Month: July 2022

The Bear (now streaming on Hulu) stars Jeremy Allen White as Carmy, a former fine dining chef who’s gone back to run his family’s frenetic, working-class Chicago beef joint. It’s a show that allows White to flex more muscles than Shameless did (even though White did a lot more heavy emotional lifting than he ever received credit for as Lip). It’s a damn good show with a delightful soundtrack and a first season that you can binge in one afternoon. And it’s also very, terribly funny how The Bear has launched a lust-inspired social media phenomenon that has very little to do with the show itself.

People have been looking at promotional images of the unmistakably intense Carmy and admitting (as comedian Sarah York did in a thread that you must read) that they hadn’t even watched the show but still branded Carmy as the quintessential “sexually competent dirtbag that only exists in a restaurant kitchen.” One Twitter user remarked upon how his roommate declared Carmy to be “[w]orth the yeast infection.” And that chatter continues, despite, how White stressed this fact GQ: “Carmy does not f*ck.”

During the course of this blunt (yet true for those people who’ve watched The Bear) proclamation, White added, “[T]here is zero romance, let alone sex, onscreen. Zilch.” Here’s more: “Carmy’s, like, the least sexual person. In playing him, I was aware that he had no room for love.” So, there you have it. Carmy didn’t have sex (at least onscreen) during the eight warp-speed episodes on the first season of The Bear. But… will Carmy have sex in Season 2, when it arrives? More importantly, should Carmy do the deed?

This is a real issue that the show’s writers must consider, either in a serious or darkly comedic way, so let’s talk about the Should first:

– YES: Carmy’s got some frustrations to work out: Dude has a lot of pent-up energy. He’s tightly wound and subsisting on cigarettes and angst, all while classically trained and desperately wanting to express his creativity through food. That didn’t (satisfyingly) happen at his family’s beef joint, where the beefs are not simply confined to meat. The tension — between Chefs, between Carmy and his cousin, between Carmy and himself during a rich inner life — boiled over at several points, and hell, Carmy couldn’t even count on suppliers to drop off the correct meat. “Just the delivery guy!” had to be the most annoying phrase to hear while plagued with an unwanted shipment of flesh, so maybe Carmy deserves to take a carnal vacation, if only for a brief interlude. He’d be a more relieved, happier Carmy, perhaps even with a spring in his step while striding through the streets of Chicago on the way to work.

– NO: A googly-eyed Carmy would be no good: I don’t think this would work out at all with the vibe of The Bear. All of the pounding should only go down in the kitchen for Carmy. He truly doesn’t have time to pause for sex, not even to swipe on Tinder. He’s got to mind the grind, deal with a cousin and his megaphone, respond to exploding toilets, and all the messes. If he’s distracted by his personal life, Carmy might lose some of his drive in the kitchen. Maybe sex could be his Kryptonite and the destroyer of tasty food. We can’t have that. Also, those sounds of water boiling to a steam would lose all context if Carmy’s not completely immersed and overwhelmed by his professional pressures and family issues. Sexual tension could ruin everything. And then there’s the danger of Carmy starting to crank out food on autopilot. Maybe even rely upon pre-freezing food and microwaving it. No. The restaurant’s now called The Bear, not Olive Garden.

– YES: However, Carmy could make a lady very happy: This one’s a given, actually. I mean, the way that Carmy operates in the kitchen with all that detail paid to, say, browning an onion makes me want to believe that Carmy would be as patient and attentive in the sack. Is that something we really want to see happen, though? Well sure. I’m curious enough, but I hope that he showered after the aforementioned exploding toilet and showing off his somewhat perverse fascination with the floor, including the time that he couldn’t resist tasting some donut.

– NO: Bye bye, kitchen creativity: When Carmy spoke during an Al-Anon meeting, we learned a lot about why he is the way he is. He speaks through the food, and that’s where he also finds his purpose. If he got all infatuated with a woman, or even if he had some one-night stands, I really think he’d lose his drive to work out his dead-brother issues. I don’t believe that the spaghetti-sauce money could fix everything; there’s still gotta be some lingering angst. And Carmy is chronically stressed, so very stressed, so I think that the act of copulation would be counterproductive in a sense. There’s be no stress relief, only distraction from what he’s viewed as his ultimate purpose in life.

VERDICT: For the “Should he?” question, I think that Carmy would be better off not having sex on the show, at least, not yet. Keep a little mystery going and let Carmy focus on those kitchen mishaps. After all that energy buildup and conflict in the kitchen and people projecting their fantasies on social media, actually putting a Carnal Carmy scene into the show might be too hot (or too cold!) for the audience to handle.

However, do I think that Carmy Will have sex?

– YES: That’s it. I think that the writers will have him go there, but I can only hope that this gets postponed until, say, the third season. Since this development seems inevitable (as fan service), I can only hope that there will not be a tribute to — and I’m sorry, I cannot resist this — Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s comparable Girls scene. And hopefully, the show will refrain from having Carmy hook up with a coworker (though admittedly restaurants are historically fertile grounds for inter-office relationships). We don’t need any lovers’ squabbles in the kitchen, although I admit that having Carmy accidentally referring to his partner as “Chef” wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. Or have Joel McHale return in Carmy’s head, criticizing his every move. Yep, gotta make it weird, Chefs.

The Bear is streaming on Hulu.

The hardcore and off-kilter rap world many acts and groups that are certainly worth paying attention to. One of them is Philly’s own Soul Glo, who is just a few months removed from the release of their fourth full-length project, Diaspora Problems. The 12-track effort combined many different music elements to showcase the group’s truly unique style and their energetic spirit is on full display once again thanks to their new video for “Driponomics” with rapper Mother Maryrose. In it, the band takes over a streetwear store and opts to absolutely wreak havoc in it while also terrorizing employees.

The new visual continues the storyline from the band’s previously released video for “Gold Chain Punk (whogonbeatmyass?).” In a press release about the new video, lead vocalist Pierce Jordan spoke about “Driponomics” saying the record is “or everyone doing what they have to do to get by and to get fly.”

In addition to sharing their new visual, Soul Glo is also in the midst of their month-long Show Me The Body Tour. The string of shows kicked off last week in Queens, New York and it’s set to continue into August and conclude with a performance in Baltimore, Maryland.

You can watch the video for “Driponomics” and see more info on the Show Me The Body Tour above.

Diaspora Problems is out now via Epitaph. Stream it here.

In late July of last summer, after Montrezl Harrell exercised his 2021-22 player option, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings were moving “toward completing a deal” that would bring Buddy Hield to Los Angeles. In return, Sacramento would receive Harrell and Kyle Kuzma.

The trade made sense for both sides. Hield had reportedly long yearned for a new environment and the Lakers needed more shooting. Harrell struggled to contribute in the the Lakers’ first-round loss to the Phoenix Suns. Kuzma, a good, useful and versatile wing, was a worthwhile return for Hield. But that deal never materialized, and Hield stayed in Sacramento until a trade deadline move rendered him an Indiana Pacer.

Instead of landing Hield, the Lakers pivoted toward Russell Westbrook, sending Kuzma, Harrell, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and their 2021 first-round pick to the Washington Wizards in exchange for the nine-time All-Star, as well as second-round picks in 2024 and 2028. Despite Kuzma and Caldwell-Pope being valuable components of Los Angeles’ championship and defensive ethos in 2020, the belief was Westbrook could invigorate the offense and lighten the burden for LeBron James and Anthony Davis, both of whom dealt with nagging injuries throughout 2020-21. Westbrook found his stride over the second half of the year with Washington and while not the MVP-caliber superstar of his peak, still looked like a pretty dang good player as he dragged the Wizards to the postseason.

From the outset, the Lakers’ move backfired. Westbrook struggled in their opening night loss to the Golden State Warriors and never really recovered. There were stretches of viable, encouraging two-way play, where his offensive decision-making improved and the defensive focus heightened. Overwhelmingly, though, those were footnotes in a season of on-court disappointment for Westbrook and Los Angeles. When James and Davis again missed extended time, Westbrook’s presence and play were not sufficient to prevent losses from piling up.

Of course, that responsibility should not fall solely on Westbrook and it’s hard to win without two stars in the lineup on a star-heavy team. The addition of Westbrook, though, was intended to alleviate the impact of potential absences or struggles from those two.

By midseason, the Westbrook In Los Angeles Experiment had spiraled. Westbrook’s play continued to underwhelm and his minutes began being cut. In a nationally televised, blowout loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Feb. 8, he played just 26 minutes (James and Davis combined for 72 minutes) and scored 10 points on 3-of-11 shooting and went 4-of-7 at the free-throw line. At that point, Los Angeles was 26-29. Rumors and reports of the Lakers looking to potentially deal Westbrook ahead of the Feb. 10 trade deadline swirled.

Ultimately, Westbrook remained in Los Angeles. He and the team’s speed bumps continued. James and Davis missed more time, and by season’s end, the Lakers failed to even qualify for the Play-In Tournament and wrapped up 2021-22 with a dismal 33-49 record. Teams like the Los Angeles Clippers and New Orleans Pelicans both made the Play-In, despite their best players, Kawhi Leonard and Zion Williamson, being sidelined all year. Yes, the Lakers endured their own health ailments, but the Play-In should’ve been a reasonable and attainable benchmark nonetheless.

Speculation about Westbrook’s future in Los Angeles carried into the offseason; the Pacers were once reported as a possible new home. If the right trade arose, the Lakers would clearly prefer to move him and close the door on a discordant, tumultuous partnership. Once it became known that Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets were not particularly happy together, as well as reports of Irving’s alleged interest in rejoining James, a Westbrook-Irving swap came to light. Nothing appears imminent on that front at the moment, though.

There was the awkwardness of Summer League, where it was impossible not to notice the lack of interaction between Westbrook — who sat on the bench and was engaged with the young Lakers — and LeBron, who sat elsewhere courtside and never engaged with the man who remains his co-star for now. Then, late last week, Westbrook and Thad Foucher, his agent of 14 years, parted ways due to “irreconcilable differences.” Foucher’s explanation from his perspective was rather candid and illuminating. Read it in its entirety here, if you wish.

All that’s transpired over the past 12 months has led Jovan Buha, who covers the Lakers for The Athletic, to posit that Westbrook and Los Angeles are destined for an “inevitable divorce.” It’s a swift and jarring shift from last summer and 2020-21, when the two sides were optimistic as could be and Westbrook was fresh off a strong second half of the season (playoff foibles notwithstanding). As Westbrook further distances himself from his prime, calls for adaptation — more cutting, quicker decision-making, better defensive focus and decision-making — swell. That role is supposedly the one new Lakers head coach Darvin Ham envisions for him.

Yet Westbrook has failed to ever consistently embrace those sorts of ideals. It’s among the various reasons last season was so concerning and why we sit here today, with Westbrook’s Los Angeles departure seemingly a foregone conclusion in the eyes of many. It’s simply a matter of when, not if, Westbrook leaves his hometown team.

It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that so far, Harry Styles’ “As It Was” is currently in the lead for claiming the unofficial “song of the summer” title: Summer started on June 21 and on the five Billboard Hot 100 charts dated since then, “As It Was” has been No. 1 on all but one of them (the week Drake and 21 Savage spent on top with “Jimmy Cooks“). That includes this week’s new chart: On the Hot 100 dated July 23, “As It Was” is No. 1 for a 10th total week.

This is Styles’ first single to spend double-digit weeks at No. 1, which isn’t something that happens often: 1,138 songs have reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 and “As It Was” is only the 42nd one (here are the previous 41) to remain on top for at least 10 weeks (meaning fewer than 4 percent of chart-toppers have ever pulled this off).

On last week’s chart, Lizzo’s “About Damn Time” rose to No. 2 and looked like it had a chance to ride its momentum and dethrone Styles, but that hasn’t happened yet and it stays in the second spot this week. In fact, this week’s chart is nearly identical to last week’s rankings: Jack Harlow’s “First Class” is still No. 3; Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” stays at No. 4; Future, Drake, and Tems’ “Wait For U” remains at No. 5, Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul” holds strong at No. 9, and Latto’s “Big Energy” again rounds things out at No. 10. The only real change was “Jimmy Cooks” sliding down a couple spots: “Jimmy Cooks” fell from No. 6 to No. 8, allowing Bad Bunny and Chencho Corleone’s “Me Porto Bonito” to rise from No. 7 to No. 6 and Glass Animals’ “Heat Waves” to go from No. 8 to No. 7.

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

Last week, HBO Max released the first full-length trailer for season three of Harley Quinn, a very good show that everyone should watch instead of yelling on Twitter, or whatever. But it wasn’t the full Harley Quinn experience because there was no swearing and very little violence. Remember, this is the show that had Batman “going down” on Catwoman until DC intervened because “heroes don’t do that.” You gotta have the sex, violence, and swearing — all of which appear in the red-band trailer for season three.

You can watch it below:

I’d like to welcome the latest member (no pun intended) of Batman’s Rogues Gallery: C*ck King. No, not Clock King. We’ve seen him before, including on Batman: The Animated Series, but C*ck King, who has a… well, I’ll let you see for yourself.

Here’s more on what to expect in season three:

Wrapping up their “Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour,” Harley Quinn (Kaley Cuoco) and Poison Ivy (Lake Bell) return to Gotham as the new power couple of DC villainy. Along with their ragtag crew – King Shark (Ron Funches), Clayface (Alan Tudyk), Frank the Plant (JB Smoove) – “Harlivy” strives to become the best version of themselves while also working towards Ivy’s long desired plan of transforming Gotham into an Eden paradise.

Harley Quinn season three premieres on HBO Max on July 28.

A few days ago, Marcus Mumford shared a video for the single “Cannibal,” and while the one-shot, black-and-white clip was nicely executed, it didn’t seem particularly notable, at least not more so than any other visual from a major artist that came out last week.

It turns out, though, that it’s actually a bit historic: Today, Mumford revealed that the clip was actually directed by Steven Spielberg, who made his music video directorial debut.

Kate Capshaw — painter, actress, and Spielberg’s wife — also played a part, as Mumford noted in a post revealing the news today. He wrote, “On Sunday 3rd July in a high school gym in New York, Steven Spielberg directed his first music video, in one shot, on his phone. Kate Capshaw was the almighty dolly grip. I’ve been overwhelmed by the support of the people around me to bring this music to you, and I cannot hope to express all of my gratitude. When people get it, it blows my mind. Kate and Steven just got it, and I cannot thank them enough. Thank you Kate. Thank you Kristie. Thank you Steven.”

The caption goes on to credit Kristie Macosko Krieger, a producer and longtime Spielberg collaborator, as “Producer and BTS videographer;” actress Carey Mulligan, Mumford’s wife since 2012, for “Costumer and Sound;” and Capshaw as “Producer, Art Director and Dolly Grip.” The post itself consists of a few behind-the-scenes photos of the video and the aforementioned folks who worked on it.

In case you missed it, check out the ‘Cannibal’ video below. The song, by the way, comes from the Mumford & Sons leader’s upcoming solo album, Self-Titled.

Earlier this year Brie Larson let it slip to our own Jason Tabrys that it was “one hundred percent” her “dream” to join the Fast & Furious franchise. Mere weeks later, the world learned that the Captain Marvel star joined the car-culture franchise. The upcoming installment (of the chaotically-titled franchise) will be called Fast X, and there’s been plenty of director-shuffle drama on the table, but it sure looks like there’s a lot of on-set love, too.

Vin Diesel certainly had fun with Jason Momoa also joining the crew and doing his best Whitesnake video impression, but Brie’s also firmly in the family as well. She posted an Instagram entry to wish a happy birthday to Vin, and this should stir up some hefty anticipation, since she used the F-word.

Previously, Brie told Uproxx, “Please, please tell everybody I would of course want to be in a Fast & Furious movie. I’m obsessed. I love them. I think they’re so good. They’re so fun.” And at that point, Brie was either lobbying hard, or something was already in the works. Mere months later, she was on set with Vin, and he posted his own shoutout to the MCU star. Yep, he tossed out a “family” reference as well.

Fast X arrives in theaters on May 19, 2023.

The turn-up is real in Mozzy’s new video for “In My Face” featuring 2 Chainz, Saweetie, and YG. Produced by Mustard, who also appears in the video, the song is a debauched party anthem that finds Mozzy, Chainz, and Saweetie throwing in some genuinely raunchy verses while YG implores a female partner to “put it in my face.”

All the features involved are good looks; YG and Mozzy are fresh off their joint album Kommunity Service, so it’s good to see them reunite, Saweetie is a fellow Northern California resident who sounds more refreshed than ever here, and 2 Chainz and Mustard have made magic together in the past. All told, their contributions make for an upbeat West Coast jam that should help Mozzy edge closer to the spotlight — or at least hold down a spot in summer playlist rotations for the sunny months.

“In My Face” will appear on the Sacramento rapper’s upcoming mixtape Survivor’s Guilt, which is due this Friday, July 22. Previously released singles include “Lurkin” feat. EST Gee and “Open Arms.” Survivor’s Guilt will be Mozzy’s first release under Yo Gotti’s CMG imprint, which is another good look after the group received a wave of positive press in the wake of their NBA Finals anthem “Big League” and signing GloRilla. CMG is also recently released Gangsta Art, its first compilation album, on which Mozzy certainly gets plenty of shine.

Beabadoobee’s sophomore album, Beatopia, came out this past Friday and now the British-Filipino indie pop sensation has announced an accompanying tour of North America. Following a slew of July dates with Bleachers and her European tour dates, Beabadoobee’s Beatopia Tour of North America begins on October 25th in Washington DC and will take her across the US, into Canada, and then back to the East Coast in December. Lowertown will be the direct support act for the tour.

Tickets go on sale Friday, July 22nd at 10 a.m. local time here. An artist pre-sale begins on Tuesday, July 19th at the same link with the code BEA2022.

Check out all of Beabadoobee’s global tour dates below.

07/22 – Portland, ME @ Thompson’s Point *
07/26 – New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall *
07/27 – Lewiston, NY @ ARTPARK Amphitheater *
07/29 – Cooperstown, NY @ Brewery Ommegang *
08/09 – Gothenburg, SE @ Way Out West Festival
08/10 – Budapest, HU @ Sziget Festival
08/11 – Oslo, NO @ Oya Festival
08/20-21 – Tokyo, JP @ Summersonic Festival
08/24 – Zurich, CH @ Zurich Openair Festival
08/25 – Paris, FR @ Rock En Seine Festival
09/07 – Auckland, NZ @ Powerstation
09/09 – Sydney, AU @ Enmore Theatre
09/10 – Melbourne, AU @ Forum
09/11 – Brisbane, AU @ The Tivoli
10/04 – Dublin, IE @ Olympia Theatre
10/05 – Belfast, IE @ Ulster Hall
10/07 – Bristol, UK @ O2 Academy
10/08 – Norwich, UK @ UEA
10/10 – Nottingham, UK @ Rock City
10/11 – Newcastle, UK @ NX
10/13 – Manchester, UK @ Manchester Academy
10/14 – Sheffield, UK @ Foundry
10/17 – Brighton, UK @ Chalk
10/18 – Southampton, UK @ Engine Rooms
10/25 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
10/28 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
10/29 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
10/31 – Variety Playhouse @ Atlanta, GA
11/01 – Jacksonville, FL @ Underbelly
11/02 – St. Petersburg, FL @ Jannus Landing
11/03 – Orlando, FL @ Beacham Theater
11/05 – New Orleans, LA @ Republic NOLA
11/06 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
11/07 – Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater
11/08 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s
11/10 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater
11/11 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren
11/12 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Novo
11/14 – Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory OC
11/15 – San Francisco, CA @ Regency Ballroom
11/19 – Mexico City, MX @ Corona Capital
11/21 – Seattle, WA @ Moore Theater
11/22 – Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
11/23 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
11/25 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
11/26 – Denver, CO @ Summit Music Hall
11/28 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
11/29 – Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre
12/01 – Toronto, ON @ History
12/02 – Montréal, QC @ Club Soda
12/03 – Albany, NY @ Empire Live
12/04 – Boston, MA @ Roadrunner

* with Bleachers

When my mom was breastfeeding my brother in 1972, someone asked her, “Are you still going to breastfeed him when he’s in college?!” He was less than 6 months old at the time.

A long history had led to the prevailing negative attitude toward breastfeeding at that time, much of it having to do with the marketing of infant formula in the decades before my brother was born. My mom ended up breastfeeding him for almost a year, which was fairly radical in the early 1970s.

In many ways, attitudes have reversed in the decades since then, with official breastfeeding recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics influencing the “norm” for length of breastfeeding. Up until last month, the AAP recommendation was to breastfeed exclusively for six months and then continue to breastfeed until a child is at least 1 year of age. But citing the “remarkable” benefits of breastfeeding, the AAP has now updated its guidance to recommend breastfeeding for at least two years, and then however long is mutually desired between mom and baby.

The news has been met with a mix of reactions, from praise for finally aligning the guidance with that of the World Health Organization to criticism for adding to the pressure many moms feel to breastfeed. With a formula shortage crisis putting extra stress on families, judgments over infant feeding choices have unfortunately proliferated.

Judgment over breastfeeding flows both ways, however. Some people judge moms for not breastfeeding and some people judge moms for breastfeeding beyond a certain age. Both are wrong, of course, but one good thing about this new recommendation is that it will hopefully make breastfeeding well into toddlerhood seem less “weird” or “gross” to those who aren’t used to the idea.

All three of my kids breastfed past age 2, and it definitely raised more than a few eyebrows. I can’t count how many times I’ve heard someone say that if a child is old enough to ask to breastfeed, they’re too old to breastfeed. But that’s totally arbitrary. Every breastfeeding baby communicates a desire to eat; they just do it with cries and body language instead of words.

As the AAP statement points out, “Mothers who decide to breastfeed beyond the first year need support. They often report feeling ridiculed or alienated in their choice and conceal their breastfeeding behavior to minimize unsolicited judgment and comments.”

Everyone has a different threshold for how old they feel is “too old” to breastfeed (usually whatever age they are used to seeing), so what this updated guidance from the AAP does is establish a new “norm.” That’s welcome news for those who breastfeed longer than a year. It makes a difference to have an official entity not only endorse, but actively recommend, something society tends to react negatively to.

At the same time, many families face obstacles to breastfeeding for any amount of time. I was fortunate to not have to navigate breastfeeding and working full-time when I had babies, my mom was a lactation consultant who helped me get breastfeeding established, and my close friends and family were supportive. I had every structural and social support in place to make breastfeeding happen.

The AAP did add the caveat that there needs to be a lot more support for mothers to help more families be successful in whatever breastfeeding goals they may have.

“Not everyone can breastfeed or continue breastfeeding for as long as desired for various reasons, including workplace barriers. Families deserve nonjudgmental support, information and help to guide them in feeding their infant,” said lead author Joan Younger Meek, MD, MS, RD, FAAP, FABM, IBCLC.

While every family absolutely has to do what works for them, it is helpful to have recommendations from the experts and official acknowledgment that support is key for success, no matter how long a child breastfeeds.