Month: July 2022

The thing Michael Keaton understood about Batman is that Bruce Wayne is, deep down in his soul, a huge weirdo. That’s why Keaton’s take on the character is beloved by so many, still, today, 30-some years after he last played him in a film opposite Danny DeVito as Penguin. Things got a little campy after that (hello Batman & Robin) and then they got dark (Christian Bale, Ben Affleck, Robert Pattinson, and various other actors with jawlines cut from marble), which is all fine, mostly. Probably. There’s room for various takes on the character. Batman has been around for decades now. There’s something to be said for keeping things fresh by switching them up.

But there’s also something to be said for letting Batman be a weirdo again, for letting the series have some fun, for acknowledging that this dude is a billionaire playboy who hangs out in a cave and dresses up like a bat to battle the most theatrical villains you’ve ever seen and whose best friend is his butler. There is comedy to be mined here, even within the structure of the story. The trick is finding the right combination of star and director, like the Thor movies did with Chris Hemsworth and Taika Waititi. Let’s focus on the star for now. I have ideas.

Here are some guys I would like to see get a crack at playing Batman.

Jake Johnson

Some notes:

• Jake Johnson rules
• I feel like he would capture the correct goofball disaffected billionaire vibe as Bruce Wayne, especially at some fancy cocktail party
• The other thing I need in this version is Adam Pally as the Joker

Thank you.

Donald Glover

This one would work for a bunch of reasons — talent, oddball charm, etc. — but there’s one main reason I keep coming back to: Glover already has experience playing a reclusive wealthy weirdo who lives in a creepy old mansion. You remember the Teddy Perkins episode of Atlanta. It was so good. So we add a dash of that to Bruce Wayne. This whole thing works almost too well. I don’t know if Donald Glover even wants to play Batman. He would be really good at it, though. Close your eyes and picture it right now.

Danny McBride

I just thought about this one and started laughing for about 90 seconds straight. Let Danny McBride write it, too. Let him cast Walton Goggins as The Riddler. It would be weird and chaotic and littered with enough cussing that it would probably work better as an HBO series than a summer blockbuster.

Which I want to see now.

So bad.

Danny McBride, please consider making a weirdo Batman series after The Righteous Gemstones is over.

Let Edi Patterson play Catwoman.

Just think about it a little.

Ryan Gosling

I could have written out a whole thing here but I really think this set of screencaps from The Nice Guys make my point better than any collection of words I could type would. Let’s move on.

Rob McElhenney

Between Always Sunny and Mythic Quest, Rob McElhenney already has a history of playing characters who cover up deeply-rooted insecurities with comic levels of showy masculinity. I think he could do a pretty good job with “a wealthy orphan who dresses up like a muscular rodent to fight crime.” Plus, we could loop Danny DeVito back into the franchise and let him play Alfred. This last thing is either the best or worst idea I’ve ever had, with no middle ground between those two extremes. These are my favorite kinds of ideas.

Sam Richardson

Some notes, once again:

• Sam Richardson rules
• I would like it if he became a big star
• I don’t know how he would handle various fight and/or zipline-type scenes but it’s not like Michael Keaton was ever the UFC light heavyweight champion or anything, so who cares?

A solid case if there ever was one.

Brett Goldstein

Brett Goldstein plays Roy Kent on Ted Lasso. He curses a lot and is always cranky and carries himself like a guy who burned his last bagel every morning at breakfast. I love him very much. I don’t know if he can do an effective American accent — Christian Bale did one, so there is precedent — or if we should just let Batman be a British guy who says the f-word a lot, but those feel like Day Two problems. We can get to them tomorrow.

Paul Rudd

This one should probably be filed under the Gosling/Glover “so obvious it maybe should have happened already” category, but still. Rudd has all the tools to make this work, even including the jawline, and he has superhero experience thanks to playing Ant-Man in two movies over in the Marvel Universe. He can do the Batman stuff. More importantly, he can do the Bruce Wayne stuff. I have this image in my head of him at some stuffy gala tossing cocktail shrimp into the air and catching them in his mouth, or sticking toothpicks and olives into his dinner roll to turn them into little chubby men that he then voices to the annoyance of the other rich people at his table. These ideas are free for anyone to use. I don’t even know if they’re good. I just really want to see them.

One of the Succession boys

Any one of them will do. Give me Jeremy Strong getting so into the character that he starts living in a cave in real life. Give me Kieran Culkin just kind of slithering around in the Batsuit like a naughty little reptile. Give me Matthew McFayden giving Bruce Wayne the full Tom Wambsgans. Give me Nicholas Braun as the most awkward and lanky Batman the world has ever seen.

Especially that last one.

Extremely that last one.

I suspect I will be thinking about this for a period of time not less than 5-7 years.

Ben Schwartz

We’ve already had enough gloomy Batmen. We’ve seen many lifetime’s worth of on-screen brooding from beneath that mask. We’ve heard people do the unreasonably deep and raspy voice that sounds like it hurts to deploy for more than two or three sentences at a time. It’s time for something new.

It is time, specifically, for a chatty Batman. One who shows up on the roof to answer the Bat Signal and starts doing a whole bit on the impracticality of the whole thing. One who goes on extended riffs at home that Alfred suffers through. One who talks fast and a lot and schmoozes relentlessly. It’s worth a shot.

Matt Berry

Some notes, one last time:

• Matt Berry rules
• I’m not entirely sure if/how this would work at all but I really do want to see someone try it
• Please take at least 10 minutes today to think about Matt Berry screeching up to a crime scene in the Batmobile and then struggling to climb out of it

This is the best one. I need it at once.

Mitt Romney has never made a secret of the fact that he’s not a huge fan of Donald Trump. Even when they attempted to play nice following Trump’s 2016 election win, Romney’s heart never really seemed into it—and his face sort of gave him away.

In a new op-ed for The Atlantic, the Utah senator and one-time presidential candidate made it very clear that he’s afraid to witness what might happen to our country if Trump does decide to make another run at the Oval Office (as he’s been relentlessly teasing and hinting).

The way Romney sees it, “More and more, we are a nation in denial.”

Romney writes that such vital topics as climate change, inflation, global warming, immigration, and—perhaps most importantly—the January 6th insurrection are being ignored by many voters who see them as political minefields as opposed to the potentially catastrophic issues they really are.

As Romney writes:

What accounts for the blithe dismissal of potentially cataclysmic threats? The left thinks the right is at fault for ignoring climate change and the attacks on our political system. The right thinks the left is the problem for ignoring illegal immigration and the national debt. But wishful thinking happens across the political spectrum. More and more, we are a nation in denial.

“Wishful thinking” is one way to describe it; self-delusion may be another. For Romney, the one way to wake the country up so that we can all finally see that we’re tumbling quickly into turmoil—and unite together to prevent—is via a crisis on the scale of Pearl Harbor or 9/11. “A crisis can shake the public consciousness,” Romney writes, “But a crisis may come too late for a course correction that can prevent tragedy. The only cure for wishful thinking is leadership.” Unfortunately, he doesn’t see Biden as that leader, and believes that Trump: Round 2 would surely spell disaster:

President Joe Biden is a genuinely good man, but he has yet been unable to break through our national malady of denial, deceit, and distrust. A return of Donald Trump would feed the sickness, probably rendering it incurable. Congress is particularly disappointing: Our elected officials put a finger in the wind more frequently than they show backbone against it. Too often, Washington demonstrates the maxim that for evil to thrive only requires good men to do nothing.

Without naming names, Romney believes there are several people who are up to the task. Now we just have to wait and see if they realize it and will be compelled to run for the highest office in the land. “While we wait,” Romney says, “leadership must come from fathers and mothers, teachers and nurses, priests and rabbis, businessmen and businesswomen, journalists and pundits.”

(Via The Atlantic)

Last week, rapper DDG stopped by DJ Akademiks’ Off The Record podcast to highlight his career. Over the course of the nearly three-hour-long episode, DDG discussed his big hit, “Moonwalking In Calabasas,” landing on the coveted XXL Freshman list, and his relationship with singer Halle Bailey.

When talking about the singer and The Little Mermaid actress, DDG said that Bailey has been a source of inspiration from him.

“She honestly motivated me to be better and work harder and get to certain levels,” DDG said. “I look up to her in a sense…’cause I feel like I’m always the motivator, I’m the inspirer. I’m the muthaf*cka inspiring muthaf*ckas to do better.”

DDG also said that when he’s in the headspace of feeling inspired, it challenges him, but not in a way that results in him feeling burnt out. Rather, it is out of a pure desire to elevate his craft.

“It’s like I’m in a different mode now where I’m getting inspired by somebody. I feel like it’s healthy in that way for me ’cause it’s like a weight off my shoulders. It’s like, ‘Ok, I need to work harder.’ It’s challenging in a good way. It just makes me want to go harder versus feeling overwhelmed or some shit.”

Watch the clip below.

As far as Gwyneth Paltrow’s vagina goes, she’s pretty open about its magical healing powers or whatever, often creating products that promise some sort of vaginal enlightenment if used correctly (please do not put these rocks up your vagina). But her most popular products, a series of candles inspired by vaginas, are actually pretty dangerous.

At the Goop store in Sag Harbor, New York, two men recently caught fire, which was supposedly brought on by Goop’s signature vagina candles. The products reportedly were cleaned with rubbing alcohol which is truly the last thing that should be put near an open flame, besides maybe an actual vagina. Unfortunately, the ordeal caused a series of serious burns for one of the victims, who was been transported to a nearby hospital.

According to the official police blotter report (via the East Hampton Star): “Police responded to a strange scene at Goop on Saturday evening, where two men had caught fire. They reported that rubbing alcohol had been added to candles, causing a large explosion and flames. Police were able to apply ice packs, but one man, who had a large burn on his back and ears, had to be taken by helicopter to Stony Brook University Hospital. The other, who had sustained facial burns, was transported by ambulance to Southampton Hospital.”

To make matters even more alarming, this is actually the third time that Goop’s candles have been involved in an exploding incident: last year, a woman in London claimed her Goop candle “exploded” after being lit. Another customer in Texas had a similar experience last spring. This all begs the question: whatever happened to a good, old-fashioned Yankee Candle? Those never hurt anybody! Hopefully.

(Via Jezebel)

Method Man, who recently won an NAACP Image Award for his role on Power Book II: Ghost, stopped by for an interview on the My Expert Opinion podcast with Math Hoffa. During his time there, Method spoke about his past struggles with “low self-esteem” and how it affected his relationships with artists in the music industry. “I didn’t like myself, so I didn’t like anybody f*cking else,” he said. “So that meant anything that would have come in my circumference at that point in time was gonna get it. My family went through a lot with my ass during that era, man.”

He continued, “And I can admit that I did take a lot of my f*cking misery out on them, and they did not deserve it. And I took some of my misery out on people at Def Jam that did not f*cking deserve it.” Meth went on share a story about how he once disrespected Destiny’s Child back in 2001 at Janet Jackson’s MTV Icon special. “We were at Janet Jackson’s Icon and I remember I had just come off stage and where we were sitting, there were nothing but VIPs. We had *NSYNC up here, Destiny’s Child right there, Tommy Lee was over here, [Pamela Anderson],” he said.

Meth went on, “And I see the girls, so I kinda moseyed out of my seat to go over and say what’s up to them. Now, this is still me in my low self-esteem era. But I’m thinking like, comfort zone here, I’m gonna say what’s up to the girls. I love them, I’m just gonna say hi. I go over to say hi to them and when I said hi, they didn’t even turn around and acknowledge me.” He then shared how he reacted after this moment.

“Now, my ass, in my head, with my low self-esteem is like, ‘They just sh*tted on me.’ When in fact, they didn’t even hear me. It was so loud in that motherf*cker. That’s the excuse that I’m giving right now—they didn’t even f*cking hear me. Afterward, Rockwilder, he was gonna do the ‘Bootylicious’ song for them. He comes over, he’s talking to them, he’s like, ‘Oh, you know Red and Meth?’ And they put their hands out to shake, and I kept my hand here and was like, ‘Go ’head with that Hollywood sh*t.’”

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Method acknowledged that “neither Kelly, Beyoncé, or Michelle ever did any-f*cking-thing to me,” and then delivered a long-overdue apology for the incident. “I apologize to Beyoncé, I apologize to Kelly Rowland, and Michelle — y’all did not deserve that, at all.”

You can watch Meth detail the whole incident in the video above.

Just days after suing the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, R. Kelly has been removed from suicide watch, according to Pitchfork. Kelly had been placed on suicide watch for the first time in October 2021 after being convicted of racketeering and sex trafficking in a federal case tried in New York in September. However, Kelly sued the prison last week after he was sentenced to 30 years in prison after being placed under observation again, calling the suicide watch conditions “harmful and punitive.”

He claims that he did not have any thoughts of self-harm and believes the additional measures — wearing a thin smock and being denied eating utensils — were intended to further punish him. Kelly’s lawsuit pursued an unspecified “award of compensatory damages for all emotional distress, humiliation, pain and suffering, and other harm.” Meanwhile, MDC Brooklyn filed a memo on July 2 saying that a staff psychologist had recommended the suicide watch after an in-person assessment, noting that Kelly had been allowed to keep some “comfort items and personal effects.”

In addition to his 30-year prison sentence, Kelly was ordered to get treatment for an unspecified sexual disorder and will have five years of supervised release upon the completion of his sentence. In August, he’ll have another trial in Chicago — this time, for child pornography.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s on the defensive after “disgusting” world leaders took some shots at his “macho” shirtless photos, but maybe he needs to focus on that war he launched in Ukraine? Because even though Putin has claimed victory in a province of Ukraine, stories keep leaking out about how this conflict’s not going as well as he’d like it to appear. Leaked audio recently revealed how Russian troops nearly blew up their general in an act of mutiny, all because many of them feel disillusioned about why they’re being forced to impose Putin’s imperialism upon Ukrainian civilians.

The Daily Beast is now reporting upon intercepted phone calls from the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, and the audio reportedly suggests that multiple Russian military leaders are giving away the location of his troops for money. Details remain scarce, but an apparent Russian soldier (who reportedly seemed “concerned”) spoke with a female acquaintance with shelling ongoing in the background, and then this happens:

The conversation then takes an interesting turn when the unnamed woman notes that a squadron of the “31st Brigade” was given up by their own Russian colonel, apparently referring to the 31st Guards Air Assault Brigade.

“The airborne troops taken captive?” the man asks. “Yes, yes, 76 people were taken,” she says, adding that “they were sold out by their own” and naming a “Colonel Matkovsky” for the betrayal.

“There have already been many such instances,” the man responds, noting that “they leak information” about the troops.

From there, the woman relayed how “[t]hey found 17 million in his account,” and it’s understood that she’s referring to the colonel. There’s no telling how true the information (within the intercepted call) will turn out to be, but it surely will not bode well for the demoralization of Russian troops who say they feel “duped” while fighting Putin’s war. As of now, the invasion’s been ongoing for over four months, and it sure doesn’t seem like there will be an end soon. Putin’s obviously now running short on global allies, but he does have a QAnon cheerleader on his side. Hmm.

(Via Daily Beast)

Two years ago, Atlanta rapper Hunxho (pronounced “huncho”) didn’t even have one full-length project to his name. Then, on the last day of July, he dropped his official debut project, Street Poet, following up with its sequel, Street Poet 2, just one year later. Since then, his pace has only increased. Instead of waiting another year to drop a new mixtape, he offered Street Poetry in March of this year. Then, perhaps unable to let another nine months go by, he followed up again with his latest mixtape Xhosen in the middle of June — this time, with the backing of 300 Entertainment, home of such street-certified stars as Megan Thee Stallion, Tee Grizzley, and Young Thug.

Named for his son, Xhosen is a polished project in the vein of fellow red clay-rooted rappers Future, Lil Baby, and Migos. Led by the driving, motivational single “Fight,” the nine-track project sees Hunxho boasting that he’s “Made It This Far” while predicting “Where I’m Going.” Meanwhile, on songs like “Heartless,” he details his early struggles and the sense of dogged persistence they’ve left him — the same hustler mentality that compels him to do whatever it takes to make good on the promises of “It’s Gone Be Alright.”

In a Zoom interview, Hunxho explains his relentless work ethic and hands-on approach to his prolific creative process, and acknowledges the adjustments he’s made over the past year as he learns the rap business and sees his newfound notoriety pay off.

Street Poetry came out in March, and Xhosen is out just three months later. Why did you want to do such a fast turnaround?

Because I love dropping music. I just want to drop, drop, drop. I feel like I got to put the music out and whatever they catch on to, they just going to catch on to. It ain’t on me, the way to choose what songs are going to be a hit. I’m here to make the music and be myself and drop the music and let the people choose what they want to choose. If I could, I would drop another tape this week. I can, but I’ll probably give it some time.

That actually kind of reminds me of Gucci Mane. Do you remember when he was dropping back to back to back? Or Lil Wayne when was dropping back to back to back. It’s a winning strategy, it can work for you.

Yo, for sure. I ain’t going to lie, I got so much music, I can not make music for three years and have enough music to drop, for real.

With such a short gap between the releases, how do you try to push yourself or evolve your sound between the albums?

I just stay locked in. Then I be putting some of the most recent sh*t on the tape, but while I’m putting the tape together, I’m still making the music. So, I might start something new and put something else on there.

So for you, it’s more important to continue making music, because every day you’re going to have something new. Right?

Yeah. It’s important for me to keep making music. But I just recently was trying to take a break from making music to work on everything else — like my performance and whatever else that got to do with music, instead of making it.

I love hearing that. I think that a lot of artists get so focused on doing the thing that they don’t think about how we’re going to present it to people. What kind of things have you done to get performance ready?

I really ain’t even started yet but I’m about to start. I’m going to get somebody who do stuff like that, who works with people on their performance. I got big shows coming up and I really ain’t did no big shows. I’ve mainly been doing club shows, so it’s different from a club and a big stage.

I know you can get a little burnt out or maybe run out of things to say when you produce so much music. How do you stay inspired?

I ain’t going to lie, I’m self-motivated. My motivation really come out of myself, sh*t I’ve been through, and where I came from. And I know where I want to be. I don’t never get comfortable. I’m a forever be hungry. I never want to make myself feel comfortable. I really want to be bigger and better.

So, let’s talk about Xhosen. I heard that it was inspired by your son?

Yeah, most definite.

Is this named after him?

Yeah, Xhosen. It’s just like that on his birth certificate.

That’s pretty tight. The substitute teachers are going to freak out though.

They’re going to mix his name all up.

What would you say is the main idea of Xhosen, the album? What do you want people to take away from it when they hear it?

I mean it’s not really no main idea. It’s just… I’m telling them my pain, my stories, my struggles. And then I want them to put it in and they can tell me what they get out of it.

If someone were to only listen to one song from Xhosen, which one would it be and why?

Probably “Heartless,” the first one on there. The energy is hard and it’s different. But I stay listening to old music. I like bringing the old to the new.

One of the things that struck me when I was doing the research for this, the video for “Fight” is heavily influenced by the Black Panthers. What’s your experience with that movement and what makes it relevant to what you’re doing musically on that song and today?

I mean, it wasn’t really that. It was really just me trying to push the concept of “Fight” by showing different fights.

Yeah. So like the fight for civil rights or the fight for liberation?

Yeah, yeah.

You know, I think that still holds up. What was the process of filming that video like?

I had come up with the idea and I had sat down with Marco Speed and explained it to him. And I just tell him, “I need you to bring it to life.” A video shoot came up and he told me to be there. It started at like eight o’clock. I was out there all day and I didn’t leave until five in the morning because we were shooting a lot.

Had you ever done a video on that level of production before?

Not where I was already set up. I never did a video like that. [Usually] I set it up myself. I did everything.

What’s the difference between having it done for you versus doing it for yourself?

I don’t really know. I be wanting to be editor. If I could’ve stayed editor too, I would have did it.

So you’re more of a hands-on type of artist?

Yeah, most definitely.

That’s good to hear. That probably explains why you came up in such a relatively short amount of time. What is the biggest difference between your life five years ago and your life now?

Five years ago? I ain’t going to lie. I wasn’t even really mainly focused on music five years ago. I was living in the street just focused on making me some money. I wasn’t really even rapping or doing… When I found out I could rap, I would put it out in a rap.

For someone who just started rapping professionally, you’re a lot more polished than I see with a lot of newer artists. How did you get so good so fast?

I just be dedicated. I really put my all into it. I be locked in. Any chance I was going to be in the studio, I would be in the studio. Whatever I got to do, shooting videos and everything. Every day try to do something that’s got something to do with me perfecting my craft.

Yeah. So, in your perfect world, if everything pans out 100% correctly, how would you like to have changed in the next five years? So if we talk again in 2027, and you’ve been rapping for 10 years, what do you want to see different?

I don’t know where I’m going to be. I just want everybody to be straight. That’s all I know. I just want everybody to be good.

Hunxho is a Warner Music artists Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

If you’re a casual beer drinker, you might see the word “lager” and assume you’re in for a crisp, easy-drinking, golden-hued beer. While you wouldn’t technically be wrong, there’s more to your lager than it seems. As with many beer styles, there are myriad subsets including pilsners, American lagers, bocks, Vienna-style lagers, and Helles lagers. The latter variety is what we’re going to delve into today.

The term “Helles” translates to “bright” in German. If you’re a fan of pilsners, but wish your beer was a little maltier, without as much of a hops presence — all while still remaining crisp and refreshing — the Helles lager is for you. A classic Helles lager is usually lightly sweet on the malt end with a nice balance of floral, spicy hops, with very little bitterness. All in all, a great summer beer.

Since we’ve established that the Helles lager is a highly crushable, thirst-quenching beer option for hazy summer days, it’s time actually drink some. Since we want to find you the best possible options, we turned to professionals for help. We asked a handful of well-known craft beer experts and brewers to tell us their picks for the Helles lagers you should be drinking right now. Keep reading to see all of their picks.

The Bruery Ruekeller Helles

Eric Espinoza, bartender at Signia by Hilton in San Jose, California

ABV: 5.2%

Average Price: $13 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

Why This Beer?

The Bruery Ruekeller Helles. I like this because it’s a nice, local take on traditional Helles. It’s familiar with a full body and bready, but balanced. There’s something just unique enough about this one to make me look forward to cracking open a can when I’m craving something off the beaten path.

Faction Helles Lager

Jeremy Marshall, brewmaster at Lagunitas Brewing in Petaluma, California

ABV: 5.1%

Average Price: Limited Availability

Why This Beer?

Helles Lager by Faction Brewing. I like this beer because Rodger Davis (brewer at Faction) tends to bridge that gap between embracing styles, while also pushing boundaries—but all the while casting a suspicious glance on all the “modern” trends like the Haze Bros or over-hyped hops. A hugely influential Bay Area brewer who has influenced many younger brewers (myself included). Faction knows what they are doing and it’s a lovely place to go visit and absorb views of the Bay Area you simply can’t get anywhere else.

Kros Strain Helles Creek

Courtney Servaes, owner of Servaes Brewing Company in Kansas City

ABV: 4.8%

Average Price: $9.99 for a six-pack

Why This Beer?

About three hours north of Kansas City is a brewery that I have absolutely fallen in love with named Kros Strain Brewing. It is located outside of Omaha, Nebraska. While I don’t normally gravitate toward a Helles, they have one that is extremely well done. Whenever I am in the area, I stop by for one of their hazy IPAs or kettle sours, but I always leave with some Helles Creek. It almost reminds me more of a light lager than a traditional Helles because it is mildly sweet and has next to no bitterness to it.

Point Ybel Sanibel Light

Dan Esperon, owner and brewer at Crazy Dingo Brewing Co in Fort Myers, Florida

ABV: 5.1%

Average Price: Limited Availability

Why This Beer?

Sanibel Light brewed by Point Ybel Brewing. Crisp, clean, and true to style. Just enough of a malty backbone to keep things interesting. One of my favorite light brews. It’s a great, easy-drinking summer Helles and one that you should definitely try if you can find it.

Von Trapp Natur Helles

Mike Kelly, senior brewer at Harpoon Brewery in Boston

ABV: 4.9%

Average Price: $11.50 for a six-pack

Why This Beer?

Von Trapp Natur Helles strikes a nice balance between complex yet simple malt profile and traditional noble hop spiciness. It’s the unfiltered version of its original Helles. It has a nice combination of crisp, floral hops and bready, sweet malts.

Hill Farmstead Marie

Matt Canning, assistant manager and beer concierge at Hotel Vermont in Burlington, Vermont

ABV: 5%

Average Price: Limited Availability

Why This Beer?

Hill Farmstead, Marie. From one of the best breweries in the world comes the palest and most nuanced style of lager. If you don’t know, now you know. It’s an unfiltered, German-style Helles lager brewed using organic malts. It’s hazy, crisp, and very refreshing on a hot summer day.

Weihenstephaner Original Helles

Dan Lipke, head brewer at Clown Shoes Beer in Boston

ABV: 5.1%

Average Price: $10.50 for a four-pack of 160-ounce cans

Why This Beer?

Weihenstephaner Original Helles is the pinnacle of the style for me. Beautiful malty aromas of freshly made bread with a touch of grassy hops. Uber clean taste with a perfect balance of sweet toasty malt and spicy hops. The finish is perfect, not bitter, just a celebration of German brewing tradition.

Bierstadt Lagerhaus Helles

Chris Pinns, tasting room manager at Societe Brewing in San Diego

ABV: 4.9%

Average Price: $10.99 for a four-pack

Why This Beer?

Bierstadt Lagerhaus Helles. The epitome of refined elegance in a glass. No one flavor stands out in this beer. The supreme balance is what truly makes it a great beer for the style. Crisp, thirst-quenching, complex, and highly memorable.

There Does Not Exist 60 Days in Hell

Adam Hall, brand manager at Boulevard Brewing in Kansas City

ABV: 4.7%

Average Price: Limited Availability

Why This Beer?

There Does Not Exist – 60 Days in Hell (Bavarian Helles). 60 Days In Hell is their take on a Bavarian Helles, and moving forward it will be the benchmark by which I judge all Helles. Brewed with 100% German raw materials and fermented ice cold. Conditioned for an additional 45 days, the end product is a clean, slightly sweet easy-drinking beer. The beer is so crushable that if you don’t try to take your time, you might miss the wonderful nuances that make this an exceptional version of this traditional style, but you’ll enjoy the hell out of it.

Lone Tree Mountain Mama

Ty Nash, head brewmaster at Little Dry Creek Brewery in Denver, Colorado

ABV: 5.6%

Average Price: Limited Availability

Why This Beer?

The Mountain Mama Helles from Lone Tree Brewing is all I drink while it’s on tap. The grainy/bready aromas fall into the flavors as you sip while complimenting the hops and finishing slightly sweet. It’s a great example of American craft brewers embracing the style and expanding on it.

Great Central Helles

Daryl Hoedtke, senior brewmaster at Goose Island Beer Co. in Chicago

ABV: 4.7%

Average Price: $9.99 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

Why This Beer?

Great Central Helles is my go-to. They really know their German styles. Sipping on this beer takes me back to sitting in biergartens in Munich. It’s got a true-to-style malt and bitter balance with a refreshingly clean finish.

Writer’s Pick:

Hofbräu Original

ABV: 5.1%

Average Price: $8.99 for a six-pack

Why This Beer?

It doesn’t get much better than Hofbräu Original. This classic Helles lager is complex and flavorful with a nice sweet, bready, grainy, malty backbone that moves into floral, herbal, and slightly spicy hops. It’s crisp, easy to drink, and perfect for summer sipping.

It is not uncommon for fans to get critical of their favorite TV shows (that’s basically what half of Twitter is, in a nutshell) but it is always interesting to see who is complaining about what. As the eighth season of the hit reality show Love Island continues to polarize viewers, many have been sending complaints about the subject matter.

According to media regulator OfCom, the show has received over 700 complaints (not quite Piers Morgan territory) in just four weeks. An Ofcom spokesperson confirmed to Variety: “So far we have received a total of 781 complaints about the current season of Love Island.” The complaints consisted of viewers concerned about bullying, harassment, and a teen being paired off with a 27-year-old earlier this season.

The complaints are often regarding the stability of the contestants on the show, who are paired off with fellow contestants and participate in (sometimes raunchy) challenges. The series recently implemented various protocols to ensure the contestants are getting mental health treatment while on the show.

Love Island is no stranger to backlash for its drama, in fact, a 2021 episode of the super popular series received a monumental 24,000 complaints after Faye Winter’s aggressive shouting match. Winter has since admitted she regrets the way it all went down. Despite the drama, Love Island is a viewer magnet, pulling in nearly 2.4 million viewers for its season eight premiere last month. Perhaps all of the complaints are worth it?

(Via Variety)