Month: December 2021

One of the best ways to win over a man’s (or anyone’s, obviously!) heart this holiday season is by gifting them with a sweet (or sultry) surprise. While practical, classic items like adventure gear, food-centric presents, and fitness accessories make great gifts, giving him something totally unexpected adds an exciting twist to age-old Christmas traditions.

Whether he’s the new man* in your life or you’ve been together for years, the gifts below are sure to catch your guy off guard (in a good way). They range from romantic gestures to useful products he doesn’t know he needs. Keep reading for the full rundown of completely unexpected gifts for the man in your life.*

*It goes without saying, but most of these gifts are genderless and all make sense regardless of sexual orientation.

We’re Not Really Strangers Card Game

Price: $25

The Company Line:

We’re Not Really Strangers is a purpose-driven card game and movement all about empowering meaningful connections. Three carefully crafted levels of questions and wildcards allow you to deepen your existing relationships and create new ones.

Why It’s a Great Gift:

This card game is all about digging below the surface and fostering meaningful conversations. It takes the small talk out of the equation, ultimately creating a safe space for you and your guy to open up to each other in new ways. It’s a thoughtful holiday gift that goes beyond typical materialistic possessions.

Bottom Line:

Overall, We’re Not Really Strangers is a great tool for getting to know your partner better and helping your relationship grow. Even if that’s just a friendly relationship.

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Savage x Fenty Romantic Corded Lace Teddy*

Price: $25

The Company Line:

Made from soft, stretch corded lace, our Romantic Corded Lace Teddy adds romance and sophistication to a classic teddy silhouette. Featuring minimal coverage and sexy cutout details.

Why It’s a Great Gift:

Why not gift your man something you both can enjoy? There’s no doubt he’s going to be more than a little excited when he opens the wrapping paper to find this sexy teddy inside. And just wait until you put it on at the end of the night…

*Naturally, this item can be male lingerie, too! It exists!

Bottom Line:

Unless he’s a total idiot, he’ll be appreciative of the sensual surprise.

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Ember Temperature Control Mug²

Price: $99.95

The Company Line:

Designed for home or office, the new Ember Mug² does more than simply keep your coffee hot. Our smart mug allows you to set an exact drinking temperature, so your coffee is never too hot, or too cold.

Ember then maintains your chosen temperature for up to 1.5 hours with the Ember Mug² 10 oz and up to 80 minutes with the Ember Mug² 14 oz — so your hot beverage stays perfect. Ember Mug² is safe to hand wash and submersible up to 1 meter in water.

Why It’s a Great Gift:

Whether he’s always rushing out the door for work or he needs a morning pick-me-up before getting into his WFH zone, he’ll love this techy mug. The best part is that he won’t have to worry about it getting cold. With custom temperature settings, he’ll be stoked to sip his morning brew to his specific liking each day.

Bottom Line:

The temperature-controlled mug is a unique way to make each morning brighter. The man in your life is sure to make use out of this gift and appreciate each caffeine-fueled morning to come.

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JayKayArts Custom Digital Art Portrait

Price: $28.02+

The Company Line:

100% Hand drawn digital Vector Art by [JayKayArts]. I draw every artwork on my tablet with my digital pencil. Digital Artwork Portrait for your family and friends.

• 3000px High Resolution File
• Only Download Files available
• No physical delivery offered
• Send me your car photo after purchase and I draw it to digital Art
• You can print it at home in the size you want

Why It’s a Great Gift:

How f*cking cute is this? Take his favorite photo of the two of you and turn it into an animated piece of art. He’ll never see this thoughtful gift coming, and the sweet surprise will warm his heart. Especially great for those in long-distance relationships who are spending the holidays apart, a digital portrait is a great reminder of your love.

Bottom Line:

The bottom line is that these customizable digital portraits are an ultra-unique way to relive your favorite moments together. He’s going to smile every time he looks at it.

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The Night Sky Custom Star Map

Price: $50+

The Company Line:

The Night Sky is a custom star map of the night your heart skipped a beat. Was it your first kiss, the birth of a child, or that moment you realized your world had changed? Printed on museum-grade art matte paper and printed using archival inks, it is designed to last generations.

Why It’s a Great Gift:

Can you say romance? This intimate gift will make you life partner of the year. It’s a super creative and insanely adorable way to recreate a special moment the two of you shared together. Plus, it will make a beautiful addition to his home decor.

Bottom Line:

If this gift doesn’t say “I love you,” then I don’t know what does.

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Maude Date Night In Kit

Price: $95

The Company Line:

Set the mood (and keep it) with date night essentials for before, during, and after. The night in kit includes our burn-in scent no. 1, our organic lubricant, and nourishing pH-balance bubble bath and body wash.

Why It’s a Great Gift:

A date night that includes skin-safe candle wax, a bubble bath, and lube sounds hot as hell, and he’s definitely not going to see it coming when he unwraps this gift. Whether you put the items to work immediately on Christmas Day or save them for a special occasion, this unexpected gift is going to be put to good use.

Bottom Line:

Again, if he’s not appreciative of the seductive sentiment, that’s your sign to dump him.

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Alo Moves One-Year Membership Gift Box

Price: $99.50

The Company Line:

Give your fitness-loving friend the gift of total wellness with the Alo Moves on-demand platform that features classes in mindfulness, fitness, and wellness. Each class is led by experts who will keep the user excited about both mental and physical health, while an online community provides access to endless support. The sleek gift box includes an introduction catalog and a one-year membership gift card that can be effortlessly redeemed on the Alo Moves website.

Why It’s a Great Gift:

You can help your man crush his New Year’s health and fitness resolutions by gifting him this one-year membership. With the help of professionally trained fitness instructors, it will be easy to work out from any location. Whether he’s traveling or wants to get in a quick workout at home, this one-year online membership is a surefire way to keep him on track to reach his 2022 goals.

Bottom Line:

This gift is a great way to show support for your man as he pushes forward in his fitness and health journey. Not to mention, it’s made for various fitness levels. So he’ll love it no matter if he’s an experienced gym-goer or he’s exercising seriously for the first time.

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Verilux HappyLight Alba

Price: $49.99

The Company Line:

Get your daily dose of indoor “sunshine” with the sunrise-inspired HappyLight® Alba from Verilux. This compact light therapy lamp safely brings daylight indoors by emitting a bright white light that mimics sunlight. Just plug it in to brighten your day!

Why It’s a Great Gift:

This innovative light will help your guy kick his winter blues away. The full-spectrum, UV-free light features a clinically proven 10,000 lux intensity, four brightness levels, three “HappyHue” color temperature options, and a programmable countdown time so he can totally customize his light therapy experience.

Bottom Line:

We could all use a little extra “happy” from time to time. Especially for those who live where winters are long, cold, and dreary, this light is a simple way to boost mental health and wellbeing.

Buy Here

EDITOR’S PICK: Golden Moments Collection – Womanizer Premium + We-Vibe Chorus Bundle*

Price: $284.99

The Company Line:

Womanizer Premium features:

• Pressure wave stimulator
• 12 intensity options, with a wide speed range
• Targeted but touch-free clitoral stimulation
• Smart Silence function
• Auto Pilot random-function selector
• Waterproof and USB rechargeable
• Satin storage pouch
• 2-year warranty

We-Vibe Chorus features:

• Wrap-around vibrator with two motors for clitoral and G-spot stimulation
• Touch-sensitive remote; sensor responds to your movements
• Flexible joints for a customized fit
• Designed to stay in place during penetrative sex
• 10 strong, rumbly vibration modes built in
• Silky silicone coating
• Remote control works up to 10 feet away
• We-Connect app allows your partner to control Chorus remotely or long-distance
• Custom pattern creation and intensity control
• Waterproof and rechargeable via USB
• Up to 90 minutes play per charge
• Includes a discreet storage & travel case

Why It’s a Great Gift:

Chloe has already hit this point home, but let’s re-up: While talking about sexy stuff like lingerie, lube, and toys can be awkward and writing about it is doubly awkward, owning those items is awesome. Meaning that a gift that embraces any awkwardness and opens the door to new, sexy fun is sure to be a hit. And if it isn’t… well, you have larger issues that a gift guide can’t fix.

This combo set is actually two toys and would cost an extra $100 if you paid retail for both. Meaning you’re literally doubling your pleasure. Probably tripling or quadrupling, in fact — because these sleek toys are classy and fun and even remote-controlled (in the case of the We-Vibe). Yes, they’re techy. But spending an afternoon experimenting with their features is literally the whole point.

Both brands have great reputations and are top-of-the-line quality but the real gift here is that you’re investing in your mutual pleasure. Because that’s important and that means you’re willing to face uncomfortable conversations for the sake of a deeper (or just more fun) connection with the person you care about. That’s truly a gift from the heart.

Bottom Line:

Sex toys. Two of the most inviting words in the language. Put them together and you have a hell of a gift.

Buy Here

Machine Gun Kelly is currently working on his upcoming album Born With Horns with Travis Barker. He’s already released its lead single, “Papercuts,” as he aims to top the success of his previous body of work, Tickets For My Downfall. He took a break to discuss mental health during a recent appearance on the The Drew Barrymore Show. He began the interview by saying, “I don’t want to come off like I’m cold or shy but I’m just a little insular and I’m just having an odd day.”

Barrymore assured him that he was in a “safe space” and said, “This show was born in a time where we get to keep it really real and be honest.” Kelly added that he’s “new to being vulnerable outside of songs,” before diving more into his mental health. “I see a lot of pictures of me and there’s smiles on them and it’s just weird though because I didn’t feel good at all that day,” he said. “I kind of am sick of smiling on days when I don’t feel like smiling and I feel this odd pressure because I don’t want my fans to think that I’m taking something for granted.”

He continued, “A lot of what I do is for other people and I haven’t given myself the time to just accept that it’s OK to not be OK.” He later credited his girlfriend Megan Fox with pushing him to deal with his issues. “My girl is really centered and kind of was like the one who encouraged me to face my past and stuff and pick out what it is that I’m running from and why I put on those smiles that I don’t want to wear and stuff like that,” he said. “That was big for me.”

You can watch Machine Gun Kelly’s full interview on The Drew Barrymore Show above.

Adele has another hit with 30. The album had a huge first week, scoring the biggest debut on the Billboard 200 in more than four years. 30 entered the charts with a first-week figure of 839,000 album sales, the most since Taylor Swift’s Reputation sold more than a million in its first week back in 2017. The album also earned the title of 2021’s best-selling album with its debut and it extended its lead with a strong second week. She sold more than 200,000 units that week, making it the largest second week for an album in three years.

Now, for the third consecutive week, Adele finds herself at No. 1. 30 maintains its crown on the Billboard 200 chart dated December 18 with 193,000 album units sold in the last week. That number is comprised of 149,000 pure album sales and 43,000 streaming equivalent album units, which comes from 57.87 million on-demand streams of the album’s songs. Adele’s third week total makes for the largest third week on the album charts since Drake’s Scorpion sold 260,000 units in its third week back in the summer of 2018.

Elsewhere on the charts, Polo G’s Hall Of Fame jumps from No. 69 to No. 3 thanks to a 14-track deluxe reissue that featured Lil Baby, Moneybagg Yo, NLE Choppa, and more. The project posted 78,000 units this week, a figure that mainly consists of streams thanks to 76,000 streaming equivalent album units.

Over the weekend, tornadoes swept across several Midwestern and Southern states. The hardest hit was Kentucky, where more than 80 people feared dead. It’s the kind of tragedy the federal government can help alleviate by passing a relief package. That’s what one of the state’s senators, Rand Paul, hopes will happen. But after the not-exactly-popular Republican lawmaker, known for kooky COVID misinformation, requested federal aid, people were quick to point out his terrible record when it comes to relief packages following past natural disasters.

In 2013, after Hurricane Sandy devastated parts of the Northeast, including New York, Paul voted against a bill providing recovery funds. In 2017, he voted against relief sent to Puerto Rico after it was pounded by Hurricane Maria, as well as assistance for Texas after it was hit by Hurricane Harvey. In 2019, he voted against a sweeping bill that earmarked $17.2 billion in disaster relief funding to several federal agencies.

Paul’s explanation? He just doesn’t like spending, and in some cases he said he would have preferred the federal government to take the money from elsewhere, such as foreign aid.

But Paul, who was once briefly banned on YouTube, made an exception for his constituents. “The Governor of the Commonwealth has requested federal assistance this morning, and certainly further requests will be coming as the situation is assessed,” Paul wrote to President Joe Biden. “I fully support those requests and ask that you move expeditiously to approve the appropriate resources for our state.”

Alas, people didn’t forget how stingy Paul has been in the wake of other disasters.

Others were boggled that conservatives had suddenly turned socialist.

The Jacksonville Jaguars hit a new low point for the 2021 NFL season on Sunday, something that seems it would be impossible given how things have gone so far for the 2-11 Jags, but is almost undoubtedly true after they were shutout at home by the Titans in a game where Trevor Lawrence threw four interceptions.

It was a hideous football game, in which the Titans sleepwalked to a victory, never looking like they were trying particularly hard (especially on offense) and seemed happy to lean on Jacksonville until they made mistakes, which was just about every other drive. The Jags put forth this dismal effort days after a report emerged that said Urban Meyer called his assistant coaches “losers” in a meeting and got in an argument with top receiver Marvin Jones Jr., and afterwards it looked like Meyer would’ve liked to be quite literally anywhere but Jacksonville.

As the clock rolled to triple zeroes, Meyer strolled aimlessly towards midfield for a postgame handshake with his former Ohio State assistant Mike Vrabel that was, well, awkward at best.

Meyer’s thousand-yard stare at the end of the game was followed up by a rather hysterical moment in his postgame press conference where someone (a fan, perhaps?) asked about his offensive line getting their “asses kicked” and how they get paid too much for that to happen, to which Meyer just kind of nodded along and said “yeah” in response.

While he seemed to not have much to say about the team’s performance, he did make sure to get mad and fired up about something far more important than his team’s pathetic effort and the constant mistakes: someone leaking information to the media.

If the Meyer tenure in Jacksonville lasts beyond January 2022 I think just about everyone would be shocked. It seems like it’s just a matter of whether Meyer blinks and quits or if the Jags will have to pay him a hefty buyout to fire him.

The Denver Broncos entered Sunday needing a win against the Lions in order to move above .500 on the season and keep pace with the crowded AFC Wild Card race, but also came into the game with heavy hearts.

On Thursday night, word emerged that former Broncos star receiver Demaryius Thomas had died at just 33 years old, leading to an outpouring of remembrances from his former teammates and opponents about a man who was beloved in not only the Denver locker room, but also in New York, New England, and Houston where he spent brief time to close out his career. Denver is where he is most closely associated, though, having starred for the Broncos, catching 90+ balls in five straight years including the Broncos championship season in 2015, and authoring one of the most memorable plays in recent Denver sports history with his touchdown catch from Tim Tebow to win a 2011 Wild Card game against Pittsburgh.

To pay tribute to Thomas, the Broncos opened Sunday’s game with just 10 men on the field, as wide receiver Courtland Sutton left the X receiver spot open and Denver let the play clock wind to zero as the crowd roared and chanted “D-T.”

The Broncos would go on to score a touchdown on that opening drive that started with that touching tribute in an emotional scene in Denver, and the Lions rightfully declined the penalty as a gesture of their own.

On Thursday, Ye and Drake’s Larry Hoover benefit concert finally went down, to great acclaim. Ye performed a number of tracks from throughout his catalog while Drake stuck to songs from Certified Lover Boy. The concert also offered some merchandise for attendees and viewers at home to purchase, ranging from hoodies, jeans, and t-shirts. As the show was a benefit concert for Larry Hoover, the incarcerated founder of Chicago’s Gangster Disciples gang, many wondered where the profits from the show would go. Just a couple of days after the concert, we have an answer (sort of).

According to GQ, a representative confirmed that the sales made from the merchandise sold with the concert will not be donated to charity. It’s unknown where the money will go, but the representative confirmed the funds will not be given to organizations like criminal justice reform groups. However, that is not the case for the ticket sales from the concert. Those will reportedly be donated to those groups, leaving them to receive a sizeable amount of money as a result of the benefit show.

This comes after a report revealed that federal officials were “surprised” and upset about Drake and Ye’s support towards Larry Hoover. They struggled to understand why they would vouch for Hoover’s release, a man they called “the worst of the worst.”

Warning: This post contains a major spoiler about the first episode of And Just Like That…

The first episode of the Sex and the City revival ended with a bang: Big bit it. The wealthy spouse played by Chris Noth thought that by hopping on his Peloton, he was paving the way for a long and healthy life. Instead he suffered a fatal heart attack, leaving Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) a widow. It was a surprise to everyone, from the media, who fell for some well-planted fake-outs, to the exercise bike company itself. But it looks like they’ve already found a quick and funny form of damage control.

On Sunday, a mere four days after the first two episodes of And Just Like That… dropped on HBO Max, Peloton’s social media account had another surprise: They’d already made a new commercial referencing Big’s Peloton-assisted death. And it even stars no less than Noth himself.

“To new beginnings,” Noth tells a woman as they nestle on the couch in front of a roaring fire. “Shall we take another ride? Life’s too short not to.” But he’s not referring to that. He’s referring to the Peloton placed right behind them. A narrator then reminds viewers that exercising is a good way to prevent what happened to Big. “And just like that, the world was reminded that regular cycling stimulates and improves your heart, lungs, and circulation,” he says, adding that it reduces risk of cardiovascular diseases while strengthening the heart.

Peloton brass okayed the use of their products on And Just Like That…, but they were not aware that one of their bikes would feature in a major onscreen death. After the episode dominated the news (and their stock plummeted) they put out a statement. “Mr. Big lived what many would call an extravagant lifestyle — including cocktails, cigars, and big steaks — and was at serious risk as he had a previous cardiac event in Season 6,” the company said in a statement to US Weekly. “These lifestyle choices and perhaps even his family history, which often is a significant factor, were the likely cause of his death. Riding his Peloton bike may have even helped delay his cardiac event.”

Rod Wave is known for wearing his heart on his sleeve. It’s what that’s made him appealing to his fanbase, who gave the Florida rapper his first No. 1 album with Soulfly earlier this year. Despite this, Rod Wave’s last single “Nirvana,” which he shared and quickly deleted on Saturday, left many concerned, as people felt it sounded like a suicide letter.

The lyrics left people worried. “If you’re hearin’ this, it’s too late / I’ve been writin’ this since Tuesday, today Friday / That mean tomorrow’s doomsday / Tried to fight the pain, but it ate me alive,” he sings. However, according to Rod Wave himself, there’s nothing to worry about.

The Florida native hopped on Instagram Live to set the record straight. “Why the f*ck people take that sh*t and just say that was my suicide letter?” he said. “That’s not how that works. That’s not how suicide letters work. You don’t go to a studio and record a suicide letter. Real fans of me, people that listen to my music and f*ck with me, they know what my music be like, feel what I’m saying?” He added, “So, sh*t, they should already…But all the blogs and sh*t posting…just like cooking up sh*t saying, ‘Rod posting a suicide letter,’ that’s not true, bro.”

Rod also addressed critics who believed the song was an odd way for him to get people’s attention. “F*ck niggas hating, talking ’bout I’m looking for attention. Bitch, who the f*ck needs attention?” he said in the video. “You forgot who the f*ck I was? I don’t need new attention. Did you not see my tour? Did you not see my album sales? I don’t need no extra attention. I had already deleted my Insta and my Twitter and all that shit because of the extra attention. I don’t need no extra attention from nobody, I’m good.”

You can listen to a clip from his livestream and hear some of “Nirvana” above.

Courtside fans is something that is a unique element to basketball, as one of the few sports that puts players in such close and constant proximity to fans. The interaction between courtside fans and players, particularly those on the opposing team, can sometimes produce memorable moments and rivalries can extend beyond the players on the court to some of those most famous fans that are a constant courtside presence.

However, for every Spike Lee or Jack Nicholson who have the cache and relationships with players to get away with jawing, there are dozens of others who want to be involved in that way but go about it in the wrong way. We’ve seen in recent years a few instances of courtside fans crossing a line with players, with LeBron James twice having fans in Indiana and Atlanta ejected for going too far in their efforts at trash talk.

A lot of times the interactions are made brief by the players, who can grow frustrated by a constant loud presence courtside, and they’ll take just enough time to deliver a curt message to try and put an end to the chatter. This happened in Atlanta on Friday, when a fan was chirping at Kevin Durant, who turned to the fan and told him simply to “shut your ass up, motherf**ker.”

That was, seemingly, that, and all parties moved on and it didn’t seem like much of anything. However, since that video went viral, the league looked into it and decided it was enough to hand Durant a $25,000 fine for using obscene language to a fan.

It feels like a steep and rather unnecessary fine, given the only reason it came to anyone’s attention was because of a viral video, not because of some actual formal complaint from the fan in question. If anything, the fan got what they wanted out of it, because the only reason they’d be filming themselves trash talking an NBA player is in hopes of getting a response.