Month: August 2022

While Jeopardy! has some big changes in store for Season 39, its sister game show in syndication Wheel of Fortune apparently has a huge change on the horizon as well. Namely, what Vanna White will be revealing puzzles on once the new season kicks off.

The puzzle board has seen a number of upgrades over the years: it’s been a while since White has had to physically spin pieces of the board to reveal a puzzle, for example. But this upgrade seems to be the fanciest yet.

According to BuzzerBlog’s Corey Anotado, on a recent visit to the Sony Pictures Studios the show’s signature puzzle board was apparently missing.

A few weeks ago, I was in Los Angeles on vacation and took the Sony Pictures Studios tour. I noticed something peculiar when they showed off the Wheel of Fortune set: the puzzle board wasn’t there. The set is basically permanent, and the wheel and the puzzle board rarely get put into storage. Other tour groups who went after me noted the puzzle board back in action, with one significant difference: instead of being made up of multiple individual monitors, the puzzle board looked like one massive LED display.

Anotado unearthed an interview that Bill Monk, the show’s head of electronics, recently gave that had some details about a new puzzle board for the show as well. And the tech involved seems pretty intense: rather than multiple screens, the single video board will use lidar (light detection and ranging) to determine where someone presses on the screen and which letters to reveal as a result.

In this interview, which was recorded in December 2021, Monk talks about then-future plans for the puzzle board: “It’ll be a beam of light, if we change it out, where they put their finger through, we’ll know where the XY coordinates, so we’ll know to trigger that box.” Between this interview and audience reports, we can surmise that the puzzle board will use an array of lasers to determine where Vanna/Maggie Sajak in 3 years probably, presses on the board.

It’s not nearly as big a deal as removing the physical letters altogether, but it certainly means a new look for the show in the upcoming season.

The major change to the show’s puzzle board came in 1997, when the turnable pieces were decommissioned and swapped out for a collection of TV monitors that would be touched to illuminate the puzzle. That came with much fanfare, of course, probably more than an upgrade to laser technology will get whenever we see it in action. According to Anotado, we’re likely to get more information about the new tech as the upcoming season gets closer to air. We should see new episodes of the show starting in early September so, fingers crossed.

[via BuzzerBlog]

It was a good weekend to be off social media… actually, that’s true for every weekend, but especially this weekend if you wanted to ignore people tweeting/shouting about Sydney Sweeney. The Euphoria actress was at the center of a very online controversy after she posted photos from her mom’s birthday party on Instagram. “no better way to celebrate my momma than a surprise hoedown,” she wrote.

What’s the big deal? Well, in one of the pictures, a relative can be seen wearing a “Blue Lives Matter” shirt. This turned Sweeney into a liberal vs. conservative talking point. “You guys this is wild. An innocent celebration for my moms milestone 60th birthday has turned into an absurd political statement, which was not the intention,” The White Lotus star tweeted after she started trending. “Please stop making assumptions.”

A lot of people have family members with opinions they don’t agree with, and that could be the case here (it’s unclear what Sweeney’s politics are), but that’s not the lesson Tomi Lahren took from the online uproar. “OMG @sydney_sweeney had the audacity to have a birthday party for her mom and her family had the audacity to appear like they maybe might be conservatives and/or support law enforcement?!” the conservative commentator wrote with dripping condescension. “Oh the horror! GTFOH, vultures.”

Lahren, who implored Sweeney to “never bow or apologize to the mob,” also discussed the “controversy” on something called FOX News Commentary.

Oh the horror! Now the cancel culture mob is coming for Sweeney and her family, forcing her to make a social media statement directing the haters to “stop making assumptions” and reassuring them the birthday bash wasn’t intended to be a political statement. It is utterly ridiculous that those on the Left are so intolerant and unloving they feel the need to shame others, and for a birthday party no less! Newsflash leftists, half OR MORE of this country is made up of conservatives and/or Trump supporters and if the sight of that triggers you to such an extent, look away!

Lahren signed off with a message for Sweeney: “Stand strong and NEVER bow to the blood-thirsty mob!” This is good advice for Frankenstein, but it doesn’t really apply here. If anything, Lahren’s defense made things worse for Sweeney.

(Via Fox News)

Britney Spears is seemingly sparing no details about her conservatorship in a newly shared (but now-private) 22-minute voice recording. In the clip, she spoke about everything from how she turned down an interview with Oprah about the conservatorship, to being confused by the #FreeBritney movement, to sharing some wild stories the beginning of the “premeditated” nature of the conservatorship itself.

But in one of many sad and revealing portions of the tape, she also spoke about how detached she was from her Las Vegas residency amid the constraints that she felt in her personal life. The Piece Of Me residency ran in Vegas from 2013 to 2017 and per a Billboard report on the recording, Spears admits (among other things) that it was “demoralizing”:

“My performances I know were horrible. I even wore wigs. All the dancers were doing all these nice, sexy head-flip turns and I had conditioner treatment in my hair and these little caps over my head… because I was just a robot. I didn’t give a f*ck anymore because I couldn’t go where I wanted to go, I couldn’t have the nannies that I wanted to have, I couldn’t have cash. It was just demoralizing. I was kind of like in this conspiracy thing of people claiming and treating me like a superstar, but yet they treated me like nothing.”

Following the release of the tape, Britney’s mom, Lynn Spears, issued a statement. “Your rejections to the countless times I have flown out and calls make me feel hopeless! I have tried everything,” she said on Instagram. “I love you so much, but this talk is for you and me only, eye to eye, in private.”

As is widely known by now, Britney Spears is free from her conservatorship. Part of the thanks there goes to the #FreeBritney movement, which helped bring public awareness to the injustices that Spears was facing. In a 22-minute audio clip shared (and then quickly made private) last night, Spears took a moment to acknowledge her fans and explain how their support left her confused.

It wasn’t their support itself that was confounding, but how it contrasted with the backing Spears got from her own family. She said (as Billboard reports):

“The whole thing that made it really confusing for me is these people were on the street were fighting for me, but my sister and my mother aren’t doing anything. To me, it was like they secretly, honestly liked me being the bad one, like I was messed up, and they kind of just liked it that way. Otherwise why weren’t they outside my doorstep saying, ‘Baby girl, get in the car, let’s go.’ I think that’s the main thing that hurt me. I couldn’t process how my family went along with it for so long.”

This isn’t the first time Spears has given thanks to her #FreeBritney fans. Shortly after the conservatorship came to an end, Spears wrote on Instagram, “You guys rock. Honestly, my voice was muted and threatened for so long, I wasn’t able to speak up or say anything. Because of you guys and the awareness of kinda knowing what was going on, and delivering that news to the public for so long, you give it awareness to all of them. Because of you, I honestly think that you guys saved my life in a way 100%.”

House of the Dragon has done an admirable job of preventing set leaks, even without using Game of Thrones-style “drone killers.” That includes the cast, who are relieved that they can finally talk about the series without fear of spoiling something and having HBO’s lawyers engulf them in fire (in this accurate scenario, HBO’s lawyers are dragons).

In Sunday’s episode, “The Rogue Prince,” King Viserys Targaryen (played by Paddy Considine) revealed his intention to marry young Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) instead of even-younger Lady Laena (Nanna Blondell), much to the dismay of Lord Corlys (Steve Toussaint) and Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock). “I’m so glad I can talk about this now. This is a big one,” Carey said on the West of Westeros podcast about the wedding twist. “It changes one of the branches of the show, if that makes sense. It pushes things in a different direction. And for my character it’s, of course, a massive turn.”

Carey understandably felt a little uneasy playing a 14-year-old girl who’s in a relationship with a 40-something man, but she and Considine bonded on set over their mutual love of RuPaul’s Drag Race. “Paddy is a massive Drag Race fan, and so am I,” she said. “So I’d come into set and be like, ‘Hey, Paddy, did you watch the new episode of All Stars?’ He’d be like, ‘Oh my God, yes! Let’s talk about it.’ And so that’s how we’d start every morning.”

You can listen to the podcast below.

(Via EW)

In terms of ranking at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, Harry Styles’ “As It Was” has had an up-and-down journey. In fact, it has had the most up-and-down path in chart history; On the new Hot 100 dated September 3, the song has returned to the top of the chart for a fifth distinct time and 11th total week. “As It Was” is now the first song to ever go No. 1 five separate times.

It first topped the chart for a single week on April 16. Jack Harlow’s “First Class” usurped it for a week before Styles returned to No. 1 for two additional weeks, on April 30 and May 7. Future, Drake, and Tems’ “Wait For U” then had a week on top before “As It Was” enjoyed four straight No. 1 weeks, on June 4, 11, 18, and 25. Then, Drake and 21 Savage’s “Jimmy Cooks” topped the Hot 100 for a week before “As It Was” re-upped for three more weeks, on July 9, 16, and 23. After that, Lizzo’s “About Damn Time” was No. 1 for two weeks, Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul” had a couple chart-topping weeks of its own, as last week, Nicki Minaj’s “Super Freaky Girl” took over the top spot. That brings us to this week, Styles’ 11th on top with this song.

Also noteworthy on this week’s chart is Steve Lacy’s “Bad Habit” rising to a new high at No. 3. As for last week’s No. 1, Minaj’s “Super Freaky Girl” slips down to No. 7 this week.

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

If there’s a glimmer of hope for the Democrats going into the 2024 presidential election, it is that Donald Trump is showing no signs of gracefully conceding the Republican primary to Ron DeSantis should he win. The former president is already tearing down DeSantis behind-the-scenes, and the situation is not likely to improve should the Florida governor become the GOP nominee.

According to a new report, Trump has allegedly spent over a year criticizing DeSantis for “stealing” from him by copying the former president’s mannerisms in a “lame impression of Trump.” Via Rolling Stone:

Trump has a distinctive (and much-satirized) way of gesticulating while casually talking, delivering political speeches, or even “firing” contestants on his former game show. The sources note that when Trump has seen video clips of of DeSantis speaking at public events over the past year and a half, the former president has scornfully mocked the ascendant Florida Republican for appearing to imitate his body language, movements, and even, at times, speaking rhythm. One of the other sources recalls Trump joking at a dinner event earlier this year that he should sue DeSantis for copyright infringement.

In another form of intimidation, Donald Trump Jr. has also reportedly gotten in the act of accusing DeSantis of “stealing.” According to sources for Rolling Stone, Don Jr. has told people that topics he’s tweeted have been conveniently showing up in DeSantis’ talking points shortly thereafter. Junior is convinced that someone on DeSantis’ team is following his Twitter account and raiding it for campaign content, which has to be the first time anyone has copied off of Don Jr. for anything.

Of course, what the Trumps are really mad about it is that whatever DeSantis is doing is working. He’s been continually leading in the polls as Fox News personalities have signaled that it’s time for the Republican party to move away from Trump.

(Via Rolling Stone)

HBO’s House of the Dragon has certainly given fans what they expected through two episodes. Whether avid readers of the George R.R. Martin series or simply fans of the drama unfolding on Sunday nights, fans have heard familiar house names, filled in story gaps, and seen some heavy foreshadowing about the end of Targaryen reign in Westeros.

Game of Thrones has always been a delicate mix of political maneuvering and gruesome violence, and through two episodes (spoilers ahead for House of the Dragon) the name “Crabfeeder” has quickly become synonymous with both. First mentioned as someone interfering with shipping lanes, the start of episode two — The Rogue Prince — gave us a first look at a character who appears poised to be a volatile force in the show’s first season.

The character, whose moniker comes from a reputation of quite literally leaving his defeated foes on the beach to feed the crabs, is actually named Craghas Drahar. But as we saw in the second episode’s open, he’s very serious about that reputation. The show begins on a beach at low tide, with crabs scurrying over the bodies of fallen enemies nailed to hedgehog-like wooden crosses as the waters rise. Some, which we soon learned, were actually still alive.

The moment solidified something another major player in the House of the Dragon universe feared was coming: Crabfeeder is growing in power in the pirate stronghold of the Stepstones, and he’s a problem the crown simply can no longer ignore.

The second episode’s focus was largely on King Viserys’ heirs. Namely, whether he would remarry and if that new wife could conceive a son. There was also the messy business of Daemon Targaryen stealing a dragon egg and bluffing the conception of his own heir. All of that family drama will create the instability that ruins the Targaryen grip on power, but Crabfeeder is the immediate menace lurking just over the water.

So who exactly is Crabfeeder and what’s his deal? In short, he’s a threat to the empire that’s challenging Targaryen power at a time outsiders question its vulnerability. A prince admiral from Myr, a free city in western Essos, Crabfeeder became a figurehead for a group of free cities called the Triarchy who want to rid the Stepstones — an archipelago far from King’s Landing — of their nagging pirate problem. By taking control of the Stepstones and creating a colony in Targaryen territory, though, they themselves have become a threat to the empire.

In the first episode, Crabfeeder is merely mentioned by name. Corlys Velaryon, a powerful shipping magnate and ally of King Viserys, is worried Crabfeeder’s growing armies will impact his business and cripple his house’s power as they continue to attack Velaryon ships. But in Sunday’s second episode we see the real impact he’s had on the water. And though bloodshed was spared on screen — especially in Dragonstone — the looming threat of beach battles instilled plenty of dread in Episode Two.

While some viewers were grossed out by a variety of things in the episode — including a king’s hand literally dipped in maggots — the most striking moment may have come at the end with the reveal of Crabfeeder’s face. This came after an uneasy alliance between Daemon and Corlys to take care of Crabfeeder on their own following inaction from King Viserys. Both see it as an opportunity to prove their worth, but it becomes very clear Drahar is ready for a fight.

The setup makes Drahar pretty obviously the show’s Big Bad in Season One. While Viserys is reluctant to go to war amid a time of Targaryen turmoil, Daemon and Corlys see Crabfeeder as a real threat as well as an opportunity to undermine Viserys’ grip on power. Drahar, meanwhile, clearly agrees that the Targaryen reign is ripe for revolt as well.

Interestingly, a preview for Episode 3 teases another time jump, this time with a second son for Aegon actually alive following his marriage to Alicent Hightower. Which means we’re likely to get right to the action in a clash between Targaryen and Stepstones forces. And maybe we’ll actually see whether Crabfeeder will actually speak. We once again see a bit more of Drahar’s striking visage in the episode preview, revealing a bit more detail on the mask the prince admiral wears.

In a preview for the show’s third episode we get a better look at the sinister Drahar and what’s on his face. He’s shown twice, peering into the eyes of someone he seems to be leaving for the crabs to feed on, and again when the show teases the arrival of a dragon on the battlefield.

Fans of the books may already know Drahar’s fate, but it will certainly be interesting to see if the show deviates from its source material and — if not — exactly how that story will play out on the beaches of Westeros and beyond.

Michael Jordan was considered one of the most fierce and dedicated competitors in the history of sports. You may recognize the famous basketball player from nicknames such as “MJ,” “Air Jordan,” “His Airness,” “The G.O.A.T” (Greatest of All Time) or even “Black Jesus.”

His win-at-all-costs attitude was unquestioned, and yet, in a recently unearthed video from the ’80s, “His Airness” demonstrated a kinder side and a commitment to helping others through philanthropic endeavors. With 2.4 million views and counting, it’s clear people love seeing Jordan redefine greatness once again.

The video shows a seemingly sweet game of wheelchair basketball starring 16-year-old Eric Barber in a one-on-one competition with the six-time world champion and 14-time All-Star Michael Jordan.

u201cIn his third season in the NBA, Michael Jordan is the brightest young star in the league. He is challenged by 16-year-old Eric Barber to a game of wheelchair basketball. First to 20 wins (1987)nnWatch…u201d

— Hoops Nostalgia (@Hoops Nostalgia)
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The spirited young Barber quickly takes it to an unsuspecting Jordan, accumulating a sizable lead. A cheeky Kareem Abdul-Jabbar style sky hook gives the 16-year-old an opportune 14-4 advantage. As the crowd’s applause elevates, a noticeably irritated Jordan—he doesn’t like to lose—starts dipping into his vast competitive experience to mount a comeback.

Just as the tide seems to turn through an impressive display of (seated) jumpers, bank shots and some signature intense defense, Barber finds his sweet spot burying a 15-footer to end an entertaining game. Big smiles can be found on all in attendance and even the great Michael Jordan himself. The fans on the scene were treated to a surprisingly intense and creative game.

According to the borgenproject.org, a humanitarian enterprise addressing areas of poverty and world hunger, an estimated 100 million people in the world need a wheelchair. More challenging, 75 million, that’s literally two-thirds, can not afford one. Philanthropic programs such as Wheelchair Foundation receive donations and put their efforts into action. Wheelchair Foundation has delivered or committed to distribute 1,157,425 wheelchairs to date.

When it comes to activities leading to inspirational action such as that witnessed in the heartwarming video featuring “MJ” and young Eric Barber, the National Wheelchair Basketball Association, founded in 1949, continues to host events and leagues across America throughout the year.

You can donate to the NWBA here.

Today, the multibillionaire Michael Jordan hasn’t lost his love and passion for helping others in need.

His charitable contributions of time and dollars continue year after year. In 2020, he made a pledge of $100 million dollars focusing on social justice, economic justice, and education and awareness. He intended to distribute those funds to organizations such as NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) and the Formerly Incarcerated & Convicted People and Families Movement (FICPFM).

It would appear that competitive spirit has found its way into this historic athlete’s generosity. However, if Jordan wishes to move up the list of accomplished major donors, he still has some considerable work ahead. When it comes to putting your money where your mouth is, Bill and Melinda Gates sit on top, having donated an incredible $15 billion dollars through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Some consolation to the former champion’s loss highlighted in the video that’s making its way through social media: Eric Barber went on to represent four U.S Paralympic wheelchair basketball teams, taking home two bronze medals in the process. “The GOAT” never had a chance.

Look, I get it. You’re there minding your own business, relaxing in the cool ocean waters, when out of nowhere—like, without even the common courtesy of the “Jaws” theme song to offer a fair warning—you find yourself right next to a shark.

Your immediate response? SWIM AWAY AS FAST AS YOU CAN.

Though this survival instinct is completely understandable, sit back and allow two experts to explain why that’s a bad idea.

Kayleigh Grant and Andriana Fragola are both trained scuba divers who have had their fair amount of dealings with all sorts of aquatic creatures, including sharks.

A recent video clip of theirs has been swimming around the internet because it perfectly demonstrates how to safely avoid a shark attack—using a real-life shark.

On camera we see Fragola being approached by a tiger shark while in Oahu, Hawaii.

Meanwhile Grant’s voice can be heard saying, “Andy is demonstrating why we do not want to splash and swim away from sharks.”

She continued, “Splashing and swimming away imitates what prey does. When we’re dealing with top predators like sharks we want to also act like a predator.”

So, instead of trying to swim away, we see Fragola calmly turn around and face the creature while maintaining eye contact.

She even manages the bravest snoot boop of all time—reaching out and pushing the tiger shark’s nose to redirect it. Apparently this is strictly a “tiger shark” thing, so please don’t go trying this technique with a great white.

And in case it’s not obvious: While it’s great that these two pros can offer tips for interacting safely with apex predators, it’s still maybe not the best idea to go seeking out these types of encounters. In fact, both divers repeatedly use the “do not attempt” disclaimer on many of their videos.

This hack does come at an opportune time, considering the supposed recent uptick in recorded shark interactions along the United States East Coast, for reasons that are still under debate.

However, Grant did advise in her caption that “just like bears and other predators,” sharks “typically want nothing to do with humans” and are “not the man-eating monsters the media portrays.”

Both Grant and Fragola are passionate about shark conservation. Fragola makes handcrafted jewelry using removed fishing lines, and Grant offers underwater safari tours exploring reefs and sea caves.

Plus, both their TikTok channels are full of breathtaking footage that’ll make you love and respect these toothy beasts.

Check these out:

@mermaid.kayleigh *I am a trained professional DO NOT ATTEMPT* One of my favorite ways for a #tigershark to approach is vertically. Every situation & approach from a #shark is different so you need to keep looking all around & anticipating a shark from any direction. ⚡️ 🎥 @andriana_marine #savesharks #sharkdiver #sharkdiving #sharkdive #nikkithetigershark #hawaii #ocean ♬ solitude – favsoundds

@andriana_marine #shark #ocean #scoochinrighthere ♬ original sound – jaycehardy

@andriana_marine Replying to @maddie karis #ocean #shark #sharkdiver #thalassophobia ♬ Lofi – Domknowz

Plus there’s some bite-sized education:

@mermaid.kayleigh Such a cruel & evil practice to torture & kill an animal without the intent to eat it! This must stop #hawaii 😭 #oceanicwhitetip #sharks #savesharks #sharkdiving #sharkdive #sharkdiver #diving #freediving #freedive #ocean ♬ Love You So – The King Khan & BBQ Show

@andriana_marine Replying to @Ekp #shark #tigershark #sharkdiver #cuteshark ♬ Moon – Fernan Birdy

And of course—it’s not all shark-oriented. Grant and Fragola’s channels are veritable treasure troves of aquatic gems.

@andriana_marine #ocean #mermaid #siren #deepwater #thalassophobia #dive #mermaidmagic ♬ Siren – Filip Lackovic

@mermaid.kayleigh Always so crazy to think about how much below me is #darkness 😳 the light rays are so beautiful at the surface though 😍 #ocean #deepwater #hawaii #bluewater ♬ Stranger Things – Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein

Bless these gals for not only passing on valuable safety tips, but for sharing the ocean’s wonders with the rest of the world.