Month: December 2021

Drake is one of the most famous people on the planet. The “Way 2 Sexy” rapper was No. 4 on Spotify’s most-streamed artists in 2021 and is the 27th most popular human being on social media with more than 192 million followers.

His massive fame and sheer number of huge hits earned him the number 12 spot on Insider’s list of Best Canadians of All Time. That’s quite the honor, too. He’s even ranked higher than William Shatner from “Star Trek” and actor Seth Rogen. That’s truly rarified Canadian air.

Drake is also a huge NBA fan and is a regular sight at Toronto Raptors games.

On Wednesday, he was in Oklahoma for the Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Houston Rockets game, sitting courtside to support fellow Torontonian, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Thunder.

Before the Rockets were ready to hit the court, a camera crew posted up in front of Drake and he responded with a nonchalant peace sign. Sitting to Drake’s left was an older couple who didn’t understand why he was getting so much attention.

In the video, it appears as though the gentleman asks Drake, “Are you famous?” and the woman to his left who appears to be his wife, adds, “Who are you?”

Drake in the building for the Rockets-Thunder game pic.twitter.com/hsI2JRlc1b

— Bleacher Report (@Bleacher Report)
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It’s unclear what Drake said to the couple, but he was all smiles when he explained why people were paying so much attention to him. After talking to the couple, he motioned the camera crew to get some footage of them.

After that, Drake took things a step further by posting a photo of them on his Instagram stories. Now, they’re famous, too.

“My new parents,” wrote the rapper, sharing a picture with them.

Drake and the guy in blue are about to drop a new album and then become the next coach of Oklahoma pic.twitter.com/5AImy770M2

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) December 2, 2021

The video is a wonderful reminder that even some of the most famous people in the world aren’t known by everyone. Even a person like Drake has to explain who he is to from time to time. It’s fun to see that Drake got a kick out of people being genuinely curious about who he is and what all the fuss is about.

Plus, it must be nice for him just to be treated like a normal person from time to time instead of always being the center of attention.

Drake has always been known as the “nice guy” of rap and this video proves that the image may actually be true.

Drake has a long history of charitable giving. He gave $200,000 to J.J. Watt’s charity to help those affected by Hurricane Harvey in 2017. He’s also donated money to schools, homeless shelters and an Ohio woman who lost her five kids and boyfriend in a fire in 2013.

Here’s a cute video of Drake waving hello to a man’s daughter at the game on Wednesday night.

We are so honored to have OG fan, the incredible Sandra Bullock here at the table this week 💫 Watch an all new RTT now!https://t.co/G6uAzNs83t

— Red Table Talk (@RedTableTalk) December 1, 2021

She added:

“I can’t ride in a bubble with him. I want him to know the truth…that you’ll be judged by the color of your skin rather than the content of your character. But it exists, and I want him to be safe and I want him to be aware. Once he leaves that house and I’m not with him, it’s his life and how he approaches it is his decision…I want to know that I did the best I could as his mom to educate him on the ugliness in the world, and also the beauty.”

Sandra Bullock…..I love you ❤️
🎥@theGrio pic.twitter.com/qmd1RXK8GW

— Viola Davis (@violadavis) November 30, 2021

In an interview with theGrio, Bullock reflected on a heartbreaking experience after seeing son Louis wearing a hoodie. It’s crazy to think that something as innocent as this could be life-threatening, but as the countless stories of racial profiling continue to make headlines, it is a consistently relevant and crucial conversation to have.

She asked her 6-year-old, “What does it look like you’re doing with the hoodie?”

Louis’ response: “Well, I look like I’m hiding.”

Bullock told theGrio that Louis is well aware that he would be treated differently as a white boy. She reiterated that she “doesn’t care” if that fact scares her children, because it is her “job to let them know that outside of these safe walls, that things are different.”

The responsibility of a parent is to make the children aware of potential dangers they are likely to face, to fully equip and prepare them. For parents with children of color, this includes the added weight of discussing the prejudice waiting for them outside the safety of home.

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Though Sandra Bullock is well aware of the hardships her children face, she still says “maybe one day we’ll be able to see with different eyes.”

For a change like that to happen, we will need to see through the eyes of empathy and compassion. This is something Bullock embodies every day that she chooses to have transparent conversations with her children, to “protect them, enlighten them, and show them their power.”

Drake is a notorious presence courtside at NBA games. While often in Toronto, the part owner of the Raptors often also shows up to big games outside of The Six. But last night, he was slumming it, so to speak, at the Oklahoma City Thunder versus Houston Rockets game in OKC. Folks were understandably perplexed as to why Drizzy would show up to see two cellar-dwellers play early in the season, but he was presumably there to show love to fellow Toronto native Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Thunder. SGA heeded the call and the point guard dropped a cool 39 points in front of the rapper, albeit in a loss. But the big story of this game was the cute older couple that was sitting courtside next to Drake and had no idea who he was.

In a hilarious exchange during a break in play, the arena jumbotron cameras seemed to pan over to Drake. When the couple sitting next to him noticed that they were in the outskirts of the frame on the giant video board, hilarity ensued.

The gentleman taps Drake (who was playing it cool for the camera) on the shoulder and says “Hey man!” to get his attention and his wife leans over and jokingly tells Drake to “Smile!” for the camera. The three break out in laughter and the affable Drake tells the man that the cameras were for him. They shared a laugh and then Rumble, the Thunder’s mascot, came over to shake Drake’s hand. Drake later posted a selfie with the couple on his Instagram story with the caption “My new parents.” Ignorance really is bliss sometimes.

UFC president Dana White recently tested positive for COVID-19. During an appearance on The Jim Rome Podcast on Wednesday, White, who says he is vaccinated, said that he received word of his positive test after spending the Thanksgiving holiday in Maine, and is currently isolating in his Las Vegas home.

“You’re supposed to stay home and stay away from other people for 10 days,” White said. “That’s what I’m doing. If I test negative, then I will absolutely, positively be [at Saturday’s UFC Fight Night headlined by Jose Aldo vs. Rob Font]. I’ll keep testing every two days until I’m negative and then I’m going to get back to work ASAP.”

As for his course of treatment, White told Rome that he consulted his friend, UFC broadcaster and noted podcast host Joe Rogan. While Rogan has spread misinformation regarding treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, White claims that his consultation with Rogan helped him.

“He said get monoclonal antibodies in you as soon as possible, so I did,” White said. “I had the monoclonal antibodies in me. Then he told me to do a NAD drip. I did that right after. The next day – so Sunday at 8 o’clock at night I have no taste or smell. I get up Tuesday getting ready to shave. Cleaning my razor, I could smell the alcohol. My taste and smell were back by the next day by 11 o’clock. Then I took a dose of ivermectin. Then yesterday I did a vitamin drip, and today I’m doing another NAD drip.

“Rogan has worked with 30 or 40 people that have done this, and he swears by it, and he’s a good friend of mine that I’ve known for over 20 years,” he continued. “I believe in what he’s saying. I’m attacking this thing with the methods Rogan has learned from some very smart people.”

If you test positive for COVID-19, please go to a doctor.

On Tuesday night, Lakers star LeBron James entered the league’s COVID-19 protocols for a positive test and the expectation was that he could miss a week or more before returning to the court.

However, on Thursday, James apparently produced the sufficient negative test results for the second consecutive day following his one positive test, and is cleared to play in the crosstown matchup with the Clippers on Friday night, per Shams Charania of The Athletic.

James had voiced his frustration with the situation he found himself in, as the league tests came back positive, but others rapid tests came back negative on Tuesday. LeBron had been asymptomatic, and apparently his eight tests with the league from Wednesday and Thursday all returned negative, allowing him to return to the floor after just one game’s absence thanks to being in the league’s vaccinated player protocols.

That raises the intrigue for the all-L.A. battle on Friday, although it still won’t be broadcast on national TV after ESPN flexed it out of the primetime slot in favor of the Warriors-Suns rematch of last week’s thrilling battle between the West’s two top teams. At 12-11, the Lakers are sixth in the West, a half game ahead of the Clippers in what is a crowded middle of the playoff pack, and while it’s not a battle of teams playing at their best at the moment, every win is critical for West playoff hopefuls when they play each other.

For someone who calls The Simpsons one of his favorite shows of all-time, Ted Cruz sure can’t take a joke. The Texas-deserting senator is currently in a war of words with late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, who referred to Cruz as a “scumbag” for his attacks on Dr. Anthony Fauci. In response, Cruz tweeted that Kimmel is “sadly now always unfunny” but “you know what was funny? Me kicking his ass at hoops.” It goes on from there.

Cruz also had a hyperbolic reaction to a harmless joke by Joe Biden.

During a press conference at the National Institute of Health on Thursday, the president said, “I’ve seen more of Dr. Fauci than I have my wife, we kid each other. Look, who’s president? Fauci!” Biden was obviously joking (it’s not a very good joke, but still a joke), but the nation’s loudest far-right politicians took it very seriously.

“Dr. Fauci as president: That’s not a joke, that’s a nightmare to so many Americans,” Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) told Fox News about Biden’s remarks. “I mean, when did Dr. Fauci ever put his name on a ballot and run for office and get elected by we, the people? But yet, he has complete authority.” Meanwhile, Cruz tweeted, “As I have been saying, Fauci is the most dangerous bureaucrat in American history.”

Cruz made similar remarks about Dr. Fauci earlier this week on Hannity. “Dr. Fauci, I think, is the most dangerous bureaucrat in the history of the country,” he said. “He’s been dishonest, he’s been political, he’s been partisan, and the American people know it.” Just let the “tiny, adorable, tired man” do his job in peace, Ted.

The last week has been brutal with regards to star absences in the NBA, as just over a month into the season some big names have gone on the shelf. Damian Lillard is out for a week-plus to try and get his lingering abdominal tendinopathy right, while LeBron James is out in COVID-19 protocols, Devin Booker will miss time with a hamstring injury, and Bam Adebayo will have thumb surgery that could cost him more than a month of court time.

The rash of star injuries unfortunately continued on Wednesday night, with Karl-Anthony Towns leaving late in Minnesota’s loss to Washington after a scary fall after a dunk, and Thunder star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will miss Thursday night’s game against Memphis at minimum after entering concussion protocol after two late fouls he took late in a loss to Houston on Wednesday.

The Oklahoma City Thunder announced today that guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sustained a concussion following two common fouls late in the fourth quarter (1:29 and 1:13 marks) of yesterday’s game against the Houston Rockets and he has been placed in the NBA’s concussion protocol.

Gilgeous-Alexander’s return to the OKC lineup will be determined by when he can clear the various steps and tests of the league’s protocols. After Thursday night’s game with the Grizzlies, the Thunder are off until Monday against Detroit when, hopefully, Gilgeous-Alexander can be back, but caution with head injuries is always of utmost importance.

Janelle Monae’s music has always been buttressed by a rich supporting narrative awash in Afrofuturism — androids, time travel, and cyberpunk dystopia loom large within her work and the videos and artwork accompanying it. Next year, the Kansas City-born singer will turn that intriguing backstory into a full-on book inspired by her most recent album, 2018’s Dirty Computer. Set for release in April 2022, The Memory Librarian is an anthology of short stories by some of today’s most prominent Afrofuturist authors, telling tales inspired by the overarching Dirty Computer mythology.

“Sci-fi and Afro-Futurism have always been vehicles I use to drive my art & storytelling (no matter the medium) so it’s a dream to be publishing my first short story collection in these genres!” Monae shared on Instagram alongside a photo of the book’s cover. “Thank you to everyone at Harper’s Voyager for the support and opportunity. It’s been a complete honor to swim in creative waters with other dirty computers in our community. I’m so so thankful for these incredible writers for helping bring these stories to light.”

Among those writers are Alaya Dawn Johnson, known for her Zephyr Hollis and Spirit Binders series, Eve Ewing, who has written for Marvel’s Ironheart and Champions series since 2019, fiction writer Yohanca Delgado, veteran author Sheree Renée Thomas, and Danny Lore of Dynamite Entertainment’s licensed James Bond series.

You can find out more about The Memory Librarian and pre-order it here.

It’s no secret it’s been a rocky year for Jeopardy! Following the loss of former host Alex Trebek last November, the show has gone through some awkward growing pains as it’s tried to lock down new hosts, with each of Trebek’s temporary replacements coming with quite a bit of baggage and controversy. However, after a few stumbles, it seems like the hit game show is once again finding itself thanks to the help of a few brilliant champs: newcomer Amy Schneider and Jeopardy! veteran Ken Jennings.

Since starting her winning streak on November 17, Schneider has been a real source of joy for Jeopardy! fans. The Oakland, California engineering manager made news as the first openly transgender contestant to ever win the game, and has racked up over a quarter-million dollars since she first bested former champion Andrew Pau. In addition to being a fun contestant to watch play the game, Schneider made a name for herself as being an incredibly kind and graceful participant, sharing her thoughts on the game, her fellow players, and her connection with the transgender community via her Twitter. There’s no denying Schneider has always been quick to dole out compliments and give credit where credit is due, and in her latest statement, she extended that kindness to the current guest host of Jeopardy! — and former longtime champion — Ken Jennings.

In an interview with The Washington Post, Schneider told the outlet she was having a great time playing the game with Jennings’ serving as its host. According to Schneider, the 74-time-winning Jeopardy! star has been good at relaxing the players — most likely because he gets what they’re going through.

“He’s very relaxed and sets contestants at ease. He knows what we’re going through,” Schneider said. “He wants to get everybody there to be relaxed and have fun: ‘It’s a game, it’s cool, let’s just have a good time out here.’”

While it’s uncertain who will take over hosting Jeopardy! full time, it’s clear Jennings is doing a pretty solid job during his turn at it and even the players themselves are noticing. Both Schneider and Jennings will continue their times on Jeopardy! tonight, at 7pm EST.

West Side Story is Steven Spielberg’s first musical. And what a debut it is. “West Side Story feels like Spielberg is in control and knows exactly what he wants to do,” our own Mike Ryan wrote in his glowing review of the film, adding that people will inevitably argue about which version of the musical is better, the 1961 Best Picture-winning original or the 2021 adaptation with Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler, but “there’s little debate that this West Side Story will go down as a Steven Spielberg Classic. Hot damn.”

Now that Spielberg has crossed musical off his genre list, what’s left?

“I was asked that question over the last 40 years of my career, if not longer, and I always say ‘A musical is the one thing I haven’t done.’ The thing I neglected to say is the one genre I haven’t really tackled yet is the Western,” he told Yahoo! Entertainment. “So who knows? Maybe I’ll be putting on spurs someday. Who knows?”

Spielberg has made loads of movies with horses (the dinosaurs of the wild west, I always say), but the closest he’s come to making a Western is producing Cowboys & Aliens. If his Western movie, should he choose to make one, consists of a two-hour unbroken shot of a cactus, it will still be better than Cowboys & Aliens.

(Via Yahoo! Entertainment)