Month: January 2023

Two-year-olds are the best. Hands down. People like to complain about the “terrible twos,” and yes, there are challenges that arise as a child starts to recognize that they have free will. But there is nothing cuter than a conversation with a tiny human who’s only been on this planet for a couple of years. The way toddlers think, the way they speak—it’s just nonstop hilarity.

And when we you get a particularly funny 2-year-old? Seriously, the best improv on Earth.

That’s why one mom’s TikToks of her daughter Willow serving patrons at her little outdoor diner are bringing entertainment to millions.

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Willow’s “patrons” are primarily her mom Sarah and her three siblings. Her outdoor “diner” is her toy kitchen on the porch with fake food. And the service is … well, you just have to see it.

Willow calls her patrons “ma’am,” no matter what their gender, which is adorable. And her facial expressions. Oh my gosh. She’s like a semi-grumpy, middle-aged diner lady who’s seen it all and has no patience for your foolishness.

Just watch what happens when this “ma’am” tries to order the cookie she’s eating:

@saruh2themax

I got put on a strict diet due to my audacity. #willowpenelope #willowsdiner #cute #funnytoddler

“That’s mines. I have broccoli. There you go, ma’am,” all while continuing to eat the cookie. Totally savage.

Check out how she serves—or doesn’t—her brother, Jack:

@saruh2themax

Today at Willow’s Diner: The bonds of family are tested. #willowpenelope #willowsdiner #jackattack

“I don’t know what her rules are!” was the best line. Nobody knows what a 2-year-old’s rules are. Not even the 2-year-old herself. And Willow’s “Can you be the ma’am?” after Jack gave up trying to get his food? Classic.

(Arbitrarily being denied service at Willow’s Diner is not unusual, by the way. There’s even clever merch that says “I didn’t get served at Willow’s Diner.”)

Does Willow serve rocks at her diner? Sure, why not? As long as she keeps making those faces, she can serve anything she pleases.

@saruh2themax

That time she successfully upsold me on a rock… #willowsdiner #willowpenelope

Just don’t mess with her tea-making process. Like, at all.

@saruh2themax

Willow’s diner. Now serving chocolate milk tea! #willowpenelope

And definitely don’t try to serve her some tea.

@saruh2themax

Replying to @suppgorjess She tolerates me being the waitress for approximately 2 seconds and no more.

It’s the unbroken eye contact, right? You can’t train this kind of comedy into a kid.

The thing about 2-year-olds is they’re only that age for a short spell. The tyrannical threes and the fascist fours, with all of their complex adorableness, are coming fast, so it’s wise of this mom to frequent Willow’s Diner—and document the experience—while 2-year-old Willow is still in business.

Social media is a powerful tool that can be used for good or bad. TikTok user Keith Lee chooses to use his platform for good by helping others, and boy does it work well for those who seem to need it most. Lee is a self-proclaimed food critic who has amassed more than 8 million followers and nearly 300 million likes on TikTok with his food reviews.

His no-nonsense deadpan take on foods and his extremely strict rating scale is what makes his reviews so trustworthy to his large following. Lee doesn’t announce himself as an influencer or food critic when he goes to different restaurants, he simply orders his food to go and tries it while sitting in his daughter’s PAW Patrol folding chair.

But his followers know, once his eyes roll back in his head after taking a bite, the food is getting a high rating and they all need to try it. The process never fails. Lee gives a good review; business sells out. And the father of two isn’t looking to profit from small businesses when he reviews their items. In fact, Lee wants all the focus to be on the business that was struggling before he reviewed their food.

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Recently, Lee heard about a pizza place in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he lives. One of the employees called and asked if he would try the food because the business wasn’t doing well, though the food was delicious. Let’s just say, the wings got his seal of approval. Lee’s eyes rolled so far back in his head, it looked like he might just take a nap.

@keith_lee125

Frankensons Pizzeria Taste test 💕 would you try it ? 💕 #foodcritic

The restaurant in question is Frankensons Pizzeria and since Lee’s review, Frankensons has had lines down the street. That’s not an exaggeration. It was an overnight turnaround for the owner, Frank Steele, whose restaurant went from not making enough money to pay the rent on their space, to having people willing to wait in line for more than two hours.

Steele told KTNV, “It has been a struggle. I was lucky if I did $400 a day.” While the owner admits that he had no idea who Lee was or his level of influence, he soon found out. “Our phone never stopped ringing. I’ve sold more lemon pepper wings in the last two days than I have in the past four months. I made more garlic knots yesterday and the day before than I’ve ever made,” Steele explained to KTNV.

@keith_lee125

3 day life update 💕 Thank you. God Is Amazing, God Bless You 🙏🏽 💕 #foodcritic

It wasn’t just local people coming by either. Steele revealed to the news station, people were coming from as far away as Utah, Iowa and California. But Frankensons isn’t the first place Lee’s influence has put on the map. His reviews have even sold out larger chains of certain items and while he does enjoy his job of reviewing food for all restaurants, larger chains are held to a different standard for Lee.

The food critic makes it clear that his goal is to help small businesses thrive while earning his livelihood through the larger companies that can afford to pay him for deals. Recently, Lee’s review of a Chipotle steak quesadilla went viral and increased the company’s business across the country. This led to a partnership with Chipotle for Lee and the made-up item will be added to the menu in March 2023.

Watching how much Lee puts into his mission to help struggling businesses while continuing to do what he loves is inspiring. Hopefully, more deals come his way so small restaurant businesses continue to have their own superhero when they least expect it.

Belarus recently legalized the ability to pirate music and other media from nations that are deemed as “unfriendly.”

The Eastern European nation is notably one of Russia’s allies. This new law also comes after the United States sanctioned Belarus over the war in Ukraine. President Joe Biden has prevented material exports to the country. Amazon, Intel, Airbnb, and other companies also cut off their support of Belarus.

According to Vice, the temporary law was passed in December and is currently in effect until late 2024. Currently, it applies to all forms of digital goods, including music, films, tv shows, software, and more under that umbrella.

The “unfriendly” nation piracy law includes “foreign states that commit unfriendly actions against Belarusian legal entities and (or) individuals,” which, in this case, very well could include the US and its allies.

“The law states that the government will still collect royalties for the use of that material, but the royalties will be held by the patent authority,” Vice stated. “If the rights holders don’t collect the royalties within three years—unlikely for companies barred by law from doing business in Belarus—the funds will be absorbed by the government budget.”

Belarus’ law also states that it doesn’t need the consent of the original rights holders to import physical items due to “a critical shortage in the domestic market of food and other products.”

Last year, Pamela Anderson was in the news quite a bit, though it was never about her as much as it was always about her image. Anderson was the subject of Hulu’s Pam and Tommy drama series, which racked up a ton of buzz and praise while leaving Anderson out of the conversation almost entirely.

The Hulu series shows Anderson, played by Lily James, in her early Hollywood days when she was often over-sexualized and undermined as a serious actress. The real Anderson did not want to even watch the series, and instead decided she needed to take control of her own life, and thus the Netflix documentary was born.

Pamela, A Love Story uses unseen footage, personal video diaries, and interviews in order to show Anderson’s side of the story. The movie chronicles her tumultuous time in the spotlight that began in the 90s with the hit series Baywatch, which catapulted the actress to superstardom (and made her the subject of a lot of tabloid coverage) before her infamous sex tape scandal. As per the official description:

In her own words, through personal video and diaries, Pamela Anderson shares the story of her rise to fame, rocky romances and infamous sex tape scandal. Pamela Anderson defined a decade. Now she will define herself.

The movie will premiere on Netflix on January 31st. Check out the trailer above.

In the ’80s, the sibling group DeBarge was nearly inescapable on R&B radio, with songs such as “I Like It” and “Rhythm Of The Night” dominating the airwaves and turning El, Bunny, Randy, James, Bobby, Mark, and Chico into more or less household names (depending on your household). However, their reign came to a pretty abrupt end at the end of the decade; between changing tastes and two members, Bobby and Chico, getting arrested for drug trafficking in 1989, the group was disbanded before the ’90s.

This week, it appears that their past troubles have resurfaced for one member, El DeBarge, who was arrested for possession of illegal weapons and narcotics in Burbank, California on Sunday (January 8), according to TMZ. DeBarge was reportedly stopped at a gas station at around 3:30 am when police officers noticed expired registration on his vehicle. When they went to check it out, they say they saw a collapsible baton in plain sight inside it, prompting an additional search. Collapsible batons are banned for civilian use in California; meanwhile, the search turned up what the officers suspected were narcotics believed to be heroin along with pepper spray. DeBarge didn’t have a valid driver’s license either.

He was booked on possession of a controlled substance; possession of a leaded cane or baton; and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Unfortunately, El DeBarge has a history of legal problems and substance addiction. In 2001, he was arrested for cocaine possession, then in 2006 and 2007, arrested on separate charges of possession of a controlled substance. Each time, he was given probation, but in 2008, he was sentenced to two years in state prison for possession of crack cocaine and violating his probation, serving 13 months. He spent a few stints in rehab, but hasn’t had any run-ins with the law since 2012.

Now that M3GAN is a box office hit with a sequel on the way, Meghan McCain is no longer feeling “personally attacked” by the film’s title and “entire premise.” Granted, the former The View host was joking at the time (or was she?), but none of that matters anymore because she’s all about those M3GAN vibes from here on out.

In a recent tweet, McCain leaned into the M3GAN hype by posting a photo of America’s favorite new murder doll and writing in the caption, “New profile pic?”

Normally, when McCain tweets, she gets absolutely shredded in the replies, but this time around was different. Don’t get us wrong, McCain absolutely got lit up, but a surprising number of her followers also had fun with her newfound love for M3GAN, and it wasn’t long until someone got a little too creative with their photo editing skills. (Don’t say we didn’t warn you.)

Good luck sleeping after that! And now on to the inevitable burns that quickly filled up McCain’s mentions:

After exceeding box office projections for its opening weekend and coming in second behind Avatar: The Way of Water, a sequel to M3GAN is reportedly in early development. In the meantime, writer Akela Cooper recently teased that an unrated cut could be arriving at some point. The new cut will have a much more substantial body count, which one might argue is a reflection of Meghan McCain’s replies every time she tweets. You know, because the movie is clearly about her like all things in life.

M3GAN is currently playing in theaters.

(Via Meghan McCain on Twitter)

To some, imitation is one of the highest forms of flattery, but what do those same people think about straight-up theft? Pop sensation Lil Nas X has made many confessions since entering the spotlight in 2019. First, the “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” singer confessed to being a reformed Barb after his old Twitter page dedicated to Nicki Minaj refused. Next, he confessed to fear that his career would end after coming out as queer. But his latest confession in an odd turn of events takes the cake.

In an Instagram stories post, Lil Nas X shared a picture of himself seated on the floor of a bookstore with a copy of Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Diper Överlöde. Eventually, the image made it to the desk of the book’s author Jeff Kinney. Seemingly confused by the image, Kinney shared a screengrab of the photo onto his Twitter page with the caption, “I have so many questions.”

Later that day, Lil Nas X quote tweeted Kinney’s initial post to confess, “OMG. I used to steal all of your books. I am so honored.”

While the musician has been known to troll, especially on social media, Lil Nas X ensures this isn’t a joke as he was a huge fan of the author’s Diary Of A Wimpy Kid series growing up. Other Twitter users quickly began confessing to stealing copies of the books when they were younger.

Kinney read the testimony of one user replying with a message of his own, “Ace, if this is your most-liked tweet, then it might encourage you to keep up your life of crime. Go towards the light.”

There wasn’t much drama on Monday night in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, as Georgia jumped in front of TCU and never looked back on their way to a 65-7 shellacking of the Horned Frogs.

It was the most lopsided bowl win in history — not just Playoff, not just national championship, but any bowl ever — and as such there was plenty of time for the Bulldogs to soak it all in and enjoy their second national title in as many years. It was as complete a dominating performance as you will ever see on the football field, with the defense giving TCU nothing (aside from one blown coverage) and the offense able to run and pass at will. The big reason for the offense’s success was the offensive line doing whatever they wanted with TCU’s front, and at one point in the game, Georgia running back Kendall Milton decided he should reward the big fellas for their hard work.

The CFB Playoff TikTok account captured Milton trotting over to one of the field level suites behind the Georgia bench, where some Dawg fans passed him a plate of wings that he then ran back to his offensive line, who appreciated the in-game treat.

Some will see this as disrespectful, but I just think this is good business from Milton as a running back. You gotta keep the big boys up front happy, and there’s no better way to do so than to get them some chicken wings on the sideline after another dominant series. I think this should be standard practice at all football games, where the OL can go to a little buffet on the bench if they’ve been good.

Boston Calling unveiled its stacked lineup for 2023, and it’s sure to have fans talking. The headliners for this year feature Paramore, Foo Fighters, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Alanis Morissette, Queens Of The Stone Age, and The Lumineers.

Other acts on the lineup include Maren Morris, The National, Niall Horan, Chelsea Cutler, Bleachers, Teddy Swims, Noah Kahan, Mt. Joy, Fletcher, Genesis Owusu, Declan McKenna, The Aces, and many more.

The festival runs May 26-28, with Foo Fighters kicking things off on Friday — as they were originally supposed to headline in 2022. The band, who grieved the loss of their drummer Taylor Hawkins last year, teased over the holiday break that they still had plans to return for live performances and potential new music.

Currently, Boston Calling is offering four ticket tiers. 3-day General Admission starts at $299 with fees. There are also options for GA Plus, VIP, and Platinum packages that include upgraded restrooms and viewing areas, complimentary drinks, express entry, and other exclusive perks depending on the ticket tier.

Presale starts this Thursday (January 12) at 10 a.m. ET. If there are extra tickets, Boston Calling will open up a general on-sale. They also note that all tickets are non-refundable.

More information, along with the Boston Calling presale signup, is available on their official website here.

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

Keke Palmer is on cloud nine. With a baby on the way, she is more than elated to welcome in her bundle of joy. Yesterday (January 9), the Nope actress shared an elegant photo of her on Instagram, which depicts her standing on top of a globe in a bedroom, as her partner Darius Jackson looks at her in awe.

“its giving POETRY. it’s giving MICHAEL ANGELO. it’s giving SISTINE CHAPEL. it’s giving MASTERPIECE,” she said in the post’s caption. “behold, a mother, a father and the blessed baby we await in pure awe. the greatest gift from above we could ever dream. we can’t wait to meet you little one! we are so glad to be your earth parents as God’s hands are placed so gently over your life.”

She continued in the post, thanking rapper Nicki Minaj, who connected her with legendary photographer and music video director David LaChapelle to spearhead the maternity shoot.

Her post was met with an outpouring of support in the comments from rapper Baby Tate, actor Jabari Banks of Bel-Air, singer Justine Skye, and actress Ryan Destiny.

LaChapelle himself also took to the comments to thank Minaj, and also share some kind words and benedictions to Palmer.

“it was a privilege and pure pleasure to photograph you,” he said. “God Bless You & your family.” He added, “you are the Nicest person i’ve met in a long time.”

Check out the photo above.