Month: December 2021

Over the past few years, there has been an incredible rise in global consciousness about social justice. But there’s been one exceptionally large group that’s been mostly absent from the conversation, people with disabilities.

The World Health Organization estimates there are 1.2 billion people with disabilities across the globe, which accounts for 15% of the total human population.

“To truly create an accessible and equitable world, a place where everyone feels safe and has the courage to be themselves, we have work to do,” Sophie Morgan, British Television Presenter, and disability advocate says on the first episode of the “Equal Too” podcast. “We have to change the law. Transform culture. Rebuild our cities. Increase visibility. And to do so we must empower everyone to be involved.”

As activists such as Morgan work to change public consciousness surrounding the issues facing 1.2 billion people with disabilities, they face a major question. What are the biggest challenges and what work is needed to drive equality?

Brand new podcast alert nnMade by the team behind #Netflix doc #RisingPhoenix (@HTYTmissions), #EqualToo is a groundbreaking 6-part series co-produced by @TheSineadBurke and me. nnWe are asking, how do disabled people achieve equity? Join us!nn https://linktr.ee/equaltoou00a0pic.twitter.com/1tIveMOkUy

— sophie morgan (@sophie morgan)
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To address these pressing concerns, Harder Than You Think, the team behind the Emmy-award winning Netflix documentary Rising Phoenix, and P&G Studios launched “Equal Too: Achieving Disability Equality” a 6-part podcast that aims to answer these pressing questions by talking to disability activists, athletes, politicians, and those working to make the world more accessible.

What’s unique about this podcast is that 61% of its team of producers, guests, and contributors identify as disabled.

The podcast recently wrapped up its sixth and final episode so now is a great time to binge-listen to this compelling podcast that attempts to create a cohesive agenda for people with disabilities in the wake of one of the most successful Paralympic Games to date.

The show is hosted by Morgan who sustained a T6 spinal cord injury in a traffic accident in 2003, resulting in paralysis from the chest down.

Morgan was a lead host for Channel 4’s Paralympics coverage.

I had a wonderful chat with @jameelajamil on her #iWeigh podcast this week. We talked about pretty much everythingu2026.nnHave a listen! nnAnd then..check out: #EqualToo @HTYTmissions nnhttps://open.spotify.com/episode/24zmfG7MOXEXj7IMA7w9aC?si=YZJdoNN4Qf2tfVM2JiMmMQ&context=spotify%3Ashow%3A48QtcFDDyQzKIc4B0fo4V7&dl_branch=1u00a0u2026pic.twitter.com/73MBVmWapL

— sophie morgan (@sophie morgan)
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Throughout the six episodes, Morgan took a look back at the history and the legacy of the Paralympic movement and the impact it’s had on host cities and beyond. She also spoke with actress Jameela Jamil (“The Good Place”) who has Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a group of disorders that affect connective tissue, about ableism in Hollywood.

“For someone who maybe has just found that they have a disability, that someone they love does, or they want to be an ally for people with disabilities, this is a perfect series for you,” Jamil says. “It’s full of very real conversations, but they’re incredibly entertaining, too.”

Morgan also had a conversation with Keely Cat Wells who runs a talent agency for disabled talent and Yoshihiko Kawauchi, an architect and wheelchair user who advised Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 on venue construction.

After six episodes, the show’s co-producer, Sinead Burke, is proud that she and Morgan were able to achieve the show’s ultimate goal of inclusivity.

“I think it’s been so brilliant to have six different threads of conversations under the umbrella of disability,” she said on episode 6, “The Decade Ahead.” “When we began this podcast we had lots of conversations back and forth about who the audience was. Was it non-disabled people? Was it disabled people? Or was it allies? Was it athletes? One of the things we’ve been really considerate around is making sure that across these six episodes that we appeal to listen to amplify and bring questions to each of those audiences.”

Morgan boiled the far-reaching effort down to one big takeaway. People with disabilities need greater representation in the places where decisions are being made.

“I feel that the next part of this journey to take that giant leap forward, not slowly incremental changes, we need to see disabled people in decision-making roles,” she said in episode 6.

“We need to see disabled people across the board because then we don’t need to present our argument for why you need to be represented or why you should be in the room,” she added. “Somebody will get it already. The paradigm shift will happen organically.”

To be a part of the new push towards equality for the 15% of humanity living with a disability, listen to ‘Equal Too: Achieving Disability Equality’ now on iHeart Radio or wherever you get your podcasts.

We’ve seen a lot of actors make their Marvel Cinematic Universe debut this year, from rising star Simu Lui in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings to Angelina Jolie herself. Hell, even Harry Styles (yes, that Harry Styles) suited up in The Eternals, if only for a minute. However, while there’s a whole lot of hype surrounding actors making their big MCU debuts, there’s also a whole lot of something we don’t consider as much: anxiety.

Turns out, the stars really are like us, and even Oscar winners are prone to getting in their head about making an appearance in a beloved franchise — just ask Mahershala Ali. Earlier this year, Ali made his MCU debut as the vampire-slaying Blade in The Eternals, delivering one line of dialogue, off-screen during the film’s final moments. However, just because the role was small scale does not mean it was small stakes. In a recent appearance on The Late Show with host Stephen Colbert, Ali revealed he actually “lost sleep” over his role in the film, telling Colbert he didn’t believe in himself.

“You lose a lot of sleep over it. I was losing sleep over this line because, ideally, you want to be talking once you are filming,” Ali told Colbert. “One hundred percent of the time, my first day on any set, on any job, I hate it. I hate how I sound. I don’t believe myself. You’re trying to get comfortable in the character, so to have to talk before you actually film was challenging.”

While it might seem a small thing to keep the Moonlight and Green Book legend up at night, you have to remember, not many fan bases are as devoted — and particular — as Marvel fans, which has apparently been a major source of stress for Ali. In addition, Ali has some pretty big shoes to fill, as Wesley Snipes take on the Marvel character was pretty beloved in both Blade and Blade II. While Snipes has been vocal about his support of Ali, there’s no denying it’s still a tall order.

“I’ve never walked into a role where the anticipation of it was so great,” he said. “Where people were already so familiar with the character, they have real opinions and points of view and all that. So it feels different. There’s clearly an added layer of pressure, which I will embrace.”

While Ali has technically already made his debut MCU appearance, it is rumored the stars first solo film, Blade, will hit theaters late 2022.

QAnon followers are apparently hyped over the possibility that Sylvester Stallone is a secret member of their cult.

As Newsweek noted, the Rocky star posted a photo on Instagram this week that showed him donning what looks to be a blue hat with the letter “Q” (?) stitched in the center. Adding to the theory that the hat is actually an endorsement for the far-right movement that was a big player in the insurrection, here’s Stallone’s caption: “Heading into the Storm …”

That phrase is a popular slogan amongst QAnon cult members who believe that a secret, satanic cabal of pedophiles is running the world’s governments. Democrats and Hollywood elites have been targeted by the group, who continue to maintain that Donald Trump, the twice-impeached president now retired in Florida, is working to bring down the cabal — despite Trump being a reality TV star and millionaire who used to live in New York City.

This is the first time Stallone has appeared to publicly endorse QAnon, but he’s been a friend to Trump for a few years now. The A-lister has been a guest at Mar-A-Lago and successfully petitioned Trump to issue a posthumous pardon to heavyweight boxer Jack Johnson in 2018. Though Stallone never endorsed Trump for president, his relationship with the election fraud conspiracy theorist and this latest social media post has some QAnon members hopeful he’s on their side.

One QAnon Telegram account using the handle Truth Hammer wrote, “Check out that hat and that caption. Stallone knows.” Another that goes by the handle Pepe Lives Matter said, “What kind of hat is that? Stallone with an interesting photo.” Still, some users on Instagram questioned why Stallone would support QAnon in the first place, saying, “Seriously, is my childhood hero going QAnon? Say it ain’t so!”

Weirdly enough, Rocky Balboa turning out to be a cultist who believes lizard-people are secretly in power probably isn’t the most bizarre thing on anyone’s bingo card this year.

(Via Newsweek)

You’ve got the Gucci wallet, you’ve got the Gucci flip-flops, and maybe you’ve got the Billie Eilish perfume, too. Now round out the collection with Eilish’s Happier Than Ever on Gucci recycled vinyl! Facts only, folks. And the limited edition record also comes with some extra flair.

Eilish took to her Instagram yesterday to announce the collaboration. “So excited to share my limited edition “Happier Than Ever” vinyl and @gucci nail stickers featuring an exclusive box designed by @alessandro_michele,” the post began. “The vinyl is made from recycled vinyl scraps from all the colors of the original pressing of the record and each piece is completely unique!!

The recycled vinyl is a similar concept to Paul McCartney’s McCartney/333 special edition vinyl pressed by Third Man Records. Except McCartney’s records were made from recycled pieces of his first two solo records, whereas Eilish’s is an amalgamation of other editions of Happier Than Ever. Although Eilish definitely has McCartney one-upped with the Gucci nail stickers.

Eilish’s post continued on to list out the Gucci Boutiques where the records/box set will be available. Cities include Paris, Berlin, Milan, Madrid, London, Los Angeles, New York City, Sydney, Osaka, and Tokyo. It’s an opulent and exclusive release to say the least, and since it’s currently only available at retailers, the price isn’t listed online. But it’s safe to say that it’ll come with a hefty price tag. This isn’t lost on your day-to-day Billie Eilish fan and the top comment on the Instagram post summed it up best: “bae i’m broke”

Transgender Jeopardy! champ Amy Schneider has proven to be a total pro while crushing twelve games (thus far) and closing in on the half-million mark with $483,000 in winnings. She’s also pure class, as she’s shown while praising Ken Jennings as a fill-in host while producers attempt to figure out who’s going to be the full-time host, beginning in 2022. Schneider reached initial champ status during Trans Awareness Week, and she’ll be eligible for the Tournament of Champions, at some point down the line.

For the moment, though, it’s worth drawing attention to how Amy has been tweeting up a storm about the Thursday episode, which included an opponent who left her starstruck. That would be Jessica, one of the Fug Girls from the Go Fug Yourself fashion site. Here’s Jessica in action, looking as chic as expected:

Well, Amy fired off a tweet thread about her excitement to go up against Jessica, although she didn’t realize it at the time. Amy later wrote, “When I found out who she was, I was so bummed that I hadn’t gotten the chance to tell her how much I’ve loved her writing. I’m (retroactively) star-struck!” Amy has loved the Fug Girls for “years and years,” and yes, Amy did beat Jessica, like she’s beating everyone else. The reigning champ admitted, “I suppose it’s for the best that I didn’t know, since some part of me wouldn’t have wanted to make a Fug Girl feel bad by beating her.” She also added, “[T]o quote myself: ‘I like money!’”

Same, Amy. And we’ll see her back for more on Friday’s Jeopardy! episode.

We saw it when Ridley Scott blamed millennials for The Last Duel not doing too hot at the box office, and we saw it when Denis Villeneuve pushed for Dune viewers to watch the sci-fi spectacle in theaters because watching at home was “ridiculous.” Directors have had it up to here with unresponsive audiences. So, who’s the latest star to join the choir of filmmakers asking for better-behaved movie watchers? Why it’s none other than The West Wing’s Aaron Sorkin.

In an interview with Variety, the film director and playwright said there are three things he wants audiences to walk away with after watching Being the Ricardos, his upcoming biopic spotlighting the off-screen relationships between Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. While simply having a “good time” topped the list, Sorkin said he also hopes people leave the theater with less of a connection with social media.

“Mostly, I want them to have a good time during the two hours that were asked for their attention, realize that the lives of Lucy and Desi were considerably more complicated than Lucy and Ricky, and pay less attention to Twitter,” Sorkin said.

However, while Sorkin’s words might sound a bit crochety at first, it turns out the director actually had quite a lot more to say about social media and did raise some great points about how reactive and divisive it can be, drawing a comparison to it and society’s fear of Communism in the early 1950s. Sorkin said he hopes watchers will be able to spot some parallels between what Lucy undergoes in the film and what happens to folks “that fall out of favor with Twitter.”

“I hope the way they’ll react is that they’ll see some similarities between what’s happening to Lucy and what happens to a number of people that fall out of favor with Twitter,” Sorkin said. “It just seems like when you walk into social media that you’re walking into a big room with mean graffiti all over the walls.”

Set during the 1950s, Being the Ricardos takes place over the course of one production week on the set of I Love Lucy and follows Lucy and Desi as they confront rumors that could jeopardize both their marriage and careers, and according to the press release, that’s merely the beginning:

Lucille Ball (Nicole Kidman) and Desi Arnaz (Javier Bardem) are threatened by shocking personal accusations, a political smear, and cultural taboos in Academy Award-winning writer and director Aaron Sorkin’s behind-the-scenes drama Being the Ricardos. A revealing glimpse of the couple’s complex romantic and professional relationship, the film takes audiences into the writers’ room, onto the soundstage, and behind closed doors with Ball and Arnaz during one critical production week of their groundbreaking sitcom I Love Lucy.

Being the Ricardos opens in select theaters on December 10 and will be available to watch via Amazon Prime Video starting December 21.

Goldenvoice has a proven track record of putting on killer festivals, as they’re behind events like Coachella, Day N Vegas, and Stagecoach. Now, they’re adding a new fest to that list: This Ain’t No Picnic is going down on August 27 and 28, 2022 at Brookside (by the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California).

The lineup has a rock and alternative lean to it, as the 2022 headliners are The Strokes, LCD Soundsystem, and Le Tigre performing what is currently set to be their first and only reunion show of the year. Also on the bill are Phoebe Bridgers, Beach House, Jorja Smith, Kaytranada, Idles, Four Tet + Floating Points, Honey Dijon, Wet Leg, Genesis Owusu, Courtney Barnett, Descendents, Yves Tumor, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Caroline Polachek, Turnstile, Earl Sweatshirt, and others.

If the festival’s name sounds familiar, that’s because it’s a throwback to the original Goldenvoice festival of the same name. The initial This Ain’t No Picnic debuted in 1999, continued in 2000, and after having to skip 2001, came back for the last time in 2002. A fair amount of artists on those lineups actually wouldn’t feel out of place on this year’s bill, by the way: Sleater-Kinney, Beck, Yo La Tengo, Modest Mouse, and El-P were involved.

Of all the most bulletproof rap personas, Rick Ross‘ commitment to drug dealer kayfabe is probably the most impressive. We all know that his tales of being a lavish cocaine kingpin are likely mostly fabricated but we continue to tap in and enjoy them nonetheless. In turn, he keeps cranking them out and occasionally upping the ante, as he does on his new single “Little Havana.” The track opens with a monologue from Augusto Guillermo “Willy” Falcon, a former drug kingpin credited with operating one of South Florida’s biggest drug organizations through the ’70s, ’80s, and early ’90s. He’s credited here as “Willie Falcon.”

Willy expresses pride in his accomplishments, boasting, “I helped build Miami skyline into what it is today. Twenty billion dollars got me twenty-seven years in federal prison. I always live by the code of honor. That’s why my best days are ahead of me.” Meanwhile, Ross manages to remain humble even as he continues to brag about his own feats. “Problem was I never was a prodigy,” he raps in his verse. “Possibly, my biggest flaw is lack of modesty.”

Ross has plenty to boast about these days, though. His new album titled Richer Than I Ever Been drops next week, he and the founder of Rap Snacks have launched their own cannabis company, Drake’s called him the “greatest rapper alive,” and he’s even just got his driver’s license after being eligible for the past 29 years. Things are looking up for Rick Ross; indeed, it seems that like his good buddy Falcon, his best days are ahead of him.

Play Rick Ross and The-Dream’s “Little Havana” above.

Richer Than I Ever Been is due 12/10 via Maybach and Epic.

With its release a little over a month away, the new Scream movie just released a trio of character posters featuring the stars from the original film: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and David Arquette. While, technically, the movie is the fifth installment in the franchise, the filmmakers decided to pull a Halloween and call this latest chapter Scream instead of the less-confusing Scream 5.

First up is Campbell reprising her breakout role, Sidney Prescott. According to Campbell, she almost passed on returning for the fifth film because it would be the first installment without Wes Craven at the helm, but she was swayed when directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (Ready or Not) sent her a “beautiful letter.” The filmmaking team listed the first Scream and Craven’s work as their inspiration for becoming directors, and Campbell was sold.

Up next is Cox and Arquette reprising their roles as Gail Weathers and Dewey Riley, respectively. As for why all three are holding the Ghostface mask… that’s anyone’s guess, but we’re sure it will no doubt play into the mystery of who’s stabbing a whole lot of people, as these things do.

Here’s the official synopsis:

Twenty-five years after a streak of brutal murders shocked the quiet town of Woodsboro, a new killer has donned the Ghostface mask and begins targeting a group of teenagers to resurrect secrets from the town’s deadly past.

Scream will knife its way into theaters on January 14, 2022.

(Via Scream on Twitter)

After years spent in her conservatorship, Britney Spears has made time in recent months to vent about her experience. The latest example of that is a new video Spears shared yesterday, a comedic self-shot skit in which she plays one of the therapists she was apparently required to see under the terms of her conservatorship.

In the video, Spears, as a therapist, speaks reassuringly and says that she wants Spears to relax so she can “do my work for you” of helping to “clear these blockages” caused by “the psychosis of what’s going in your head.” After the spiel, the video cuts to Spears laying stiffly on a couch as she says monotonously, “Yes, I’m feeling fine. I had a great year. I’m having a great day.”

It then cuts back to therapist Spears, who says they “need to figure some things out” and asks about Spears’ sleeping, breathing, and eating habits before concluding, “I’m here to help you.” Then Spears breaks character and, as herself, says, “False,” then lets out a string of exclamations and expletives.

She explained the video in her caption, writing, “As much therapy as I’ve had to do against my will … being forced to pay and listen to women telling me how they are going to further my success … it was a joy … no really … 10 hours a day, 7 days a week … no lie … in this beautiful nation it would only be fair for me to dedicate my life to skits to the wonderful therapist !!!! I genuinely thank you dear sweet hearts for your efforts !!! The end is me celebrating … it’s clearly OVER because my medication is working ‘Murica !!!! Pssss BALLS and KISS MY MOTHER F*CKING ASS !!!!!”

Check out Spears’ skit above.