“The success is bittersweet”
 NOVEMBER 16, 2021 THE BIG STORY
The Yassify meme is giving fun gay slur  With lips plumper than a Kardashian, contouring better than Adele's, and a complexion that has been smoothed over more than Calista Gingrich's on FaceTune, each Yassify photo looks cartoonishly ridiculous — but also strangely familiar.
Made viral largely due to the work of @YassifyBot creator Denver Adams, the Yassify meme transforms people into over-the-top, unrecognizably glamazon versions of themselves to the point of satire.
"[FaceApp] is genuinely used by people. I think there's a conversation to be had about how unhealthy that culture is," Adams said.
STAYING ON TOP OF THIS
"I want them to start something": White supremacists allegedly strategized how to provoke counterprotesters ahead of the "Unite the Right" rally At the landmark trial against the two dozen white supremacists who organized the Charlottesville "Unite the Right" rally, prosecutors zeroed in on organizers' online messages as evidence for their plans of violence.
For example, Jason Kessler — a white nationalist, member of the Proud Boys, and one of the primary "Unite the Right" organizers — referred to the rally in fighting terms, saying it would go down in history as "the Battle of Charlottesville." Many of his messages discussed provoking antiracist counterprotesters as a means to not only foment a race war, but also get media attention.
"Can you guys conceal carry? I don't want to scare antifa off from throwing the first punch. Big scary guns...will keep Antifa away. I want them to start something," Kessler wrote.
The planned violence is key to the case of nine plaintiffs, who are suing for damages to compensate for the injuries they sustained in August 2017. Plaintiffs have laid out their case that the rally planning amounted to a conspiracy, using a mountain of digital evidence to show how far the white supremacists went to allegedly get the fight they were after. Next, the jury is expected to hear from defense witnesses as early as Tuesday. SNAPSHOTS
A 9-year-old boy has died from the injuries he sustained at the Astroworld tragedy. His death was confirmed in a statement by attorney Ben Crump, who had initially filed a million-dollar lawsuit against rapper Travis Scott and organizer Live Nation alleging "grossly negligent conduct" at the event.
"Hogging" is a horrifying sex competition that some fraternities engage in, and people are finally talking about it. "When it comes to any form of violence surrounding sex and sexuality, one of the most important parts is men holding each other accountable. In order to get them to do that, they need to hear what it even is in the first place, and know that it's a thing that exists and happens."
ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Hello from the other side  CBS Adele opened up about her ex-husband's thoughts on her upcoming album, as well as the fatigue of "battling" herself in her divorce. In an interview with Oprah, Adele shared, "Me choosing to dismantle my child's life for my own makes me very uncomfortable."
Emily Ratajkowski revealed that she hasn't heard from Robin Thicke since her accusations against him were leaked last month. "The essay wasn't written as a gotcha moment. It's about me sort of setting the record straight and sharing the whole truth and my experience with the world."
"THE SUCCESS IS BITTERSWEET"
Ming Smith took photos of New York culture for decades. Now she's getting her due. Photographer Ming Smith has been working since the 1970s, but it wasn't until the past few years that she's been launched into much wider name recognition. Last year, her monograph was recognized as one of the best photo books of the year, and her work is currently being shown at Nicola Vassell Gallery in Chelsea, one of the rare art galleries in New York owned by a Black woman.
"Ming is a legend; it's very simple," Nicola Vassell said. "She is a symbol of everything that has been shrouded over the years that needs to be revealed. In a way she is a sage, and all of her perspectives are important for this moment."  "Sun Ra Space II (New York), 1978" Ming Smith / Courtesy Nicola Vassell Gallery  "Mother and Child, 1977" Ming Smith / Courtesy Nicola Vassell Gallery
 "America Seen Through Stars and Stripes (New York), 1976" Ming Smith / Courtesy Nicola Vassell Gallery
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