Years ago, I spoke to Seth Rogen and Zac Efron while working the red carpet for the premiere of Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising. I don’t remember anything about the interview (I probably asked a hard-hitting question about High School Musical), but I do remember how blindly white Rogen’s teeth were. It was all I could focus on. That’s what I imagine it’s like to be around Donald Trump, except instead of pearly whites, it’s orange goop.
On the first episode of the One Decision podcast hosted by journalist Michelle Kosinski and former MI6 chief Richard Dearlove, Alyssa Farah, who worked as White House Director of Strategic Communications for the Trump administration, revealed that the former-president “usually would” apply his own makeup. You don’t say…
“You don’t touch the Donald Trump face,” Farah added.
Trump was even so impressed by a particularly flattering mirror that he had it schlepped to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. “We always have roughly the same mirror that we have backstage, but there was one time we were backstage, and for whatever reason, he particularly liked the mirror, I guess the way it was positioned,” Farah recalled. “He turns to me, he says, ‘Look at this. This is a skinny mirror,’ he says,” she continued. “Take this back to the White House,’” Trump told her. “We used it [at] every event.”
When Jimmy Kimmel heard about this news, he joked, “Of course he does his own makeup. Look at this makeup. If a professional did this, they would be fired ― out of a cannon.” The Jimmy Kimmel Live host added, “I would pay a lot of money to watch Donald Trump do a makeup tutorial on YouTube. He can make it his next pay-per-view event.” You can watch that clip here.
On Thursday, crowds gathered in Richmond, Virginia to watch as the Robert E. Lee Monument—the nation’s largest confederate statue—was removed after more than 130 years of looming over the city. Onlookers cheered and celebrated the removal of the 12-ton reminder of America’s racist past (ok, and present), which Seth Meyers understands.
“Anyone who loves America should be watching this scene and celebrating along with the crowd. A monument to a traitor for an evil cause, the cause of slavery [and] white supremacy, and who tried to destroy the United States has finally been taken down. But you’ll never guess who had a slightly different take on things…”
That person, of course, was former president Donald Trump, who has a knack for vocalizing every idiotic thought and bad take that finds its way into his wee brain. When he randomly opted to share his thoughts (which no one asked for) about the removal of a statue that was essentially a celebration of slavery and white supremacy, he did not disappoint. As The Hill reported, Trump issued a statement in which he called the removal of the racist statue a “complete desecration.”
He went on:
“Our culture is being destroyed and our history and heritage, both good and bad, are being extinguished by the Radical Left, and we can’t let that happen! If only we had Robert E. Lee to command our troops in Afghanistan, that disaster would have ended in a complete and total victory many years ago. What an embarrassment we are suffering because we don’t have the genius of a Robert E. Lee!”
“What an embarrassment” are definitely three words that come to mind. Meyers, not for the first time, pointed out Trump’s total lack of knowledge of American history:
“Seriously, what do you mean it would have ended in victory if Lee was in charge? He lost! He’s famous for losing! But ah yes, if only Robert E. Lee had been in charge in Afghanistan then surely he would’ve said something inspirational like, ‘Is that a missile? All I have is a bayonet and I’m glued to my horse—get me out of here…’
Of course, I wouldn’t recommend taking history lessons from a guy who, among other things, praised Nazis, sowed an insurrection where rioters carried the Confederate flag, thought Frederick Douglass was still alive, didn’t know why the Civil War happened in the first place, and thought there were airports during the Revolutionary War.”
Don’t be surprised if that very same statue somehow finds its way to Mar-a-Lago.
You can watch the full segment above; the Trump chatter begins around the 6:25 mark.
Today marks the release of Kacey Musgraves’ anticipated new album, Star-Crossed. It’s a high-profile release, enough so that she got a spot on The Late Show last night as an interview guest. During her chat with Stephen Colbert, she explained how the new album is about being “f*cked celestially.”
Colbert took interest in the album title and asked what Musgraves means with her use of the term, and she responded, “It’s ill-fated. You are doomed by the stars. You are f*cked celestially.” She continued, “There is a roller coaster of emotion on the record and the film that we made. It is kind of a wild ride.”
Elsewhere during the chat, Musgraves discussed her relationship with Willie Nelson and how that connection allowed her the opportunity to get her grandfather a special gift. Describing one Christmas, Musgraves said, “I handed him a little wad of cash and I was like, ‘Here you go.’ He was like, ‘What is this for?’ I was like, ‘It’s the buy-in for Willie Nelson’s poker game, so good luck.’” Her grandfather fared well — he “kicked Willie Nelson’s ass,” as Musgraves put it.
Meanwhile, at multiple points during the conversation, Colbert teased that Musgraves will return to The Late Show in October for a musical performance, so that’s something to look forward to.
Watch Musgraves’ appearance on The Late Show above.
Star-Crossed is out now via Interscope Records/UMG Nashville. Get it here.
Summer has come and (almost) gone this year with no true summer celebration. Yet there’s some wonderful news on the horizon: Netflix hasn’t ceased to supply us with plenty of motivation to stay home and enjoy quality original TV series and movies on our streaming devices. This week, the services gets both naughty and nice, although the former certainly outweighs the latter with entertainment being the end goal.
That goal has been duly met. Tom Ellis takes a final turn as the Neil Gaiman-created Lucifer, which pairs procedural appeal with supernatural shenanigans. A female-led action film follows with one of the Birds of Prey stars taking a solo turn. Two sports documentaries and two reality competition shows follow, along with a few mystery thriller films, and that’s only if you’re not still distracted by the devil’s departure. Lucifer shall be sorely missed, and with that acknowledged, let’s hit “play” and get this ball rolling.
Here’s everything else coming to (and leaving) the streaming platform this week.
Lucifer: The Final Season (Netflix series streaming 9/10)
The Devil is back for one last dance-of-a-rodeo in Season 6, and naturally, Lucifer Morningstar is still a total pain in the tush, and you’ll love him for it. Fortunately, he’s no longer attempting to be a detective, but here’s the complicating detail: Lucifer is now God, and he’s not sure that he wants to do the job. It’s so much more fun to be naughty, after all, yet if Lucifer doesn’t get with the new program, he’s liable to trigger the apocalypse of all apocalypses. This is one last, fan-requested hurrah for a Netflix-resurrected series, and Neil Gaiman’s creation will live on in fans’ hearts and, most likely, their pants as well. (Also, I must say this: dump the bad man, Chloe!)
Granted, this movie sounds a whole lot like Crank (those infamous Jason Statham flicks), but it’s got Mary Elizabeth Winstead kicking enormous ass, so are we really complaining about derivative stories here? Nope. Here, Winstead stars as the title character, who’s taking revenge upon a criminal organization after being poisoned and only having 24 hours to live. Woody Harrelson’s also on board here, and let’s hope that Kate gains some vengeance against her killers before the clock expires.
Blood Brothers: Malcolm X & Muhammad Ali (Netflix film streaming 9/8)
This documentary shines light on the friendship of the iconic twin-figures of Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali, whose extraordinary friendship (and falling out) reverberated throughout the 20th century. Kenya Baris and director Marcus A. Clarke celebrate the legendary bond in question with the help of family members and luminaries including Cornel West and Al Sharpton. In the end, their positions within the Nation of Islam’s leadership sees ups and downs and, overall, a legendary retelling of what went down.
Metal Shop Masters (Netflix series streaming 9/10)
Finally, we’ve got the welder-focused reality-competition series . There’s fire and fierceness between welding legends who are building futuristic vehicles and the coolest grills of all time, and yeah, they’ve totally got both heat and hustle. This might be the greatest reality show of all time (or not).
Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space (Netflix limited series streaming 9/6)
Elon Musk’s SpaceX Dragon missions have seen some typical setbacks with some atypical ones (the pandemic, obviously), but on September 15, they’ll launch off on the Inspiration 4 mission, and this limited series is here to help people prepare to observe the three-day orbit trip. They’ll travel higher than the International Space Station, and this marks a new era of civilian space exploration. And yep, Musk is on the scene.
UNTOLD: Breaking Point (Netflix film streaming 9/7)
The destigmatization of anxiety is the name of the (sports) game here when it comes to the story of tennis figure Mardy Fish. From his quasi-humble days at the Saddlebrook academy to his rivalry with Andy Roddick to his near-miss with success (while gazing toward John McEnroe, Pete Sampras, and Andre Agassi), this documentary-series installment digs deep into how the formerly number-one ranked American male tennis player evaporated from the public eye. These days, Fish serves at the US Davis Cup and, on a daily basis, hopes to help other athletes who struggle with similar mental health issues to come together and crush stigmas.
This sounds a bit like The Grey but focused on a hiking trip, and instead of wolves, there’s a mysterious shooter tracking five male buddies who only wanted to get away for a bachelor-party weekend. This sort of thing is what Vegas is for, guys.
The Circle: Season 3 (Netflix series streaming 9/10)
Get ready for yet another round of eight contestants who wield social media platforms in order to beat each other out while also flirting and befriending and hating and conquering each other while possibly catfishing each other. $100,000 is on the line, as well as the title of top influencer. Let the most fake among them win!
This Stockholm-centered film is a love story and a coming-of-age tale between two high schoolers in the same class but in vastly different social, cultural, and economic circles.
Here’s a full list of what’s been added in the last week:
Avail. 9/6 Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space
Avail. 9/7 Kid Cosmic: Season 2 Octonauts: Above & Beyond
On the Verge
Untold: Breaking Point
Avail. 9/8 The Circle: Season 3 Into the Night: Season 2 JJ+E
Avail. 9/9 Blood Brothers: Malcolm X & Muhammad Ali
The Women and the Murderer
Avail. 9/10 Firedrake the Silver Dragon
Kate
Lucifer: The Final Season
Metal Shop Masters
Pokémon Master Journeys: The Series
Prey
Yowamushi Pedal
Yowamushi Pedal Grande Road
Avail. 9/13 Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space
And here’s what’s leaving next week, so it’s your last chance:
Leaving 9/14
Pawn Stars: Season 2
Leaving 9/15 Angry Birds: Seasons 1-2 As Above, So Below
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Texas Governor Greg Abbott isn’t a complicated man. He’s just your garden variety sexist Republican lawmaker who has gone mad with power and decided that he has the power, and the right, to say what millions of women he neither knows nor cares about do with their bodies. But who knew he was such a fan or irony?
Less than a month after testing positive for COVID-19 while in the midst of banning mask mandates… which would help ensure that more people don’t test positive for COVID-19, the wily governor is showing his ironic side yet again. On Thursday evening, he made it known that he is no fan of President Joe Biden’s new vaccine mandates, and even went so far as to argue that the rules the prez has set forth violate Texans’—gulp!—“right to choose.”
Biden’s vaccine mandate is an assault on private businesses.
I issued an Executive Order protecting Texans’ right to choose whether they get the COVID vaccine & added it to the special session agenda.
That’s right: Abbott, the man behind Texas’ controversial abortion ban, which goes against federal law and a landmark Supreme Court decision that was made nearly half-a-century ago that ensures women the right to choose whether to carry a pregnancy to term, is complaining about Biden taking away people’s right to choose… It didn’t take long for people to start piling on.
First up was Minnesota rep. Ilhan Omar, who just flat-out dubbed him a hypocrite:
Don’t pretend like you believe in the right to choose, you hypocrite. https://t.co/csyYuQk4W5
And as for actor/activist Patricia Arquette? She thinks that instead of filing executive orders to exempt his state from the president’s vaccine mandates, Abbott should be more worried about the state’s many untested rape kits so that he can actually make good on his ridiculous promise to “eliminate” rape from the state.
Why don’t you chose to process the rest of the thousands of untested rape kits you got laying around. With the DNA of rapists so the police can get arrested by the police!
While some may want music at a more steady rate from the TDE singer, for what it’s worth, SZA has been more active in the past twelve months than she’s been in years prior. It all started last fall when she made her return with “Hit Different” alongside Ty Dolla Sign. SZA kept things rolling with the release of “Good Days” and even teased a few songs that he supported can expect in the future. While the new music is all well and good, her fans’ true desire is a new album. For the time being, they’ll have to keep their patience intact for the TDE act’s sophomore album, but they can enjoy a new single from her in the meantime.
SZA arrives with “The Anonymous Ones,” a pop-friendly track that finds the singer singing for those who often find themselves stuck in the shadows of the world, a place she admits she resides in at times. The single appears on the soundtrack for the upcoming film, Dear Evan Hansen, which follows a high school senior who suffers from social anxiety through a journey of self-discovery and acceptance following the tragic suicide of a classmate.
The new song comes after she released “random thoughts” in the form of three songs last month, those being “I Hate You,” “Joni,” and “Nightbird.” Summer Walker also confirmed that SZA will appear on her upcoming album.
You can listen to SZA’s “The Anonymous Ones” in the video above.
It’s safe to say Syd has something special on the way for her faithful listeners. The singer’s last solo project came in at the end of 2017 with Always Never Home. The 3-track EP came months after she released her solo debut album, Fin. From the looks of it, it appears a second dose of the latter could be on the way, but until that is confirmed, fans can enjoy her latest single, “Right Track” with Smino. The new release is a change in tempo for the singer’s often breezy and chilled-out songs. In the song, Syd and Smino use a giddy beat to beg for trust and commitment from their partner while promising that they’ll reach the next level together if things stay on the “right track.”
Syd’s latest single arrives after as her third track of the year. She launched her 2021 campaign with February’s “Missing Out,” a track she described as an “anti-Valentine’s Day ode” while singing about her partner’s inability to “spend the proper time trying to work it out.” Months later she returned with “Fast Car,” a more positive record focused on the intimate moments a couple spends together when they ignore the rest of the world. “I wanted to make something for the gay Black girls,” Syd said about the song. “I want them to see themselves in this and in me.”
You can press play on Syd and Smino’s new collaboration in the video above.
After weeks of anticipation, Chloe Bailey’s long-awaited debut solo single is finally here, arriving with an exciting video. Chloe shined as a part of a duo with sister Halle, but now it’s time for her to impress as a solo act, something she looks to do with her brand new single, “Have Mercy.” Chloe shows off her dance moves and twerking abilities as a cast of guys watch in awe. The singer is also accompanied by a group of female dancers that keep up with her and seductive moves.
Chloe impressed for years through music and on the small screen in shows like Freeform’s Grown-ish. An excellent example of Chloe’s musical talents came last year with the release of last year’s Ungodly Hour as a part of the Chloe X Halle duo.
“Have Mercy” will appear on the singer’s upcoming album and prior to the track’s release, Chloe delivered an update on the project and teased what kind of music fans can expect to hear on it. “It’s 90% done,” she said about the project, adding that the album “is definitely more pop.” “I’m creating my own lane, as well as paying homage to the ones who have inspired me,” she continued. “It has been fun finding my voice.”
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers hosted the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night to open the 2021 NFL regular season, as Tom Brady and company began their quest to repeat as Super Bowl champions. On the other side, Dak Prescott was looking to show he was all the way back after missing most of last year with a broken ankle — and dealing with some shoulder issues this training camp.
Both offenses showed out in what became a high-scoring affair, led by the two star quarterbacks. Prescott was sensational for the Cowboys, throwing for 403 yards (on 42-of-58 passing), three touchdowns, and one interception, as he seemed to quickly regain his form. On the other side, Brady was likewise excellent with 379 yards (32-of-50), four touchdowns, and two interceptions, and down the stretch the two traded big drives in what ultimately ended in a 31-29 Bucs win.
The craziness started with the Bucs looking to go up two scores with five minutes to play, as Brady connected with Chris Godwin, who fought his way near the goal line but tried too hard to reach the end zone, getting hit and fumbling to give Dallas new life.
On the ensuing drive, Prescott was magnificent in pushing the Cowboys down the field, with some help from his playmakers like CeeDee Lamb who made a tremendous play on 3rd and 11 to get Dallas into Tampa territory.
Just a massive third down conversion for the #DallasCowboys
However, once they got it into field goal range, the Cowboys got conservative, most notably with an inside handoff on 2nd and 10 that only netted them four yards and seemed to signal that, despite a monster game from Prescott and an inability to run the ball all night, the Cowboys were not about to put the game fully in Dak’s hands. After a hold and a short pass to get back to where they started, Greg Zuerlein, who had missed two field goals and an extra point already, came on and drilled the go-ahead field goal, but everyone aside from Mike McCarthy seemed to know what was coming with Tom Brady getting the ball back with over a minute to play and a timeout at his disposal.
After Brady and Gronk got them inside Dallas territory, it was Chris Godwin’s turn for redemption with the most controversial play of the drive, as he hauled in a back shoulder throw from Brady to get them firmly into field goal range thanks to what many felt was a pushoff that should’ve resulted in offensive pass interference.
It was a terrific opening game for the NFL, as the stars showed out in big ways, but the talk of the game will be how conservative Dallas got once in field goal range despite Tampa having all of their timeouts at the time, as well as the Godwin no-call on the Bucs game-winning drive.
More than two years removed from his last project, Baby Keem has arrived with a new body of work for his growing cast of supporters to enjoy. The Melodic Blue is out now and it comes with a small, yet star-filled cast of guest acts. Kendrick Lamar, Travis Scott, and Don Toliver each stand beside Keem at various points on the album, with Lamar marking the most appearances on the 16-track project. The new album arrives after Keem stopped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to debut “Issues,” while he follows up with a desolate video with a similar setting.
In addition to “Family Ties,” a previously-released single that ramped up anticipation for The Melodic Blue and Kendrick’s own upcoming fifth album, the TDE rapper also connects with Keem on “Range Brothers” and “Vent.”
“Range Brothers” arrives as a two-part track that begins with Keem delivering laid-back raps over bass-heavy production. Things take an odd and chaotic turn in the second half as Lamar arrives join Keem as they deliver off-kilter bars that, if anything, sound more like a troll as Lamar checks in and repeatedly chants “top of the morning.” As for “Vent,” that collaboration between Lamar and Keem is quite the bashful single as the duo combines their energies for a mosh pit-friendly track.
You can watch the “Issues” video and listen to Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar’s additional collaborations in the videos above.
The Melodic Blue is out now via PgLang/Columbia. Get it here.
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