Month: August 2022

Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon is the OG single barrel bourbon and one of the most sought-after whiskeys out there. Today, the bottle is so popular and fleeting that people line up overnight at local retailers, pay premiums on the aftermarket and at auctions, and travel overseas just to snag a bottle. I’m a big fan too and have hoarded a stash of Blanton’s for both special occasions and investing. So I figured it was time to break down how I procured those bottles, in hopes that you might be able to buy one too.

Blanton’s — made by the Sazerac Company at Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky — changed the bourbon game in the 1980s when it was first released. The bottle was the first ever single barrel bourbon release, which, admittedly, sounds crazy in 2022 when single barrel whiskeys are released nearly non-stop. The “drop” (they weren’t called that back then) was the masterstroke of Elmer T. Lee back in ’84. Basically, the distillery was looking to stay afloat and move product during the dark days of whiskey when distilleries were shuttering left and right.

The hand-selected, hand-dumped, hand-bottled, and hand-labeled whiskey was a massive hit — mostly in Japan — to the point that it damn near single-handedly saved the distillery from collapse. And to be fair, it is (and always was) an exceptional offering. The juice itself from six to eight-year-old barrels from Buffalo Trace’s famed Warehouse H, which was built after Prohibition by Albert B. Blanton, or “Colonel Blanton” as he’s referred to at Buffalo Trace. These days, the process is still all done by hand like it was done in the 1980s to the point that there’s a room full of workers still hand-writing and sealing every label. While Buffalo Trace is mum about their water, yeast, and grains, we do know that Blanton’s come from their famed Mash Bill no. 2. That’s a slightly higher (but still low) rye mash bill that’s also used for Ancient Age, Elmer T. Lee, Rock Hill Farms, and Hancock’s Reserve bourbons.

When it comes to Blanton’s there are three core expressions — The OG Single Barrel Bourbon at 93 proof, Gold at 103 proof, and Straight From the Barrel at barrel proof plus a few international variations (more on those later). Read on for how to score one for yourself!

Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months

• We Blind Tasted A Whole Bunch Of $30-60 Bourbons To See If Any Could Beat Weller
• We Blind Tasted Classic Bourbons And Were Shocked By The Winner
• The Best Ten-Year-Old Bourbon Whiskeys, Tasted Blind And Ranked
• We Tasted Bourbon Whiskeys ‘Double-Blind’ And Tried To Guess Each Bottle
• All The Double Gold-Winning Straight Bourbons From This Year’s San Francisco World Spirits Competition

METHOD 1a — Retail

This is going to take the most person-to-person conversation. Yes, some retailers still get an allotment of Blanton’s — mostly just the OG bottle though. My local liquor store (in Kentucky) just had a case or two come in last week. It was on the shelf for about 4 hours before it sold out. It was priced at $79.99. There was never a line outside.

Unfortunately, I was too late to get a bottle. Why? I didn’t ask the store manager to tag me when that particular bottle came in.

Here’s the rub with getting bottles at retail prices at retail shops — you need to first join their customer club/benefits club/member’s club. Then you need to become a regular. Then you need to strike up a conversation with the manager. Generally, if you’re a good customer who they see often, this should all be easy. But you have to have a relationship with the folks who work at these stores. Otherwise, you’re not getting anything unless — through blind luck — you show up and there’s some on the shelf.

Make the right friends. Be kind. Don’t ask for too much too early. Find out when allocated deliveries take place. Don’t abuse that information. Be a good neighbor. It’s not rocket science and it does work.

METHOD 1b — Online Retail

Then there’s online retail. This is a little dicier. Retailers like Drizly or Reserve Bar will get bottles in but they will only be available in certain regional markets. There’s no universal rule for buying/shipping booze in the U.S., so you’re at the whim of which state got what and their laws and which online retailer got their cut of that cut. So you may see a bottle of Blanton’s on Drizly for $89 but you’re in San Francisco, California, and that bottle is in Peoria, Illinois, and you’re out of luck. Naturally, sometimes the stars align with online retailers and you can score some serious bottles. You just have to set up alerts and check regularly in your zip code. To be frank, it’s likely easier just to go to your local (good) liquor store and get to know the staff.

PRO TIP:

Be warned. IRL retailers will mark up prices beyond the MSRP. Sometimes that markup might be $15, like in my local liquor store. Sometimes it might be a lot more. Know the MSRP (manufacturers suggested retail price) before you go into the shop or hit buy online.

Blanton’s Original is $65. Gold is $95. Straight From The Barrel is $110.

METHOD 2 — Visit The Distillery

Distillery bottle shops can be a gold mine. They can also be frustrating. The Gift Shop at Buffalo Trace is a great place to get rare bottles at true retail.

If you’re in making your pilgrimage to the Buffalo Trace promised land in Frankfort, Kentucky, you can grab up to two bottles at the Gift Shop. After parking, there’s a tall red-brick building with a Buffalo on it. Before you walk in, there’ll be a sandwich board that’ll list the bottles currently being sold in the Gift Shop that day. Wheatly Vodka and Bourbon Creme are always on there. The top slot rotates daily. This can be Weller Special Reserve, Blanton’s, Elmer T. Lee, Eagle Rare 10, Buffalo Trace Bourbon, and maybe a few other entry-level bottles (never, ever is it Pappy — don’t bother).

Whichever bottle is available that day will be at MSRP. That means you can get a Weller SR for $30 or a Blanton’s for $65. If you live in north-central Kentucky, it’s not that hard to keep your ear to the ground and hear through the grapevine what’s on the sandwich board every day. If you’re in town for one day as a tourist, you’re getting whatever is on that sandwich board that day.

METHOD 3 — The Aftermarket

This is the easiest way to score a bottle. The aftermarket is a guaranteed win… but at a price. These are online and in-person retailers that will sell collectible and other hard-to-find bottles of whiskey that they buy, sell, and trade for.

The most legit place to get an aftermarket retail bottle of Blanton’s is Justins’ House of Bourbon in both Lexington and Louisville. A single bottle of the OG Blanton’s will set you back $249. That may sound dire. But there’s a guarantee involved that’s very important. There’s a ton of subterfuge and forgery in the high-end whiskey game. Places like Justins’ has a crew that makes sure you’re getting the real thing to the best of their ability. The same goes for online retailers like Frootbat.com, Caskers.com, and TheWhiskyExchange.com.

For the most part, you can rest assured you’re getting what you’ve paid (top dollar) for. Beyond that, things get dicey quickly.

Another option is to use WineSearcher.com for regional and international retailers that are selling Blanton’s — for a hefty aftermarket markup. Very generally speaking, you’ll be able to find a retailer local to you. You can then go into the shop and use common sense to verify if it’s all legit or not.

METHOD 4 — Buying At Auction

This can be a very legitimate way to score Blanton’s if you follow the distillery auctions. Distilleries often release bottles throughout the year for various causes. Case in point, Buffalo Trace just released three bottles of Blanton’s (and several other huge name bottles) from their stocks for charity relief for Eastern Kentucky’s devastating floods. This is what you want to look for since there’s no question if these are real bottles or not. The benefit is also that you’ll actually be funneling the money you would have given an aftermarket retailer toward a good cause.

Right now, you can bid on all three Blanton’s — OG, Gold, and Straight from the Barrel — if you have a few grand to donate. Click right here to bid. You might win!

Then there are private house auctions for private charities for, say, golf clubs or retailers or a million other things. Sometimes those are fueled by donated bottles from private folks. The veracity of those bottles of Blanton’s is on those peoples’ words alone. The point I’m making here is to always, always do your research and find out where the bottles come from, who verified their legitimacy, and where they can actually deliver to (or if you have to pick them up).

METHOD 5 — Duty-Free

Okay, now we’re getting into the fun ways to buy Blanton’s! Traveling through IAD (Washington-Dulles) anytime soon? You can pre-order Blanton’s from their Duty-Free for pick up when you’re transferring internationally through that airport. The price is just over double MSRP per bottle, but it’s there.

German and Japanese Duty-Free is another great bet for bottles at much closer to MSRP. German Duty-Free will be a bit more hit and miss because the brand has a strong retail presence there (more on that next).

Japanese Duty-Free is the best bet, as Blanton’s tends to be widely available there too. You’ll generally find the OG bottle and then Black Label (and 80-proof version) and “Red Takara” Label Blanton’s (aged two years longer than Blanton’s otherwise the same as OG). Naturally, this will depend on which airport and which shop you’re in. Tokyo-Narita is the best bet — it’s a near guarantee you’ll find Blanton’s there.

And that’s just scratching the surface. The point is, check out Duty Free the next time you’re in a huge international airport. You might get really lucky.

METHOD 6 — International Retail

This is also a lot of fun but takes a little investment to, you know, actually, travel.

Again, Japan and Germany are your best options here. Though, this time, it’s Germany where you want to go for guaranteed retail. Here’s a big insider tip for Blanton’s OG, Gold, and Straight From The Barrel — you can get all three at retail shops in Berlin at MSRP. Big luxury shops like KaDeWe in Berlin will have three bottles of all three expressions on the shelf at most times. Regular whisk(e)y retailers in Germany will also have Blanton’s (and a lot of other Sazerac products) at MSRP pretty much all the time.

This is similar in Japan but those bottles tend to be Japanese-specific releases. Then again, those Japanese-specific releases have a lot more value when you bring them back to the U.S.. Anyway, if you ever needed another reason to travel, getting Blanton’s for sure is a good one.

***

Good luck out there this fall! And be sure to read our review of all three Blanton’s expressions before you pick your poison!

James Cameron directed the highest-grossing movie of all-time (when not adjusted for inflation) until it was displaced by another James Cameron movie. But along came Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame, which held the top-grosser title until it was replaced by… the same James Cameron movie.

First off, do not doubt James Cameron. Also, he’s not content to have the box office record by less than $55 million. No no no. Cameron wants to obliterate the Marvel Cinematic Universe (his prediction came true), which is one of the reasons why Avatar is being re-released in theaters. The other reason: so everyone can remember what the heck happened in Avatar before Avatar: The Way of Water comes out.

Avatar is returning to theaters for a limited time beginning on September 23 (the same weekend as Don’t Worry Darling) in 4K. You can watch the trailer above.

As for the sequel, here’s the official plot synopsis:

Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, Avatar: The Way of Water begins to tell the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri, and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure

Avatar: The Way of Water hits theaters after multiple delays on December 16.

Following Warner Bros. Discovery‘s bombshell decision to indefinitely shelve Batgirl instead of letting it stream on HBO Max as originally planned, more and more details have been trickling out about Batgirl‘s fate. As the shocking move kicked off weeks of turmoil at the newly formed entertainment conglomerate (cancellations and the removal of streaming shows are still happening as of this writing), Batgirl directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah have been scrambling to sift through the wreckage. While the two have been politely diplomatic about the unprecedented situation, they are starting to speak out about watching their hard work seemingly vanish into thin air.

In a new interview with the French-based SKRIPT, El Arbi and Fallah reportedly revealed that they tried to access the Batgirl footage and record it on their phones after Warner Bros. Discovery pulled the plug because “they wanted to save some money.” However, the directors were shocked to learn that they were already blocked from the servers. For even more salt in the wound, they could no longer access footage of Michael Keaton as Batman, which particularly stung. Via IndieWire:

“We have nothing,” Fallah said. “Adil called me and said, ‘Shoot everything on your phone.’ I went on the server, and everything was blocked.”

El Arbi recalled, “We were like, ‘F*cking sh*t! All the scenes with Batman in them! Sh*t!’”

But the duo are still holding out hope for their superhero movie. “Seeing all the support on Twitter, and even from big directors Edgar Wright and James Gunn, who sent us supportive messages, it was comforting,” Fallah said.

The filmmaking team also revealed that Batgirl still needs to be finished, and for it to see the light of day, the studio would need to let them complete the final product.

“[‘Batgirl]’ cannot be released in its current state,” El Arbi said. “Before it’s released one day, there would be a lot of work still to do. Just like the ‘Snyder Cut.’ There’s no VFX, we still had to shoot some scenes. So if [Warner Bros. Discovery] wanted us to release the ‘Batgirl’ movie they would need to give us the means to do it, to finish it properly with our vision.”

Considering how much of a headache the Snyder Cut turned out to be, fans should probably not get their hopes up on the directors’ wishes. That’s especially considering Warner Bros. Discovery is trying to cut an astronomical amount of costs and seems to have no love for the Zack Snyder vanity project.

(Via IndieWire)

(Spoilers from The Boys Season 3 will be found below.)

Yes, The Boys only recently streamed their Season 3 finale, but showrunner Eric Kripke isn’t sitting around and cracking his knuckles in anticipation. Rather, he’s making the Supe magic happen by getting the ball rolling on Season 4 filming. And the cast is fully into getting the gang back together while showing off their enthusiasm on social media. Antony Starr showed off a throwback photo, and Karl Urban had drinks with Jack Quaid while Jensen Ackles had some fun while acknowledging not being on the scene (see ya, Soldier Boy).

Also on Instagram, Starlight actress Erin Moriarty decided to let everyone know that Starlight isn’t all legs and a polished hairdo. She posted a photo of that glamorous side, yes, but if one clicks through to the second photo, Starlight looks like one would expect her to realistically look after saving the world.

“Instagram vs. reality vs. instagram vs. reality,” Moriarty wrote in a post that you can see here (because the photo won’t embed). Round 4; bring on the dishevelment (and the blood, sweat, tears, + other bodily fluids that get excreted on or off screen invariably throughout the season).”

Erin Moriarty is a trooper for posting the non-glam Starlight. And I am looking forward to where she goes after the character officially became Annie January again. We might not see too much of this outfit, in other words. Hopefully, the cast will start dropping some BTS photos on social media soon, too. Fingers crossed.

After The Weeknd‘s show at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Saturday night, a large fire erupted outside of the venue, as reported by Variety. Fans noticed the fire and immediately shared pictures on social media, wasting no time before making “the concert was on fire” jokes.

While no injuries or deaths were reported, a vehicle containing fan merchandise had caught fire in the parking lot. Photos shared on social media have indicated that the vehicle was completely destroyed.

At the time of writing, The Weeknd had not yet commented on the destruction of the merch vehicle, however, he appears to be in good spirits, taking to Twitter to say that he’s looking forward to his next stop on the “After Hours Until Dawn” tour in Vancouver.

Additionally, he has several projects in the works, including an upcoming series for HBO called The Idol. While we don’t have a premiere date for The Idol yet, he has played trailers and teasers for the show during his tour stops, building up anticipation for the upcoming series, which he also developed alongside Euphoria creator Sam Levinson.

He also is set to release a new single called “Sci-Fi” with Grimes soon, which she described as “a trip” in an interview with Vogue China, as translated by fans and reported by NME.

The After Hours Til Dawn tour is set to continue until September 22, where he will conclude the run at Toronto’s Rogers Centre.

It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia has become one of the most iconic television comedies of all time. The heart of the show is the often psychopathic gang behaving horribly in or around Paddy’s Pub, a very divey Irish(ish) bar in Philly. So it should come as no surprise that the show’s creators — Rob McElhenney, Glenn Howerton, and Charlie Day — got into the whiskey game with an Irish whiskey.

What’s more of a shock is the quality, considering this is the crew who invented drinking wine out of sunscreen bottles.

Getting into Irish whiskey is a bold move when celebrity-driven bourbon whiskeys and tequilas are dropping left and right. But it might also be brilliant — Irish whiskey is a massively expanding style, especially here in the U.S., and hasn’t quite caught on with the celebrity set. There’s a lot of room to grow, less competition, and space for innovation!

So what exactly is the gang’s Irish tipple?

McElhenney, Howerton, and Day actually released two whiskeys under their new Four Walls shingle. The idea behind the brand is to pay homage to the “four walls” of Paddy’s Pub, which they’ve called home for most of their adult lives. The name is a thank you to the place but also to the fans who helped make It’s Always Sunny the massive success it is today. One of the expressions is a blended Irish whiskey and Pennsylvania rye — meant to be enjoyed at a bar, likely with a Coors Light beer back. The other pour is a $1,000 single barrel (technically a “barrel pick”), one which the trio of movie stars might crack open themselves on a special occasion.

Read below for our full review!

Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Irish Whiskey Posts of the Last Six Months

• We Blind Tasted A Dozen Irish Whiskeys And Crowned A Winner
• The Best Whiskeys In The World, According To The John Barleycorn Awards
• Jameson Vs. Bushmills: The Results Of Our St. Patrick’s Day Blind Tasting
• A Mix Of Classic And New Irish Whiskeys, Blind Tasted And Ranked
• All The Brands From The Jameson ‘Family’ Of Irish Whiskeys, Ranked

Four Walls Bartender’s Blend Limited Edition

ABV: 45%

Average Price: Sold Out ($89)

The Whiskey:

This whiskey is a blend of Ireland and America. The juice is mostly sourced from five-year-old blended Irish grain whiskey and pot still whiskey (that’s Irish whiskey made with unmalted and malted barley). That whiskey is just touched with Pennsylvania rye from Wigle, also aged five years. The final blend is then proofed down and bottled as-is.

Tasting Notes:

This whiskey feels very familiar in a good way on the nose with a hint of an apple tree and tart apple skins next to floral honey with a thin line of clove and anise spice lurking under that fresh sweetness. The palate leans into the spiced honey as a hint of pear leads to more orchard vibes with a soft warmth on the mid-palate. The end arrives with a hint of dry straw with sultanas, fresh honey, and spiced apple fritters — think cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove — rounding out the sip on the soft end with a faint whisper of dried black cherry tobacco underneath it all.

The Bottle/Presentation:

The whiskey comes in a green box with a very classic logo that’s pretty minimal. The bottle inside also feels like a stone-cold classic. The label is bold and eye-catching with “Four Walls” almost jumping off the bottle.

Bottom Line:

This is a pretty good Irish-American whiskey. I feel like it really shines in simple whiskey cocktails, like a Manhattan or old fashioned. That said, pour this over some rocks and go to town. It’s very solid.

Ranking:

89/100 — Solid B+. We’re not talking about anything mind-blowing here. This is a solid “gather around a table with friends and chat and drink” whiskey.

Cask Strength Four Walls Irish Whiskey “The Better Brown” Single Barrel Aged 15 Years — Taste 8

ABV: 57.8%

Average Price: $999

The Whiskey:

This whiskey is bottled from one ex-bourbon barrel of 15-year-old Irish whiskey. The single malt whiskey was chosen to celebrate the 15 years Sunny has been on the air. After a few select single barrels were chosen, the juice was bottled at cask strength and yielded only 755 bottles.

Tasting Notes:

The nose opens with a hint of rose next to sticky toffee pudding made with plenty of cinnamon and nutmeg and black-tea-soaked dates with a hint of marzipan, rum-soaked raisins, apple skins, and thick and dark Nutella rounding things out. The palate opens with a burst of floral honey-soaked apple chips with rich and creamy vanilla sauce with a dash of poppy seed next to Christmas cake just dashed with bright brandy and full of nuts and candied fruit. The mid-palate leans into the warmth of the wintry spices as creamy vanilla and soft spiced nut cake leans toward a finish full of old soft leather gloves, a dusting of dark cacao powder, and a whisper of dry menthol tobacco in an old pine box.

The Bottle/Presentation:

The box on this one is a nice wooden presentation piece. There’s a proper metal plaque on the inside with a message of deep appreciation from the Gang to whoever is lucky enough to sip this whiskey.

The bottle feels like a throwback to the art deco years of bottles before Prohibition set in. It’s just classic all around. This is definitely not a bottle you’d find in a dive like Paddy’s.

Bottom Line:

This was excellent neat. A single rock took it to the next level and revealed creamier dark chocolate, a touch of cherry, lush vanilla, and woodier spices.

This is spendy but it is good. $1,000 good? That’s for you to decide. If you’re a lifelong fan of the show (like me) and a whiskey collector (also like me), then that decision will be a lot easier to make.

Ranking:

97/100 — This is one of the better Irish whiskeys I’ve had in a long while. It’s right up there with Teeling 32 and Bushmills 29 Old Rare Cask.

Kevin Durant will remain a member of the Brooklyn Nets after the star had a meeting with the Tsais, Sean Marks, and Steve Nash and all parties involved came to the understanding that it was best for everyone to move forward and end the trade request.

This is obviously a big deal for the Nets, as they can focus on getting ready for training camp and what appears to be a plan to run it back one more time with Durant and Kyrie Irving, with a supporting cast that’s arguably the best they’ve had since those two arrived (and were healthy). Durant coming off the trade market also has a significant impact around the league, as every team that was even considering a Durant trade was holding off on making any other moves, effectively holding the trade and free agent market hostage in the process.

Here, we’ll look at the biggest national storylines that we can expect to play out in the coming weeks with the Durant situation, at least briefly, being settled.

Teams Will Finally Fill Out Their Rosters With Free Agents

There are a lot of veteran free agents that have been waiting for the chance to sign with a team but unable to because everyone wanted flexibility to get involved in a Durant trade — even if that were serving as a third or even fourth team to help facilitate it and acquire assets in the process. With Durant off the market, teams will be less concerned about holding onto that flexibility and will likely start signing those veteran free agents, which is very exciting for those players as Isaiah Thomas noted on Twitter after the Nets statement was released.

Guys like Thomas, Collin Sexton, Carmelo Anthony, DeMarcus Cousins, Blake Griffin, Dwight Howard, Jeremy Lamb, Dennis Schröder, Hassan Whiteside, and nearly 100 others who had jobs last year have been waiting patiently for their chance to sign, and now they just might get that opportunity.

Donovan Mitchell Becomes The Top Trade Target In The NBA

It’s rather ironic that one of the beneficiaries of the KD saga is the team that’s in part responsible for disrupting the trade market in such a way that the Nets simply could not get enough value back for Durant to look like they weren’t getting fleeced. After Rudy Gobert netted the Jazz five first round picks, the bar was almost impossibly high for a KD trade, which only further complicated matters for Brooklyn and teams chasing him. Those Utah Jazz now are in prime position to bump up the trade value of their own star on the market, as Donovan Mitchell becomes the most available All-Star caliber player for teams that had started piecing together assets to chase KD.

New York still feels like the frontrunner here, but the Miami Heat, who were among KD’s preferred destinations, could take a more serious look at making a Mitchell offer, along with a number of other teams who were tangentially on the Durant hunt. If nothing else, having those options will allow Danny Ainge to wield even more power in negotiations with the Knicks, as there are simply more potential options for other destinations to send him if New York won’t meet their sky-high asking price.

The Playoff Race In The East Will Be Awfully Competitive

We were already expecting a heated race for the Eastern Conference title this season, but with the Nets retaining KD and Kyrie, it is going to be an incredible battle for the six guaranteed playoffs spots. The Celtics and Sixers each bolstered their roster with additional depth, the Bucks will run it back with a perennial top-4 squad, Brooklyn should get twice as many Kyrie appearances as last year along with Ben Simmons being available, Miami lost PJ Tucker but returns most of their roster from last year’s 1-seed, the Hawks added Dejounte Murray, the Raptors run it back with hopeful development of their young talent, the Bulls are back, the young Cavs hope to build on last year’s success, and the Knicks added Jalen Brunson and might bring Donovan Mitchell in as well. That’s nine teams that all have legitimate reasons to believe they can make the playoffs, which means someone’s going to be very disappointed when the season comes to an end and they’re on the outside looking in.

The Lakers Lose A Potential Russell Westbrook Destination

For months now, we’ve been wondering if a Kyrie Irving for Russell Westbrook trade could be a possibility, but the only way that would happen is if Durant got traded first. Now that Durant’s staying in town, the Nets will almost assuredly put an end to any Irving discussions, and it’s back to the drawing board for the Lakers now that the preferred addition for LeBron James is likely off the table. The Pacers now feel like the most likely destination for Westbrook if he is in fact traded, with Buddy Hield and Myles Turner as the oft-discussed potential return package — that would certainly require the Lakers to part ways with both their 2027 and 2029 first round picks. The Hornets remain a possibility, particularly as they sit in a purgatory state in the East, not bad enough to tank to a top pick but not good enough to contend, with a couple veterans in Terry Rozier and Gordon Hayward that don’t seem to fit their timetable. In any case, LeBron’s dreams of a reunion with Kyrie will have to wait at least one more year, and, on the positive side, the Lakers can start making real progress on Westbrook talks with other teams without having to worry that Irving might suddenly come available afterwards.

Given that Donald Trump won just 46.8 percent of America’s vote during the 2020 presidential election, it would stand to reason that at least half of the people on any commercial flight would not have voted for Trump. Yet when Eric Trump hops a plane to just about anywhere, he (by his own account) is immediately flanked by well-wishers who are desperate to tell him how much they love him and his family — “Fasten Seat Belt” signs be damned!

On Monday night, Eric sat down with Newsmax and told a story about how just yesterday morning he had been on a flight and could feel the love as if it were a bout of turbulence:

The energy on that flight! Everybody came up to me: ‘Sorry what these people are doing to your family. Your father has to go out there. You have our vote. You have our entire family’s vote. You’ve got our entire street’s vote.’

Everybody I know really wants him to run again. [The FBI has] really pissed off everybody… People know exactly what this is, and that’s weaponization of the legal system for political means.

Everybody?

This isn’t the first time an entire plane full of people have, according to Eric, swarmed him with love. Just last month, also on Newsmax, he told a strikingly similar tale about a flight to Las Vegas and spontaneous chanting:

I walked on and the plane literally started chanting ‘USA! USA! USA!’ Greg, the American people get it. I think there’s more love out there than ever right now. I’m hugged by people every single day saying, you know, ‘Thank God we had your father in the White House.’

After enduring — and supporting — Donald Trump for so many years, you’d think that Tucker Carlson would be used to a fair amount of illeism, a.k.a. third person chatter. But you wouldn’t know it based on the Fox News host’s extreme overreaction to hearing Dr. Anthony Fauci refer to himself in the third person in a collection of clips from 2021 that Carlson and/or his team compiled.

As Mediaite reported, Tucker dragged up a trio of clips in which Dr. Fauci — in an attempt to de-politicize COVID and encourage all Americans to get vaccinated against the virus by attempting to explain that the information he shared with the public was based on science, not any person opinions — did his best to distance himself from the virus. Dr. Fauci talked about how it was easier for anti-vaxxers and other COVID non-believers to attack the doctor’s credibility than science itself, but that he was merely speaking for the science whenever he issued a new mandate or update at the height of COVID.

Carlson was bizarrely nonplussed:

Ok, first of all, the only people who refer to themselves in public non-ironically in the third person are Fidel Castro and mental patients, ok? So that should’ve been a tipoff right there. I am science? I’m the state, the state is me. Woah, settle down, megalomania man. This is nuts!

Narrator: It was not nuts.

You can watch the clip for yourself over at Mediaite.

A new Lorde video, a Doja Cat apparel collection, a short film to accompany Niki’s new album, finally a release date for Britney Spears and Elton John’s collaboration — it was a great week for pop, and we haven’t even gotten to the tunes yet.

Each week, Uproxx rounds up the best new pop releases. Listen up.

Blackpink — “Pink Venom”

Blackpink’s long-awaited comeback was no casual affair. “Pink Venom,” their new song, secured their royal status, as the music video instantly became the biggest YouTube premiere of 2022, and the platform’s third biggest ever. And it’s no wonder why; the track is immersive and endlessly fun and full of attitude, and the grandiose video only makes it better.

Anitta, Missy Elliott — “Lobby”

Brazilian pop star Anitta joined forces with Missy Elliott for “Lobby,” a stylish, infectious track with an addictive melody and a luxurious video that brings it to life. It’s an earworm that will imbue its listener with a strong sense of confidence.

Demi Lovato — “Happy Ending”

Holy Fvck, Demi Lovato’s powerful new album, is an emotional rollercoaster. Even the song “Happy Ending” alone is full of highs and lows, but at its core it’s optimistic and inspiring as she grapples with all that she’s struggled with and where she is now.

Daya — “Her”

Daya’s EP In Between Dreams is coming soon, and the catchy “Her” is just a taste of it. The song is a colorful, fluttering journey buoyed by Daya’s gorgeous vocals as she sings about longing and desire, creating visceral images with her poetic words: “When you lie on your back are you thinking of me / How we used to go on a drive until you’d run out of your cigarettes.”

Chloe Moriondo — “Fruity”

Pop wunderkind Chloe Moriondo has never been afraid to experiment with her sound, and she went all out for this anthemic track “Fruity,” which bursts with humor and autotune. It’s skittish, explosive, and enthused — basically the sonic equivalent of a sugar rush.

Juliana Madrid — “Pretend”

Rising star Juliana Madrid has a knack for capturing the complicated essence of youth. “Pretend” exemplifies this perfectly, especially with its music video, which is set at a hazy house party. The song encapsulates the feverish texture of teenage years, and listening to it can feel like reliving it.

J. Maya — “Sunday Crossword”

Like Niki, J. Maya’s strong suit is storytelling lyricism, and “Sunday Crossword” immediately flexes this muscle by telling a tale of a relationship gone awry. The lines are creative and compelling, beckoning the listener to enter the complex drama in her life.

Lukas Graham, Khalid — “Wish You Were Here”

The music video for Lukas Graham and Khalid’s collaboration “Wish You Were Here” opens with a paragraph of text, starting with the line, “It’s an anthem to the best friends.” How often do we get songs about best friends? “Wish You Were Here” is a necessary ode to friendship, and the pair do a great job of emphasizing the importance of it.

Ruel — “You Against Yourself”

Ruel’s new song “You Against Yourself” in many ways feels like a call-out: “You made all this conflict / Brought it upon yourself / Is this what you wanted? / I can’t even tell,” he sings over an upbeat, sputtering rhythm. It still retains hope as he repeats the refrain: “I’m rooting for ya.”

Marren Morris, Zedd — “Make You Say”

Marren Morris is confident on her collaboration with Zedd, proclaiming over a building beat: “You’ll learn one day / I’m one in a million.” Full of attitude and catchy rhythms, the pair clearly have musical chemistry; “Make You Say” is a great revenge anthem.

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