Month: October 2021

Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani has already planted himself firmly on the wrong side of history with his support of Donald Trump’s election lies and, well, everything else. So it’s perhaps no surprise that he also finds himself defending another, uh, divisive figure in world history.

Monday marks for some a celebration of Italian explorer Christopher Columbus, though in recent years the day has been changed to honor the Indigenous Peoples that Columbus committed countless atrocities against in the name of exploration. The evidence that Columbus wasn’t all that great is vast, and considering the genocide of Indigenous peoples that led to the foundation of America, it’s been seen as less than couth to continue honoring Columbus with his own day.

But according to Raw Story, it seems that Giuliani feels someone had to do all that rape and murder, so why not an Italian? During an appearance on Real America’s Voice with noted criminal Steve Bannon, Giuliani said that all those crimes are what any “hero” does.

“Did he engage in some immoral acts himself?” Giuliani asked. “Did he allow his crew to do it? There seems to be evidence that he did. But we don’t know that for sure. It’s hundreds of years ago.”

“Did he do anything that other men and women of his age would have done? No,” he continued. “And have all of our other heroes done that? I mean, John F. Kennedy — now it’s a different age, but now we know things about John F. Kennedy that make him considerably less than perfect.”

It really is remarkable that Giuliani’s defense here boils down to the whataboutism that every famous person does crimes, and that they are all, somehow, equally bad. But regardless of what former President John F. Kennedy did in his life, none of that equals continuing to celebrate Columbus in America on Indigenous People’s Day. Which is why many do not, no matter how cool America’s Mayor thinks he is.

[via Raw Story]

The world is not enough for Lil Nas X, who on his latest album Montero alone, has tracks with Doja Cat, Megan Thee Stallion, Jack Harlow, and even Elton freakin’ John. Let’s not forget the countless versions of “Old Town Road” that have included BTS, Billy Ray Cyrus, Young Thug, and Diplo. So you gotta give it up for his insatiable thirst to continue to collaborate with other like-minded pop stars and we’re pretty sure they’d jump at the opportunity to work with him too.

In what might constitute this week’s most exciting 15 seconds, a recent TikTok post from Lil Nas X laid out images of what a robotic voice introduced as “Artists who I want to make a song with.” The post flashed photos of Willow, Playboi Carti, SZA, Azealia Banks, Kid Cudi, The Kid LAROI, Rema, Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, Tyler, The Creator, and Cardi B (“again”.)

The post comes after the early September hoopla regarding how Lil Nas X had no Black male guests on the Montero tracklist. When Lil Nas X posited that perhaps they didn’t want to work with him, Kid Cudi responded, saying essentially that he was game.

Let’s face it, Lil Nas X has really got this social media thing down and it’s probably a good bet that at least half of those bucket list collaborators end up on a track with him at some point.

For years EA has been one of the most well-known developers of sports titles across the world. Madden, NHL, and FIFA are all games released yearly by EA Sports with a history of developing titles like NBA Live and NCAA Football as well. However, of all those titles one game sticks out above the rest. Madden is the only game that is licensed with an individual instead of a brand or organization. Could we be seeing this come to an end in the near future? It seems very possible!

On Monday, EA announced in a press release that it was considering the possibility of changing the name of the FIFA franchise. EA Sports Group General Manager, Cam Weber, mentioned how authenticity is important to them and wanted to further explore that in their games. Weber went on to state that the idea of a name change was being explored.

“As we look ahead, we’re also exploring the idea of renaming our global EA SPORTS football games.” Weber said. “This means we’re reviewing our naming rights agreement with FIFA, which is separate from all our other official partnerships and licenses across the football world.”

“The future of football is very big and very bright.” Weber said. “Our priority is to ensure we have every opportunity to continue delivering the world’s greatest interactive football experiences. Thank you again for your support and feedback on this year’s game. We look forward to creating the future of football with you.”

This can mean so many possibilities for more than just the FIFA franchise, but let’s start off there. If Weber is announcing in a press release that they’re “exploring the idea of renaming” FIFA then that likely means they’ve already decided to change the name. It wouldn’t make sense for EA to announce that it was thinking of doing this only to remain with the FIFA branding on the box. Those kinds of conversations are usually kept behind closed doors and then announced to the public when they’ve been decided on.

So going under the assumption that a name change is going to happen, what could that name be? Polygon did a little bit of digging and found that EA had filed for trademarks in the United Kingdom and European Union for the name EA Sports FC. We found that they had also filed for this name in the United States as well. While companies do file for trademarks sometimes just to ensure it has the name, this branding style matches up with the recently announced EA Sports College Football.

With the college football game, it was clear that a break from the NCAA for individual licensing with schools allowed them more flexibility as the future of the NCAA is a bit shaky, to say the least. Going the same route with FIFA is interesting, and we’ll have to wait and see if other EA franchises follow suit. For now though, we can only speculate and wait until a name change for FIFA has been officially announced.

Back in July, the hyperpunk duo WHOKILLEDXIX graced the UPROXX Sessions stage with an intense performance of their glitchy breakout single “Spy?,” bringing the TikTok-favorite song to a whole new audience. Capitalizing on that attention, they followed up with a brand-new song called “Mondays!” bringing in a new set of collaborators in the form of Russian punk rock hellraisers Pussy Riot. The new track resurrects the nu-metal sound of the late nineties, with group members Karm The Tool and Yung Skayda contributing skittering rap vocals and the members of Pussy Riot turning up with ad-libs and roaring electric guitars.

While WHOKILLEDXIX is still a relatively new act, the Connecticut-based duo has already garnered plenty of attention thanks to the streams accumulated from uses of the track on TikTok, leading to a spate of coverage generating even more streams of “Spy?” — 40 million and counting. The group’s appeal is in their melange of styles — by switching from glitchy pop to anxious rap to aggressive rock sounds, they’ve proven to have a hook for fans of every genre, while their devil-may-care demeanor is an effective reflection of the contrarian outlook of their Gen-Z fans.

Listen to “Mondays!” above.

WHOKILLEDXIX is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

When Rockstar officially announced Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition it wasn’t too surprising. Rumors had been swirling for months that something like that was in the works and it was cool to finally know we’d be getting some new, potentially modern, versions of the original Grand Theft Auto. However, it did seem a little weird that this game was being made at all with how readily available those three games are on digital stores, as it has rarely been difficult to find any of the PS2-era GTA games.

Rockstar must be aware of how easy it is because it turns out that they’re going to make it very difficult to find the current versions of those games in the near future. With the announcement of a GTA remaster on the way it’s going to lead to the delisting of the current games from digital stores. Via their support page.

With the October 8, 2021 announcement of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and the Rockstar Games Launcher, previous versions and bundles featuring these titles will be removed from console and PC digital retailers as of the week of October 11, 2021.

This isn’t necessarily surprising because the new version is being put out on modern consoles, it is kind of a bummer. For one, these remasters are supposed to be a “definitive” version of the original trilogy. Doesn’t that mean that changes will be made? What if someone wants to play the original game in its original state? Well, if they didn’t buy it before it’s delisted then they better hope to find a physical copy, because that option doesn’t seem like it’s going to be available anytime soon.

This decision by Rockstar is leading to some fans discussing the idea of game preservation and if it’s okay for a developer to just release remasters and erase the previous games from existence. While that is a valid point, the counter to it would be that most GTA games sold thousands of copies and are available for relatively cheap. Just as an example, Grand Theft Auto III is currently $20 on Amazon and can also be found used for as low as $2. It might be difficult to play the game, with the need for a working PlayStation 2, but copies of the game are not exactly scarce.

All of that said, it’s still disappointing to see Rockstar choose to make a decision like this. Hopefully, it’s only a temporary one to increase sales of the Remastered Trilogy and eventually those original games will become available again in their original state.

We’re Here (HBO, 9:00pm) — Nope, you’re not looking at a photo of Beyoncé. This ^^ would be the fabulous Shangela (of RuPaul’s Drag Race fame), who’s back with the rest of the Queens (including Bob and Eureka) in Spartanburg, South Carolina after COVID interrupted the first round. In Season 2, the trio will continue to recruit small-town residents (in this case, that would be Noah, Faith, and Olin) and train them for onstage moments that they never dreamed possible.

The Babysitter’s Club: Season 2 (Netflix series) — The updated dramedy series continues to adapt the best-selling Ann M. Martin books to follow friendships that evolve through the opening of a babysitting business. New members arrive, along with new lessons and new journeys, but thank god that they always remember what’s most important.

9-1-1 (FOX, 8:00pm) — A high-school homecoming celebration becomes ground central for truck-bound mayhem, and Harry’s working through his kidnapping’s aftermath with the help of Athena and Michael.

Roswell, New Mexico (CW, 8:00pm) — It’s showdown time for Jones, and Liz is working to save the love of her life, but does she trust herself?

Ordinary Joe (NBC, 10:00pm) — It’s like Sliding Doors but with TV Prince James Wolk (Watchmen, Mad Men, Political Animals, Zoo) and no Gwyneth Paltrow. If that’s not enough to make you climb aboard, consider that Wolk not only plays a rock star (!) but two other Joes in parallel timelines. This week, the Joes must each confront an unfamiliar challenge. Music Joe looks for his son, Cop Joe’s in a shooting aftermath, and Nurse Joe’s looking toward a career opportunity.

Y: The Last Man (FX on Hulu) — The acclaimed graphic novel gets its due as a dystopian TV drama starring Diane Lane as the globe’s de facto president. Her son becomes, as the title suggests, the very last man on Earth following an apocalyptic event that pretty much obliterates the Y chromosome. Although the Y appears to refer to the chromosome, the show takes a nuanced approach and does not operate on a merely gender-binary level.

The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon — Chelsea Handler, Finn Wolfhard, James Blake Ft. Slowthai

Late Night With Seth Meyers — Ron & Clint Howard, Sec. Hillary Clinton, Louise Penny

In case you missed these weekend picks:

Muppets Haunted Mansion (Disney+ special) — After several Muppets-themed Christmas offerings, it’s about time that we’ve received a spooky installment, and let’s face it, more Miss Piggy is always a good thing. Gonzo takes center stage here while attempting to survive the evening in (according to the synopsis) “in the most grim grinning place on Earth.” The special’s actually inspired by all four of the Disney Haunted Mansion attractions that are scattered around the globe, expect original songs, along with plenty of celebrity cameos along with the all-star Muppets cast.

Madame X (Paramount+ movie) — In this concert documentary, Madonna takes viewers on tour with her (from way back in January 2020, so pre-pandemic, obviously) all the way to Lisbon, Portugal. Her set included 48 onstage performers, including other musicians and dancers, and she’s here to share her vision with the rest of the world. Her statement on the film points towards reaching out to fans “at a time when music is so deeply needed to remind us of the sacred bond of our shared humanity.”

Joe Pera is the Paddington of people. He’s kind and polite, and loves bean arches, breakfast, and “Baba O’Riley” by the Who as much as Paddington loves marmalade. On his sweetly funny Adult Swim series, Joe Pera Talks with You, he talks to you, yes, YOU (sorry for yelling, Joe) about mundane topics like the fall season and hiking. A typical episode summary reads, “Joe sits and waits for his Nana to finish her appointment at the hair salon before they both go out to eat fried fish.” It’s riveting.

And it’s returning on November 7, as Pera revealed in a statement on Monday.

Hello,

My name is Joe Pera and I’m writing to let you know that my old basset hound, Gus, and I will be returning for the third season of our relaxing comedy show, Joe Pera Talks With You on Sunday, November 7 at 12:30 a.m. ET/PT on Adult Swim.

The first episode follows me as I help my friend Gene pick out his retirement chair at the furniture store and the season-long search for the perfect place to sit goes from there. Aside from figuring out where to sit, episodes this season cover a lot of other stuff too, such as Great Lakes Ice Breakers, second fridges, cooking fish in the woods, classroom-appropriate movies, and drone warfare.

We put together the video above if you’d like a preview but I hope you’ll consider checking out my slow-paced show.

– Joe Pera

If you don’t watch Joe Pera Talks With You, I’m giving you a hard stare.

Kim Kardashian is one of the most polarizing people in American popular culture. She’s been the queen of reality television since “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” premiered in 2007 and is the 10th most popular social media influencer in the world.

However, for many, she is nothing more than an arrogant, spoiled and greedy reality star whose only talent is an incredible knack for self-promotion.

(Although, she was able to charm former President Trump into letting a grandmother who got busted for pot out of jail and that was pretty awesome.)

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A lot of folks were angry that Kardashian was chosen to host the second episode of the 47th season of “Saturday Night Live” this weekend. How could someone with little comedy or acting experience pull off one of the toughest jobs on television?

Well, she actually pulled it off and a lot of her success came from the ability to make fun of herself and her family.

Kardashian’s monologue played like a roast of her family, O.J. Simpson and herself.

Kim Kardashian West Monologue – SNL

www.youtube.com

Kardashian made fun of her 2007 leaked sex tape.

“When they asked me to host [SNL], I was like, why? I haven’t had a movie premiere in a long time,” she quipped. “I mean actually, I only had that one movie come out, and no one even told me it was premiering … It must’ve slipped my mom’s mind.”

She knows that her soon-to-be ex-husband is obnoxious.

“I married the best rapper of all time,” she began. “Not only that, he’s the richest Black man in America. A talented, legit genius who gave me four incredible kids.

“So, when I divorced him, you have to know it came down to just one thing: his personality,” she joked.

She brought up another subject that’s taboo in the Kardashian house, her father’s relationship with O.J. Simpson.

“It’s because of [my father] that I met my first Black person. Wanna take a stab in the dark at who it was?” she joked. “I know it’s sort of weird to remember the first Black person you met, but O.J. does leave a mark—or several—or none at all, I still don’t know.”

Even the most hardcore Kim haters had to love the shade she threw at her sisters.

“I’m excited to be here tonight to show you guys that I’m so much more than a pretty face … and good hair, and great makeup, and amazing boobs and a perfect butt. Basically, I’m just so much more than that reference photo my sisters showed their plastic surgeons,” she said.

Later in the show, she continued sticking it to her family by playing a perfectly sluggish version of her sister Kourtney in a “People’s Court” parody called “People’s Kourt.” In the sketch, Kourtney is a judge overseeing all of her family’s cases.

“SNL”‘s Heidi Gardner played Kim in the sketch, wearing a body-concealing outfit like the one she debuted at Kanye’s first “Donda” album listening party in July.

The People’s Kourt – SNL

www.youtube.com

Kardashian proved that she learned a little something about hip-hop from Kanye in a musical number featuring Cecily Strong, Ego Nwodim and Punkie Johnson called “Ladies Night Song.”

It’s all about what happens when “grown” women try to party like they did in their 20s.

Ladies Night Song – SNL

www.youtube.com

Regardless of your opinion of Kardashian, she did a great job on the show because she was a good sport and showed everyone that she’s totally self-aware. She knows who she is and why she and her family are such polarizing figures. So maybe that just proves she’s been acting all along?

This past weekend’s Kim Kardashian-hosted episode of Saturday Night Live was eventful. A major part of that was due to references to Kardashian’s famous connections, like when she joked about her Kanye West divorce in the opening monologue. The sketch in which she played her sister Kourtney in a judge TV show called The People’s Kourt was a goldmine for cultural references and connections, even outside of Kardashian’s realm.

For example, there was a scene where Pete Davidson impersonated his good friend (and recent SNL musical guest) Machine Gun Kelly. In the sketch, Davidson and Chloe Fineman (playing Megan Fox) poke fun at Kelly and Fox’s frequent and intense PDA with a tongue-entwining kissing display.

Naturally, Kelly caught wind of the sketch and started plotting his revenge. In a tweet tagging Saturday Night Live, Kelly re-shared a clip of Davidson’s impression and wrote, “i think it’s time for me to come on the show as Pete.”

Meanwhile, a month ago, Davidson revisited a moment from Kelly’s aforementioned SNL appearance, when he and Kelly fell off the stage together during the episode’s closing credits. Davidson explained to Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show that Kelly tried to pick him up, which, due to an injury Kelly was going with, didn’t exactly work out.

While everyone was losing their mind about Sora joining Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, another platform fighter was releasing to everyone in hopes of taking the throne from the king of the genre. Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl released on October 5 and right now feelings on it are mixed. It’s not a terrible game, but a usurper to Smash Bros. it is not. However, a handful of people are really enjoying it and see the potential if they continue to update the game.

For those people, there’s a special Xbox Series X out there just for them. Xbox has created Series X’s of both SpongeBob and Leonardo printed on them in celebration of Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl. This means that anyone who’s a huge fan of the game, SpongeBob, Ninja Turtles, or Xbox can enter a contest to try and get one.

Promotions like this are always cool, but it may be a little strange for someone to look at their Xbox and see SpongeBob’s face staring right back at them. This may be one of those ones that are kept in well lit rooms only because it would be terrifying if someone kept one of these in their bedroom and looked up to see Leonardo angrily staring right back at them.

It is cool though to see Xbox doing more promotional work. It is currently in the process of celebrating its 20 year anniversary and released some Xbox-themed shoes from Adidas. It has never been a brand afraid to embrace being weird, such as the time it made an actual Xbox Series X fridge, so seeing SpongeBob’s face planted on an Xbox is actually pretty normal.

Good luck to anyone who chooses to enter! You have until October 24.