Year: 2022

Ted Cruz’s tolerance to humiliation knows no bounds. He’s perfectly game to tweet about Fight Club and endure “Cancun” comebacks, and the Princess Bride superfan even once feuded with Cary Elwes (Cruz did not win this fight), and yet, the much maligned senator from Texas still comes out swinging. He wasn’t even phased when people pounced on him for claiming that airline employees love to hug him.

Yet now, Ted’s ostensibly surrounded by friends — while on the road with the “People’s Convoy” of anti-vaxxing truckers — and it’s still not going too well for him. When he spoke with reporters during a trucker-flanked press conference, someone shouted, “Ted Cruz sucks!” Of course, Ted couldn’t resist responding, and he did, while taking a moment to declare, “God bless you.”

Mind you, this did not sound like a Southern-style “bless your heart” with passive-aggressive airs. Nope, Ted seemed to want to sound like he was taking the higher ground here, but he also did something else. When a reporter inquired whether Ted believed that lives have been saved by vaccines, he went squirrelly. “Look, I hope so. I’m not a doctor. You know what, why would you take medical advice from me?” he asked (via Mediaite). “I wouldn’t take medical advice from me. I’m not in the business of giving medical advice. Go talk to your physician if you wanna figure out whether you should take the vaccine or not.”

The People’s Convoy’s been circling the beltway with no signs of heading back to work. There’s no word on how long the fully vaccinated Ted will continue to honk the horn. Can you imagine seeing him while driving down the highway?

(Via The Recount, Mediaite & ABC News)

Being an NHL goalie seems incredibly difficult, as the best hockey players in the world rip shots at you, sometimes in excess of 100 miles per hour, all while others try desperately to screen your vision.

However, there are certain times when goalies get a little too much dip on their chip and make life more difficult on themselves when it comes to handling the puck, because having borderline irrational confidence in all of your abilities is part of being a professional athlete. On Thursday night, we saw a rather hilarious example of this when Detroit Red Wings goalie Alex Nedeljkovic saw a puck bounding towards his end and decided he should take a mighty swat at it, rather than letting it go behind the goal. That turned out to be a disastrous decision, as he somehow whiffed and shot the puck backwards between his own legs and into the goal.

I can only imagine the helpless feeling as soon as the puck started going between his legs and he had no chance of stopping it from going in his own net. Happily for Nedeljkovic, his teammates picked him up and regained a 3-2 lead after the end of the first period despite his error, but maybe next time just let the puck go or hold it up rather than trying to make a big play in that situation.

Earlier this month, Drake sought a restraining order against a woman who, for lack of a better phrase, just won’t leave him alone. Back in 2017, 29-year-old Mesha Collins was arrested for trespassing after she broke into the rapper’s home where she allegedly stole bottles of water, Pepsi, and Sprite. She was also found wearing one of Drake’s hoodies. Despite being convicted of the charges, Collins would reportedly continue to make visits to Drake’s house following the 2017 arrest. More recently, she allegedly sent threatening emails to Drake with one telling him to “put a bullet through your head now b*tch.” All of this prompted him to request the restraining order.

Thankfully for Drake, that order was granted to him. According to HipHopDX (who cites RadarOnline), a judge approved the order and it extends to Drake’s son Adonis and his parents Sandy and Dennis Graham. The exact terms of the restraining order are unknown at the moment, but it’s not the first one that’s been placed on Collins. Following her 2017 arrest, Collins was ordered to stay 100 yards away from Drake, his home, his family, and his workplace.

The approved restraining order comes after Collins attempted to sue Drake for $4 billion claiming that he defamed her about the trespassing incident through his songs and posts on Instagram. However, her lawsuit was thrown out after Drake proved that he did not know it was Collins that broke into his home until he received the $4 billion lawsuit.

The Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets square off in a heavily anticipated matchup on Thursday evening, with James Harden facing his old team for the first time and Ben Simmons expected to be on the Brooklyn bench at Wells Fargo Center. Beyond the magnitude of the event itself, the game is an intriguing test for both the Sixers and Nets on the floor. In particular, Harden and Joel Embiid have put together a very strong start to their shared tenure at the helm in Philadelphia, to the point where some pretty lofty comparisons are being tossed around.

One such comparison is to Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant from the early 2000’s Los Angeles Lakers, and Shaq was asked about that parallel in podcast form this week.

While he did say that Embiid and Harden were in the “honeymoon phase” of their relationship, Shaq left no doubt on the specific comparison, at least for now.

“No,” Shaq said when asked if Embiid and Harden could be “crowned” as the next Shaq and Kobe. “Me and Kobe had eight years of damage together. No, not even close. N-O. H-No. And F-No. Figure it out.”

This is obviously the correct answer, especially with Harden and Embiid playing for less than a month together. While both have achieved lofty heights, neither currently project as top-15 players all-time and, in short, that is the block on which Shaq and Kobe reside in basketball history. There will be time for Embiid and Harden to carve out a shared legacy if they can achieve lofty success, but this sentiment is something you should probably expect to hear from Shaq for a while, especially if the Sixers don’t bring the Larry O’Brien Trophy to Philadelphia this season.

Nope, fans of the Breaking Bad universe aren’t doing too well after watching Better Call Saul‘s sixth-season (and final-season) trailer. Not that this is new. As the spinoff’s timeline has grown ever closer to that of its franchise predecessor, anxiety has run high for Kim watchers, given that she clearly does not surface in Breaking Bad. Further, Jimmy/Saul/Gene’s Cinnabon fate looks utterly miserable, and there’s no Kim to be found in those scenes, either. So, what gives? No clues have been forthcoming. Bob Odenkirk got real about not feeling optimistic about his character’s fate, but he’s urged everyone to not assume Kim is dead. If not dead, though, where would she be?

Well, the new trailer obviously tells us nothing, and the reactions tell us that anxiety is running high, as Kim’s finger guns have seemingly led further into Saul Goodmanification by the looks of this shot.

And far above, Kim’s also questioning whether they’re “wicked,” and whether they’re being followed, and yup, even though Saul tells Kim that no one knows what they’re up to, this all feels incredibly ominous. Let’s just say that people are freaking the hell out and rightfully so. One of the best-written female characters in TV history has her fate on the line, and — given that it feels impossible for her to survive, and still never to be seen again after this season — the stakes are high. On social media, the nail-biting has commenced in earnest.

Yup, whatever happens, no one is ready for this.

Better Call Saul‘s final season begins (the first half, anyway) on April 18. The second half will arrive on July 11. And if you missed Season Five, head to Netflix on April 4.

Remember the Callin’ Oats hotline that started back in 1987? You know, the emergency Hall & Oates helpline where you’d dial 719-26-OATES to hear a song? Press 1 for “One on One,” 2 for “Rich Girl,” 3 for … well I don’t remember the options beyond 2. “Rich Girl” was always my pick.

Hotlines might have been a relic destined for the Gen X archives, had 2020’s lockdown not prompted people of all ages to to seek out entertainment in any way they could. Hotlines are indeed hot once again. And perhaps more clever than ever.

You can call the Hogwarts Admission Office, receive support through your existential crisis and even listen to poetry to escape from the mundanity of modern life.

But perhaps no hotline could be as wholesome and delightful as Peptoc, where callers can tune out the harsh noise of the world and fill their heads (and hearts) with wisdom, encouragement and life advice from kindergarteners.

That’s right, pure joy is just a phone call away.

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Once you dial 707-998-8410, you’ll hear a child’s voice prompt you through delightful options:

“If you’re feeling mad, frustrated or nervous, press 1. If you need words of encouragement and life advice, press 2. If you need a pep talk from kindergartners, press 3. If you need to hear kids laughing with delight, press 4. For encouragement in Spanish, press 5.”

What exactly does a “pep talk” from kindergartners sound like, you may wonder. Well, it goes a little something like this:

“You can do it!”

“Keep trying! Don’t give up!”

“Bro, you’re looking great!”

As for when you feel mad or frustrated, the kiddos suggest taking three deep breaths, punching a pillow, or getting ice cream and/or shoes. I mean … pretty sound advice.

As the hotline intro suggests, Peptoc was created as an art project from students at West Side Elementary in California, with the help of their teachers Jessica Martin and Asherah Weiss.

Martin shared with NPR that the idea was moved by her student’s unwavering positive attitudes that remained consistent throughout the pandemic and wildfires. She thought their optimism could be something everyone could benefit from.

“Their creativity and resourcefulness is something that we need to emulate, because that level of joy and love and imagination is what’s going to save us in the end…And you know, with the current situation in Ukraine and all of the other terrors and sadness that we all carry, it’s really important that we continue to hold this light.” Martin told NPR.

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Taking a page from that late Susan O’Malley’s book, Martin made the project a form of “social art,” meant to engage people through interaction with the art itself.

O’Malley’s “Advice From My 80-Year-Old Self” made inspirational posters from the advice of strangers. With Peptoc, we instead get inspiration from little children. Or as one woman who called then told CNN, “joy straight from the literal mouths of babes.”

It seems Martin was right—this is something the world has very much needed. As of Feb 26, the hotline is already up to 700 callers per hour.

Though the hotline itself is free to call, you can help support the hotline fees by clicking here to donate. Any excess money goes toward the school’s enrichment programs, which Martin adds has undergone massive budget cuts.

Next time you’re feeling down, Peptoc and the students of West Side Elementary are here to lift your spirits. Art, plus laughing children … what’s not to like?

A few weeks ago I came across an article about a kid who watches television at 1.5x speed so he can cram as much viewing in as he can. It seemed that his unquenchable desire to get through shows in the Golden Age of television meant he’d sacrifice the entertainment value of the show just to get to the end.

“Man, this guy would have been crucified in 1993,” I thought.

As a 45-year-old card-carrying member of Generation X (those born between 1965 and 1979), I remembered a time when nobody bragged about the amount of TV they watched. In fact, they bragged about not owning a TV. “I don’t watch TV, man,” people would say. “It only exists to sell you stuff.”

This complete reversal on the social acceptance of gluttonous TV viewing made me wonder what happened to the values we were raised on as Gen Xers? We were taught that sincerity was for simpletons, everything corporate is evil, old school is always better than the latest and greatest, authenticity is king, conformity is death and there is nothing worse than being a sell-out or a poser.

Nobody would have ever referred to themselves as an “influencer” in 1991—that’s the definition of a sell-out.

“After writing this book, I’m back in the mindset of ’90s thinking, which is that nothing is worse than selling out,” Chuck Klosterman, author of “The Nineties: A Book,” told Esquire. “Nothing was more embarrassing in the ’90s than trying to convince people to like the thing you made.”

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Deep inside the heart of almost every Gen Xer is a deep-seated feeling of nihilism. We didn’t trust the corporations that laid off our parents or gutted their pensions in the ’80s. In fact, everything corporate was predatory. We didn’t have a lot of faith in family values because we were the first generation raised by single parents or in daycare. We didn’t care much about politics either. Back in the ’90s, Gen X’s aversion to politics was historic.

Of course, these are all generalities about a generation of nearly about 65 million people, but studies show that there are some definite hallmarks of being a Gen Xer.

According to a generational differences document circulated through the business community, Gen X’s core values are “skepticism,” “fun” and “informality.” They’re described as “self-reliant,” “independent,” “unimpressed with authority” and motivated by “freedom.”

In the young Gen Xer, the culture of the era “instilled a wariness and skepticism, and a kind of ‘figure it out for yourself’ mindset,” Paul Taylor, author of “The Next America: Boomers, Millennials, and the Looming Generational Showdown” told The Washington Post. And with that came a sense “that you don’t have to shine a light on yourself. You’re not the center of the universe.”

But things have changed since the ’90s when Gen X was coming of age. We live in an American culture that is fractured by political partisanship, fueled by a constant culture of outrage, crippled by a preoccupation with technology, plundered by greedy boomers and annoyed by overly sensitive millennials. All of this is happening while we face the greatest challenge of our times, climate change.

The answer to all of these problems is simple: admit that Gen X at one point had it right and if we followed its lead, we could reverse these terrible trends. OK, it might not fix all of our woes, but the way things are going now surely aren’t working. Plus, weren’t the ’90s great?

Also, with hat in hand, I must admit that this message is for Gen Xers as well. Many of us have lost our way by forgetting our disdain for authority and skepticism toward institutions. This is a call for us to remember what we once stood for and to fight back by doing what we do best—staying above the fray.

Gen X, it’s time to strap on your Dr. Martens boots and get back to fighting the “Battle of Who Could Care Less.” It’s time we collectively got our “whatever” back and showed the other generations how powerful dismissiveness can be.

Here are the top five Gen X values that we need to embrace again.

5.  Buying vintage items

Nothing was less hip in the early ’90s than wearing mall clothes. If you had any style you shopped at a thrift store and bought used duds from the ’70s and early ’80s and remixed them into something awesome. If you were into hip-hop or skating you shopped at the surplus store and rocked some super-durable Dickies or Carhartt gear. The mood of the times was totally anti-fashion. These days, we live in a world where fast fashion is killing the environment. By embracing the Gen X value of old-school cool, we can help the planet while looking much more fashionable in the process.

4. Corporate skepticism

In the early 2000s, people fell head-over-heels in love with smartphone technology and social media so quickly that nobody stopped and said, “Hey, wait a minute!” Now, we have a world where kids are depressed, the culture has become divided and nobody talks to each other in public anymore, they just stare at their phones. I can totally understand why young millennials and Luddite boomers would fall for the big-tech ruse, but sadly, Gen X was asleep at the wheel and fell victim, too. The generation that embraced the notion that TV rotted your brain needs to remind everyone to go outside and play in the sunshine or read a book. And if you read a book it should be by Bret Easton Ellis.

3. Just say “whatever”

Two of the most popular Gen X phrases were “whatever” and “talk to the hand (because the face don’t give a damn).” These may seem to be flippant responses but they are the correct way to deal with other people’s nonsense and in 2022, we have to deal with a constant barrage of it.

Somewhere along the way, people forgot that it’s even more powerful to ignore someone than to admit they got under your skin. In the world of social media, we unintentionally amplify the most wretched voices by subtweeting, commenting and liking the posts from the army of grifters fighting for our attention.

We also live in an era where many seem to be addicted to outrage. The quickest way to stop fanning the flames of outrage is with a simple, “whatever.” Like dogs distracted by squirrels, we’ve got our heads on outrage swivels these days. Throwing around the occasional “whatever” gives us the time and energy to focus on the problems that really matter and take action.

These days “whatever” matters more than ever.

2. Bring back snobbery

Good taste used to matter. In the 2000s, millennials decided that people have the right to like what they like and that it’s worse to judge someone’s personal taste than to have bad taste. Gen Xers based their entire personalities on taste and demanded integrity from artists and were rewarded by living in a time of superior films and music. These days, no one listens to new music and we’re stuck in a world dominated by comic book movies because no one stood up and shamed people for liking low-effort culture.

1. ​Political apathy

America’s political divide has calcified over the past decade because more and more people are basing their personal identities on their politics. This has created a culture where the dialog between liberals and conservatives has become a shouting match that only makes people dig their heels in further. It’s also created a culture in Washington, D.C. that has attracted a more debased form of politician and led to the gridlock that has halted any sense of progress. Sadly, Gen X has also been sucked into this vortex.

Things were a lot different in the ’90s. Back in 1999, Ted Halstead at The Atlantic noted that Xers “appear to have enshrined political apathy as a way of life.” He added that Gen Xers “exhibit less social trust or confidence in government, have a weaker allegiance to their country or to either political party.”

Compared to what’s going on in America in 2022, this type of apathy seems welcome. Back in the ’90s, taking a “chill pill” could solve everything. Wouldn’t it be great if everyone took one, and then we could open our ears and hearts and have some constructive discussions?

There was a common lament in the 1980s that the boomer hippies had sold out and became boomer yuppies. They went from being concerned with peace, love and the planet to stocks, bonds and conspicuous consumption. Gen X is now in its 40s and 50s and it’s fair to say that we’ve moved from being the outsiders to creating technological and political machines that are generating the type of conformity that we once railed against.

Now that Xers are at the age where we get to run the world for a few decades, it’s time to recommit to the core values that make us well … us. The great news is that as Gen Xers, it’ll be easy to get back to our roots because we were raised to ironically love the past.

Whoopi Goldberg recently dealt with her own backlash, so she must know an unsavory comment when she sees one. In this case, she and the other ladies of The View aren’t at all impressed with Kim Kardashian’s “best” career advice for women. While promoting Hulu’s The Kardashians (premiering April 14, and yep, Kanye makes an appearance), Kim (alongside a very in-agreement Kourtney) declared (to Variety), “I have the best advice for women in business.” Then came the condescending followup: “Get your f*cking ass up and work. It seems like nobody wants to work these days.”

Yikes. Kim Kardashian’s known for her out-of-touch ways, but she outdid herself here, and so, Whoopi relayed what the backlash was all about, referencing Kim’s adult film as well as her wealthy, fame-soaked upbringing. “People who say she had a big head start compared to most people,” Whoopi began. “Mm-hmm. Do you remember what that head start was? Think back. Think back, if that’s what you mean to say.”

From there, Joy Behar acknowledged the tape out loud, and Sunny Hostin took the ball and ran. “I just think that people that are born on third base shouldn’t be talking about how easy it is to hit a home run,” Sunny proclaimed. “And because I, like you, grew up poor… I did have to work harder. and it took me, I think, I worked twice as hard to get half as far as a lot of people.”

Yup, Kim should not have said what she said, and as of now, she’s offered no response or apology about the backlash. Especially since she had added, “no toxic work environments,” this controversy won’t be going away quickly. Rather, she tweeted about a coat (while trying to start a meme) today, and people are firing back at her with a tweet from Jessica DeFino, who revealed how she worked for Kim (and her sisters) as an editor for the Kardashian apps. She didn’t even make enough money to live while working all hours and weekends, and then she was “reprimanded for freelancing on the side” to stay financially afloat. Sounds pretty toxic.

As with most shows (and movies, and everything in the world), 2020 caused major delays when it came to new seasons of critically-acclaimed shows. One of those shows was The Righteous Gemstones, HBO’s hilarious megachurch comedy, which had just begun production on its second season when COVID lockdown struck. The second season resumed production nearly a year later, and a lot had changed.

One major change was star Cassidy Freeman’s pregnancy, which she kept hidden from the cast while they filmed the show under strict COVID precautions in the sweltering heat of South Carolina. “Someone was looking down on me and gave me a really easy, easy time… And no morning sickness,” Freeman said in a new interview with Variety.

Freeman, who plays devoted housewife Amber, opened up about her decision to continue working during such uncertain times, on top of being pregnant. “I think all of us were just so grateful to be working, especially during a time when so many were out of work or were underemployed, and we were given so many privileges like having these incredible nurses administer tests to use every other day, which were partly protocols by HBO and partly protocols of Rough House Productions,” the actress explained. “Everyone was looking out for our best interest. I think anyone that decides to have a kid while working is asking for complications, but I couldn’t have been more supported by the people around me.”

Freeman’s character Amber was able to get a little more screen time this season, which meant her story developed more, and Freeman was given her own time to shine. “Amber’s now a bit more open, and she doesn’t just help Jesse by being a guest woman in his life but, part of a team,” Freeman adds, saying that she appreciated her character’s (much more violent) storyline this season.

“I love it when she shoots the motorcycle boys and she soothes Jesse’s abilities to take a shot, but she takes the stage anyway and takes the spotlight and publicly admits she was the one that got to stop the bad guys, not her husband.” Suddenly, her storyline is even more impressive when you realize she was literally carrying a child.

After the success of their Apple TV+ series The Afterparty, creators Phil Lord and Chris Miller are teaming up for another comedy, this time a western that is aptly titled, Western.

The series will be set in the 1800s and revolve around a young woman named Polly who travels west to meet her suitor, who turns out to be a teenage boy. Distraught, Polly aims to make the best of it and adapt to the unfamiliar town. It seems like a cross between New Girl and Westworld, presumably without robots.

Lord and Miller are teaming up with writer Michelle Morgan (writer of It Happened in L.A. and Girl Most Likely) to produce the show, which will stream on IMDb TV. Lord wrote and director Apple TV’s murder-mystery comedy The Afterparty starring Tiffany Haddish, Ilana Glazer, Ben Schwartz, Sam Richardson, and Dave Franco, which was recently renewed for a second season. The duo is also working on rebooting the 2002 adult animated comedy Clone High for HBO Max.

Western is the latest in a slew of shows that have been picked up by IMDv TV, an ad-supported streaming site that is backed by Amazon Prime. The service recently ordered Primo, a comedy series from The Good Place creator Mike Schur, and a new Bosch spinoff.