Pizza (; ) is an oven-baked, flat, disc-shaped bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings.

Originating in Italy, from the Neapolitan cuisine, the dish has become popular in many parts of the world. An establishment that makes and sells pizzas is called a "pizzeria". Pizza is one of the national foods of Italy and the Italian people.

History

The Ancient Greeks covered their bread with oils, herbs and cheese. In Byzantine Greek, the word was spelled ''πίτα'' or pita, meaning pie. The word has now spread to Turkish as ''pide'', Serbo-Croatian and Bulgarian as ''pita'', Albanian as ''pite'' and Modern Hebrew ''pittāh''. The Romans developed placenta, a sheet of flour topped with cheese and honey and flavored with bay leaves. Modern pizza originated in Italy as the Neapolitan pie with tomato. In 1889, cheese was added.

King Ferdinand I (1751–1825) is said to have disguised himself as a commoner and, in clandestine fashion, visited a poor neighborhood in Naples. One story has it that he wanted to sink his teeth into a food that the queen had banned from the royal court—pizza.

In 1889, during a visit to Naples, Queen Margherita of Italy was served a pizza resembling the colors of the Italian flag, red (tomato), white (mozzarella) and green (basil). This kind of pizza has been named after the Queen as Pizza Margherita.

Base and baking methods

The bottom of the pizza, called the "crust", may vary widely according to style—thin as in a typical hand-tossed pizza or Roman pizza, or thick as in a typical pan pizza or Chicago-style pizza. It is traditionally plain, but may also be seasoned with garlic, or herbs, or stuffed with cheese.

In restaurants, pizza can be baked in an oven with stone bricks above the heat source, an electric deck oven, a conveyor belt oven or, in the case of more expensive restaurants, a wood- or coal-fired brick oven. On deck ovens, the pizza can be slid into the oven on a long paddle, called a peel, and baked directly on the hot bricks or baked on a screen (a round metal grate, typically aluminum). When made at home, it can be baked on a pizza stone in a regular oven to reproduce the effect of a brick oven. Another option is grilled pizza, in which the crust is baked directly on a barbecue grill. Greek pizza, like Chicago-style pizza, is baked in a pan rather than directly on the bricks of the pizza oven.

Pizza types

Neapolitan pizza (''pizza napoletana''): Authentic Neapolitan pizzas are typically made with tomatoes and Mozzarella cheese. They can be made with ingredients like San Marzano tomatoes, which grow on the volcanic plains to the south of Mount Vesuvius, and mozzarella di bufala Campana, made with the milk from water buffalo raised in the marshlands of Campania and Lazio in a semi-wild state (this mozzarella is protected with its own European protected designation of origin). According to the rules proposed by the ''Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana'', the genuine Neapolitan pizza dough consists of wheat flour (type ''0'' or ''00'', or a mixture of both), natural Neapolitan yeast or brewer's yeast, salt and water. For proper results, strong flour with high protein content (as used for bread-making rather than cakes) must be used. The dough must be kneaded by hand or with a low-speed mixer. After the rising process, the dough must be formed by hand without the help of a rolling pin or other machine, and may be no more than 3 mm (⅛ in) thick. The pizza must be baked for 60–90 seconds in a stone oven with an oak-wood fire. When cooked, it should be crispy, tender and fragrant. There are three official variants: pizza marinara, which is made with tomato, garlic, oregano and extra virgin olive oil (although most Neapolitan pizzerias also add basil to the marinara), pizza Margherita, made with tomato, sliced mozzarella, basil and extra-virgin olive oil, and pizza Margherita extra made with tomato, mozzarella from Campania in fillets, basil and extra virgin olive oil. The pizza napoletana is a Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (''Specialità Tradizionale Garantita'', STG) product in Europe. Lazio style: Pizza in Lazio (Rome), as well as in many other parts of Italy, is available in two different styles: (1) Take-away shops sell ''pizza rustica'' or ''pizza al taglio''. This pizza is cooked in long, rectangular baking pans and relatively thick (1–2 cm). The crust is similar to that of an English muffin, and the pizza is often cooked in an electric oven. It is usually cut with scissors or a knife and sold by weight. (2) In pizza restaurants (pizzerias), pizza is served in a dish in its traditional round shape. It has a thin, crisp base quite different from the thicker and softer Neapolitan style base. It is usually cooked in a wood-fired oven, giving the pizza its unique flavor and texture. In Rome, a ''pizza napoletana'' is topped with tomato, mozzarella, anchovies and oil (thus, what in Naples is called ''pizza romana'', in Rome is called ''pizza napoletana'').

Types of Lazio-style pizza include:

Pizza romana (in Naples): tomato, mozzarella, anchovies, oregano, oil;

Pizza viennese: tomato, mozzarella, German sausage, oregano, oil;

Pizza capricciosa ("capricious pizza"): mozzarella, tomato, mushrooms, artichokes, cooked ham, olives, oil (in Rome, prosciutto raw ham is used and half a hard-boiled egg is added);

Pizza quattro stagioni ("four seasons pizza"): same ingredients for the capricciosa, but ingredients not mixed;

Pizza quattro formaggi ("four cheese pizza"): tomatoes, mozzarella, stracchino, fontina, gorgonzola (sometimes ricotta can be swapped for one of the last three);

Sicilian-style pizza has its toppings baked directly into the crust. ("Sicilian" pizza in the United States is typically a different variety of product, made with a thick crust characterized by a rectangular shape and topped with tomato sauce, cheese and optional toppings. Pizza Hut's "Sicilian Pizza", introduced in 1994, is not an authentic example of the style as only garlic, basil, and oregano are mixed into the crust);

White pizza (''pizza bianca'') omits the tomato sauce, often substituting pesto or dairy products such as sour cream. Most commonly, especially on the East coast of the United States, the toppings consist only of mozzarella and ricotta cheese drizzled with olive oil and spices like fresh basil and garlic. In Rome, the term ''pizza bianca'' refers to a type of bread topped with olive oil, salt and, occasionally, rosemary sprigs. It is also a Roman style to bottom the white pizza with figs, the result being known as ''pizza e fichi'' (pizza with figs);

Ripieno or calzone is a turnover-style pizza filled with several ingredients, such as ricotta, salami and mozzarella, and folded over to form a half circle before being baked. In Italian ''calzone'' literally means "large sock", while the word ''ripieno'' actually means just "filling" and does not by itself imply a form of pizza.

Pizza Leggera or Pizza Mezzogiorno - very thin base half a centimeter at the most, size of a large pancake with only one topping ingredient such as herbs or cheese, suitable for lunch time.

Evolving pizza

In the 20th century, pizza has become a globally accessible dish mainly due to Italian immigrants that have brought their dishes to new people with resounding success and many times in racially and culturally resistive environments.

In Australia

The usual Italian varieties are available, though more common is the style popular in America, with more and richer topping than Italian style. A common unique type is the Aussie, Australian or Australiana which has the usual tomato sauce base and mozzarella cheese with bacon and egg (seen as quintessentially Australian breakfast fare). Pizzas with seafood such as prawns are also popular. In the 1980s some Australian pizza shops and restaurants began selling "gourmet pizzas", that is, pizzas with more expensive ingredients such as salmon, dill, bocconcini, tiger prawns, or unconventional toppings such as kangaroo, emu and crocodile. "Wood-fired pizzas", that is, those cooked in a ceramic oven heated by wood fuel, are well-regarded.

In Brazil

São Paulo has 6,000 pizza establishments and 1.4 million pizzas are consumed daily. It is said that the first Brazilian pizzas were baked in the Brás district of São Paulo in the early part of the 20th century. Until the 1950s, they were only found in the Italian communities. Since then, pizza became increasingly popular among the rest of the population. The most traditional pizzerias are still found in the Italian neighborhoods, such as Bexiga (official name: Bela Vista). Both Neapolitan (thick crust) and Roman (thin crust) varieties are common in Brazil, with both traditional versions with tomato sauce and mozzarella as a base, as well as sweet, using banana, chocolate or pineapple toppings being offered at the end of meal like a dessert. Brazilian pizzerias offer also "brazilian" version like "pizza com catupiri" (cheese). July 10 is "Pizza Day" in São Paulo, marking the final day of an annual competition among "pizzaiolos". In Brazil, pizza quatro queijos (''pizza quattro formaggi'') uses mozzarella, provolone, parmesan and gorgonzola, and there is also a variety with five cheeses, which adds catupiry.

In Malaysia

Many of western Pizza restaurants have been localized, such as invention of Tom Yom Pizza, Hot and Spicy and so on. The major pizza restaurants in Malaysia are Domino's, Pizza Hut, Papa John's, Jom Pizza, and Sure Pizza.

In India

Pizza is an emerging fast food in Indian urban areas. With the arrival of branded pizza such as Domino's and Pizza Hut in early to mid-1990s, it has reached almost all major cities in India by 2010. There are some domestic pizza brands such as Smokin' Joes and Pop-Tates.

Pizza outlets serve pizzas with several Indian-style toppings like Tandoori Chicken and Paneer. Along with Indian variations, more conventional pizzas are also eaten. Pizzas available in India range from localized basic variants available in neighborhood bakeries to gourmet pizzas with exotic and imported ingredients available at specialty Italian restaurants.

In Israel

Many Israeli and American pizza stores and chains, including Pizza Hut and Sbarro, have both kosher and non-kosher locations. Kosher locations either have no meat or use imitation meat because of the Jewish religious dietary prohibition against mixing meat and dairy products, such as cheese. Kosher pizza locations must also close during the holiday of Passover, when no bread products other than matza are allowed in kosher locations. Some Israeli pizza differs from pizza in other countries because of the very large portions of vegetable toppings such as mushrooms or onions, and some unusual toppings, like corn or labane (strained yogurt), and middle-Eastern spices, such as za'atar. Like most foods in Israel, pizza choices reflect multiple cultures.

In Korea

Pizza is a popular snack food in South Korea, especially among younger people. Major American brands such as Domino's, Pizza Hut, and Papa John's Pizza compete against domestic brands such as Mr. Pizza and Pizza Etang, offering traditional as well as local varieties which may include toppings such as bulgogi and dak galbi. Korean-style pizza tends to be complicated, and often has nontraditional toppings such as corn, potato wedges, sweet potato, shrimp, or crab. The super-deluxe "Grand Prix" at Mr. Pizza has Cajun shrimp, bell peppers, olives, and mushrooms on one side, and potato wedges, bacon, crushed tortilla chips, and sour cream on the other side. Its potato mousse-filled cookie dough crust is sprinkled with sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and raisins, and can be dipped in a blueberry sauce that is provided.

Traditional Italian-style thin-crust pizza is served in the many Italian restaurants in Seoul and other major cities. North Korea's first pizzeria opened in its capital Pyongyang in 2009.

In Nepal

Pizza is becoming more popular as a fast food in the urban areas of Nepal, particularly in the capital city, Kathmandu. There are a number of restaurants that serve pizzas in Kathmandu. With the opening of a number of international pizza brands, the popularity as well as consumption has markedly increased in recent times.

In Pakistan

The first pizzerias opened up in Karachi and Islamabad in the late 1980s, with Pappasallis serving pizza in Islamabad since 1990. Pizza has gained a measure of popularity in the eastern regions of Pakistan—namely, the provinces of Sindh, Punjab, and Azad Kashmir, as well as the autonomous territory of Gilgit-Baltistan. Pizza has not penetrated into western Pakistan; of the remaining provinces and territories of Pakistan, only one (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) has seen much of the dish, in the form of a single Pizza Hut in Peshawar. In the regions where pizza is known, spicy chicken and sausage-based pizzas are very popular, as they cater to the local palate.

In the United States

Due to the wide influence of Italian and Greek immigrants in American culture, the US has developed regional forms of pizza, some bearing only a casual resemblance to the Italian original. Chicago has its own style of a deep-dish pizza, Detroit also has it's unique twice-baked style, with cheese all the way to the crust, wheras New York City has developed its own distinct variety of thin crust pizza.

Frozen and ready-to-bake pizzas

Pizza is available frozen. Food technologists have developed ways to overcome challenges such as preventing the sauce from combining with the dough and producing a crust that can be frozen and reheated without becoming rigid. Modified corn starch is commonly used as a moisture barrier between the sauce and crust. Traditionally the dough is partially baked and other ingredients are also sometimes precooked. There are frozen pizzas with raw ingredients and self-rising crusts. A form of uncooked pizza is available from take and bake pizzerias. This pizza is created fresh using raw ingredients, then sold to customers to bake in their own ovens and microwaves.

In Sweden

Pizza arrived in Sweden with Italian guest workers and became popular around 1970. Swedish pizza is mainly of the Neapolitan type and most pizzerias in Sweden have pizzas Margherita, Capricciosa and Quattro Stagioni at the top of the menu, although with slightly altered recipes. For example, a Swedish Margherita uses Swedish hard cheese instead of mozzarella and dried oregano instead of fresh basil and a Swedish Capricciosa uses only tomato, cheese, mushrooms and ham.

One of the most popular types of pizza in Sweden is kebab-pizza, with doner kebab as the main topping. The typical side order with Swedish pizza is a pizza salad made with shredded cabbage and sometimes red pepper that's been slightly pickled in vinaigrette for a few days.

In general, swedish pizzerias are private enterprises and not franchise. Of international restaurant chains only Pizza Hut is well established, although Vapiano has three restaurants in Stockholm and Domino's have been trying to establish in southern Sweden since 2008.

Similar dishes

"Farinata" or "cecina". A Ligurian (farinata) and Tuscan (cecina) regional dish made from chickpea flour, water, salt and olive oil. Also called ''Socca'' in the Provence region of France. Often baked in a brick oven, and typically weighed and sold by the slice.

The Alsatian Tarte flambée (German: Flammkuchen) is a thin disc of dough covered in crème fraîche, onions, and bacon.

The Anatolian Lahmacun (Arabic: laḥm bi'ajīn; Armenian: lahmajoun; also Armenian pizza or Turkish pizza) is a meat-topped dough round. The bread is very thin; the layer of meat often includes chopped vegetables.

The Levantine Manakish (Arabic: ma'ujnāt) and Sfiha (Arabic: laḥm bi'ajīn; also Arab pizza) are dishes similar to pizza.

The Provençal Pissaladière is similar to an Italian pizza, with a slightly thicker crust and a topping of cooked onions, anchovies, and olives.

Calzone and stromboli are similar dishes (calzone is traditionally half-moon-shaped, while a stromboli is tube-shaped) that are often made of pizza dough rolled or folded around a filling.

Garlic fingers is an Atlantic Canadian dish, similar to a pizza in shape and size, and made with similar dough. It is garnished with melted butter, garlic, cheese, and sometimes bacon.

Italian and European law

In Italy, there is a bill before Parliament to safeguard the ''traditional Italian pizza'', specifying permissible ingredients and methods of processing (e.g., excluding frozen pizzas). Only pizzas which followed these guidelines could be called "traditional Italian pizzas" in Italy.

On 9 December 2009, the European Union, upon Italian request, granted Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG) safeguard to traditional Neapolitan pizza, in particular to "Margherita" and "Marinara". The European Union enacted a protected designation of origin system in the 1990s.

Health issues

Pizza can be high in salt, fat and calories. There are concerns about negative health effects. Food chains, such as Pizza Hut, have come under criticism for the high salt content of some of their meals, which were found to contain more than twice the daily recommended amount of salt for an adult.

European nutrition research on the eating habits of people with cancer of the mouth, oesophagus, throat or colon showed those who ate pizza at least once a week had less chance of developing cancer. Dr Silvano Gallus, of the Mario Negri Institute for Pharmaceutical Research in Milan, attributed it to lycopene, an antioxidant chemical in tomatoes, which is thought to offer some protection against cancer. Carlo La Vecchia, a Milan-based epidemiologist said, "Pizza could simply be indicative of a lifestyle and food habits, in other words the Italian version of a Mediterranean diet." A traditional Mediterranean diet is rich in olive oil, fiber, vegetables, fruit, flour, and freshly cooked food. In contrast to the traditional Italian pizza used in the research, popular pizza varieties in many parts of the world are often loaded with high fat cheeses and fatty meats, a high intake of which can contribute to obesity, itself a risk factor for cancer.

Records

The largest pizza was at the Norwood Pick 'n Pay hypermarket in Johannesburg, South Africa. According to the ''Guinness Book of Records'' the pizza was 37.4 meters (122 feet 8 inches) in diameter and was made using 500 kg of flour, 800 kg of cheese and 900 kg of tomato puree. This was accomplished on December 8, 1990. The most expensive pizza was made by the restaurateur Domenico Crolla, and included toppings such as sunblush-tomato sauce, Scottish smoked salmon, medallions of venison, edible gold, lobster marinated in the finest cognac and champagne-soaked caviar. The pizza was auctioned for charity, raising £2,150.

See also

List of pizzerias

Pizza farm

Pizza saver

References

Category:Pizzerias Category:Italian cuisine Category:Italian loanwords Category:Mediterranean cuisine Category:World cuisine Category:Italian inventions Category:Flatbreads

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Rémi Gaillard (born 7 February 1975 in Montpellier, Hérault, France) is a French humorist who uploads videos on YouTube. After losing his job at a shoe store, Rémi then began to use his free time to have fun and run some pranks on the public. He is the 18# most subscribed comedian on YouTube.

Gaillard gained attention in the French media after performing a well-documented series of pranks, including an appearance disguised as a Lorient football player in the ''2002 Coupe de France'' final match, during which he took part in the winners' celebrations and was greeted by the then president of the French Republic, Jacques Chirac. He is also an amateur football player and has posted videos of his skills.

Gaillard has appeared in several sport events, TV game shows and political rallies.

Concept

Gaillard became famous for his videos where he displays an "outrageous" style of humour, questioning public norms:

stealing someone's lottery ticket and appearing to have won;

dressed as a sheep, laying funeral flowers in front of roasting sheep;

transforming a roundabout into a roofless home;

many challenges to rigid conventions, by perturbing

* the old-aged public of ''Countdown'',

* the well-ordered behaviour of tennis exhibition matches,

* the police.

The majority of Gaillard's stunts have resulted in prison sentences for the comedian.

His videos were mostly posted on Stage 6. After this did not pick up he posted them on his YouTube channel. In most, Gaillard plays pranks on other people and TV shows.

Gaillard's motto is ''C'est en faisant n'importe quoi qu'on devient n'importe qui'' ("It's by doing whatever, that one becomes whoever.").

Most of Gaillard's videos are shot by his friend Grégory Laffargue.

Sketches

The majority of Gaillard's sketches are of the hidden camera type, in which the antagonist performs an unexpected or surprising action to elicit humorous responses from the bewildered witnesses. Gaillard often disguises himself in outlandish costumes for the pranks. During some pranks, Gaillard is accompanied by a crowd of friends, giving the action a flashmob-like nature. Some other videos may feature acrobatics like aiming footballs at distant goal-like objects, or more still aim to antagonize police forces he interacts with during his sketches.

Gaillard shot his first sketch in 1999 with a friend in Montpellier. In 2001, he created an internet website, nimportequi.com.

He gained notoriety in 2002 at the finals of the Coupe de France. Disguised as an FC Lorient player, he celebrated the team's victory with the players, shook the hand of the then French President Jacques Chirac and signed autographs, without anyone realizing that he was not a player on the team.

Some of his most famous sketches are parodies of the Rocky Balboa movies, Pac Man, Mario Kart, and his football videos.

He often dresses up in large animal costumes. Pig, dog, cat, turtle, snail, bee, shark, kangaroo, spider, beaver, fly, gorilla, chicken, penguin, giraffe, rabbit, butterfly and sheep have all been used in pranks.

In 2007, he gained the attention of journalists from Le Monde and was invited on a few talk shows..

On his official site, Gaillard claims over 1.1 billion views on his videos on the web.

Gaillard also appeared in Orangina, Pepsi, Durex and LG commercials.

References

External links

Gaillard's Dailymotion channel

Category:1975 births Category:People from Montpellier Category:Living people Category:French humorists Category:Pranksters

ar:ريمي غايار br:Rémi Gaillard ca:Rémi Gaillard cs:Rémi Gaillard de:Rémi Gaillard es:Rémi Gaillard eu:Rémi Gaillard fr:Rémi Gaillard it:Rémi Gaillard he:רמי גאייאר hu:Rémi Gaillard nl:Rémi Gaillard ja:レミ・ガイヤール no:Rémi Gaillard pl:Rémi Gaillard pt:Rémi Gaillard ru:Гайяр, Реми sr:Реми Гајар fi:Rémi Gaillard sv:Rémi Gaillard tr:Rémi Gaillard

name	The Midnight Beast
background	group_or_band
origin	London, United Kingdom
genre	Comedy
years active	2009–present
website	http://themidnightbeast.com/
current members	Stefan AbingdonDru WakelyAshley Horne

The Midnight Beast, sometimes abbreviated as TMB, is a British comedy music group from London, perhaps most famous for their YouTube cover-parody of the 2009 worldwide hit single TiK ToK by American pop artist Ke$ha. The group currently consists of its three founding members, Stefan Abingdon, Dru Wakely and Ashley Horne.

Members

Stefan Abingdon

Stefan James Donald John Abingdon (born 19 January 1989) is a graduate of The BRIT School for Performing Arts & Technology. Prior to the formation of TMB, Abingdon was a member of numerous non-comedic music projects, including Ink, Icarus Burning, Killafornia, R.U.Twin, The Clik Clik, Perfect People, and Chapters, as well as recording songs as a solo act. Abingdon is a multi-instrumentalist, and can be seen playing acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards and ukeleles in YouTube videos with his various bands. When performing with the group live, Abingdon sings and plays both guitars and keyboards. In 2011, Abingdon wrote and produced the title track for Selena Gomez & the Scene's third studio album When the Sun Goes Down.

Dru Wakely

Andrew Francis Wakely (born 10 January 1987) was also a musician prior to the formation of TMB, playing drums alongside Abingdon in Icarus Burning, The Clik Clik, and Perfect People. When performing with the group live, Wakely sings, and also provides drums and percussion. Many of the groups early songs, including the "TiK ToK " parody and "Daddy", make comedic reference to Wakely's supposed feelings of abandonment towards his father. As described in "Daddy", his father left the house on Christmas Eve to pick up some milk at the store, and never returned. Wakely eventually discovered that his father had left him and his mother to run off and start a family with their Spanish housekeeper. While the songs treat these claims as a comedic exaggeration, their authenticity has not been confirmed or denied by Wakely himself.

Ashley Horne

Ashely Neil Horne (born 4 January 1989) is the only member of the group with no known professional musical experience prior to forming TMB, although Horne can be seen playing the bass guitar in concert with the group. Horne was originally pursuing an acting career, and had bit parts in a number of British television series, including ''Foyle's War'', ''EastEnders'' and ''Doctor Who''. A number of the group's songs, "Booty Call", "Just Another Boy Band" and "The Dance Routine" among them, make comedic toungue-in-cheek references to Horne being gay. Like Wakely's childhood stories, they are treated in a very comical light; however, Horne's orientation has not been stated by Horne himself.

Reception

The Midnight Beast have a rather large following on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, with over 273,000 subscribers and a combined 39 million views on their YouTube channel alone, as well as over 300,000 Facebook fans as of August 2011. The group's songs often appear on iTunes music charts, and their accompanying music videos routinely reach over 1 million veiws on YouTube. The group has also had songs reach positions on national music charts in the U.K. and Australia.

The band and their music have achieved high levels of success not only with fans, but critics as well. Music and internet culture critics have often mentioned the band's instant "internet fame", and the transition of that fame into the real world. On Christmas Day 2009, the "TiK ToK" parody was featured on the front page of MTV.com, and the group have made videos in collabaration with BBC Comedy and MTV Rocks.

The group has also garnered praise from artists that they have parodied. Both Ke$ha and Jay Sean have tweeted positive reactions to the group's parody of their respective songs, TiK ToK and Down, with Ke$ha stating "''holy. shit. this is better than my version.''", and Jay Sean posting "''Hahha brilliant. Someone should mix this with "pants on the ground"...''". Ke$ha would go on to state the she wished the group had directed her own music video.

The group has also attracted minor controversy with its music. In an online post from February 2011, Metro, a British newspaper, raised issue with the lyrics of "Use Your Head", a sexual education-themed skit made for the Marie Stopes International charity's Have A Larc organization, which promotes safe sex. The paper cited the lines "One up the bum and it’s no harm done" and "One up the bum and you won’t be a mum", stating that it appeared that the group was suggesting anal sex as a birth control method. It also quoted unnamed critics who mentioned that the video failed to point out that anal sex could still lead to the transmission of STDs. The story eventually reached the front page of the paper. The song 'Pizza in Ibiza' also attracted some controversy, magazines criticised the throwing of food into the sea and use of condoms.

Discography

EPs

Year	Title	Label	Chart Positions
			UK
2010	''Booty Call EP''	Midnight Beast RecordsAWAL Records

Singles

Year	Title	Peak chart positions			Album
		! width="33"	! width="33"	! width="33"
2009
"Ninjas"
"Lez Be Friends"
"Friends For Never"
"Daddy"
"Booty Call"
"Just Another Boy Band"
	"The Dance Routine"
"Pizza In Ibiza"

Other Songs, Parodies and Skits

''Nerds'' and ''Drunk Girls'', two songs originally performed as solo recordings by Abingdon; the group only plays these songs live

''XXXmas Buddies (How To Get A Xmas...)'', a holiday-themed adult parody of All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey and Walter Afanasieff

''Walk With Us'', a comdeic skit

''Dubstep On My Mouth'', a comedic skit revolving around the genre of Dubstep music

''Fashion Innit'', a gonzo report for MTV Rocks; Fashion Innit was included on the Booty Call EP

''House Party'', a skit made for BBC Comedy revolving around the 2010 elections

''Camden Crawling'', a gonzo report for MTV Rocks about the Camden Crawl Festival

''All Time Low Parody'' featuring Tom Deacon, a parody of All Time Low by The Wanted.

''Walk With Us Xmas Special'', a holiday-themed version of the original ''Walk With Us'' skit

''Use Ya Head'', a sexual education-themed skit released in support of the Marie Stopes charity

''Friday Parody'', a "parody" of Friday by Rebecca Black; contrary to the title, it is not a parody, but a full on cover, as in Stefan's words, 'The lyrics are already funny enough'

''E.T. Parody'', a parody of E.T. by Katy Perry and Kanye West

Tours

Unnamed 2010 tour (October 17-October 25)

Unnamed 2011 tour (February 15-February 24)

The Wednesday Tour (June 22-August 24, 2011)

References

External links

http://www.myspace.com/chapterstheband

The Midnight Beast Fansite

Category:British comedy musical groups Category:Musical groups from London

de:The Midnight Beast fi:The Midnight Beast

name	Mary-Kate OlsenAshley Olsen
birth date	June 13, 1986
birth place	Sherman Oaks, California, U.S.
occupation	Actresses
years active	1987–present
website	http://www.mary-kateandashley.com
notable role	Michelle Tanner in ''Full House'' }}

Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Fuller Olsen (born June 13, 1986) are American actresses.

Both have appeared in television and films since infancy. Since then, they have continued their celebrity through numerous television programs, films, interviews, as well as commercial endorsements. Although they look similar in appearance, they are genetically different fraternal twins.

Biography

Early life

The girls were born in 1986 in Sherman Oaks, California to David Olsen (b. 1953) and Jarnette (Jarnie) Fuller (b. 1954).

In 1987, the twins started their acting careers on the television series ''Full House''. They were hired at the age of six months and filming began when they were nine months old. The show was widely popular during the late 1980s and early 1990s. thumb|Mary-Kate Olsenthumb|Ashley Olsen Both sisters played the same character, Michelle Tanner, taking turns during the tapings to do so, in order to comply with strict child labor laws regarding child actors. For the first year, Ashley would cry when she was brought on set to do a scene, so Mary-Kate had more screen time in the first season.

Because the producers did not want viewers to know that Michelle was played by twins, the sisters were originally credited as "Mary Kate Ashley Olsen", but in the last season and most of season one, they were credited as separate people. During the eight year run, Mary-Kate and Ashley made several direct-to-video movies, in addition to ''Full House'', such as ''To Grandmother's House We Go'' (1992).

Career

Shortly after the end of ''Full House'', Mary-Kate and Ashley began heavily merchandising their image. They established a company called Dualstar in 1993 and their brand has been sold in more than 3,000 stores in the United States and over 5,300 stores worldwide. Because of this, they have been on the Forbes' "''The Celebrity 100 list''" since 2002, and in 2007, Forbes ranked them, collectively, as the eleventh-richest women in entertainment, with an estimated net worth of US$100 million.

Mary-Kate and Ashley were popular figures in the preteen market during the late '90s and early 2000s. Their names became a cottage industry, with their likeness seen in clothes, books, fragrances, magazines, movies and posters. There were even Mary-Kate and Ashley fashion dolls made by Mattel from 2000–2005.

They starred in the video series ''The Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley'' and ''You're Invited to Mary-Kate & Ashley's...'', the ABC show ''Two of a Kind'', and ABC Family's ''So Little Time''. However, ''So Little Time'' was panned by critics and disappointed fans. Despite this, they were ranked number three on the VH1 program ''100 Greatest Child Stars''. They also appear in a few direct-to-video movies about twins visiting places in Europe; ''Passport to Paris'', ''Winning London'', and ''When in Rome''.

In May 2004, they were part of a Got Milk? campaign and dual-hosted Saturday Night Live (which show caused them to miss their prom). In June, the Got Milk? campaign was pulled following Mary-Kate's disclosure that she was being treated for an eating disorder.

Their most recent theatrical venture was in the light-hearted romantic comedy, ''New York Minute'', also starring Eugene Levy. The film was expected to launch the girls into more serious adult roles, but was a box office flop.

Mary-Kate's first acting appearance without Ashley was in the movie ''Factory Girl'', released in December 2006. Mary-Kate was originally in several scenes, but only appeared in the background in the finished film. Mary-Kate was also a recurring guest role in the third season of the Showtime series Weeds and she is also in the 2008 independent film ''The Wackness'' starring Ben Kingsley, with whom she shares a passionate kiss.

Fashion

As the sisters have matured, there has been greater interest in their fashion choices, with the ''New York Times'' declaring Mary-Kate a fashion icon for pioneering her signature (and now popular among celebrities and fans alike) "homeless" look. The style, sometimes referred by fashion journalists to as "ashcan" or "Boho-chic" or bohemian-bourgeois, is similar to that of Bohemian chic popularized in Britain by Kate Moss and Sienna Miller. The look consists of oversized sunglasses, boots, loose sweaters, and flowing skirts all with an aesthetic of mixing high end pieces with low end. Their fashion choices, however, have not been without controversy. Ashley Olsen was included on PETA's 2006 Worst Dressed list for wearing fur.

Mary-Kate and Ashley have a clothing line in Wal-Mart stores across North America for girls ages 4 – 14 as well as a beauty line called "''Mary-Kate and Ashley: Real fashion for real girls''". In 2004 they made news by signing a pledge to allow all the workers that sew their line of clothing in Bangladesh full maternity leave. The National Labor Committee, which organized the pledge, later praised the twins for their commitment to worker rights. The director of the organization, Charles Kernaghan, is quoted as saying, "The Olsen twins have done the right thing. Now it is up to Wal-Mart to either support Mary-Kate and Ashley’s commitment to women’s rights, or tragically to shut them down."

They were tapped as the faces of upscale fashion line Badgley Mischka in 2006, in an attempt to gain credibility in the fashion industry after their association with Wal-Mart. They have also launched their own new couture fashion label "''The Row''" named after the famous Savile Row of London. The pair have also started a new line for The Row, entitled "''Elizabeth & James''", named after their siblings.

Mary-Kate and Ashley have been criticized by animal rights group PETA for their use of fur in their fashion line, The Row.

Personal lives

Mary-Kate and Ashley have an older brother, Trent, and younger sister, Elizabeth, as well as two half-siblings, Taylor (b. 1996) and Jake (b. 1997). The twins' parents divorced in 1995. Taylor and Jake are from their father's second marriage, to Martha Mackenzie-Olsen.

Mary-Kate and Ashley announced in 2004 that they would be attending college at New York University after graduating high school. In 2005, Mary-Kate moved back to California. She decided to stay on the West Coast and pursue more individualized work with their company, Dualstar. Ashley also left the university a couple months later.

In 2004, Mary-Kate checked into rehab in Utah for six weeks because she was suffering from the eating disorder anorexia nervosa. It was rumored that there was also a drug problem, but the Olsens' publicist said, "Mary-Kate was not admitted for drugs. Period." Mary-Kate put on about five to seven pounds immediately after her stint in rehab and pictures had shown that she may have gained more weight. However, Star magazine has, as of January 2007, released a cover story article on Mary Kate's, once again, very low weight. They claim she is at 80 pounds. Her spokesperson has denied the weight loss claiming "Mary-Kate has not lost weight. She is taking good care of herself."

In 2005, Mary-Kate ended her romance with Greek shipping heir Stavros Niarchos III. Mary-Kate said that the breakup was one of the main factors in her leave of absence from New York University. "I miss him and I love him," Mary-Kate said, "It's a hurtful and a painful subject." When asked if there was a specific reason for her leaving NYU, she replied, "I think we can all guess." The breakup and Niarchos's subsequent pairing with Paris Hilton led to a rift between Hilton and Mary-Kate. "[Paris and I] always only had nice things to say about each other," Olsen said. "Now I guess you can tell we're not talking."

In 2006, Ashley filed a US$40 million lawsuit against tabloid magazine ''National Enquirer'' for printing a headline reading "Ashley Olsen Caught In Drug Scandal," with a story accompanied by an unflattering photo of Ashley with her eyes half-closed. The lawsuit stated that the photo was clearly used to create a misrepresentation of Olsen under the influence of drugs. Ashley completely denies the accusations and said that she has not and does not use or sell illegal drugs. The suit consisted of US$20 million in libel damages and US$20 million in false light invasion of privacy damages. Per her suit, Ashley Olsen and her lawyers believe that "freedom of the press is a valuable right, but it is not a license for gossipy tabloids to tar and feather innocent celebrities and destroy their reputations and businesses for the rag's profits."

In 2008, Mary-Kate Olsen was caught up in the media-hype surrounding the death of Heath Ledger after Masseuse Diane Lee Wolozin, who had gone to the apartment to give Ledger a 15:00 massage and found his naked body in his bed, phoned the 21-year-old Olsen twice before calling the 911 emergency service. There is also speculation that Olsen was having a relationship with Ledger at the time of his death. Olsen released a statement through her publicist, stating, "Heath was a friend. His death is a tragic loss. My thoughts are with his family."

Selected filmography

: ''This section lists the filmography of the twins as a duo. See Mary-Kate Olsen for other productions in which she has appeared.''

Television
! Year(s)	! Title	! Mary-Kate's role	! Ashley's role	! Notes
1987–1995	''Full House''		Shared role
1998–1999		Mary-Kate Burke	Ashley Burke
2001–2002	''Mary-Kate and Ashley in Action!''	Misty (voice)	Amber (voice)	Animated series
2001–2002	''So Little Time''	Riley Carlson	Chloe Carlson
Video series
! Year	! Title	! Mary-Kate's role	! Ashley's role	! Notes
1994–1997	''The Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley''	Mary-Kate	Ashley
1995–2000	''You're Invited to Mary-Kate & Ashley's...''	Mary-Kate	Ashley
Films
! Year	! Title	! Mary-Kate's role	! Ashley's role	! Notes
1992	''To Grandmother's House We Go''	Sarah Thompson	Julie Thompson	TV movie
1993	''Double, Double, Toil and Trouble''	Kelly Farmer & Young Aunt Sophia	Lynn Farmer & Young Aunt Agatha	TV movie
	''How the West Was Fun''	Jessica Martin	Susie Martin	TV movie
	Twin #2	Twin #1	Minor roles
1995		Amanda Lemmon	Alyssa Callaway
1998	''Billboard Dad''	Tess Tyler	Emily Tyler
	''Switching Goals''	Sam Stanton	Emma Stanton	TV movie
''Passport to Paris''	Melanie Porter	Allyson Porter
2000		Maddie Parker	Abby Parker
	''Winning London''	Chloe Lawrence	Riley Lawrence
	Madison Stewart	Alex Stewart
	''Getting There''	Kylie Hunter	Taylor Hunter
	Charli Hunter	Leila Hunter
		Shane Dalton	Elizabeth Dalton
''Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle''	Future Angel	Future Angel	Uncredited cameo
2004		Roxy Ryan	Jane Ryan	Main Roles

See also

Brother For Sale

List of twins

Lizzie Olsen (actor)

References

Further reading

Olsen, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, with Damon Romine. ''Mary-Kate and Ashley: Our Story: Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen's Official Biography''. HarperEntertainment 2000. ISBN 0061075698.

Tracy, Kathleen. ''Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen''. Mitchell Lane Publishers, 2003. ISBN 1584152567.

External links

Dualstar Entertainment Group Corporate Website

Category:1986 births Category:American child actors Category:American child singers Category:American female singers Category:American film actors Category:American television actors Category:American businesspeople Category:Actors from California Category:Celebrity duos Category:Living people Category:New York University alumni Category:People from the San Fernando Valley Category:People from Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles Category:Sibling duos

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