Here are some photos of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge out and about in London today. They were doing an event for Place2Be, which is one of Kate’s patronages, and it’s one of the charities that falls under the Heads Together umbrella. This is the start of Children’s Mental Health Week, so Will and Kate met with children at the Mitchell Brook Primary School, with the goal of “starting the conversation” with kids about their mental health.

For the event, Kate wore this red suit by Luisa Spagnoli, which she has worn several times over the years. This suit has been in her closet since before she was married! And it still looks good-ish. The peplum drives me up the wall, but I do like Kate in red, and I enjoy it when she chooses a suit with a straight skirt rather than some girlish, full-skirted dress. Still, she knew she was going to be spending time with kids for this event. Did she need to wear heels, just so she could tower over them? Kate also made a little speech or something at this event. Some highlights:

“People often ask me why I am so interested in the mental health of children and young people,” the Duchess of Cambridge began. “The answer is quite simple: it is because I think that every child should have the best possible start in life. When I was growing up I was very lucky. My family was the most important thing to me. They provided me with somewhere safe to grow and learn, and I know I was fortunate not to have been confronted by serious adversity at a young age. For some children, maybe there are some here today; I know that life can sometimes feel difficult and full of challenges.”

“I think that every child should have people around them to show them love, and to show them kindness, and nurture them as they grow. This is what Place2Be is doing so amazingly here in your school. My parents taught me about the importance of qualities like kindness, respect and honesty. I realize how central, values like these have been to me throughout my life. That is why William and I want to teach our little children, George and Charlotte just how important these things are as they grow up. In my view it is just as important as excelling at maths or sport.”

[From People & Evening Standard]

She cares about children’s mental health because she was “lucky” enough to be born into a supportive middle-class family, basically. This is a consistent problem with Kate’s message – she associates mental health with family upbringing, as if the only kids with mental health issues are the ones without supportive families, and if you have a supportive and wealthy family, your mental health will be a lot better overall. I understand the point she’s trying to get to, but Poor Jason and her speechwriters need to get Kate to move off of talking about mental health in terms of her own privileged upbringing. Also: is kindness just as important as math or sports? I’m really asking.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

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It was another busy weekend for Emperor Baby Fists and anyone adjacent to our fascist administration. Federal courts around the country made rulings on Trump’s Muslim Ban executive order, and Trump was throwing Twitter tantrums about it all weekend. He also flew down to Mar-a-Lago and met with his wife Melania, and they attended a fundraiser for the Red Cross at the Trump-owned property (you can see photos here). The fundraiser had a “royal theme,” because Baby Fists thinks he’s King of America.

Speaking of, Trump gave some interviews – one to a Westwood One Sports radio and one to Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly – this weekend. They were pre-taped and they aired ahead of the Super Bowl. In the radio interview, Trump went on and on and on about how much he loves his friend Tom Brady and how the Patriots are “winners” and how much he dislikes Roger Goodell. You can read about that interview here (Deadspin describes it as “batsh-t” and he definitely sounds… unwell). Obviously, more people are talking about the Fox News interview, which is where Baby Fists said nice things about Vladimir Putin.

President Donald Trump defended President Vladimir Putin in a new interview with Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly, saying he respects the Russian leader. In a pre-taped interview that aired Sunday before the Super Bowl, the 70-year-old commander-in-chief defended Putin, but said he wasn’t sure if the two of them would necessarily get along..

“I do respect him. I respect a lot of people,” Trump said in a preview released Saturday. “That doesn’t mean I’m going to get along with him.” The president continued, “He’s a leader of his country. I say it’s better to get along with Russia than not, and if Russia helps us in the fight against ISIS – which is a major fight, and Islamic terrorism all over the world – that’s a good thing. Will I get along with him? I have no idea.”

The host of The O’Reilly Factor responded, “He’s a killer, though. Putin’s a killer.”

“There are a lot of killers. We got a lot of killers,” said Trump. “What, you think our country is so innocent?”

“I don’t know of any government leaders that are killers,” O’Reilly responded.

“Well, take a look at what we’ve done too,” Trump said. “We’ve made a lot mistakes. I’ve been against the war in Iraq from the beginning.”

“Mistakes are different than —,” O’Reilly started.

“A lot of mistakes. Okay. But a lot of people were killed. So a lot of killers around, believe me,” Trump said.

After the sneak peek of the interview was released on Saturday, House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said on Meet the Press that she thinks the FBI should look into Trump’s connections with the Russians to see if they are blackmailing him.

“I want to know what the Russians have on Donald Trump,” Pelosi said on Sunday. “I think we have to have an investigation by the FBI into his financial, personal and political connections to Russia, and we want to see his tax returns, so we can have truth in the relationship between Putin, whom he admires, and Donald Trump.” Pelosi joined a chorus of politicians — including many Republicans — who slammed Trump’s remarks about Putin and his characterization of U.S.

[From People]

Yeah, that’s our president, defending a man who has literally had his enemies (including journalists) murdered. Congrats, America.

Here’s something else the Deplorables should be proud of: Emperor Baby Fists really doesn’t read anything. He apparently signed off on Steve Bannon joining the National Security Council without actually reading what he was signing. The Baby Fists White House is leaking like a sieve and none of the details are good. Bannon also had to be “reminded” that he is not president. Buckle up.

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Photos courtesy of Getty.

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CB covered the commercials from the Super Bowl, and I have to say, I liked how the energy around the actual football game was very “woke” and “America is diverse” and “women power, y’all!” The commercials were a series of Emperor Baby Fists trolls – which pissed off the Deplorables to no end – and the entertainment throughout was female-centered, with the exception of Luke Bryan singing the National Anthem, I guess. One of the big moments from early in the night was Phillipa Soo, Renee Elise Goldsberry and Jasmine Cephas Jones singing “America the Beautiful.” Those ladies were the original cast members of Hamilton – they played the Schuyler Sisters – and they added two words to the song.

The original #SchuylerSisters, @JasCephasJones @reneeelisegolds & @Phillipasoo, sang “America the Beautiful” at tonight’s Super Bowl. #SB51 pic.twitter.com/LLuCwsKY2o

— Hamilton (@HamiltonMusical) February 6, 2017

The two words they added? “…And sisterhood…” It being called a “feminist statement” and “a political statement.” That’s where we are, peeps. Feminism is merely reminding people that women are citizens too. Bill Belichick was unimpressed.

Belichick immediately after the Schuyler Sisters performed. #SuperBowl pic.twitter.com/YAK0duknpk

— Ryan McGee (@TVMcGee) February 5, 2017

And here’s Luke Bryan doing the anthem. He did a good job. I actually wondered if his voice was strong enough to pull this off (because our anthem is a difficult song). But it worked.

Can we appreciate how amazing this was thank you Luke Bryan pic.twitter.com/GGxyvOHIx8

— Kieffer Nelson (@KiefNelson) February 5, 2017

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Photos courtesy of Getty.

Toby’s Place is a new drop-in centre for LGBTQ+ youth in the South-West Scarborough part of the GTA, a community with almost no services for queer youth. A benefit for Toby’s Place is happening this Friday, February 10th at The 519 Ballroom on Church Street in Toronto. Doors at 7pm, show begins a…

Dear Gossips,

A friend texted last night right after Lady Gaga’s Super Bowl halftime performance.

“I’m only watching for the halftime show. Between KStew on SNL and Gaga, I wish I had this to hold on to as a young man growing up gay. There’s a kid out there who’s trying to figure it out. …

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I didn’t come into the Super Bowl Half-Time show with many expectations. I knew it would involve Lady Gaga, lots of drones, and I sort of believed Gaga when she said that she wouldn’t be doing some huge political statement. I figured she wouldn’t do a meat dress and I guessed that she would do some kind of shoutout to LGBTQ rights. At the end of the day, I came away pretty impressed with Gaga’s show. She didn’t bring in any guest stars – despite doing “Telephone,” which would have been a perfect opportunity for a Beyonce cameo, RIGHT??? – and there were no screw-ups. I felt like she was singing live throughout and chica’s got pipes. She also stuck to her biggest hits, most of which are more than five years-plus in the rearview. Also: Gaga wore Versace throughout the show and I didn’t feel like her body was exposed, so at least there wasn’t a “Janet Jackson moment.”

Gaga started on the roof, singing “God Bless America” and “This Land Is Your Land” (which read as a political statement, because that’s where we are, peeps) while hundreds of drones got in formation behind her to make a LIT American flag in the sky above Houston. Then Gaga JUMPED. She was on wires, of course.

Yeah, I was into it. I was into “Just Dance,” “Poker Face,” “Born This Way” and “Telephone” and I think it was a great call to use “Bad Romance” as the finale. Some people were like “Gaga slayed, best Half-time show ever!” I wouldn’t go that far. Gaga exceeded expectations, absolutely. She did a great job, for sure. But let’s be clear: there was absolutely room for MOAR Beyonce and MOAR Black Panthers.

What else? Gaga announced her new world tour right after the Super Bowl. And apparently her Half-time show was the most-tweeted-about Half-time show in history. Which I find hard to believe, just because BEYONCE MADE US GET INTO FORMATION last year.

There is this great GIF though.

Lady Gaga showing the patriots how to catch a football #SuperBowl #TomBrady pic.twitter.com/93MmQmx2Oo

— Adrian Smith (@asmith906) February 6, 2017

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Photos courtesy of Getty.

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Mr. Clean is getting a make over, and it’s confusing me in all the best ways. Of course I have always found Mr. Clean’s confidence attractive but now he is actively trying to woe me by wiggling his well toned butt while mopping the floor. Why the new moves? A new Mr. Clean. Apparently, the original Mr. Clean is taking a vacation and God bless him, after 60 years he deserves one. So they found an interim Mr. Clean to tidy up in his absence. That man is Mike Jackson from Georgia.

After 60 years of non-stop work, the iconic Mr. Clean has opted to take a much-deserved vacation. But before he could go, he and the Mr. Clean crew had to find a suitable replacement. After a rigorous three-month long search, the next Mr. Clean was found in Georgia native Mike Jackson. By day, Jackson works in sports marketing and in his spare time, he enjoys working out (a classic Mr. Clean activity), travelling around the US (he’s been to 48 states), and reading. Thanks to his already shaved head, sparkling smile, and the addition of a gold hoop earring, Jackson easily snagged the part. “While it’s impossible to replace the iconic Mr., I’m excited for the opportunity to help people tackle the most seemingly impossible messes while he’s away,” he said in a press release.

Contestants were invited to audition live or by sending in a YouTube video to convince the brand why he or she should be the clean-cut cleaning guru’s stand-in. Along with the honor of filling the mascot’s spotless shoes, Jackson won $20,000 and a (practically) lifetime supply of Magic Erasers. And to sweeten the deal, he is even featured in a digital 2017 calendar posing in his new role. The calendar, of course, includes a cleaning tip for each of the twelve months.

[From Real Simple]

Again, so confusing, so beautifully confusing. A hot guy calendar that includes cleaning tips? Uhm – YES PLEASE! Is it awful that even after looking at the very appealing Mr. Jackson the thing that most excited me from that statement is the part about the lifetime supply of Magic Erasers? And bless Jackson for showing such respect to the original Mr. C – that’s class right there.

CB covered Mr. Clean’s Superbowl commercial in her post as well. It really is a whole new side to Mr. Clean, isn’t it? The raw tension in the shower. The force with which he squeezes water from that new, non-smelly sponge. And the cleaning dance? Oh, somebody get my salts! I haven’t been this excited about an ad campaign since Old Spice.

Even with all these new feelings, I won’t lie – the hottest thing in the commercial is watching someone else do the cleaning. The lady’s reaction at the end? I totally get it… as would The Mister if he could figure out how to wash a dish.

The responses on Twitter were almost as good as the ad:

So many surprises so far… The Falcons crushing the Patriots. Gaga jumping off the roof. Realizing I’m sexually attracted to Mr. Clean.

— Aaron Chewning (@AaronChewning) February 6, 2017

Stupid sexy Mr. Clean

— Patrick Monahan (@pattymo) February 6, 2017

Great, now EVERYONE is gonna be “Slutty Mr Clean” for Halloween

— josh groban (@joshgroban) February 6, 2017

I am OFFENDED by the Mr. Clean advertisement. An alabaster wardrobe so far past Labor Day! pic.twitter.com/jM2NXWiPQR

— Myrna Tellingheusen (@PearlsFromMyrna) February 6, 2017

Mr. Clean : 50 Shades of Bleach#SuperBowl pic.twitter.com/zKZe4AB3lV

— Wally Koch (@Wally_Koch) February 6, 2017

Spread the news! The NEW Mr. Clean has been chosen and he’s a cutie! #TheNextMrClean #CG #ad @RealMrClean https://t.co/h5aaJ5S3S4 pic.twitter.com/APQqZJztCF

— Painted Ladies (@paintedladies09) January 26, 2017

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Photo credit: Getty Images and Twitter

Last night’s Superbowl commercials were at their best when they were told simple stories which were well executed. These included serious pro-diversity messages from companies like AirBnB, Budweiser, 84 Lumber and Michelin and funny ads from It’s a 10 Haircare, Mr. Clean and Kia. My two favorites overall were from AirBnB, which just showed faces of people from all backgrounds with a positive message of inclusion, and It’s a 10 Haircare, which used the new administration as a warning for Americans to do their part to have good hair. Other standouts included Mr. Clean as a sexy male maid, Melissa McCarthy for Kia (she really won this weekend) and Honda’s cute yearbook ad featuring actual school photos of celebrities giving advice. The worst commercials were from the mobile phone companies. T-Mobile had several very cringe-inducing ads encouraging us to dance with Bieber and riffing on 50 Shades. Sprint had a dad faking his own death, which – how does that get greenlighted by teams of people? It makes me think that a bunch of yes-people are in charge at Sprint. Here are some of my favorites and the list at the end has most of the others.

AirBnB: We Accept

I had to google to figure out which company this was so the branding could have been stronger, but this ad for AirBnB is powerful, simple and moving. This is part of their campaign to house 10,000 people in need. AirBnB has been vocal in their support of refugees. You can learn more here.

84 Lumber: The Journey Begins

84 Lumber also comes out on the right side of history with this moving ad featuring a mom and her daughter traveling to America. Apparently the original version of this ad was rejected as it showed a border wall. You can watch the rest of the story here.

Budweiser: Born The Hard Way

This incredibly powerful ad tells the story of Adolphus Busch, who emigrated to the US from Germany at the age of 18 to cofound the Anheuser Busch company. Many outlets are making a big deal out of how it is a pro-immigration story, but it’s also the American dream and Budweiser knows this. I love this so much.

It’s a 10 Haircare: Four years of bad hair

How long until Mr. Bigly talks in circles about how terrible this haircare line is? This is brilliant.

Mr. Clean is a sex object finally

This is the first Superbowl ad for Mr. Clean and it begs the question: what took so long for them to realize this is all we wanted from Mr. Clean? Sexy and doing all the work for us.

Kia featuring Melissa McCarthy: Hero’s Journey

Kia’s hybrid station wagon/SUV ferries Melissa McCarthy around the world to save the whales, trees, polar ice caps and rhinos. She gets into crazy mishaps at each location which made me laugh out loud several times. Excellent ad.

Ford: Go Further

Ford opens with all sorts of people in recognizable Murphy’s Law situations like not being able to zip up a dress, getting stuck with a shirt over your head and having a boat starter fail. Everyone’s problems are solved as we’re introduced to Ford’s new ventures like ride sharing, bike sharing and self driving vehicles, except for the guy in the boat. What happened to the guy in the boat?! Hecate is worried about the guy in the dog door.

Skittles: Romance

This ad features a teenage suitor throwing Skittles at a girl named Katie’s window as he says her name over and over and various family members and guests catch the Skittles. That’s my name, so I probably was more amused by this silly little commercial than most.

GoDaddy: The Internet Wants You

A heavily hashtag-tattooed guy lives for the Internet with blue and gold dresses in his closet, cats on roombas in his house and he even does the ice bucket challenge instead of showering. It’s not bad and I wanted to rewatch it to catch all the references.

Buick: If that’s a Buick my kid’s Cam Newton

This was a good idea, executed well because cute little kids were involved. It really didn’t need Miranda Kerr at the end as the coach, that seemed like overkill.

Honda: yearbooks

Celebrities including Tina Fey, Robert Redford, Amy Adams and Viola Davis speak from their yearbook photos. I’ve checked a few and they’re genuine, but some of the surrounding photos are fakes, which is to be expected.

Tide: Terry Bradshaw rushes to get a clean shirt

Terry Bradshaw goes on an epic journey to get his shirt clean, ending up at Jeffrey Tambor’s house and watching a documentary during the big game.

Sprint: Guy fakes his own death to get out of Verizon contract

This doesn’t seem funny to me and is more creepy. There are kids watching their dad send a car off a cliff with a mannequin and it opens with “Daddy’s dead kids.” Not a good idea.

Turbotax: Humpty Fall

Turbotax features a broken and recovering Humpty Dumpry in the hospital telling off the kingsmen and writing off his medical expenses (which have to be extremely high to be deductible). The commercial I first saw online, with Humpty falling off the wall, was so much more effective.

Wendy’s: Cold Storage

I don’t know why this very simple commercial works, maybe it’s the pink hairdryer and the guy’s expression, but it does and it had me laughing. I’m also extremely biased because I eat at Wendy’s at least once a week.

Audi’s pay equity spot

This makes me want to buy an Audi honestly. Excellent spot with a kick ass little girl and a great message.

Evony game starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Fan BingBing and Aaron Eckhart

There’s not much to say except that this looks like a movie ad instead of a mobile game.

Snickers’ Live Ad with Adam Driver

This was a “blink and you’ll miss it” ad for me. It was shot and aired live with deliberate picture and set issues including actors being “shot” before they were ready and the entire set collapsing. Given what Woody Harrelson just achieved with a live film, this was underwhelming for me.

Wix.com featuring Jason Statham & Gal Gadot

Jason Statham and Gal Gadot kick ass in a restaurant while the chef, oblivious, creates his website with Wix in the kitchen. When the restaurant is totaled it’s no biggie to the chef, who starts a food truck thanks to Wix. This needs more shots of Statham and Gadot serving customers.

King’s Hawaiian Rolls

I’m adding this one because the ending made me laugh. They need to use more kids in commercials.

Bud Light: Ghost Spuds McKenzie

The floating ghost of Spuds McKenzie, an English bull terrier who represented the brand in the 90s, shows “Brian” what he’s missing by not hanging out with his friends. It’s absurd and that’s why it works.

Additional Ads:
Michelin: I Need You
Intel: Brady Everyday
Avocados from Mexico: Secret Society
Arnold Schwarzenegger for Mobile Strike
Superbowl Busch guy
Pepsi LIFEWTR
World of Tanks: Real Awful Moms
T-Mobile Unlimited featuring Justin Bieber, Rob Gronkowski and Terrell Owens
Bai antioxidant drink featuring Christopher Walken and Justin Timberlake
Febreeze: Halftime bathroom break
Michelob Ultra: Our Bar
Squarespace: Calling John Malkovich?
Lexus: Man and Machine featuring Lil Buck
Nintendo Switch
NFL: Superbowl baby legends
T-Mobile #BagofUnlimited with Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg
Persil Proclean featuring Bill Nye the Science Guy
T-Mobile #Punished with Kristen Schaal
Amazon Echo: Buster
Amazon Echo: My Girl
Turkish Airlines featuring Morgan Freeman
T-Mobile #NSFWireles featuring Kristen Schaal
Mercedes Benz: Easy Driver featuring Peter Fonda and directed by the Coen brothers

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I was really looking forward to writing a post about how cheaters never win and something something Tom Brady’s deflated balls. During the Super Bowl Half-Time, I was already looking around for the funniest memes about sad, deflated Tom Brady and I was practically giddy with the prospect of Donald Trump’s favorite team losing in a blowout. The New England Patriots had a 23-point deficit at one point! I mean, how were they going to turn that around??? But then they turned it around in the second half as the Falcons just seemed to fall apart. So, yeah. The Patriots won another Super Bowl. Cheaters win. Brady’s deflated balls got another ring. Emperor Baby Fists – who left his Super Bowl party when the Pats were 23 points down – is incredibly smug about it.

What an amazing comeback and win by the Patriots. Tom Brady, Bob Kraft and Coach B are total winners. Wow!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 6, 2017

I honestly didn’t think it would be so depressing. It’s just that we could all feel it, couldn’t we? The Falcons were FIRE in the first half. It was going to be a symbolic victory against Trumpism. It was going to be amazing for Rep. John Lewis, because the Falcons are part of his district. But everything got ruined. To be fair, that was the most interesting Super Bowl in years, and it was a genuine nail-biter. But it did feel like a repeat of Election Night, right? Speaking of, #NotMySuperBowlChamps is trending on Twitter. Some of the tweets are making fun of the Patriots, but mostly it’s people mocking the idea that the Patriots’ victory was some kind of symbolic nod to Trumpism. I don’t know. Hey, at least NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was “aggressively booed” though.

Tom Brady doesn’t know what’s going on in the game. He isn’t paying much attention. He’s just a positive person.

— Victor Pope Jr (@VictorPopeJr) February 6, 2017

Tom Brady is sad pic.twitter.com/wCMIqczhXa

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) February 6, 2017

who’s choking right now? #SuperBowl pic.twitter.com/zYYw0WhCe2

— Thad Castle (@BMS_ThadCastle) February 6, 2017

Safe to say Gisele is excited about that #Patriots victory ?? #SB51 pic.twitter.com/WIbgQfMvS9

— Us Weekly (@usweekly) February 6, 2017

Tom Brady on the sidelines #SuperBowl pic.twitter.com/gTxpMQhQD4

— Sam Moore (@sammoore_007) February 6, 2017

Tom Brady to Roger Goodell: pic.twitter.com/6wereX7tpV

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 6, 2017

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The three younger royals were out and about on Sunday in London. Prince Harry and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge did an advance-event for the London Marathon. Their charity, Heads Together, is the “charity of the year” for the London Marathon, and likely hundreds of runners will be doing the marathon to benefit Heads Together. Heads Together is the umbrella organization/foundation for several charities though, and am I the only one who feels like Will, Kate and Harry have just created some weird, extra bureaucracy for much-needed charitable giving? We’ll see.

Anyway, Sunday’s event was a “training day” with some of the runners, and it involved Will, Kate and Harry doing sporty things, like running a sprint together. They obviously knew that they would be doing sporty things, so I don’t know why they dressed the way they did, or why they didn’t wear the blue marathon gear which other people are wearing. When I first looked through these photos, I felt sweet relief that at least Kate didn’t wear wedges. That’s the low bar set for Kate: she wore New Balance trainers, so at least she got that right. Except she also wore skinny jeans and a £280 quilted ski jacket by Perfect Moment. She didn’t even do a real ponytail! She just pulled her hair back loosely for a few minutes, then took it out. And yes, she wore her huge sapphire ring to run.

Meanwhile, did you know that William and Kate will be “apart” this Valentine’s Day? Kate has to work!! You know she’ll need a month-long vacation after being made to WORK on V-Day. The Kensington Palace office announced that she’ll be visiting an RAF base on V-Day in her capacity as the royal patron of the Air Cadet Organization. That patronage was thrust on Kate two Christmases ago. Prince Philip and the Queen bum-rushed her at Christmas lunch at the Palace and made her take the patronage. And now it’s ruining her V-Day! Kate will also be attending the BAFTAs for the first time ever this weekend (Sunday the 12th). So much work! Mustique is calling you, Kate.

Photos courtesy of WENN.