Month: April 2021

Celebrity exhibition boxing has become the new trend, chiefly fights featuring the Paul brothers. The controversial YouTube stars have gone all-in on boxing, most recently with Jake Paul knocking out Ben Askren mere seconds into their much publicized fight — which caused some questions about the legitimacy of it all.

The next bout featuring a Paul brother will take place this summer, when Logan Paul steps into the ring against, by far, the most formidable opponent either has faced in Floyd Mayweather. That bout was initially supposed to happen in February but has been pushed to June, one would assume to provide the opportunity for more fans to be in attendance. According to Mike Coppinger of The Athletic, the bout is scheduled for June 5 on Showtime PPV, meaning it will go head-to-head against the undisputed light heavyweight title fight between Teofimo Lopez and George Kambosos on Triller.

As Coppinger reports, the stipulations of the contract insist that Mayweather weigh in at no more than 160 pounds, while Paul can’t weigh more than 190 pounds. In case that 30 pound difference seems absurd to you, you’re not alone. That’s a massive difference in weight and while it still won’t be a fair fight, it’s going to be a hilarious size difference to behold when the step toe-to-toe in the ring. Of the two Paul brothers, Logan has had the least success in the ring, losing his lone bout so far to fellow YouTuber KSI, which one would think doesn’t bode particularly well for him going up against one of the greatest fighters of all time (and arguably THE greatest defensive fighter ever), even with a 30-pound advantage. Jake’s success has been much more significant, as he’s now 3-0 with three knockouts, most notably over Askren and Nate Robinson.

Mayweather putting this fight up against what should be a massive night for Lopez and the 140-pound division is sure to frustrated boxing fans, as well. There has already been tension within the boxing community over these exhibitions, which draw massive audiences but spark arguments over the future of the sport.

About a month ago, 77-year-old Chevy Chase returned to his home after being holed up in a hospital for five weeks due to undisclosed issues with his heart. He is recuperating, and this week, he also joined Rob Lowe on his Literally! podcast for no other reason other than to chat about his career. In a long-ranging interview, Chase was amiable but scattered, often jumping randomly from topic to topic.

Chase did more or less confirm that the original SNL cast hated him after he left the show after the first season. He said he’d only been hired originally as the head writer because Lorne Michaels did not think he could act. Chase then helped convince a reluctant John Belushi to join the cast, but once he did, Belushi was “extremely pissed and jealous of me because I became the first star” of SNL.

In an interview a number of years ago, Bill Murray — who reportedly once referred to Chase as “a medium talent” — also admitted that he and Chase nearly came to blows when Chase returned to the show to host for the first time. “It was really a Hollywood fight,” Murray told Empire Magazine in 2012. “It was an Oedipal thing, a rupture. Because we all felt mad he had left us, and somehow I was the anointed avenging angel, who had to speak for everyone. But Chevy and I are friends now. It’s all fine.”

Chase confirmed as much, saying that he and Murray occasionally golf, though Murray is very good at it. “Pretty much every time we play, as I’m approaching the second hole, he’d be sitting all the way up at the ninth hole waiting for me. That’s how good he was. But I wanted to play. I think I’d shoot about 180.”

Chase further revealed that he was supposed to be a main cast member along with Bill Murray on Ghostbusters. “but they got another guy because I was busy. I couldn’t f*cking believe it.”

He also remains friends with frequent SNL host Steve Martin, for whom he had a backhanded compliment. “Steven Martin is one of the funniest guys conceptually in the world. He’s not out there as much as I project, so he’s not that good. But he’s a great friend.”

Chase is also friends with Paul McCartney. Bizarrely, Chase also mentioned that “I knew John [Lennon], too,” before awkwardly adding, “but somebody shot him.” He said that Lennon was “cheeky, but not snarky,” and that the two of them used to eat in the same place in the Central Park, but that other “people were very frightened of him. No one would ask him for his autograph, because he was John Lennon. If you smelled him, that was good enough. I was famous in this country already, so he knew who I was.”

Chase doesn’t appear to be friends, however, with Paul Simon, with whom Chase collaborated on Simon’s “You Can Call Me Al” music video, which is not about Al Franken. “You think [Paul Simon] gives a sh*t about who [Al Franken] is?” Chase asked Lowe. “Paul Simon is right up there with the Beatles. He’s been there forever with Simon and Schuster, er, Simon and Garfunkel.” Chase said that it was Lorne Michaels’s idea that Chase be in Simon’s video. “I adored him,” Chase said, “and I gave him all I could, but I haven’t heard from him in f**king years.”

Before Lowe ended the video, Chase also conceded that there was a lot of drugs on the set of Caddyshack, but that drug use in Hollywood slowed considerably soon thereafter “because of views on behavior and religion [in the ’80s] were effective … that was because of that goddamn Reagan and their people … I’m glad because I probably would have taken it to my grave.”

Source: Literally! with Robe Lowe

Over the past two weeks, Jimmy Kimmel has been ruthlessly dunking on the MyPillow Guy, Mike Lindell, and his latest attempt to launch his own social media site and web store that can go toe-to-toe with Facebook and Amazon while also being a safe haven for conservatives who are tired of “cancel culture.” The disastrous and nonsensical launch has been a comedy buffet for late night hosts, and Kimmel has not been shy about going back for seconds and thirds. Earlier in the week, Kimmel took his obsession with Lindell to the next level by inviting the MyPillow CEO onto Jimmy Kimmel Live, which seemed like just another one of Kimmel’s jokes until something very unexpected happened: Lindell accepted the offer.

During his Wednesday night monologue, an excited, yet confused, Kimmel shared footage from Lindell’s recent Frankathon livestream where the MyPillow CEO learned that the Kimmel offer was not only legit, but his appearance is locked in for next Wednesday. Despite being the butt of numerous Kimmel jokes, Lindell was freaking ecstatic. In the clip, he’s practically speechless about going on Jimmy Kimmel Live before realizing he should probably act a little more restrained. But after slightly calming himself down, Lindell can’t help but call the whole thing a “blessing.”

Kimmel is also jazzed about getting to sit down with the manic MyPillow CEO, but he also couldn’t resist getting in a few jabs at Lindell’s odd level of enthusiasm. “I will say this, for a guy who’s convinced that this town is filled with celebrity baby cannibals, he seems to have no reservations about coming out whatsoever,” Kimmel quipped. “I don’t think anyone has been more excited to be a guest.”

The thing about travel shows is that I love them. I love them so much. I do not know when I started loving them this much, or why, but I do and there appears to be no going back now. I especially love travel shows hosted by charming and/or curious celebrities. Conan O’Brien galavanting through foreign countries? Give it to me. Stanley Tucci exploring Italy with a captivating and almost unnerving intensity? I love it. Zac Efron learning about science around the globe and being blown away by every new fact he uncovers? Friends, I simply cannot get enough of it. This is the exact energy most of us should strive for on a daily basis. We would all be so much happier.

But not everyone would be a good host of a travel show. It takes a specific type of personality to pull it off. Or maybe specific types of personalities, considering the staggering range between Tucci and Efron. It’s something I know when I see, kind of like my whole Every Actor Is Either Batman Or A Joker position. Tracy Morgan would be a good travel show host, maybe the best one ever. George Clooney would not be a good travel show host, in part because he’s too famous and in part because he’s too handsome and talented to be relatable. But even that’s a feel thing, a subjective analysis because Prince was very famous and not relatable in any way and Prince would have been a freaking incredible travel show host. Picture Prince, like, rolling meatballs with some 94-year-old Italian woman who speaks no English at all. Do you understand what I mean now? The thing about playing this case-by-case?

I hope you do because we are about to really get into it now. Below, please find a list of celebrities I think would be good at hosting travel shows, and if you have the ability to make any of them happen, please get to work on that. I do not ask for very much.

Jack Black

I like that the entire internet just up and decided recently to celebrate Jack Black out of nowhere because that’s kind of the perfect way to appreciate him. Jack Black is a maniac, a chaos bomb of charm, a devious little scoundrel with mischief in his eyes who has been doing nothing but entertaining people for over two decades now. Go back to School of Rock if you want, or go even further back to the first Tenacious D album. Do that. Go listen to it right now. It’s so weird and playful and fun. This is exactly the vibe a travel show needs. Get a real good mental image of Jack Black sauntering around… oh, let’s say Key West, just charming the locals and mingling with the weirdos for an hour. It’s a good idea, which I mention both because it’s my idea and one I would like even if it weren’t. Do it. Do it as soon as possible. Get Jack Black on a plane! Let him be the co-pilot!

Amber Ruffin

Amber Ruffin is so funny. Holy Toledo. She burst onto the scene as a writer and performer on Seth Meyers’ show and spun those appearances into her own show on Peacock and one has to assume her rise will continue from there. Like, perhaps, to choose an example at random, to a travel show. Amber Ruffin would be so good at hosting a travel show. She has this relentlessly upbeat delivery and spin on any subject she dives into, and sometimes she uses that as the grease to slide serious points into serious discussions about serious issues. This is a good skill for a travel show host. There’s a very thin line between informative and preachy in these situations and being playful with it all helps keep things on the correct course. I think she would be great hosting a show about the least hospitable places on the planet, which is kind of unfair to her after I just sent Jack Black to Key West, but still. It would be good!

Ben Schwartz and/or Adam Pally

This one is based entirely on their one-off appearance as guest hosts of The Late Late Show a few years ago. It was anarchy from beginning to end, just unhinged lunacy that was held together with duct tape and paper clips. It was also perfect. Maybe the best hour of late-night television I’ve ever seen, with the possible exception of Chris Gethard’s Dumpster episode, which, yes, while we’re at it, let’s toss Gethard on this list, too. Give me all your best goofball improvisers and give all of them cameras and an airplane that is gassed up and ready to go. Or just these three. In fact, let’s keep it simple to start. Definitely just these three.

Anna Kendrick

I base this recommendation on two things:

• The time Anna Kendrick went on a tour of the Bronx with Desus and Mero, which was a blast, and yes, sure, let’s also toss Desus and Mero on here, too, mostly because I want to see Mero interacting with snobby French people
• The time Anna Kendrick appeared on Zac Efron’s travel show and they sat down with someone who billed himself as “a water sommelier” and she spent the whole time cracking jokes and kind of making fun of him to his face, but in a fun and good-natured way

I am correct on this.

Various McConaugheys and Goldblums and such

Matthew McConaughey should not be toying with a run for governor for a couple of reasons: One, because politics is bad and should be left to people who do not have other skills they can turn into a career; and two, because he should be hosting a travel show. Same with Jeff Goldblum. Put these dudes on a train that is steaming across the country and let them interact with every stranger they meet. Same with any other delightfully curious celebrity-type. In fact, maybe that’s just the show. A different celebrity on a train each season, maybe running through a different country. Or series of countries. Or Australia. Matthew McConaughey crisscrossing Australia on a train or maybe in an RV. This is a much better use of everyone’s time. Please, Matthew. Listen to me.

Craig Ferguson

Ugggghhhh Craig Ferguson’s show was so good. You remember his show, right? The one that was on CBS after Letterman? I hope so. It was so powerfully weird and smart and fun and unlike any other late-night network show before or since. He had a robot sidekick and a snake mug and all of his interviews were just nonsense chats about whatever came up. He would be so good as the host of a travel show. I want to see him tour Japan, I think, if only because the idea of a sweet 6’2 Scot with a twinkle in his eye exploring Tokyo is a hoot. He has the perfect combination of honest interest in people and deep-rooted rascal behavior to make the whole thing both informative and very silly. This is all I ask for, really.

Nicole Byer

Nicole Byer is the best, which is an opinion I have held since I heard her on the How Did This Get Made? podcast years ago and have confirmed with her hosting duties on both Nailed It! and Wipeout. She is so funny and so fast and the right amount of playfully mean that she could host an excellent travel show. Give her a microphone and a camera and let her bang around Canada or some very exclusive luxury retreat for absurdly rich people. Send her to Ibiza. I would watch that episode right now if it existed. I would stop typing this paragraph to do it. I need to stress here that I am not joking.

Paul Rudd

The math here is simple: We take the world’s most likable man and we send him around the world. Put him in a hot air balloon and just have him land places to surprise people. Keep him out of the no-fly zones. We can’t afford to lose Paul Rudd to confusion and an ICBM. But the rest of this is a good idea. I promise.

Here’s a golden rule every politician should follow: if you don’t have anything intelligent to say, just say nothing at all. Of course, if Nancy Pelosi had taken that route, Seth Meyers would’ve needed some new material for his most recent episode of Late Night.

The Speaker of the House gave a pretty embarrassing speech following former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin’s guilty verdict. Chauvin was convicted of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter in the killing of George Floyd. Floyd’s murder last summer sparked a wave of protests calling for much-needed social justice reform and accountability in law enforcement. Still, it felt completely inappropriate and more than a bit cringe-worthy for Pelosi to actually thank Floyd for dying, which is basically what happened when she gave a speech following Chauvin’s trial.

“Thank you, George Floyd, for sacrificing your life for justice. For being there to call out to your mom. How heartbreaking was that?” Pelosi told the press. “Because of you, because of thousands, millions of people around the world who came out for justice, your name will always be synonymous with justice.”

Yikes.

Of course, as embarrassing as this gaffe is for Pelosi, it makes for some really good comedic material for Meyers, who had a bit of fun calling out the Democratic House leader on his show.

“Wow, who’d have thought we’d prefer her moment of silence?” Meyers joked while referencing another disastrously bad photo op that Pelosi and other House members took to support the Black Lives Matter movement last year. “You know, if you’re an 81-year-old white person giving a speech about race, you can just follow this simple rule: Don’t.”

Pretty solid advice honestly, but we have to say, we’re kind of disappointed Meyers didn’t drag Amy Poehler out there to do a full “Really?!” segment on this.

DeVonta Smith had an historic season in 2020, becoming the first wide receiver in over two decades to win the Heisman Trophy after racking up 117 catches for 1,856 yards and an absurd 23 touchdowns for the eventual national champion Alabama Crimson Tide. Smith’s college success has made him a top prospect for the 2021 Draft, as his senior season in the spotlight as Alabama’s top receiver allowed him to show his full potential after spending years as part of the nation’s most crowded and competitive receiver room.

Still, as Draft day approaches next Thursday, there are plenty who have questions for Smith, chiefly regarding his weight after he reportedly came in at 166 pounds at the NFL’s medical combine in Indy. Smith has always had a slight frame but it’s never stopped him from dominating top competition. His elite footwork, speed, and long arms make him capable of getting out of jams, getting in and out of breaks, and hauling in contested catches even over heavier defenders. Those questions linger, but Smith doesn’t worry about them. He knows what his tape shows and is ready to bring that to whatever team drafts him next Thursday night.

We got a chance to talk to Smith over Zoom earlier this week on behalf of VRST, a new clothing line exclusively at Dick’s Sporting Goods that Smith chose to sign with over various other outfitters. We talked about why he chose them to partner with, as well as his draft prep, the biggest lessons learned from his time at Alabama, leadership, becoming a student of the game and more.

We’re now one week away from the draft. When you look back on the last few months of when you’ve really been able to dive into draft prep what have you felt has been your focus and is there anything in particular that you feel like you’ve really been able to dial in the last few months?

Really just getting stronger and just making sure that my hamstrings are strong. So just doing a lot of hamstring work, just in a weight room every day and conditioning, just making sure I stay in shape.

You come from a program that has become Wide Receiver U in a sense with so many guys that have gone to the league. What have you been able to talk to your former teammates like Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs about what you can expect coming into the league and what kind of advice have you been able to get from them?

Really the big thing with them was the change of pace of game. Just the way that the game is played in the NFL, you have to be in more shape than you were in college. So that was really the main thing is being more in shape.

How tired are you have the questions about your weight and have you gotten to a point where you just tell folks to look at the tape and look at what I’ve been able to do, because I know it’s got to be something that you get asked about over and over?

I mean, I don’t care. I let people talk about what they want to talk about. It is what it is, you’re going to get what you’re gonna get.

Obviously you had a tremendous career at Alabama. Is there a moment that really stands out that you look back on fondly from your time in Tuscaloosa?

I would say really just every game when it was like adversity and just in close games the way the team came together and everybody was just locked in, everybody was on the same page, and everybody was just there helping each other. Offense helping the defense, defense helping the offense, so everybody’s just picking each other up.

Coming from a program like that that put so many guys in the league, I mean, I mentioned the draft prep the last few months, but do you feel like your four years there has been in a sense preparing you for the Draft the entire time?

Yeah, when you go to Alabama they prepare you for everything. So just coming into this process, it really wasn’t too hard. It wasn’t nothing that ever really caught me off guard because Alabama prepared me for all of that.

From when you came in as a freshman to now where do you think you’ve grown the most as a player and really developed the skill set that you think is going to make you successful in the NFL?

things on offense and why the defense is doing the things that they do. So just knowing, why I’m doing something and when I go out there, I just know everything. I know what the majority of people on the field supposed to be doing, so just being a leader in that aspect that if somebody don’t know, you’re able to help them.

I’m sure a lot of that comes from film work. When did you really learn to dive in on that because that’s something for young guys can take some time from them to really embrace. When did that really become a big part of your routine?

I would say my first year. When you come in, that’s the main thing. You’re going to watch a lot of film and you’re gonna be in meetings a lot. So like, that becomes the everyday routine. So just going to Alabama knowing that that’s what you’re going to do, it just rubs off on you and you just catch yourself doing it on your own.

And the competition level that you’ve had in that wide receiver room the last few years has been rather ridiculous. What does that do to push you to continue to make yourself better knowing that if you don’t, the guy next to you for sure is?

It makes everybody better, because, one you can learn from the guy beside you. So everybody’s helping each other to be the best person that they can be. And then it also teaches you to just keep working and don’t never get caught slipping because one wrong move and you could be out of there and then next man up. So it definitely teaches you to always work hard and to never take a day off.

You’re coming off a Heisman winning season and coming into the Draft you’ve got a lot of options for who you want to align yourself with. Why did you want to work with VRST and what drew you to this partnership?

With VRST is just how versatile the whole clothing line is from on the field to off the field to when you have business meetings, things like that. It’s just so much that you can do and then me being one of the first people that they partner with is just — that’s an opportunity that you just can’t pass up. So I mean it was a huge opportunity. The door was right there so I just ran with it.

Like you said, you’re on the ground floor of this and what do you see is the potential for this for this brand and what do you think people are going to be able to like about them as they learn a little more about it?

You can get everything that you’re looking for. You can get the style, the comfort, the performance, just everything. Whether its you want to go work out in something, you want to get dressed for a business meeting, or you just want to chill around the house. I mean, they have everything you’re looking for so I believe it’s going to take off in a big way.

You’ve obviously met with plenty of teams and what have you told them about what they’ll be getting both in a player and a person when they draft DeVonta Smith?

Just a guy who’s gonna come in, day in and day out, who’s gonna make the person across from him better. Gonna come in every day, not gonna take no days off and is gonna be a leader from day one.

Cardi B is obviously known for her music, but the rapper apparently wants to break into the beauty industry as well. It looks like Cardi has submitted a trademark application to lock down the rights to a brand name, which could mean that the rapper is readying to release a number of makeup products.

Per a report from TMZ, Cardi filed documents with the US Patent and Trademark offices to secure the name Bardi Beauty. Apparently, Cardi plans to use the name on products like cosmetics, fragrances, haircare, skincare, nail polish, nail enamel — essentially everything she needs to start a makeup brand.

News of the possibility of Bardi Beauty arrives shortly after the rapper announced that she wanted to launch a line of hair care products in order to teach people about the best ways to care for Afro-Latina hair. “This year I will be coming out with a hairline that I been working on at home for my hair and my daughter’s,” she announced. “However, I think is time for people to educate themselves on nationality, race, and ethnicity. Being Hispanic/Latina don’t make your hair long, don’t make your skin light, or don’t make your face features slim — ‘specially Latin countries from the Caribbean islands.”

Cardi is no stranger to trademark applications. Following the release of her hit “WAP,” the rapper sought to secure a trademark for the phrase in order to make merch items. Per the original documents, Cardi had wanted to brand the song name to be used on headbands, clothing, jewelry, purses, shoes, posters, and even “WAP”-titled cocktails and soft drinks. She also applied for the trademark on liquor, beer, sports drinks, soft drinks, fruit juices, and mineral water.

Cardi B is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

When most fans think of TikTok dance trends, the songs that spring to mind are usually poppy, upbeat tunes with simple, repetitive lyrics that lend themselves to the format of exuberant teens waving their arms in synchronized, somewhat goofy choreography. Griselda Records wouldn’t seem to fit the bill, with its members’ mostly gloomy beats and intricate, belligerent bars about harrowing street encounters. However, fans got the bright idea to combine the two seemingly opposed ideals, resulting in an atypical TikTok trend that prompted some hilarious reactions from the rappers themselves.

When HipHopDX posted the above clip of a fan working some complex choreo to Benny’s verse of Westside Gunn’s “Gods Don’t Bleed,”, it caught the eyes of both Benny The Butcher and Westside Gunn, who both quote-tweeted it with their impressions in the form of emojis. While Gunn seemed delighted, writing, “I needed this” with a handful of laughing emojis, Benny was a bit more nonplussed, posting a blushing emoji that spoke volumes.

While Conway, Daringer, and Armani Caesar all have yet to react, seeing the Griselda top dog’s approving reaction could very well prompt a new, albeit unusual dance trend on TikTok, bringing a different type of hip-hop to prominence on the app. More versions began popping up in the comments, putting his movements to songs from Danny Brown, Sade, and more. So, if you’re looking for the new trend, that’s probably the one to really take off — editing incongruous songs over footage of ubiquitous dance routines.

Check out the full version of “Gods Don’t Bleed” below.

As new COVID-19 cases begin to trend down in many areas of the US, TDE rapper Isaiah Rashad hit fans with a sobering reminder that the virus hasn’t been completely eradicated yet. While the days of a new diagnosis cropping up seemingly every week appear to be behind us, Isaiah revealed on Twitter that he’s currently recovering from a case of COVID himself after receiving unrelated well-wishes from a fan. Responding to a now-deleted tweet from Isaiah, the fan hoped the rapper was doing well, prompting him to reply, “Gettin over this covid.”

Isaiah is one of a few artists to have contracted the virus, including Chicago singer Jeremih, South Los Angeles rapper 03 Greedo, Westside Gunn, Doja Cat, Ashanti, Scarface, and Fred The Godson, the latter of whom died after his diagnosis. Fortunately, the others have all recovered but not without complications ranging from canceled performances to residual physical effects.

Isaiah Rashad was reportedly working on his album, the follow-up to his 2016 standout The Sun’s Tirade, but said that he wouldn’t drop the album without a verse from Young Dolph. While there hasn’t been much word on that front, he did recently shoot a video with fellow Tennesee native Duke Deuce. Here’s hoping for a speedy recovery.

It was announced last week that Bachelor (the duo consisting of Jay Som’s Melina Duterte and Palehound’s Ellen Kempner) will be heading out on tour with Lucy Dacus this fall. Ahead of then, though, they have more music to share, as they released a song called “Sick Of Spiraling” today.

The track is the latest from their upcoming album Doomin’ Sun and the mid-tempo tune has some pleasing alt-country influences worked in. The duo says of the song:

“‘Sick Of Spiraling’ is one of the last songs we wrote and recorded together in Topanga. Both of us initially tried to play drums on the song but the groove wasn’t right so we enlisted help from James Krivchenia. He came over for a day and drummed on a few songs on the record, he really brought this song to life with his unique style. Ellen had the riff in her voice memos for a while, and had originally imagined it as a slow kinda melancholic song. Once we got together and listened back to the riff, we heard it a whole new way as an upbeat driving song. After that, Ellen wrote lyrics inspired by driving on tour and the rush and anxiety of being completely untethered and unprotected on the open road.”

When the band was first revealed, Kempner said of Duerte, “I have been Jay Som’s number one fan since I first heard ‘Ghost’ years ago, Melina inspires me with everything she does and is one of my closest friends who i feel a deep connection with, both personally and musically.”

Listen to “Sick Of Spiraling” above.

Doomin’ Sun is out 5/28 via Polyvinyl. Pre-order it here.