The "Clown Hunt."

You've probably seen these: IKEA's catalog illustration for most of the world . . .

. . . and the Saudi version.

Leaving aside the issue of removing women from the catalog entirely - which is like saying "let's discuss that deadly circus fire in terms of its impact on peanut sales" - you have to marvel at the difficulty of the Photoshopping. The wall on her left side is expertly reconstructed. The mirror must have been a nightmare; that's no simple clone-tool job.

There's not enough to work with, the lines have to match up, and there's a subtle difference in the shade from top to bottom behind her. Whatever they came up with, it doesn't look like anything really works - the position of the mirror or what it might be reflecting. The real giveaway is here:

The picture's compressed and full of artifacts, but you can get a hint of how it was reconstructed, and two identical towels - heaven knows where they came from - were dropped in. Maybe. The other possibility is that they shot the first picture in Saudi Mode, then Photoshopped her into the picture? No. IKEA 'fessed up:

Don't you love the language they use? Someone mistakenly spent six hours meticulously removing all traces of a Mom from the pictures in the catalogue. Total mistake. His hand must have slipped.

Also: the term "Photoshopping" is understood by all to mean "digital manipulation that produces a falsehood." I can't think of any other product name that has such an unflattering definition.

COULROPHOBIA This is the most promising lede of the year:

Unfortunately, that wasn't a name for some sort of bizarre, deplorable ritual that would show up in an Ann Rule book a few years later. Literally, hunting for clown things.

The article's headline refers to "Clown Memorabilia," which makes you wonder if there's such a thing as forgetabilia. Might be market for that.

Wikipedia notes that clown-fear is not a recognized mental disorder - yet - but there's some basis for it, and grounds for additional study.

That's the essence, right there. Unknowable. Really: does any child look at this fellow and think "fun surely follows"?

SCIENCE! How Earth sounds from space. (h/t The Verge, which has the explanation.)

Next up: how it smells from space.

STUNNING Today's overuse of the word "iconic" comes from this story about an Amsterdam museum addition. It's called the Bathtub. By its supporters.

Just opened. LA Times less than impressed.