Month: October 2021

Gene Hackman hasn’t been seen since the 2004 Ray Romano comedy Welcome to Mooseport, and for a good reason: He’s happily retired. Nowadays the legendary actor with two Oscars to his name is an avid bicyclist, keeping himself athletic even at the age of 91. He also rarely does interviews, but he made an exception for The New York Post, in a piece celebrating the 50th anniversary of one of his most enduring classics…which he’s only seen once, half a century ago.

Hackman was speaking, of course, of The French Connection, the 1971 docudrama-thriller, in which he won his first Academy Award as a rule-breaking (some would say reckless) NYPD detective. The actor wasn’t down on the film, but he didn’t seem all that excited either, saying simply, “I do choose to consider that film a moment in a checkered career of hits and misses.” He added, modestly, “The film certainly helped me in my career, and I am grateful for that.”

The actor wasn’t even too impressed with the film’s centerpiece: the unbearably intense, gritty chase, in which his sorta-hero pursues a commandeered elevated subway train by car through Brooklyn. “As for the car chase, there was a better one filmed a few years earlier with Steve McQueen,” Hackman said, alluding to the one in 1968’s game-changing Bullitt.

In any case, Hackman’s going off some no doubt fuzzy memories. “[I] haven’t seen the film since the first screening in a dark, tiny viewing room in a post-production company’s facility 50 years ago,” he said, adding that “if the film has a legacy, I am not sure what that would be. At the time, it seemed to me to be a reverent story of a cop who was simply able to solve and put a stop to a major crime family’s attempt to infiltrate the New York drug scene.”

Should Hackman feel like revisiting The French Connection — the third highest-grossing film of 1971, and which won Best Picture and four other trophies — he’ll either have to have a Showtime add-on on Hulu or pay for it on Amazon Prime. Of ask someone for a copy, because he is Gene Hackman.

(Via NY Post)

The Philadelphia 76ers took a dramatic step in its ongoing standoff with Ben Simmons when they decided to withhold his salary last week. Simmons was owed 25 percent of his salary, a figure of $8.25 million, on Oct. 1, and there were questions about whether the Sixers would pay him or keep that for themselves due to his holdout.

Ultimately, Philly decided to not pay him, instead putting that money in escrow. And while the Simmons camp was apparently prepared for this possibility, a new report from Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice indicates there may be some second-guessing going on.

After being fined for missing Philadelphia’s preseason loss to the Toronto Raptors on Monday night — a penalty of roughly $360,000 — Simmons’ representation had another discussion with the players association in which it was reiterated they would be unable to recoup the money being deducted from the $8.25 million sitting in escrow, sources say, and it was communicated to the Sixers that these early fines were perhaps higher than they expected.

Neubeck pointed out that Simmons could seek arbitration, but reports that there’s not much optimism that would work out for him. With the Sixers’ season beginning in just over two weeks, there’s still plenty of time for some sort of resolution on this front front, but for now, it appears Philly is prepared to see this out no matter what route it takes, while those around Simmons have some questions about the path this is traveling.

Eleven-year-old best friends Stevie and Owen hadn’t seen each other since 2019, after Owen’s family moved from Chicago to Missouri. Despite several phone calls and FaceTime video game sessions, COVID-19 had made keeping in touch difficult.

But their luck was destined to change last Friday. Stevie Stroud had no idea that after being picked up early from a bad day at school, his friend Owen would be waiting in the car to pay him a special visit.

A heartwarming video of their reunion has been spreading smiles, and a few tears, across the internet. If you’re in need of an extra dose of sweetness today, you’re in luck.

In the video, Stevie approaches the car, backpack and basketball in hand. On seeing his friend in the back seat, he is filled with excitement.

3 yrs ago, best friends Stevie & Owen where separated when Owen moved to Missouri

Recently, Stevie had a bad day a… https://t.co/hp3axnIbml

— GoodNewsCorrespondent (@GoodNewsCorres1)
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“What are you doing?” he asks. The basketball drops and tears fall. Stevie lets out a wail as his head falls into Owen’s arms.

“What are you doing here?” Stevie asks again, sniffling. “I don’t know, what am I doing here? I’m visiting you in Chicago, that’s what I’m doing here,” Owen replies. Clearly, Owen is the jokester of the two.

As Owen pats his shoulder, Stevie says, “You just made my day. I’ve had the worst day ever.”

The cries turn into laughter as Stevie hops in the car next to his pal. And the clip ends with Stevie saying “I think I’m dreaming.”

Seeing these two young boys express their love for one another so purely and freely is definitely worth a view, so it’s no wonder the video has now gone viral.

Gracing our phone screens since April, the “that girl” TikTok trend shows us an archetypal, if not stereotypical, wellness formula usually consisting of an early morning wake up + healthy breakfast (plant-based, preferably) + wellness activity + goal setting. Have this done before 7 a.m., then go boldly forth into your new day with full confidence that you have earned your happiness. Document it all for the world to see, and voila, you have now become “that girl.”

On the one hand, “that girl” encourages us all to bring our A-game every day. By offering a small snapshot of what our lives could look and feel like if we really committed to morning routines, we can find motivation to follow through on our goals. And hey, if multiple studies show that faking it till you make it actually works, then maybe posting that yoga routine will genuinely boost confidence and help it stick. Nothing wrong with that.

And “that girl” inspires us to find joy in the small things, even our daily habits. Much like the #maincharacter trend, which encourages everyone to see themselves as the hero of their own story, “that girl” is all about romanticizing life. Sometimes, that can be good medicine.

However, things that at first glance appear empowering can often have more insidious effects on mental health.

For example, when it presents a narrow view of wellness. Though you’d think that we could move beyond picturing healthy eating as avocado toast and celery juice, trends like “that girl” allow that narrow view to permeate. The biggest danger of this message being that good health is only a result of a privileged lifestyle. Not everyone can easily have access to fermented coconut yogurt and goji berries; only a certain few, therefore, can trully become “that girl,” even though everyone should, apparently, be striving to become “that girl.” Yikes, even writing out this logic is exhausting.

In this instance, wellness takes on an all-or-nothing attitude. Where instead of one person jogging at the crack of dawn in their Lululemons, everyone is, and therefore you should be too. It seems harmless enough, but when women, especially young girls, are being bombarded with images of extremely low calorie diets, and only one aspirational body type, it’s a recipe for disappointment. If not worse.

all that the that girl trend did to me is give me an eating disorder and made me hate my life 🙁

— ꧁MilkyOnce꧂ (@Dahyuni16548508)
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Of course, we can’t put all the blame on “that girl.” This idolizing of a certain aesthetic of health and success is no new trend. “That girl” goes by many names: girlboss, bossbabe, bosslady. Whatever moniker she takes on, “that girl” is here to tell us to wake up earlier, eat cleaner, get the reps in, and you can be everything you want to be. And before TikTok and Instagram, “that girl” showed up in magazines, showing us all exactly what to do to have the perfect life.

The real question here is: Why won’t this trend die? Why does it continue to reinvent itself even in a digital space? What is so intoxicating about the idea of perfection that generations of women have become addicted? In a word, it’s control. The dizzying high of knowing deep in your bones that Z always follows X and Y. That if you control your body, you control your life, and if you control your life, you control destiny. You will be worthy. And at the heart of many women, there is a fear of UNworthiness. If that uncomfortable, unattainable, downright rigid routine keeps you at arm’s length from the dreaded UNworthiness? Then sobeit.

Though this is not the first time TikTok has inadvertently promoted body image issues, in an interview with Refinery29, a company spokesperson stated “Being true to yourself is celebrated and encouraged on TikTok. As a platform, we’re focused on safeguarding our community from harmful content and behaviours while supporting an inclusive – and body-positive – environment.” Because the platform has had several trends that actually advocate body positivity, in addition to viral success stories of self-love, there’s reason to believe the platform can help break the social media mold on beauty standards.

After all, nothing is inherently wrong with the desire for self-improvement, but there’s no need for women to be “that girl,” if they don’t want to, or can’t. They’re perfectly fine being themselves.

On Tuesday, Adele had exciting news: The singer announced that “Easy On Me,” her first single in five years, would arrive on October 15. This comes amidst rumors that her upcoming album, which is reportedly titled 30, will arrive in the near future. While her fans wait for it to arrive, it appears they’re in for a special treat.

Adele is reportedly finalizing plans for her rumored Las Vegas residency in 2022. According to Billboard, she’s trying to pick between the Park Theater at the Park MGM Las Vegas or the Colosseum at Caesars Palace. The publication adds that both venues, which are run by Live Nation, have dates available in 2022 to hold the concerts. While plans “aren’t finalized yet,” as the publication notes, a deal between she and Live Nation has been in the works for “a number of weeks.” Billboard adds that Adele’s booking agent has yet to place holds on arenas or stadiums in North America for a possible future tour.

Word of a potential Las Vegas residency first arrived in August, via the Daily Mail. A source told the publication “Adele has very recently been talking to musicians that she has worked with before to gauge their availability, to see whether they could be in Vegas for the gigs.” They added, “It is all very exciting. It would make her a lot of money but it would also mean she could have a routine. It would be hugely lucrative for her but also really fun.”

Jakhi Howard, a five-star recruit in the 2024 class according to ESPN, is transferring to Kanye West’s Donda Academy.

In an Instagram post, Howard announced that he is going to the school, writing “I will be moving to California and I will be transferring to Donda academy , I want to THANK YOU NORCROSS and the whole BLUE DEVIL FAMILY STILL WILL BE MY FAMILY” in his caption.

Howard, a 6-foot-6, 175-pound small forward, is from Norcross, Georgia and was attending Norcross High School until announcing his intention to move to Donda. ESPN has him listed as the fifth-best prospect in the 2025 class and the third-best player at his position.

In addition to the Howard, the upstart Donda basketball program will include Jalen Hooks, an Indianapolis native and a top-100 player in the 2023 class, and Robert Dillingham, a five-star point guard prospect in the 2023 class from Lincolnton, North Carolina.

The to-be-opened private school will be located in Simi Valley, California, located near Los Angeles. Little is known about the basketball program or the school itself beyond what has been released. It’s also unclear how involved West is in the basketball program or who from the school reached out these players. All that seems clear now is that West, via the Donda Academy, is working to become another option in the growing pool of options for amateur basketball players.

Back in May, America got the news that Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was a Swiftie (!) While he and fiance Shailene Woodley were on vacation with actor Miles Teller and his wife Keleigh, Aaron and Keleigh were belting out lyrics to “The One” in one epic grid post. See below:

Excellent content there, thanks to Shailene for capturing. Anyway, Rodgers has been well-known as a masterful social media poster for some time now, and this weekend he wore a Folklore beanie before the game, which ended up landing on a Swiftie Reddit thread and getting the Packers’ official Instagram account itself involved. On Monday, he Packers account posted — to grid, no less! — a photo of Aaron in full folklore regalia (beanie included), for a black and white shot with a woodsy background. Note the Packers logo included in the corner, *chef’s kiss*.

Of course, this was also picked up by the loyal Redditors, and then made its way onto Rodgers’ own Instagram story as well.

This time, he once again quoted lyrics from folklore opener, “The One,” posting: “I’m doing good I’m on some new sh*t.” Well played, Mr. Rodgers. Well played. So we’ll see you at the re-scheduled Lover Fest with Shailene right?? Cool just text me when you guys get there and we can all meet up.

Alright folks, it’s time to pull up the ol’ gamer chair and flip on your RGB lights — we’ve got another episode of Recon ready for you to enjoy!

While we here at Uproxx Edge appreciate what every platform we game on has to offer (from the newest gen to throwbacks and even mobile), in today’s episode we’re shining a spotlight on one in particular: the PC.

So, what makes PC gaming so special? In this episode of Recon, AJ Lodge and I (making my first Recon appearance) are gonna walk you through it all as we talk about growing up alongside Oregon Trail, the fun of old school LAN parties, and one of the all-time great, Diablo, This before taking a deep dive into how communities are better fostered on PC through programs such as Discord.

We’re also talking about how PC gaming inspires creativity and inclusivity through the creation of game mods that affect how we see and play our favorite games. Watch the episode above to see all that and to watch us talk about everything from esports to hardware, Skyrim‘s notoriously funny Thomas the Tank Engine mod, Steam bundle deals (and how they promote exploration), and efforts to build the gaming community you want.

A few of the biggest pop moments in 2021 have come from Olivia Rodrigo, from her hit debut single “Drivers License” and her chart-topping debut album, Sour. But she’s also faced backlash. Many listeners felt some of the young singer’s songs sounded too similar to other artists. And when when artists like Taylor Swift and Paramore received songwriting credits, they accused her of ripping off their work. During a recent interview with Teen Vogue, Rodrigo responded to the criticism.

“I think it’s disappointing to see people take things out of context and discredit any young woman’s work,” Rodrigo told the publication. “But at the end of the day I’m just really proud and happy to say that my job is being a songwriter. … All music is inspired by each other.” Rodrigo added, “Obviously, I write all of my lyrics from my heart and my life first. I came up with the lyrics and the melody for ‘Good 4 U’ one morning in the shower.”

She continued, “What’s so beautiful about music is that it can be so inspired by music that’s come out in the past. Every single artist is inspired by artists who have come before them. It’s sort of a fun, beautiful sharing process. Nothing in music is ever new. There’s four chords in every song. That’s the fun part — trying to make that your own.”

After the release of Sour, Rodrigo credited Paramore’s Hayley Williams and Joshua Farro on “Good 4 U” due to its similarities to the band’s 2008 track, “Misery Business.” Taylor Swift received two credits on the album, first on “Deju Vu” and then on “1 Step Forward, 3 Steps Back” for their similarities to Swift’s “Cruel Summer” and “New Year’s Day” respectively.

You can read Rodrigo’s full interview with Teen Vogue here.

Don’t forget: Matt Gaetz, perhaps the Trumpiest member of the Senate, is under federal investigation for his ties to a sex trafficking ring that may include minors. The congressman recently lawyered up, prepping for a “scorched-Earth” trial with a team that includes someone whose client list includes Jeffrey Epstein, Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, and cult leader and convicted sex trafficker Keith Raniere. But now his worries seem to be getting even worse.

According to CNN, a lawyer for Joel Greenberg, the close Gaetz associate who pled guilty to six charges and who’s agreed to play ball with the feds, has asked to delay sentencing a second time. This time he’s asking for five more months. Why? Because he’s not done providing “substantial assistance” to the sprawling investigation that includes Gaetz, which was part of his plea bargain.

“Because Mr. Greenberg’s ongoing cooperation involves sensitive matters concerning ongoing investigations,” Greenberg’s attorney, Fritz Scheller, wrote, “he requests that the parties be allowed to provide additional information regarding Mr. Greenberg’s cooperation to the Court under seal, if deemed necessary.”

Scheller added the government does not oppose the delay.

Gaetz, who has denied all allegations, is being investigated over whether or not he broke numerous laws, including ones pertaining to sex trafficking and prostitution, and whether he had sex with a minor. He and his associates may have also engaged in obstruction of justice.

When news of Greenberg’s request broke, people on social media didn’t think it boded well for one of former president Trump’s biggest cheerleaders.

There were also jokes.

In the meantime, surely Gaetz will try to distract from his mounting problems by, say, yelling at some military leaders.

(Via CNN)