Month: April 2021

Jeopardy! has long been a ratings hit, serving as America’s favorite game show for some time now. As the show spends this year rotating through guest hosts in search of an eventual full-time host to replace Alex Trebek, they will undoubtedly be keeping tabs on who brings viewers in and keeps them through their two week run.

One name you can almost assuredly throw out as a future host is Dr. Oz, who has logged the worst ratings (5.1) of any guest host thus far and caused the show to face significant backlash after allowing him to take to the dais that Alex Trebek made so famous. The next week, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers took over hosting duties and after a little early uneasiness, found his comfort level and did a very solid job. Rodgers has made clear his desire to be considered for the full-time job, and got praise from Jeopardy! bosses for how quickly he adapted to the role.

Also helping his case is that he helped the ratings recover from the Dr. Oz drop, bumping back up to 5.6, which according to The Wrap, puts him third among the Jeopardy! guest hosts so far, behind Ken Jennings and Mike Richards but ahead of Katie Couric and Dr. Oz. The 6.0 rating posted by Jennings comes as little surprise, as he began the process as the favorite to take on the full-time gig.

Still, it remains to be seen if they want to go in that direction or not and there are plenty more auditioning, including Anderson Cooper currently and Joe Buck later. In any case, Rodgers can at least know that he was far from the worst Jeopardy! guest host and played a role in helping the show’s ratings recover after a rather disastrous stretch with one of TVs least favorite doctors.

The world of sports has featured numerous reactions to Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who murdered George Floyd, being found guilty on all charges on Tuesday afternoon. In addition to players from plenty of leagues expressing their relief over a police officer being held accountable for killing a Black man, teams across sports have largely issued statements both expressing their happiness with the decision and stating that more work needs to be done.

One team decided to try and do something a little different, and as a result, they made a really poor decision. The Las Vegas Raiders eschewed a lengthy statement and instead went with the following:

As a result, the Twitterverse began a pile on, both because the tweet existed and the Raiders opted to pin it to the top of their Twitter account, seemingly not recognizing how terrible of a look it was, as many pointed out it was the same phrase used by some in the NYPD to mock the I Can’t Breathe movement after an officer killed Eric Garner.

For all the criticism the team’s social media department is getting, that last tweet might be onto something. Raiders owner Mark Davis spoke to the media about the post and laid out why it was sent, that he was sorry if it offended the family, and that it’s going to stay up.

When told of the Garner situation and how that phrase had been used to mock his killing, Davis said he had been unaware of that.

Since releasing her Chilombo album in early 2020, Jhene Aiko has steadily released music videos for its various songs. Now she’s finally getting around to dropping one for “Tryna Smoke,” which she did in honor of 4/20. It finds Aiko surrounded by some friends, including Big Sean, as they gather in a That 70’s Show-esque circle to prepare for a smoke session. After testing out the weed, Aiko and friends spark up to enjoy the rest of their night.

Previous Chilombo tracks to get the video treatment include “Born Tired,” “10K Hours,” ‘Speak,” and “Summer 2020.” The 20-track album — which grew to be 29 songs after a deluxe reissue — seemed to be her most well-received effort, landing her a trio of Grammy nominations earlier this year. The album was featured in Best Progressive R&B Album and Album Of The Year categories, while “Lightning & Thunder,” her collaboration with John Legend, was nominated for Best R&B Performance.

On top of that, Aiko recently celebrated the tenth anniversary of her breakout mixtape, Sailing Soul(s), by re-releasing it to streaming services with additional songs. She also joined Ty Dolla Sign, Saweetie, and Big Sean for recent collaborations over the past few months.

Press play on the “Tryna Smoke” video above.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Nearly a year ago, Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd by kneeling on his neck for nine minutes and 29 seconds. There was every reason to believe he would go free; it’s happened to many cops before him. And so, after a month and a half-long trial — one of the most covered in history — a number of people were relieved to learn that the jury found Chauvin guilty on all of the three counts with which he was charged.

The outpouring was immediate. From musicians to activists, they were stunned by the good news, if cautiously optimistic. After all, the long history of racial discrimination that led to Floyd’s death — and which led to a number of similar police killings during the trial itself — would not be overturned overnight. But for now, there was much rejoicing.

Others made sure to remind people how much work still has to be done.

Such responses were markedly different from those made by conservative commentators. It didn’t take long for people like Ben Shapiro, Tomi Lahren and more to spout irate nonsense, even if, in the case of Greg Gutfeld, they generally agreed with the verdict. But nevermind that for now. Here’s Barack Obama.

While there’s been much rejoicing over the guilty verdict for Derek Chauvin, convicted of murdering George Floyd just under a year ago. But not everyone’s in a good mood. Conservative commentators were quick to spout inventively offensive remarks. Greg Gutfeld got schooled by his own Fox News colleagues after he confessed he was mostly happy, but only because it meant his neighborhood wouldn’t be overrun with protesters. Ben Shapiro said something dumb. As did, alas, Nancy Pelosi. And, of course, so did Tomi Lahren.

“You got your justice so I’d assume there will be peace in Minneapolis tonight? No rioting? No looting? No harassing officers?” Lahren tweeted at people who were almost certainly not going to protest against a verdict they see as just. But she wasn’t done. “Is the Foot Locker safe tonight? Should be, right? Justice, right? No need to steal in the name of George Floyd anymore, right?”

Mind you, the reaction to Chauvin’s verdict has been jubilant, if bittersweet: Real justice, as many have pointed out, would have been George Floyd walking away from the ordeal alive. Moreover, it was the months of protests, often with violent pushback by police, that turned the murder of Floyd into something that could actually affect real change.

But Lahren wasn’t having that. And people weren’t having Lahren’s comments. They wondered who “you” was referring to, exactly. They wondered why she chose Foot Locker. Actually, they didn’t have to wonder very hard; they knew the answer.

Some simply bashed her.

Others pointed out that she didn’t say anything remotely similar about what happened at the Capitol building on January 6, when there was plenty of rioting and looting and harassment, as well as multiple deaths.

Others pointed out some other bad takes she had after the verdict was read.

Some dragged Ben Shapiro (and Nancy Pelosi) into it.

And others had a novel idea: Maybe start ignoring her completely.

There are a fair number of siblings active in the music industry today: Chance The Rapper and Taylor Bennet; D Smoke and SiR; Chloe x Halle; VanJess. Then there’s Young Thug and his brother Unfoonk, who joined forces for the track “Real,” off the former’s newly released album Slime Language 2. The song has become one of the fan favorites off the project. And now there’s a music video, which begins with Unfoonk being released from jail and returning home, where he gets back to recording music. Thug eventually joins him for a makeshift studio session, kicking off what turns out to be a nice display of brotherly love.

The video for “Real” is the second that’s been released since Slime Language 2 arrived last Friday. The first was the one for “Ski,” in which Thug and Gunna threw a lavish pool party, with appearances from Swae Lee, Nav, Seattle Seahawks’ wide-receiver DK Metcalf, and fellow YSL members T-Shyne, Strick, and Lil Duke.

If you’re looking forward to hearing more from Young Thug, you can catch him on Cordae’s upcoming Just Until… EP which drops on Wednesday.

You can watch the “Real” video above.

Slime Language 2 is out now via YSL Records/300 Entertainment. Get it here.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Nearly twelve months ago, the world saw another unarmed Black person die in the hands of police. On May 25, 2020, George Floyd was murdered by Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin who kneeled on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes, an incident that was caught on camera by witnesses. It was yet another case of Black lives being slain by law enforcement and while Chauvin would eventually be arrested and charged with second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter, there was heavy doubt that the end result would be a guilty verdict. Well, that doubt was erased when a jury for the trial found him guilty on all charges.

A sigh of relief could be felt all around the world, from Twitter to the people who gathered outside the Hennepin County Government Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota where Chauvin’s trial was being held. Similar sentiments could be felt within people in the music world, as they took to social media to share their thoughts about the guilty verdict. Some reactions were brief like Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion who said, “History,” and “Justice” in their respective posts. Other messages were a bit lengthier like Questlove’s who wrote, “We still have to fight for justice yall. Remember that “we voted Obama in yay racism is gone!” feeling? Yeah…let’s learn from that.” He added, “I’m happy for the Floyd family tho. Especially his daughter. But there is still a slew of mountain to climb.”

You can read more tweets from the music world below.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Ben Shapiro, conservative commentator and noted “WAP” critic, can always be counted on to say the wrong thing. The day Derek Chauvin was convicted of murdering George Floyd was one of them. While many were celebrating the rare case of a murderous cop being thrown in jail, Shapiro went trolling.

The Daily Wire honcho took umbrage with Don Lemon’s response to the verdict, which found Chauvin guilty of all three charges that had been brought against him. “Justice has been served,” the CNN host said. Shapiro did not like that.

“And we all know he would never have said this had the reverse verdict been reached,” Shapiro tweeted.

Did Shapiro think Lemon — or really anyone — would say “justice has been served” if a cop who had been filmed killing an unarmed man as he gasped for breath and asked for his mom was acquitted? Apparently! Or something. Sometimes conservative pundits and lawmakers, like Jim Jordan, don’t think their tweets through.

But people were quick to point out Shapiro’s lack of logic. One response put it most succinctly: “almost like there’s a difference between a murderer going free and not.”

Many agreed.

Others simply brought burns.

Some got the sense that Shapiro and other conservatives were angry that there wouldn’t be riots over an innocent verdict.

And others threw Shapiro’s catchphrase — the one he’s long had as his pinned tweet — back in his face.

Testicular cancer typically affects men between the ages of 16 and 44 and is the most common solid tumor to occur in men of this age group. These tumors grow rapidly and can double in size in just 10 to 30 days.

The disease is potentially fatal if not discovered early and accounts for about 11%-13% of all cancer deaths of men between the ages of 15-35. An estimated 9,60 people were diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2020, resulting in around 440 deaths.

So it’s incredibly important for people with testicles to check themselves regularly.

That’s why The BC Cancer Foundation in British Columbia, Canada has come up with a hilarious, memorable, and somewhat anatomically correct new testicular cancer awareness pin to remind people to check themselves. It’s a clever way to spark up some conversation about a health issue that a lot of people are uncomfortable talking about.

The Ballsy Pin takes the cancer awareness ribbons we’re used to seeing, turns them upside down, and adds a new friend for company. The ribbons hang a bit differently than the usual pin as well.

These pins are great because they use humor to get people’s attention which, for some young men, a risque joke may be the best way to get them to listen.

“Our aim is to increase awareness among young men and promote early detection by encouraging them to do self-checks at home,” said Sarah Roth, President & CEO, BC Cancer Foundation. “We hope the Ballsy Ribbon will become as recognizable and synonymous with testicular cancer as the pink ribbon for breast cancer.”

The pins are being released in commemoration of Testicular Cancer Awareness Month which happens every April.

London Drugs is helping to spread the word by making the Ballsy Ribbon available with a donation to The BC Cancer Foundation at its locations across British Columbia.

Both groups are encouraging those who wear the pin to share photos of it online at #BallsyRibbon.

“The health and wellness of our customers is a core piece of our business,” Chris Chiew, General Manager of Pharmacy at London Drugs, said in a statement. “We are proud to partner with BC Cancer Foundation to raise awareness for Testicular Cancer and how men can take charge of their health.”

Now that we’ve got your attention: If you have testicles, it’s recommended that you check yourself once a month. Some of the warning signs of testicular cancer are a lump or swelling in a testicle, loss of sex drive, and tender or swollen breasts.

Remember, early detection is the key to preventing the disease from becoming fatal.

HOW TO SELF-CHECK FOR TESTICULAR CANCER:

Step 1: Perform the test during or after a hot shower or bath

Step 2: Test one testicle at a time by gently rolling it between your thumb and fingers.

Step 3: If you notice any hard lumps, smooth rounded bumps, or changes in size and consistency, contact your doctor.

By now, you are likely aware that Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all three counts (second-degree unintentional murder along with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter) against him in the matter of George Floyd’s death. The jury announced their verdict after over 10 hours of deliberation following the trial, and Chauvin (who kneeled on Floyd’s neck for over 9 minutes) was led away in cuffs without bail to await his sentencing (in eight weeks). If one adds up the maximum sentences for all three counts, Chauvin could receive up to 75 years in prison, and for the moment, many are breathing a sigh of relief for this victory within the Black Lives Matter era.

Well, something awkward happened after the verdict. Nancy Pelosi spoke to the press and, uh… she probably should have rethought her intended words.

“Thank you, George Floyd, for sacrificing your life for justice. For being there to call out to your mom. How heartbreaking was that?” Pelosi declared. “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.”

It’s not the most graceful way to make her point, and people are quite frankly shocked by her choice of words. There’s a lot of cringing going on out there.

(Via CNN, New York Times & The Recount)