Month: September 2021

It’s been a long time since a new game in the Battlefield franchise. EA’s AAA military shooter last released Battlefield V in 2018 to relative success. The game was very popular, but its inability to stand out from its predecessors led to many players going back to previous games in the series. However, Battlefield 2042 was supposed to be the start of something big for the franchise. Every trailer and detail released so far has indicated that this is going to be developer DICE’s attempt at one of their biggest games ever.

There were always going to be struggles in development with a title of this size and scope, especially with many developers having to spend 2020 adjusting to a new workflow. Those struggles have led to EA and DICE being forced to delay Battlefield 2042 until November due to “unforeseen challenges” during the pandemic. Not a major delay, but it’s never fun to see a game delayed a little over a month from its promised release date.

Battlefield 2042 being delayed is unfortunately not a unique story for 2021. Mulitple major titles saw delays this year and almost all of them can be pointed back to the struggles of 2020. Developing a video game is incredibly difficult under normal circumstances. Doing that while also trying to change everything from how you work, to the way you live your life, is almost impossible. While a delay is unfortunate, it’s good to see that the development team is going to do its best to release a finished product instead of rushing one out the door.

Too Hot To Handle: Latino: Season 1 premiere (Netflix series) — This frustratingly horny dating show’s all about figuring out whether any of the sexy singles can withstand the no-kissing and no-heavy-petting and no-masturbation rules of the house, this time with contestants from LATAM and Spain. It’s somehow sexy but not-sexy at the same time, and the show’s inspired by a Seinfeld episode, in which Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer all tried super-hard to withstand the urge to self-pleasure themselves. I dunno, man. Questions of proof abound, but people sure are entertained by this Netflix show.

Nailed It!: Season 6 (Netflix series) — This whackadoodle baking series will cover multiple new themes this season, including paranormal pastries and some hot messes of chocolate masterpieces. On a separate note, the show will also include a Black history-themed round of sweet-treat competition.

Schumacher (Netflix film) — This documentary details the life and times of Formula 1 icon Michael Schumacher while aiming to be both critical and sensitive of its subject matter, which was given a rare blessing by Schumacher’s family. Gather round to watch the stratospheric rise of this complex athlete, one who possessed a desire for perfection and a spirit for fighting.

What If…? (Disney+ series) — We’re in the multiverse, baby. The MCU’s officially launching headfirst into that realm after Loki‘s season finale, and this show’s Twitter account clarified official participation as well. Enjoy this show full of alternate realities that stand separate from the existing canon (thus far), including Agent Carter taking the super-soldier serum, T’Challa materializing as Star Lord, Doctor Strange feeling some real pain, and Black Widow and Nick Fury taking on a murder mystery while Tony Stark eats a donut.

Archer (FXX, 10:00pm) — Monster trucks are here to accentuate the sex and drugs of it all, while Archer celebrates another narrowly-constructed victory.

Riverdale (CW, 8:00pm) — Archie opens up to a relative about that bizarre military stint following some bad news, and Veronica dreams up a unique fundraiser.

American Horror Story: Double Feature (FX, 10:00pm) — This episode is called “Gaslight,” so get ready to witness some severe discomfort and a man with a control-complex.

Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens (Comedy Central, 10:00pm) — Awkwafina’s semi-autobiographical series returns for a second season, in which she gazes into the future with starry eyes. In the present, however, Nora’s imaginary friend is getting out of control while seeking revenge on a weekend trip that should be fun.

The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon — Ben Platt, JoJo Siwa, Deat Evan Hansen

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert — Jessica Chastain, Stephen Sondheim

Jimmy Kimmel Live — Bill Maher, Hannah Waddingham, Carly Pearce

Late Night With Seth Meyers — B.J Novak, Nessa Barrett, José Medeles

The Late Late Show With James Corden — Cedric The Entertainer, Gillian Anderson

In case you missed these streaming picks from last Wednesday:

Wu-Tang: An American Saga: Season 2 (Hulu series) — The Clan is back, although they’re feeling disillusioned by their current lives in the projects, all while Bobby dreams of musical-industry success that will change everything. However, infighting within the group threatens success, even in the face of their undeniable talent. Real life always gets in the way, right? Fortunately, Bobby’s fight for authenticity can prevail and help overcome music-business challenges, if only the Clan can choose to prevail.

Doogie Kamealoha, M.D.: Season 1 (Disney+ series) — This reboot (of the original ABC Doogie Howser show that launched Neil Patrick Harris’ career) series stars Peyton Elizabeth Lee as Lahela “Doogie” Kameāloha, a high-school medical prodigy. Notably, this series isn’t a direct continuation but, instead, a tribute of sorts from the show’s characters, who actually nickname the new protagonist as “Doogie.” It’s highly referential, and that’s part of the fun.

Dennis Schröder is going to spend the next year in Boston playing for the Celtics on a 1-year, $5.9 million deal after the free agency market never formed for him as he had hoped. In a market saturated with point guards, Schröder found himself on the outside looking in as others like Kyle Lowry, Lonzo Ball, and Spencer Dinwiddie were able to cash in.

By the time the dust settled from the mad dash to open free agency, most all of the cap space around the league had dried up and Schröder, who had famously turned down a reported 4-year, $84 million extension from the Lakers, was left to find a small, one-year deal to prove his value once again. To many, Schröder’s offseason was a cautionary tale of betting on yourself, as his hopes of a nine-figure contract always felt lofty and to instead end up on a taxpayer mid-level meant Schröder became the butt of many jokes.

On Wednesday, the German point guard celebrated his birthday and took to Instagram to simultaneously flex some and steer into the skid, posing for a photo of him despondent in front of his Bugatti and Rolls Royce, with a bunch of Dior bags in his Dior Jordan 1s, asking for fans to drop their best “fumbled the bag” jokes in the comments.

Will this stop the jokes from coming his way? Absolutely not, but it certainly takes some of the sting out of them and will earn him some goodwill in the eyes of many, because it’s not always easy to embrace the jokes at your expense but he’s trying to take this one in stride. Part of that is, at this point, Dennis surely has spent time looking back on turning down the extension and thought about the financial mistake that was, but the good thing about pro sports is that if he looks good for the Celtics this year, he’ll recoup that money pretty quickly on the market again next season.

Lagos-born singer Tems has seen a meteoric rise over the past year in the wake of the release of her September EP, For Broken Ears. Since then, she’s received co-signs from one of her home country’s biggest stars, Wizkid, appearing on his summer-of-2021 single “Essence” and its remix with Justin Bieber, and of perennially precognitive talent scout Drake, landing a feature on “Fountains” from his new album Certified Lover Boy.

Now, she’s been selected as Apple Music’s latest Up Next artist, just in time to commemorate the release of her newest EP If Orange Was A Place, released Tuesday via Since ’93 and RCA Records. The five-song release includes the song “Found” with American R&B counterpart Brent Faiyaz (a rising star in his own right) and showcases her unique vocals, songwriting, and production style. She relates the album to “the feeling of sunset and the sweetness of an orange” in its description on Apple Music and delves into the impact her oncoming stardom has had on her in both the documentary and an insightful interview with Apple Music’s Nadeska, which you can watch below.

Watch the trailer for Tems’ Apple Music Up Next documentary up top and catch the full video (and listen to the new EP) here.

Temperatures are dropping, college classes are back in session, and the leaves are changing colors (unless you live in California). We’re leaving the summertime and heading into fall, also known as the best month for fashion. As comfortable as rocking nothing but shorts and sandals in the summer months is, nothing beats layers! Couple that with moody autumnal color palettes, and weather that hits that Goldilock’s zone of being not too cold and not too hot and we have a season comfortable enough that you get to wear a majority of your wardrobe.

It’s been a minute since we’ve rounded up the best streetwear to hit the world of fashion but after the long drag of summer, we’re finally back with some new Fall/Winter 2021 collections from some of our favorite brands. This time around, we have new seasonal collections from the likes of Gucci, Supreme, The North Face, Adidas, and a few under-the-radar brands that we’ll be highlighting for the first time.

Once you’ve copped your new fit, be sure to check the latest entry in our sneaker series SNX DLX to complete the look.

Monkey Time x The North Face FW21 Mountain Parka

Japanese streetwear label Monkey Time is linking up with The North Face’s hip Purple Label to deliver what will undoubtedly be my main jacket of the next 6 months. The Mountain Parka features a short-length cut — which helps to make the piece a lot more functional in the warmer months leading up to winter — with a synthetic fiber and polyester Taslan taffeta shell in two different seasonable appropriate colorways.

The full line up consists of a navy blue and black makeup, or a light blue and forest green option. The Mountain parka features both a zip-up enclosure and a button-up design as well as a draw-string hood with dual branding throughout.

Pick up the Monkey Time x The North Face Purple Label FW21 Mountain Parka at the Monkey Time webstore starting today for a retail price of $360.

Gucci Towards Autumn Collection

Powerhouse luxury brand Gucci has just delivered its latest Men and Women’s fall drop, dubbed the Towards Autumn Collection. The collection features a small selection of soft wool, tweed, and knit outerwear pieces dipped in a comforting and warm autumnal color palette. Highlights of the collection include the Men’s graphic animal print wool sweater, and tartan and wool coats.

Rounding out the collection are a few new designs of Gucci’s iconic handbags as well as some leather-focused footwear. Gucci has also just launched a lifestyle collection for the first time in the label’s history, so if you’re looking for some very expensive Gucci branded board games, pens, stationery, and furniture, look no further. The holiday season is coming up after all!

Shop the Gucci Towards Autumn collection now at the Gucci webstore and all Gucci boutiques.

Clara Colette Miramon Butterfly Season One

The Berlin-based Clara Colette Miramon label is fairly new on the scene but has exploded in popularity this year thanks to a few celebrities rocking the brand, most notably Doja Cat. The label’s newest collection, Butterfly Season One, features psychedelic colorways across form-fitting crop tops, t-shirts, bodysuits, and corsets with butterfly-inspired cuts and imagery across a set of Y2K-inspired fits.

It’s probably not what you’d wear the next time you hit the grocery store or when you’re running errands, but you’re going to need some new fits for that upcoming concert, and any end-of-the-year parties that aren’t totally ruined by Covid.

In keeping with the brand’s sustainability-first ethos, Butterfly Season One’s pieces were made using upcycled tablecloths.

The Clara Colette Miramon Butterfly Season One collection is out now. Check the Clara Molette Miramon online store to shop the collection.

Adidas Originals Blue Version Collection

If you grew up in the early ‘00s (or you just idealize the time period) then you’re probably familiar with the Adidas’ iconic blue Beckenbauer tracksuit. The jacket alone was a staple of Y2K era fashion (despite being from the 80s) and now Adidas Originals is tasking themselves with reviving the Beckenbauer once again by dropping two new versions of the tracksuit in a collection dubbed “Blue Version.”

Despite its name, the Blue Version collection features a blue or black colorway across two different jacket and pant sets inspired by the original Beckenbauer. Both sets feature modern utilitarian updates, and as cool as the black set is, we can’t deny that the classic blue and white is the obvious highlight of the collection.

The Adidas Originals Blue Version Collection is set to drop on September 15th. Shop the collection at the Adidas webstore and in-store at Adidas.

The Crow x Supreme Fall 2021 Collection

Every year, Supreme teams up with an obscure or forgotten artist outside of the current cultural zeitgeist just to reminds us just how interesting and out-of-left-field the brand can be when it’s not busy dropping its millionth Levi’s/Timbaland/Nike/ collaboration, and this week they’re bringing us back to the late ‘80s early ‘90s with a collection that lifts iconography from the gothic series The Crow.

Rather than pulling imagery from the series of films (a smart move, considering only that first one with Brandon Lee is good), Supreme looked toward the comic book source material, implementing the art of the series’ creator James O’Barr. O’Barr’s goth-inspired art evokes the imagery of vintage comics and synth-wave bands like The Cure and Joy Division and shows up on a collection of work jackets, sweaters, long sleeves, pants, graphic t-shirts, and other streetwear staples out of Supreme’s usual stock.

Shop ‘The Crow’ x Supreme’s Fall 2021 collection on September 16th exclusively at the Supreme webstore.

Palace Fall 2021 Week Seven

British skatewear brand Palace returns this week with its seventh Fall 2021 drop. The massive collection features over 70 pieces mostly focused on outerwear, like the Mirage Reversible Fleece, which features a camo tiger stripped inspired design, Palace branded graphic hoodies, long-sleeve button-ups, and a whole bunch of t-shirts, matching pants, graphic t-shirts. Rounding out the collection is a small offering of matching headwear, including five-panel caps, beanies, and bucket hats.

Pick up the latest Palace Fall 2021 collection on September 17th via the Palace webstore and Palace retail stores.

When the “Me Too” movement sparked a firestorm of stories of sexual harassment and abuse, the world learned what most women already knew. Sexual abuse isn’t rare. And far too often, it is covered up, with the perpetrator being protected while victims are left to languish.

Few stories have made that reality more clear than the uncovering of the years-long, widespread sexual abuse of young female athletes on the U.S. women’s gymnastics team by the team’s physician, Larry Nassar. The scope of his abuse is mind-blowing. The fact that it was happening all the time, behind the scenes, while the young women he was abusing were in the spotlight winning medal after medal, is shocking.

Now we’re finding out how bad the investigations were, how these women were dismissed, ignored, and neglected, how investigators allowed the abuse to continue despite ample evidence that it was happening. That is simply enraging.

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In emotional testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee this morning, Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney, Maggie Nichols, and Aly Raisman spoke frankly about what they experienced. Their stories deserve to be heard and their criticisms of the investigations need to be taken seriously.

Simone Biles took a moment to collect herself during her opening statement.

“I sit before you today to raise my voice so that no little girl must endure what I, the athletes at this table, and the countless others who needlessly suffered under Nassar’s guise of medical treatment, which we continue to endure today,” she said. “We suffered and continue to suffer, because no one at FBI, USAG, or the USOPC did what was necessary to protect us. We have been failed, and we deserve answers. Nassar is where he belongs, but those who enabled him deserve to be held accountable. If they are not, I am convinced that this will continue to happen to others across Olympic sports…

“A message needs to be sent: if you allow a predator to harm children, the consequences will be swift and severe. Enough is enough.”

WATCH: Simone Biles (@simone_biles) complete opening statement.

“This is the largest case of sexual abuse in the… https://t.co/pDuK71WGtX

— CSPAN (@cspan)
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McKayla Maroney was blunt in her assessment of what happened to her and offered a scathing rebuke of the FBI investigators. who she says falsified what she told them and “conceal Nassar’s crimes from the public, the media, other law enforcement agencies, and most importantly, other victims.”

“They chose to protect a serial child molester, rather than protect not only me but countless others,” she said.

(Warning: Detailed descriptions of sexual abuse.)

Full opening statement: At Senate hearing, McKayla Maroney describes reporting abuse by Larry Nassar “in extreme de… https://t.co/6sLIO1GalM

— NBC News (@NBCNews)
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Maggie Nichols’ opening statement personalized her abuse: “I was named as Gymnast 2 in the Office of Inspector General’s report and previously identified as Athlete A by USA Gymnastics. I want everyone to know that this did not happen to Gymnast 2 or to Athlete A. It happened to me, Maggie Nichols.”

WATCH: @MagsGotSwag12 complete opening statement.

“I want everyone to know that this didn’t happen to Gymnast #2… https://t.co/Jg5NUMaKMG

— CSPAN (@cspan)
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Aly Raisman detailed what an abysmal failure the investigations into Nassar were, and shared her frustration that they are still seeking answers six years later.

“The FBI and others within both USAG and USOPC knew that Nassar molested children and did nothing to restrict his access,” she said. “Steve Penny and any USAG employee could have walked a few steps to file a report with Indiana Child Protective Services, since they shared the same building.

“Instead they quietly allowed Nassar to slip out the side door, knowingly allowing him to continue his “work” at MSU, Sparrow Hospital, a USAG club, and even to run for school board. Nassar found more than 100 new victims to molest. It was like serving innocent children up to a pedophile on a silver platter.”

WATCH: @Aly_Raisman complete opening statement.

“Why must we speculate when the facts are obtainable and the stak… https://t.co/mf5i79po3b

— CSPAN (@cspan)
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Each of these women’s testimonies matters. It takes strength and courage it takes to speak about abuse you’ve experienced in a public forum, much less to call out powerful institutions for their failures. Kudos to these fierce defenders of justice and protectors of children for sharing their stories and for attempting to ensure that the systems that failed them will not continue to allow harm to others.

The U.S. Soccer women’s team is one of the most successful sports organizations in the world. They’ve won the Women’s World Cup four times — most recently in France in 2019 — and have claimed five Olympic gold medals.

The U.S. men’s team has had much less success but they still get paid more. The men’s team is compensated primarily in bonuses and its players receive $17,625 per friendly. Players on the women’s team have a $100,000 salary but receive $3,500 per game.

The men’s team failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

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Earlier this month, USSF president Cindy Parlow Cone said that the discrepancy between how the World Cup prize money is allocated is “by far the most challenging issue” when it comes to paying both teams equally.

“Until Fifa equalises the prize money that it awards to the men’s and women’s World Cup participants, it is incumbent upon us to collectively find a solution,” she said.

Here’s the banner @ussoccer doesn’t want you to see, even though it had been approved at two previous games in East… https://t.co/nxzkbprT6c

— AO Hartford (@AOHartford)
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Prize money for the 2018 men’s World Cup totaled $400 million with winners France taking home $38 million. The prize money for the 2019 women’s World Cup was just $30m with the U.S. women’s team bringing home $4 million.

The reason for the huge gap is that the women’s World Cup only generates around 2% of the revenue that the men’s does. The 2018 men’s cup generated $6.1 billion whereas the women’s brought in $131 million.

In May, the women’s team filed a lawsuit against the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) claiming it was owed equal pay. The lawsuit was dismissed, pending appeal.

But it appears as though the USSF got the message anyway because it just offered equal contracts to both the men’s and women’s soccer teams.

U.S. Soccer will offer the same pay structure to both men’s & women’s teams. It comes after years of women players… https://t.co/70hEZuraez

— AJ+ (@ajplus)
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“U.S. Soccer firmly believes that the best path forward for all involved, and for the future of the sport in the United States, is a single pay structure for both senior national teams,” the USSF said in a statement. “This proposal will ensure that USWNT and USMNT players remain among the highest paid senior national team players in the world …”

If either team doesn’t agree to the contracts, the USSF will invite both player unions to negotiations to show full transparency.

Even though the USSF has offered equal contracts, the women’s team is still pressing on with the lawsuit and is asking for $66 million in back pay.

Julie Foudy, captain of the 1999 World Cup-winning team says that the improvement in the way the women’s team is being treated stems from the team’s rise in popularity and social media. “The women’s game now is so big in comparison to when the 99ers played,” Foundry said. “The support that we have globally has absolutely risen. It’s not just a few people in the United States – the world has our back.”

Ted Cruz got smoked last week while attempting to feud with Patton Oswalt, so we might as well keep the party going by highlighting how Ellen Barkin’s coming for him. On Wednesday, Cruz (for whatever reason) gave remarks following Senate testimony from Olympic gymnasts (including McKayla Maroney and Simone Biles) about how FBI agents not only dropped the ball on Larry Nassar but completely mishandled abuse accusations brought against the now-imprisoned-for-life coach.

The botched investigation is now the subject of massive fallout with Maroney declaring that the FBI made “entirely false claims” about her statements while burying her allegations, and Biles delivered emotional remarks about how Congressionally-created organizations failed to protect herself and her fellow gymnasts. FBI Director Christopher Wray declared that he was “heartsick and furious” over the “individuals” who mishandled the investigation, and those remarks won’t clear up the situation at all. However, Ted Cruz’s remarks are going over even worse, mostly because it’s unclear why he’s inserting himself in the situation, thereby promoting the illusion that he’s in favor of protecting women while also not doing anything to prevent the insane Texas abortion law that doesn’t allow an exemption for rape pregnancies.

“I want to thank each of you for being here. Being here this morning was not easy. Each of you inspire millions across the globe. Millions look to your athletic achievements, you have all stood on the biggest stages of the world and done extraordinary things,” Cruz proclaimed. “And you were able to do that through tens of thousands of hours of incredible hard work. And yet that work pales compared to the courage it took to come here today and to tell your story publicly.”

Well, Helen Mirren isn’t buying it. “Hey Ted Cruz, what if Larry Nassar had gotten one of these courageous women pregnant?” she tweeted. “Drop dead Ted.”

Given that Texas’ governor, Greg Abbott, doubled down on Texas’ law not needing an out for rape pregnancies (and Ted’s not speaking out against that insanity while giving a speech to Team USA gymnasts about how much he cares, as a father of two young athletes), let’s just say that Helen Mirren was not alone in her sentiments.

Not only did Ted grandstand, but he also pointedly called attention to how Simone Biles hails from Texas, and he spoke on behalf of the whole state while declaring pride for her courage. That didn’t go over well either!

(Via Fox News, CBS News & Politicus USA)

While Foo Fighters were, like the rest of the music industry, sidelined during the pandemic, it gave Dave Grohl time to write a book. That book, The Storyteller: Tales Of Life And Music, is set for release on October 5. Ahead of then, though, Grohl has shared a new 90-second trailer for the book.

The video features some clips and images from throughout Grohl’s life and career, and all the while, he explains how restlessness during the pandemic led to him doing more writing, and how he came to enjoy that process enough where he was motivated to write a book.

Grohl’s author’s statement previously touched on similar points: “So, I’ve written a book. Having entertained the idea for years, and even offered a few questionable opportunities (‘It’s a piece of cake! Just do 4 hours of interviews, find someone else to write it, put your face on the cover, and voila!’) I have decided to write these stories just as I have always done, in my own hand. The joy that I have felt from chronicling these tales is not unlike listening back to a song that I’ve recorded and can’t wait to share with the world, or reading a primitive journal entry from a stained notebook, or even hearing my voice bounce between the Kiss posters on my wall as a child. This certainly doesn’t mean that I’m quitting my day job, but it does give me a place to shed a little light on what it’s like to be a kid from Springfield, Virginia, walking through life while living out the crazy dreams I had as young musician. […] I look forward to focusing the lens through which I see these memories a little sharper for you with much excitement.”

Check out the trailer for The Storyteller above.

In a new interview to promote the “gonzo post-apocalyptic Samurai-Western,” Prisoners of the Ghostland, Nicolas Cage opened up about his upcoming extremely meta project that will involve the actor playing a bizarre, fictionalized version of himself. Announced over two years ago, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent will see Cage play a down-and-out version of himself who agrees to appear at Mexican billionaire’s birthday party for a cool million bucks. There’s just one problem: the billionaire played by Pedro Pascal is also the head of the drug cartel, and he has no plans on letting Cage show up for a simple meet-and-greet.

Instead of mingling with guests, Cage is forced to recreate scenes from his vast catalog of films and with the same level of manic energy. While the actor relished the opportunity for “taking the piss” out of himself, he has absolutely no intentions of ever watching the final product. Here’s what he told Collider after being asked what it was like for Nicolas Cage to tackle the role of “Nicolas Cage”:

That is a really great question and I’m still trying to answer it. One of my answers is that I’m never going to see that movie. I’m told it’s a good movie. My manager, Mike Nilon, who is also a producer on it, looked at it. He was very happy. I’m told the audience loved the movie. But it’s just too much of a whacked-out trip for me to go to a movie theater and watch me play Tom Gormican’s highly-neurotic, anxiety-ridden version of me.

According to Cage, he doesn’t see himself as the “neurotic, high-strung” type, but after Gormican told him that’s the “best Cage,” the actor couldn’t really argue with that and dialed up his performance. “I won’t see it,” Cage told Collider. “But I do hope you enjoy it.”

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent premieres April 22, 2022.

(Via Collider)