Month: May 2021

When the “Me Too” movement exploded a few years ago, the ubiquitousness of women’s sexual harassment and assault experiences became painfully clear. What hasn’t always been as clear is role that less overt, more subtle creepiness plays in making women feel uncomfortable or unsafe as they move through the world, often starting from a young age.

Thankfully—and unfortunately—a viral video from a teen TikToker illustrates exactly what that looks like in real-time when a man came and sat down with her while she was doing a live video. He asked if the chair at her table was taken, and she said no, thinking he wanted to take it to another table. Instead, he sat down and started talking to her. You can see in her face and in her responses that she’s weirded out, though she’s trying not to appear rude or paranoid.

The teen said in a separate TikTok video that the man appeared to be in his 30s. Definitely too old to be pulling up a chair with someone so young who is sitting by herself, and definitely old enough to recognize that she was uncomfortable with the situation.

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Creep approaches teenage girl while she’s live streaming 😐😖 https://t.co/tJa1ZI7Nan

— chris evans (@chris_notcapn)
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The 18-year-old, who goes by @maasassin_ on TikTok, shared the video in two parts on TikTok. The initial video has received more than 11 million views, and though she has comments turned off on her TikTok channel, the commentary on Twitter shows why it resonated with so many women.

@VABVOX @chris_notcapn Yup. Since I was 12. It’s only recently stopped now that I’m a crone.

— Lisa B, Determined (@Tigrrl)
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Women shared that the “creepy guy” thing happens to many of us starting in childhood and that we have to learn how to navigate such situations from a ridiculously young age.

“I don’t know a single woman who didn’t see themselves in this video,” wrote one woman, “and it’s heartbreaking.”

@VABVOX @chris_notcapn This was my exact reaction. We learn how to tactfully deal with these situations to avoid po… https://t.co/X2UDDbsCkR

— Just Your Average Mel (@MelwiththeHair)
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In fact, the response to the video was visceral for many of us. We’ve been in that exact situation, not sure if we’re overreacting, feeling like something’s off or weird but unsure of how to respond to it on the spot, having to balance our own safety with our desire to give people the benefit of the doubt, etc.

@mscarasco_live @chris_notcapn I didn’t realize I was until I exhaled at the end of the clip.

— Oxtail Empanadas & Sauerkraut (@Hollowgirl78)
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Some guys have responded that the man was just being friendly and making small talk and that everyone is overreacting, but no. A man over 30 years old approaching a girl who is clearly in her teens and sticking around when she’s obviously uncomfortable is not being friendly. He’s being creepy, full stop.

@chris_notcapn Any guy responding to this video with “He was just being friendly” is not a safe person. There is no… https://t.co/xHhTnVEcDa

— The Lamityville Horror: Awake at 5AM!! (@AnxiousPenman)
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Some have said that she needed to be more forceful about not wanting him there, setting a clear boundary. But when you’re young and have never had someone act this way with you, it’s an awkward position to be in. And as the guys who said he was just being friendly condescendingly point out, it’s not like he was saying anything directly problematic. His words weren’t inappropriate—his imposed, insistent presence was. And that’s a hard thing to convey to a man who is older and presumably bigger than you are, in a public place in broad daylight where you know he’s not likely to do something to you then and there, but you still feel creeped out and uncomfortable.

He’s the one who should know better. He’s the one who should be given a lecture about setting boundaries.

The teen said in another video that she spoke to the person at the front desk of the hotel who said they know who he is and that they would have a talk with him, so hopefully, he’ll rethink.

In the meantime, a lesson we can all take from this is to be on the lookout for one another. The young woman’s friend who called down from the balcony was so helpful—you could see the relief flood her body as soon as she heard and saw him. We can all keep our eyes open for someone being approached by a stranger when they’re alone and pay attention to their facial expressions and body language. We can intervene in some way if they appear uncomfortable, from slipping them a note to ask if they’re okay to acting like we know them to scare off a creeper who’s clearly bothering them.

No one of any gender should have to feel afraid to just sit someplace by themselves. While we can’t rid the world of all the creepos, we can pay attention to what’s happening around us, watch out for one another, and do what we can to create a safer environment for all.

Elon Musk’s appearance hosting Saturday Night Live drew more controversy before it aired than what was actually on TV, but one sketch that saw some criticism in the days that followed has also drawn a defense from head writer Michael Che. The Weekend Update co-anchor and c0-head writer defended the “Gen Z Hospital” sketch on Instagram after some online discussion over its use of language continued to make headlines online days after it aired.

The sketch, which had Musk working as a doctor in a hospital staffed with a pink-haired nurse, had younger people worried about a patient who showed up at Gen Z Hospital seeking treatment. The cast members in the waiting room used a number of slang sayings and phrases that were apparently meant to represent Generation Z characters. The acronym AAVE — African American vernacular English — circulated on Twitter in reference to SNL on Sunday, as some critiqued the sketch for repurposing AAVE as simply how people of a younger generation talk.

As Deadline detailed, the That Damn Michael Che creator addressed the mild controversy as he often does: on Instagram. In a text post he shared on Monday, Che admitted that the sketch “bombed” but said he had to look up what AAVE even was when people accused the show of misappropriating words and phrases often popular in the Black community.

“I’ve been reading about how my “gen z” sketch was misappropriating AAVE and I was stunned cause what the f*ck is ‘AAVE’? I had to look it up,” Che wrote. “Turns out it’s an acronym for ‘African American vernacular english.’ You know, AAVE! That ol’ saying that actual black people use in conversation all the time.”

Che admitted the sketch didn’t go over very well, but that this particular critique seemed to surprise even him.

“Look, the sketch bombed. I’m used to that,” he said. “I meant no offense to the ‘aave’ community. I love aave. Aave to the moon!”

Che seemed to get support from his cast mates with the post, as Chloe Fineman liked it while Kenan Thompson also liked another post Che shared of a headline from an online news outlet covering his response to the controversy. And while it may not satisfy those who were critical of the sketch, it does at least let us know who was behind the sketch in the first place. That’s not something that’s always entirely apparent when it comes to what makes it to air for SNL, but in this case Che was willing to address whatever controversy still seems to be coming from the show’s latest episode and take responsibility for it.

Festival season is upon us once more, last year’s barren lineups, canceled shows, and quarantine protocols be damned. Now that vaccination is a real option, festivals have slowly but surely begun announcing their lineups, and Delaware’s Firefly Festival joined the fray today. Their four main headliners are no surprise to those who have been following the artists making waves on 2021 setlist: Billie Eilish, The Killers, Tame Impala and Lizzo will hold down the four top spots. And you know what else is great about that lineup, aside from the fact that all four artists make incredible music? That it’s a 50/50 headliner setup with two bands anchored by men, and two women holding their own, too.

The discussion about how male-dominated festival bookings have been has been going on for years, so it’s nice to see that some events took the time off last year to make sure they come back with a bit of gender equity on the docket. Check out the album poster below, along with a list of every artist booked for the event in alphabetical order. And before you ask, yes, Phoebe Bridgers is going to be there. The event kicks off on Thursday, September 23, 2021 and runs through Sunday, September 26, 2021 at Delaware’s Woodlands.

A full list of the artists playing Firefly’s 2021 event:

Almost Monday
Aluna
Anna of the North
Arlo Parks
Atlas Genius
Badflower
Band of Horses
Big Wild
Billie Eilish
Binki
Blackbear
Blossom
Cage The Elephant
Cannons
Caribou
Carolesdaughter
Cassy
Chris Lake
Claud
Clever
Clozee
Deep Sea Diver
Denzel Curry
Des Rocs
Diplo
Dominic Fike
Duckwrth
Duke Dumont
Elohim
Flo Milli
GG Magree and Mija
girl in red
Glass Animals
Gracie Abrams
Grandson
iann dior
Jordy
Judah and the Lion
JXDN
Kenny Mason
Kennyhoopla
Khruangbin
The Killers
Kim Petras
Laundry Day
Lizzo
Lost Frequencies
Lovelytheband
LP Giobbi
Machine Gun Kelly
Madds
Madeon
Marc Rebillet
Maria Isabel
Megan Thee Stallion
Michigander
Middle Kids
Missio
Mt. joy
Nelly
Noga Erez
Oliver Tree
ONR
Orion Sun
Peach Pit
Phoebe Bridgers
Portugal. the Man
Positive Movement Drumline
redveil
Remi Wolf
REZZ
Ritt Momney
Roddy Ricch
Role Model
Royal & The Serpent
Rossy
Rozet
Serena Isioma
Slander
$NOT
Sofi Tukker
St. Panther
Still Woozy
Sub Urban
Surf Mesa
Sylvan Esso
Taking Back Sunday
Tame Impala
Tate McRae
Trevor Daniel
Turnstile
White Reaper
Wiz Khalifa

Some of the artists mentioned are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

If you’re the kind of listener who checks liner notes and obsessively follows songwriters, then it won’t surprise you that massive producers like Skrillex and Four Tet want to work with Starrah on a new track. The songwriter is best known for working with the likes of Travis Scott (though there was a little bit of drama there) and Diplo, along with massive artists like Katy Perry, Drake, The Weeknd, and Rihanna, so it makes sense that returning with his first new music since 2019, Skrillex is spotlighting his collaboration with Starrah.

The new track “Butterflies” is a glitchy track stippled with her vocals, and might signal the beginning of a new era for the super producer. And even as he’s grown to become one of the biggest names in electronic music, the artist born Sonny Moore never forgot his roots, either. Back in 2018 he even went so far as to reunite with his initial emo band, First To Last, releasing a new song with them and proving that even after all the money and the fame, he’s still true to his roots.

Check out the new collaboration above and look for more new music coming from Skrillex soon, this might be the start of a new album cycle. Hey, if festival season is coming back, then maybe Skrillex is, too.

Lil Nas X has had almost unparalleled success during his short time in the music industry, but that doesn’t mean the young rapper is immune to moments of doubt and disappointment. In a recent cover story with British GQ, Nas remembered a low point after last year’s single “Holiday” didn’t pan out like he thought it would. In fact, he was so upset, Nas told GQ he booked a hotel room just to process his sadness, even breaking down into tears over his feelings.

“I was seeing some nice things,” he told GQ. “But I was seeing a lot of f*cking negativity too. And I was like, ‘Oh sh*t. This is not even in the top 200. Oh god. What the f*ck did I do wrong?”

He even went so far as to tell his manager to cancel an episode of Holiday Plays, a Christmas special starring Miley Cyrus that was scheduled for rehearsals the next day.

“I told my manager, ‘I don’t want to do it,” he continued. “‘Let’s cancel it. Let’s get rid of it. There’s no point. Nobody’s really f*cking with this song.’ I was crying. I was upset with myself. I felt like I’d… failed myself, almost. I was crying like a crazy person. You know one of those times where you cry so hard your f*ckin head hurts? It was like that.”

Little did he know the success of “Montero” was just around the corner, even if more drama was coming there, too, eventually. The life of a pop star/rapper is never fully calm I guess. And even if he was initially a little jealous that Billie Eilish won a Grammy over him, he’s also put that to rest. It’s the growth that’s the best!

Read the full feature here.

Hustle is an invaluable asset in baseball, especially when Weird Baseball strikes. In the case of Baltimore Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins, his speed and a bit of shallow outfield chaos from the Boston Red Sox turned a pop fly into a triple on Monday night.

With the score tied at one in the bottom of the eighth, Mullins lofted a fly ball behind third base that the Boston infield made a mess of. It was a tough play for anyone, even Gold Glove shortstop Xander Bogaerts, who ranged a long way to get a glove on the ball. He may have been throw a bit by third baseman Raphael Devers coming close, though, and instead of caching it he knocked the ball around a bit as it fell to the ground.

Mullins was running hard throughout the play, though, and turned on the jets when it hit the field to round second and take off for third. The Sox catcher actually had to cover third on the play, but Boegarts couldn’t get the throw there in time to beat Mullins to third.

Because of how out-of-position the play put Bogaerts, it was ruled a hit rather than an error. And rightfully so, as it was Mullins who made the magic happen here and put the O’s in a position to be the first home team to win a game in the season series between the two teams. But the play did look like a huge mess, and according to the TV broadcasts it went down as the shortest triple in the StatCast era.

Mullins was brought home shortly after and the Orioles added some insurance runs to get the win, 4-1. And a nice highlight reel play for the very speedy outfielder on a night where it very much mattered.

The race to win the NBA’s scoring title is heating up. On the court, Steph Curry and Bradley Beal are throwing haymakers whenever they take the floor, and as of now, the Golden State Warriors’ star’s 31.9 points per game narrowly edge out the Washington Wizards ace’s 31.4 a night. It is one of the most compelling reasons to tune into games as we enter the final week of the regular season.

Off the court, one of Curry’s teammates threw some shade at Beal, which did not sit particularly well. During a press availability on Monday, Warriors wing Kent Bazemore said that Curry has been so good that “we got guys hurting hamstrings to keep up,” a reference to the fact that Beal is out for the next two games with a hamstring strain.

Beal, of course, missed Monday’s Wizards game against the Atlanta Hawks, and while he watched, he apparently learned about this and decided to call Bazemore out.

After asking Twitter how he should respond to this, Beal decided to go off, calling Bazemore a “straight lame” and tweeted a clown gif at him.

Beal isn’t normally someone to publicly go at someone quite like this, so we can assume that this didn’t sit well with him. Unfortunately, we don’t have a Warriors-Wizards game before the season ends, so we can’t see Beal and Curry (and also Bazemore) address this on the court.

Russell Westbrook made NBA history on Monday evening, and he was dominant in doing so. The Washington Wizards guard finished the night with 28 points, 21 assists and 13 rebounds against the Atlanta Hawks, coming within a single point of an upset win on the road. Beyond that, however, Westbrook surpassed Oscar Robertson to set a new NBA record for the most triple-doubles in a career, and Westbrook’s 182nd triple-double likely won’t be his last.

When Westbrook secured his 10th rebound during the fourth quarter, the reactions came pouring in to congratulate him on a record that will be difficult to challenge for anyone in the future. On the player side, Wizards teammate and fellow star guard Bradley led the way.

The UCLA Bruins, where Westbrook was drafted from back in 2008, and the Oklahoma City Thunder, the team in which Westbrook started his career, extended congratulations.

Within the Wizards organization, owner Ted Leonsis shared a personal greeting and the team brought love from Westbrook’s own family.

Many more will undoubtedly reach out in the coming days, with Westbrook’s record rising to the top of the NBA news cycle with good reason. It cannot be overstated how wildly difficult it is to amass even half of the triple-doubles that Westbrook has accumulated, and he isn’t done just yet.

Dave Bautista apparently has another Netflix gig lined up, but it might have a lot less action in it than Army Of The Dead. The Guardians of the Galaxy star has reportedly snagged a role alongside Daniel Craig in the Knives Out sequel snatched up by the streaming platform.

According to a Deadline report, Bautista has an unnamed role in the whodunit follow-up that will have Craig reprise his astounding southern accent. Which, right now, is about all we actually know about the Rian Johnson project.

Plot details are unknown at this time other then Craig returning to solve another mystery revolving around a large cast of suspects. It is also unknown who Bautista will be playing in the pic. Production is set to start this summer in Greece.

Best known for his action-heavy roles in like Guardians Of The Galaxy and the upcoming Army Of The Dead, this latest role should give Bautista some fun scenery to chew on given Johnson’s first Knives Out script that was full of fun characters and snappy dialogue.

The star-studded cast of the first film seems unlikely to return beyond Craig, unless that wretched family has another house and fortune to fight over elsewhere in New England. Which means that someone has to wear an improbably comfortable-looking sweater in order to make this a true sequel, and we proudly nominate Bautista for the gig. What we do know, though, is that he will be extremely unlikely to play a Nazi child spending long scenes in a downstairs bathroom. You know, probably not anyway.

Kevin Smith posting things to Twitter can be, shall we say, a mixed bag. Sometimes, you’ll get heartfelt but somewhat disturbing stories about his love life, and other times he will just share behind-the-scenes details about his projects or react to other big moments in pop culture.

Sometimes, however, you can learn something new from the Clerks director. Or at least get a reminder of something you may have already forgotten. And on a day where Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez seem to officially be a thing again, Smith made sure everyone knew that the couple’s now decades-old nickname was actually his idea. Apparently long before early 2000s gossip writers declared the couple “Bennifer,” Smith said it was his idea to call the two a single name.

Smith tweeted about the nickname on Monday, revealing that he started calling them “Bennifer” while on set filming Jersey Girl.

“It’s a name I first gave the kids during “Jersey Girl” pre-production, before the world found out they were dating,” Smith wrote, mentioning that he also used the term in a New York Times interview that helped the word become part of the cultural lexicon. The movie was part of a pair of films the two did together during the start of their relationship and eventually led to an engagement, which was called off. But it’s 2021, people are nostalgic for pre-9/11 fashion and the two are apparently back together. Old is new once again.

It’s certainly not the first time Smith has impacted the pop culture landscape, but it’s one of the more unique contributions he’s made. And it’s one that’s apparently held up far better than, say, Chasing Amy.