Month: September 2021

Riffing on the popular dating advice book, Princess Nokia points out the differences in genders on her new single “Boys Are From Mars.” Offering her own, slightly salty advice to listeners, she asserts that not only are men and women from different planets but that it’s also up to women to set the terms of engagement in the gender war — and in love. Yung Baby Tate joins her sister-in-arms to spit her own clever verse goofing on men’s inability to deliver and telling girls to “focus on yourself” while doing helpful activities like tai chi and yoga.

“Boys Are From Mars” is Princess Nokia’s second single of the year after the J-Lo-inspired “It’s Not My Fault” which symbolized coming of age for “the average millennial woman, taking control of herself as the subject.” However, whereas “It’s Not My Fault” and Nokia’s other most recent video, “I Like Him,” took a techno-futuristic approach to their respective visual components, the lyrics video for “Boys Are From Mars” takes its inspiration from retro cinema instead — particularly the Saturday afternoon matinee double-features of the 1970s, which featured Blaxploitation and martial arts flicks as their main draws. As the lyrics flash on the screen, the two artists can be seen in silhouette, throwing flare-legged high kicks and waving curved Chinese swords.

Listen to Princess Nokia’s “Boys Are From Mars” with Yung Baby Tate above.

If there’s one thing Dave Bautista keeps teaching us through his films and his actions, it’s just how powerful found family can be. The former wrestler and actor best known for his role as Guardian of the Galaxy‘s Drax has announced the Bautista family is getting a furry new addition: a three-month-old pit bull puppy named Penny. While every rescue story is just as heartwarming as the next, Penny’s journey to the Bautista family has been a pretty high-profile and particularly emotional one that started all the way back on September 16.

On the 16th, the Humane Society of Tampa Bay shared that a dog named Sage has been brought into the shelter after someone found her living on the streets with a metal chain embedded into the skin around her neck. The story was quick to go viral, and soon caught the attention of Bautista, who offered to “personally hand $5,000” to any person who had information that would lead to the arrest of the person responsible for Sage’s injuries. According to People Magazine, Bautista explained to local news channel WHAS11 why he was so invested in the case, saying that to him, “there’s nothing more innocent and pure than a puppy. For someone who can abuse a puppy has got to be the lowest form of human being, pure evil, for someone who can abuse an animal like that. It makes me sick to my stomach.”

The Humane Society of Tampa Bay soon joined the actor’s efforts, adding $1,000 to the reward before Alvarez Injury Law chipped in another $5,000. While no one has stepped forward to claim the $11,000 reward and shed some light on who Sage’s past owners might have been, Bautista decided to personally ensure Sage would no longer have to suffer abuse or neglect from anyone else and went to the Humane Society of Tampa Bay to adopt the puppy.

Bautista took to Instagram to share the big news about the newly-named Penny joining the Bautista family, telling fans:

“The good news is, the puppy you know as Sage actually became Penny Bautista. So I’d like to introduce you to the newest member of my family. Healing up, nice, and recovered. She is now a Bautista and she will never be abused again a day in her life. She is about to live her best puppy life ever … and she has her forever home.”

Penny joins Bautista’s other two pit bulls, Ollie and Maggie, who he celebrated just last month during National Dog Day. Based on the picture he shared of his two other pups, it’s safe to say Penny will be living the good life from here on out.

No stranger to being an advocate for treating people with kindness, gentleman heartthrob Harry Styles gave some straightforward dating advice mid-concert that left female fans feeling empowered.

During his Love On Tour stop in Detroit, Styles found a fan holding a sign that read, “Should I text him?” which received boos among the crowd. However, in typical Harry fashion, his reply was simply, “is he nice to you?”

You can watch the full video here:

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“should i text him?” TRASH TRASH TRASH!!
@Harry_Styles https://t.co/B2cvfzzAKW

— 𝚡𝚘𝚡𝚘, 𝚊𝚕𝚣. ♡︎ (@alliefriese)
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He concluded with, “My personal opinion is that if there’s any sort of games, trash, trash, trash, not for you,” a piece of advice that resulted in raucous applause and a flood of tweets from fans.

This is more than your run-of-the-mill fan-girling. There’s plenty of evidence out there that shows Harry Styles has been a champion for feminism in a way that few men have succeeded. And that goes far beyond his fashion choices.

Take for instance in 2014 when he joined the #HeForShe movement in supporting gender equality.

I’m supporting @UN_Women and @EmWatson in #HeForShe
As should you.. http://t.co/RYtM4SKkqN

— Harry Styles. (@Harry_Styles)
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Or in 2017, when he wore T-shirt that bearing the slogan “Women are smarter.”

Or my personal favorite, in 2017 when Harry had his Rolling Stones interview, and was quick to defend his fanbase.

“Young girls like the Beatles. You gonna tell me they’re not serious? How can you say young girls don’t get it? They’re our future. Our future doctors, lawyers, mothers, presidents, they kind of keep the world going. Teenage-girl fans—they don’t lie. If they like you, they’re there. They don’t act ‘too cool.’ They like you, and they tell you. Which is sick.”

It’s no wonder why some dub him the “Feminist Prince.” And with his special brand of sincerity and charm that encourages women to step into their own power…long may he reign.

Giannis Antetokounmpo finally ascended to basketball’s mountaintop earlier this year. Antetokounmpo led the Milwaukee Bucks to the franchise’s first championship since 1971, earning NBA Finals MVP honors for his performance on the game’s biggest stage — the Greek Freak averaged 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, five assists, 1.8 blocks, and 1.2 steals in 39.8 minutes per game while playing on a knee injury that he suffered in the Eastern Conference Finals.

For a player who had won back-to-back NBA MVP awards, Antetokounmpo had always made clear his goal was to become a champion. Despite this, Harris Stavrou of SPORT24 in Greece highlighted a quote Antetokounmpo gave where he expressed his belief that he is not yet the best basketball player in the world. He went on to list a number of players who he believes are better than him, and gave his pick for the best player on the planet right now.

Antetokounmpo has never been the kind of guy to say he’s the best player in the world, so even if this is true (and he certainly has a case!), he’s probably never going to explicitly say it. Picking James is an interesting choice, however, if only because he’s about to enter his 19th season in the league, and it’s something else that he’s still performing at a level that leads to him being in this conversation.

Eminem is going from rapper to restauranteur with next week’s opening of Mom’s Spaghetti, a new eatery based on the pop-up concept inspired by one of his most famous lyrics. The Detroit rapper previously brought the dish based on his famous “Lose Yourself” line to his Revival promotional event, as well as a second pop-up dedicated to the hospital workers of Detroit during last year’s quarantines. He also brought the pop-up to Coachella and Firefly in 2018 when he headlined those festivals. To promote the restaurant, Eminem even shot a tongue-in-cheek commercial that is currently airing on local TV.

In addition to Mom’s Spaghetti — both with and without meatballs — the restaurant will apparently be serving something called a “s’ghetti sandwich,” which sounds like exactly the thing a stressed-out mom living on the outskirts of Detroit’s city center would serve a hyperactive pre-teen. In the commercial, which details these items, Eminem appears to upchuck a takeout container from the restaurant, paying a fitting tribute to the line that inspired the whole thing:

His palms are sweaty
Knees weak, arms are heavy
There’s vomit on his sweater already: Mom’s spaghetti

You can lose yourself in the saucy, noodle-y goodness next Wednesday, September 29 in Detroit.

Azealia Banks is one person elated at the news of Elon Musk and Grimes’ breakup. Posting a screenshot of the Page Six tweet announcing the split to her Instagram, the controversial artist crowed in a caption, “Ok girl, can we finally make those darn songs now that apartheid Clyde is out of the way? We were really supposed to eat these bitches up.”

https://twitter.com/bigblackjacobin/status/1441430962928291842/

Back in 2018, when the couple first got together, Grimes invited Banks to Musk’s estate to work on music together but apparently, the weekend didn’t go as planned. Banks eventually went on a tirade against Musk, saying that he avoided her during the visit while scrambling to find investors for Tesla after tweeting about taking the company private. She said that she missed her chance to collaborate with Grimes, who was attending to the stressed-out Musk, calling the whole situation a real-life scene from Get Out. She also says Musk’s staff took her phone.

Musk, meanwhile, denied ever having met Azealia, calling her a compulsive liar (he’s not the first), while earlier this year, Grimes told fans on Discord that her song “100% Tragedy” was about “having to defeat Azealia Banks when she tried to destroy my life.” This prompted Azealia to call Grimes “weird undercover millennial racist” who “doesn’t have the musical capacity i have.”

Something tells me that Grimes isn’t going to be calling Banks to work together again anytime soon.

It’s hard to imagine Jeopardy! without Alex Trebek (look at all the trouble they’ve had trying to replace him), and it’s equally difficult to picture Wheel of Fortune without Pat Sajack and Vanna White. The hosts have worked together on the syndicated game show since the early 1980s, and in that time, they’ve only had one major disagreement. “Believe it or not, Pat Sajak and I have only had one argument in 36 years and that was over putting ketchup on a hotdog,” she said in 2019. He’s mustard only, while she prefers ketchup and mustard — I’m sorry, Vanna, but I gotta side with Pat on this one.

In an interview with USA Today, Sajak was asked whether he’s thought about retiring. “We’re much closer to the end than we are to the beginning,” he answered. “There’s a pretty good chance that when one of us leaves, we’ll both leave, because it would be odd for either of us to work with somebody else. I always say that I want to leave while the show is still popular and before people tune in and say, ‘Ooh, what happened to him?’ I’m not quite there yet.” He needs to get his dream Wheel contestant first:

“My secret desire is to get Meryl Streep on the show, just because I want to hear her say, ‘Come on, Big Money!’” he says. “I think that would be really dramatic.”

I thought Roy Kent saying “Muppets dream” was the thing I most wanted to hear this week. No, it’s Meryl Streep saying “Big Money.”

(Via USA Today)

After four years off the air, MTV’s hit show Teen Wolf is returning, and in more ways than one. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Teen Wolf creator and writer Jeff Davis has just entered in to a multi-year deal with streaming service Paramount+ to revive the series with a 2022 sequel movie and spin-off show, Wolf Pack.

As of right now, it’s unknown who will be starring in the upcoming film or when exactly in 2022 it will hit the streaming service. However, The Hollywood Reporter revealed Paramount is currently in talks with the series’ original cast (Tyler Posey, Crystal Reed, and Dylan O’Brien) in hopes of ensuring their return to the franchise. The outlet also shared the movie’s lengthy logline, which definitely seems to promise a whole lot more of the same Teen Wolf fans know and love:

A full moon rises in Beacon Hills and with it a terrifying evil has emerged. The wolves are howling once again, calling for the return of Banshees, Werecoyotes, Hellhounds, Kitsunes and every other shapeshifter in the night. But only a Werewolf like Scott McCall, no longer a teenager yet still an Alpha, can gather both new allies and reunite trusted friends to fight back against what could be the most powerful and deadliest enemy they’ve ever faced.

In addition to the movie, Davis is also developing a new series: Wolf Pack. Based on the book series of the same name by Edo Van Belkom, Wolf Pack “follows a teenage boy and girl whose lives are changed forever when a California wildfire awakens a terrifying supernatural creature and drives it to attack a highway traffic jam beneath the burning hills. Wounded in the chaos, the boy and girl are inexplicably drawn to each other and to two other teenagers who were adopted sixteen years earlier by a park ranger after another mysterious wildfire. As the full moon rises, all four teens come together to unravel the secret that connects them — the bite and blood of a werewolf.”

All in all, it’s a great day for fans of the Teen Wolf franchise and hey, if you’re not a fan yet, here’s a casual reminder that the entire 100-episode series is coming to Paramount+ later this December, giving you plenty of time to watch it before the movie.

When the array of companies – ranging from technology to F&B and beyond – boast diversity and equity, sometimes the verbiage doesn’t match action. However, Netflix got it right. The inclusion of the Black Stories category on Netflix showcases a variety of TV series, documentaries, originals, and movies that highlight Black talent. As stated on the Black Stories homepage: “Black stories are rich, compelling and complex.” Therefore, the roster of films and series crossing a wide range of genres offers something for everyone’s palate. This lineup is merely a snapshot of what’s presented under Black Stories and we’re sure you’ll find the perfect show or film to suit your mood.

Fatherhood (2021)

Run Time: 1h 50m | IMDb: 6.6/10

Inspired by a true story, this Netflix film will have you in your feelings – from gut-cramping laughs to serious crocodile tears. Comedian/actor Kevin Hart plays Matthew Logelin, a widowed new dad contending with the ups and downs of fatherhood. It’s a story of triumph as you watch Logelin transform into a solid dad for daughter Maddy through growing pains.

Get on Up (2014)

Run Time: 2h 19m | IMDb: 6.9/10

This biographical musical drama chronicles the life of revered soul-crooner James Brown. Golden Globe Award-winning late actor and playwright Chadwick Boseman did a phenomenal job capturing the essence and personality of Brown. The all-star cast also includes Viola Davis as Susie Brown, Octavia Spencer as Aunt Honey and other notable actors. The film follows Brown’s rise from poverty to becoming one of the most significant figures in the music industry.

Seven Pounds (2008)

Run Time: 2h 3m | IMDb: 7.6/10

This tear-jerker follows the redemption story of Tim Thomas, played by Will Smith. Thomas, who has a life-altering secret, is compelled to fix his tragic mistake by changing the lives of seven strangers. Without dropping spoilers, this movie has unexpected twists and turns that will leave you speechless by the end.

Nappily Ever After (2018)

Run Time: 1h 38m | IMDb: 6.4/10

We’ve all either experienced or witnessed the following: A parent expects perfection from their child in every way. That is just the case with Violet, played by Sanaa Lathan, and her mother Paulette (Lynn Whitfield). Violet regularly straightens her hair to fit her mother and society’s perceived standard of perfection and beauty. After a series of misfortunes, Violet shaves her head and eventually discovers newfound confidence – but this doesn’t come without its share of hurdles.

What Happened, Miss Simone? (2015)

Run Time: 1h 41m | IMDb: 7.6/10

The documentary opens with a quote from Maya Angelou where the title of the film is also taken, “Miss Simone, you are idolized, even loved, by millions now. But what happened, Miss Simone?” Directed by Liz Garbus, the documentary paints an intimate portrait of singer and civil rights activist Nina Simone. It combines previously unreleased archival footage, including diary entries and imagery, plus interviews with Simone’s daughter and friends. Simone overcame personal challenges in addition to that of the pressure coming with stardom during one of the most tumultuous times in American history – and the documentary captures all of this in a unique way.

Good Hair (2009)

Run Time: 1h 36m | IMDb: 6.9/10

Narrated and starring comedian Chris Rock, Good Hair takes a deep dive into how Black women have styled their hair over the decades and explores the ugly truth behind the term “good hair.” Of course, Rock adds his own humorous touch to the topics, while shedding light on serious takes on Black women’s hair and its’ correlation with Black culture.

High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America

1 season, 4 episodes | IMDb: 7.7/10

This docuseries, hosted by chef, writer, and founder of Whetstone Magazine, Stephen Satterfield, takes the viewer from Benin, West Africa to America to highlight how gastronomy stateside has origins rooted in Black American history. The name is based on Jessica B. Harris’ book of the same title, and Harris even makes an appearance alongside Satterfield in the first episode. You’ll walk away feeling enlightened and encouraged to do some deeper research on Black American cuisine.

Resort to Love (2021)

Run Time: 1h 41m | IMDb: 5.7/10

Whether this fim can make you chuckle or not is subjective, but you’ll for sure be won over by the scenery. Considering many of us are still not traversing the globe due to the pandemic, this movie acts as an idyllic island postcard. Singer/actress Christina Milian plays the main character, Erica, who performs at her former fiancé’s wedding hesitantly – amid her own music career breakdown. This Alicia Keys-produced Netflix original is the epitome of a vacay rom-com.

Raising Dion

1 season, 9 episodes | IMDb: 7.2/10

Based on the 2015 comic book and a short film of the same name by Dennis Liu, this feel-good superhero series has all the elements of a delicious drama. The plotline follows widowed mom Nicole as she – you guessed it – raises her son Dion. However, Dion has superhuman powers that Nicole strives to keep as a secret from those seeking to exploit him.

Moesha

6 seasons, 127 episodes | IMDb: 5.8/10

For all the millennials out there, this sitcom will have you going down nostalgia lane. R&B singer, Brandy Norwood, stars as Moesha. The show was ahead of its’ time in the 1990s touching on societal issues such as race, teen pregnancy, and other topics – all the while relating to the everyday angst and highs of being a teenager.

Foundation (Apple TV+ series) — Isaac Asimov’s classic novel gets a heady adaptation starring the always great Jared Harris and Lee Pace. The sci-fi story revolves around exiles who are working to rebuild civilization even as the galaxy falls apart (sounds familiar!). A great deal of attention has been paid to the epic scale of the show, which Apple TV+ appears to want to be its Game of Thrones. The good news here, though, is that the story won’t closely adhere to the books, which should (hopefully) prevent the same sort of finale-season conundrum that we saw with Thrones.

BMF (Sunday, Starz 9:00pm) — Executive producer 50 Cent launches this crime drama about two Detroit brothers, Demetrius and Terry Flenory, who become kingpins of the Black Mafia Family, which becomes the most significant drug-and-money-laundering network in U.S. history. This week, a potent drug batch is the name of the game while Meech maneuvers to avoid a street war.

Here’s some regularly scheduled programming:

Scenes From A Marriage (Sunday, HBO 9:00) — Here’s the project that Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain were firing up on the red carpet last weekend. This miniseries remakes Ingmar Bergman’s 1970s project original as directed by HBO regular Hagai Levi with a contemporary spin, including all of the love, hatred, desire, monogamy, marriage, and divorce that one would expect.

The Walking Dead (Sunday, AMC 9:00pm) — This zombie-apocalypse universe’s flagship series returns for one final rodeo with two spinoffs (Fear The Walking Dead, The World Beyond) still in motion, so it’s time to wrap this puppy up before the various shows’ timelines begin to intersect. This week, Connie and Virgil go into hiding while Daryl’s loyalty is test, and Kelly begins a search.

Billions (Sunday, Showtime 9:00pm) — There ain’t no drama quite like hedge-fund-king drama, and it remains to be seen whether Bobby Axelrod and Chuck Rhoades will ever decide to stop wasting so much time hating the hell out of each other. Probably not? Yeah, that’d be no fun at all, and Season 5 resumes with everyone getting yanked into beefs that may very well destroy them all. This week, Axe goes poaching to secure deposits and has a more difficult time than expected.

American Rust (Sunday, Showtime 10:00) — Jeff Daniels can swing between being comedic and dramatic, and in his new Showtime series, American Rust, he’s decidedly the latter and latest star to take on a complicated cop role after Kate Winslet’s turn in Mare of Easttown. And notably, Bridges’ new role is also set in Pennsylvania and unravels a murder, all while Grace is attempting to unionize seamstresses while the sheriff receives an anonymous call.

Nuclear Family (Sunday, HBO 10:00) — This three-part documentary series sees filmmaker Russo-Young get extremely personal to examine the true nature of family. The story launches in the late 1970s with Ry and Cade being brought up by two lesbian mothers, only to have an unexpected lawsuit rattle the family’s world.

Here’s some more streaming goodness for the weekend.

Doom Patrol: Season 3 (HBO Max series) — DC’s struggling misfit superheroes are back for another round of being portrayed by an incredible cast. Brendan Fraser has received plenty of raves for his fury-filled Cliff Steele/Robotman, but don’t count out the rest of the crew. There’s Matt Bomer as the bandage-wrapped Negative Man and repeat appearances from Danny the Street, but the real kudos should go to Diane Guerrero (Orange is the New Black) as Crazy Jane, which is actually a role that requires Diane to play dozens of incarnations, including a very timely take on a Karen. This season, these lost souls are all starting to come to grips with their place in the group (a support group of sorts) and their own identities, but then the sh*t hits the fan with a time machine. Cue a catastrophic crossroads. Man, I’m excited to hear and see Fraser freak out again.

Midnight Mass (Netflix series) — Get ready, The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor addicts, because creator Mike Flanagan’s back to cause us more horror fits. This happens to be his favorite project so far and revolves around an isolated community that lives on spooky Crockett Island, which gets even spookier due to a charismatic priest’s arrival. Naturally, a whole lot of supernatural shenanigans are afoot, but human nature (as we are currently experiencing in-real-life these days) can often be scarier than the ghosts that people can dream up. It’s dark, real dark.

Goliath: Season 4 (Amazon Prime series) — If it’s taken you this long to consider testing out this show, then get with the freaking program. It’s got Billy Bob Thornton smoldering through a hard-boiled character who was once a force to be feared in the courtroom, but nowadays, he’s not such a prestigious attorney. This season, Thornton’s Billy McBride is going up not only against Big Pharma but also J.K. Simmons. That seldom turns out well for characters who aren’t played by J.K. Simmons, and both men have just the right degree of “I’m over this sh*t” to make it feel believable. Be careful, because the show is an overall smooth binge that will make you wonder when that viewing time disappeared, it’ll go so fast.

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. Will Tony Stark die again? Knowing this show, probably so.

Marvel’s Spidey and His Amazing Friends: Season 1 (Disney+ series) — Spidey completists will dig this collection of stories about Miles Morales and Ghost-Spider, who team up with Spidey to form the Spidey Team. So much Spidey! Also, enjoy Trace the Spider-Bot.

Ted Lasso: Season 2 (Apple TV+ series) — First thing’s first: Everyone who’s caught a glimpse of this Bill Lawrence co-created and developed series loves it. That’s a notable feat, considering that star Jason Sudeikis first portrayed the title character way back in 2013 for NBC Sports’ promos for Premier League coverage. Fast forward to the fresh hell that was 2020, and the show surfaced as one of the year’s lone bright spots. Ted Lasso is somehow both relentlessly and charmingly cheery, although there’s always the spectre of Led Tasso to consider. This week’s episode

The Starling: (Netflix film) — Melissa McCarthy stars as as a grieving woman who goes battle with a territorial bird, all in interest of dominating a singular garden. Somehow, this leads her to renew her ability to love while gaining the courage to really grieve.