Dave Bautista has been a part of the MCU for almost a decade (!) after appearing in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy as Drax, the warrior without the ability to understand sarcasm and metaphors. While his character was a fun addition to the universe, Bautista says that his time as Drax has come to an end.
“I’m so grateful for Drax. I love him,” the Glass Onion actor said, before explaining the difficulties of Marvel life. “But there’s a relief. It wasn’t all pleasant. It was hard playing that role. The makeup process was beating me down. And I just don’t know if I want Drax to be my legacy — it’s a silly performance, and I want to do more dramatic stuff.” Bautista will still appear as Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 which is set to be released on May 5th of this year.
Bautista isn’t the first Marvel alum to express how difficult it is to be a part of the superhero universe– Zoe Saldana recently mentioned just how fun those 5-hour makeup sessions can be! And the Scarlett Witch herself Elizabeth Olsen has also spoken about how she fears losing roles thanks to her Marvel contract.
It seems like Bautista isn’t losing out on roles anytime soon, though. He will reprise his role in the upcoming Dune sequel, and also has a part in M. Night Shyamalan’s horror filmKnock at the Cabin alongside Rupert Grint and Jonathan Groff. If the dramatic stuff doesn’t work, there is always room for more horror movies!
When searching for creative inspiration, Half Gringa — the powerful force in folk rock emerging from Chicago’s close-knit indie rock scene — can’t help but look inward. As a self-described introvert, the band’s lead singer and songwriter Isabel “Izzy” Olive draws inspiration from reflecting on her past, her roots, and how “blood ties can affect how we love, and how we love can affect what we pass onto progeny through our memories.”
Now with two full length projects to their name, 2017’s Gruñona and 2020’s critically acclaimed Force To Reckon, Half Gringa is now gearing up for the forthcoming EP Ancestral Home. So far, the project has been previewed with the single “Miranda,” which combines Mitski‘s emotional wit with Katy Kirby‘s mesmerizing lilt to craft a haunting and diaristic ballad.
Celebrating the impending release of Ancestral Home, Olive sits down with Uproxx to talk Bruce Springsteen, hide-and-seek, and a hatred of needles in our latest Q&A.
What are four words you would use to describe your music?
Pondering Midwestern Latina Poet.
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?
As someone who cares about the poetry in songwriting.
What’s your favorite city in the world to perform?
Chicago but Toronto is a close second!
Who’s the person who has most inspired your work, and why?
Probably Jens Lekman. His songwriting is so funny and sharp, and his songs are nothing like mine but I think that’s why I’m so inspired by him — the way he thinks about himself and other people and the little spaces we all occupy in the world is so clear in his writing. I’m always aiming for that.
Where did you eat the best meal of your life?
I think the goodness of a meal is really grounded in how satisfying it is, and that can be impacted by where you are, who you’re with, how you’re feeling about your life and yourself and by any emotional connection you have to that meal. So among the best meals I’ve had are paella my at my mom’s on my birthday, tamagoyaki and hot sake at the fish market in Tokyo, charcuterie on a roof in Lisbon with friends, hallacas in Caracas on Christmas, and pasta carbonara alone on my couch after a long, exhausting day.
What album do you know every word to?
A few, but notably Gia Maraget’s There’s Always Glimmer. I used to sing backup in Gia’s band, she’s the best. Her songs are so memorable.
What was the best concert you’ve ever attended?
Bruce Springsteen at Wrigley Field with my mom!
What is the best outfit for performing and why?
Anything with pockets for guitar picks and capos.
Who’s your favorite person to follow on Twitter and/or Instagram?
John Paul Brammer. His turn of phrase is just exquisite, I think I laugh out loud at every single thing the man tweets.
What’s your most frequently played song in the van on tour?
There’s a wide range of tastes in the full band, so it’s rare that anything gets played twice — but I think at some point when I’m in the driver’s seat I’ll put on Riders In The Hills Of Dying Heaven by Campdogzz. Love that record.
What’s the last thing you Googled?
“urban outfitters 2010 catalog” — It’ll make sense if you read my newsletter.
What album makes for the perfect gift?
Daniel Villarreal’s Panama ’77. It’s fun, lovely, jazzy, groovy. Impossible to dislike.
Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever crashed while on tour?
Slept on the seats of a black box theater in Charlottesville, VA.
What’s the story behind your first or favorite tattoo?
I don’t have one because I hate needles!
What artists keep you from flipping the channel on the radio?
Prince, Bad Bunny, and Dolly Parton.
What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?
As a touring musician, any small kindness feels like the nicest thing in the world. Someone giving me an extra few bucks for a vinyl at a show, other musicians giving us a quiet place to crash, someone’s folks buying us a meal. It really means so much in the moment because of how brutal touring can be.
What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?
Where you come from isn’t a weakness, it’s a strength.
What’s the last show you went to?
Elizabeth Moen at Schubas in Chicago!
What movie can you not resist watching when it’s on TV?
Purple Rain.
What’s one of your hidden talents?
I’m great at hiding — hide and seek and Sardines are the most fun games to me.
Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds‘ “feud” is still going strong in 2023. In a new Twitter video, Jackman pleaded with the Motion Picture Academy to not give Spirited an Oscar nomination for “Good Afternoon” after learning that it’s on the shortlist. In the clearly tongue-in-cheek video, Jackman confirmed that he has to film Deadpool 3 later this year, and the experience will be insufferable if Reynolds is walking around with an Oscar nom under his belt.
Jackman also attempted to give the highly-anticipated Deadpool film a more fitting title for his return as Wolverine:
Ryan Reynolds getting a nomination in the Best Song category would make the next year of my life insufferable. I mean, I have to spend a year with him shooting Wolverine and Deadpool. Trust me, it would be impossible. It would be a problem. So just to recap, love Spirited, love Will, love Octavia, love the song “Good Afternoon,” love Benj [Pasek] and Justin [Paul]. But please, please, from the bottom of my heart do not validate Ryan Reynolds in this way, please.
Naturally, Reynolds saw Jackman’s video and couldn’t let let it go without commenting. He also caught Jackman’s sly retitling attempt and was not a fan.
“Disagree. I think the deepfakes that sung and danced for Will and I would love to perform at the Oscars,” Reynolds responded before adding, “Also ‘Wolverine and Deadpool,’ bub?”
New year, new Dave East? During the rapper’s recent appearance on the My Expert Opinion podcast, East reflected on the backlash he received over his dislike for the song “Old Town Road.”
Back in April 2019, while Lil Nas X celebrated the song’s historic run on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, East, on the other hand, took to his Instagram stories writing, “This f*ckin’ ‘Old Town Road’ sh*t is f*ckin’ wack!” Later adding, “I ain’t no hater, man, but that sh*t is wack with a cape on it. It’s super wack.”
Now, nearly four years after his initial comments, the Harlem native rehashed the incident telling host Math Hoffa, “It’s like you can’t have an opinion on sh*t no more.”
“I said I did not like ‘Old Town Road.’ One day, I felt a way. I said, ‘I don’t like this record.’ You know their entire community ran down on me,” said East, clarifying, “I never said nothing about the [LGBTQ] community. I’m cool with the people in the community.”
Viewers took to Twitter to quickly remind East that he, in fact, does have a problem with the queer community after he used a homophobic Jamaican slur to comment on Lil Nas X’s Nicki Minaj-inspired Halloween costume the following year.
According to East, “You gotta know what comes with it,” but listening to the interview, it is clear he still doesn’t have a clue.
East doubled down on his disapproval of the song, saying, “I don’t like the song,” adding, “I don’t like the fact that it’s being played on New York radio, where I know it’s a thousand n****s right in the town. When I go to Atlanta, the radio sounds like Atlanta.”
Though Alfonso “Poncho” Herrera will not be joining RBD’s reunion later this month, the Mexican actor let his ex-bandmates know yesterday (January 3) that he still has love for them and their group. In condemning a “defamatory” report, RBD also shared that love for the love for Herrera was mutual.
Last month, Anahí, Dulce María, Christian Chávez, Christopher von Uckermann, and Maite Perroni announced that they will reunite in the Mexican band RBD. Herrera decided not to rejoin the group for the reunion that will be taking place on January 19. TVNotas released a report yesterday that claimed Herrera did not want to be a part of the reunion after his request for $10 million was denied. The five members of RBD issued a press release that called the story “false” and “defamatory.”
“No member from the office in charge of the project has been in contact with the magazine and has never provided even the slightest detail in relation to these projects,” RBD said in the statement. “There exists respect, love, and mutual support between the members of RBD and Alfonso Herrera, so this report is only trying to discredit and attack the image, reputation, honor, and integrity of the group.”
Herrera also responded to the TVNotas report on Twitter. In a post, he expressed his support for his ex-bandmates’ reunion as RBD. Herrera also noted that he was proud of RBD and the telenovela Rebelde where the group was formed.
“Denying my past implies denying my present,” Herrera wrote. “Money is not everything and it does not fully motivate my decisions. I am grateful for what I had, what I have and what is to come. I will always wish the best for any project that derives from Rebelde. In the same way that my colleagues have supported me in absolutely everything, which I deeply appreciate.”
Herrera invoked Rebelde as well in an empowering message to his fans. “Rebelde meant and still means pursuing your dreams and being consistent with what you want in life,” he wrote. “It’s something I strive for every day. Sometimes I achieve it and sometimes I learn. And to the fans my eternal gratitude for so much support and love. Happy 2023.”
At the end of his post, Herrera plugged his next movie ¡Que Viva México! that will be released on March 23. RBD fans can check out SoyRebelde.World where the band will keep them updated on the reunion later this month.
Big Sean and Jhene Aiko are enjoying spending their time with their new bundle of joy. Their son, Noah, was born this past November, as the parents revealed via Instagram. In a recent post on her Instagram story, Aiko shared a picture of her with Noah, breastfeeding. The story was captioned “2 months.”
Since the birth of Noah, both Aiko and Sean have remained fairly low-key on social media. Sean shared a picture of himself holding Noah on Thanksgiving, captioned “First holiday wit my big boy Noah.”
Aiko has since released the second volume of her Sleep Soul album series, which contains R&B-influenced lullabies composed ideally for babies to help them fall asleep.
At Christmas time, Sean shared a photo gallery of him and the family on Instagram, which has since been deleted, celebrating Noah’s first Christmas.
“My Boy first Christmas, Santa had to make an appearance for him,” read the post’s caption (per People) “Happy Holidays! Love on yo people, they only here for a limited time.”
In terms of music, Sean made an appearance on Ab-Soul’s most recent album, Herbert. He also took to Twitter last month to reveal that he is working on new music of his own, noting that he is “85% done recording” his new album.
Despite being outed as a serial liar, newly elected congressman George Santos arrived in the House of Representatives on Tuesday. However, along with the rest of the freshman class, Santos was not sworn in thanks to the ongoing debacle over the Speaker of the House vote. In one of the few honest moments of his fledgling political career, Santos was not responsible for the press release announcing he was sworn in. The same thing happened to all new members without their knowledge.
Had the Speaker vote been successful, Santos would’ve most likely joined his Republican colleagues, but there are mounting questions surrounding the legality of allowing Santos to serve in Congress. According to Vice, Santos’ citizenship is now under scrutiny considering pretty much everything he said while campaigning was a lie.
To serve in Congress, Santos must have been a U.S. citizen for seven years, and apparently, no government official has verified that information because it turns out nobody knows what the heck to do in this situation:
The office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives tells VICE News it’s not their job to check, New York State’s election board says it wasn’t their job and isn’t their problem now, and neither House Republicans or Democrats have anything to say on the matter. The question would perhaps go to the House Ethics Committee, but it points to the House Administration Committee, which for its part points back to the Clerk of the House of Representatives. Experts said that no one is missing anything and that in fact no one is really in charge.
Of course, concerns about Santos’ eligibility to serve might become a moot point. Law enforcement officials in Brazil have reportedly reinstated fraud charges against the New York congressman-elect who admitted to stealing a man’s checkbook while living in the country in 2008, according to CNN. That investigation could answer questions about Santos’ citizenship or unearth a whole new web of lies. Honestly, anything can happen at this point.
On the latest episode of the Uproxx series, America, we venture to the east side of LA to meet two locals who are keeping the art of film photography alive. Frank and Jennyfer, the owners and operators of the East LA Film Shop, share a passion for film that was passed down from an older generation and provide a vital service to the city’s population. Not just because it’s one of the last remaining one-stop shops for all things analog photography in the city, but because Frank and Jennyfer play an important role in interfacing with their community and helping to document and keep their culture alive. They focus specifically on the city’s older population who sometimes live behind a language barrier, helping to restore their most cherished photographs that have begun to deteriorate with time.
In addition to touching up old pictures and restoring important archival negatives, Frank and Jennyfer also help to guide members of the community who are interested in photography, turning hobbyists into artists. By easing people into the practice with disposable cameras, the pair help people acquire the skills to move on from simple point-and-shoot cameras to SLRs, making new artists out of their customers who are looking to document their own stories and culture and to keep the memories of their families alive for generations to come.
To learn more about how Frank and Jennyfer are helping their community capture memories, be sure to watch the latest episode of America above.
After years of being in front of the camera for his own music videos, Drake recently stepped behind one to make his directorial debut: He directed TVGucci’s new video for “Bora Bora.”
In it, Drake himself makes an appearance as the two artists party it up in a restaurant with drinks, the entire group of friends, and a bunch of women. There is also a theme, as it seems to be an all-white party. “The following is based on actual events,” it reads on the screen.
“I visit Bora Bora ’cause I’m bored / Swish, I scored / First class, all aboard / Vision clear like the port / Gucci drip, I need more / Christian Dior / They don’t sell us in the stores / B*tch, I get it from the source,” TVGucci raps on the track.
As both rappers are from Toronto, they frequently support each other and work together. Drake even recently gave him a shout-out in a line on “Middle Of The Ocean” from his recent album, Her Loss. (He’s also name-dropped him on 2018’s “No Stylist” by French Montana and a 2009 demo of “Successful.”)
“It’s my boy, it’s my brother,” TVGucci said during an interview at Rolling Loud Toronto.
Watch Drake’s directorial debut with TVGucci’s “Bora Bora” above.
Of course, it was Gaetz himself who announced via Twitter that he had sent a letter to the Architect of the Capitol demanding answers as to why McCarthy had taken the presumptuous step of moving his things into Nancy Pelosi‘s vacated suite when that position is currently vacant.
The Speaker of the House Office in the Capitol is currently being occupied by Kevin McCarthy.
Kevin McCarthy is not the Speaker of the House. He lost 3 consecutive votes today.
The real dig, of course, came when Gaetz kinda sorta called McCarthy a “squatter.”
“What is the basis in law, House rule, or precedent to allow someone who has placed second in three successive speaker elections to occupy the Speaker of the House Office?,” Gaetz asked in his letter. “How long will he remain there before he is considered a squatter?”
It didn’t take long for the likes of other Never-Kevins like Andy Biggs to jump on the squatter bandwagon:
While it’s unclear whether anyone has yet to respond to Gaetz (if and when they do, he’ll surely blast that out for all to see), the House will resume the process of trying to name a speaker today.
Godspeed.
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