2020 has seen many American institutions coming to grips with a number of long-standing traditions with racist roots and determining ways to move forward. Earlier this year, The Grammy Awards and Republic Records both took steps to remove references to “urban” as a placeholder for typically Black-dominated genres of music in response to comments from Billie Eilish, Tyler The Creator, and others.
Now, a group of stars who’ve been leading the way in the recent resurgence of R&B are also pointing out some of the more racially-motivated discrepancies in how the recording industry classifies music. In this month’s Billboard feature, Jhene Aiko, Kehlani, Summer Walker, and Teyana Taylor participated in a virtual roundtable discussion about the state of R&B, talking about its reemergence as a pop-culture force, and how it differs from genres like rap and pop.
During the discussion, Jhene points out exactly the problem with how R&B is treated within the business. “There are different sounds within R&B that I’m seeing reflected in other genres,” she notes. “We’re seeing more rappers singing, being more melodic, doing more love and sexy songs. You probably wouldn’t have heard that from a straight-up rapper back in the day. And now there are traditionally pop artists doing R&B albums, but it’s called pop… I’m like, ‘This is a very ’90s R&B sound, but it’s considered pop.’”
Taylor wonders, “If an actual R&B singer sang what the pop artist sang, would the R&B singer get the same exposure?” while Walker agrees, “Pop gets all the credit, for sure. We’re cute over here when they want to be in their feelings. But when it’s time to get to the money, it’s all about pop.” Teyana clarifies, “We’re not a bunch of bitter, angry R&B chicks complaining either. We want to be honest without coming off feeling a type of way.” Walker feels the double standard “irritates me a little when it comes to radio. It seems the only songs from me that do super good on the radio are those that are more upbeat.”
The discussion also turns to industry colorism, outlets trying to sexualize them at a young age, and the scrutiny that comes with social media. Read the full feature here.
After directing Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, you’d just assume that Zack Snyder has fully scratched the itch to make a live-action adaptation of The Dark Knight Returns. Guess again!
Despite lifting huge chunks of the classic Frank Miller graphic novel for Batman V Superman, Snyder recently told fans during a live-stream that he still wants to turn The Dark Knight Returns into a film, only this time, with no connection to the DC Extended Universe. In Snyder’s defense, this approach has worked with Joker, and The Batman starring Robert Pattinson will also exist outside of DCEU continuity.
While revealing his dreams for the stand-alone film, Snyder also had a good sense of humor (during a livestream) about fans calling him out for his obsession with the iconic Batman story, which he has no plans of letting go. Via Comic Book:
“I saw a tweet recently like ‘Snyder needs to stop reading Dark Knight Returns, he needs to read another Batman comic,’” Snyder said. “I almost tweeted back, I’m sure Jay [Oliva] replied like ‘there aren’t any others!’ I’m so obsessed with that comic. I’ve always thought that maybe one day down the road as a one-off, just as a crusty old Batman, we’d just do it. It’s a dream I have.”
Released during the ’80s, The Dark Knight Returns focuses on an older, battle-hardened Bruce Wayne who resumes a much more brutal war on crime after years of retirement. The classic graphic novel ends with an epic fight between Batman and Superman, who has been ordered by the government to shut the Dark Knight down. Snyder already took a stab at this showdown in Batman V Superman, which featured Ben Affleck wearing an armored suit pulled directly from the Miller comic. Unfortunately, the film arrived to mixed reactions, so it’ll be interesting to see if Warner Bros. lets Snyder take a more faithful stab at the source material. The studio is already ponying up a considerable amount of cash for his director’s cut of Justice League, and if that performs well on HBO Max, who knows what doors that might open down the road.
The NBA is about a week away from free agency, and another domino fell Thursday morning as Chris Haynes of Yahoo! Sports reported that Mike Conley Jr. will pass on free agency and play out the final year of his contract.
Conley is slated to make $34.5 million during the 2020-21 season.
Yahoo Sources: Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley Jr. will bypass free-agency next week by not exercising “early termination option” on his $34.5 million salary for the 2020-21 season.
Because of a tightening financial situation across the NBA, players do not face the type of payday they may have initially expected in free agency. For Conley in particular, after a season with the Jazz that was relatively disappointing after his acquisition was thought to potentially make Utah a championship contender, it was unlikely he would test the market.
Other players like Andre Drummond have already indicated they will do the same and not exercise their player options in order to maximize their earnings this upcoming season and hit the market when there is more spending money to go around in the NBA.
For Utah, this means they will either have to explore the trade market to change up their roster or go into the 2020-21 season with quite a similar roster to the one that just lost in the first round to Denver in the Bubble. The Jazz also own the No. 19 pick in next week’s NBA Draft.
For several years, The Flaming Lips‘ vocalist Wayne Coyne has performed on stage in a large plastic bubble. So when the pandemic put live music on pause due to social distancing measures, Coyne knew he had the perfect solution. After months of tweaks and preparations, The Flaming Lips have officially announced “the worlds first space bubble” concert.
The show takes place this December in the band’s Oklahoma City hometown and concertgoers will be able to experience a full-production Flaming Lips show from the safety of a personal plastic bubble. The band has already tested out the plausibility of making the in-person show safe for everyone involved when they showcased two songs from their recently-released record American Head at a bubble concert in October. Sharing a preview of how it will go down, the group debuted a video alongside their “Brother Eye” track.
Speaking about how he came up with the idea in a recent interview, Coyne explained:
“I made a little cartoon commentary of a Flaming Lips concert in 2019 where I’m the only one in a bubble and then a Flaming Lips concert in 2020 where everyone is in a bubble on stage and in the crowd. That was at the start of quarantine in March when we thought it would be over in a month. But The Late Show With Stephen Colbert got a hold of me and asked if we’d want to do one of these concerts where you play from home. So we said we’d do it in the space bubbles. It took us a month or two to figure out the logistics so we didn’t even really know if this would still be going on by the time it aired but that was in June, and after that I ordered 100 space bubbles to be made in China. It’s taken a while but I finally have them here, so a half-hour ago I was in a big venue where we set up a hundred space bubbles for 300 audience members to be in while we play a show.”
Watch The Flaming Lips’ “Brother Eye” video above.
Tickets for their Oklahoma City concert go on sale 11/13 at 10 a.m. CT. Get them here.
American Head is out now via Warner Music. Get it here.
The Flaming Lips are a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
We’re not sure if travel-centric shows like Bravo’s Below Deck scratch the ever-growing itch we’ve had to see the world since COVID lockdowns began or just make it stronger. In truth, it’s a little bit of column A and a little of column B. Still, we’re happy we can at least live vicariously through the antics of the over-worked and (let’s be honest) over-partied stewards that make up the Below Deck crew.
The latest season of the reality show premiered last Friday, with the crew setting sail for the Caribbean. To mark the occasion we’ve linked up with fan-beloved deckhand and travel influencer, Izzy Wouters, to ask where she’s headed once it’s officially safe to travel again.
Izzy’s pick with every corner of the globe in play? Canterbury, New Zealand — the stand-in for Rohan, Edoras, Mount Sunday, and Helms Deep from the Lord of The Rings Trilogy. But if you nerds are thinking Izzy is a hardcore LotR-head… that’s not quite the reason.
“I have commitment issues,” she says. “I like change, and I’m unlikely to visit the same place twice. But the Canterbury region in New Zealand is the one place that challenges that. I just want to return again, and again, and again. And before you ask, yes, I am biased because I was born there. But it’s so very justified.”
Could there be a better guide to the diverse wonders of Canterbury than a hometown hero like Izzy? A hobbit, maybe. But if you can’t have Samwise lead you around, this is an excellent consolation.
Just a hop, skip and..maybe not a jump, but definitely at least a bounce, over the hill from Christchurch city is Lyttelton Harbour, home to the Lyttelton Coffee CO. The cafe is eclectically designed, showcasing local artists on its walls. We stan #SupportSmallBusiness.
In my not so humble opinion, it also boasts one of the best views of any cafe in the region. Pair that with some live ambient tunes, from one of the many local musicians who flaunt their talents here, and you’ve got yourself one bloody great spot.
If you’re in the region and miss this you will never forgive yourself, and I will never forgive you. The turquoise glacial waters of Lake Tekapo originate in the Southern Alps. Flowing down through the braided river systems, they’re very chilly. If you’re game for a swim you’re in for either serious fripple action or shrinkage…or both.
I couldn’t pick a season that is best to visit because they’re all magical in their own right. Springtime brings the bright and blooming Lupins that surround the lake. In autumn, the fiery red leaves and crisp mornings arrive. Winter blankets the shoreline and surrounding mountains with snow, so you’re basically in a real-life Christmas snow globe…but it’s not Christmas. Summer boasts warm breezes and the perfect climes for a cooling dip.
I am also very partial to Lake Pukaki. Another, “if you miss you will not be forgiven.”
An all in one micro-brewery, boutique cinema, and super cute and cozy restaurant. Perfect for warm summer evenings on the small grassy knoll, while a local live band hums in the background, or a cozy winter evening with your whanau!
The hand-cut hot chips are to die for (that’s fries for our friendly American long-distance neighbors) and the wood-fired pizzas rival those of Naples, Italy. I’m not much of a beer drinker myself, but the beer aficionados in my family highly rate the selection of NZ craft beers available from the bar.
There are countless stunning hiking locations all through the Canterbury region and everyone you ask will have a different favorite, but mine is undoubtedly Aoraki Mount Cook National Park. There are a plethora of hikes, for all abilities, that twist and turn through the breathtaking alps as you ascend towards views so out of this world you won’t know how to deal with it all.
I love the tried and tested Hooker Valley track. It’s a relatively easy walk that has you wind through the valley floor, across swing bridges, and over glacial streams. Once you pop out the end you will have breathtaking views over Hooker Lake, speckled with icebergs, and up to Mt Cook… weather dependent, of course. Sometimes she likes to tease you with fog!
Specifically Akaroa. Meander along the strip and check out the local boutiques and art galleries. Pop down to the wharf and order fish and chips for lunch. The fish is always super fresh and caught that day. A trip to Akaroa wouldn’t be complete without a dolphin watching tour to see the Hector’s dolphins as they twist and turn and play in your bow wave!
I always stay at the Criterion Motel when I visit. The rooms are beautiful, affordable, and boast a stunning view. Also, it’s owned by the most lovely Kiwi couple. What’s not to love?!
Favorite thing to do in Canterbury?
Drive
Izzy Wouters
Hire a car, put on some tunes — my personal choice for a scenic roady is Hans Zimmer — and just drive, and keep driving. The natural beauty of Canterbury is out of this world, mind-blowing, indescribable…all the adjectives.
We all know what a hellscape Twitter can be, but sometimes the social media platform proves useful, especially when it comes to clocking the hypocrisy of Trump supporters.
Apparently, no one’s told Fox News host Jeanine Pirro that if you put it on the internet, it lives forever, because the right-wing media pundit is getting dragged by some sleuths after she posted a tweet contesting the 2020 presidential election. Earlier this week, Pirro retweeted a post from Elizabeth Harrington, the spokesperson for the Republican National Committee, alleging voter fraud seemingly based on accounts from a Detroit poll watcher (with no actual evidence to prove it). The statement claimed this unidentified election worker saw “tens of thousands” of ballots brought in on the morning of Nov. 4th and that all of the ballots that were counted were cast for President-Elect Joe Biden.
Pirro appeared dumbfounded by the idea that every mail-in vote would swing Democrat despite President Trump’s concerted effort to frighten his supporters away from mailing-in their ballots early. In fact, in-person voting was something most Republicans were counting on this election as they downplayed COVID-19 concerns and stirred suspicion of the U.S. Postal Service. Still, the fact that Pirro continues to harp on about these voter fraud conspiracy theories, despite there being no evidence to back up any of these claims, was not lost on the good people of Twitter who managed to dredge up a clip from a 2016 taping of Pirro’s Fox News show, Justice With Judge Jeanine, that accused Democrats of being “sore losers” and “demon rats” after Trump beat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.
Now is both a great and possibly terrible time to be a video game fan.
The Nintendo Switch is coming off a hot Animal Crossing-dominated summer. Among Us is the latest viral gaming hit. The future offers a lot to look forward to with the new Playstation and Xbox consoles, as well as the developing cloud gaming sector.
These reasons and others make now a terrific time for gamers and non-gamers to engage with the medium in ways they hadn’t before, whether that means diving in for the first time or diving deeper. For many, though, these attractions will have to be put on hold because of the pandemic. With people out of work, finally returning to work, or otherwise focused on just getting by during trying times, gaming isn’t as big a financial priority as the electric bill or novelty face masks. That’s especially true since new games and consoles can cost hundreds of hard-earned, hard-to-come-by dollars.
Even folks who have the money to get a Switch may have trouble tracking one down. Stock has been low at times in 2020 because everybody and their cousin has gotten one (and quickly racked impossible amounts of debt to Tom Nook). However, a fresh experience doesn’t have to cost a lot or be near-impossible to attain, especially for gaming newcomers: Let me (re)introduce you to the Nintendo 3DS, which, perhaps now more than ever, is a perfect gateway into gaming.
Derrick Rossignol
A brief recap of what the 3DS has been up to: It launched in 2011 at a bonkers price point of $250 in North America, which was quickly dropped down to $170. The platform picked up steam after its slow start, went through multiple iterations, had a lot of fun games, and has done well during its lifetime. Gradually, Nintendo worked its way to what will likely be the final handheld in the storied 3DS family: The New Nintendo 2DS XL launched in July 2017, which was actually a few months after the Switch first hit shelves. Over 75 million units have been sold across all 3DS models, which is more than the Xbox One and the Switch (for now, anyway).
(If you’re confused: The 2DS came after the original 3DS consoles, but is still part of the 3DS console generation. The primary difference is that the 2DS units do not have the 3D functionality of the 3DS. They still play the same 3DS games, but without 3D. It’s just a peculiar naming convention that makes 2 come after 3 here. Anyway, generally speaking, 2DS = 3DS.)
Sadly but understandably, The Verge noted in mid-September that no 3DS or 2DS models are in production anymore, meaning the platform has been discontinued nearly ten years after its launch. This news comes via the Japanese 3DS website, and mentions of the 3DS have been mostly removed from Nintendo’s US site.
This ode to the 3DS wasn’t written as a nostalgia-induced and overly laudatory reaction to its discontinuation. I actually had the idea for this piece and wrote the bulk of it in late August (check the date on the 2DS XL top screen in my lead photo above). Whether or not the 3DS is a headline right now, I felt it was worth communicating that the handheld is a tremendous, often-overlooked gaming platform that’s still a viable purchase in 2020.
Since the 2DS XL isn’t too old, the used market isn’t that icky. Within the couple months, I bought a purple one for $80 from a local seller on Facebook Marketplace and it was in beautiful like-new condition. The seller told me they had only played it a handful of times, and looking at the console, their story checks out. Meanwhile, Nintendo still sells refurbished 2DS XL consoles, which go for $100 and come with a one-year warranty. There are also new-in-box 2DS XLs out there from third-party sellers, with plenty of options for around $150 on eBay as of late October.
The original 2DS model, first released in 2013 and also discontinued this year, is even cheaper; Used units can routinely be found for under $60. That said, the slate-like, non-clamshell form factor just isn’t my jam and I don’t find it comfortable or worthwhile to play on. So, I’ll disregard it, but you should at least be aware of the option.
It is likely that no more significant new games will be released for the 3DS (not by Nintendo, anyway), but that’s fine because it already has a gargantuan and impressive library. Wikipedia’s exhaustive (but still likely incomplete) list of all 3DS games has 1,344 titles, and there are some all-time greats in that collection.
93 3DS games have achieved a Metacritic score of at least 80, meaning there are plenty of reputable 3DS games that experts love and believe are worth playing through. The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time, the N64 classic that is the highest-rated game of all time on Metacritic, has a beloved 3DS port that itself is the highest-scoring 3DS game on the site, with a 94 rating.
Furthermore, of the 20 best-selling video games of all time across all platforms, nine of them have versions that are playable on the 3DS: Minecraft, Tetris, Super Mario Bros., Pokémon Red/Blue/Yellow, Tetris, Pac-Man, New Super Mario Bros., Terraria, and Pokémon Gold/Silver/Crystal (we’ll circle back to those older Pokémon games in a minute).
We’ve also come this far without mentioning one of the biggest draws of the 3DS: It can play every* game from the original DS. Access to the beloved DS library more than doubles the number of games you can play on a 3DS system.
(*There are rare exceptions that don’t fully work on 3DS, like Guitar Hero: On Tour. That game needs an accessory that plugs into the DS’ Game Boy Advance slot, a port that 3DS and 2DS models lack. That’s an extremely minority case, though, and not really worth taking into consideration here.)
Derrick Rossignol
There is an abundance of quality available in the combined DS/3DS library. There are six main-series Pokémon games (counting companion titles like Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum as one game), two remakes, and a bunch of spin-offs. There are also some of the best Mario games ever, like New Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario 3D Land. Other noteworthy first-party Nintendo titles include Animal Crossing: New Leaf, Mario Kart DS, Mario Kart 7, Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon, Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, The Legend Of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, and Mario & Luigi: Partners In Time, among many others.
A majority of these games, by the way, will likely only ever be available on DS and 3DS. It’s not that Nintendo isn’t willing to re-release games, especially considering they just dropped Super Mario 3D All-Stars. However, DS and 3DS games are a challenge to bring to other platforms because of their unique design. The DS and 3DS are dual-screen experiences, while virtually every other console makes use of a single display. So, especially for games that utilize the DS/3DS hardware and form factor (like the touch screen) in critical ways, a port to any other platform just won’t work without significant alterations. It’s possible to fit a square peg in a round hole, but you’ll have to cut literal corners to make it work. Ultimately, if you want to play a DS or 3DS game, firing it up on the original console is the best, and probably only, way that will ever be possible.
As you may figure at this point, the DS/3DS library offers a deep look into the history of gaming. Aside from the aforementioned Ocarina Of Time remake and Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D (a remake of the Wii’s Donkey Kong Country Returns), other classics that have been revamped for or ported to the 3DS or DS include Diddy Kong Racing (as Diddy Kong Racing DS), Star Fox 64 (Star Fox 64 3D), Super Mario 64 (Super Mario 64 DS), the first six Mega Man games (compiled on Mega Man Legacy Collection for 3DS), Luigi’s Mansion (released on 3DS with the same title), and the list goes on.
The 3DS offers more comprehensive access to historically significant games than the Switch does. The Switch includes a handful of vintage titles as part of its online offerings, but it bafflingly hasn’t gotten the Virtual Console yet, which the 3DS has. For the unfamiliar, the Virtual Console is Nintendo’s library of classic games that are individually downloadable on the Wii, Wii U, and 3DS. Available on the 3DS are games for Game Boy, Game Boy Color, NES, Super Nintendo, and even Sega Game Gear. So, 3DS owners can play the original Pokémon and Mario games, as well as others that can be a challenge to find and enjoy in an official capacity on modern consoles.
The 3DS can also serve as a transition from casual mobile phone gaming to console gaming. A lot of 3DS games offer the same level of enjoyment that console titles can, all in a form factor that won’t keep you parked in front of a TV for hours at a time. By their nature, handheld games are meant to be of a more pick-up-and-play affair that are fine for shorter gaming sessions, but not as ephemeral as the experience most mobile games provide. Additionally, their low price point also makes them appealing to prospective gamers who want to take a stab at something more substantial than whatever colorful match-three game they have on their phone.
I touched on cost a bit earlier, but let’s get more into the weeds on that aspect of the 3DS’ current appeal by comparing it to the Switch and asking: What can $300 get you in each platform’s ecosystem?
The Switch retails for $300, but due to its scarcity, consoles are often marked up by third-party sellers. Let’s say you’re able to find one at retail price, though: Our $300 budget will cover a console (not including tax) that doesn’t come with any games or accessories.
That same amount of money gets you a lot farther on the 3DS. Yes, it’s an older and technologically inferior platform to the Switch, but as I’ve been trying to hammer home, it can be as fun as (or more fun than) things newer than it. So, if you can get a 2DS XL for $100, that leaves you with $200 to spend on games. That can take you a long way.
Metacritic’s five highest-rated games on 3DS (Ocarina Of Time 3D, Fire Emblem: Awakening, The Legend Of Zelda: Link Between Worlds, Shovel Knight, and Super Mario 3D Land) cost an approximate total of $83 when buying them used online (according to data from pricecharting.com). The five top-scoring games on DS (Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, Chrono Trigger, Mario Kart DS, Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story, and The Legend Of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass) total around $95 used. The $40 price tag of Chrono Trigger (a sought-after Super Nintendo remake) jacked the DS figure up a bit, but regardless, the 2DS XL, five 3DS games, and five DS games total $278. That leaves $22 to get a case — which go for around $10 to $15 — and other accessories.
Derrick Rossignol
It seems to me like a $300 3DS bundle can offer significantly more hours of fun than can a Switch and the no games that come with it — unless you get a kick out of browsing the system settings menus and checking if your joysticks are drifting yet. If money was tight, I didn’t own any video games (LOL), and I was offered either a Switch or a 2DS XL with $200 worth of games, I’d probably opt for the older handheld.
If you’re not trying to spend $300, though, here’s one more quick money experiment, in which I pick my most fun and cost-efficient DS/3DS mini-library for about the cost of one new Switch game ($60). Based on pricecharting.com data, I’m going with Super Mario 3D Land for 3DS ($10), New Super Mario Bros. for DS ($11), Super Mario 64 DS ($14), Pokémon Moon for 3DS ($14), and The Legend Of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds for 3DS (which I personally bought on eBay recently for $14).
That brings us to $63 and gives me a group of games I would choose collectively over any individual Switch title. Even for people who already own a modern console, a relatively small investment in the 3DS ecosystem — the cost of a few current-gen games — can expand and enrich their gaming experience significantly.
Instead of mourning the 3DS’ death, let’s celebrate its life, including the life it still has.
That’s what some Japanese gamers are doing: Demand for the 2DS XL rose in Japan during Switch shortages in April. Some of the all-time greatest video game experiences can be enjoyed on the handheld today, and devices are cheap now, especially when compared to a $500 PS5. Netflix has brought renewed attention to TV shows that have been out of circulation for years, so why can’t a bit of awareness and willingness do the same for the 3DS?
Getting behind this idea of trading newness for value can make now an inarguably great moment to be a video game fan.
The Mandalorian season two finale is on December 18, but don’t you dare think about canceling your Disney+ subscription.
For one thing, when was the last time you watched Adventures of the Gummi Bears? Do it for the theme song alone. Also, and more importantly, WandaVision begins shortly after the adventures of that egg-eating monster Baby Yoda ends (until season three).
Disney+ revealed on Thursday that WandaVision, the bonkers-looking superhero series (that’s also an old-school sitcom?) starring Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch and Paul Bettany as Vision, premieres on January 15. It’s the first new installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since Spider-Man: Far From Home in July 2019, as Black Widow and Eternals were delayed until next year, and the first MCU show on Disney’s year-old streaming service. It will (hopefully) be joined by The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki, and Ms. Marvel throughout 2021. Watch a brief teaser below.
“The show is a love letter to the golden age of television,” WandaVision head writer Jac Schaeffer told Entertainment Weekly. “We’re paying tribute and honoring all of these incredible shows and people who came before us, [but] we’re also trying to blaze new territory.” That shouldn’t be too hard, considering the apron-wearing housewife is a telekinetic witch and the dopey husband is a big red dude. I don’t remember that episode of Father Knows Best.
It’s not often that we hear from indie mainstays Fleet Foxes but every time we do, they have something exciting in the works. Back in September, Fleet Foxes returned to announce their fourth studio record Shore was arriving the next day at the exact moment of the autumn equinox. While much of their album’s recording process happened under wraps, the band are offering an inside look at their Shore studio sessions with the soothing “Sunblind” video.
The visual is compiled of short video clips filmed throughout their Shore recording process. It shares a look at each one of their studios — from a cozy wooded cabin to a grand sound booth in Paris, and everywhere in between.
Ahead of the “Sunblind” video’s release, Fleet Foxes’ vocalist Robin Pecknold spoke with Uproxx and explained how “Sunblind” was written:
“There was a moment when I thought it would be cool to have a gang vocal with a ton of people singing on it, but then that started to seem a little too ‘We Are The World’ or something. But I really wanted Kevin on there, so I asked him just a few weeks ago. One of the small upsides of the lockdown situation is that everyone has the home recording situation pretty dialed in. And Kevin was really close with Richard Swift, Joshua Jaeger played drums on this song, and Homer Steinweiss plays drums on this song as well — and he played drums with Richard in The Arcs. I wanted to involve people who knew those guys, and that were a little younger than me. Mentioning a bunch of people that had passed that were our heroes, and then to include the guys that were younger than me, in a way keeping that memory alive.”
The Walking Dead universe, which has been reluctant to do so in the past, is getting into the product placement game. In the past decade, the series has only placed a product into the show for promotional purposes once, in an opening season episode that featured a Hyundai Tucson as a getaway car. However, it’s leaner times now; viewership is dropping (and therefore ad rates), and so I expect are carriage fees, as more people cut the cord and get their zombie fix from Netflix. AMC is casting a wider net now for revenue opportunities.
This weekend’s of The Walking Dead: The World Beyond will reintroduce product placement, beginning with Mtn. Dew, and the insertion will not be subtle. From Variety:
Viewers on Sunday will see one of the “World Beyond” characters, played by Annet Mahendru, surprise another, played by Nico Tortorella with a full bottle of Mountain Dew, cloaked in a label that might have greeted a consumer around 2010. “Is this legit?” he asks, mentioning the soda by name. “I will never stop missing these. I mean, I used to drink this like water, back in the day.”
The clip is already online if you don’t want to wait until this weekend’s episode of The World Beyond to watch it:
I should note that the Mtn. Dew he is drinking — which Mahendru’s character, Huck, tells him she found “chilling out back in the stream” — has to be at least a decade old because the series is set ten years after the apocalypse. A quick search reveals that carbonated beverages are only good for 9 months, and it’s unlikely that “chilling out in a stream” for a decade will preserve the soft-drink any better than a refrigerator might. I’m not sure how “refreshing” that drink will be.
I suppose, however, that artistic license for profit is totally acceptable. It’s not the first time product placements have been introduced to the apocalypse, either. Remember Tallahassee’s frantic search for Twinkies in Zombieland? Contrary to urban myths, Twinkies do not remain fresh forever. In fact, according to NPR, Twinkies shelf life is only 45 days, which means that survivors in zombie apocalypses must eat a lot of really stale and rotten foods. After all, the chocolate pudding that Carl ate many seasons ago on The Walking Dead had only a shelf life of three to four weeks. Gross, Carl.
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