Jezebel: Austria

Schwarzenegger Commemorates Epic Narcissism With Statue Of Himself

Margaret Hartmann — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 20:02:00 EDT

On Friday Arnold Schwarzenegger unveiled one of three self-commissioned bronze statues of his muscly, Speedo-clad body at his childhood home turned museum in Thal, Austria. While this photo of Arnold caressing his shiny metal ass may look like one of the most outrageous celebrity moments ever, social scientists tell LiveScience that this is actually totally normal behavior ... if you're one of history's greatest megalomaniacs. Lemont Dobson of Drury University in Missouri says: More »

Fritzl's Horrifying Incest Basement Will Be Filled With Concrete

Anna North — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 16:10:00 EDT

The man who is liquidating the estate of Josef Fritzl, the Austrian father who impregnated his daughter and kept her and her children prisoners in his basement, says he's going to fill the basement with concrete so that no one can go in there ever again. Meanwhile, Fritzl is serving a life sentence in prison. More »

Beth Ditto Smiles Because ___________

Erin Gloria Ryan — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 14:25:00 EST

ISCHGL, AUSTRIA - NOVEMBER 27: Singer Beth Ditto of The Gossip addresses the media during a news conference prior to the opening of the winter season at Ischgl, one of the biggest mountain resorts in the Alps. (Photo by Getty)

Ikea Lets You Hide Your Bisexuality In The Cupboard

Anna North — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 14:39:00 EDT

We're not sure what makes this Austrian Ikea commercial less likely to air in the US: the fact that it gleefully depicts infidelity, or its suggestion that male bisexuality exists. More »

Polanski's Fugitive Status Could Still Mess Up His Travel Plans

Anna North — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 10:46:00 EDT

Roman Polanski may be off house arrest, but he'll still have to import his tea and cannoli — because of extradition treaties, he can't travel to Britain or Italy. Germany and Austria, however, are a-okay. More »

Reading, Rainbow

Anna Holmes — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 15:10:00 EDT

[Vienna, June 7. Image via AP]

A Show Of Hands

Anna Holmes — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 15:10:00 EDT

[Innsbruck, June 3. Image via Getty]

The Hills Are Alive

Anna Holmes — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 15:10:00 EDT

[Salzburg, June 1. Image via AP]

The People's Republic

Anna Holmes — Tue, 18 May 2010 19:10:00 EDT

[Vienna, May 18. Image via Getty]

The Blue Note

Anna Holmes — Thu, 13 May 2010 17:10:00 EDT

[Salzburg, May 12. Image via AP]

Take A Bow

Anna Holmes — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 18:10:00 EST

[Vienna, February 11. Image via Getty]

The Long, Unwinding Road

Anna Holmes — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:10:00 EDT

[Vienna, September 22. Image via Getty]

What Lies In The Shadow Of The Statue

Anna Holmes — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:10:00 EDT

[Bregenz, Austria; June 17. Image via Getty]

Kind Of Blue

Anna Holmes — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:10:00 EDT

[Venice, June 4. Image via Getty]

Fritzl Trial, Day 2: Defense Portrays Rapist Abuser As A Caring Family Man

Margaret Hartmann — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:30:00 EDT

In court today, the defense said Josef Fritzl, the Austrian man accused of imprisoning his daughter for 24 years, raping her, and fathering her seven children, was "not a monster." His daughter's testimony said otherwise. More »

Austrian Abuser Admits To Rape, Denies Murder On First Day In Court

Margaret Hartmann — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 09:30:00 EDT

Josef Fritzl, the 74-year-old Austrian man who kept his daughter in a cellar for 24 years and fathered 7 children with her, has pled guilty to incest but denies murdering his infant son. More »

Fritzl Daughter Released

Maria — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 12:40:00 EST

Elisabeth Fritzl, the woman who was imprisoned and raped by her father for 24 years, was released from a psychiatric hospital in Austria today. Her father's trial will take place in March. [Guardian] More »

Black Models: Teen Vogue Goes Where Vogue Will Not

Dodai Stewart — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:00:00 EST

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The new December/January issue of Teen Vogue has Twilight's Kristen Stewart on the cover, and inside, a "Night Shift" photo shoot with not one but two black models. Big sister Vogue includes two black models — and Indian model Lakshmi Menon — in a jewelry story this month, and there are black models scattered through the magazine. But everyone knows that the big "get" for a model is a multiple-page fashion spread. Plus, Vogue has a way of making everyone look haughty and bored. In Teen Vogue, the two young ladies in the "Night Shift" are psyched! Alive! Happy! For some reason, even though I can barely afford anything they're wearing, I love them. Images after the jump. More »

Prosecutors announced today that Josef Fritzl,...

Maria — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 09:20:00 EST

Prosecutors announced today that Josef Fritzl, the Austrian man who imprisoned his daughter in his basement for 24 years and fathered her 7 children, has been charged with the murder of one of his children who died in infancy. He has also been charged with rape, incest, false imprisonment and slavery. Fritzl is the first Austrian to be tried on a slavery charge. He is expected to go to trial in early 2009. [AP] More »

More Fritzl horror: In a psychological examination...

Maria — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 10:20:00 EDT

More Fritzl horror: In a psychological examination for his upcoming tiral, Fritzl claims that he locked his mother in a bricked-up room in her house from 1959 until her death in 1980. In the same interview Fritzl says he never thought of his daughter as a daughter but more as his "wife and partner." [Telegraph] More »

Ingrid Betancourt, the former Colombian...

Maria — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 09:20:00 EDT

Ingrid Betancourt, the former Colombian presidential candidate who was kidnapped by rebels in 2002, was given the "Woman of the Year 2008" award by World Awards Media in Austria on Sunday. Before the ceremonies, Betancourt held a press conference where she compared her experience to two cases of Austrian women. Betancourt plans to meet with Natascha Kampusch, a woman who was kidnapped and held in a dungeon for 8 years. Betancourt also said she feels love and understanding for the Fritzl family but that she will not be meeting with them because they are in their "own space" at the moment. [CNN] More »

Nightmare Dads

Maria — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 12:20:00 EDT

Josef Fritzl, the Austrian man who locked up his daughter for 24 years and repeatedly raped her, told a forensic psychiatrist that he was "born to rape" and that he blames his behavior on his neglectful mother. The report, which was leaked to the Austrian press, said that Fritzl also believed his treatment of his daughter was tame and that he thought she would always remain under his control because he fathered six children with her, which would make her "unattractive" to other men. Meanwhile, reports out of England suggest that the British Isles have their own monster dad. [Guardian, The Star] More »

UK Female Pioneers Get Own Stamps • Josef Fritzl Declared Clincally Sane

Maria — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 17:30:00 EDT

• The British Royal Mail has issued stamps for six female pioneers, including family planning activist Marie Stopes and Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, the first British woman to qualify as a doctor. • Some activists, however, are upset about the inclusion of Ms. Stopes getting her own stamp since she famously supported eugenics and expressed Nazi sympathies later in her life. • An Australian PSA warns parents about buying alcohol for their kids by laying the blame on drunk girls (and their parents) who get raped at parties. • A 72-year-old woman vacated her apartment in Delaware when she discovered six baby snakes in her bathroom and bed last month. • More »

Natascha Kampusch, the other Austrian woman...

Jessica G. — Thu, 29 May 2008 16:20:00 EDT

Natascha Kampusch, the other Austrian woman who was locked in a cellar for several years, is starting a new gig as a tv talk show host. "So much has been written about me, and so many people want to know what it's like to be on the other side [of the interviewer's table]," Kampusch said in a press conference with Austrian media. This just…seems wrong. Kampusch's only qualification seems to be her infamy. Are infamy and fame the same thing these days? Is she so used to press attention that she needs to find a way to spin it into a career? [AP] More »

Paparazzi Hound Rape Victim Elisabeth Fritzl Into Public Press Appearance

Jessica G. — Mon, 19 May 2008 09:30:00 EDT

Celebrities know what they're getting into, paparazzi apologists will argue, dismissing the constant haranguing mega-stars and their reality TV counterparts experience at the hands of photographers. But Elisabeth Fritzl, the Austrian woman who was locked in the family cellar for 24 years by her deranged father, Josef, and in the meantime impregnated with seven children against her will, never asked for any publicity, and yet, photographers are camped outside the private hospital she's been living in since she and her children surfaced last month. Elisabeth has reportedly agreed to a television interview, and people close to the case think she has submitted to a public appearance merely to get rid of the constant swarm of aggressive lensmen. Seventeen photographers have been arrested so far, according to the Daily Mail, and just this past weekend "a security guard at the hospital was injured after he fell from a balcony while tackling a photographer." More »

Having Kids Will Make You Sad • A 10-Year-Old Gives Birth

maria — Thu, 08 May 2008 17:30:00 EDT

Having kids sends many couples into downward spiral of sadness. •Albena Danailova has been made the first female concertmaster (or leader of the first violin section) of the Vienna State Opera. • More Austrian news! Crazy-Dad Fritzl says he was aware he was abusing/raping daughter but wanted "lots of children." • The UK is trying to promote more women to join the aerospace sector. • Uh, duh: incontinence and other pelvic organ disorders can limit a woman's libido. • A 10-year-old gives birth and a Latino immigrant is arrested on rape charges. • Australia outlaws nipple and genital piercings for children under 16-years-old. • Women are more easily persuaded face-to-face while men prefer e-mail. • The Brits are trying really hard to persuade people! They claim that nagging also works. • The age-gap widens as men get older and marry younger women. • After Eight Bells, Jockey Panel plans to review thoroughbreds. • A woman files a claim against Norwalk, CT claiming dog poop ruined her family outing. • Asshole-of-the-day runs over and kills a 13-pound dog and then sues owners for damages to his car. More »

Sexually-Inexperienced Seal Tries To Bone Penguin • UK Reports 50% More Female Drunks

maria — Fri, 02 May 2008 17:20:00 EDT

A "frustrated, sexually inexperienced" young male seal tries to have sex with a penguin.• Older Japanese singles are trying out that whole online dating thing. • A 51-year-old man admits to using voodoo to seduce teen girls. • Two women make history, win second-"highest" medical prize. • PETA asks Hollywood insiders to whistleblow on animal cruelty on sets. • The houseboat from Sleepless in Seattle is on the market for $2.5 million! • British police report the number of female drunks being arrested has gone up 50% over the past five years. • Ancient androgynous pharaoh, Akhenaten, may have had genetic mutation that made him look feminine. • Colleges are allowing coed dorm rooms. • Men's activists complain about Bad Dads ambush reality TV show. More »

This Week, People Scared Us And We Scared People

maria — Fri, 02 May 2008 16:40:00 EDT

• We met an Austrian man who locked his daughter and their children in his cellar for 24 years. Sometimes the eyebrows can reveal the psychopath inside! • Sometimes we eat our trash, it is sort of like recycling! • We told old people to get off Facebook or at least un-tag us from unflattering boozy pictures! • Miley posed in a sort-of sexual picture in Vanity Fair, Disney blamed the lesbian. • But where was the widespread outrage when Annie Leibovitz was casually racist, again and again and again? • Tyra introduced us to a dad who not only pimps out his daughter but also gives her at-home bikini waxes. • We met 5 types of extreme shoppers, all of them annoying! • We met some scrappy young sorority girls who brand pledges in the groin with forks. • We took a look back at our favorite Tyra episodes with almost as much glee as she has in talking about herself. • We told Elisabeth Hasselbeck to STFU already. • We found out we aren't in a recession! But the world is going to shit. • Oh yeah! And Mimi got married! And, uh Latina magazine broke the story? More »

Who Is Josef Fritzl?

Jessica G. — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 09:30:00 EDT

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Austrian authorities are still trying to piece together the story of Josef Fritzl, the man who kept his daughter, Elisabeth, captive in the family cellar for 24 years and fathered 7 of her children. Why, for instance, did he raise three of the children above-ground while keeping the other three surviving children (one died in childbirth) in the basement? According to the Guardian, Fritzl said that the Lisa, Monika and Alexander "were sickly and cried too much in the cellar for my liking," which is why he didn't bring them out in daylight. The Guardian points out that Fritzl's logic is completely flawed, as "one would expect that Kerstin, Stefan and Felix [the children raised outside the basement] would also have cried a lot as babies." More »

House Of Horrors

Dodai Stewart — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:20:00 EDT

More news is coming out about Josef Fritzl, the Austrian man who imprisoned his daughter in a windowless dungeon for 24 years. Firstly: DNA tests confirm that Fritzl is the father of the seven children birthed by his daughter, Elisabeth. (Three of whom recently emerged from the dungeon to see natural daylight for the first time.) The eldest of the children, 19-year-old Kerstin, is in a coma at the hospital. Her condition is the result of a lack of oxygen. As for Elisabeth, one police officer who saw her says of the 42-year-old woman: "She has been so starved of sunlight that her skin and hair were pure white and she had to shield her eyes from the light." There are many more details, including pictures of Fritzl's underground lair, with its sad tile and creepy/tragic kiddie animal stickers. [Times, Telegraph, Telegraph, Guardian, BBC, Daily Mail] More »

Austrian Man Locked His Daughter In The Basement For 24 Years

Jessica G. — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 09:30:00 EDT

Upon first reading the horrific story of 73-year-old Austrian Josef Fritzl, who locked his daughter, Elisabeth, in the family cellar in 1984 and proceeded to allegedly father as many as seven of her children, my reaction was damn, that is some V.C. Andrews shit. But then I read more of the reports, and I can no longer relate Fritzl's crime to a campy, pop culture artifact: Keeping your daughter and half of her children locked for over two decades in what authorities describe as a damp, narrow "series of underground rooms equipped for sleeping and cooking," according to the BBC, is nothing short of evil. CNN reports that on August 8, 1984 Fritzl's daughter, the now 42-year-old Elisabeth, was enticed by her father "into the basement, where he drugged her, put her in handcuffs and locked her in a room." Elisabeth, who had been sexually abused by Josef since she was 11, was reported missing two weeks later. More »

Paris goes to Austria, is puzzled by lack of kangaroos.

eurotrash — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 07:01:18 EST

Paris Hilton went to Austria for a ball. The dancing kind, for once. She was greeted by 'hundreds of shrieking fans', at a Viennese Mall, and not a few projectile missiles too, apparently. More »