Year: 2022

“Ukraine is game to you?”

That’s pretty much the same (incredible) vibe we’re seeing from the Ukraine resistance over the past week or so. From President Volodymyr Zelenskyy standing his ground and declining to be evacuated by the U.S. to his emotional EU speech that prompted a standing ovation to the molotov-cocktail grandma who declared, “Let those Russian sh*ts come here,” it’s clear that Ukrainians are not to be f*cked with, at least, not lightly.

Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to push his troops toward targets in the Ukraine, of course, which means that he never watched this classic Seinfeld clip that’s currently making the social media rounds.

Ah yes, the sight of Cosmo Kramer declaring that Ukraine is “weak,” “feeble,” and a sitting duck,” and “we’re playing a game here, pal,” all while a fellow subway passenger, a Ukrainian man, ain’t having it.

“How bout I take your little board and smash it!” is exactly what Kramer (and Newman) deserved at that moment in time. Naturally, people are enjoying looking back while joking about how Seinfeld predicted global affairs, decades into the future, but hey, the late 1990s followed a few years after Ukraine officially held itself out as independent of Russia, so of course, Kramer was behind the times. And yeah, Seinfeld may have been ahead of its time in this way. Whatever the case, people are enjoying how those board-game pieces flew all over the place.

Perhaps Putin’s game will be shaken up in the same manner.

Some good things can come from a TikTok going viral– you may get a cast in a movie, or get a brand deal out of it. Or, you could be dragged over the entire internet for a week. It’s really a toss-up. But, as with any big app, things start to get scary when the government steps in.

Recently, the FBI began investigating a string of armed robberies at Detroit convenience stores over a three-month period. They received an anonymous tip that led them to Chozen Terrell-Hannah’s TikTok page, featuring various videos of him dancing while wearing the same shoes that the alleged robber wore, and sporting the same pink hairstyle according to eyewitness reports. The FBI then staked out and raided his home, where he admitted to his crimes after they seized items that were allegedly used during the robberies.

Other eyewitnesses believed the robber was actually a white man, though the FBI dismissed this account, saying, “Based on my training and experience, I believe due to [Terrell-Hannah’s] light complexion, the victims of armed robberies, observing him under the circumstances and wearing the clothing described above, could describe him as either white or black. … These shoes are similar in appearance to the shoes worn in the above referenced armed robberies”

Terrell-Hannah, who is 22, is being held without bail and could face up to 20 years in prison. He is charged with robbery and possessing a firearm during a crime.

FBI was tipped off to Terrell-Hannah’s Snapchat, where they then found his TikTok account and began to investigate. After tracking him for days, the FBI found his phone number and was able to track his locational data which allegedly put him at the scene of the crimes. The moral here is to never use your phone, ever.

Brent Faiyaz’s last album, F*ck The World, came out in 2020, but that hasn’t stopped the Baltimore-raised R&B singer from continuing to support it with the new video for “Let Me Know.” Contrary to the reputation he’s developed as the purveyor of toxic anthems, a la Future (or Brent’s own songs “Wasting Time” and “Mercedes“), “Let Me Know” is a more socially-minded effort and its animated video fits the theme with a haunting visual metaphor reflecting Faiyaz’s message.

“Who can I love when they tell me I can’t love myself?” he wonders in the song. Meanwhile, in the video, animated Brent leaves his home to wander the streets but is confronted by people wearing ghostly masks (they look a lot like Oogie Boogie from Nightmare Before Christmas, as well as a certain domestic terrorist organization with a bone to pick with… uhhh… darker-skinned Americans). Nearly everyone he passes bears the spectral affectation until he meets a pair of police officers who stop him with guns drawn.

In a panic, he escapes back to his home, where he opens his closet to reveal his own mask. He dons it, walking outside as the gathered crowd cackles in triumph. Then, in a moment of rebellion, he removes his mask, which gives the bystanders license to do so themselves. The ending isn’t really a surprise, but it is a powerful message of self-acceptance in a world that still doesn’t give everyone a fair shake.

Watch Brent Faiyaz’s “Let Me Know” video above.

In a huge sign that Lindsay Lohan is taking her latest comeback seriously, Netflix has signed the actress to a new two-picture deal after recently working with her on the upcoming holiday movie, Falling For Christmas. The deal follows a Super Bowl commercial for Planet Fitness featuring the Mean Girls star, who spent the better part of a decade struggling to rejuvenate her acting career after becoming known for her wild partying and tabloid drama. However, Netflix seems to be impressed with Lohan’s latest turnaround, and they’re locking her down for two more original films.

Via Deadline:

“We’re so happy with our collaboration with Lindsay to date, and we’re thrilled to continue our partnership with her,” said Netflix’s Director of Independent Film, Christina Rogers. “We look forward to bringing more of her films to our members around the world.”

Again, this Netflix deal is huge news for Lohan whose acting chops made her a blockbuster favorite in the early 2000s. But perhaps the biggest news it the latest revelation that we’ve all been saying her last name wrong. In a recent TikTok video, Lohan pronounced her last name as “Low-en” instead of “Lo-HAN,” which is pretty much how everyone has been pronouncing it since she first wowed audiences in The Parent Trap. If you somehow missed the explosive news, it’s perfectly normal to wonder what is even real anymore. That’s a completely understandable response.

(Via Deadline)

A year ago, the NBA was gifted its ideal scenario for the first ever play-in tournament, when the Lakers and Warriors met in the 7-8 matchup in the West, drew huge viewership numbers, and provided star power for the league’s new method for finalizing the last two playoff positions in each conference.

This season, it looks like the league will once again see some big names participating in the play-in, with the Lakers and Nets both currently in a position to need to win elimination games to make it to the postseason. They are joined by a number of teams battling it out for the four play-in spots.

With just over 20 games remaining in the regular season, we’re going to look at the paths to the play-in in each conference, starting with the Eastern Conference.

5. Cleveland Cavaliers (36-25): The Cavs aren’t out of the woods yet when it comes to the play-in race, as they are just a game up on Boston and 2.5 games up on Toronto for seventh. There are real questions about Cleveland’s ability to hold on, namely due to the lingering back injury that’s kept Darius Garland out lately, as well as Caris LeVert’s foot sprain. This was a team already short on guard depth that is now just trying to hold it together until their All-Star and big trade deadline acquisition can come back. Monday’s loss to Minnesota illustrated their issues with consistency just within individual games right now, and with a .502 strength of schedule remaining — including two games against the Bulls and three against the Sixers — Cleveland could find itself needing to scratch and claw their way down the stretch to hang on to a guaranteed playoff spot. They have two games against Toronto (March 6 and 24) that could prove very important to their ability to avoid the play-in.

6. Boston Celtics (36-27): The Celtics were the hottest team in the NBA from late January to just before the All-Star break, but they’ve stumbled just a touch of late, going 2-2 in their last four with losses to Detroit and Indiana that should’ve been opportunities to pad their lead over Toronto. Making those losses even more painful is that the Celtics have the fourth toughest remaining schedule in the NBA (.528) over their last 19 games, with games against the Warriors, Grizzlies (twice), Heat, Bulls, Jazz, and Bucks left. If there’s good news on the schedule front, it’s that this team has seemingly played up to competition of late and their closing schedule should ensure they stay plenty engaged. On top of that, they’re one of the few teams that is fully healthy right now, which has helped fuel their climb in the standings. From a play-in perspective, upcoming games against Brooklyn (March 6) and Toronto (March 28) stand out in terms of chances to put another full game between them and the teams below them trying to snag that last playoff position.

7. Toronto Raptors (33-27): The Raptors were, like Boston, really hot for a stretch of late January and February, going 8-1 at one point, but they started dragging their feet entering the All-Star break and haven’t been able to make a move on Boston to try and usurp the 6-seed, going 1-4 in their last five games before righting the ship in impressive fashion in Brooklyn. The good news for Toronto is that they have three more games to play than Boston down the stretch, providing some opportunities to play catch up. Making matters even better, their remaining SoS is just the 24th hardest remaining (.487) in their 22 games left, highlighted by a pair of games against Orlando as well as the Knicks, Pistons, Pacers, and Rockets still all remaining. Their next game might be the most important one they have, though, as they face the Nets once again on a back-to-back, this time at home in Toronto. Two wins in a row against the shorthanded Nets would give them a three-game cushion for the 7-seed while also drawing them ever closer to the Celtics, who they play at the end of March.

8. Brooklyn Nets (32-30): The Nets are playing with a skeleton crew most nights and will continue to do so for some time, as Kevin Durant remains out with his knee injury, Ben Simmons won’t play for at least another week, and Kyrie Irving remains sidelined for both home games and games in Toronto, one of the teams they’re trying to chase down. Their focus is simply on making it to the play-in and having all their guys back by then, but getting the 7- or 8-seed to ensure two cracks at a playoff berth is pretty important even for a team with this much talent likely on the way back. Brooklyn’s SoS is right around the league average (.495, 19th toughest), but the issue is that their toughest games come now when they have the least ammunition. As noted above, their second of a back-to-back with Toronto looms large (particularly without Kyrie) and then they face Miami, Boston, Charlotte, and Philly in the next week-plus when they are likely to remain shorthanded. A split against the Raptors would be a good starting point, but this is the team that can throw the biggest wrench in postseason plans for the top contenders in the East if they make it in and have KD, Simmons, and Kyrie.

9. Atlanta Hawks (29-31): The Hawks are, arguably, the East’s biggest disappointment this season considering the wave they were riding coming into the season after reaching the Conference Finals. Like a year ago, they started slow before turning things on in January, but they haven’t been able to keep that up this month. Atlanta is just 5-5 in February and cannot seem to build any positive momentum to try and catapult into the playoff race, which leaves them in a battle for their play-in lives with 22 games remaining. Atlanta does have an easier schedule remaining than most (.471 SoS, 26th hardest) and certainly has the talent to go on a run, but they have to start that ASAP to have any chance of escaping the 9/10 game. Boston and Chicago are up next for the Hawks, with key games against fellow play-in contenders the Wizards (March 4, April 6), Hornets (March 16), Nets (April 2), and Raptors (April 5) to come.

10. Charlotte Hornets (30-33): The story of the bottom of the East play-in race is, really, teams that have not seized opportunity. The Hornets are chief among them, going 2-9 in their last 11 games to fall into the second tier of the play-in, needing two wins to make the playoffs. Charlotte is a full three games back of Brooklyn for eighth, which seems like an incredibly difficult hole to dig out of considering at some point the Nets will get Durant and Bn Simmons on the court. Charlotte’s remaining SoS is .496, the 16th hardest in the league, and they have one game against everyone in the top-4 in the East remaining. The Hornets are going to have to figure out some way to defend better if they’re going to make a late season charge for the 8-seed, much less hold on to a play-in spot. Charlotte took a patient approach to the deadline and only time will tell if that is going to pay off, but they have games against the Nets (March 8, 27), Celtics (March 9), Hawks (March 16), and Wizards (April 10) to try and cement their play-in spot.

11. Washington Wizards (27-33): Somehow, the Wizards aren’t out of this thing as they’ve managed to tread water of late — 4-6 in their last 10 games — and are just 1.5 back of Charlotte. With Bradley Beal out for the rest of the year, most wrote Washington off, but they’ve managed to hang around and have one of the easiest remaining schedules in the league (.469 SoS) to try and catch their divisional rivals in Atlanta or Charlotte for the last spot. They’ll get two cracks at the Hawks and a season finale against the Hornets to do so, but they’ll need to find a run somewhere in their closing stretch to catch and pass one of the teams ahead of them.

12. New York Knicks (25-36): Technically the Knicks aren’t out of it at 4 games back, but man, it is hard to see how they put together the necessary run to vault into real contention. They’ve lost five in a row and just about everything positive about last year’s team seems to have turned to negativity this season. Adding to their problems is the fifth hardest remaining schedule in the NBA (.519 SoS), and they might be officially out of this thing within a couple of weeks.

This past week, we have seen what courageous, compassionate leadership looks like in the incredible response of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Zelenskyy was given the opportunity to evacuate under U.S. protection and he chose instead to stay in Ukraine and fight for his country, saying “I need ammunition, not a ride.” He delivered an emotional appeal to the Russian people, calling on them to recognize that ordinary people—both Russian and Ukrainian—will be the ones to suffer if Russia wages war. He and his leadership team have shared messages from the streets of Kyiv, reassuring his fellow Ukrainians that they will continue to fight alongside them.

Absolutely heart shattering.Ukraineu2019s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his officials, standing strong in Kyiv, recording the words: u201cWe are here. We are in Kyiv. We are defending Ukraine!” #UkraineRussiapic.twitter.com/ekTNPrQVSN

— Dr. Jennifer Cassidy ud83cuddfaud83cudde6 (@Dr. Jennifer Cassidy ud83cuddfaud83cudde6)
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The calm, courage and resolve Zelenskyy has demonstrated has captured the hearts of freedom-loving people around the world. His words have also moved interpreters to tears as he calls upon the humanity in all of us in supporting Ukraine against Russia’s attacks.

Zelenskyy addressed the European parliament today, explaining the current situation in Ukraine, where cruise missiles hit Freedom Square in Kharkiv and cities are all blocked. You can hear the interpreter fighting back tears as he translates the president’s message that they are fighting for their land and their freedom.

Wow, I’ve never heard a translator for a head of state get choked up like this. nnThe emotion is clear, in both word and delivery:nn”Nobody is going to break us. We’re strong. We’re Ukrainians. We have a desire to see our children alive. I think it’s a fair one.”pic.twitter.com/fMPinmIRmY

— Nora Neus (@Nora Neus)
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Once again, Zelenskyy’s words were powerful: “Nobody is going to break us. We’re strong. We’re Ukrainians. We have a desire to see our children alive. I think it’s a fair one.”

Zelenskyy’s speech was received with a standing ovation from the members of the European Parliament.

The interpreter’s emotional reaction was shared by another Ukrainian interpreter a few days ago. As she attempted to translate Zelenksyy’s speech live on German TV, the interpreter burst into tears and couldn’t continue.

The translator of the German newspaper Welt burst into tears while translating Zelensky’s latest video message.pic.twitter.com/KT9HUyKZMy

— KyivPost (@KyivPost)
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She shared what happened on Twitter, writing, “I’m a conference interpreter, I interpret 10 hrs peace talks. But today live on German TV I couldn’t finish interpreting Zelensky, during his last words I broke into tears.”

“I love you all, my fellow Ukrainians,” she added.

I’m a conference interpreter, I interprepret 10 hrs peace talks. But today live on German TV I couldn’t finish interpreting Zelensky, during his last words I broke into tears.nnI love you all, my fellow Ukrainianshttps://twitter.com/KyivIndependent/status/1497850848185040897u00a0u2026

— Die Welt u00dcbersetzerin ud83cudf3b (@Die Welt u00dcbersetzerin ud83cudf3b)
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By showing he won’t back down and by calling on people’s common humanity, Zelenskyy has moved and inspired the free world and rallied allies behind him around the globe. Even Switzerland, which has famously remained neutral in conflicts, has taken its side and sanctioned Russia for the invasion.

Whatever the political outcome, President Zelenskyy has given the world a hero to root for and won over the hearts of people in a way that authoritarian dictators will never be able to.

Zelenskyy’s full speech to the European Parliament is worth a watch:

Dave Grohl has made it clear he’s a major Billie Eilish fan. In 2019, for example, he praised the connection she has with her audience and said, “When I look at someone like Billie Eilish, I’m like… sh*t man…. rock n roll is not even close to being dead…’” Now, even three years later, he’s still got Eilish on the brain.

In a new interview with The Independent, he discussed the state of rock music, saying:

“Well, I think you have to define ‘relevant.’ It’s hard for us to say that rock and roll is in a rough patch, because we get up on stage and there’ll be thousands of people f*cking going bananas and singing along to our songs. I can understand how it’s a different game nowadays for younger bands. There’s a lot of great young bands that are f*cking killing it and have devoted fan bases. They might not be as popular as Nicki Minaj, but honestly, when I see f*cking Billie Eilish, that’s rock and roll to me. She started a revolution and took over the world.”

Aside from Eilish, he’s also big on Wet Leg and specifically their song “Chaise Longue,” saying, “Wet Leg are about to take over America. I really do dig them. A friend of mine turned me on to them about six or seven months ago and I couldn’t get [‘Chaise Longue’] out of my head. Sometimes we’ll hang out at a friend’s house and just dance until four o’clock in the morning, and we’ll play ‘Chaise Longue’ on repeat, like over and over and over and over and over again.”

Check out the full interview here.

As far as I know, Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin can do no wrong. They’re best known for Netflix’s I Think You Should Leave, one of the funniest shows of the past 20 years (and ever???), but the duo also created Comedy Central’s much-beloved Detroiters with Sam Richardson, wrote the bowling episode of Documentary Now, and without them, there would be no “Bugs” sketch on SNL. For their latest cosmic gumbo collaboration, Robinson and Kanin on working on a pilot for HBO Max.

Variety reports that Computer School is about a “recent high school grad and his uncle [who] attend the same computer class in suburban Michigan. Robinson will star as the uncle. Robinson and Kanin are writing and executive producing the pilot. Andrew Gaynord will direct.” The series hasn’t been officially picked up it and there’s no other information available, including what it means for a potential third season of I Think You Should Leave, but a new Robinson and Kanin project? Give me that.

Kanin and Robinson originally met when they were both writers for the long-running NBC sketch series Saturday Night Live. They were part of the writing team for the show in 2016 when it was nominated for the Emmy Award for best variety series.

Unlike Paul and cars, Robinson and Kanin do have good TV ideas.

(Via Variety)

Canada’s Hannah Judge turned in a terrific little Fanclubwallet EP last year with Hurt Is Boring, and now she’s gearing up for a full-blown album: Today brings the news that You Have Got To Be Kidding Me is set to drop on May 20, as well as a new single, “Gr8 Timing!.” The song aligns with her groovy bedroom pop aesthetic and it even comes with a delightful video shot at a trampoline park and in a foam cube pit.

Judge says of the song, “Even people that everyone thinks are really nice can be mean too. Everyone has a mean streak!” Of the album more broadly, she notes, “I think I spend a lot of time trying to be like the cool, chill, calm girl. This album’s kind of me being like, maybe I’m not cool, calm, and collected.”

Watch the “Gr8 Timing!” video above and find the You Have Got To Be Kidding Me tracklist and Fanclubwallet’s upcoming tour dates below.

1. “Solid Ground”
2. “Gr8 Timing!”
3. “Fell Through”
4. “Toast”
5. “Trying To Be Nice”
6. “55”
7. “Go Out”
8. “That I Won’t Do”
9. “National TV”
10. “Coming Over”
11. “Jar”
12. “You Have Got To Be Kidding Me”

03/16 — Austin, TX @ Swan Dive — POP Montreal (SXSW)
03/18 — Austin, TX @ Austin, TX @ Swan Dive Patio – The Line Of Best Fit (SXSW)
03/24 — New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge *
03/25 — Washington, DC @ DC9 *
03/26 — Boston, MA @ Café 939 *
03/30 — Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen *
06/17 — Dallas, TX @ Deep Ellum Art Co ^
06/18 — Austin, TX @ Empire Control Room & Garage ^
06/19 — Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall – Upstairs ^
06/21 — Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade – Purgatory ^
06/22 — Nashville, TN @ The Basement East ^
06/24 — Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups ^
06/25 — Detroit, MI @ El Club ^
06/27 — Toronto, ON @ Velvet Underground ^

* with Thomas Headon
^ with Penelope Scott & Yot Club

You Have Got To Be Kidding Me is out 5/20 via AWAL. Pre-order it here.

Fresh off the Euphoria Season 2 finale — which apparently put up some serious Game of Thrones numbers — actress Sydney Sweeney is reportedly engaged. On Monday morning, she was spotted wearing (via TMZ) what appears to be a very huge diamond engagement ring. As for who it’s from, well, Sweeney has been highly secretive about her relationship to Jonathan Davino, but that hasn’t stopped the two from being photographed several times together. From TMZ:

It’s the first time Sydney’s been seen with the diamond ring, she’s continuously remained mum on her relationship with her likely new fiancé — Jonathan Davino. Davino’s family owns 14th Round and Finalbell … a device technology and packaging company. The couple reportedly started dating back in 2018 — though Sydney’s never confirmed their relationship — but they’ve been linked and were even photographed together last summer smooching on a yacht.

The potential engagement kicks off a big year for Sweeney, who’s been earning praise for not just her work on Euphoria but also on The White Lotus. In a recent interview, Sweeney revealed that a casting director once told her she’d never make it television followed by a friend’s mother saying no boy would ever love her. (Yikes.) Clearly, Sweeney proved both of them wrong.

“I’m a very active person,” Sweeney told British GQ. “I get hurt. I get bruises. I get cuts. I think I came back from laser tag, and I had rug burns all over my legs because I got really into it. And she sat me up on the counter and told me that no boy will ever love me if I have marks on my body. I told her, well, I guess I’m just gonna have to love myself.”

(Via TMZ)