Month: February 2022

The anti-vax trucker protests that plagued parts of Canada over the last month are currently winding down, though they did more than clog cities like Ottawa. They also inspired copycats in France. But a MAGA-themed version, which was set to “choke” D.C. on Wednesday, stumbled right out of the gate.

As per The Daily Beast, MAGA trucker Bob Bolus had hyped up a convoy of 10 to 20 trucks that would march from Scranton to D.C., which it would treat like the Canadian truckers did Ottawa. Their purpose? To protest vaccine mandates. He later added other grievances, including immigration, the death of Jan. 6 protester Ashli Babbit, and, of course, Critical Race Theory.

“I’ll give you an analogy of that of a giant boa constrictor,” Bobus boasted. The threat was so real that the Pentagon approved of nearly 700 National Guards personnel to assist local authorities should multiple convoys create gridlock.

But no such constricting was to happen. Why? Because no one showed up. That’s not true. Bolus showed up with his 18-wheeler, though he was late to arrive because he got two flat tires. Reuters reporter Julio-César Chávez, who traveled alongside the much diminished convoy, counted five pick-up trucks, one SUV, and one Sedan, for a total of eight vehicles of varying sizes, most of them quite small.

“We’re not putting a chokehold on D.C. today,” Bobus told The Daily Beast by noon, when he and the massive convoy that never materialized was originally supposed to have D.C. at its knees. “Not to say that it wouldn’t happen in the very near future. It’s just going to be an idea of what’s to come.”

For now, though, whatever shape the American version of the Canadian convoys takes on in the future, it at least had a start that was even more disastrous than the first day of Trump’s new Twitter clone.

(Via The Daily Beast)

The Rich sisters are unusual for their shared basketball skills. All four of them—senior Mackenzie, junior Courtney, sophomore Avery and eighth-grader Dakota—play for the top-ranked New London-Spicer High School basketball team in New London, Minnesota. But according to a report by KARE 11, the fact that four sisters all play for the same high school team at the same time isn’t the most interesting part of their story.

The Wildcats are ranked No. 1 in the state and are coached by Mike Dreier, who has been coaching the team for 43 seasons. One of the reasons Coach Dreier has been there for so long? The Rich girls’ dad, Earl.

Earl Rich attended New London-Spicer High School himself and played sports, like his daughters. He was also a foster kid who caught the eye and heart of caring coach Mike Dreier.

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Earl’s mother became unable to care for him due to illness when he was in second grade. His biological father wasn’t in the picture, and Earl ended up living in five different foster homes.

When Dreier found out that Earl was going to be transferred to a different school his sophomore year because his fifth foster family was giving him up, the coach made a quick decision.

“I was in the lunchroom one day,” Dreier told KARE, “and the music teacher was saying, ‘Aww, Earl’s gonna have to move to Willmar.’ Listened to him and I said, ‘Well he can come live with me.’”

Earl knew Dreier, having been coached by him in seventh grade football, but he was still shocked to find out he was offering to take him in.

But they got the paperwork completed, and Earl lived with Dreier from his sophomore year until he graduated high school. What’s more, Dreier served as a father figure for Earl—something he hadn’t experienced up until then.

“I never spent three years at one place,” Earl says. “He just gave me every aspect of a dad that I never had.”

Earl went off to college at Southwest Minnesota State University, where he played football and baseball. Then he returned to New London to start his own real estate business.

Dreier, now 69, had planned to stop coaching by now, but Earl implored him to stick around so that he could coach his daughters.

“You gotta keep coaching, you’ve got to coach my kids,” Dreier recalls Earl saying. “I just said, ‘I can’t. I don’t think I’ll be hanging on that long, Earl.’”

Earl told his girls, “If there’s any coach I want you to play for, it would be him.”

Dreier decided to stick it out. Now, he coaches the four daughters of the man he helped raise through his teen years. And his team, with the four Rich girls playing on it, is undefeated.

Not a bad legacy to leave on all fronts, Coach Dreier.

Nearly two years after the incident that left her shot in the foot, Tory Lanez and Megan The Stallion’s felony assault case had a pre-trial hearing today. Tory is accused of shooting the rapper back in the summer of 2020 and he faces felony charges for assault with a semi-automatic firearm and carrying a loaded and unregistered firearm in his vehicle. Before the hearing began today, things took a turn when DJ Akademiks tweeted that Tory Lanez’s “DNA WAS NOT found on the weapon” that was used in the alleged crime. This sparked a war of words between the two, while Megan pointed out that the hearing had not begun at the time of Akademiks’ tweet.

Things cooled down for a bit, but picked back up after Tory Lanez himself jumped into the mix. Megan shared a screenshot of Tory apologizing to her the morning after he allegedly shot her. In response to the screenshot, Tory tweeted, “Good D*ick had me f*cking 2 best friends …. and I got caught [shrug emoji] … that’s what I apologized 4 . … it’s sick how u Spun it tho.” This sparked a brief back and forth between Tory and rapper and Megan’s boyfriend Pardi who wrote, “put the phone dwn let’s link .. you n me .. ain’t nothin to talk about.” Megan also responded to Tory’s tweet. “F*cking two best friends… n**** you SHOT ME YOU KNOW WHATS WHAT YOU WERE APOLOGIZING FOR,” she wrote on her Instagram Story. “YOU KEEP PUTTING A NARRATIVE OUT THAT ME AND MY FRIEND FELL OUT ABT YOU AND THATS NOT TRUE! WHY ARE YOU SKIPPING OVER THE SHOOTING JUST ADMIT YOU SHOT ME! BC SHE DEFINITELY AINT DO IT AND I AINT SHOOT MY DAMN SELF.”

Megan continued, “YOU THINK ITS OKAY TO SHOOT ME THEN HARASS ME ONLINE AND MAKE IT LIKE THIS WAS SOME WEIRD CAT FIGHT WHAT THE ACTUAL F*CK IS WRONG WITH YOU.” She also took a moment to address Akademik’s response after she called him at for falsely reporting things. “Big AKKKK??? LITTLE
Boy please,” she wrote on her Instagram Story. “Why would you post there was no DNA FOUND but now saying it’s inconclusive ?? How are YOU Specifically able to see documents before they come out in court?”

Akademiks jumped in with a message of his own on Twitter. “Aye.. i dont give a f*ck bout what u got with tory,” he wrote. “Yall can play yall PR games.. we kno what u n roc nation is doing. i dont care. Just dont try to bring in my brand in there. U literally a Peon in the game. 1501 OWNS u and u beg them everytime to drop a song.” He continued, “U so bothered over my TWEETING out FACTS about tory case. GO ASK THE DA… DNA RESULTS WAS SUBMITTED in discovery… why u care so much what the internet says? OH i know.. U been living off a narrative and its sad u made it where if tory dont go to jail u dont win.”

“WHERE ALL MY HOT GIRLS AT?????” Akademiks continued in another tweet. “Meg.. idc what u n tory had. but dont address big ak unless u talking what the DNA report said. Holla at the DA and figure out what they said and if i Lied. If i Lied.. File the lawsuit babe.”

Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

There has been an expectation for some time that Troy Aikman will be leaving Fox, with reports that he was being strongly pursued by Amazon to join Al Michaels in their Thursday Night Football booth (although Michaels has, likewise, yet to ink an official deal.

Aikman was not shy about making his frustrations felt when it came to Fox’s draw of games during the playoffs, and it certainly seemed as if he had taken the filter off for the end of his tenure at Fox. Amazon had long been rumored to want to spend big for its Thursday Night booth and poach some big names to give their broadcast some star power, but it appears they aren’t the only ones who had big plans for 2022.

According to Andrew Marchand of the New York Post, ESPN has swooped in on Aikman and is expected to hire the Hall of Famer to take over in the Monday Night Football booth, finally landing the big name they’ve been desperately seeking since the departure of the since disgraced Jon Gruden.

ESPN is deep in negotiations with Fox Sports’ Troy Aikman to make him its lead analyst on “Monday Night Football,” The Post has learned.

Aikman’s deal is not completed yet, but there is an expectation that it will be finalized. Aikman has also been courted by Amazon.

The exact figures of Aikman’s deal are not yet fully finalized, but for him to leave Fox it is expected to be comparable to or exceed Tony Romo’s 10-year $180 million with CBS.

What is arguably more interesting than ESPN landing Aikman is what it could do for them in terms of a play-by-play hire to go next to him. Michaels has been targeted by ESPN in the past but is picky about his color commentator and wouldn’t jump ship without a big name by his side — ESPN wanted a Michaels-Manning booth a couple years ago — but Aikman was on his list for Amazon and that could swing him away from the streaming giant and give ESPN the star-filled booth they’ve been dreaming of since acquiring Monday Night Football. Marchand also notes that Joe Buck has a strong relationship with Aikman and it’s not out of the realm of possibility that ESPN could try to poach him as well, although he has so many roles at Fox, including as their lead on baseball, that the network would surely fight hard to keep him.

Normani isn’t one to be shy about promoting her music on social media, even if she thinks she’s bad at using the platforms. The rising pop star greeted 2022 by playing her new single in the car, and now she’s given fans a brief live rendition of the track. She also let listeners know that the new single is “genre-bending” and unexpected from her, while also casually dropping the news recently that her debut album is all but done. Now that’s good news!

Since the release of last year’s Cardi B-featuring fan-favorite, “Wild Side,” Normani has been riding pretty high. And fans are more than ready for her to double down on the momentum and get this album out into the world. Check out her live rendition of a snippet from the upcoming single up above, and keep your eyes glued to her social media, because earlier today Normani tweeted that she has an announcement coming very soon.

Since her first single, “Motivation,” was co-written with Ariana, and her second single,”Wild Side,” featured one of the biggest rappers in the world, maybe there’s another musical mentor involved with this third release. Or, maybe it’s just her flexing her own substantial talents. Stay tuned to find out.

Donald Trump has done all he can to impede the House Select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. He’s tried to block hundreds of documents. He’s instructed his cronies to ignore subpoenas (at their peril). He’s bad-mouthed them with non-clever name-calling. And yet tons of employees have cooperated with them, sometimes willingly. Not long after his sometime lawyer Rudy Giuliani entered talks to speak with them, the committee is reportedly on the verge of another key get: His oldest daughter.

As first reported by The New York Times, Ivanka Trump is in talks to “voluntarily” sit down for an interview with the committee. The news was confirmed by two sources and by her spokesperson. Currently the discussions are being dubbed “preliminary,” but the committee reportedly reached out to her in January, asking for her voluntary presence. Should it work out, Ivanka can provide key details about what was happening in the White House during the riot that ended in five deaths and dozens of injured Capitol police officers.

It’s long been discussed which of the former president’s children he would willingly throw under the bus should he face jail time. Conversely, it’s also been debated which of his kids would turn on him to save their own hide. Ivanka chatting with the Jan. 6 committee may not go that extreme, but since her father left office, she has been sucked into his legal whirlpool, facing all manner of trouble. Besides, unlike her older brother, she’s not prone to late-night slurry video rants.

(Via NYT)

Disclaimer: While all of the products recommended here were chosen independently by our editorial staff, Uproxx may receive payment to direct readers to certain retail vendors who are offering these products for purchase.

Welcome to SNX DLX, your weekly roundup of the best sneakers to hit the internet. Brace yourself, because to call this week “jam-packed” would be a major understatement. We’re not coming at you with a pathetic list of the five best sneakers of the week (RIP the month of January 2022, an all-time worst in sneaker drop history) we’re detailing 10 sneakers, with new kicks from New Balance, Adidas, Yeezy Brand, Nike and of course Air Jordan.

We haven’t been this hyped up about a sneaker release week since the summer of 2021 and it couldn’t have come at a better time as the weather starts to heat up and we get ready to gear up for the coming festival season. If you’re looking for some new clothes to complete your fit, be sure to hit up our weekly Euphoria Style Watch series.

But first, let’s get into this week’s kicks!

Adidas Italia CP SPZL Shoes

It’s been a minute since we’ve shown some love to Adidas’ classic Spezial sneaker but this UK market iteration of the sneaker is too dope to pass up.

Made in collaboration with C.P. Company, this sneaker is a tribute to Italian terrace culture and features a premium leather upper, leather lining, and an eye-catching mix of cloud white, bold green, and creamy off-white colors with gold leaf lettering and dual C.P. Company and Adidas branding.

The Adidas Italia CP SPZL is out now for a retail price of $216. Pick up a pair exclusively at the Adidas UK webstore or on aftermarket sites like StockX.

JJJJound x New Balance MADE 990V3 Olive

New Balance is a funny brand. Almost all of their own sneakers are boring, it’s like they don’t know how to mix colors over there, and yet anytime the brand links up with another label it’s sneaker perfection. Case in point, the New Balance MADE 990V3, made in collaboration with JJJJound.

The sneaker features a mixed upper of layered suede and mesh in a soothing olive green colorway with reflective N logo detailing, an ENCAP midsole, and white or matching olive cotton laces. As with every sneaker in the MADE series, this New Balance is 100% made in the USA.

The JJJJound x New Balance MADE 990V3 Olive is set to drop on February 24th for a retail price of $250. Pick up a pair exclusively at the JJJJound webstore.

PALACE x Reebok Victory G Gore-Tex

Why we’re never shy about showing our love for UK streetwear label PALACE (see our Euphoria Style roundup) Reebok is another story. While the brand is capable of some interesting hype-worthy designs, generally nothing the brand drops is interesting enough to warrant a spot on SNX, but this week, thanks to PALACE, things are different.

Featuring a reinforced GORE-TEX equipped upper, this take on the Victory G features a leather and mesh upper in three colorways with spring-ready accents on the sneaker’s logo and stripes.

The PALACE x Reebok Victory G Gore-Tex collection is set to drop on February 25th for an unannounced retail price. To pick up a pair hit the PALACE webstore.

BAPE x VANS Old Skool/Sk8-Hi

It’s BAPE and Vans folks, when two brands this huge come together it’s an instant pick up! The always cool Japanese streetwear label has teamed up with So-Cal skateboard label Vans for camo-infused iterations of the classic Sk8-Hi and Old Skool.

Both the Sk8-Hi and Old Skool feature mismatched colorways with a custom Bape camo pattern that was made exclusively for this collaboration. The unique pattern is slightly more psychedelic and wavy than the typical BAPE camo print. The Sk8-Hi features a mismatched colorway that combines Bape’s camo with Vans’ classic checkerboard pattern, while the Old Skool keeps things simple with an army green colorway.

The BAPE x Vans Old Skool and Sk8-Hi are set to drop on February 26th for an unannounced retail price. Pick up a pair at the Vans or BAPE online stores or at select Vans retail locations.

Adidas Yeezy BOOST 350 V2 Dazzling Blue

We’re in a Kanye news cycle. It’s no accident that Kanye West was making headlines for his juvenile, psychotic, and emotionally abusive behavior towards Kim Kardashian a few weeks before a documentary covering his better years dropped, as well as a sequel to his sprawling album DONDA. Ye feeds on the chaos of dominating news cycles (why do you think he liked Trump?), but there is a sect of streetwear fanatics who just wish Ye would ditch it all for a tiny cabin in the woods where he could work on his sneakers quietly like a retired Daniel Day Lewis.

I’m one of those fanatics. This week brings another great Yeezy colorway, a simple Core Black and blue iteration of the 350 V2. As has been the case with all of the recent V2s, be sure to order half a size up from your normal size if you’re planning on picking up a pair this week.

The Adidas Yeezy BOOST 350 V2 Dazzling Blue is set to drop on February 26th for a retail price of $230. Pick up a pair via the Adidas Confirmed App, the Yeezy Webstore, or aftermarket sites like GOAT and Flight Club.

Dunk High 1985 Yellow Acid Wash/Orange Acid Wash

If you’re a Dunk fan, this is your week as Nike readies several different drops of the evergreen silhouette. First up is this Yellow and Orange Acid Wash collection that features the 1985 high-top silhouette shape with a padded collar, premium leather uppers, and a washed-out screen print upper.

The Yellow Acid Wash iteration features a queazy mix of yellow and black while the Orange Acid Wash iteration keeps things on the lighter end with an orange, blue, and aged-yellow midsole. It’s almost NY Knicks esque!

The Dunk High 1985 Acid Wash in yellow and orange are out now for a retail price of $130. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or at your favorite aftermarket site.

Dunk High Light Chocolate

Last week was all about Jordans, and this week is all about the Dunk High. You have to give it to Nike, they certainly let us down at the beginning of the year, going entire weeks without releasing any sneakers of note, but now they’re firing on all cylinders. If the Acid Wash Dunks were a bit too loud and garish, you’ll probably dig on this Light Chocolate iteration of the Dunk High.

This design features the more modern 21st century Dunk shape and features premium sail leather overlays over a mixed suede and leather upper in khaki and light chocolate. It’s simple and classy.

The Dunk High Light Chocolate is out now for a retail price of $125. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or your favorite aftermarket site.

Nike WMNS Air Force 1 Dark Beetroot

Nike is set to drop a new WMNS-exclusive iteration of the Air Force 1 dubbed the Dark Beetroot. The design features shiny beet-colored patent leather overlays over a white leather base on top of an off-white chunky midsole with an altered tongue tag logo. It’s not the most exciting release from Nike this week, but if you’re an Air Force 1 fan it’ll be a nice addition to the collection.

The WMNS Air Force 1 Dark Beetroot is set to drop on February 25th for a retail price of $120. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Air Jordan 1 University Gold and Light Bordeaux

You’re killing us, Nike. The Dunks, the AF-1s, and now Jordan 1s in what are essentially Laker’s colors? It’s too hard to choose between all these sneakers but gun to our head… we’re going with this University Gold and Light Bordeaux Air Jordan 1. How could you not?

While your instincts might immediately gravitate towards associating this sneaker with the Lakers, it’s actually meant to represent the colors of MJ’s UNC Chappel Hill frat Omega Psi Phi, where MJ first made waves as a young student-athlete. The sneaker features a mix of University Gold and Light Bordeaux colors over a premium leather upper. Like the best Jordans, the sneaker is equal parts luxurious and fashionable.

The Air Jordan 1 University Gold and Light Bordeaux is set to drop on March 24th for a retail price of $170. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or aftermarket sites like GOAT.

Nike Kwondo 1 White

Closing out our jam-packed list this week is a brand new silhouette from Nike and Korean sensation G-Dragon. The Kwondo 1, as its called, is a mashup of the words Tae-Kwon-Do, which is a Korean martial art, and Nike’s slogan Just Do It according to the Nike website. That’s what they say but… considering “Kwondo” is already present in the word Tae-Kwon-Do, it seems to us like Nike is really trying to shoehorn (no pun intended) themselves in there. Your name is on the fucking shoe Nike, chill.

Anyway, the Kwondo is an interesting design, its equal parts casual and dressy, with a classic white upper with Brogue-like accent work along the sneaker’s paneling that is reminiscent of certain hard-bottom dress shoes. It looks equally like something you can wear at a big Friday night premiere and at the park courts the next morning for a weekend game of street ball.

The Nike Kwondo 1 White is set to drop on February 25th for a retail price of $180. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

There is a lot of research that needs to be done on the effect that social media has on adolescents but the early studies suggest some reason for concern. The University of Columbia says that the more time teens spend on social media, the more likely they will experience mental health symptoms like anxiety, isolation and hopelessness.

Teens who can’t help but compare themselves to others are bound to have a difficult time with their self-image after spending hours a day scrolling through a world that’s predicated on likes, followers and comments.

Social media also makes it easy for teens to minimize their face-to-face contact with others. This can exacerbate feelings of alienation and hopelessness in those who suffer from social anxiety and depression.

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One of the most disturbing studies out of BYU has found a correlation between time spent on social media and suicidality risk among teenage girls.

Lorna Klefsaas’ daughter had a tough time with Snapchat in her teens. “She got so obsessed with keeping up her Snapchat streaks that it was really affecting her mood. It was affecting her friendships,” the Minnesota mom told WUSA9.

The daughter is in grad school now and doing great with her social life, but Klefsaas hadn’t forgotten about her daughter’s troubles when her younger son, Sivert, turned 12. She wanted to do whatever she could to keep him off social media, so she made him a bet. If he could stay off until he was 18, she would pay him $1,800. She called it the “18 for 18 challenge.”

“Being 12, I didn’t really have that great of a concept of money yet. So, I was like oh sick, yeah, absolutely,” Sivert told WUSA9.

The student-athlete took on the challenge just like it was football or basketball. “He did really dig in. He was like ‘I’m not breaking this.’ I’m proud of him, because there were a few times where it was harder,” Klefsaas said.

“I knew for sure he was going to make it,” she added.

Klefsaas came up with the idea after hearing about another mother who issued a “16 for 16” challenge to her daughter. She beefed up the deal by two years to hopefully carry her son into adulthood.

And it did.

Recently, when Sivert turned 18, he collected $1,800 from his family for being able to abstain from social media for six years. He celebrated the occasion by opening up an Instagram account, but he has a lot of catching up to do.

“It’s hilarious. I feel like I’m like 80. I can’t seem to figure out social media. It’s pretty embarrassing. I’ll be with my friends, and they are like, ‘what are you doing?'” Sivert laughed.

Sivert is happy he took on the challenge and won because it allowed him to spend more time focusing on his academics and sports. “On the whole, I would say totally worth it. I mean, I would do it again,” Sivert says. He’s currently sifting through offers from colleges to play football next year.

Looking to help your kids develop healthy social media habits? Anne Marie Albano, Ph.D., director of the Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders, said that it’s best to set time aside every day where the phones are always off.

“Mealtimes are a great time to put the phones away. Another healthy habit is to set a time each night when you’ll put all the screens away to give yourself enough time to wind down and prepare the body for sleep,” she told Columbia University.

She also says that you can improve a child’s social media habits by implementing the “grandma’s rule” we all abided by as kids. You’ve got to eat your veggies before you have dessert. First, kids have to exercise and do their homework before they earn their social media time.

When A Black Lady Sketch Show alum Quinta Brunson created Abbott Elementary, she told Vanity Fair she wanted to buck the trend of “dark” sitcoms. Instead, she wanted to make a “firmly family-friendly show, designed to tap into every audience quadrant.” And so she has: The mockumentary show, about a second grade teacher played by Brunson herself, isn’t just a hit. It’s a hit that’s pulling in Modern Family numbers.

As per Deadline, the show’s first episode of 2022 and its first since its pilot, which aired a month prior, pulled in a total of 9 million viewers after 35 days across linear and digital platforms. The rating among the 18-49 demographic is 2.93, making it the strongest ABC show since Modern Family ended in 2020.

That’s not all:

Overall, after 35 days of multi-platform viewing, Abbott Elementary‘s second episode grew by +5.6 million total viewers over its and soared by +358% among adults 18-49 over its initial rating (2.93 rating vs. 0.64 rating).

Abbott Elementary debuted in early December of last year, but its next batch of episodes were held until the new year. Brunson’s show, which she also sometimes writes, has been said to have a Parks and Recreation vibe — not just the mock-doc format, but a general air of good vibes as nice characters struggle, not always successfully, to make others’ lives better. While Brunson has said she has nothing wrong with shows that remind people that life can get quite unpleasant, her show’s ratings prove that sometimes people need a break.

(Via Deadline)

In today’s Pete Davidson news, we are saddened to report that his Instagram has, once again, gone dark. The circumstances surrounding the deactivation are a little murky, so here is a very important timeline of events.

Davidson was pretty active on Instagram pre-2018, when he would post various SNL clips and pictures of sunsets, you know, normal Instagram stuff. Then, when he became “official” with Ariana Grande, Davidson soon became an internet celebrity, which he famously did not like. He deleted the app after their very public breakup.

Fast forward to February 2022, when Davidson reactivated his account, shocking the internet once again. Instead of posting anything, he instead linked a YouTube video in his bio, to a 10-second clip of Rupert Pupkin’s stand-up. In the clip, Pupkin says, “Better to be king for a night than schmuck for a lifetime.”

This isn’t the first time Davidson has referred to himself as a king. But, the seemingly harmless clip was interpreted as a dig at Kanye West, who has been publically mocking Davidson for the past few months. West also followed the comedian last week on the app, but Davidson didn’t follow back, only following two users: his girlfriend Kim Kardashian and Sebastian Stan, for some reason.

The comedian then began posting a clip to his story, seemingly of his latest horror movie The Home with director James DiMonaco, director of The Purge.

Then, mere hours later, the clip was gone, as was Davidson’s whole account, like a comet burning bright for a night, then deactivating itself. Fan update accounts everywhere were left distraught. Comedy is dead, once again.

While this doesn’t confirm much (maybe the director simply didn’t want behind-the-scenes footage online) the timing is interesting, as Kanye has been doubling down on his Instagram posts over the last few days.