Year: 2022

After facing a PR nightmare thanks to its inability to take a more forceful, pro-active stance against Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, including pushback from some of its biggest stars, The Walt Disney Company finally issued a strong statement on Monday condemning the anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. There’s just one small problem. Disney waited until after Governor Ron DeSantis signed the bill into law on the same day. However, the House of Mouse says it will put its full weight behind efforts to have the discriminatory law repealed.

Via The Hollywood Reporter:

“Florida’s HB 1557, also known as the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, should never have passed and should never have been signed into law,” a Disney spokesperson said. “Our goal as a company is for this law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts, and we remain committed to supporting the national and state organizations working to achieve that. We are dedicated to standing up for the rights and safety of LGBTQ+ members of the Disney family, as well as the LGBTQ+ community in Florida and across the country.”

Disney’s more forceful condemnation arrives on the heels of an employee walkout and a strong internal backlash from its LGBTQ+ staff and their allies. While Marvel Studios took a decisive stance against the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, and CEO Bob Chapek apologized for failing to act more strongly, Monday’s statement is easily the strongest stance by The Walt Disney Company as a whole. Naturally, the entertainment giant is already facing criticisms of being “woke” by Republicans like DeSantis, but the bill is objectively evil and Disney is in the right to challenge it. Although, maybe stepping up harder before it became a law would’ve been great. Just throwing that out there.

(Via The Hollywood Reporter)

During the Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson last week, Republican Senator Ted Cruz used his time at the mic to ask some asinine questions and, improve the book sales for not one, but two books about critical race theory.

Cruz, who’s probably salivating for another presidential run in 2024, lobbied some truly bonkers questions at Judge Jackson including, “Why are you so soft on child porn defendants? What’s a woman?” and the truly strange, “Are babies racist?” Naturally, all of these queries were just an excuse to seem hard-hitting as Cruz pandered to the same MAGA-supporting base that delighted in ridiculing him during Donald Trump’s run for office. It’s all quite sad, which is exactly what Cruz’s hometown paper, The Dallas Morning News, wrote in a scathing editorial dragging the Cancun frequent-flyer for his performative outrage during the hearings.

“Sen. Ted Cruz’s combative examination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson left little doubt that he had 2024 on his mind,” the paper wrote. “During his second crack at questioning Jackson, Cruz harped on the child porn cases, growing increasingly agitated as she accused him of cherry-picking from over a hundred criminal cases she handled. Cruz’s incessant demands for more time and better answers went on for several minutes.”

The piece also referenced a now-infamous photo of Cruz checking his phone after his time was up to see if he had any new mentions on social media before quoting fellow senators like Patrick Leahy and fellow Republican Ben Sasse. While Leahy accused Cruz of simply wanting “to get on television,” Sasse was a bit more direct with his dig.

“We should recognize that the jackassery we often see around here is partly because of people mugging for short-term camera opportunities,” the Nebraska Congressman said.

Still, for a man happy to blame his kids for a poorly-timed vacation, we have to wonder if even bad press is good press in Cruz’s eyes.

(Via The Dallas Morning News)

As Marvel’s Moon Knight gets ready to take Disney+ by storm, previews for the upcoming series have been giving off undeniably Batman-esque vibes. Oscar Isaac’s version of the character is seen leaping from rooftops, wielding a crescent moon-shaped object as a boomerang, and straight-up pounding people with his fists, which are all very Batman-like things to do. Heck, Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige has even touted the Moon Knight series as the most brutal Marvel property to date, which again, invites comparisons to the DC Comics character who was recently seen in theaters being a ruthless force of vengeance in The Batman.

That said, Batman and Moon Knight could not be more different.

Setting aside the trappings of most comic book vigilantes, who often involve skulk on the rooftops (cape optional) and smash thugs into the pavement, Moon Knight has next to nothing in common with Batman. While Bruce Wayne is a millionaire playboy who uses his vast wealth to avenge his parent’s death through a one-man war on crime, Marc Spector is a former mercenary with Dissociative Identity Disorder who is either powered by the Egyptian moon god Khonshu or cursed depending on which version of the character you’re reading. Where Batman has one secret identity, Moon Knight has several identities whose actions and motives are often hidden from the others, and might not have anything to do with stopping crime. Although, again, that depends on which source material you’re reading.

Unlike Batman, Moon Knight’s origin, costume, and even his powers have been rebooted several times in the comics due to the character not being a huge hit for Marvel like Spider-Man, The Avengers, X-Men, etc. However, with the new Disney+ series bringing the character to mainstream audiences, we may see a more permanent status-quo take form for the unusual hero.

Marvel’s Moon Knight premieres March 30 on Disney+.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is speeding towards theaters on April 8 and that means a lot of fun crossover events are in the works. We’ve already gotten a look at a special Xbox with some odd controllers, but the blue blur isn’t done yet. Alongside this, he’s also going to be making an appearance in a limited time Candy Crush Saga event.

From March 31 through April 4, players will be able to log on to Candy Crush to help Sonic and Tails in their quest to take back the Master Emerald from Knuckles, Robotnik, and Queen Jelly. Players will assist our favorite speedy duo with Sonic spin dash candies that will reward players with boosts and treats. To make sure this adventure feels authentic, the Candy Crush Saga team has also implemented Sonic-themed sound effects and music for our enjoyment. It just wouldn’t feel like a true Sonic game without those iconic noises and themes after all.

This is a fun partnership between the Sonic IP, the upcoming movie, and fans of Candy Crush. With Sonic being one of the most iconic video game characters ever it always made sense to have him cross over with other games. Now that he’s also the face of two movies it’s only more opportunity for people to see one of their favorite characters on the big screen.

Players who want to enjoy this Sonic-themed adventure can do so by downloading the Candy Crush Saga app on iOS or Android. It’s a limited time event and ends on April 4 so don’t wait until the movie’s out to give it a try!

The big story in Los Angeles on Sunday night was someone getting a bit too comfortable, suddenly being smacked in the face, and simply not knowing how to respond. I am speaking, of course, of the Lakers building a 23-point lead on the Pelicans in New Orleans, taking their foot off of the gas, and then not being able to get it back in gear as the Pelicans dominated the second half to win by eight points and push the Lakers down to 10th in the West, just one game up on the Spurs for the final play-in spot.

It was a dreadful loss in a season full of them, and after the game the Lakers sent out their customary final score graphic, with a caption that simply reads “Final.” and featured a picture of Wenyen Gabriel shooting next to the losing score.

It’s a model the Lakers social media team has had to follow far more often this season than they hoped, but this one garnered some added attention because a comment about how they never use a picture of LeBron in losses (even those in which he scores 39 points, like Sunday) sparked an investigation by Kenny Beecham to see if that was, in fact the case. The result is an incredible video featuring bar graphs that reveal that James, in fact, has not been used once in a loss graphic this season (and neither have Russell Westbrook or Anthony Davis), while LeBron and Russ dominate win graphics.

It’s noticeable because most teams will just put a pic of whoever up there, including stars, for loss graphics and keep it moving, but that James is never in them defies the law of averages to the point that there is no way it’s a coincidence he (and Russ) aren’t used — as an aside, poor Malik Monk.

I decided to do a little digging of my own to see how far back this goes and searched for every Lakers tweet with media that includes the word “final” and found that, while that doesn’t include every single loss it does include most of them, the last time LeBron appeared in a Lakers final score graphic from a loss was March 2019. On March 14, you see his back as Alex Caruso dribbles, and March 9, 2019 is the last time his face appears on one of these graphics.

So, it’s not as though it’s been written in stone since he arrived in L.A., but over the past three seasons, at least, when the Lakers lose, you do not see LeBron on the graphic.

As days have passed since the untimely death of Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, some details about his health have surfaced. It was reported before his death, an ambulance was called to his hotel in Colombia due to chest pains. Colombian officials later reported Hawkins had ten substances in his system at the time of his death.

Now, another report about the drummer’s physical condition has surfaced: Evening Standard reports Hawkins’ heart weighed “at least 600 grams,” as was discovered during an autopsy. For reference, that’s about twice as much as would be expected: A 2012 study found the average weight of an adult male human heart was 331 grams, based on hearts from 232 “healthy men” aged 18 to 35 years old. That’s consistent with many other sources, which put the average weight of a male human heart at about 300 grams.

Furthermore, according to Matthew Zinn, Shawn West, and Bernhard Kuhn (of Children’s Hospital Of Pittsburgh Of UPMC in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), “In adults, the upper limit of normal for heart mass has been defined by postmortem examination as approximately 500 g, also known as the critical heart mass.” Hawkins’ heart was significantly above that upper limit.

Evening Standard also notes that according to a report from “respected Colombian news magazine Semana,” “Investigators have concluded the 50-year-old suffered cardiovascular collapse after binging on a cocktail of drugs. […] It also said authorities had confirmed to them the famed musician had overdosed on heroin mixed with antidepressants and benzodiazepines, which are psychoactive drugs known as benzos.”

In 2015, The Gaslight Anthem announced that they were taking a break. They returned in 2018 with the 10th anniversary edition of The ’59 Sound Sessions, and now the New Jersey four-piece is back again with the announcement of a headlining tour, as well as the news that they’re working on their long-awaited sixth studio album. The run will first be going through UK and Europe in August, and then North America in the fall, with Tigers Jaw and Jeff Rosenstock as openers for select dates.

This tour news comes days after the band’s Brian Fallon wrote in social media posts, “Hello everyone, Brian here. I hate to disappoint you, but I need to inform you that there will not be a 10th anniversary Handwritten Tour, or a documentary… However, I am very pleased to announce to you all that The Gaslight Anthem is returning to full time status as a band. We’ll be announcing a lot of tour dates in the next couple of days. We’re also beginning to write new songs for what will be our sixth LP. We’re looking forward to the future and seeing you all again. We want to thank you for staying with us. – Brian, Ben, Alex, and Alex.”

Check out the dates below.

08/09 — Berlin, DE @ Columbiahalle
08/11 — Koln, DE @ Palladium
08/12 — Eschwege, DE @ Open Flair Festival
08/13 — Puttlingen, DE @ Rocco del Schlacko
08/14 — Munchen, DE @ Zenith
08/16 — Bremen, DE @ Pier2
08/18 — London, UK @ OVO Wembley Arena
08/19 — Manchester, UK @ O2 Apollo
08/20 — Edinburgh, UK @ O2 Academy
08/21 — Birmingham, UK @ O2 Academy
08/23 — Dublin, IE @ National Stadium
08/24 — Belfast, NI @ The Telegraph Building
09/13 — Portland, OR @ Roseland Theatre †
09/14 — Seattle, WA @ Showbox SODO †
09/16 — San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic †
09/17 — Hollywood, CA @ Hollywood Palladium †
09/18 — Tempe, AZ @ The Marquee Theatre †
09/20 — Salt Lake City, UT @ The Union †
09/21 — Denver, CO @ The Fillmore Auditorium †
09/23 — Kansas City, MO @ Midland Theatre †
09/24 — Minneapolis, MN @ The Fillmore Minneapolis †
09/26 — Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre †
09/27 — McKees Rocks, PA @ Roxian Theatre †
09/30 — Niagara Falls, NY @ The Rapids Theatre ^
10/02 — Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore Detroit ^
10/04 — Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall at Fenway ^
10/05 — Washington, DC @ The Anthem ^

† with Tigers Jaw
^ with Jeff Rosenstock

The 2022 Grammys are right around the corner and this year sees a number of major changes to the ceremony. Along with being postponed and moved from LA to Las Vegas, the Recording Academy expanded the number of nominees to ten in all four of their major categories; Album Of The Year, Best New Artist, Song Of The Year, and Record Of The Year.

More nominees mean more great music to choose from, and that’s why the latest episode of Obsessed has hosts Taylour Chanel and Hollis Wong-Wear walking us through each major category and sharing who they think should win. The pair kick things off by talking about how this year’s Grammys will most likely be dominated by Olivia Rodrigo, who is expected win big.

Though Rodrigo could sweep the major categories, there are still a number of very deserving artists nominated this year. Taylour and Hollis shout out their personal favorites this year, like Silk Sonic’s groovy “Leave The Door Open” and Doja Cat’s undeniable bop “Kiss Me More.”

The Grammys may have nominated more artists this year, but there are still some glaring omissions from the list. Something we explore while noting the lack of talented international artists like BTS and Bad Bunny. This before diving into a conversation about the Grammys’ current cultural impact and what the future of the awards ceremony might look like.

Watch the latest episode of Obsessed above.

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

Spotify loves to give rising artists a look with their Spotify Singles program, and this year they’re highlighting Best New Artist nominees at the Grammys in an interesting way. The premise is that each Best New Artist nominee will do a cover from the discography of a past nominee, adding their own twist and getting their name out into the ether again, whether they win or lose on the big night. For instance, earlier this month Finneas covered Bon Iver’s “Flume” for his contribution. But keep in mind, losing in this category is just as likely to predict a fruitful career as winning in it!

Anyway, Arlo Parks is a nominee this year, and she decided to cover Kaytranada and Syd’s “You’re The One” for her contribution to Spotify Singles. “Why it was such a joy to record my Spotify Singles session in the studio, I felt somehow part of the legend,” Parks said in a statement about the cover. “Syd’s voice in ‘You’re The One’ always had this effortless beauty to it in my eyes and I wanted to cover it to expose the romance and yearning behind the lyrics. It was an honour to be able to sing my new song ‘Softly’ too, to highlight the beginning of a new and beautiful chapter in my career and celebrate being nominated for Best New Artist.”

Check out Arlo’s cover below, and tune into the Grammys this Sunday, April 3, to see who picks up a win in this coveted category.

While the first look at Marvel’s Moon Knight shows Oscar Isaac characters doing your typical superhero things like leaping from rooftops and pummeling bad guys, there’s also an element of horror to the character who does have a mummy-like appearance and is notably haunted by a terrifying Egyptian deity. Marvel also recently revealed that Moon Knight will sport different costumes just like in the comics. While audiences were first shown his more heroic look complete with a flowing cape and moonarangs, Moon Knight also has been shown in a dapper white suit that gives the character a more devious, methodical look.

This version of Moon Knight seems more interested in, uh, surgically retrieving information from his assailants than punching it out of them à la Batman.

All of this raises the question: Is Moon Knight a hero or a villain? The most simple answer is that, of course, Moon Knight is a hero. In the comics, he often served on The Avengers and has repeatedly done battle with the forces of evil. That said, his methods can be often intense, if not outright unhinged, depending on which of his varying identities are in action, which puts Moon Knight in the more nebulous category of anti-hero. Granted, Moon Knight is not as far deep into that category as The Punisher, who’s gun-heavy methods have routinely put him odd with almost every Marvel hero. But when you’re serving the bidding of an Egyptian moon god — or thwarting said bidding — things tend to get messy.

Let’s just say, while his intentions may ultimately be good, Moon Knight is more concerned with the supernatural task at hand than worrying about the law or how his actions might look to people who haven’t been brought back from the dead by an ancient deity.

Marvel’s Moon Knight premieres March 30 on Disney+.