Month: December 2021

Want to do your part to be kinder to the environment and also shop for your loved ones this holiday? Take a look at this list of eco-friendly products that include long-lasting, plastic-free, sustainably sourced or repurposed gifts that your family and the planet will appreciate. Shopping at Upworthy Market means directly supporting the artisans who craft their products, so with every purchase, you do good.

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1. Recycled Paper Journal

$14.99

With brown and earth-tone hues that evoke autumn, this journal is handcrafted of recycled paper by Mexican artisan Indira Flores. She applies the designs using colors from the bougainvillea flower, lining the spine with black leather. The journal opens to 93 pages of recycled paper.

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2. Handmade Wooden Desk Calendar

$39.99

A sophisticated addition to any office desk, this calendar is the perfect accent for marking the passage of time. Never out of style, the calendar is handcrafted from local rain tree wood by Thailand’s Waraporn Khamsuk, and consists of a stand that houses numbered tiles resting just below month tiles. Each tile is made so that it can be removed and replaced with another, capable of displaying every day of the year.

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3. Recycled Paper Earrings

$29.99

Akwele Suma designs earrings of maritime charm in a festive red hue. She recycles paper by folding it into boats with terracotta masts and recycled plastic bead anchors. These Ghanaian handcrafted earrings exude playful naivete and an eco-conscious mindset. The artist uses the paper at hand so paper colors will vary, making each design a unique example of handcrafted art. The beads receive a protective coat of clear nail polish.

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4. Recycled Rubber Sling

$69.99

Dedicated to the use of eco-friendly materials, El Salvador’s María Ruffatti designs this sleek and simple sling handbag. The bag is handcrafted from recycled rubber and drapes over the shoulder on a single adjustable strap. A pocket at the front opens with a magnetic snap for storing small items. The bag’s main compartment opens with a zipper, revealing a lined interior with an open pocket on one side.

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5. Recycled Wrapper Shoulder Bag

$59.99

This colorful shoulder bag comes from Maria Isabel Ramos in Guatemala. The eco-savvy designer knows the metalized wrappers used for sweets and chips are not biodegradable; therefore, in an effort to preserve the environment, she transforms them into a trendy accessory. “My favorite color is silver, but I also like bright colors,” says Ramos of this shoulder bag. Entirely crafted by hand, the bag is lined with cotton and features an inner pocket.

6. Coconut shell piano

$19.99

The kalimba, or African thumb piano, is easy to play and pleasing to the ear. Crafted from hollow coconut shell and painted in bright colors, it features a sea turtle on the front. The kalimba produces an array of varied tones when the stainless steel “leaves” are plucked with the thumb. This petite and portable instrument is perfect for reproducing elements and tones of tribal music with ease, and is presented by Trisna Dewi.

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7. Handmade Recycle Whale Sculpture

$39.99

Working to clean up oceans and waterways, recycle, and employ the local community, Ocean Sole of Kenya creates amazing sculptures from recycled flip-flops. This colorful whale shark sculpture is formed and hand-carved from approximately nine flip-flops, and can take as long as seven hours to create.

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Damian Lillard’s future has been a topic of conversation in recent months, but apparently, the Portland Trail Blazers’ star isn’t going anywhere. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Blazers have made clear in conversations with the Philadelphia 76ers that they plan on appeasing Lillard’s desire to stick around and try to build something in Portland.

As for why this is popping up now, Philly finds itself in the midst of trying to find a trade that sends All-NBA guard/forward Ben Simmons somewhere else. This has been the case all season long — Simmons has not taken the floor for the Sixers this season due to his desire to seek greener pastures — but Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe report that their efforts to find a trade have ramped up in recent days due to the fact that players who signed new contracts over the summer become eligible to be traded starting on Dec. 15.

It is not guaranteed, of course, that the Sixers get anything back for Simmons right on the 15th, as Daryl Morey has stressed that the team is willing to play the long game with the hopes of getting a superstar. But in the event they are able to find a move in the next week or so, it would appear that any deal with Portland would have to include someone other than Lillard.

Following Norm MacDonald’s still-shocking death earlier this year, the clip that I saw shared on social media the most came from an episode of Late Night with Conan O’Brien. No, it’s not the moth joke, it’s another all-time great Norm on Conan moment.

Would Chairman of the Board have made more than $181,233 (!) if Norm hadn’t called it “Box Office Poison” and “Chairman of the Bored”? Probably not (it never stood a chance), but his quick-thinking zinger is the only reason the Carrot Top-starring comedy is remembered — and for that, Courtney Thorne-Smith is grateful.

The Melrose Place actress was on the May 5, 1997 episode of Late Night to promote Chairman of the Board, which she even knew at the time was going to be a dud. “So when Norm started going, it just felt like a relief to me… because that was not a project of great pride for me,” she said on Inside Conan: An Important Hollywood Podcast. “And I had to promote it. I was so happy when Norm took it and ran with it because I didn’t know what to say. It was a gift. I was beside myself I was so happy.” Thorne-Smith called Norm’s quip the highlight of her Chairman of the Board experience.

You can listen to the podcast episode below, and relive the magical moment above.

(Via the Hollywood Reporter)

Just in case all of Netflix’s holiday rom-com selections aren’t cutting it this year, Sony is here to remind you there’s another option for those of you looking for some sweet and spirited to snuggle up with this Christmas: Venom: Let There Be Carnage. Despite the film hitting theaters back in October, earlier today the studio unveiled a new trailer for their most recent foray into the life of Eddie Brock, albeit with an interesting take on how it was cut.

In the new trailer, the action-packed superhero film Venom: Let There Be Carnage is reimaged as a cute and cozy, holiday rom-com — jingle bells and all. The festive joke comes as part of a running gag the studio began back in 2018, when they cut the same style trailer for the first film in the series after folks remarked on its romantic qualities, as well as pokes fun at the “love affair” mentioned by director Andy Serkis earlier this year. After all, who could forget the scene in Venom where Brock (Tom Hardy) kissed his symbiote-wearing ex-girlfriend Anne Weying (Michelle Williams)? And here we thought Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst would forever hold the title for most iconic smooch in the Spiderverse.

The trailer comes just ahead of Venom: Let There Be Carnage‘s DVD and Blu-ray release date on Tuesday, December, 14. In addition to Hardy and Williams, Woody Harrelson and Naomi Harris also star in the film that not only performed surprisingly well at the box office but also shocked everyone with it’s pretty cool connection to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Succession (Sunday, HBO 9:00pm) — The season finale will follow up on whatever the heck happened to Kendall in the pool. Meanwhile, Shiv (the show’s least likable character, for sure) and Roman are attempting to figure out the GoJo-Waystar future while Logan actually stays kind-of quiet. Oh, and there needs to be some substantial followup on those d*ck picks. Scandal!

The Unforgivable (Netflix film) — Sandra Bullock returns to her Bird Box stomping grounds to play an ex-felon who can’t catch a break. She portrays Ruth, who attempts to reintegrate into society and finds that no one wants to (as the film’s title suggests) forgive her. True redemption might only be possible if Ruth finds and repairs her relationship with an estranged younger sibling. It’s heavy stuff, sure, but Bullock has proven time and time again that she can go both dark and light and always captivate in the process.

Anne Boleyn (AMC+ limited series) — Jodie Turner-Smith (Queen & Slim) stars in this reimagining of Tutor England’s era of King Henry VIII, and history will tell us that Anne, his second wife, did not fare well, given that no male heir surfaced from the marriage. The story leans toward psychological thriller rather than period drama, and the patriarchal society gets a feminist twist here. One mayor bonus here will be Paapa Essiedu (I May Destroy You), who portrays George Boleyn, brother of Anne. Expect a visionary take on a snapshot of time that people only thought that they understood.

Welcome To Earth (Nat Geo and Disney+ limited series) — Darren Aronofsky produces and Will Smith stars in this extraordinary global adventure that will remind everyone that there’s plenty of surfaces on Earth that humans have barely noticed as of yet. The show takes adventures to silently roaring volcanoes and journeys into morphing deserts and highlights all of the breathtaking moments that nature has to offer. Maybe, just maybe, Will’s sense of awe and palpable enthusiasm will take your mind away from all of those horror stories that he’s been relaying on the promotional trail. One can only hope, and maybe we’ll see some Independence Day jokes, too.

Here’s some regularly scheduled programming:

How To With John Wilson (Friday, HBO 10:00pm) — The “anxious New Yorker” (as he refers to himself) and documentary filmmaker returns for more slice-of-life, refreshingly funny accounts of existing in the Big Apple. This season promises some unexpected moments with unyielding honesty at every turn. Don’t worry, you’re in good hands.

Miss Universe (Sunday, FOX 7:00pm) — Steve Harvey returns as host, and no matter how many times this happens, you can bet that no one will stop anticipating a repeat of this moment. He knows it, too, and good on him for doing this thing anyway.

Dexter (Sunday, Showtime 9:00pm) — The new season is a bloody good time, and this week, Dexter’s Dark Passenger will followup on the bloody fallout from Harrison’s drug bender. Also, Angela’s onto something.

Hightown (Starz 9:00pm) — Jackie’s finding herself at a crossroad while Ray’s looking toward finally achieving his dreams.

Yellowjackets (Sunday, Showtime 10:00) — Natalie and Misty stumble upon a stallion, and Shauna’s partying on Halloween while, in the past, there’s a dark arts slumber party.

Insecure (Sunday, HBO 10:00pm) — Issa Dee and Molly are still cleaning up their lives while this series moves into wrap-up stages.

Curb Your Enthusiasm (Sunday, HBO 10:30pm) — “What Have I Done?” is the episode title, so cast your guesses accordingly.

Here are some more streaming picks:

Mariah’s Christmas: The Magic Continues (Apple TV+ special) — Mariah’s the undisputed Queen of Christmas, and she’s here with more magic that might possibly make you enjoy the holiday season. Just surrender already.

Queen Of The Universe: Season 1 (Paramount+ series) — RuPaul executive produces and Graham Norton hosts this drag singing competition show that features drag queens who (literally) seek world domination. Representing the U.S, Mexico, Canada, India, Brazil, China, France, and so on, these contestants are fierce.

The Wheel of Time: Season 1 (Amazon Prime series) — Rosamund Pike finally goes not play a sociopath while starring in this sprawling adaptation of one of the most popular fantasy book series (by Robert Jordan) ever. Here, she portrays Moiraine, who’s a member of an exclusive, magical, all-ladies organization known as Aes Sedai. The story follows Moiraine’s dangerous quest with a group that contains the prophesied Dragon Reborn, who shall be the key to humanity’s fate. Whether that fate is to be destroyed or saved, who really knows? Sit back and surrender to the epic journey.

Encounter (Amazon Prime film) — Riz Ahmed stars as a Marine veteran who’s attempting to protect his family from an alien invasion while also attempting to outrun the military. As far as adult co-stars go, Octavia Spencer’s onboard, so there’s enough talent here for miles to satisfy the sci-fi audience.

For Auld Lang Syne (Apple TV+ series) — That blockhead, Charlie Brown, is attempting to finish one of this year’s New Year’s resolutions before this year, uh, ends. Meanwhile, Lucy and Linus are attempting to set up a party.

And Just Like That…: Season 1 (HBO Max series) — Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), and Charlotte (Kristin Davis) are back, along with the Big Apple, y’all. No Samantha will be found, given that Kim Cattrall declined to return, but there will be returning dudes, including Chris Noth’s Mr. Big, who will hopefully be far less of an insufferable cad. Yet there’s going to be a bittersweet aspect to this revival, given that Willie Garson (Carrie’s BFF, Stanford Blatch) recently passed away.

The Expanse: Season 6 (Amazon Prime series) — The sixth, abbreviated, and final season begins with asteroid attacks upon Earth and Mars while war might pull everyone apart. Elsewhere, a secret mission could very well solve most of the conflict, and a former Martian Marine could save everyone, at least until the influence of a distant planet surfaces.

Pen15: Season 2, Part 2 — (Hulu series) Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle continue to play pre-teens as 30-something actresses, and expect even more cringeworthy vibes along with more unmistakably heartwarming moments. Relationships, both good and bad, rear their heads and test this show’s central friendship. Underneath it all, though, this show remains unyieldingly funny and more than a litte bit dark when it comes to what that dog’s doing in the wrap-up’s trailer.

Earlier this year Charli XCX let fans know that despite putting together one of the best albums of her career in a few short weeks during quarantine, she had another full-length project on the way. Slated for 2022, she’s described the record as “sexual and demonic,” and shared a few previews of new music with the world, including the massive lead off single, “Good Ones,” which is a classic, dark pop song, and “New Shapes” a collaboration with Christine And The Queens and Caroline Polachek.

With that most recent collab, she shared that the new record will be called Crash, and is coming March 18, 2022. Realistically, that’s not very fair away, especially considering how fast the last few weeks of the year always goes. But in the meantime, instead of another new single, Charli has teamed up with one of indie’s best producers, Perfume Genius, and offered up a remix of the song that completely changes the tone. On Twitter, here’s how the producer described his approach: “My remix of @charli_xcx out now went very Sunn O))) Blade 2 Queen of the Damned Trent Reznor is 5’7”

First off, Perfume Genius, aka Mike Hadreas, pitch-shifted the vocals so they sound more masculine, deeper and booming, and stripped back most of the bright pop sound so only the booming percussion and colossal synths remain. It’s one of the most remixes/reworks I’ve heard in a minute, check it out above.

Following the revival of Sex and the City (product placement backfire aside), HBO is reportedly looking to bring back another of its acclaimed original series: Six Feet Under. The project is in “very early development,” to the point where there’s no definitive word on which direction the series will go or who will be writing it or what it will be about. However, Six Feet Under creator Alan Ball will be guiding the ship, wherever it goes or does not go. Via Variety:

At this time, no writer is attached to the project. Likewise, no plotline has been decided, meaning it could be a reboot or more of a sequel series following up on existing characters from the show in the present day, but no decision has been made. Original series creator Alan Ball and executive producers Bob Greenblatt and David Janollari are all attached to executive produce the new project.

Running for five seasons from 2001 to 2005 during the Golden Age of HBO when shows like The Sopranos, Deadwood, and The Wire were dominating pop culture discourse and sweeping awards show, Six Feet Under was another critical darling starring Peter Krause and Michael C. Hall. More notably, the show is considered to have one of the best series finales of all time, which reportedly left Ball in tears while writing it. Which makes the decision to bring it back a little… confusing. But we digress.

“I remember when I wrote this episode I cried,” Ball told the Tribeca Film Festival in 2016 (via Entertainment Weekly). “Pretty much the last four episodes, people were crying all the time. But it was good. It was grief. It was letting go of something, and I think it informed the show in a way that was very organic because the show was about people who help us to face our grief. It was pretty cathartic.”

(Via Variety)

Noted feline enthusiast Billy Corgan downright LOVES cats. The Smashing Pumpkins leader famously appeared on the cover of Paws Chicago Magazine in 2014, and then apparently had to defend his decision to do so when Anderson Cooper audaciously called out the rock star? Not Cooper’s finest moment, but I digress. Speaking of Paws Chicago, Corgan and his partner Chloé Mendel work with the Chicago-area no-kill animal shelter regularly (the whole family appeared on the cover of the magazine in 2018) and have just announced their latest effort.

To raise money for Paws, Corgan and Mendel have joined forces with personalized celebrity video platform Cameo. They’re offering 100 video messages at a rate of $250/each (or $4,500 for a business). 100 percent of the proceeds go towards Paws Chicago, so that means, assuming all 100 slots are filled, they’ll be donating at least $25,000 (shout out to all the math majors out there who didn’t need a calculator to figure that out).

They recorded a Cameo promo clip, which you can watch here, from the coffee house they own in Chicago, Madame ZuZu’s. The description indicates that “for every Cameo purchased, you will also get a mystery prize! One of the gifts may be something special courtesy of Reverend Guitars.” There’s also two “Acoustic Xmas song videos” offered up at the business price. The campaign launched today and at press time, 21 of the 100 cameos were already purchased. So if you like The Smashing Pumpkins and have a Billy Corgan-like affinity for cats (or dogs), this might be for you.

It’s 3 a.m. You’re in bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep. What thoughts are swirling around your mind? Maybe they’re about overdue bills, or a big meeting with a boss, or if you’re Zendaya, that Tom Holland might drown in vomit in his Spider-Man suit.

The Emmy-winning actress has for years voiced her worry for Holland’s wellbeing. “You know what I think about all the time that really scares me? Is like, when he wears that thing, the mask that you can’t just take off, because it’s all like one piece, I get scared all the time, like, what if he’s working so hard that he throws up, and then he can’t, he chokes! I think about it all the time! That’s really scary,” she said in 2019. She brought up her super-specific fear again on The Graham Norton Show last week.

Does Holland have the same level of concern?

“It’s quite a legitimate fear. When I’m in the suit and I’m in the full thing, if you were to throw up in the suit, you would effectively drown,” he told the Hollywood Reporter. Holland then relayed a story about getting trapped under a fake rock while filming Spider-Man: Homecoming and having water drip into his mask, which he described as “waterboarding myself.”

Find yourself a partner who cares for you as much as Zendaya cares about Tom Holland not suffocating in vomit.

(Via the Hollywood Reporter)

Olivia Rodrigo became a global superstar in 2021, so naturally, her upcoming 2022 tour has been hotly anticipated. She announced the run of dates a few days ago, and when tickets went on sale today, many fans were left frustrated when they were unable to get any.

After the tickets went on sale, many fans were met with messages about “technical difficulties,” as Business Insider notes, presumably due to overwhelming demand. Indeed, some venues on Rodrigo’s schedule may seem small relative to her level of fame and the level of anticipation for the tour. For example, New York City’s Radio City Music Hall and Los Angeles’ Greek Theatre both have a capacity of around 6,000 people. Furthermore, fans were further angered when they saw that resellers were quickly trying to flip Rodrigo tickets for thousands of dollars.

Naturally, fans took to Twitter to vent their frustrations, so much so that Rodrigo has been a trending topic on Twitter for a good portion of the day.

Meanwhile, Rodrigo recently spoke about how inspired she was by a Lorde concert she went to, saying, “I remember going and seeing Lorde’s Melodrama [tour] at the Staples Center, with two of my friends that I’ve grown up with since I was in elementary school, and just balling my eyes out at the experience that she created. She cultivated this whole experience and you could just feel it in your body. The visuals and the sounds and the everything just heightened the album so much for me, and I remember walking out of the Staples Center and being like, ‘I wanna like cultivate an experience for someone like that.’ That’s just like the highest form of art to me, a concert.”

Check out some more reactions to ticket troubles below.