Month: March 2021

Boosie Badazz’s has gained plenty of attention in recent years as a result of his social media antics. While they tend to receive a big reaction, it’s not always because of harmless internet fun. One example includes his transphobic comments about Dwayne Wade’s daughter, Zaya, last year. But now, the rapper is back in headlines for his online activity which came as a result of a music video shoot for his and DaBaby’s recent collaboration, “Period.”

Last week, Boosie posted a video to Instagram where he called for an individual to appear in the upcoming music video. The catch was they had to let the rapper “slap the f*ck out of them” for the oddly specific price of $554. The Louisiana native quickly found his stunt man and on Saturday, a video of the scene landed on social media.

The clip shows Boosie delivering the devastating blow to the individual, but as promised, the rapper delivered the cash to the man when it was all said and done. Afterward, he posted the video of the harsh slap to his Instagram page which apparently led to it getting deleted. In response, the rapper hopped on Twitter to send a message to Mark Zuckerberg, writing, “@zuck u just a racist.”

This not the first time Boosie has called the Facebook founder a racist. Last year, the rapper’s Instagram was deleted after he repeatedly posted explicit content on his page. “This is discrimination,” he said during a December interview on VladTV. “Something is wrong, somebody must be mad because I said their name wrong and they chastise me. […] And my Black people are starting to tell me that ‘Boosie, this man is a racist. He knows you affect the Black community and make them smile every morning.

You can watch the video in question above.

So far there’s only been on person who’s ever played Luke Skywalker: Mark Hamill, of course. But if there had to be another person to take his place in future Star Wars movies, many fans seem to feel Sebastian Stan is the man for the job. And now we have an answer from the actor who plays the Winter Soldier in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: maybe, under one condition.

On Friday, while promoting his latest Disney property, The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, Stan appeared on Good Morning America and was asked about the fan attempt to turn him into the younger Luke Skywalker. Basically, Stan made it clear that the job is Mark Hamill’s to keep until he says otherwise.

“If Mark Hamill called me, personally, to tell me he feels inclined to share this role with me, then I will believe it,” Stan said in a moment that happens around three minutes into the video. “Until then, I won’t believe it.”

Hamill himself (do you get it?) has mentioned Stan in this context before, all the way back in 2017, with a joking post on Twitter.

Since then, it should be noted, Hamill has reprised his role as Skywalker (spoilers ahead), playing a younger self with the help of some CGI in the final episode of The Mandalorian‘s second season. That effort drew some skepticism from fans about its realism, but adding Luke to the show’s canon was a big deal in and of itself. Whether it would be easier for everyone involved if they simply gave that role to a younger, willing actor like Stan is still up in the air. But Stan has made it clear here: until Hamill gives up the reigns, the Jedi is his to play until further notice.

[via THR]

It’s been 14 years since Maya Rudolph left SNL, but it’s not like she’s been gone. She’s been a frequent returnee, especially once they tapped her to play Vice President Kamala Harris. It almost feels like she’s always been there in some fashion, which was the idea of one pre-taped sketch on what was only her second-ever hosting gig.

It was called “The Maya-ing,” a spoof of Stanley Kubrick’s film of Stephen King’s The Shining, and it found the performer wandering the storied halls of Saturday Night Live, staring at old photos, from Derek Jeter to, well, Kevin Spacey. Memories were some replaced by ghosts, with Rudolph discovering a lavish bar suddenly occupying the main stage, tended by Alex Moffat doing a spin on Joe Turkel’s helpful bartender from the Kubrick.

Rudolph wasn’t alone. She was soon joined by other former colleagues. Tina Fey played “Gloria Zelwig,” billed as the first female on the writing staff (though a Google search only turns up other articles about this sketch). Kristen Wiig made a cameo as the two Shining twins, while Rachel Dratch popped up as the old, decaying woman in the bath tub, although she wasn’t dead — the water was just out in her apartment, so she swung by her old gig.

“The Maya-ing” wasn’t the first time that night that Rudolph addressed her lengthy stint at SNL. The opening monologue found her rallying together Season 46’s new cast, namely Punkie Johnson, Lauren Holt, and Andrew Dismukes. She tried to impart some wisdom but only wound up reciting the plot to The Breakfast Club, while Johnson struggled to contain her laughter. You can watch “The Maya-ing” above and Rudolph’s monologue below.

The Indiana Hoosiers had a couple of boosters spend a lot of money this offseason to get head basketball coach Archie Miller out of Bloomington, paying his $10 million buyout and funding the search for a new head coach after another dismal season. The Hoosiers have been connected with some big names, most notably Brad Stevens who has publicly shut down rumors a number of times since the job came open, as well as former Ohio State coach Thad Matta, current Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann, Loyola Chicago coach Porter Moser, and others.

However, as they repeatedly failed to land an established or rising star thanks in large part to the apparent dysfunction among power brokers in Bloomington, a familiar name continued to emerge as part of the search. Mike Woodson, who played under Bob Knight in the late 70s at Indiana, has been a candidate for the last two hiring cycles, and it appears the former Hawks and Knicks head coach and current assistant in New York is on his way back to Indiana. Numerous reports have stated that the two are deep in talks and that Woodson is expected to accept the job once the formal offer is presented.

Matta, who had reportedly not been able to take over as coach due to an issue with his physical — a report the school denied — will still be joining the program as an associate AD.

It’s an interesting hire, if for no other reason than Woodson has never coached at the collegiate level. He spent nearly a decade as an assistant in the NBA after his playing career ended before serving as head coach in Atlanta, building the Hawks into a perennial playoff squad, and then had three seasons in charge of the Knicks, before returning to being an assistant in L.A. and then back in New York. Woodson has a very good track record of building teams into competitive squads, and that’s what Indiana needs right now. Still, he’ll have to adjust to life as a college coach, with all of the other things that come from that away from just simply coaching the team, and how he recruits will be as big of a factor in whether he’s successful as anything else. We’ll soon find out how that works, but his NBA experience could be helpful and the Hoosiers, who love sticking with their past, have someone with deep ties to the program.

There are few things that bring people more joy than husky athletes excelling at the highest level, with football producing the most regular occurrences of beefy excellence. Oftentimes, we are blessed with large man feats of athleticism at the NFL Combine, as the big fellas get to show why they are freaks of nature by running blistering 40 times even when pushing 350-plus pounds. There is also a long lineage of husky kickers, headlined by legendary Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski, who proved a little extra heft can make the ball go a long way.

While we won’t get an actual combine this year to bask in the glory of the big fellas, spring football is in full swing at smaller colleges across the country, and on Saturday we were blessed with the emergence of a new beefy kicking sensation. Arizona Christian won the Sooner Athletic Conference (NAIA) title on Saturday thanks to some last second heroics from kicker Nestor Higuera, who booted through a 46 yard field goal to beat Southwestern Assemblies of God University and seal the championship for the Firestorm.

It’s hard to tell from where this video is shot from, but Higuera is an absolute unit, checking in at 5’5, 285 pounds of pure kicking power.

Higuera is a beast, going 37-for-39 on PATs this season and 7-of-10 on field goals, including this game-winner, and if you were wondering if the man has swagger to match, he absolutely does.

Salute to a big kicking king, and he apparently isn’t even the biggest kicker in his family as his brother, Juaquin Rodriguez, is listed at 5’7, 287 as just a freshman as a kicker/punter at ACU.

Maya Rudolph is certainly no stranger to Saturday Night Live these days, as her pinch hitting as Kamala Harris has gotten her a lot of time on air in recent months. The former SNL cast member hosted on an episode that showed the wide range of talents that made her a standout as a cast member.

Rudolph did, however, bring her Harris impression back to Studio 8H during the episode, serving as the show’s political sketch after the cold open detailed spring break chaos in Miami. But the “Kamala Harris Unity Seder” featured a wide range of political impressions, including a cameo from another former SNL great that got people talking on social media. Harris took the opportunity to debut her husband, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, who was played by a timid and surprisingly frisky Martin Short.

The joke of the sketch was that Emhoff, Harris’s “Semitic smoke show” isn’t fond of the cameras and attention, but at home he’s as loving as a partner can be.

“I’m just a shy entertainment lawyer,” Short said before Rudolph calmed him down about impending company by telling him to “act like it’s just us.” Then things got, well, a bit intimate for a bit. Short got close to Rudolph, hugging her from behind as the two exchanged a sensual back and forth about how much Emhoff loves Harris even if he isn’t always around to show it.

Ted Cruz then showed up, with jokes about his haircut and penchant for trying to undermine democracy mentioned once again.

“My only crime is loving too much,” Aidy Bryant’s Cruz said. “And sedition.”

Ella Emhoff, played by Chloe Fineman, swooped in to drop some looks. And Kenan Thompson playing newly elected Georgia senator Raphael Warnock, who came by to talk about voting rights restrictions in Georgia. There was even a Joe Biden appearance, which poked fun at his using cheat sheets at his first press conference as president. He also brought back Major, which allowed Short to do a bit of physical comedy and wrestle with a dog puppet.

Marjorie Taylor Greene also came in through the window, issuing a screed against doors. But as the sketch continued, and Rudolph and Short embraced once again, the major reaction online was how about how uncomfortable Rudolph appeared to be with Short grabbing her waist during the sketch. It appeared that she may have even tried to guide his hands further down her body during the segment. Some were also bothered by the sketch’s finish, with Short’s Emhoff saying he “wants” Rudolph, moving his mouth closer to her for what looked like a forced kiss as the show went to commercial.

Several people commented online about the apparent awkwardness of the sketch, and debated whether it was played for laughs or if Rudolph was actually made uncomfortable by Short.

In the closing credits, Rudolph made a point to say “I love Martin Short a lot” and they shared a masked kiss while credits rolled.

But it was something that many people noted in the moment when the sketch aired, something that continued to gain attention on Sunday as well.

Lil Nas X has left the internet in a bit of a frenzy this past weekend thanks to his “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” video. The images of hell and the singer’s interaction with a devilish character in the visual have left fans with mixed reactions toward it. However, that’s only half of it as a collaboration has made some even more upset because of its satanic inspiration.

Lil Nas also announced an upcoming shoe collaboration with viral company MSCHF. The two have partnered for limited edition customized Nike Air Max 97s that have been dubbed as “Satan Shoes.” Set for a March 29 arrival, the shoes will contain a drop of human blood mixed with ink inside its sole and only 666 pairs will be available at the price of $1,018.

For what it’s worth, the shoe collab is just a flip of Air Max 97s that MSCHF released back in 2019. The “Jesus Shoes” were filled with 60cc of Holy Water from the Jordan River. In addition to that, as some have mistaken, the Satan Shoes are not the result of a partnership with Nike. A spokesperson for the brand denied the existence of a collab with the shoes saying, “Nike did not release nor design these shoes.”

What actually happens here is MSCHF purchases the shoes sold by Nike and adds their own designs and modifications to it before reselling them. MSCHF is also known for these unorthodox releases as a 2020 Business Insider profile credited them for “creating some of the most absurd, cynical, and viral projects and products that have spread across the internet.”

Keeping all of this in mind, some fans are upset with the theme of Lil Nas’ and MSCHF collab while others see no issue with it. As expected, they took to Twitter to share their thoughts.

You can read some reactions below and to learn more about the Satan Shoes, click here.

Despite being on a hiatus, Alabama Shakes found themselves in headlines recently and it wasn’t for the best reasons. The band’s drummer, Steven William Johnson was arrested on child abuse charges last week. The news was reported by Alabama’s WHNT. According to the publication, Johnson was indicted in Limestone County by a grand jury on charges of willful torture, willful abuse, and cruelly beating or otherwise willfully maltreating a child under the age of 18. This is also not the first time the drummer was arrested on abuse charges within the past few years.

Back in 2019, Johnson was arrested for a protection from abuse order violation, one that he pled guilty to in March 2020. According to AL.com, the order was issued after Johnson’s ex-wife accused him of threatening and harassing her. She also said he choked, injured, and stalked her. He currently remains locked up at Limestone County Jail on the more recent charges and his bond has been set at $21,500. Johnson’s arraignment is also scheduled for April 7.

Alabama Shakes’ last album came in 2015 with Sound And Color. The project granted the collective three Grammy awards for Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance thanks to “Don’t Wanna Fight” as well as Best Alternative Music Album. The group went on a hiatus in 2018 so lead singer, Brittany Howard, could focus on her debut solo album, Jaime, which she released in 2019.

For the final month-plus of his tenure with the Cleveland Cavaliers, veteran center Andre Drummond wasn’t taking the floor with his teammates. In mid-February, reports emerged that Drummond would not be with the team as Cleveland attempted to find a trade partner for the productive big man, but Drummond’s $28.8 million ultimately proved onerous and he remained under contract with the Cavaliers through Thursday’s NBA trade deadline.

On cue, Cavs head coach JB Bickerstaff told reporters that the club would work with Drummond on a buyout, putting the 27-year-old on the market as a free agent. This wasn’t a surprising outcome in that, given his hefty salary, it always seemed to be a long shot that he would be traded for value. As such, speculation has been rampant for weeks as to where Drummond might ultimately land after a buyout was struck, and his next destination will be the Los Angeles Lakers, as his agent told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

At present, the Lakers are attempting to weather the storm with both LeBron James and Anthony Davis sidelined by injury. While Drummond’s overall value is polarizing in certain circles, the 6’10 center is one of the best rebounders in recent history, averaging 13.5 rebounds per game this season and 13.8 rebounds per game for his career, and he could provide an element that neither Marc Gasol or Montrezl Harrell can match in the frontcourt for Los Angeles.

It must be noted that, despite Drummond’s physical gifts, it would be inaccurate to peg him as a dynamic rim-runner and/or lob threat, at least when compared to the way he has played in the recent past. However, it is possible he could fit snugly into a smaller role with a contender like the Lakers, especially as Los Angeles has the ability to simply not play him if he is not fulfilling the role the team envisions.

Drummond’s days as a two-time All-Star and four-time rebounding champion may be over at 27 after more than 600 games of NBA mileage. A fascinating trial awaits in Los Angeles, though, and Drummond will be a smaller piece of a contending puzzle for the first time in his professional career.

Carmax’s partnership with Stephen Curry has seen their ads pop up during NBA broadcasts all season, with the star poking fun at himself a bit as he deals with oblivious Carmax agents who don’t know who he is. His latest spot with the company went viral on Sunday because of the second basketball legend it stars, as Sue Bird makes an appearance, buying a car from a delighted rep who Curry thinks is confusing the number of championships he’s won.

It’s not often that we see NBA and WNBA stars in the same commercial, and for them to flip it around to where Bird is the recognized one while Steph thinks his accomplishments are being confused is great. Curry’s, “I mean, I’m working on it” is terrific delivery and it’s great to see a brand with partnerships with both leagues using that in the same campaign, because it raises the visibility for the WNBA by having their stars in the same spots with NBA stars. Hopefully that continues and if nothing else, it’s lovely to see Sue Bird, a future Hall of Famer and absolute legend, getting this kind of love and her rather ridiculous list of accomplishments shouted out in a national campaign.