Month: January 2022

The Houston Rockets have had a fascinating season, losing 15 games in a row to start the season before winning seven straight in one of the most surprising winning streak of the season. Since then, the Rockets have gone back to looking like one of the NBA’s worst teams, going 1-9 in their last 10 games to fall to their current record of 10-27, which is the worst record in the West and third-worst record in the NBA.

The record isn’t a surprise, as this was very clearly Year 1 of a rebuild in Houston, and the focus was more on the development of young players than winning games. The good news is they’ve seen some positives from No. 2 overall pick Jalen Green since his return from a hamstring strain and fellow first-round pick Alperen Sengun has been a consistent bright spot, showing flashes of considerable talent. The bad news is things seemed to hit a low point on Saturday night in a loss to the Nuggets when two of their highest profile players refused to play the second half after getting called out for effort by the coaching staff.

Christian Wood was reportedly the main target of coach Stephen Silas’ frustrations with effort in a scathing halftime message to the team, calling out Wood (who was benched to start the game for missing a COVID test), who then refused to sub in during the second half. Kevin Porter Jr., meanwhile, left the arena at halftime after getting into it with an assistant coach, allegedly throwing something during the argument before driving home from the arena, which the Rockets covered in the moment as him getting treatment on his thigh.

On Monday, Houston will take on the Sixers and they will be without both Wood and Porter Jr., who were suspended for their “poor behavior,” per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Tim MacMahon.

The Rockets will hope to put this all behind them after the one-game suspension, and it’s clear that Silas is trying to send a message to the entire team with the suspensions as they try to build something of a culture in Houston with a young roster.

A few weeks ago, Bruce Springsteen’s masters and publishing rights were sold to Sony Music for an astronomical $500 million in what Billboard said “may be the biggest deal in music for an individual body of work.” So, to pretty much anyone besides Bruce Springsteen, the reportedly more than $250 million that David Bowie’s catalogue netted is an impressive number.

Today, Variety reported that David Bowie’s estate has indeed sold the Starman’s vast catalogue to Warner Chappell, following months of negotiations. Bowie, whose immersive Bowie 75 museum you can now visit in London and New York City, released 26 studio albums across six different decades. Everything from The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars to Young Americans to Blackstar is included in the deal. Even the posthumous Toy, which will be released this Friday, is included.

Warner Chappell Music Co-Chair and CEO Guy Moot issued a statement on the significant purchase:

“All of us at Warner Chappell are immensely proud that the David Bowie estate has chosen us to be the caretakers of one of the most groundbreaking, influential, and enduring catalogs in music history. These are not only extraordinary songs, but milestones that have changed the course of modern music forever. Bowie’s vision and creative genius drove him to push the envelope, lyrically and musically — writing songs that challenged convention, changed the conversation, and have become part of the canon of global culture. His work spanned massive pop hits and experimental adventures that have inspired millions of fans and countless innovators, not only in music, but across all the arts, fashion, and media. We are looking forward to tending his unparalleled body of songs with passion and care as we strive to build on the legacy of this most extraordinary human being.”

Warner Chappell has been on an acquisition spree as of late, securing the publishing rights to the catalogues of Quincy Jones, Cardi B, George Michael, and others. But this one is a different kind of big and it likely indicates that unconventional experiences like Bowie 75 and other unearthed recordings (like on the Toy box set) will be on the horizon.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

On Thursday, word broke of a rather surprising trade involving the Lakers and Cavaliers that would send Rajon Rondo to Cleveland, as the Cavs sought out a veteran point guard after Ricky Rubio suffered a season-ending knee injury and Collin Sexton is likewise out for the year.

For the last four days the two sides have been working on the specifics of the deal, namely trying to find a third team that could take Denzel Valentine so the Lakers could open up a roster spot and avoid having to pay additional luxury tax. On Monday, they found that team in the form of the New York Knicks, who will send a pair of draft-rights to the Lakers and get $1.1 million for their troubles.

As Woj notes, this is about saving luxury tax for the Lakers as they’ll avoid having to pay to cut Valentine and create that extra roster spot, which would add $4 million to their tax bill, which is why they were happy to send $1.1 million to New York to do it instead. The Lakers will now be able to be players on the buyout market next month once the trade deadline passes, or be able to take in one more player than they send out in a trade should they find one before the deadline. The Cavs get point guard help, but it remains to be seen if Rondo has much left in the tank to help a team.

Britney Spears has made it clear that she has issues with members of her family over her conservatorship, and now she appears to have taken a step to distance herself from one family member: It is being reported that she recently unfollowed sister Jamie Lynn Spears on Instagram. The earliest mentions on Twitter of Spears unfollowing her sister seem to be from January 1, including a post from Pop Crave, although it’s not known when exactly Spears unfollowed Jamie Lynn.

The most recent archived version available of Spears’ Instagram page, from October 21, 2021, shows that Spears followed 47 accounts at the time. She currently follows 46 accounts, including those of fiancé Sam Asghari, Paris Hilton, G-Eazy, and other collaborators, personal connections, and recognizable figures.

Also on January 1, Jamie Lynn shared a gallery of photos from 2021 on Instagram and wrote, “Dear 2021, You tried your damnedest… bless your heart. Hoping 2022 brings nothing but healing, love, peace, and happiness to you all- wishing every a safe and Happy New Year.”

Meanwhile, Spears appeared to take a stab at Jamie Lynn in an October Instagram post. In what seemed to be a response to Jamie Lynn announcing the title of her book Things I Should Have Said, Spears wrote, “Psssssss also great news … I’m thinking of releasing a book next year [winking emoji] but I’m having issues coming up with a title so maybe my fans could help !!!! Option #1 … ‘Sh*t, I really don’t know’ Option #2 … ‘I really care what people think’ [laughing and shrugging emojis] !!!!” What do you guys think ????”

When you’re a part of a musical duo, your livelihood depends on harmony and the whim of your creative partner. Constantly maintaining that balance is something that we rarely get a glimpse of as listeners. But “Happy New Year,” the latest song from Let’s Eat Grandma’s Rosa Walton and Jenny Hollingworth, was written in the aftermath of a rift between the pair that lasted longer than either would’ve liked.

The avant pop pair present this uncomfortable dynamic that they had to overcome in the new video set to a silly tennis match. But it’s in the duality of Let’s Eat Grandma’s back and forth vocals that we hear how strong their symbiotic relationship is. Luscious vocal textures give way to a jump up chorus, celebrating what it takes to make friendship work.

Walton elaborated in a statement on what the song means to her:

“I wrote ‘Happy New Year’ after a breakdown between us that lasted for a long period of time, to communicate to her how important she is to me and how our bond and care for each other goes much deeper than this difficult time. I used the setting of New Year as both an opportunity for reflection, looking back nostalgically through childhood memories that we shared, and to represent the beginning of a fresh chapter for us. I’d been struggling to come to terms with the fact that our relationship had changed, but as the song and time progresses I come to accept that it couldn’t stay the way it was when we were kids forever, and start to view it as a positive thing — because now we have been able to grow into our own individual selves.”

Check out the “Happy New Year” video above.

Two Ribbons is out 4/8 via Transgressive. Pre-order it here.

The new year started off on a bum note for Marjorie Taylor Greene: On Sunday, the second day of 2022, the far right Georgian lawmaker was permanently suspended from Twitter. The reason? She couldn’t stop spreading misinformation about COVID. The move inspired uproar from conservative circles, but it may have also spooked other people who are simply wrong about how to battle the pandemic. Perhaps that’s why Joe Rogan, promoter of meds also used to deworm horses, started an account on the rightwing social media service GETTR.

“Just in case s*it over at Twitter gets even dumber, I’m here now as well,” Rogan wrote on his new account. “Rejoice!”

GETTR was launched last summer by Trump crony Jason Miller as yet another “free speech” social media platform à la Parler and Gab. Not only was it immediately mocked, it was also over-run with trolls intentionally violating the terms or simply posting NSFW Sonic the Hedgehog memes.

It should be a good place for Rogan to express opinions he doesn’t already express on his immensely popular podcast. He’s proudly unvaccinated, and when he caught COVID, instead of seeking a free and effective treatment, he dosed himself with a no doubt expensive cocktail of alternative medications. A recent guest on his show, Dr. Robert Malone, was banned on Twitter for spreading COVID misinformation. Rogan must be worried the same could happen to him, even if what he should be worrying about is his listeners seeing him as some kind of medical expert one should trust with one’s life.

(Via Mediaite)

The holidays just ended, meaning you may have done something you don’t do that often: spend time with people who don’t share your worldview. They can be family, they can be old friends, but whatever the case, you have to wrestle with the fact that they have opinions you may strongly oppose. Over the New Year’s weekend, Patton Oswalt found himself in such a predicament over his longtime friendship with “cancelled” (but not really) comedian Dave Chappelle.

On New Year’s Eve, Oswalt joined Chappelle for a surprise set in Seattle after the two realized they were doig shows in close proximity to each other. He posted a photo of the two, calling him a “genius that I started comedy with 34 years ago,” saying he “ended the year with a real friend and a deep laugh.”

Of course, Chappelle had a tumultuous 2021: He released a new Netflix special, The Closer, which was instantly condemned for its plethora of trans jokes. He inspired a revolt at the streamer, with employees even walking off the job in protest. Chappelle refused to apologize and even trash-talked some high schoolers after they called him out.

So when people saw Oswalt, an outspokenly progressive comedian, gushing about Chappelle with no mention of his controversies, there was enough of a pushback that Oswalt responded. Oswalt didn’t throw Chappelle under the bus. Instead, he grappled with a long, deep friendship with someone with whom he passionately disagrees on at least one major issue.

“I saw a friend I hadn’t seen in a long time this New Year’s Eve,” he wrote. “We’ve known each other since we’re teens. He’s a fellow comedian, the funniest I’ve ever met. I wanted to post a pic & an IG story about it — so I did. The friend is Dave Chappelle.”

He then delved into their history. “Thirty four YEARS we’ve been friends,” Oswalt wrote. “He’s refocused and refined ideas a lot of us took as settled about race & history & Life On Planet Earth and spun them around with a phrase or punchline. We’ve done bad & good gigs, open mikes & TV tapings.”

Then Oswalt discussed their differences: “But we also 100% disagree about transgender rights & representation. I support trans peoples’ rights — ANYONE’S rights — to live safely in the world as their fullest selves. For all the things he’s helped ME evolve on, I’ll always disagree with where he stands NOW on transgender issues.”

Oswalt was open to the idea that Chappelle could always change his mind, while comparing him with the friends he’s cut off in the past over disagreements such as this one:

“But I also don’t believe a seeker like him is done evolving, learning. You know someone that long, see the struggles and changes, it’s impossible to cut them off. Impossible not to be hopeful and open and cheer them on. Also, I’ve been carrying a LOT of guilt about friends I’ve cut off, who had views with which I couldn’t agree, or changed in ways I couldn’t live with. Sometimes I wonder — did I and others cutting them off make them dig their heels in deeper, fuel their ignorance with a nitro-boost of resentment and spite? I’m an LGBTQ ally. I’m a loyal friend. There’s friction in those traits that I need to reconcile myself, and not let cause feels of betrayal in ANYONE else. And I’m sorry, truly sorry, that I didn’t consider the hurt this would cause. Or the DEPTH of that hurt. I’ve been messaging a lot on IG today, and the back and forth has really helped guide me in the writing of this. I (naively) deleted a lot of posts in the comment thread — critical ones from LGBTQ writers AND s*it-posts by TERF/anti-trans orcs looking for clicks & giggles. I wanted a “nice comment thread” about the pic with my friend. Ugh. So easy to think someone ELSE needs growth and miss the need in yourself. Gonna keep trying.

On a lighter note, Oswalt also ended last year on a high note: a prediction he made about Boba Fett, the subject of the latest Disney+ Star Wars series, miraculously came true.

(Via THR)

Between releasing Happier Than Ever, hosting Saturday Night Live, and everything else she did, 2021 was a big year for Billie Eilish. Now, she has kicked off 2022 by taking her fans on a trip down memory lane, during which she revealed the red hair she briefly sported last year.

On Twitter, somebody asked Eilish to show off more photos of a particular outfit she was seen wearing. After obliging on her Instagram Story, Eilish asked if there was anything else her followers would like to see. Somebody suggested that she let her fans give her random dates and Eilish then chooses a photo or video from those dates to share. Eilish liked the idea, so she used Instagram’s question submission feature and responded to a bunch of inquiries.

For November 22 of last year, she shared a video of herself getting her hair dyed red, a color she says she kept “for a week.” Sure enough, in early December, she debuted her current black hair look.

Other highlights included Eilish and composer Danny Elfman posing in front of a statue of The Nightmare Before Christmas protagonist Jack Skellington on this past Halloween, a Star Trek puzzle she and her father put together on December 27, and an apparently post-sneeze Eilish with a substantial snot hanging from her nose all the way down to her chin on December 12.

If you want to see that Eilish snot photo, find it below. If you don’t want to see it, do yourself a favor and stop scrolling now.

Kyrie Irving has yet to play in a game this season due to his refusal to get vaccinated against COVID-19. That is slated to change in the coming days, though, as a report by Shams Charania of The Athletic indicates that the Brooklyn Nets’ standout guard will suit up for Wednesday’s game against the Indiana Pacers.

While Irving is still not vaccinated and is therefore unable to play in home games due to New York City’s vaccine mandate, he has been eligible all season long to be a part-time player whenever the Nets go on the road. Until recently, the team was not interested in this arrangement, deciding that it’d be best for Irving to stay home.

But recently, as the team has been struck by a wave of injuries and players in COVID protocols, Brooklyn reversed course and opened the door for Irving to play in road games, which he accepted. The interesting thing is that, save for Joe Harris (who is out for an extended period due to ankle surgery) and LaMarcus Aldridge (who is day-to-day), the Nets currently do not have any players who are either injured or in the league’s COVID protocols.

Brooklyn sits 23-11 on the season, which is good for first place in the Atlantic Division and puts them one game back of the Chicago Bulls for the 1-seed in the Eastern Conference. Irving will not be eligible to play another game for a week, as the Nets follow up their trip to Indianapolis with back-to-back home games before heading to Chicago on Jan. 12.

The appeal of watching dysfunctional families never grows old, and that’s why January is a fantastic month on TV. Not only will we see the return of evangelistic mega-church shenanigans but also a money launderer who ended up way over his head. In other words, John Goodman and Jason Bateman’s money-hungry patriarchs are back for more in The Righteous Gemstones and Ozark, respectively. That’s great news for everyone who’s missing those other screwed-up fathers from Succession and Dexter, but family isn’t the only theme on the agenda. HBO and HBO Max cannot stop with the stellar offerings for everyone, from more Euphoria and Search Party to the return of The Suicide Squad‘s douchiest character in his own spinoff show.

Not only that, but HBO’s got a followup from the Downton Abbey creator, and let’s not forget the other options on your TV. Showtime’s back with more hedge-fund drama, TNT’s got more to show us with perpetually running trains, and Hulu has a revival series that could be worth your time. On FOX and Netflix, Rob Lowe and Ricky Gervais also bring their leading-men status back, and surely, all of these shows will keep you busy.

Here are the biggest shows worth noticing in January:

9-1-1: Lone Star: Season 3 (FOX series returning 1/3)

God bless this franchise for keeping things chaotic and absurd, long after the flaming burrito that started it all. Since that time, the Austin setting has seen a volcano and a dominatrix-centered storyline. On, and there’s been roller-derby and military-tank madness, but in the midst of it all, handsome Rob Lowe is keeping things handsome while carrying the weight of the 126 on his still-sculpted shoulders.

Search Party: Season (HBO Max series returning 1/7)

Alia Shawkat’s Dory is a kidnapping-victim-turned-apparent-cult-leader in this final season. That’s already an interesting turn of events, but Jeff Goldblum arrives on the scene to support all of this cult-y business as some dude named Tunnel Quinn, and of course, no one should expect this series to grow any less intense before all is said and done. Dory’s dangerous, and that ain’t changing.

Euphoria: Season 2 (HBO series returning 1/9)

Following a few gut-punch special episodes featuring sad pancakes, the Zendaya-starring, mascara-streaked phenomenon returns with a second full-on season. Naturally, Rue’s not on the straight-and-narrow, and in fact, she’s relapsed and may have descended into the drug trade, so expect violence atop the customary drama. Drake’s an executive producer, and the cast is absolutely incredible while giving us more of a lesson than we ever wanted on the subjects of trauma and social media and that elusive love that so many people are seeking.

The Righteous Gemstones: Season 2 (HBO series returning 1/9)

Walton Goggins’ Baby Billy is back to be a thorn in the side of John Goodman’s patriarch and the rest of the fam, including Danny McBride and Edi Patterson‘s sibling characters. Hopefully, everybody will be running around the house with pickles in their mouths, and all prayers have been answered for this dysfunctional family to return after the Succession gang dropped that betrayal-filled season finale. Settle in because it’s gospel time, so crank up the glitz and the grifting for another round.

Peacemaker: Season 1 (HBO Max series returning 1/13)

One of The Suicide Squad‘s characters who seemed least likely (well, there actually were a lot of them, including poor Boomerang) to make it out alive has his own spinoff series. That would be John Cena’s horribly patriotic title character, and it’s still hellaciously funny that this is happening because James Gunn got bored during quarantine and decided to write this TV show. Never fear, though. He Of the Butthole Jokes is still as worthy of contempt as always. There’s no telling whether we’ll see another Squad movie, so soak up as much of this end of the DCEU while it’s hot.

After Life: Season 3 (Netflix series streaming 1/14)

Ricky Gervais returns as Tony, the widower who decided to not commit suicide out of impression but, instead, to take his angst out in the world. He fancies this attitude to be a Super Power, all while everyone around him grows concerned. This final season sees Tony still struggling with enormous grief but realizing that he actually enjoys making people feel good. It’s both an end and a beginning to this story, and here’s to the celebration of hope.

How I Met Your Father: Season (Hulu series debuting 1/18)

One of the bigger things to know about this particular franchise revival is that it includes Kim Cattrall, who opted out of another franchise revival (the Sex And The City continuation, And Just Like That). Cattrall portrays the future version of Hilary Duff’s Sophie, and of course, we’re going to hear all about how Sophie met her son’s dad, way back in 2022 when the realm of dating apps made looking-for-love even more complicated than in the IRL days. 87 Tinder dates in one year sounds like a total nightmare, right? Let’s live vicariously with this bingewatch.

Ozark: Season 4, Part 1 (Netflix series streaming 1/21)

The bad news is that Marty Byrde and fam will only be with us for one more season. The good news is that this is a supersized season that will arrive in two halves, so I’m pretending that we’re getting two more seasons. Jason Bateman’s baby has been good to us all, even if it’s been bad for Marty, Wendy, and the kids, and so-so for Ruth. This season, we’ll see what happened after the blood-spattered tarmac happenings. Marty and Wendy were received with opened arms (for a new life in Mexico?) after Helen took a gunshot to the head, and one can bet that this new beginning won’t be any more relaxing than the Byrdes’ money-laundering U.S. life. Luckily, Laura Linney and Julia Garner will still be around to make Marty’s life a little more hellish, and then I hope the ladies can take a nice vacation.

Billions: Season 6 (Showtime series returning 1/23)

God only knows how the Powers That Be plan to shake things up and carry on after Damian Lewis’ Bobby Axelrod has left the building. Heck, don’t ask me. I’m still pretending that there’s a way to make Frank Grillo’s character come back as king, but there ain’t no drama like hedge-fund-king drama. Last season brought us Janeane Garafalo as the owner of a cannabis venture, so god only knows who’s coming next because this show does a fine job with guest stars.

The Gilded Age: Season 1 (HBO series premiering 1/24)

Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes heads into (as the title suggests) the American Gilded Age with Christine Baranski in a dramatic role and Cynthia Nixon making us all imagine how Miranda Hobbes would fare in Old New York. This story takes place in the highest society of 1880s New York, where old and new money collide, as do the wigs and costumes on familiar faces. Those include Carrie Coon and Morgan Spector, oh and also, Louisa Jacobson happens to be the daughter of Meryl Streep, so you’ll want to hop on that bandwagon early.

Snowpiercer: Season 3 (TNT series returning 1/24)

Somehow, this TV adaptation of the 2013 Bong Joon Ho movie began on a procedural note and then gained momentum in Season 2 before it did the unthinkable: decided to cast Sean Bean and not kill him. Well, Bean’s Mr. Wilford must be hellaciously angry over the split-train thing, and fortunately, Jennifer Connelly will return after Melanie pulled a fast one. This is one reimagining that hits the nail on the head against all odds, especially considering that the film remains so beloved, and Chris “Babies Taste Best” Evans and Tilda Swinton aren’t even aboard.

Resident Alien: Season 2 (USA Network and SYFY series returning 1/26)

Alan Tudyk (who genre fans know and love from Firefly, Rogue One, and many more entries) is still a freaking alien in this adaptation of the Dark Horse comic of the same name. If that’s not enough to stoke your curiosity, then please know that he’s also an alien who decides to become a small-town doctor as a cover for his true desire: to murder humans. Somewhere along the way, he decided to reevaluate that mission and then decided to help solve a murder. You won’t be disappointed if you give this one a shot.