Slowthai had one of the defining moments of his career so far (at least in the eyes of American TV viewers) when he joined Mura Masa on The Tonight Show in February 2020 to perform “Deal Wiv It.” During the performance, Slowthai took advantage of the whole set and even stood on Jimmy Fallon’s desk, making for some memorable television. Now, for fans who haven’t been able to forget that appearance, they’ll get the chance to see Slowthai live, as he just announced a handful of April concert dates in North America for the “Antisocial Roadshow” tour.
Performing live certainly isn’t Slowthai’s least favorite part of his job, as he revealed last February that he’s actually not too keen on recording, saying, “I hate getting in the booth. I love writing, and I love doing it over and over again. But then when it comes to the time to laying it down, I’m like, ‘Laugh.’ Yeah, I don’t know. I’m not hitting it the way… Because in my head, we all have that thing where we see it and hear it one way, and then you’re not delivering it, but then you’re self-critical, so you’re being extra critical. And then everyone would be like, ‘That’s the hardest thing ever!’ And you’re like, ‘I can do it better.’ So it will be like every song is a thousand takes.”
Check out the full list of dates below.
04/08 — New York, New York @ Webster Hall
04/09 — Chicago, IL @ Metro
04/10 — Denver, CO @ Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom
04/14 — Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
04/15 — Indio, CA @ Coachella
04/21 — San Francisco, CA @ The Regency Ballroom
04/22 — Indio, CA @ Coachella
04/27 — Toronto, ON @ The Danforth Music Hall
04/30 — Boston, MA @ Royale
Los Angeles is one of the best food cities in America (NYers, your skepticism is noted but unfounded — learn how to make a taco and we’ll talk). So if you’re visiting the city this Super Bowl LVI weekend, lucky you! The eclectic, dynamic local scene is so full of options you could stick to one type of food (Mexican, perhaps?) and still only scratch that surface of amazing must-visit restaurants, hole in the walls, stands, or food trucks available to you.
Settling on what to eat in LA is never easy and asking a random stranger “what’s good?” isn’t always successful, considering LA is the largest and most populous city on the West Coast and its residents are often transplants. Luckily for you, I was born and raised here so I’m not just a random stranger. I’m a true Angeleno who also happens to write about food every day of the week. And I want you to have the best experience in Los Angeles you could possibly have — so I put together a guide of the most quintessential dining experiences for any Super Bowl visitors.
You could pick any one of these at random (or try and hit them all!) and you’ll be guaranteed a meal you won’t forget that also reflects what makes the LA food scene (and the city itself) so unique and special. These picks say something about who we are, culturally, and what our city values. They also feature incredible flavors in the hands of deeply skilled chefs. Let’s dive in!
There isn’t a reason to eat tacos just once during your LA visit. Get tacos multiple times per day — it’s never a bad time to have a taco or two. But if for some reason you only have time for one taco spot in all of LA, you have to have a taco from a street vendor. I promise you it’s not an experience you want to miss.
Don’t worry about food-borne illness or sanitary conditions — I’ve heard all sorts of excuses for why people are afraid of eating LA street tacos, none of them are valid. You know that great weather everyone always talks about? Eating tacos outside is what we do here, stop being a baby — food-borne illness has never stopped anyone from eating at Chipotle and it shouldn’t stop you from eating food made by street vendors. (Also, food by street vendors is cooked incredibly hot and fast, which kills foodborne illness; it’s the heat-lamp-warmed food that gets you.)
Each taco from Angel’s Tijuana Tacos is made to order on homemade tortillas with your choice of meat, salsa, cilantro and onions, and guacamole. The tacos are juicy and all that flavor is soaked up by the homemade and hand-pressed tortillas making each bite absolute perfection. Seriously, this place is an institution.
Angel’s sets up shop in Eagle Rock near a Target parking lot. Eagle Rock is a hot spot for great coffee shops, bars, and that 2010’s LA hipster vibe.
The Essential Order:
When a street taco situation rolls up with a giant spit roasting al pastor, you have to order the al pastor tacos. It’s Angel’s signature and the number one taco spot for al pastor in the city. When in Rome!
It was hard to choose a single ramen spot in Los Angeles. We’re a bit spoiled for options here and certain restaurants do certain broths better than others, so “best” varies based on what exactly you’re looking for. But for the quintessential LA experience, we’re going to have to suggest Little Tokyo’s Daikokuya.
There is just something so comforting about Daikokuya’s signature tonkotsu broth, it’s the perfect remedy to an unseasonably cold LA day (which happens, we swear).
Because of the pandemic, Daikokuya now features outside dining via a dining space in a converted parking space — sounds weird, perhaps, but it actually adds a lot of character to the vibe. There is something special about pulling up a table in the middle of bustling Little Tokyo surrounded by midcentury skyscrapers while you slurp ramen and munch on tempura.
The Essential Order:
The restaurant’s namesake Daikoku Ramen. It’s a must, the bowl features tonkotsu broth with Daikokuya’s own soy sauce blend with the most tender pork belly chasu you’ve ever had, a marinated egg, and a simple mix of bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, and fragrant green onions.
Many a Daikokuya fan swears by the Koterri version of the Daikoku, which uses soup extracted from the back fat, resulting in a richer flavor. I haven’t had it so I can’t speak to it personally, but consider it if you’re looking for something heartier. [I love everything “extra fat” and it’s far too fatty for me. Stick to the OG. — ed]
The broth in the OG is sumptuous and flavorful and the noddles are silky with the right amount of bite and soak up the flavor wonderfully. If you’re really digging on the noodles, give the Spicy Miso Ramen a try, which features thicker noodles and comes with the Kotteri stock.
SUGARFISH is one of the most popular and visible sushi restaurants in the highly populated landscape of great LA sushi residents, and that’s for good reason. It’s some of the best tasting sushi in the city and will melt in your mouth like a sugar cube dissolving on your tongue.
The presentation (even when ordering to-go) and quality are top tier here, the fish is noticeably fresh and the highly curated menu is easy to order from and fairly priced, for the quality you get.
There are several SUGARFISH across LA but if you’re visiting for the first time you might as well hit the one on Sunset. You’ll be walking distance from other LA staples like Musso & Frank Grill, the TCL Chinese Theater, Amoeba Records, and other photo-worthy landmarks.
The Essential Order:
The Trust Me lunch special will get you edamame, tuna sashimi, albacore sushi, salmon sushi, a toro hand roll (a SUGARFISH staple), Japanese Yellowtail sushi, Hirame, and a Blue and Dungeness crab hand roll.
Los Angeles is absolutely obsessed with Nashville-style hot chicken. From Dave’s Hot Chicken to Main Chick, a great hot chicken spot can be found in just about every neighborhood from the densest city centers to the sprawling suburbs. And each one of those restaurants has Howlin’ Ray’s to thank for paving the way.
Started by Chef Johnny Ray Zone and his wife Amanda Chapman in 2015, Howlin’ Rays is so popular that pre-pandemic it wasn’t unusual to wait in a line for three hours just to get your hands on an order. Thankfully, that’s not a problem these days — now you simply order in advance through Postmates for either pickup or delivery, which gets some deliciously hot chicken in your hands in as quick as an hour to an hour and a half.
If you’re going to eat at one hot chicken restaurant in Los Angeles, start here. You can hit one of the others on your next trip!
NOTE: This is a messy eat, so don’t order this if you’re chilling in a park somewhere. Instead, eat it at one of the tables in Chinatown’s Far East Plaza (where Howlin’ Rays is located) and then go shopping at the nearby shops when you’re done — you’ll need some Boba tea to cool down your taste buds.
The Essential Order:
Howlin’ Rays chicken options include a boneless breast (the Skinny Jimmy, my personal fav), tenders, wings, or a chicken sandwich with 6 different levels of heat. Assuming you’re going to eat at Howlin’ Rays just once, I’d say you have to grab the Luis Style Sando Medium Plus or Hot style.
The sandwich features a boneless breast filet, comeback sauce, pickles, and cheddar cheese on a toasted bun. The flavors meld together beautifully, the whole thing melts in your mouth and is good enough to make you drool.
Settling on a good Korean BBQ spot in Los Angeles is a bit like choosing a ramen or burrito spot, it all depends on what you’re looking for. If you’re looking for an all you can eat situation, Parks isn’t your spot — for that, try Hae Jang Chon, you won’t be disappointed — but if you’re looking for high-quality fresh meats and an atmosphere that won’t leave your clothes smelling smokey, Parks is the jam.
Yes, it’s a little on the pricier side, but the sourcing is exceptional with beautifully marbled cuts of meat (they even have a butcher shop!). Park’s gets crowded, so expect to be packed in close, but the restaurant moves fast. It’ll likely move faster than you want it to as you scramble for a reason to stay a little longer and order more food.
Park’s is located right in the heart of Koreatown where you’ll be surrounded by great bars, stores, crowded streets, and more things to do than you’ll have time for in a single weekend.
The Essential Order:
Go with a lot of friends so that you can order as much as possible, but since you’re at Park’s, you’re going to have to get Park’s Gal-Bi. It’s the restaurant’s signature.
Given there are three options on this list that are Mexican food, it’s clearly very difficult to encapsulate the Los Angeles Mexican food scene in a single restaurant, and it’s even harder to do with a single burrito.
In Los Angeles, there is a burrito for every mood but if I had to suggest one that always delivers and never disappoints, it’s going to have to be the Al & Bea’s Special. This is the sort of burrito that is so bursting with flavor that your first bite will literally stop you in your tracks and force you to take in the moment.
To partake in this immense pleasure, take a trip to the east side of LA (the real east side, not what transplants call the east side) to Boyle Heights and hit up Al & Bea’s. There isn’t much to do for a tourist in the general area, so eat your burrito at the outdoor tables, outside at your car, or take a walk to nearby Hollenbeck Park and chill there. You could also hop in your car (or Uber) and head to Grand Park in downtown, where you’ll be a few blocks away from Chinatown, Little Tokyo, and the Arts District. Who says LA isn’t walkable?
The Essential Order:
The Al & Bea’s Special. The burrito features beans, shredded beef, rice, cheese, lettuce, green chili (which is for some reason orange while it’s hot), and guacamole. It’s the best paper-wrapped burrito you’ll eat all weekend, I promise you.
El Tepeyac isn’t a trendy burrito spot, it’s not busy at all hours of the day with LA’s young hip celebrity/ celebrity-adjacent socialites, it’s not near any must-visit clubs, bars, or parks. Instead, it’s tucked away in Boyle Heights, and full of locals who have been frequenting the tiny cafe for generations. That’s usually a good sign.
What El Tepeyac doesn’t have in flash, it makes up for with flavor. This is the most authentically “LA burrito” experience you can hope to find in the city. No cap.
The Essential Order:
The Hollenbeck Burrito. It features seared pork, rice, beans, guacamole, red chili, and smothered in chili verde sauce, with melted cheese sprinkled on top. It’s a wet burrito you’ll need a knife and fork to eat and is big enough to share with an entire table. Which gives you an opportunity to eat the taquitos.
Beloved by strict LA vegans and flexitarians alike, Sage Bistro and Brewery has a little something for everyone. From smoothies and desserts to nutritious veggie bowls, classic LA avocado toast, and Super Bowl worthy sides, Sage has few specialties but an extensive people-pleasing menu. This is the place to go to live out that health-focused hippie retreat-visiting LA lifestyle that people love to satirize the city for. It’s a real thing, you will meet people who know Jared Leto, talk about crystals, and (to their credit!) look years younger than their actual age.
The plates at Sage are always wonderfully balanced with fresh ingredients that pack the flavor and pair perfectly with the bistro’s own in-house kombucha and beverages. There are several Sage Bistro’s scattered throughout LA, I’d suggest you eat at the Echo Park or Culver City locations to be nearest to the action in the city.
The Essential Order:
Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower Wings for the table with smashed avocado toast (because you’re in LA) and a BBQ pulled pork jackfruit sandwich with an Orange Creamsicle Kombucha. It’s the most LA meal you’ll ever eat.
If you’ve been to LA but haven’t visited the Urth Caffé can you really say you’ve been to LA? Probably not. Urth Caffé isn’t the best coffee you’ll find in the city but it’s pretty damn good and the Downtown LA Arts District location is a must-visit for the location alone.
The Urth Caffé isn’t a grab-and-go coffee shop, so only go here if you intend to sit down, take in the surroundings, and slow slip your fresh prepared beverage. Whether you’re a hard espresso fan, prefer sweet matcha tea, or want to keep things creamy and rich with a cappuccino, Urth Caffé will keep you well supplied and offers vegan-friendly breakfast foods and baked goods, as well as classic LA staples like Huevos Rancheros burritos and yogurt bowls.
The Essential Order:
Honestly, we could do a whole deep dive on the Urth Caffê menu, but you can’t go wrong with the espresso macchiato, the red tea bebero, or the Mocha Mint for those hotter days.
If you’re for some reason trying to stay out of a car for as long as possible while visiting (you do realize you’re in LA right?) you could just hit up the Grand Central Market for all of your meals. Even before its recent renovation — which brought a lot of hip new eateries to the space — this food court has been a staple of good authentic Los Angeles food.
Whether you’re feeling Japanese cuisine, fresh bread loaves, BBQ, fancy peanut butter and jam sandwiches, wood-fired pizza, fresh fruit, chicken sandwiches, or ice cream, the Grand Central Market has it all under one roof. LA isn’t known for its sense of community (it exists, but not really for tourists) but the Grand Central market will give you a good idea of all the different types of food the city prides itself on.
Last week, Col3trane dropped off his luxurious vibe and first single of the year, “Bag” featuring Lucky Daye, and he partnered with Brandon Blackwood to do it. To help celebrate, the UK R&B star and Uproxx are giving one lucky fan the opportunity to score one of Brandon Blackwood’s most coveted and popular handbags.
“Bag” is the follow-up to Col3trane’s 2021 track “Californication.” Both songs are expected to live on his debut album Lush Life.
“‘Bag’ is about giving everything you can to someone,” the rising singer unveiled. “Material and emotional, and it still is not enough. I wrote this song with Lucky and Camper on Lucky’s birthday around October 2020. I sat on it for a while, made a lot of different versions and ended up going back in on it with Camper about a year later. He laid all the keys and bells pads in about 3 hours, solos and all. Bridge included. Watching him do that was crazy.”
Check out the official rules for the giveaway here.
The football world was rocked on Tuesday afternoon when word came out that now-former Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores filed a class action lawsuit against the NFL and several teams, alleging a discriminatory hiring process by the New York Giants. Per Flores’ allegations, the Giants violated the Rooney Rule by making up their minds on hiring Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll — who eventually got the job — before interviewing him, with texts that he received from Bill Belichick prior to his interview submitted as evidence.
In the texts, Belichick texted Flores and congratulated him over getting the job before realizing he made a mistake and that the job was actually going to Daboll — both coaches spent time on Belichick’s staff in New England before moving on to other jobs. Flores went onto ESPN’s Get Up on Wednesday morning and was asked about the texts he received from his former boss, including the things he felt upon learning Belichick contacted the wrong person.
“Disbelief, humiliation, that was a tough pill to swallow,” Flores said. “I have a great amount of respect for Bill and Brian Daboll. Brian’s a great coach, I think he’s going to do a great job as a coach in this league. I was upset that I wasn’t getting a true opportunity to show what I can do, to show what I can bring to a team, which I feel is a lot. That’s what I’ve shown in my time as a head coach.”
“That’s what this is all about as well, there’s not equal opportunity,” one of Flores’ lawyers, John Elefterakis, said. “This is not a knock on coach Daboll, this is a knock on the fact that the job was promised before coach Flores even got an opportunity, and there’s backroom dealings and information that coach Belichick knows. Why? Why is that being discussed? Why do people have this information? Why is a decorated coach like coach Flores humiliated into having to sit through an interview and dinner when a decision’s already been made.”
Flores was asked by Mike Greenberg why, despite being privy to this information, he opted to go through dinner and an interview with the team.
“Because I believe that, innately, people are good, and will do the right thing,” Flores said. “And there’s no way to allow them the opportunity to do the right thing or at least make it a fair situation unless I went there and showed them that I am qualified, that I am a leader of men, that I am passionate about coaching and building relationships. I’m gifted to coach, I am. I know that. And I wanted to show them that, and I think they saw that in the interview.”
Among the other topics covered in the interview was Flores’ allegation that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross offered him $100,000 per loss during the 2019 season. “That was a conversation about not doing as much as we needed to do to win football games — take a flight, go on vacation, I’ll give you $100,000 per loss,” Flores told Greenberg. “Those are his exact words.”
There aren’t enough bands these days with an abundance of members. Lucky for us, Pittsburgh’s String Machine comes to us in full form with seven members that come together to reveal the depths of each of the songs, with a truly full and fleshed-out sound. The group’s forthcoming album Hallelujah Hell Yeah is due later this month, and boasts nine tracks that feel like they are continuing to evolve as you listen. With as many members in the mix as String Machine, the deeply personal songwriting allows listeners to really feel like a fly on the wall, melding into the group as another member.
Ahead of the album’s release many of the band’s members sat down to talk Neutral Milk Hotel, tight black jeans, and classic rock in the latest Indie Mixtape 20 Q&A.
What are four words you would use to describe your music?
David: Dense goosebump love music
It’s 2050 and the world hasn’t ended and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?
David: I just hope it helps people the same way it helped me.
What’s your favorite city in the world to perform?
David: Pittsburgh (of course) but also Cleveland or anywhere in NJ
Who’s the person who has most inspired your work, and why?
David: My dad is building and fabricating a hot rod from scratch because of his love for it. Lately, I’ve been looking at his passion to understand mine.
Where did you eat the best meal of your life?
David: Champs Diner – Brooklyn NY
What album do you know every word to?
David:Flies In All Directions by Weatherbox.
What was the best concert you’ve ever attended?
David: Neutral Milk Hotel at this beautiful theatre in Pittsburgh.
What is the best outfit for performing and why?
Dylan: Black jeans so tight that they become one with your legs & a button-down shirt for optional levels of airflow.
Laurel: Dylan is wrong. A dress, the breeze.
Who’s your favorite person to follow on Twitter and/or Instagram?
Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever crashed while on tour?
David: At a house venue in Louisville that was once a church. We played on a fully lit church stage for 3 people sitting on a couch where pews used to be. I slept on that couch.
What’s the story behind your first or favorite tattoo?
Dylan: My cig-smokin’ pigeon tattoo is inspired by a 2020 of listening to Blaze Foley daily as my cookie-cutter Judeo-Christian worldview crumbled around me.
What artists keep you from flipping the channel on the radio?
Dylan: So many but first that come to mind are Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, Boston, and Bob Seger.
What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?
Ian: At a Lem (Ian & Laurel’s project) show one time, a random stranger drew two beautiful drawings for us while we played and gave them to us after our set. We became fast friends with April and she came to another show after that. We’ve shared many wonderful conversations since.
What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?
Ian: Take a god damn year off between high school and college
David: Manifesting kinda works, you’re not just stoned
What’s the last show you went to?
David: Wednesday & feeble little horse at Roboto
What movie can you not resist watching when it’s on TV?
Dylan: I cannot resist watching Con-Air when it’s on TV because Nic Cage’s Cameron Poe has all of these made up figures of speech such as “Ah, Christ in a cartoon.”
Kayla Berridge had been walking her normal 9-mile delivery route in Newmarket, a small town in New Hampshire, when she noticed something unusual.
The mail she had been delivering continued to pile up over a matter of days at one resident’s home. The resident was an elderly woman in her 80s, and would occasionally share a chat with Berridge, according to CNN.
Berridge told CNN that after noticing the unattended mail pile, she got “a little concerned.”
“I just had this gut feeling and wanted to make sure,” Berridge told WMUR 9 News, explaining that “most people put a hold in if they’re not there, so when people pick up their mail every day, you start to notice their habits.” Not to mention, the woman’s car was still in the driveway.
Berridge followed her instincts and called the local police department for a wellness check, and in the process saved the elderly woman’s life.
CNN reported that officers found the woman trapped on her bedroom floor under heavy artwork and frames. The theory is she tried to use her bed for support, and in the process these items on the bed fell onto her, pinning her down for three full days. Though she was suffering from hypothermia and dehydration, Police Lt. Wayne Stevens confirmed she was stable and recovering.
I can only imagine the agony and fear this poor woman was in, lying in the cold and not knowing if help would come. Luckily, help was on the way, and this story has a happy ending.
In this instance, the familiarity that comes from living in a small town really paid off. “Everyone has each other’s backs,” Berridge told CNN.
But Officer Stevens wanted to give credit where credit was due. He agreed that Berridge’s quick thinking was “part of being a letter carrier in a small town,” he added that her actions were “taking your job to the next level.”
While wellness or welfare checks have historically been associated with the elderly, they are seen as an equally “critical tool” for the safety of many young people as well, especially with the “rise of suicide rates among adolescents and young adults.”
An example of this is when “Saturday Night Live” star Pete Davidson received a wellness check back in 2018. The comedian posted an alarming message to Instagram, saying “I really don’t want to be on this Earth anymore. I actually don’t know how much longer I can last.” This was after breaking off his engagement with Ariana Grande.
Though it certainly didn’t happen in a small town, the interconnectedness of social media helped raise some red flags and prompted authorities to make a visit.
If there’s anything to make you question someone’s well-being, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Writing a book is no easy task, even for adult professional writers. Many would-be authors dream of a day when their work can be found on library shelves, unsure if it will ever come.
But for 8-year-old Dillon Helbig, that day has already arrived—in truly unconventional fashion—thanks to his own determination to make it happen.
Dillon wrote his 81-page graphic novel, “The Adventures of Dillon Helbig’s Crismis” (written by “Dillon His Self”) in a hardcover journal with colored pencils over the course of a few days. He even put a label on the back of the book that reads “Made in Idho” [sic] and put an illustrated spine label on it as well. Then, without telling anyone, he brought it to his local library in Boise, Idaho, and slipped it in among the books in the children’s section.
The library Facebook page shared that it had officially added the book to the collection at the branch, writing, “Imagine our surprise yesterday when Dillon’s mom called to tell us that her son had authored an entire book, shelved it at the Lake Hazel Branch, then announced to his family later that he had written a book and it could be checked out at the library.”
The library also announced that Dillon’s book had won the first-ever Whoodini Award for Best Young Novelist—an award created in his honor.
Dillon told local news station KTVB that the book features him, his mom, Santa, a bomb, a portal and a giant carnivorous turkey. Because of course.
“I’ve been wanting to put a book in the library since I was five,” Dillon told the station. Nearly half his life, in other words.
Dillon said there were a lot of librarians he had to sneak past with his book to surreptitiously put it on the shelf, but he did it.
“I’ll always be sneaky, like how I get chocolate,” he explained. Classic.
The adults on every front handled this kid’s creativity and determination the best possible way. His mom called the library to let them know the book was there so it wouldn’t get lost or taken. And rather than just returning the book, the librarians actually put it into circulation.
“His parents were worried we would find his book and we would get rid of it,” Lake Hazel Branch Library manager Alex Hartman told KTVB. “Which was an unfounded fear because if there’s ever a place a book would be safe, it would be here.”
The librarians loved Dillon’s book.
“It deserves a spot on our library shelves,” said Hartman. “It’s a good story.”
At the time of this local news report, the book had a handful of people in line to check it out. But The New York Times reports that as of the end of January, the waiting list has grown to a whopping 56 people. If each person kept the book for the maximum four-week checkout period it would take four years to get to the people at the bottom of the list.
The experience has made Dillon decide to become an author, his mom said, and he even has some career goals laid out.
“I’m going to stop writing when I’m 40,” Dillon said. After that, he will switch to game creation. In the meantime, he has a sequel to his first novel in the works.
“My next book is going to be called ‘The Jacket-Eating Closet,’” he said, “based on actual events.”
Amazing. Kudos to Dillon for following his dream and making it happen, kudos to his mom for encouraging him and kudos to the librarians who saw an opportunity to support a child’s creativity and ran with it.
Much has been said about how actress Lily James was made to look near exactly like Pamela Anderson to play the former Baywatch star in Hulu’s new limited series Pam & Tommy. And that makes sense — it’s a stunning transformation that helps to blur the line between dramatization and assumed reality when watching the show. But it’s merely one element of an amazing performance that seeks to do more than hit the notes about Anderson’s life that linger in the culture-sphere years after seemingly every move she made became tabloid fodder. James isn’t trying to do a caricature or an impression — that’s abundantly clear when you watch the series or listen to her talk about her level of commitment to the part. She’s aiming to pull off something deeper.
In addition to introducing this story to anyone 25 and under who wasn’t glued to E! or the primordial internet in the mid-90s, James and her on-screen Tommy Lee, Sebastian Stan, go all in while playing out moments mined from Pam and Tommy’s impulsive and electric beginnings as a couple. Moments that none of us were privy to. The emotional nakedness when Pam suffers a miscarriage or endures a deposition/legal stoning, the erosion of control, and eventually the loss of a kind of innocence — all of it put onto a screen for us to see, itself an act of voyeurism when you think about it and the lack of an official Anderson co-sign. But perhaps that’s the point or, at least, the purpose?
Uproxx recently spoke with James about celebrity culture then vs now, fading privacy, the pressures of people-pleasing, finding the character that is Pamela Anderson, and the impact an Anderson read on her performance would have on her own assessment of it.
At the start of this, did you have a sense of how intense this was going to be in terms of not just the preparation, but just people’s interest? Because so many people reacted so passionately when the first pictures dropped. Were you anticipating that or did that all kind of take you by surprise?
Lily James: I think it sort of did take me by surprise. Often it does because when you’re working towards something you’re quite blinkered and I get very focused. So you sometimes are blissfully unaware of the reaction. But with this, it did feel extreme. I mean, obviously, Pamela Anderson is so iconic and Tommy and Pamela’s relationship was hugely in view and public. Because of what happened to them, I suppose. Definitely, there was something that came together in this project that was… It felt big, bigger than anything I’d done before.
You mentioned how she’s an icon, their relationship. What’s the most compelling thing about her and this project?
I thought… this was a huge challenge for me as an actor. I really admire Pamela Anderson. I also felt when I read the scripts, I think our writers D.V. DeVincentis and Rob Siegel did an incredible job of exploring what happened to them, but also thinking of it in a wider context. And the show provokes… I think [it] asks questions of us and our own culpability as a society, as an audience… look at how this moment in time has impacted, with the birth of the internet, how we are now behaving as a culture. And it feels pretty big in scale and essential and timely. So I felt there was a lot more than meets the eye when it came to this project.
How did your opinion, your assessment of Pamela Anderson and her place in media culture over the last 25 years change as you went along with this?
A lot. Obviously when you’re playing any role your job is to sort of investigate completely and fully and go as deep as you possibly can into the character or the person or the time that you are exploring. And so this was no different than any other job. And what happened to them was such an unprecedented situation, and the first of its kind, in that this is the first viral video. So seeing what the internet facilitated and how it spread and the reach, it was sort of this beast that was unleashed. So there were no protections in place. It felt like such uncharted territory. So it was kind of shocking to see that, and then also to see within the media the double standards and the way that women are treated versus men. There was so much to explore and analyze… the ways in which we’ve changed and haven’t changed today in the way that we treat people.
Yeah, exactly. The how we haven’t changed was the thing that I kept thinking about. I think people are going to walk away from this thinking that “wow, things used to be terrible” and it really does a good job of, I think, speaking to culture now.
I think so. Sebastian and I have just been doing interviews together and we were talking about how desensitized we are now, even more so than perhaps we were then. And with the amount of ease in which it is to write something negative or tear someone down, or invade people’s privacy on a very normal level, not even in a celebrity culture, there’s such exploitation everywhere you look and that’s really frightening. And I think we have to think of how we behave towards people and our own culpability and perpetuating that. It’s a great reckoning in a way. And often looking back at those stories from the past or our recent history are very useful in unlocking that.
Hulu
Media culture and privacy — what were your levels of concern before this, specifically with your own career and paparazzi? How present are those things in your life?
Well, there are several different parts of that question, as I see it. I mean, I think you’d be very hard pushed to find any woman, but men and women, particularly women in the public eye that haven’t felt that their privacy has been invaded or haven’t felt that they’ve had that kind of exploitation in that way where your private life becomes sensationalized or whatever. That was something that was interesting to look at. And also with regards to the internet and social media and giving away your privacy or privacy becoming a commodity or something that we use… sort of “look at my life” and “look at me doing my shopping” and da, da, da. And I have younger girls in my friendship group or family, and I really worry about girls in their teens and the impact on their self-esteem and where they’re getting their validation from and how we treat other people, and what sort of sells, as it were. It feels really dangerous to me.
So many moments really stand out, the deposition scene is so off-putting and powerful and just such a brilliant performance there.
Thank you.
There’s another moment though when your character talks about people-pleasing and always feeling that that’s basically what she does constantly. Is that something you can relate to as an actress, even again now, 25 years later?
No, never! I never try to please anyone. [Laughs] No, I’m a massive people pleaser. And I think also in a way girls are taught to be nice and to appease and to behave well. And that’s something that’s very ingrained. And so I think maybe that’s part of growing up, but maybe we just need to change the ways in which we look at femininity or gender or whatever it is. It feels like there’s a power balance, obviously, that needs to shift. And that was definitely not something that was hard for me to unlock in myself, the need for approval, which we all have. I think if we’re honest.
Of course. With regard to the script and how this all came together, I know I’ve read where you said you became very protective of the character. Were there moments where you had to step in and make any kind of course correction or push back on anything that was in the script initially?
Well, I have to say, first of all, the scripts were brilliantly written by D.V. and Rob and all the other writers that were involved. It felt to me they’d really done their due diligence. They’d really worked hard and were exploring this bigger story that we’ve talked about, about privacy and exploitation. And it felt like everyone was on the same page about why we were doing this story now and why it deserved to be looked at and exploring the untold story. But having said that, there was also a great collaboration, which was a huge relief to me and hugely important with this particular story to feel like my voice was heard. Both Sebastian and I felt like real custodians of our characters and wanted to, as best as we could be respectful. And so things did really shift and change as we went on.
I know you had reached out multiple times to try and make contact with Pamela Anderson to talk through the role with her, and unfortunately, you weren’t able to connect with her. When you weren’t able to connect, did you think about whether you still wanted to do this? Were there ever any thoughts to walk away from it without that note of approval?
Well, I’d been in involved with the project for quite a long time and trying to make contact was something that was an ongoing process. And in the end, we had to respect the decision… that of her decision not to be involved. And then it was about really trusting the creative team involved, the directors, the producers, the writers. There was this incredible team of people. And I put my faith in them as an actor and believed in this story and what we were trying to do and tried to play Pam as authentically as I possibly could. And I really admire her, I wanted to try to do her justice.
Your read of what you guys did versus if she comes out and isn’t pleased with it or something like that, do you have to separate that, or is it very important to you that she feels good about this project?
Well, no, of course… I think that Sebastian, I both feel that we really, as I said, we wanted to be hugely respectful and honest. I wanted to take care of this story. And I really felt the people involved were there with great heart and great respect. That was our intention: to look after this story. And I gave my all to this. It was constant conversations to make sure we were all on the same page and doing right by the story. And also, later in the show, there were amazing directors that we had Lake Bell (In A World), Hannah Fidell (A Teacher), different women that came on to direct it. And it really felt there was a great intention from us all.
The first 3 episodes of ‘Pam & Tommy’ are now streaming on Hulu with additional episodes to release weekly
There are 11 X-Men movies to date, 13 if you count Deadpool and its sequel. That’s a lot of X-Men movies (Jennifer Lawrence would argue too many), and yet, Twentieth Century Fox couldn’t find room for the only X-Men movie that matters: Channing Tatum’s Gambit.
The solo film about the card-throwing mutant was stuck in development hell for years — Rupert Wyatt, Doug Liman, and Gore Verbinski were all attached to direct at some point — before the project was killed for good by Disney in 2019.
The Magic Mike XXL star still hasn’t emotionally recovered.
“The studio really didn’t want [himself and producer partner Reid Carolin] to direct it,” Tatum told Variety. “They wanted anybody but us, essentially, because we had never directed anything.” Carolin added, “We wanted to make a romantic comedy superhero movie. The thesis was the only thing harder than saving the world is making a relationship work.” They were “right on the one-yard line” when Gambit went… poof.
Tatum admits that he was “traumatized” when his passion project was scrapped. “I shut off my Marvel machine. I haven’t been able to see any of the movies. I loved that character. It was just too sad. It was like losing a friend because I was so ready to play him,” he said. The actor is still ready to play Gambit, but “I don’t think we should direct it. I think that was hubris on our part.”
In a sign that the Joe Rogan controversy is only getting bigger, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki has offered the White House’s view on Spotify’s recent move to put a disclaimer on any podcast that addresses COVID-19. During Tuesday’s daily brief presser, Psaki was asked about the “content advisory” and whether it will help curb the rampant spread of misinformation about vaccines and the pandemic in general that is routinely shared by Rogan and others. While Psaki praised the content warning, she made it clear that there is a lot more work to be done.
“This disclaimer, it’s a positive step, but we want every platform to be doing more to be calling out mis- and dis-information, while also uplifting accurate information,” Psaki said. “Ultimately, our view is that it is a positive step, but there is more that can be done.”
“Our hope is that all major tech platforms, and all major news sources for that matter, be responsible and be vigilant to ensure the American people have access to accurate information on something as significant as COVID-19,” Psaki added. “That certainly includes Spotify.”
As for Rogan, he’s since apologized for not having more experts with “differing opinions” on his podcast and admitted that he often “gets things wrong.” He also fully supports the content warning. However, hours after issuing his apology and promising to do better, he reportedly tweeted (then deleted) an article on ivermectin that had already been debunked by Reuters earlier that same day. Not a great start for the new and improved Joe Rogan.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
follow @Col3trane + 
