Month: September 2022

Before we even begin, most cannabis sex products don’t get you high mentally. They’re meant to get you high physically and, more specifically, genital-ly — which should not be overlooked as one of the coolest things ever. That being said, there are a lot of different weed sex products on the market right now. They all do different things and are geared toward different consumers. Some cater to people who experience pain during sex while others are slip and slide lubes for couples looking to get wild.

To suss out what is for who (and if any of it is actually any good), I spent the week having sex with my partner (for journalism!), testing out different cannabis sex products, each representing a sub-category of this hot new product genre. Here are the five I loved best.

Oh YES! Latex-Safe Serum by Quim

I enjoyed Oh YES! by Quim to the point that I never want to have sex without it again. It ticks every box in the categories I care about when it comes to topical cannabis sex products: consistency, taste, texture, and effect.

Quim is a woman-owned brand with a killer line of intimate serums aimed at vaginal health as well as pleasure. Whereas some of the other products on this list can be enjoyed by anyone, these products are formulated for vaginas specifically and take a holistic approach to the meaning of sexual wellness.

Speaking personally, Oh YES! was pretty close to perfect. The consistency of this serum was that of a super light lotion, thin and white. The flavor was a little bitter out of the bottle, but my partner said he could barely notice when things were actually going down, no pun intended.

Whereas some weed lubes are too slippery, negating the friction necessary for sensation, this one perfectly mirrored the viscosity of natural lubrication, not too slippery and not too sticky. This serum features THC, a vasodilator that expands capillaries allowing for more blood flow and thus increased sensation and really kicked things up a notch for both of us, to say the least. In addition to being wildly effective, it’s also condom and toy safe, making it as good for casual encounters as it is for spicing up a partnership.

Bottom Line:

In a word, explosive.

Find it Here: $60

Mello Bottoms CBD Suppositories

Mello Bottoms CBD Suppositories have long been a go-to of mine for period cramps. These full spectrum inserts are…pretty f*cking amazing, completely knocking out the horror show of mind-numbing pain that can occur at the beginning of your cycle. I had never tried them for sex, and probably never will again, given that my partner described the experience as both “shrek-like” and “having sex with an alien.”

It should be noted that these dark green, hemp-infused coconut oil suppositories are geared more towards anal sex, but intended for all kinds of use. At the time of this test, I wasn’t drunk enough to do anal, so I popped one in the front door instead. The suppository itself is delicate, rocket-shaped, and does best when frozen prior to use as they can crumble and lose shape easily. After about half an hour of laying on the couch, we gave it a go.

The last thing you ever want to hear when someone is eating you out is “ew,” and especially not an elongated “eeeewwwwwwwwwww.” I had the unique pleasure/ horror of experiencing the latter, as my partner came up with a sheen of pond scum on his face.

I then realized that green oil was everywhere, staining the sheets, and decimating the vibe. Melted weed butter was literally flowing from my body. “It looks like you’re baking weed brownies inside of you,” he said.

We tried to have sex but couldn’t stop laughing because his dick was all green and the whole thing was just too funny at that point, so I’m still not totally sure how they work for sex sensation-wise. I still imagine they work pretty well, based on how well they work for pain, but not for the faint of heart.

Bottom Line:

Amazing for pain, strange for sex. That said, I’m still recommending them highly because a pain-free woman is a woman who is far more likely to feel sexy.

Find it Here: $60

High on Love Stimulating O-Gel

The Stimulating O-Gel by High on Love brings something different to the table with its minty, winterfresh euphoria. This formulation only has CBD, not THC, meaning it is not a vasodilator and does not increase blood flow, making it better for those looking to relax during sex and relieve any pain that might be experienced in the process.

Everything about this product is over the top, from the bottle design, which looks like a sex toy, to its hilarious name (O-Gel, lol). The texture was not my favorite, sticky, tacky, pulling apart into long strings of saliva, which I guess makes sense for all intents and purposes, but looked kind of nasty.

I applied the gel and was floored by a menthol tidal wave, which felt like putting icy hot on your genitals or dunking your butt in peppermint oil. It was, in a word, intense. The flavor was also intense, a minty sugar that my partner said he didn’t hate but thought was unnecessarily strong.

Once things got going, the minty feeling was distracting and got in the way of fostering an intimate connection with my partner. It overpowered pretty much any other sensation, to the point that I wondered if I’d be able to cum at all. When the time did come, and it did, the mint feeling enhanced the orgasm a lot, living up to its name.

Bottom Line:

Due to the intensity of the menthol feeling being both distracting and enhancing, I am recommending this most highly for solo play.

Find it Here: $45

Sexpot Infused Mini Prerolls by Perfect Blends

Though I’m not sure how they work scientifically, the Sexpot Infused Mini Prerolls by Perfect Blends are doing something right. Perfect Blends is a brand that mixes 3-4 different types of mechanically ground flower with an oil blend and added terpenes, creating various effect-based product lines that include mini joints and small jars of shake mixture.

The website is pretty vague regarding ingredients and where the flower comes from, but it does say that this blend contains “a rich formulation of terpenes and minor cannabinoids –including CBDA and CBDV– to help offset the unwanted effects of THC.”

These are impossibly small joints, the pack of three weighing only a gram. I would say we each took about three hits before it was done. The dry hit was surprisingly flavorful in a kind of synthetic, syrupy way, with notes of clove, red candy, black cherry, and currant. You can definitely taste the added terpenes more than the weed itself.

I lit the tiny joint, and was met with a rush of spicy, fruity, woody flavors, giving a “log cabin at Christmas” energy. The experience of smoking the joint itself was kind of sensual. Thick, languid smoke, with a lush, dark red flavor.

The high was smooth, rushing through my body and mind. Everything about this joint hit hard and heavy, titillating and tingling. We both felt aroused and were shocked at how well these worked. My mind felt melty and far away, transcending into sexual dreamland. While I’m still not sure what, something about these made our fire burn hot and fast, just like the joint itself.

Bottom Line:

Great for stoner couples looking to elevate their mind-body connection in more ways than one.

Find it Here: $20

Velvet Swing

Velvet Swing is one of the most OG weed lubes out there, formulated by a Seattle-based dominatrix named Mistress Matisse who found herself dissatisfied with the other products on the market, and wanted something for personal use.

This one is unique in that it has a THC:CBD ratio of 3:1, meaning plenty of THC to get the blood flowing, with the addition of CBD to relax and ease discomfort. The consistency was like a light lotion, which I found to be really nice, though I didn’t love the color, which was a skin-toned taupe that unsettled me a tad. The taste was tangy out of the bottle, but my partner said it didn’t bother him.

Dubbed “liquid foreplay,” I found Velvet Swing to be more effective for warming up than for sex itself. It worked so well that it almost became too slippery for sex, in that the slipperiness eclipsed the feeling itself because there was not enough friction to keep things interesting. For oral, however, it was fucking amazing — I can’t recommend it enough. It’s also toy and condom safe, which lends itself to the overall vibe, as everything about this product is geared for light-hearted, freaky fun.

Bottom Line:

A tried and true weed lube for the freak-a-leaks in all of us.

Find it Here: $30

Collin Sexton is one of the more interesting players in the 2022 free agent class. Sexton started the first 11 games of the previous season for the Cleveland Cavaliers before tearing his meniscus and watching the remainder of the campaign on the sideline, a brutal blow for a player in a contract year.

While the Cavaliers pushed for the postseason and ultimately came up a bit short, Sexton worked to get healthy in an effort to get paid this summer. After finding himself as one of the odd-men out as a restricted free agent when contracts started getting signed, Sexton remained unsigned into September, as the Cavs and Sexton waited for the right opportunity to make something happen. Ultimately, Sexton’s patience was rewarded as he became the current player at the centerpiece of a stunning Donovan Mitchell trade, inking a sign-and-trade with the Jazz that will pay him a fully guaranteed $72 million over four years.

Sexton has only suited up for the Cavs in his NBA career, as the team took him with the eighth overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. During his career, Sexton has averaged 20 points per game on 45.8 percent shooting from the field and 37.8 percent shooting from behind the three-point line. He will now enter a situation in Utah where he will be the clear star and given plenty of opportunity to work his way back from injury and re-establish himself in the league after finding himself in a tough situation in Cleveland with Darius Garland taking the leap as he dealt with injuries.

The Donovan Mitchell sweepstakes came to an end on Thursday afternoon. According to multiple reports, the Utah Jazz agreed to a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers that will sent Mitchell to the Eastern Conference for the first time in his career, and in exchange, the Jazz will acquire a trio of players — Ochai Agbaji, Lauri Markkanen, and Collin Sexton — and a collection of unprotected first-round picks and pick swaps.

It’s a monster haul for Utah and quite the coup for Cleveland, as it had long been assumed that the New York Knicks were going to do whatever it took to get Mitchell to the Big Apple. But after talks fell apart earlier this week, which led to the Knicks agreeing to a contract extension with a player the Jazz reportedly coveted, R.J. Barrett.

Now, Mitchell will ply his trade for the Cavs on one of the league’s most exciting young rosters, as he’ll take the floor alongside Jarrett Allen, Darius Garland, and Evan Mobley. A few of his new teammates have already chimed in on the move, including Garland, and seem awfully excited about that proposition.

A number of other players chimed in on the move, too, with a handful of Mitchell’s former teammates appearing to be caught off guard by the trade.

Anybody who thought the vinyl resurgence was just a fad was mistaken: The industry has experienced a legitimate revival. As a result, music fans are interested in physical media in ways they may not have if the decades-old medium hasn’t made a comeback. That doesn’t mean everybody is listening to just their parents’ old music, though. That’s part of it, sure, thanks to rereleases that present classic albums in new ways. A vital part of the renewed vinyl wave, though, is new projects being released as records, of which there are plenty.

Whatever you might be into, each month brings a new slew of vinyl releases that has something for everybody. Some stand out above the rest, naturally, so check out some of our favorite vinyl releases of August below.

Beastie Boys — Check Your Head (Deluxe Edition)

1992’s Check Your Head was an important album for Beastie Boys, as it was their second top-10 LP and it featured standout singles “So What-cha Want” and “Pass The Mic.” Now that the album turns 30 this year, they’re reissuing the album, specifically the rare 4-LP deluxe edition that was previously an artist store exclusive. It’s worthwhile for fans of the album, most notably due to the two LPs of bonus material like remixes, live versions, and B-sides.

Get it here.

Oasis — Be Here Now (25th Anniversary Reissue)

Oasis’ 1997 album Be Here Now had the unenviable task of following the colossal success of “Wonderwall” and (What’s The Story) Morning Glory?. It fared well, though, becoming their third No. 1 in the UK while hitting No. 2 in the US (still the band’s highest chart rank in the region). Now that the LP is 25 years old, there’s a new limited collectors’ edition, pressed on silver-colored double heavyweight vinyl. Also, revisit our recent song ranking on the band.

Get it here.

David Porter — Chapter 1…Back In The Day

Porter is a soul legend, a Songwriters Hall Of Fame inductee who’s credited on songs by everybody from Aretha Franklin to Drake to ZZ Top to Wu-Tang Clan. Now, he’s releasing his first new music in nearly 50 years, teaming with the folks at Vinyl Me, Please to drop Chapter 1…Back In The Day as a vinyl-exclusive project.

Get it here.

Interpol — Turn On The Bright Lights (Vinyl Me, Please Reissue)

Not only was Interpol’s 2002 album Turn On The Bright Lights a defining release of its era, it still holds up today. The album turns 20 this year, so Vinyl Me, Please have re-pressed it on gorgeous red vinyl. Furthermore, this edition is also a proud Uproxx moment, as our own Danielle Chelosky penned a new listening notes booklet for it.

Get it here.

R.E.M. — Chronic Town (40th Anniversary Reissue)

For R.E.M., it all started with the 1982 EP Chronic Town, a release that turns 40 years old in 2022. So, the band is reissuing it as a standalone CD for the first time ever, but for vinyl lovers, there’s also a lovely picture disc edition available.

Get it here.

Cigarettes After Sex — Cigarettes After Sex (5th Anniversary Limited Edition)

Cigarettes After Sex was a strong debut for the titular band, a critically enjoyed album that also landed on the Billboard 200. It’s been five years since the fateful day the 2017 album was released, so now the band is celebrating with a lovely white and clear vinyl edition. They’re going on tour, too, so here’s a chance to hear at least some of these things both on your turntable and your local concert venue.

Get it here.

Paul McCartney — McCartney I II III Box Set

Super young Paul McCartney fans might know the Beatles leader best by his latest solo album, 2020’s McCartney III (or perhaps the next year’s McCartney III Imagined project featuring contemporary artists). Well, as the title suggests, it’s part of a trilogy of albums, which have now been collected in a new box set. The vinyl edition includes special photo prints as well as notes about each album from McCartney himself.

Get it here.

Blondie — Blondie: Against The Odds 1974-1982

Blondie’s giant new box set arrives with good timing, as the group recently had a memorable moment on the beloved show Better Call Saul. As for what’s included in this retrospective release, it features newly remastered pressings of releases from the band’s original era, as well as 36 previously unissued songs, two volumes of liner notes, and more.

Get it here.

Madonna — Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones

Madonna had yet another wild appearance with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show earlier this month, but through all the antics, she was there to promote her new remix album, Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones. The vinyl edition of this massive collection comes with alternate cover art that’s more straightforward than that from other formats.

Get it here.

Pavement — Slanted And Enchanted (30th Anniversary Reissue)

Pavement set the table for years of esteem with their broadly appreciated 1992 album Slanted And Enchanted. That was 30 years ago now, and the album has been reissued on a lovely red-colored LP with black and white splatters, a perfect visual complement to the iconic cover art. Aside from the vinyl, the band is also offering a treat for diehard fans: A replica of Courting Shutdown Offers, the cassette the band used when trying to sell the album to record labels.

Get it here.

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

Each week our staff of film and TV experts surveys the entertainment landscape to select the ten best new/newish movies available for you to stream at home. We put a lot of thought into our selections, and our debates on what to include and what not to include can sometimes get a little heated and feelings may get hurt, but so be it, this is an important service for you, our readers. With that said, here are our selections for this week.

10. (tie) Beavis and Butt-Head Do The Universe (Paramount Plus)

Beavis and Butt-head debuted on MTV something like 30 years ago and is still, somehow, against truly staggering odds, still going strong, with this movie sending them to the cosmos and other projects in the works down the line, too. It’s good news, to be sure, but please do imagine telling someone from like 1997 that these two would still be around in 2022 and would be going to space. It would be almost as shocking as the thing where time travel was apparently invented. Watch it on Paramount Plus.

10. (tie) Anything’s Possible (Amazon Prime)

Billy Porter directs a sweet coming-of-age story centered around a trans high school senior named Kelsa who is attempting to navigate… well, all of that. It’s all very sweet and very heartfelt and very Gen Z and it could make for some nice weekend movie if you’re feeling up for a little cry. Who isn’t, sometimes, you know? Watch it on Amazon Prime.

10. (tie) The Bob’s Burgers Movie (Hulu)

Bob’s Burgers creator Loren Bouchard insisted on The Bob’s Burgers Movie getting a theatrical release instead of being plopped directly on streaming. He was right to do so: The Bob’s Burgers Movie is, like the show itself, an absolute delight with lovely animation, fun fan service, and catchy songs (it’s also Disney’s first hand-drawn 2D animated movie in over a decade). If you didn’t catch it in theaters, however, you can now enjoy “Sunny Side Up Summer” at home. Might I suggest pairing it with an Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weenie Yellow Polka-Dot Zucchini Burger. Watch it on Hulu.

9. Luck (Apple TV Plus)

John Lasseter helped build Pixar into a dominant animation brand and now he’s trying to bring the same magic to Apple with Luck, a movie about an unlucky young girl who goes on a whimsical adventure to try to turn her fortunes around. It’s got the starpower (Simon Pegg, Jane Fonda, Pixar staple John Ratzenberger) and the financial backing from Apple, so the big question remaining is whether it has the same spark as those other films he created a few decades ago. Only one way to find out. Watch it on Apple TV Plus.

8. The Princess (HBO)

There’s truly an abundance of Princess Diana onscreen takes lately. These have been largely dramatized versions with The Crown sh*tting on the fairy tale and Kristen Stewart really going for it. Now, there’s a new documentary approach that aims to explore why the world was (and continues to be) so obsessed with Shy Di. Cameras followed her throughout courtship with Prince Charles and all the way to divorce, and then came the most tragic developments at all, and the film asks us to really consider the role of the public and the press in Diana’s ultimate fate. Watch it on HBO.

7. Me Time (Netflix)

What we have here is Kevin Hart and Mark Wahlberg as old friends who reunite as adults and proceed to find themselves neck-deep in various hijinks, shenanigans, and tomfoolery. You can probably see where most of this is headed. It could still be a fun ride, though. Look at the turtle in the picture up there. What’s his deal? This kind of mystery has fueled the cinema for ages. Watch it on Netflix.

6. McEnroe (Showtime)

Let’s face it, champions are assholes, conditioning themselves to focus on a singular goal no matter how that pursuit grates on their families, their teammates, and anyone else that occasionally stands in their way. Is there regret at the end of their runs as they stand beside literal monuments to their greatness? Is it worth it? Those questions are why we have highly personal documentaries that are often filled with self-reflection from those athletes and grudging respect from everyone they encountered at the height of their powers. Such is the heart of Showtime’s documentary examining the life and times of notorious tennis hothead John McEnroe, a mouthy superstar with a perfectionist streak and serious problems with authority. Ever-engaging, McEnroe opens up about some of those regrets and many of his triumphs, allowing for a picture of yet another complicated champion that’ll likely cause you to laugh, nod, and wince. Watch it on Showtime.

5. Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist (Netflix)

Netflix goes deep on the story of former Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o for the latest installment of its Untold series. The tale — spoiled a bit by the “The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist” right there in the title — has everything: a college football hero, an allegedly tragic tale of a girlfriend lost to tragedy, catfishing, internet hoopla, reputational damage, trauma, all of it. A wild ride whether you are familiar with the story already or not. Watch it on Netflix.

4. Day Shift (Netflix)

Day Shift is like a strange foil for a lot of movies lately, in that all the ingredients are in place for a lackluster stinker, but thanks to some surprisingly solid joke writing (in contrast to a lot of “funny” action movie writing today which is merely non-funny things delivered in the rough shape of jokes) and inspired action choreography, it ends up being weirdly watchable. Jamie Foxx plays a San Fernando Valley vampire hunter named Bud Jablonski (Foxx is always getting typecast as a Polish man, isn’t he?) who gets involuntarily partnered with a persnickety union rep (oh yeah, the vampire hunters have a union) played by Dave Franco. This odd couple joins forces for a rush to kill enough vampires to afford Jablonski’s daughter’s school tuition before his ex-wife can move her out of state. Meanwhile there’s a vampire who has invented a new type of sunscreen that could change everything. Admittedly it all sounds pretty stupid, but introducing a supernatural angle ends up being exactly what the action choreographers needed to break their slavish bonds to realism. Turns out, gruesome vampire murder is a lot more entertaining than the usual choppy dance fighting. Watch it on Netflix.

3. Honk For Jesus, Save Your Soul (Peacock)

Bless us all because we have Sterling K. Brown and Regina Hall starring in a razor-sharp religious satire as leaders of a megachurch that faces a huge scandal and sends them on the comeback trail. That should be enough to sell you on this one. Well, that and the image above. Look at those two! Yes, this will do just fine. Watch it on Peacock.

2. Samaritan (Amazon Prime)

Samaritan isn’t necessarily a good movie, but it does benefit from two things: One, Sylvester Stallone seems to be having a nice time and is really going for it and, two, the studio that owns Samaritan didn’t delete the movie from its server and you can actually watch it on Amazon Prime if you so choose to do this. Stallone plays an old salt named Joe who works as a garbage man, but also may or may not be a former superhero vigilante named Samaritan who disappeared years and years ago and is presumed dead. After Joe saves a kid, Sam, from some bullies, Sam is convinced Joe is the long-lost Samaritan. This is a movie with some really mixed messaging about the good and evil in everyone, to the point this movie might not have realized it had a message to begin with. But in the end, Stallone is having a nice time, which makes it, at times, entertaining. Watch it on Amazon Prime.

1. Prey (Hulu)

The Predator franchise was desperate for a new vision following the lackluster response to, well, every Predator movie since 1990’s Predator 2. Enter: Prey. The Hulu film follows a Comanche warrior (played by Amber Midthunder) who has to protect her tribe from an alien predator. Prey gets back to what made the original Predator a classic — and thankfully ignores everything that made Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem unwatchable. Watch it on Hulu.

Each week our staff of film and TV experts surveys the entertainment landscape to select the ten best new/newish shows available for you to stream at home. We put a lot of thought into our selections, and our debates on what to include and what not to include can sometimes get a little heated and feelings may get hurt, but so be it, this is an important service for you, our readers. With that said, here are our selections for this week.

Get more streaming recommendations with our weekly What To Watch newsletter.

10. (tie) The Resort (Peacock)

What if there was a show from the people who made Mr. Robot and Lodge 49 and it was set at a spooky tropical resort and it starred Cristin Milioti from Palm Springs and William Jackson Harper from The Good Place and the whole thing hinged on a mystery they uncovered because one of them crashed a four-wheeler in the jungle and discovered a mangled old Motorola Razr? Well, guess what: there is. Watch it on Peacock.

10. (tie) Reservation Dogs (FX/Hulu)

The first season of Reservation Dogs was a revelation. Just a group of foul-mouthed Native American teens living on a reservation in Oklahoma and getting into trouble and being little rascals. It was also, sometimes, sweet and, also sometimes, heavy, and sometimes there was a mystical figure who would show up and giggle a lot and kind of just screw with everyone for five minutes. It’s a hard show to describe. But it’s a heck of a ride. Watch it on Hulu.

10. (tie) Little Demon (FX/Hulu)

Aubrey Plaza is in everything these days, and no one is mad at that development. In this animated series (which is so FX that it hurts in a good way), she voices the mom of a teenager who discovers that she’s got demonic powers. Dad happens to be Satan, and not only that, but he’s voiced by Danny DeVito. And you thought your life was surreal, right? Watch it on FX/Hulu.

10. Industry (HBO Max)

Popularly and positively referred to as Euphoria and Succession‘s love child, Industry returns for season two, focussing again on the realm of global finance through the lens of the 20-somethings who are consumed by it and the realities of survival and success in a world post panny where satisfaction seems like a hindrance. Watch it on HBO Max.

9. Harley Quinn (HBO Max)

The good news here is that Harley Quinn is back, finally, after a multi-year break due to, well, everything. The delightfully profane animated series remains one of our finest television programs, between Harley and Ivy being a couple now and chaos descending upon Gotham and this show’s version of Bane continuing to be a hopeless goofball. It really is a blast, a beam of sunshine in a world filled with bleak dramas. You deserve to have fun. Watch it on HBO Max.

8. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (Disney Plus)

Alison Brie didn’t get to portray this “Allison Brie type” role, but hey, we’re getting Orphan Black‘s Tatiana Maslany, who has so much fun relishing this role. She’s smart and silly and she Hulks out like a pro while also being the MCU’s very green attorney for superheroes. Expect a lot of cameos, and Mark Ruffalo is on hand as Bruce Banner. There’s no word on whether we’ll eventually see the Hulk Butt like we received in Thor: Ragnarok. Admit it, that’s on your wishlist, too. Watch it on Disney Plus.

7. The Sandman (Netflix)

Neil Gaiman’s seminal comic book series finally lands on the small screen (while the successful Audible epic keeps cranking with a different cast). The story picks up with Morpheus (the King of Dreams) angry as hell at those who imprisoned him. Tom Sturridge takes on the lead role and guides us through space and time on a cosmic trip. Let’s hope this show is worth the extensively long wait (the project has the unenviable task of piecing together a tapestry of sometimes free-standing stories), but no matter how it turns out, we’re getting Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer. That ain’t nothing. Watch it on Netflix.

6. See (Apple TV Plus)

Settle in for the final season of Warrior Jason Momoa In Fur Coats, and whose Warrior Good Looks are wasted in a world where no one can see him. Baba Voss is back for one final round of post-apocalyptic fighting while nature is starting to heal itself, and a new generation begins to see again. This ratchets up the intensity with the existing battle for superiority in the kingdom, and yup, the Masturbating Queen is still around. This show is nuts! Watch it on Apple TV Plus.

5. Welcome to Wrexham (FX/Hulu)

Welcome to Wrexham is like Ted Lasso, if Ted Lasso was about Deadpool and Mac from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia buying a soccer team. Other than that, it’s identical. The documentary series follows Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney as they purchase and help run the Wrexham A.F.C. football club. Welcome to Wrexham looks sweet and sincere, which is a nice change of pace from getting mad at [your favorite sports team here] blowing it AGAIN. Watch it on FX/Hulu.

4. The Patient (FX/Hulu)

Steve Carell is back on television once again, this time not so much to make you laugh as to… well, creep you out. He plays a therapist who is held captive by a serial killer who desperately wants help curing his murderous urges. It does not exactly sound like light/fun viewing but it does sound intriguing. And it’s from the creator of The Americans. And he has a pretty righteous beard going on. While we cannot in good faith support kidnapping Steve Carell and holding him hostage in real life, this all could be worth checking out. Watch it on Hulu.

3. What We Do in the Shadows (FX/Hulu)

The good news here is that the vampires are back. The bad is that… well, there’s not really any bad news. How could there be? This show remains relentlessly fun and silly in a way that almost feels like they’re getting away with something, like someone in charge stopped paying attention and they’re just running wild in their own little sandbox. This is, to be clear, a compliment of the highest order. One of our best shows is back and still humming along in peak form. This is worth celebrating. Watch it on FX/Hulu.

2. House of the Dragon (HBO Max)

On the surface, a prequel to a cultural phenomenon like Game Of Thrones seems like the easiest greenlight in the world. How could a sister project miss even with the mixed reception to the original’s finale? But House Of The Dragon is the second attempt (with one pilot failing to generate a series order) and it starts with one particular question hanging over its head: was it the world or the characters that inhabited it that made the original so widely adored? We’re about to find out as a new creative team tries to walk a line between old and new, creating fresh stories with a ring of familiarity. On their side: dragons, face-smashing combat, and Matt Smith’s good kinda bad energy. Watch it on HBO Max.

1.

Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

(Amazon Prime)

Jeff Bezos is finally getting his version of Game of Thrones, and this even more enormously expensive franchise looks to be worth the price tag to bring J.R.R. Tolkien’s fabled Second Age to the screen. A young Galadriel will be one of the bigger highlights of this series’ exploration of relative peace that’s shattered when evil reemerges. Expect stunning visuals that leap from the Misty Mountains to an island setting to majestic forests. Between this and House of the Dragon, we’re sure getting our fill of epic fantasy shows these days. Watch it on Amazon Prime.

When Doechii joined the TDE Records roster, she was the first female artist on the label besides SZA. Doechii has been on the up ever since, dropping her debut EP she/her/black b*tch last month, which features appearances from Rico Nasty and Just Ray, along with SZA on the record’s crowning moment, “Persuasive.”

The SZA-featured version of “Persuasive” is one of those tracks that should really be getting more talk as a potential song of the summer and now the pair have dropped a video that’s sure to get people talking about the collab between the ladies of TDE. Both Doechii and SZA flash multiple head-turning looks in the clip. It’s a masterful display of hair styling, Doechii gets wrapped in glitter at one point, and SZA even twerks and pole dances underwater.

“I created “Persuasive” to uplift people and bring communities together, so having SZA jump on the song was a perfect fit because I’ve always connected with others over her music,” Doechii said in a statement. “Knowing that SZA is with TDE was what originally got me most excited about being on this label, so now that we have a song together it’s a full-circle moment. She really ATE! This collaboration is everything I always imagined it to be.”

Watch the video for “Persuasive” above.

OnlyFans is reporting record profits for 2021 and revealing that its creators pulled in almost $4 billion, which is a heck of a lot of money. The platform, which has been making headlines recently thanks to Denise Richards and her daughter, posted its financial results, and it seemingly backs reports that its top creators are making huge bank. Particularly, Blac Chyna, who reportedly locked down the number one spot for the year while facing some pretty stiff competition.

Via Variety:

In 2021, model and TV personality Blac Chyna was the top-earning creator on OnlyFans, pulling in an estimated $20 million per month, according to research service Statista. Bella Thorne took the No. 2 spot with an estimated $11 million per month followed by rapper Cardi B with $9.34 million per month, per Statista.

If we’re doing the math right and these numbers are actually correct, Blac Chyna not only pulls in twice what superstar artist Cardi B makes, but the former Kardashian family member makes $240 million a year just from OnlyFans? Whoa, if true.

According to the financial statement, OnlyFans saw a 160% revenue growth during 2021, which could’ve easily gone out the window after the platform made a highly controversial decision to ban adult content on the site. It was a move that came out of nowhere considering, well, that was the entire point of OnlyFans. However, after backlash from users and the adult entertainment community forced OnlyFans to reverse its decision within a week, and clearly, it’s been humming along ever since.

Particularly for Blac Chyna, who we seriously can’t believe is doing way more numbers than Cardi B. The internet is wild, folks.

(Via Variety)

Saturday Night Live, which Rob Schnieder is not a fan of anymore, is changing dramatically ahead of its 48th season, which begins sometime this fall (there is no confirmed premiere date yet). Beloved series regulars Alex Moffat and Melissa Villaseñor are leaving the sketch comedy series, along with featured player Aristotle Athari, per The Hollywood Reporter.

Moffat joined SNL in 2016, and throughout his tenure on the show has played Joe Biden, Eric Trump, and The Guy Who Just Bought a Boat. Villaseñor also joined in 2016, and in her run became notable for her celebrity impressions including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Lady Gaga, and SNL alum Kristen Wiig. Athari was on SNL as a featured player for one season for the 2021-2022 run. He was cast alongside other featured players Sarah Sherman and James Austin Johnson.

Moffat and Villaseñor’s departures from the long-running NBC comedy indicate an even bigger cast shake-up than expected for season 48. At the end of season 47, stars Pete Davidson, Aidy Bryant, Kate McKinnon, and Kyle Mooney exited the show after many seasons. In August, it was announced that senior producer Lindsay Shookus would be leaving the series after working on the series since the early 2000s. SNL returns for its 48th season this fall.

(Via THR)

Joker 2, which has been given the fancy title of Joker: Folie à Deux just got more interesting. Brendan Gleeson has joined the sequel film alongside Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga. Joker: Folie à Deux will be directed by Todd Phillips who also directed the first film, which won Phoenix the Oscar for best actor. The title of the sequel derives from a French term meaning “an identical or similar mental disorder affecting two or more individuals,” according to the Indian Journal of Psychiatry.

Deadline reports that Gleeson has joined the DC sequel, which begins filming in December of this year, with an expected release date of October 4, 2024. The Irish actor’s role is currently unknown, as are many details of the sequel. In addition to directing Joker: Folie à Deux, Philips co-wrote the script with Joker screenwriter Scott Silver. The film is rumored to take place at Arkham Asylum, which is where Arthur Fleck/Joker ended up a the end of Joker. Lady Gaga confirmed her casting earlier this month. Although it has not been confirmed, Gaga is rumored to be playing Harley Quinn, and the film is rumored to be a musical. Given Gaga’s involvement, the musical rumors are probably valid. I don’t have any theories about who Gleeson in playing, I just hope he gets to sing.

Brendan Gleeson’s notable roles include Mad Eye Moody in the Harry Potter films, In Bruges opposite Colin Farrell, and Paddington 2. This fall, he stars in The Banshees of Inisherin, which will premiere at the Venice Film Festival. In 2019, Joker won the top prize at Venice.

Will the Phoenix, Gaga, and Gleeson trio be even more iconic than Bradley Cooper, Gaga and Sam Elliot on the A Star Is Born press tour? We have to wait over two years to find out.