Month: September 2021

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 Diana 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.

Law & Order: Organized Crime (NBC, 10:00pm) — A decade after Chris Meloni’s SVU departure, his return to the Dick Wolf-created universe is everything that fans hoped it would be. Elliot Stabler got mercilessly dragged as the spinoff dismantled those good-ol’-boy tendencies that won’t (and can’t) fly with cops on TV anymore. Season 2 will definitely bring back Dylan McDermott, who’s been portraying the greatest Law & Order villain of the franchise. Let’s hope the evil octopus make a return as well while mafia-brat, Bond-baddie-esque Wheatley continues to antagonize Stabler, who’s googly-eyes for Olivia Benson keep reaching new heights. It’s gonna be awful if they actually do it, right? I can’t wait, but in the season premiere, Stabler’s infiltrating a non-Wheatley crime family that’s deep into the cocaine trade.

Law & Order: SVU (NBC, 8:00pm) — Season 23 (!) begins with a double dose of episodes. First up, Olivia’s questioning her loyalty to Garland in light of digging into a sex-for-housing scheme. A congressman is soon identified as a suspect, and in the second episode, Fin and Tamin head down a dangerous offshoot while tracking down a missing witness, and Benson and Garland are feeling the pressure for a conviction.

What We Do in the Shadows (FX, 10:00 & 10:30pm) — Well, well, well. Guillermo turned out to be a vampire killer, which sure as heck came as a surprise to Nandor, Nadja, and Laszlo, and Colin. The four Staten Island roommates must figure out how to handle this conundrum, along with tackling the other challenges of this season. Those include dealing with wellness cults and gym culture, along with gargoyles, werewolves who play kickball, casinos, and more. In addition, the vamps also receive a higher level of powers while Nandor experiences an eternal-life crisis, which forces him to examine whether he should be a bachelor for eternity or embrace love. This week, vampire and human-type justice are both served.

The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon — Michael Strahan, Justin Wilman, The Killers

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert — Anderson Cooper, John Mayer

Late Night With Seth Meyers — Ike Barinholtz, Jenny Slate, Ande

Ahir Shah: Dots (HBO Max film) — The double Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee stars in his first stand-up special that covers a wide range of subjects, including Hinduism, smoking, and the terrifying prospect of bringing children into this world.

The Premise (FX on Hulu series) — B.J. Novak (The Office, Inglourious Basterds) writes all of the episodes on this show, which aims to use dark comedy to tackle tough topics, including sex, social media, Black Lives Matter, police brutality, and immigration. Along the way, there’s apparently the “the worst sex tape ever,” and a lot of this show translates as satiric. It’s not the easiest show to comprehend at times, but the all-star cast includes Ben Platt, Tracee Ellis Ross, Daniel Dae Kim, Soko, Kaitlyn Dever, Jon Bernthal, O’Shea Jackson Jr., and the late Ed Asner.

Kin: (AMC+ series) — Charlie Cox stars in this new Irish series about a tight-knit crime family that’s drawn into wartime mode with a mighty drug kingpin. The family soon discovers that this is an unwinnable war, yet as the losses begin to mount, it becomes clear that the cartel is at one distinct disadvantage: they’re not bound by unbreakable blood bonds. The cartel does, however, have a host of exotic pets and some snazzy costumes and celebrity status, so this is a heck of a story.

The algorithm isn’t always successful (Tiger King season 2, anyone?), but when it works, it really works. How else to explain Netflix making a movie about Megan Fox and Sydney Sweeney as hot vampires? That’s something people might be interested in.

Night Teeth stars Jorge Lendeborg Jr. as Benny, a driver who picks up two mysterious women, played by Insatiable‘s Debby Ryan and Lucy Fry, and drives them around Los Angeles for a night. Plot twist: they’re vampires. “What is wrong with you?” Benny asks his passenger. “You can’t be alive for 200 years and not go a little crazy,” she responds.

Fox and Sweeney aren’t in the trailer much, but it continues a year where they’re frequently in the headlines: Fox for her candid interviews and high-profile relationship with boyfriend Machine Gun Kelly (Night Teeth owes a debt to Jennifer’s Body), and Sweeney for her performances in The White Lotus and The Voyeurs. If you haven’t seen The Voyeurs, watch it tonight. Or the next time the kids are out of the house. It’s the kind of entertainingly trashy erotic thriller they don’t make anymore, but absolutely should.

Here’s the official plot synopsis:

Benny’s entire world is turned upside down after picking up two mysterious girls who expose him to a secret world he never knew existed. He is suddenly hurled into their cryptic underworld on a mission to save his city from dripping in blood.

Night Teeth premieres on Netflix on October 20.

The Internet should have been sitting down for this one. Carson Daly has somehow ignited the fury of some Law and Order universe fans who ship Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Elliot Stabler (Chris Meloni). The show’s returning to Thursday nights, and anticipation is (arguably too) high for a pairing. Daly made his stance known this morning (he is opposed to a hookup between the two), while saying “it should never happen.” He dropped this take on the Today show (after the 5:00 mark below) while citing the botched Moonlighting romance. His opinion wasn’t shared by anyone else on-air.

Welllll, I do agree with him, having recently taken on the subject while showering Lucifer with praise, since it’s a rare show that manages to resolve Unresolved Sexual Tension in a convincing and effective way. With SVU, though? Maybe not.

My thoughts on the Benson-Stabler thing are this: Stabler disappeared from the Law and Order universe for a decade without even saying goodbye to Liv. He surfaced, and the Organized Crime writers conveniently killed off his wife (that was possibly fan service, right?), and now, fan-hope for a pairing has reached new heights. Stabler started to go off the rails during his quest for vengeance, and during an intervention attended by his kids and Olivia, and then he dropped that “I love you” bomb. He said those words to his daughter, supposedly, while looking at Liv, and then the SVU season finale saw Benson and Stabler attending Fin Tutuola’s wedding and gazing into the distance together. To me, it feels pretty forced.

Subsequently, the pair teased a kissy face on social media, and I can’t blame them, they’re having fun with this. However, I feel like this pairing would never work out, not only because it is too soon, but also in a long-term sense. Stabler appears to enjoy an old-fashioned relationship vibe with his wife not attracting focus, and Olivia’s a scene-stealer and a go-getter. They would butt heads in a romantic sense.

Yet some people decided to read into Mariska Hargitay’s body language and assumed the worst, of course.

Then the ‘shippers started coming for Carson, and it got messy.

However, some folks on social media agreed with Carson’s “controversial” take.

And still others started to make TRL jokes.

Find out what happens when Law and Order: SVU and Law and Order: Organized Crime return to Thursday nights on Sept. 23 (tonight!).

Week 3 is upon us in the NFL and through two weeks, the wide receiver position continues to shine as one of the deepest and most talented in the league.

While the expected stars, like Tyreek Hill, DeAndre Hopkins, Davante Adams and the like are doing what they do best, some others have thrown their hat in the ring early to be vaulted into that elite tier — at minimum into the fantasy football elite tier. Cooper Kupp has quickly become Matthew Stafford’s favorite target in L.A., while Tyler Lockett — not DK Metcalf — has become the No. 1 recipient of Russell Wilson bombs so far this season. Those changes are reflected in this week’s consensus wide receiver rankings, which average the Week 3 projections from ESPN, NFL, CBS, and FantasyPros.

1. Davante Adams
2. Tyreek Hill
3. Cooper Kupp
4. DeAndre Hopkins
5. Stefon Diggs
6. Calvin Ridley
7. Tyler Lockett
8. CeeDee Lamb
9. Amari Cooper
10. Justin Jefferson
11. DK Metcalf
12. AJ Brown
13. DJ Moore
14. Keenan Allen
15. Brandin Cooks
16. Deebo Samuel
17. Adam Thielen
18. Chris Godwin
19. Marquise Brown
20. Courtland Sutton
21. Terry McLaurin
22. Tee Higgins
23. Sterling Shepard
24. Mike Evans
25. Julio Jones
26. Marvin Jones Jr
27. Mike Williams
28. Allen Robinson
29. Robert Woods
30. Diontae Johnson
31. Ja’Marr Chase
32. JuJu Smith-Schuster
33. Chase Claypool
34. Kenny Golladay
35. Robby Anderson
36. DeVonta Smith
37. Michael Pittman Jr
38. Tyler Boyd
39. Odell Beckham Jr
40. DJ Chark Jr

Drake’s fondness for basketball is no secret, but it might surprise fans to find that The Boy’s latest Nocta Nike collaboration focuses on golf instead of hoops. The new drop, which became available today, features 10 signature pieces inspired by Nike’s broader links collection. Items in it put unique spins on the usual golf attire, such as providing mock neck short-sleeved shirts in place of the usual collared shirts, as well as useful accessories like sunglasses and visor hats.

In a separate post on his own Instagram page, Drake explained the reasoning behind releasing a golf line, dedicating the collection to one of his “idols”: His uncle Steve, who introduced him to the game. “A collection dedicated to one of my idols,” he wrote. “A man who took me under his wing and showed me much of what life had to offer and even more so what your own life can become when you are dedicated and loyal. My grandmother Evelyn Sher has a resting place close to the King Valley Golf Club and our drives and visits to that course hold some of my most valuable life lessons and will forever be cherished.”

The Stephen Sher Nocta Golf collection is available now. A few of the pieces are already sold out, but you can check it out here.

There have been plenty of movies where straight actors and actresses play gay characters. Too many! But there has never been a mainstream movie where every straight character is played by a gay actor or actress — at least until Bros. The comedy, co-written by and starring Billy Eichner, “has made history by setting a historic all LGBTQ+ principal cast,” according to the Hollywood Reporter. “What’s more, all of the principal heterosexual roles will be played by openly LGBTQ+ actors and actresses.”

Bros, which is also the first gay romantic comedy from a major studio (Universal Pictures), stars Eichner and Luke Macfarlane as two gay men who are “maybe, possibly, probably, stumbling toward love.” The Billy on the Street and Difficult People actor wrote the script with Nicholas Stoller (Forgetting Sarah Marshall), who will also direct.

Following the comedy’s announcement, Eichner tweeted, “This is the best thing EVER! I could not possibly be more excited to tell you the ENTIRE main cast for my rom com BROS will be ALL openly LGBTQ+ actors!!! Yes, even in all the straight roles! This is a first for a major studio film. LET’S MAKE HISTORY!!!” The rest of the cast includes TS Madison, Miss Lawrence, Symone, Guillermo Diaz, and Guy Branum.

Let’s go lesbians, indeed. Bros opens on August 12, 2022.

(Via the Hollywood Reporter)

The last few songs we’ve heard from Cardi B have been showstopping collaborations, like when she teamed up with Lizzo to dispel haters on “Rumors,” or when she fired off some sultry lyrics on Normani’s “Wild Side.” Cardi’s last solo song, “Up,” was released back in February as the second single off her upcoming album, and while it’s been a few months since its release, the track is still being played everywhere — including college football games.

During halftime at one of their recent football games, Florida State University’s marching band — the Marching Chiefs — went all-out with a rendition of “Up.” They spread out across the entire field and got into an intricate formation to perform the track. Halfway through the song, the band dropped their instruments and delivered the viral “Up” dance, which blew up on TikTok after the song’s release.

Cardi saw a video of the marching band’s performance and instantly gave it her approval. “Go Florida states!!!!!! ITS UP!” she wrote alongside a gif of dancing Minions.

Watch a clip of the Florida State University band giving “Up” their all above.

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

Those of us raising teenagers now didn’t grow up with social media. Heck, the vast majority of us didn’t even grow up with the internet. But we know how ubiquitous social media, with all of its psychological pitfalls, has become in our own lives, so it’s not a big stretch to imagine the incredible impact it can have on our kids during their most self-conscious phase.

Sharing our lives on social media often means sharing the highlights. That’s not bad in and of itself, but when all people are seeing is everyone else’s highlight reels, it’s easy to fall into unhealthy comparisons. As parents, we need to remind our teens not to do that—but we also need to remind them that other people will do that, which is why kindness, empathy, and inclusiveness are so important.

Writer and mother of three teen daughters, Whitney Fleming, shared a beautiful post on Facebook explaining what we need to teach our teenagers about empathy in the age of social media, and how we ourselves can serve as an example.

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She wrote:

“Somewhere out there is a girl who didn’t get invited to the Homecoming dance.

Somewhere out there is a boy who didn’t make a team.

Somewhere out there is a kid who doesn’t want to go to school because they are relentlessly teased.

Somewhere out there is a teenager who is abused.

Somewhere out there is a student who can’t pass a class and feels like they can’t keep up with their peers.

Somewhere out there is a child who can’t find a place in this strange high school world.

And as we put up our photos of all the wonderful things happening for our kids, we have to remind them how someone else is feeling crushed, someone feels like a failure, someone is losing hope.

We have to remind our kids that with every celebration they experience, another kid is feeling left out, rejected, hurt.

We have to remind them to be kind, to be inclusive, to be respectful of those who don’t have much of a highlight reel.

High school should not be the pinnacle of our lives, and there are so many experiences that are overhyped. We all bloom at different times. A lot of kids develop resiliency in high school that carries them for the rest of their lives.

And we should celebrate our kids whenever we can and share their triumphs and joys.

But let’s remind them that not everyone gets to experience high school in the same way. Let’s remind them that they are a part of something bigger. Let’s spend an equal amount of time teaching them to walk in someone else’s shoes as we do posting about their achievements.

And while they may not remember twenty years from now who they took to the prom, someone else may remember a kind gesture that carried them through a tough time.

Somewhere out there is a teen who wishes they were someone else.

Let’s raise kids willing to do something about it.”

Well said. You can follow Whitney Fleming on Facebook and Instagram.

Sicilian moms Caterina Alagna and Melissa Fodera were both 23 years old when they went into labor at the same maternity ward on December 31, 1998. During the New Year’s celebrations at the hospital, a monumental mistake was made.

The babies were switched and given to the wrong mothers.

When it was time for the mothers to take their newborn daughters home, both asked hospital staff why they weren’t wearing the clothes they brought for them. But hospital staff assured them that it was just a mistake.

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Three years later, when Alagna was picking up her daughter, Melissa, from preschool, she noticed that another girl at the school, Caterina, looked a lot like her two other daughters. When she learned that the little girl’s mother was the woman she shared the maternity ward with, it all clicked.

Could it be that their daughters were switched at birth?”

Two women switched at birth reveal their mothers raised them as SISTERS after discovering the mix up
https://t.co/hhONjXQre1

— Daily Mail Femail (@Femail)
1631782801.0

“I recognized Caterina’s mother, Gisella Fodera, from the maternity ward and got suspicious — 15 days later we did DNA tests and my mind went blank. It was too surreal, too impossible,” Alagna said according to The Sun.

How could the mothers go on knowing that they were raising the wrong child? How could they give up the child they had raised for three years?

“I challenge anyone to raise a daughter for three years then give her up over a simple mistake,” Fodera told the Times UK.

The mothers decided they would ease into a potential child swap by having both families spend time together in the same house. When experts suggested that they separate for a six-month trial, the plan was quickly abandoned.

Women accidentally switched at birth raised as sisters by both families https://t.co/QGY6nfboyw https://t.co/bx9lzTvCW7

— 98.7 KLUV (@KLUV987)
1632235505.0

The two families soon merged together and the girls bonded like twin sisters. The families would spend days together, had joint birthdays, and the girls spent weekends together. “They chose to live together during the weekends and free time. And the girls were classmates until college,” Mauro Caporiccio, author of the book “Sisters Forever,” told the Times U.K.

Things were a bit confusing at first but ended up for the better.

“At first, loving Melissa, my biological daughter, felt like betraying the daughter I had raised, but today Melissa and I truly feel like mother and daughter,” Fodera said.

Melissa and Caterina learned about the switch when they were eight years old, but it hasn’t posed any real problems. The only issue they face is dealing with their legal names.

“It seemed like a game and today neither of us have any memory of life before we were three,” Melissa said. “Growing up I had Marinella as a second mother, as she still is,” she said.

“The girls effectively grew up with four parents and eight grandparents, and the experiment worked,” Caporiccio said. “Today they are more like twins than sisters and there is a kind of love which binds the two families.”

It turns out Tory Lanez’s cryptic “it’s been real” tweet was really just bait for him to announce a new, ’80s-themed album. Fans thought the tweet was related to the shooting case against the Canadian rapper. Tory is currently under investigation for allegedly shooting Houston Megan Thee Stallion after a party in the Hollywood Hills last summer. Lanez exacerbated the situation earlier this summer when his surprise appearance during DaBaby’s Rolling Loud set apparently violated a restraining order for him to stay 100 yards away from Megan.

Of course, it appears that the “Skat” rapper knew all this when he posted the mysterious tweet after clearing all his Instagram posts — and wanted to use the reaction to drum up attention for when he announced his album. He posted a new tweet today, taunting the Megan Thee Stallion fans who rejoiced at the possibility of his arrest and jailing. “Me at my house watching n***s on Twitter celebrating and thinking I’m going to jail,” he wrote.

He then announced the title and release date of the new project, Alone At Prom, which will drop on December 1. In the album art, designed to resemble an old Polaroid photograph, Tory leans on a sink wearing polyester pants and a cheesy Jheri curl wig.

Meanwhile, Lanez still faces the possibility of penalties over violating court orders, as well as the original trial for allegedly shooting Megan Thee Stallion.