Month: March 2023

Seth Rogen doesn’t seem to be bothered by too much. Maybe it’s all that weed mellowing him out, but he usually lets stuff roll off him on most subjects. Back when An American Pickle came out, Rogen told us that he wasn’t at all upset about backlash over then-circulating comments that he made regarding Israel. During that discussion (and in the context of Pineapple Express), he also mentioned that he never knows if his movies are truly good for about five years when the audience reaction solidifies. And he added, “[H]onestly, I am still slightly traumatized by some experiences that I’ve had with my movies just being trashed.”

Rogen remains bothered by the inevitability that not everyone likes everything that you’re gonna do. As he recently told host Steve Bartlett on the Diary of a CEO podcast (by way of Variety), the framing of some arguments against his movies (chiefly Green Hornet and The Interview) really stung and continues to sting. Rogen maintains that he’s not the only artist to react this way, and he’s talking about “decades of being hurt.” Here’s more:

“I think if most critics knew how much it hurts the people that made the things that they are writing about, they would second guess the way they write these things,” Rogen said. “It’s devastating. I know people who have never recovered from it honestly – a year, decades of being hurt by [film reviews]. It’s very personal .. It is devastating when you are being institutionally told that your personal expression was bad, and that’s something that people carry with them, literally, their entire lives and I get why. It f*cking sucks.””

On one hand, yes, it must not feel fantastic when years of one’s professional life gets boiled down in a review in an unflattering way. Not fun.

On another level — and this is not a dig at Rogen by any stretch — we could all (yours truly included) stand to back up for a few moments every so often and check ourselves. One also can’t help but think about Pam & Tommy and how Pamela Anderson would still like an apology from everyone involved with the project. You really never do know what someone else is going through, and levels of hurt are different for everyone on every level. So yeah, I’m setting a reminder for myself on that note, too.

(Via Variety)

“Do you understand what a Cuban boot is?”

Them’s fightin’ words at the moment in the most unhinged MAGA circles, who are so intent on stemming Ron DeSantis’ growing popularity amongst Republicans that the mere mention of what the Florida governor wears on his feet is enough to turn a contentious conversation into near-fisticuffs.

As The Daily Beast reports, the tension between Trump supporters and “Meatball Ron” devotees hit a hilarious crescendo over the weekend when twenty-something Trumpist Alex Bruesewitz came face-to-face with DeSantis-ites John Cardillo and Jim Hanson. And a group of grown men took an online beef about boots to the halls of CPAC. Where Hanson, a right-wing pundit and Army Green Beret, asked Bruesewitz: “Do you understand what a Cuban boot is?” (Does anyone?)

If you’re wondering what “18-year hotties” have to do with boots, well, they all come back to DeSantis. In this particular altercation, it goes back to Bruesewitz posting an old photo of DeSantis — who at the time was a 23-year-old teacher — reportedly kicking back and drinking with some high school teens. Hanson’s response was that seeing Tiny D “partying with 18-year-old hotties” only made him like the possible presidential candidate more. Which: ick!

Even Bruesewitz thought it was a weird response, and — upon meeting Hanson, who was with his wife — asked him if he was the “18-year-old hotties guy.” Which is partly why things got all fired up.

But back to the boots: DeSantis’ footwear has been a hot topic for Bruesewitz, who insists that Ron is wearing oversized heels in order to make himself look taller.

And, of course, there was that whole White Go-Go Boots debacle:

As silly and childish as it all seems, Team Trump is reportedly looking for just these sorts of little, umm, missteps, to use as ammo against DeSantis, who the former president/2024 presidential hopeful sees as his most serious competition. “But the blow-up between their respective loyalists over tweets and boots at CPAC portends a fight that may get even more absurd and trivial than anyone thought possible,” according to The Daily Beast, where politics reporters Jake Lahut and Zachary Petrizzo write:

Private conversations within Trumpworld about DeSantis suggest that plenty of new lows are still possible as the campaign heats up.

Just for starters, Trump confidants have been attempting to quantify DeSantis’ true Body Mass Index—the same metric that Trump obsessed over during his time in the White House. A reliable height and weight for the Florida governor have thus far evaded MAGA sleuths….

Inside Trump’s inner circle, those close to the former president have poked fun at a photo of DeSantis wearing tall white rubber boots while touring the damage left by Hurricane Ian last year. Since Trump’s trip to East Palestine, Ohio—where Trump wore a Timberland style boot—those in his inner circle have concluded that their boss has better taste in working men’s footwear.

“Donald Trump had work boots on,” a source close to Trump told The Daily Beast. “DeSantis had Dallas Cowboy cheerleader boots on… Donald Trump reacts to disasters. Ron DeSantis hesitates.”

And to think that DeSantis hasn’t even announced whether he’ll actually run yet!

(Via The Daily Beast)

At this past weekend’s Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival (which was held between March 2 and 5), one attendee died, festival organizers confirmed in a statement shared today (March 8).

The festivalgoer was 26-year-old Baton Rouge, Louisiana native Steven Nguyen, Baton Rouge’s WBRZ reports. The death was an apparent drowning and the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office confirmed with WBRZ that investigators are currently looking into the matter.

In Okeechobee’s statement, organizers expressed sadness and explained, “Out of respect to those affected by this tragedy, we have refrained from commenting prematurely. We will continue to provide our full support to the authorities, who are determining the cause.”

Artists who performed at this weekend’s festival included Lil Yachty; Big Boi; Jpegmafia; Baby Keem; Turnstile; Earth, Wind & Fire; and others.

Find Okeechobee’s full statement below.

“We are saddened by the passing of one OMF attendee this past weekend. We send our deepest condolences to this individual’s loved ones, friends, and all of those who have been impacted by this tragic loss. Out of respect to those affected by this tragedy, we have refrained from commenting prematurely. We will continue to provide our full support to the authorities, who are determining the cause.

During this emotional time, we encourage the festival community to come together in memory of this beautiful individual. As we continue to make sense of this heartbreaking incident, we encourage you to support and take good care of one another.”

“It is in all of us to defy expectations, to go into the world and to be brave, and to want, to need, to hunger for adventures. To embrace the chance and risk so that we may breathe and know what it is to be free.” ~Mae Chevrette

“What a beautiful sunset… I’m grateful for you and love you,” I whispered.

I was speaking to the sun, the world… myself… all of it. That sentence was followed by the biggest exhale my 25-year-old self could muster up. I’d just finished walking two miles on the beach in Negril, Jamaica then finished by watching the sunset. All solo. As the sun dipped below the horizon, I settled into a moment of gratitude for getting myself here — both metaphorically and literally — alone and confident on a beach in paradise.

This blissed-out moment came several days into my solo trip to the Caribbean island. I was, as you might have surmised, in heaven. Not only was I basking every day in the salty sea and tropic sun, but I was getting to know myself on a deeper level — mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and even physically, thanks to a 30-day online yoga course. I was also taking myself on daily sunrise and sunset strolls and enjoying my internal commentary more than I ever have. I found out she/me is quite funny actually and full of great ideas like sleeping with the windows open instead of the fake-ass AC, refusing the temptation of “plans,” and walking around my condo naked swigging coconut water straight from the jug like a proper bachelorette.

You see, when you’re able to connect back with yourself and your internal voice and intuition, you naturally focus in on who you really are. You get to snatch power back and away from the firmly held grasp of the masculine-governed world. You are in full control of your environment and actions without the need to match a partner – whether it be a companion, lover, or group of friends – and their energies and moods. And no place is better for the bevy of fresh experiences that come with “being your own damned woman” like being on the road.

In my eyes, traveling alone as a woman is one of the most empowering things a person can do. It subverts the outdated histories, myths, and stereotypes of our female ancestors — terrified to venture off on their own, in need of constant protection. Traveling alone reminds us that we can take care of ourselves (because admittedly, there are risks) and enjoy our own company. In the process, we unleash the power within ourselves and come to terms with just how strong we are when we take the step alone into the spotlight.

In short, traveling alone as women allows us to become the main characters of our stories. Without men trying to wrest control from us.

As I hinted before, traveling as a solo female comes with great responsibility and inherent risk. But there are ways to mitigate those risks with calculated and educated decision-making — Uproxx has a whole list of traveler-tested methods. Of course… most women already take active measures in their daily lives to be on alert: not walking alone at night, keeping their location services on for a couple of trusted friends and family members, being aware of their surroundings, locking their car and house doors at all times, etc. These same principles are applied when traveling alone, just in a different key.

So why do so many women love solo travel so much?

I think it’s because of how it makes us feel — standing tall among the mountains, the forests, the oceans, and skies, and tackling all obstacles. It’s also a revelation. A realization that we don’t have to wait for people to join us to go to the five-star restaurant in our home cities, take the ultimate road trip, or jump out of a freaking airplane.

We have ourselves. And that, ladies, is as powerful as it gets.

It’s cliche to say, but almost all cliches have a kernel of truth hiding: at the end of the day, all you have is yourself. Do you want to be laying in bed at night, regretting all the times you said “no” to the adventures knocking on your door just because you don’t want to go it alone? I know I don’t. That realization has never been as clear as it was on that beach in Jamaica.

It’s a lesson I’m sure to carry forward the next time I hear the world calling my name. I hope it rings true for you, too.

While most networks are out there in the midwest trying to wrangle up some more cowboy dramas, FX is looking to keep up its roster of weirdly surreal shows now that Atlanta wrapped up. Luckily, fans don’t have to wait too long, as Dave will return next month after a nearly two years absence.

Dave tells the semi-real (and mostly exaggerated) story of Dave Burd, a young twentysomething who dives head-first into a rap career as Lil Dicky. Season one finds Dave rising to stardom with the help of his friends, while season two showcases his frustrations in the music industry. The series will return for a long-awaited third season this spring, so here is everything you need to know before belting out his hit Earth day anthem, “Earth.” Try that one at your next karaoke party.

Cast

The third season will bring back Dave Burd aka Lil Dicky as a fictionalized version of himself, who is determined to continue his quest to become the world’s best rapper. He will be reunited with his hype man, GaTa, along with Andrew Santino, Christine Ko, and Travis “Taco” Bennett. Of course, it’s not a season of Dave without some memorable guest stars.

This season includes some A-list guest spots from Usher, Rock Ross, Demi Lovato, Don Cheadle, Machine Gun Kelly, Megan Fox, Killer Mike, and Travis Barker.

Trailer

The teaser trailer for the next season of the FX series dropped this month, giving fans a first look at Mr. Lil and his various adventures, as he continues his search for love while on the road after his break-up with Ally in season one.

Plot

Season three will pick up where season two left off after Dave’s monumental VMA performance helped secure him as a rising star. Now, Lil Dicky and GaTa are getting ready to head out on the road to spread the word about Dave, which will no doubt cause even more misadventures. As per the official synopsis:

Dave is headlining his first-ever tour and looking for love along the way. But as he and the gang crisscross America, they discover firsthand how diverse the cultural landscape of the United States really is – and how often fame puts pressure on love and friendship. The half-hour comedy is based on the life of rapper and comedian Dave Burd.

Release Date

The surreal series will return to FX on April 5th with a two-episode premiere, since that’s how things seem to work nowadays. Episodes will be released on Hulu the next morning. Seasons one and two are currently streaming on Hulu, so there is time to memorize your favorite Lil Dicky song beforehand.

Artists selling all, or even a portion, of their catalogs and publishing rights has become a recent occurrence, as several large-scale performers and bands have made massive deals.

The most recent, Metro Boomin, reportedly sold part of his for $70 million to Shamrock Capital — although not much is known about the deal’s specifics yet.

On the heels of the news, Uproxx has also explored why artists are selling their catalogs, for those who are interested in the aspects that lead to it.

Below, find a list of artists who have sold away the rights to their songs, according to research from A Journal Of Musical Things. Click the link in the performer’s name to find out the full details of their deal.

1. Bob Dylan
2. Neil Young
3. Stevie Nicks
4. Imagine Dragons
5. Whitney Houston
6. Chris Issak
7. Prince’s estate
8. Christine McVie
9. Trevor Rabin
10. The O’Jays
11. Tina Turner
12. The Weeknd
13. Drake
14. Justin Bieber
15. Bing Crosby
16. Gerry Goffin
17. Luther Vandross
18. Mike Scott of The Waterboys
19. Jeff Porcaro
20. Motley Crue
21. Jim Peterik
22. James Brown
23. Bruce Springsteen
24. ZZ Top
25. David Bowie
26. John Legend
27. Matt Redman
28. Nancy Wilson of Heart
29. Paul Rodgers
30. Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell of America
31. Kenny Chesney
32. Travis Tritt
33. Luis Fonsi
34. Murda Beatz
35. Def Leppard
36. Robbie Robertson of The Band
37. The estates of Layne Staley and Mike Starr of Alice In Chains
38. Alice in Chains’ music
39. David Crosby
40. Disturbed
41. The Killers
42. Lindsey Buckingham
43. Barry Manilow
44. Richie Sambora
45. Dave Stewart
46. Blondie
47. Chrissie Hynde
48. Air Supply
49. Culture Club
50. Devo
51. Jim Vallance
52. Ryan Tedder
53. Shakira
54. KT Tunstall
55. Mick Fleetwood
56. Ed Roland
57. Bob Rock
58. Sun Records
59. Massive Attack
60. Silverchair
61. Beach Boys
62. David Crosby
63. Glenn Tipton
64. Carole Bayer Sager
65. Linda Ronstadt
66. Paul Simon
67. Patrick Leonard
68. Red Hot Chili Peppers
69. Andrew Watt
70. David Guetta
71. Beyoncé
72. Timbaland
73. Justin Timberlake
74. Olivia Newton-John
75. Nicky Chinn
76. Leo Sayer
77. Alee Willis
78. Bob Ezrin
79. Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues
80. Dave Navarro
81. Tom Cochrane
82. Boston
83. Styx
84. Rihanna
85. Ariana Grande
86. Kendrick Lamar
87. Pat Benatar
88. Otis Redding
89. Jack Antonoff
90. Jimmy Iovine
91. Journey
92. Steve Winwood
93. Tom DeLonge
94. The Chainsmokers
95. Brendan O’Brien
96. Bernard Edwards
97. B-52s
98. Kaiser Chiefs
99. Mark Ronson
101. Nikki Sixx
102. Skrillex
103. Rick James
104. Korn
105. James Newton Howard
106. Sting
107. John Lee Hooker
108. Jason Aldean
109. Neil Diamond
110. Lionel Hampton
111. Thelonious Monk
112. Leonard Cohen
113. Martina McBride
114. The estate of Nat King Cole
115. Swedish House Mafia
116. Bob Dylan’s share of the Traveling Wilburys catalog
117. Julian Casablancas
118. Tom Whitlock
119. Frank Zappa
120. Simple Minds
121. Jean-Michel Jarre
122. Matt Sorum
123. Brad Paisley
124. Lady A
125. Deryck Whibley
126. Chuck D of Public Enemy
127. Future
128. Avicii
129. Genesis’ Phil Collins, Tony Banks, and Mike Rutherford
130. Blake Shelton
131. Joey Ramone
132. Louis Prima
133. Huey Lewis and the News
134. Ashley Gorley
135. Harry Nilsson
136. Shannon Rubicam and George Merrill of Boy Meets Girl
137. Iggy Azalea
138. Peter Frampton
139. Keith Urban
140. Steve Lillywhite
141. Dr. Dre
142. Robbie Krieger and the estate of Ray Manzarek of The Doors
143. Yes
144. Dion
145. TMS
146. Stevie Van Zandt
147. Tobias Jesso Jr
148. Christopher Cross
149. Warren Cuccurullo
150. Metro Boomin
151. Juice WRLD

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

Oscar-winning musician Questlove and music fans in general alike continue to rave about Lil Yachty’s latest album, Let’s Start Here. Despite expressing frustrations over his music leaking and difficulties in planning for the album’s supporting tour, the musician is extremely proud of what he was able to produce.

Yachty revealed that his mission going into making was to separate himself from the tokenizing label of SoundCloud rapper, and thanks to the help of quite a few heavy hitter guest producers, he’s done just that. But there’s another person the songwriter would like to credit with the release: fellow musician Tyler The Creator.

In an interview Billboard, Yachty gushed about how Tyler has influenced him. “[Tyler] is the reason I made this album. He’s the one who told me to do it, just go for it. He’s so confident and I have so much respect for him because he takes me seriously, and he always has,” said Yachty.

Later adding, “I would love to do a project with Tyler.”

A joint project between Lil Yachty and Tyler The Creator would be a mixture of quite a few songs, given that both artists have continued to explore sonically outside of initial rap music entry.

The first test screenings for Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One have started as the film finally approaches its release date following a tumultuous production schedule. The long-awaited sequel starring Tom Cruise as IMF super-agent Ethan Hunt was one of the first films affected by the pandemic as it was forced to shut down shooting in Italy before bouncing all around Europe to find someplace, anyplace, where Cruise can jump a motorcycle off a cliff.

According to Paramount Global President Bob Bakish, the effort was worth as Dead Reckoning is reportedly killing it with test audiences. Although, it could be a bit shorter, which is an odd thing for a studio exec to openly reveal about an upcoming blockbuster. Via IndieWire:

“I haven’t seen all of ‘MI:7,’ but I’ve seen a bunch of it,” Bakish said. “We actually just did the first test screening for an audience last week, and the audience lost their mind. And it’s still too long, they’ve got to cut it. But the movie is insane. It’s like a complete thrill ride. And Tom, he’s very good.”

Of course, Bakish’s concerns are going to be a moot point if Cruise is happy with the runtime. The actor is currently being feted all over Hollywood for saving theaters with Top Gun: Maverick. Even Steven Spielberg personally praised him for saving everybody’s ass in the business.

There’s a lot of Cruise for out there, which has only expanded his considerable clout. So if he needs three hours to hang off a plane, the guy’s probably going to get three hours to hang off a plane. Is anyone gonna go out on the wing and stop him?

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One jumps into theaters on July 14.

(Via IndieWire)

Women’s History Month is officially here so you know we had to go big for the latest episode of Wom/n Worldwide.

Host Drew Dorsey is celebrating all of the wins made by women recently — from the stage to the screen, on the court, on the field, and on the track. We’re applauding acting icons like Michelle Yeoh, Jaime Lee Curtis, and Angela Bassett for their much-deserved awards season recognition because no matter who takes home the Oscar this month, they’ve all made history in one way or another. Speaking of, we had to celebrate the historic nominations of artists like Beyonce and Taylor Swift at this year’s Grammys.

But Hollywood isn’t the only industry where women are making gains. March 8th marks International Women’s Day and the theme for this year’s celebration is “Embrace Equity.” So, naturally, we’re shouting out athletes in the WNBA, teams heading to this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup, and drivers competing on the Indy circuit for doing just that. We’re also loving the work international activists like Yuliia Sachuk and Moud Goba and more are doing for women in Ukraine, the UK, Nigeria, and beyond, breaking down barriers for the disabled community, giving opportunities to asylum seekers, and helping women get on the ballot come election season.

Check out the full episode above.

After months of waiting and anticipating Jonathan Majors as the jacked-up “Diamond Dame,” Creed III has finally swung those mighty fists into theaters, though it seems like some people have taken the boxing aspect of the movie a little too far.

Various French media outlets have reported over a dozen (!?!) separate disturbances in movie theaters over the weekend in conjunction with the sports drama hitting screens. On Sunday, one French theater was forced to call the police after a fight broke out and a security guard was injured by flying debris. Later that day, the police were called to a separate theater to evacuate 500 movie-goers after a large brawl broke out.

Videos of various kerfuffles quickly went viral online, which prompted several independent venues to take the movie off of its schedules, causing even more uproar, as the movie has been out for less than a week.

Deadline reports that the incidents were all isolated, though brawls also seemed to break out in other European cities, like Hamburg and Essen. German outlets seem to attribute the violence to a TikTok trend. Though this one is a lot more disruptive than the GentleMinions craze of 2022 in which a bunch of teens dressed in suits in order to watch the children’s animated feature. They didn’t hurt anyone, but they did throw bananas at the screen.

The violence doesn’t seem to deter American Creed fans, who helped the movie secure a record-breaking opening weekend. So violence is sometimes the answer, but only when it’s fake, on-screen, and conducted by working professionals. Don’t try those hits at home.

(Via Deadline)