Fancying itself a hip-hop and cannabis festival, The Smoker’s Club Fest is returning on April 30th for the first time since 2018. This year’s affair is going down at the Live Nation-operated Glen Helen Amphitheater in San Bernardino, CA and has Kid Cudi, ASAP Rocky, and Playboi Carti atop the bill. But it’s the rest of the lineup for the all-ages festival that’s really unbelievable, especially when you consider that it’s all going down in a single day.
Directly below the headliners are Schoolboy Q performing Oxymoron and Wiz Khalifa playing Kush & Orange Juice. They’re followed by 2 Chainz and Ferg, and a bit further down is Lupe Fiasco playing Food & Liquor. Again, this is all in one day?? There’s also Joey Badass, Flatbush Zombies, Danny Brown, Dom Kennedy, Larry June, Uproxx cover stars Wale and Rico Nasty, Earl Sweatshirt, Ab-Soul, Jay Rock, and we can go on, but check out the poster that the festival posted to their Instagram account today:
This is a pretty insane hip-hop lineup that could easily be spread apart across two or even three days. It’ll be interesting to see how they pull it off.
The Smoker’s Club festival goes down on 04/30 in San Bernardino, CA. Ticketing pre-sale begins on Monday 01/24 at 10am PST. You can sign up for the pre-sale code now here.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
For many a fast food lover out there, nothing trumps spice. It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about chicken sandwiches, a cheeseburger, or simply a side dish — if you tell us it’s spicy, we’re probably going to order it. Spicy dishes add some much-needed excitement into the often bland world of fast food flavors, and a strong kick of heat goes a long way toward making your meal something to remember.
The best spicy food hits you with a rush of heat that then lingers on the palate. If the Scovilles are high enough, spice can actually cover for other culinary shortcomings or convince you to tamp the heat down with a cold vanilla shake — both of which benefit the fast food brands. And since the Popeye’s spicy chicken mayhem led to a full-on deluge of spicy options crowding fast food menu boards, we decided to separate the hot trash from the good stuff.
Methodology
To help keep this list focused we limited each fast food chain to only one spicy entry each. Naturally, we went with the spiciest option currently available on that particular menu. We also disqualified any dishes that weren’t inherently spicy, meaning if they required additional self-applied hot sauce or seasoning they wouldn’t be considered. Each dish was ordered as is and then given a rating of one to five for both the dish’s heat and overall flavor.
The numbers were then added up for a final score and a few parting words on the experience. Let’s start ranking!
10. Taco Bell — Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Tacos
Taco Bell
Heat: 1
Flavor: 2.5
Tasting Notes:
What the hell is going on here Taco Bell? How is the Mexican-inspired fast food restaurant the place with the least amount of inherently spicy food? To be fair to Taco Bell, yes, you can instantly turn anything on the menu into something spicy with the use of Taco Bell’s variety of hot sauces, but even still — this menu leaves a lot to be desired in the spice department.
Throw some fresh jalapeños into a burrito, or slices of Serrano chilis in a taco for God’s sake, Taco Bell! When your spiciest dish is Doritos branded, you’ve got a problem. This taco isn’t spicy, it has that tongue-tingling aftertaste that is distinct to Doritos, but overall we would classify it as more stale than spicy.
The Finale Score 3.5
A truly sad effort from Taco Bell. Taco Bell has jalapeños on the menu and they can be added to any order but they’re pickled, which weakens the heat and gives them a sort of off-putting tang — so this is the spiciest it’s going to get at Taco Bell without the use of hot sauce. It’s a real shame.
I love Nashville-style hot chicken, and while I don’t think you need to go all the way to Nashville to find a great spicy bird, turns out you can’t go to Kentucky. KFC’s Nashville Hot Tenders are a disgrace to the very concept of Nashville hot chicken. Where it should be spicy and smokey, it’s just… wet.
Each tender drips with sauce and the overwhelming flavor of vinegar dominates each bite. It’s not in the least bit spicy it’s just awful.
The Finale Score: 4
Unless you like wet tenders that taste like vinegar and artificial smoke, don’t order these.
Last year McDonald’s unleashed three new chicken sandwiches and while the spicy is by far the best tasting of the trio, overall this sandwich leaves a lot to be desired.
In the heat department, it delivers – McDonald’s sandwich features a spicy pepper sauce brushed on each bun that packs a distinct spicy kick. The heat is immediate and a black pepper flavor dominates the aftertaste which tames the spice in a nice balanced way. The sauce is so good McDonald’s should make it a dipping option!
Unfortunately, the chicken patty here is downright awful. The meat flakes off the filet in this unappetizing way and the texture is akin to rubber. The end result is overly chewy to the point of being a distraction.
The Finale Score: 5
It’s not worth ordering, but if your friend ever gets one ask them if you can dip a fry in that sauce before they take a bite. It’ll be the spiciest and best-tasting experience you can have at McDonald’s. And, for your friend, the saddest.
7. Carl’s Jr. — Hot Honey Hand-Breaded Chicken Sandwich
Carl
Heat: 2 Flavor: 4
Tasting Notes:
Carl’s Jr.’s Hot Honey chicken sandwich is great, the chicken is juicy and hand-breaded in crater-filled batter that soaks up the sweet hot honey sauce perfectly, while bacon adds sumptuous smokiness and extra crunch with a nutty Swiss cheese-induced aftertaste. It’s just not hot enough for us. Honey is a great compliment to spiciness, but the sweetness it imbues into the overall flavor absolutely dominates the burn.
Heat is treated more like a supplement to the sweetness, it balances out the honey and keeps it from tasting overly candied. Overall Carl’s Jr. doesn’t have anything to add to the world of spicy foods, and that’s a huge let down from a place that always delivers on flavor across their sandwiches and sides.
The Finale Score: 6
It tastes good, but if spicy food is what you’re after this majorly misses the mark.
Wendy’s was the only real casualty of our “One dish from each fast food restaurant” rule as the chain has a host of spicy options. Ultimately we had to go with the hottest, which is the classic Spicy Nugget. Yes, Wendy’s spicy chicken breast filet uses the same hot cayenne-pepper forward breading used on the nuggets, but the more meaty chew of the filet masks some of that spice. With the nugget, the experience is a lot more direct.
The weird processed chicken paste (it is what it is) in this nugget is airy and little more than texture, which puts the focus entirely on the spice from the cayenne pepper. The only thing holding this one back from climbing higher is the spongey overly processed chicken housed inside this perfectly spicy breading.
The Final Score 6.5
They’re hot enough that you’ll want a sip of your Frosty between bites, but we’re dealing with highly processed chicken here, so this isn’t something you want to make your meal. Instead order a four-piece order and eat it as a side, it’ll instantly elevate your experience.
Burger King’s Spicy Ch’King sandwich is one of the chain’s best menu options… it’s just not very spicy. The dominant flavor of this sandwich is black pepper, and the spicy glaze that is brushed across the filet adds more sweetness to the overall experience than it does heat. Overall it’s a nice compliment, but ultimately Burger King’s glaze just feels a little safe and the sandwich doesn’t come off as very spicy on the palate.
It’s as if BK wanted to make a spicy sandwich, but didn’t want to alienate those who can’t handle the heat. Don’t cater to those weaklings Burger King, that’s what the non-spicy version of the sandwich is for!
The Final Score: 7
It’s a lot like Carl’s Jr’s sandwich but leans more heavily on the savory spectrum of flavors than the sweet side that Carl’s Jr’s Hot Honey sandwich lives in. We have a few suggestions for how to improve this sandwich, Burger King: utilize more of the spicy glaze, and add a slice of habanero pepper jack cheese. Then you’ll have something that truly delivers what the name promises.
If this was a ranking that simply listed the spiciest foods in fast food, Wingstop’s Atomic sauced wings would take the top spot, no contest. But this isn’t that and while these wings are indeed spicy, the flavor of the sauce is straight-up wack. Every spice lover wants a food so spicy it’s almost hallucinogenic, we’re all secretly looking to live out our 15 minutes of Hot Ones fame, but sometimes in the quest for mind breaking heat, we forget about the most important aspect of good food: flavor.
The Atomic sauce has an awful aftertaste that really ruins the experience. There is a slight hint of citrusy habanero in there, but this sauce hits you with too much sweetness at one time and doesn’t deliver the heat until it has completely drenched your palate. Unfortunately, by the time that happens a dirty bitter flavor dominates and stains your tongue. It’s just not enjoyable to eat in any way. Luckily the chicken makes up for it, it’s juicy tender bone-in chicken so it beats a lot of the processed stuff out there.
The Final Score: 7.5
This score still seems too high because, at the end of the day, I’d straight up suggest that you don’t order these. Even if you love extreme heat. If you want the best spicy experience from Wingstop order the slightly less hot Mango Habanero flavor. It’s not as extreme as Atomic, but it tastes worlds better and features a more balanced experience.
Panda Express’ Kung Pao Chicken is probably the most balanced dish on this ranking. Featuring a mix of bell pepper, zucchini, peanuts, chili peppers, and green onions, this chicken stir fry bounces between tongue-tingling heat and savory sweetness as umami-packed kung pao sauce delivers the spice while the fresh veggies cleanse your palate between bites.
Fresh veggies aren’t the norm in fast food, but they’re a welcome addition here that adds a lot of complexity to this dish. I just wish at the end of the day that it was a bit spicier. It probably doesn’t compare to the spicy kung pao at your favorite Chinese restaurant — there’s people-pleasing tameness here that I think ultimately holds this dish back from really blowing minds.
The Finale Score: 7.5
It’s delicious, adequately spicy, balanced, and one of your only opportunities to eat veggies in the fast food universe. If Panda Express kicks up the heat a bit this might be worthy of the top spot.
This is the sandwich that single-handedly changed the fast food landscape. So many chicken sandwiches in the last three years have been inspired by Popeyes’ masterpiece, and not a single one has been able to dethrone the king. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better-tasting chicken sandwich in all of fast food but if you’re looking for fast food’s spiciest sandwich, thiss fails to deliver.
This sandwich just isn’t that spicy — its only source of heat is a thin mayo-based spicy sauce that is brushed on both buns. This is puzzling to us considering Popeyes makes a delicious spicy chicken batter for its bone-in and chicken tenders, they just for some reason have decided that they don’t want to bread their chicken breast filet in it. Why, Popeyes? Why?!
The Final Score: 8
It pains us to rank Popeyes delicious chicken sandwich this low, but that’s just how the math works out and until this sandwich gets the spicy breading it deserves, it’s just going to have to be comfortable not being the spiciest dish in all of fast food.
You can’t win them all, Popeyes! Well, you could, but you just don’t seem to want to for some reason.
TIED FOR 1st: Arby’s — Diablo Dare Chicken Sandwich
Arby
Heat: 5 Flavor: 4
Tasting Notes:
Arby’s doesn’t really do spicy all that well. Let me correct that, Arby’s didn’t do spice that well until they hit us with the Diablo Dare sandwich. Available in both chicken and brisket form, the Diablo Dare is hands-down, fast food’s spiciest sandwich. The sandwich is built with multiple layers of spice, ghost pepper jack cheese, a generous shake of cayenne pepper seasoning, spicy habanero barbecue sauce, and roasted diced jalapeños peppers, giving each bite a wince-inducing hit of heat that will produce sweat on your brow and double your mealtime as you struggle to get through it.
There isn’t another fast food dish that delivers on heat this well anywhere out there. Unfortunately, the sandwich’s protein holds it back from truly being perfect. The chicken here isn’t that great, it’s more breading than meat while the brisket is too dry and overly sweet. If Arby’s could figure out how to make a better fried chicken filet, they wouldn’t just have the spiciest sandwich in the fast food universe, they’d have the best tasting one.
Step up your game, Popeyes, because Arby’s is coming for you.
The Final Score: 9
It’s the spiciest fast food sandwich you’ll ever have the pleasure of eating but you’ll have to move fast, it’s only available on Arby’s menu until February 6th, 2022. Here is to hoping it earns a permanent spot.
TIED FOR 1st: Chick-fil-A — Spicy Deluxe Chicken Sandwich
Chick-fil-A
Heat: 4 Flavor: 5
Tasting Notes:
Chick-fil-A’s Spicy Deluxe Chicken Sandwich used to be fast food’s best tasting and spiciest chicken sandwich, but it’s been knocked off its throne in each respective category. Popeyes famous chicken sandwich is nowhere near as spicy as this, but it has a way better flavor, and Arby’s Diablo Dare chicken sandwich is several levels hotter than this, but nowhere near as delicious. That leaves Chick-fil-A’s delicious Spicy Deluxe with what feels like a stolen win as it hovers in a weird sort of limbo. Before we talk about why it doesn’t deserve the top spot, let’s talk about what it does right.
Chick-fil-A marinates its chicken in pickle brine, and it leaves each piece from the nuggets, to the tenders, to the chicken sandwich filets bursting with flavor. It’s slightly tangy, tender, and juicy with a complexity and distinct flavor that no other fast food chain even comes close to replicating. This chicken breast filet is one of fast food’s best tasting. The spicy breading is full of cayenne and black pepper with notes of smokey paprika that together combine to deliver a journey of flavors. But alas… it could be spicier. Even with the inclusion of pepper jack cheese to this sandwich, it just doesn’t taste dangerously spicy enough to deserve the top spot in a ranking of fast food’s best tasting spicy dishes.
If Arby’s Diablo Dare didn’t exist, maybe we could give this sandwich the top spot, but until the first week of February, the Diablo Dare does exist.
The Final Score: 9
If you’re looking for a spicy sandwich that delivers on heat while tasting delicious, Chick-fil-A’s Spicy Deluxe won’t let you down. But if you’re looking for a sandwich so spicy eating it feels like a challenge, this won’t get you there. It’s much more balanced in its approach and it’s better for it, even at the cost of being hotter.
The Bottom Line — So What Is Fast Food’s Best Spicy Dish?
After February 6th, I guess we’re going to have to give it to Chick-fil-A’s Spicy Deluxe Sandwich. It might not deliver the spiciest experience per bite, but it’s the best tasting inherently spicy dish in all of fast food. But ending our ranking with a tie just won’t do, so we’re going to bend the rules just a bit for a tiebreaker that will deliver everything we wish the Diablo Dare and Spicy Deluxe could: that perfect balance of heat and flavor.
Tie Breaker: Five Guys — Cheeseburger
Heat: 5 Flavor: 5
Tasting Notes:
If you want the spiciest dish in all of fast food, you’re unfortunately going to have to take things into your own hands. Five Guys’ menu is fully customizable (which is why it was disqualified from this ranking), which makes creating the perfect spicy burger incredibly easy. Let’s build it:
Start with the Five Guys cheeseburger, that’ll give you two patties of beef and two slices of American cheese.
Ask for fresh and grilled jalapeño peppers, grilled onions, grilled green peppers, and your choice of mayo, ketchup and mustard, or A1 steak sauce. You’d think hot sauce would be the most obvious choice (which Five Guys has), but it can throw your burger off balance, so it’s important to balance out the heat with savory steak sauce, sweet ketchup, earthy mustard or the neutral flavor of mayo.
Or feel free to go nuts and add all of them together, plus the hot sauce.
The Finale Score: A perfect 10.
It doesn’t get spicier than this. The heat from this sandwich will come courtesy of the jalapeños, which aren’t pickled so they retain the maximum level of heat. Five Guys also makes no attempt to remove the fleshy spine or the seeds of the pepper. It’s everything that the Arby’s Diablo Dare sandwich is, plus a juicy, perfectly salted, and flavorful meat patty.
An Arkansas law (the first of its kind in the U.S.) will soon limit healthcare for transgender youth (including a ban on doctors performing procedures related to gender-affirming care or even recommending gender-affirming care). The Huffington Post has detailed how 50 prominent trans Americans have signed an amicus (“friend of the court”) brief in support of a lawsuit filed by doctors and families of transgender youth (several documents related to the lawsuit are hosted by the ACLU). Supporters of the lawsuit include The Umbrella Academy star Elliot Page and director Lilly Wachowski, who came out as transgender in December 2020 and March 2021, respectively.
Both Page and Wachowski provided statements in the legal filing to support how much better they felt after coming out as their true selves and receiving necessary medical care. Page affirmed that he felt freer and more creative “because the constant discomfort and pain around that aspect of my body was gone,” and Wachowski “would sometimes catch short sharp glimpses of my reflection in windows and cars as I’d walk along or ride my bike,” and this “would make my heart skip a beat.” Lilly added, “The silhouette of my shadow on the ground cast by the afternoon sun was exhilarating and life affirming.”
Another signatory of the amicus brief, trans athlete Chris Mosier, is calling attention to the cause and expressing gratitude for how the community is coming together to rally against this Arkansas law.
My best advocacy is waking up every day & living an awesome life. Thank you @TLDEF for making this amicus brief to share trans joy. I am grateful to share my joy & success on these pages alongside so many other happy, successful trans adults.
As the ACLU details, the plaintiffs in this lawsuit claim that House Bill 1570 is unconstitutional and discriminatory, given that it allows private insurance companies to deny medical care to trans youth. The families involved in the lawsuit are all considering leaving Arkansas in order to access this care, given that this law’s set to take effect in July 2022.
If you’ve ever dreamed about living out the (budget-friendly) authentic California lifestyle — sandy beaches, surfable waves, endless sunshine, saltwater hair, laidback attitudes, huge burritos… — it’s hard to think of a better property to do it at than Surfhouse. Located on the historic Coast Highway 101 in Encinitas, California, one of the most renowned surf towns in a state full of surf towns, the property is basically a physical representation of “SoCal summer vibes” (as someone who grew up in Los Angeles, I’d say I’m a pretty good judge of this). And while turning a mood into a hotel can often feel cheesy, it comes together here thanks to the design, recreation options, and location.
If you’re ready to hit the waves, live like a local, and soak in all the sunshine California has to offer, it might be time to book your stay at Surfhouse. For a more in-depth review of the property and why it’s worth a visit, check out my full rundown below!
WHY IT’S AWESOME:
Chloe Caldwell
As the name hints, Surfhouse is centered around all things surf culture, from the room decor to the amenities. The property is a refurbished motel or motorlodge, meaning you drive right up to your room — adding to the retro-cruisy aesthetic of it all. And the Encinitas location means you’ll get all of the beach culture without nearby San Diego’s issues with parking and crowds.
Whereas many boutique hotels that rely on surf culture to inspire their design feel generic, Surfhouse has a true sense of place. The hotel founders are Encinitas-natives and worked hard to show the best the town has to offer. The property partners with a variety of Encinitas businesses — from restaurants to artists to tour companies — to give a truly local, small-town feel to everything.
NEARBY FOOD & DRINK:
You can’t go to Southern California without eating and drinking the essentials — a California burrito bigger than your head, bomb seafood, and craft beers to wash it down. Fortunately, you don’t need to go far (like, at all) when you stay at Surfhouse. The property is literally within steps of delicious restaurants, coffee shops, and bars, as well as art galleries and shops.
I went to Kai Olda Sushi, a locally-owned sushi spot influenced by Japanese and Hawaiian roots. The Black Cod appetizer was pricey, but I let out an audible “mmm” when I tasted it, so… splurge. You also can’t go wrong with the specialty “Sunset” roll, made with spicy tuna, tempura shrimp, cucumber, avocado, seared scallops, ponzu, and truffle oil. It’s a seafood flavor explosion in your mouth.
I also loved the local, hipster-ish coffee shop across the street, Coffee Coffee, where I started every morning of my stay with an oat milk latte. Take a walk both ways down the street and you’ll come across a ton of cool spots for dining and drinking, such as Solterra Winery & Kitchen and Saint Archer Brewing Co.
AMENITIES:
Chloe Caldwell
Complimentary beach cruiser bikes
Surfboard and surf gear rentals
Surf lessons (additional cost)
Access to local adventures like stand-up paddleboarding, yoga classes, kayaking, or local beer tours
Guest discount rates for local businesses
Nearby beach access
Outdoor cabana
Outdoor shower
Free WiFi
ROOM TYPES:
Chloe Caldwell
The cool thing about Surfhouse’s accommodations is that every room is slightly unique. With eight rooms total on the property, each one is carefully crafted to represent local surf breaks and beaches. What’s more, every room is decorated using artwork designed by local artists, artisans, and craftspeople.
Six out of the eight rooms offer a queen bed, while the “Seaside” room includes two extra-long twin beds. If you’re on a couples vacation or traveling with a group of friends, the “Pipes” room is a great option (although it’s best for close-knit friends, considering it’s a bit cozy). It sleeps four in custom extra large twin bunk beds.
Click here for everything you need to know about each of the one-of-a-kind rooms.
THE BEST THING TO DO WITHIN A 10-MINUTE WALK:
Chloe Caldwell
This one is kind of a no-brainer. The best thing to do while staying at Surfhouse is, of course, hitting the beach. It’s less than a five-minute walk to Leucadia State Beach where you’ll find a gorgeous cliffside view (a great spot to watch the sunset!), a long stretch of golden sand, and a slew of local groms reaping the benefits of their hometown.
Whether you decide to surf, partake in watersports, or spend the day tanning and enjoying the chilly Pacific Ocean from afar, Leucadia is worth visiting at least once every day of your stay.
THE BEST THING TO DO WITHIN A 10-MINUTE DRIVE:
If you’ve had enough of the beach, take a short drive to the Downtown Shopping District. The historic district is more than 100 years old and full of sidewalk cafés, trendy clothing boutiques, souvenir shops, and locally-owned restaurants. It’s also a great spot to check out the local art scene — the murals and street art throughout the area are sure to catch your eye (and, who are we kidding, your camera lens) while you shop.
BED GAME:
Chloe Caldwell
If you like to spread out, definitely book one of the queen rooms for your stay. I’m a 5’2″ woman and was perfectly comfortable and cozy in my extra-long twin bed, but I can’t imagine that being the best option for someone with a larger overall frame. With that being said, the actual mattress, pillows, and comforter were like a gentle cloud at the end of a long day in the sun.
It was hard not to pass out as soon as my head hit the pillow, and I slept like a baby every night.
Rating: 7/10
SEXINESS RATING:
Chloe Caldwell
Beachside sunset views are the epitome of romance. Not to mention, there’s something about doing fun and adventurous activities together — surfing, biking, exploring the local hotspots — that makes you want to head straight back to the hotel room as soon as the sun goes down.
Rating: 7/10
THE VIEWS AND PHOTO SPOTS:
You’re next to the beach in California. Does it really get better than that when it comes to snapping an artsy palm tree photo or posting that thirst-trap of a bikini pic? Not only does the beach backdrop make for Insta-worthy photos, but the hotel property itself offers a plethora of worthy photo opportunities.
Between the blue hues of the building and rooms, the outdoor shower and wooden, palm tree-lined deck, and the giant mutual painted on the backside of the hotel, it’s safe to say you’ll find plenty of places to strike a pose.
Rating: 10/10
BEST SEASON TO VISIT:
Chloe Caldwell
Being that Southern California is sunny pretty much year-round, there’s really not a bad time to go. However, if you want to make the most out of your time at the beach and leave 10 shades tanner than when you arrived, then you’ll want to book your stay during summer. The UV index during June and July will do wonders for your bronze. Fortunately, the icy chill of the Pacific Ocean will cool you off when you get too hot lounging in the sand.
IF I HAD TO COMPLAIN ABOUT ONE THING:
Chloe Caldwell
There’s not much to complain about at Surfhouse, but I’d say that the property could use more rental bikes. I loved riding the streets of Encinitas and exploring the nearby neighborhoods. However, there were only a few bikes available, which means I had to wake up early and snag my ride before other guests got to them first.
BOOK HERE:
Surfhouse offers eight thoughtfully designed rooms, each one uniquely inspired by a different legendary surf break or beach. Expect to pay around $195 to $250 per night depending on your room choice. Of course, prices range on the higher side during weekends.
As the Twilight renaissance rages on, the internet becomes blessed with more and more gems from the legendary vampire series. In a new episode of The Big Hit Show podcast, director Catherine Hardwicke reveals how they ended up casting Edward…by looking through the Harry Potter cast.
Twilight producer Eric Feig met with Summit executive Gillian Bohrer and looked through cast photos for the popular wizarding series when one face struck him. “I remember saying, ‘It’s someone Byronic. It’s someone British, I’m telling you, it’s someone who’s on a bluff staring off into the distance, looking romantic.’” They found that half longing, half absent stare in the face of a young Robert Pattinson.
Catherine Hardwicke recalls meeting Pattinson for the first time in her home. “He walked in and he had his hair was died black for some play, with these wacky bangs. He was a bit out of shape. His shirt was just all messy, and I’m like, ‘Ooh, okay. Okay, let’s see how this goes.’”
Pattinson then did a scene with Kristen Stewart. “Rob and Kristen auditioned on my bed, the kissing scene, Rob was so into it he fell off the bed. I’m like, ‘Dude, calm down.’” That’s when Hardwicke knew that she had found her brooding male lead, who was vastly different than his Harry Potter character, Cedric Diggory. Though they did share a common thread — one of them was undead, the other ended up dead. And now he’s Batman, so it all works out.
Call of Duty is one of the biggest franchises in all of gaming. Activision Blizzard’s yearly first-person shooter game is frequently one of the highest-selling games across every console. So when everyone found out that Microsoft, the producer of Xbox, was acquiring Activision Blizzard, there was immediate concern about what that may mean for the possibility of Call of Duty becoming an Xbox/PC exclusive, thereby leaving PlayStation owners in the cold.
On Thursday, Phil Spencer, the head of Microsoft Gaming, put all of those concerns to rest. In a tweet, Spencer confirmed that the hope is to keep Call of Duty on the PlayStation, as well as honor any contracts that Activision Blizzard currently has with other console producers.
Had good calls this week with leaders at Sony. I confirmed our intent to honor all existing agreements upon acquisition of Activision Blizzard and our desire to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation. Sony is an important part of our industry, and we value our relationship.
This information from Spencer comes not too long after a Sony spokesperson told the The Wall Street Journal that it expects Microsoft to fulfill any Activision Blizzard contractual obligations.
This is great news for anyone who owns a PlayStation and was worried about the possibility of being unable to play Call of Duty. That said, we do wonder what Spencer and Microsoft’s grand plans are for the future of the franchise. We likely won’t know, though, until the acquisition of Activision Blizzard closes in 2023.
Huge news hit the gaming world earlier this week when it was announced that that Microsoft, producer of the Xbox, will purchase Activision Blizzard. One of the largest publishers in the industry, Activision Blizzard is best known as the company that publishes Call of Duty, along with numerous other IPs that span multiple consoles such as Overwatch, Crash Bandicoot, and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater.
It makes sense that some gamers are concerned about potential console exclusivity. Microsoft could, in theory, stop publishing games from Activision Blizzard to competing consoles like the PlayStation and Nintendo Switch. That theory might not hold as much weight as some of us initially thought, though. The Wall Street Journal recently asked a Sony spokesperson about this possibility, and it’s very clear that Sony expects Microsoft to fulfill Activision’s current contractual obligations to non-Microsoft platforms.
Sony Group Corp. said Thursday that it expected Microsoft Corp. to ensure that games from Activision Blizzard Inc. are available on non-Microsoft videogame platforms if Microsoft completes its proposed acquisition of Activision.
“We expect that Microsoft will abide by contractual agreements and continue to ensure Activision games are multiplatform,” a Sony spokesman said Thursday.
Right now, Microsoft and Activision Blizzard can’t inform any of us what it is considering for future plans with those IPs. Until the acquisition closes, which isn’t expected to happen until 2023, Microsoft can’t publicly state plans about what it wants to do with any of Activision’s IPs.
Many, many bad things happened in 2020, and one of them was Disney+ deciding to squash the new Lizzie McGuire reboot. While fans were left with little details about the revival itself, Hilary Duff did confirm that many of the cast was set to reprise their original roles. A few of the episodes were even shot before Disney+ decided to pull the plug. The network never gave a reason, but in a new interview with Cosmopolitan, Duff revealed what went down.
Talking about the plot of the revival, Duff explained,“My character was moving back home with her parents because she caught her soon-to-be fiancé cheating on her, and she was falling flat on her face at the moment and being like, ‘I need to pivot because everything that I thought was wasn’t, and I’m turning 30. What the f*ck?’” she said.
Apparently, Disney+ thought the series was too mature for their target demographic, even though that would most likely be millennials who watched the original series and are now at that age. When asked if Duff ever thought about leaking the scrapped series, she said it crossed her mind, but ultimately decided against it.
“But I wouldn’t, because in my 34 years I’ve realized that everything does happen for a reason,” Duff continued. “There’s a time and a place for everything. It just wasn’t her moment. I’m constantly asked about it still. All it does is breathe life into the fact that people still want it, and that’s really sweet. It’s not dead, and it’s not alive.”
Even though fans won’t get the Lizzie revival anytime soon, Duff is starring in the How I Met Your Mother reboot, How I Met Your Father, which just premiered on Hulu. So, there is still hope for a Lizzie/Gordo reunion.
Just a week after it was reported that Jennifer Hough had dropped her harassment lawsuit against Nicki Minaj, a new development reveals that she intends to refile the case in California. According to Rolling Stone, Hough’s lawyer told a federal magistrate judge that the only reason they’d withdrawn their case against the rapper — which was filed in the Eastern District of New York — was to ensure that the case was tried in the correct jurisdiction.
The lawyer, Seven N. Gordon, said, “We plan to refile it in a court with proper jurisdiction.” Judge James R. Cho confirmed that Gordon intended to also refile the case against Kenneth Petty, Nicki’s husband, asking, “If you intend to refile the action in another jurisdiction, do you intend this case to follow as well?” However, Gordon said that consolidation of the harassment cases would depend on the outcome of Hough’s request for a default judgment in the case against Petty, whom she’s also suing for sexual assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress from his 1995 conviction for attempted rape.
If awarded the default judgment, the sex assault claims would continue in New York, while the harassment claims would be consolidated in California, where Petty and Nicki Minaj now live. Meanwhile, Nicki’s lawyer again characterized the lawsuit as an attempted shakedown, telling Rolling Stone, “This is just a frivolous gambit to avoid a sanctions motion which I told them that I would be filing shortly and for which they refuse to set a schedule. As usual, they have decided to adopt a tactic without bothering to research the law. Had they done so, they would realize that re-filing their frivolous action in another jurisdiction will only result in another court sanctioning them.”
Hough filed the suit last August, saying that Nicki and Petty had tried to intimidate her into recanting her claim that Petty had tried to rape her at knifepoint in 1994 in an effort to get Petty removed from the sex offenders registry. Petty was indicted in 2020 for failing to register with his new address when the couple moved to LA in 2019. He pled guilty to failing to register around the time Hough filed her suit and is awaiting sentencing on March 30.
Single Drunk Female (Freeform, 10:00pm) — A 20-something alcoholic (portrayed by Sofia Black-D’Elia) must sober up and move back in with her mother, leaving her New York media career behind. This series is created by Simone Finch, and Jenni Konner executive produces this irreverent series about how a young woman must rebuild her life while being surrounded by constant alcohol triggers, including a formerly close friend who’s moved in on her ex. Not great, but you can’t let the world get you down forever.
La Fortuna: Season 1 (AMC+ series) — Stanley Tucci’s a rogue treasure hunter attempting to track down a sunken ship from the 1800s, and he get embroiled within a government conspiracy in the process. What more do you need to know?
Moses Storm: Trash White (HBO Max series) — Comedian and author makes his special debut here while getting incredibly personal about dumpster diving a child in extreme poverty, despite his polished, Ivy League looks.
The Envoys: Season 1 (Paramount+ series) — This Spanish-language series revolves around two priests that are digging into claims of miracles while attempting figure out what’s real and what’s fabricated.
The Royal Treatment (Netflix film) — A hairdresser in the Big Apple ends up making heads pretty for a charming prince’s wedding, and then, like, they end up having a thing? This sounds sketchy as heck, and of course, he’ll find himself torn between duty and love in the process. Bridgerton this ain’t.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: Season 23 (NBC, 8:00pm) — Rollins and Velasco are in the midst of too many secrets after a popular fighter goes on the lam, and Benson receives some unexpected info.
Law & Order: Organized Crime: Season 2 (NBC, 9:00pm) — Dylan McDermott recently returned, and Chris Meloni’s beard has been getting lost. This week, Stabler is looking for help to defend his shenanigans. Meanwhile, Jet and Malachi are attempting to track down Wheatley while Angela’s under watch.
Ghosts (CBS, 9:00pm) — Sam and Jay are planning to co-host a friend’s wedding, but a vengeful ghost tries to ruin everything.
Jimmy Kimmel Live — Jason Bateman, Ashley Park, Ghost
The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon — Will Forte, Jennifer Coolidge, Gunna
The Late Late Show With James Corden — Ed Helms, Rachel Brosnahan, Samm Henshaw
Late Night With Seth Meyers — Ricky Gervais, Edi Patterson, Daniel Fang
In case you missed this streaming pick from last week:
Peacemaker: Season 1 (HBO Max series) — 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 bro, and it’s still hellaciously funny that this is happening because James Gunn got bored during quarantine and decided to write this TV show. Enjoy that opening dance scene.
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