just for the day.Earlier this year, the coastal city, known for it s lagoon, hand-blown glass and close proximity to the heart of Italy s popular Prosecco region, announced a new reservation system that would charge day trippers 5 euros to enter and enjoy Venice.With nea
Isabel Pavia/Getty Images(NEW YORK) The overall number of births in the United States dropped in 2023 as teenage births reached a record low, according to new provisional federal data published early Thursday.In 2023, there were 3.59 million births recorded, a 2% decline from the 3.66 million recorded in 2022, according to the report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention s National Center for Health Statistics.This follows what has been a general decline since the mid-2010s. Between 2015 and 2020, the number of births fell an average of 2% per year from 2015 to 2020, including a decline of 4% from 2019 to 2020.Births slightly rose, by 1%, from 2020 to 2021, and the number remained generally steady from 2021 to 2022, according to the report.By maternal age, provisional birth rates declined for several age groups including teenagers between ages 15 and 19. For this group, the rate in 2023 was 13.2 births per 1,000 females down 3% from the rate of 13.6 per 1,000 in 2022, a