Rob Ford Dies; Controversial Toronto Mayor Was 46

Rob Ford – the former Toronto mayor best known for his rampant drug use and controversial comments while in office – has passed away at age 46.

No official cause of death has been reported, but Ford had been battling cancer since 2014.

Ford gained international notoriety when he admitted to smoking crack cocaine in November of 2013 while he was still serving as mayor.

He entered rehab the following year after video that showed him smoking crack and appearing to threaten a political rival went viral online.

It’s not known is Ford was successful in getting sober, but shortly after leaving treatment he was diagnosed with pleomorphic liposarcoma after doctors discovered a tumor in his stomach.

“I have a problem with alcohol, and the choices I have made while under the influence. I have struggled with this for some time,” Ford stated during one of his final interviews.

He later admitted to using crack cocaine, but denied that he was an addict.

Despite his many scandals, Ford was beloved by his constituency and enjoyed a high approval rating throughout his career in politics.

He withdrew from the 2014 election, but stated that he planned to run for mayor again in 2016.

While his life and career were cut tragically short, Ford had been called one of the most unforgettable figures in 21st Century politics.

View Slideshow: Celebrities Who Passed Away in 2016: Gone, But Not Forgotten

Michelle Duggar & Candace Cameron Bure: What Controversial Practice Do They Share in Common?

With the highly-anticipated sequel series Fuller House premiering on Netlfix today, former child star Candace Cameron Bure is back in the spotlight in a big way.

Unlike her co-stars Jodie Sweetin and Andrea Barber, Bure never fully stepped away from the spotlight, and in her current role as a panel member on ABC’s The View, she espouses conservative Christian beliefs that frequently put her at odds with her more liberal co-hosts.

But while she’s remained a public figure in the years since the series that made her famous was canceled, Bure’s return to acting has brought her a level of fame that she hasn’t known since Full House was at the height of its popularity – and with it has come intense scrutiny and criticism of some of her more controversial views.

Specifically, Bure’s child-rearing methods have come under fire recently, as the 39-year-old mother of 3 has been condemned for supporting Michael and Debi Pearl – parenting gurus who support the use of corporal punishment.

In a 2004 blog post that was recently deleted, Bure wrote:

“The books that guideline raising our children are the Bible, Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Tedd Tripp and To Train Up a Child by Michael & Debi Pearl. My parenting tip of the day is consistency; it’s key.”

The Pearls’ parenting advice first gained mainstream attention when it was revealed that they inspired Michelle Duggar to adopt “blanket training” as a method of disciplining her kids.

View Slideshow: 11 Things BANNED in the Duggar Family

The controversial technique involves placing a young child on a blanket and striking them when they move from it.

A 2011 New York Times article links the Pearls’ teachings with multiple deaths.

The renewed focus on Bure’s personal life has led critics to link the actress to the Duggars’ more scandalous beliefs and practices.

In the book that Bure endorsed on her blog, Michael Pearl advocates disciplining children with “the same principles the Amish use to train their stubborn mules.”

In the build-up to her return to scripted television, Bure has refused to comment on her connection with the Pearls and the Duggars.

View Slideshow: The 11 Biggest Duggar Family Scandals of 2015

Macklemore Slams Miley Cyrus, Iggy Azalea in Controversial New Song

Remember Macklemore?

There was a time when it looked like he"d be the biggest rapping haircut since Vanilla Ice, but these days, the Seattle-based MC seems to spend most of his time standing in Russell Wilson"s pool offering words of encouragement and shilling headphones.

But fear not, fans of non-threatening, mediocre hip hop:

The Mack is back, and he"s throwing all kinds of topical shade in his new song, "White Privilege II."

To be clear, it"s admirable that Macklemore is making an effort to address important matters that most artists in his position would choose to ignore.

At the same time, however, he"s playing it safe by slamming a dead guy and two women who he knows are unlikely to hit back with a diss track.

Worse, he fails to clarify how he"s not guilty of the same thing of which he"s accusing them.

The lines that are getting the most attention today are as follows:

"You"ve exploited and stolen the music, the moment/ The magic, the passion, the fashion, you toy with/ The culture was never yours to make better/ You"re Miley, you"re Elvis, you"re Iggy Azalea

"You"ve heisted the magic / You"ve taken the drums and the accent you rap in/ Your brand of hip hop is so fascist and backwards that Grandmaster Flash is gonna slap you, you bastard."

As far as we can tell, the central argument of the song is that because Macklemore attended the Ferguson protests, he"s uniquely qualified to "borrow" from black culture.

We"re not sure that"s his call to make, but even if it is, there"s more than one way to acknowledge and honor the ongoing struggle of black Americans and use one"s fame to try and affect positive change.

While we can"t speak for Iggy, we know that Miley has done so on numerous occasions, and she"s not alone: 

Why no mention of Eminem, Action Bronson, Machine Gun Kelly, or El-P on the track? 

Simple – Mack is smart enough not to level such accusations against rappers who he knows would murder him on wax.

Like we said, we respect Macklemore for attempting to spark a conversation, but starting things off by declaring that he"s not complicit in all of this because he says so is more than a little ridiculous.

There is no American music that doesn"t borrow heavily from black culture, and whether they"re musicians or not, all Americans should be doing whatever they can to right the wrongs of history and acknowledge the contributions of oppressed peoples.

Macklemore wants you to think that"s what he"s doing here, but in reality, he"s just pointing fingers in hopes of shifting the blame.

Old Navy Slams Artists on Controversial New T-Shirt

Old Navy is in trouble for a new line of controversial apparel.

The company is facing the ire of critics around the Internet after a Twitter user shared an image of a children’s T-Shirt that has an unusual message scrawled across the front.

The article of clothing displays the slogan “Young Aspiring Artist,” but the word “Artist” has been crossed out and replaced with the words “Astronaut” or “President.” 

Many are wondering why Old Navy has chosen to encourage kids to dream about the latter occupation at the expense of the former occupation.

We’re all for empowering young men and women. But is it not empowering to be an artist?

And, Earth to Old Navy… but did an artist not design these T-Shirts?!?

“Seen these new @OldNavy tops? I wonder if they realize that without artists, their company doesn’t, y’know…exist,” wrote one Twitter user who shared this same thought.

Another simply wrote: “Dear @OldNavy, we need aspiring Presidents, Astronauts AND Artists.”

Is this as of that infamous American Apparel vagina shirt?

Or that blood-covered Kent State sweatshirt?

Probably not. It’s really just weird more than anything else. It’s not funny or creative or inspiring. It’s just… weird.

Compare this controversial piece of clothing with many that have come before it now:

View Slideshow: 18 Controversial Articles of Clothing

Kylie Jenner Lands Tattoo Shop in Trouble With Controversial Snapchat Video

Hey, did you hear Kylie Jenner got a second tattoo?

What"s that? You didn"t even know Kylie Jenner has a first tattoo?

Well, you"re not alone. Her ink is incredibly tiny and while she posts lots of semi-nude selfies, most folks are too distracted by Kylie"s sideboob to notice her miniscule skin art.

But while Kylie is clearly not a big fan of going under the needle (We"re guessing both tatts required her to sit for a combined five minutes), the girl loves turning the gun on other people.

Last year, Kylie tattooed her initials on Lionel Richie"s son for some reason, and today she posted a video of herself inking a crowned "K" (of course) on the proprietor of the shop where she got her latest tatt.

We understand that Kylie is probably pretty hard to say no to, but TMZ is reporting that Bang Bang Tattoos in NYC might now be facing fines upwards of $ 1,000 thanks to Kylie"s ill-advised Snapchat story.

Sources say they"ve confirmed that the New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is aware of the video, and a full investigation is underway.

We doubt Kylie cares, but the dude she tatted up might wing up paying a pretty penny for that sloppy red "K" on his ankle.