Month: March 2021

In a disturbing development that has left computer nerds all over social media shaken, Justin Long has apparently jumped ship after a lengthy career as the “I’m a Mac” guy for Apple. The actor now stars in a series of ads for Intel where he announces himself as “I’m a Justin” and claims to be just a “normal person” comparing PCs to Macs, and noticeably not choosing the latter. In the new promotional spots, Long touts PCs for being able to bend into a tablet and having built-in touchscreens while dunking on his former employer when it comes to gaming. “Nobody games on a Mac,” Long states in one of the ads.

While Long is obviously an actor who can take any gig he pleases, people couldn’t help but crack jokes about his seeming betrayal of Apple and how quickly he got into bed with a rival.

Long’s presence in the new PC ads would also explain why John Hodgman, who played the “I’m a PC” guy in the Apple ads was left to fly solo back in November when the company attempted to recreate the duo’s old commercials. However, it doesn’t seem like Long is entirely committed to his new PC overlords. As one Twitter user pointed out, Long’s Twitter profile includes a picture of him holding an iPhone, and it’s still up as of this writing.

Back in 2019, Long revealed that he filmed over 300 commercials for Apple, but he remembered the process running into a wall creatively thanks to the late Steve Jobs’ insistence that the ads not be too funny.

“One in particular, I remember, Zach Galifianakis played, like, a drunken Santa Claus,” Long told Entertainment Weekly. “And [Apple] said, basically, that Steve Jobs preferred when they weren’t super funny…. because he thought it would detract from the point of the commercial. He thought if people were too focused on the humor in it, they would lose sight of the product.”

(Via CNET)

Blackpink fans were in for a treat earlier this month. Member Rosé kicked off her solo career with two songs, the introspective “Gone” and the bouncy tune “On The Ground.” Now, Rosé has made her solo late-night TV debut with a black-and-white choreographed performance of “On The Ground” on The Tonight Show.

Following the performance, Rosé spoke to Apple Music’s Zane Lowe about her experience having a solo song for the first time:

“It was definitely a big step for me. Just the fact that I started my career as Blackpink with all of my girls always there to support me. Having to do everything on my own was a big challenge to me and that was something that I was going to have to learn throughout the process. I always had in the back of my head that I would one day have a song of my own.”

Rosé’s new music could mark a new era for Blackpink. The singer’s pivot to her solo career arrives shortly after fellow Blackpink favorite Jennie launched her own YouTube channel, which offers insight into her daily life. In her first video, released back in January, Jennie gave fans a tour of her life at home while performing a cover of Mandy Moore’s “When Will My Life Begin?” from Tangled. Jennie only has two videos on her channel so far, but both of them already have a combined 40 million views.

Watch Rosé perform “On The Ground” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon above.

A private K through 12 school in the NoHo district of Manhattan has become the subject of controversy after handing out a 12-page “inclusive language guide” to its students and parents.

The sticking point for many is that it asks students and faculty to refrain from using gendered words like “mom,” “dad,” and “parents,” because they make “assumptions” about kids’ lives at home.

Instead, Grace Church School prefers faculty and students use terms like “grown-ups” or “folks.”

“Families are formed and structured in many ways. At Grace Church School, we use inclusive language that reflects this diversity. It’s important to refrain from making assumptions about who kids live with, who cares for them, whether they sleep in the same place every night, whether they see their parents, etc.,” the guide says.

The school would also prefer students and faculty refer to a babysitter or and nanny as a “caregiver” or “guardian.”

The school wants to move people away from using gendered language, so instead of calling groups of students as “boys and girls” or “ladies and gentlemen” they should be referred to as “people,” “folks,” “friends,” “readers,” or “mathematicians.”

The guide also suggests that people use the correct phrasing when asking about someone’s ethnicity. Instead of asking, “What are you? Where are you from?” the question should be, “What is your cultural/ethnic background? Where are your ancestors/is your family from?”

The guide has been the subject of media scrutiny, causing an uproar among readers of the New York Post. It has also provided fodder for “The Sean Hannity Show.”

The most popular comment on the New York Posts’ Facebook page about the story was from a school teacher and parent who found the guidelines excessive.

“Not that my child goes there, But screw that. I will always be my son’s mom and he will call me mom,” she wrote. “School doesn’t get to dictate what goes on in my family life, even if they think it is their right. With my students I make sure I know who is in their home so if I call or write a note home I am addressing who they live with. No need to disparage ‘mom and dad’ because other families are different. Just take the time to get to know their family makeup of your students and you will be fine.”

Many parents think that asking their children to refrain from using gendered terms such as “mom” or “dad” is a bit much.

Some believe that handing out a highly-detailed 12-page guide on language guidelines is a bit over-the-top, especially at a place that caters to young children. It’s understandable to believe that this obsessive language policing would create an uncomfortable learning environment.

However, does that discomfort outweigh the pain that some students feel when people make incorrect assumptions about their families or refer to them by the wrong pronouns?

Another teacher who commented on the New York Post article found the inclusive language guide helpful.

“As an nyc teacher, a large amount of my students are in foster care or live with other relatives. I have made the mistake of calling a foster parent ‘mother’ to a student,” she wrote. “The student defensively said ‘she not my mom.’ They were obviously so upset. Needless to say I felt awful.

“It takes some practice to not say ‘parent’, but ‘guardian’ instead. Guardian is a much better word. There’s no need to give further hurt to students who live in uncertain or conventional circumstances,” she added.

Those who favor this type of inclusivity would agree with the head of the school, George Davidson who addressed the controversy in a statement.

“The Inclusive Language Guide at issue in the press, which we shared with you this fall, comes from that place in our hearts and mission,” read a statement from George Davison, the head of school. “It is designed to help the adults in the community find words to affirm and unite.”

On a deeper level, the controversy over the language guide mirrors the current state of American society. It seems as though attempts to make the country more inclusive can sometimes have the reverse effect. In the end, what matters most is whether children at the school are learning and feel loved.

The Grace Church school ranks among the top in private Christian Schools in New York City, so there’s no question it’s doing right by its students, and that’s what matters most.

UPROXX Sessions is taking a turn back to pop-punk this week, with Floridian skater-turned- musician Chad Tepper and his performance of his 2019 song, “Loser.” A former social media star, Tepper turned to music in 2019, releasing his Saddest Memory and Trash Loser EPs. “Loser,” the lead single from the latter, is an upbeat, guitar-driven track that finds Chad fretting over the potential loss of a romantic interest.

Tepper followed up in 2020 with the three-song collection, Free Brittany. His 2000s alt-rock influences are apparent on all three projects, as he specifically name-checks My Chemical Romance in the last song of Free Brittany. On the title track, he croons, “I like to skate in my block and listen to MCR.” The similarities helped him accumulate quite a few views on YouTube, although his biggest hit there is the more hip-hop-oriented “Malibu” featuring Jake Paul. Most recently, he released the December 2020 single “I Wanna Be Your High.”

Watch Chad Tepper’s UPROXX Sessions performance of “Loser” above.

UPROXX Sessions is Uproxx’s performance show featuring the hottest up-and-coming acts you should keep an eye on. Featuring creative direction from LA promotion collective, Ham On Everything, and taking place on our “bathroom” set designed and painted by Julian Gross, UPROXX Sessions is a showcase of some of our favorite performers, who just might soon be yours, too.

Marco Rubio sent out a seemingly well-intended tweet about the Atlanta-area spa shootings, and his message did not go over too well. The senator from Florida tweeted in response to the trio of deadly shootings that left eight people dead, including six Asian women. Many Asian-American stars are demanding action in what’s suspected of being a hate crime, which would be the latest in a wave of renewed attacks — numbering at least 3,800 in the past year — against Asian Americans amid the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.

All of this is going down almost a year to the day after ex-President Trump recklessly began referring to the disease as the “China VIrus,” (and he even repeated the slur on Fox News on the same evening the shootings took place). Rubio supported his former primary rival throughout his presidency, and that’s not lending the best look alongside Rubio’s tweet: “The increase in violence against Asian-Americans is alarming, vile & un-American.”

Rubio’s tweets also land awkwardly due to how he regularly tweets anti-China sentiment. Even his Twitter bio brags about being “Banned in & sanctioned by China.”

In any event, it seems that Rubio meant well with his tweet and wished to condemn the apparent hate crimes allegedly committed by Robert Aaron Long. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has also condemned the violence while stating, “[A] crime against any community is a crime against us all.” As for Rubio, though, his Twitter replies are full of people questioning why Rubio said nothing when Trump persisted in calling the disease “China Virus” and “Kung Flu.”

A report by Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer on Tuesday evening indicated that a deal to send Trevor Ariza to the Miami Heat was in the works. One day later and the Oklahoma City Thunder have reportedly figured out a deal that will send the veteran wing to South Beach.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Heat will send embattled big man Meyers Leonard, who said an anti-Semitic slur on a Twitch stream last week, and a second-round Draft pick that will convey in 2027 to Oklahoma City in exchange for Ariza. The report was confirmed by Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Both Wojnarowski and ESPN colleague Royce Young report that Leonard is not expected to suit up for the Thunder, with Young adding that the possibility exists that Oklahoma City absorbed his deal as a way to make the money work in this swap and that it’s possible he’ll be moved once more.

While Leonard’s future is up in the air and the Thunder were able to add another Draft pick to their gigantic war chest of assets, Ariza, who has not played this season due to personal matters, gives the Heat a potential three-and-D wing. It remains to be seen how he will look upon taking the floor, but this is a low-risk move for Miami, which is currently one of the hottest teams in the league. As a member of the Sacramento Kings and the Portland Trail Blazers last season, Ariza averaged eight points and 4.6 rebounds per game while connecting on 37.2 percent of his threes.

Glaive only started making music shortly before the pandemic began, but the 16-year-old has already found an audience and is already firmly established as an up-and-comer. He released his debut EP, Cypress Grove, last year, and now another one is on the way, as All Dogs Go To Heaven is set for release at some point this spring.

Now we have the first taste of that effort, “I Wanna Slam My Head Against The Wall.” Glaive’s songs are often upbeat and over in just a couple minutes (or less), and while the new song isn’t lacking in Glaive’s characteristic energy, it’s a relatively mellow effort.

Glaive recently discussed how he got started making music, saying, “The main thing at the beginning was being bored. I’ve only been doing this for eight months, a little before quarantine started. It was a good way of getting out emotions instead of being friggin’ sad all the time.” He also noted of his North Carolina home, “If I didn’t live here, I probably wouldn’t love nature as much as I do. But now I’ve fallen in love with the landscape — forests, open fields, just being outside in general. A lot of my songs are trying to recreate that nature-y feel, too.”

Meanwhile, Glaive recently got some attention from one of his music idols. In an Instagram story, he replied to a question about an artist he’d like to work with, saying, “my dream collaboration is avril lavigne I need that 2 happen.” Lavigne herself responded to the story, writing, “Who is that person.” Glaive was over the moon, responding to Lavigne, “holy crap,” and, “I am like your biggest fan.” He shared a screenshot of that DM on Twitter and wrote, “my heart skipped a beat holy sh*t.”

Watch the “I Wanna Slam My Head Against The Wall” video above.

Since last year’s Bubble, there’s been a sea change among NBA fans and followers that finally seems to incorporate Damian Lillard consistently into conversations about the NBA’s best players, and after his latest performance, dropping 50 on the Pelicans on national television, Lillard took the time to break down just what makes him so great.

Asked by Shaquille O’Neal from the TNT studio what it takes to become such a great shooter and scorer, Lillard explained the mentality necessary when putting in hours of work as a young player.

“You get better from the reps,” Lillard said, “but more so than just physically, you get better mentally and more confident in it because you’ve done it when you’re tired, done it when you didn’t want to.”

Lillard went on to say even Steph Curry, who Lillard called the best shooter in the history of the game and whose brilliance from behind the arc seems so natural, would agree that it takes time and dedication.

It’s not enough for those guys to just put in work. They have to embrace the grind and repetitiveness of working on their shot until they have done it in every situation and circumstance and can repeat it in games. Whether there are three guys in their face, whether they’re toeing the line or on the logo, players like Lillard or Curry have mastered their craft through hard work.

After basically playing Raylan Givens on The Mandalorian, Timothy Olyphant may play the actual Raylan Givens again.

Variety reports that FX is developing a series based on Elmore Leonard’s 1980 novel, City Primeval: High Noon in Detroit. Justified creator Graham Yost is attached as executive producer, while Michael Dinner and Dave Andron, who wrote for the Emmy-winning drama, will act as co-showrunners. Let’s see: you have an FX show based on an Elmore Leonard novel from the creator of Justified. Sounds good!

But something — or someone — is missing…

Timothy Olyphant [is] potentially returning as Raylan Givens… According to sources, as the project is in the very early stages, nothing is set in stone as of yet, meaning Olyphant could star in the series or appear in a smaller role, but no deal has yet been made.

Also, Dickie Bennett. Bring back my wild-haired boy.

City Primeval: High Noon in Detroit “follows a killer named Clement Mansell, known as the ‘Oklahoma Wildman,’ and dedicated Detroit homicide detective Raymond Cruz who vows to take him down,” according to Variety. The Wikipedia entry for the novel also notes that the “Oklahoma Wildman” has a tough-as-nails lawyer named Carolyn Wilder. I haven’t read the book, but I need to fix that immediately. I’ll start as soon as FX casts Carla Gugino as the tough-as-nails lawyer. Make it a full Elmore Leonard reunion.

(Via Variety)

It’s on rare occasion that we get insight into Kevin Parker‘s personal life, but it’s usually good news when we do. The last we heard, Parker’s wife of two years, Sophie Lawrence, announced back in November that they were expecting their first child. Now, Parker has revealed that their baby has been born, meaning he’s officially a first-time father.

The musician didn’t share much about his child, other than the fact that they’re pretty dang cute. He posted a peaceful photo of his newborn baby, who already has a head full of hair, wrapped up in lavender-colored blankets. “look at this peach,” he wrote alongside the picture.

When Lawrence first announced her pregnancy, she noted that the baby was due in January. That means either the baby came late, or it’s already more than a month old, as Parker’s photo marks the first public announcement of their child’s birth.

Now that Parker has a baby, it’s time for him to cue the baby-friendly music. Thankfully, the Australian children’s musical group The Wiggles has got baby Parker covered. Earlier this month, The Wiggles debuted a cover of Tame Impala’s “Elephant,” which transforms the psych-rock tune into a jovial, keytar-heavy track.

See Parker’s photo of his adorable baby above.