For some people she has become an icon, I think we're just a bit older than the people who consider her to be an icon. When I was in Brazil last year, it seemed every teenaged gay guy was obsessed with her and thought she was the greatest person in the world. It seems like she might be most popular with teenaged kids…

I had the same reaction.

Am I the only one who read "Applause" and "Applesauce?"

And both Gates and Zuckerberg both attended Harvard so even though neither of them technically graduated from Harvard, the social capital they gained from attending there can't be ignored.

I come from a Muslim background and even lived in Saudi Arabia for a while, and I don't have a problem with Gaga is doing is. Now normally I couldn't care less about her, but this does make me like her a bit more. She is a world wide pop star and lots of people will see her and hear her wearing/talking about covering…

I'll add: I come from a Muslim background and even wore the niqab sometimes when I lived in Saudi Arabia and I don't have a problem with this. Normally I don't care about Gaga, but this actually kinds makes me like her a bit more. The lyrics to that song would resonate with a woman who wears the niqab.

When generally talking about the face covering worn by Muslim women niqab is the better term to use. Burqa is too culturally specific to Afghanistan and South Asia. I'm a little confused as to where Gaga is using the term and where the articles are putting that word into her mouth, but the article should have used the …

Can we please at least get the terminology right? A burqa covers the eyes with a mesh covering and is really only worn by women in Afghanistan. A niqab is much more prevalent and has a bare opening over the eyes. The Gaga picture on the left looks burqa inspired and the one on the right is niqab inspired.

Everyone knows that Aladdin actually took place in the Orientalist fantasy world of Europe's imagination.

It's interesting/sad that neither of the two films set in Africa feature actual Africans and one of them only features wild animals....

Where are you shipping Rosie Perez and Michael K. Williams to and how did you get possession of them?

Marina jumped the shark long before this.

Do you have any advice for finding air routes/fares to far-out or isolated places? I've looked into going to places like New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Comoros or São Tomé but have never had much success finding reasonably cheap airfare or routing options from my departure airport in the US. Its seems that often airlines…

Muhahaha!

Kris Jenner is terrible, but even more sinister when you think about how she tried to profit from and misconstrue her part in the OJ Simpson trial in her autobiography.

Just shut up.

I feel bad for him too. But I feel bad for him because he will probably be most remembered for this terrible song.

That's an interesting theory. He's been around for a while, but never has really made it "big." I was actually quite surprised that he would end up with the big summer hit of 2013. Although it also seems that TI and Pharrel were involved in this song, so maybe it makes more sense.

Is it shallow of me to be impressed with all that, and not really be interested in the video?

I'm counting down right here with you. I first heard this song last month on the radio when I was riding through the Ethiopian countryside, and all I could think when I heard it was "Please don't let this be a super popular song back in the US, I don't ever want to hear it again."