Month: March 2023

On Wednesday night, the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers met for the second time in a week, this time in the Windy City.

The last time the two teams played, Patrick Beverley got to rub some salt in the wound of a Bulls win over his former team, hitting a spinning shot over LeBron James and then giving him the “too small” gesture. Beverley then took a postgame victory lap about how the Lakers misused him, saying he’s a spoon they asked to be a fork.

On Wednesday, the Lakers exacted some revenge, beating the Bulls 121-110 to get up to eighth place in the Western Conference. They also got back at Beverley, but from the unlikeliest of sources, as Austin Reaves was the one to deliver some “too small” retribution, to the absolute delight of Anthony Davis … and Bulls announcer Stacey King.

Look at that smile on AD’s face! That might be the happiest he’s looked on the court all season. Davis showed out with 38 points and 10 rebounds in the win, while Reaves added 19 as he continues to become a key contributor in the Lakers second half turnaround.

As for Beverley, he had to know this was coming if the Lakers were in control of this game, but it makes it far funnier that it was Reaves, not LeBron, who delivered his comeuppance.

On March 27, the Covenant School, a private elementary school in Nashville, Tennessee, experienced a school shooting where three 9-year-old children and three staff members lost their lives. The news of the event took over the airwaves as more details were released.

But for one reporter covering the shooting live, the event hit close to home in more than one way. Joylyn Bukovac, a local reporter for WSMV 4, was reporting live from the scene at the Covenant School when she revealed that she was a survivor of a school shooting herself. Bukovac explained that when she was in the eighth grade, someone opened fire at her school.

“About 380 school shootings have happened since Columbine, my middle school being one of them, this school being one of them,” she said. “Some people have been reaching out to me saying, ‘Enough’s enough. When is all of this gun violence going to change?'”

Getting the phone call that there’s an active shooter at your child’s school is a parent’s worst nightmare, and it seems that nightmare is becoming all too real for more parents. Sadly, gun violence has surpassed all other causes of death for children in America, even beating out car crashes.

With this reporter’s personal account, it’s clear that mass shootings have been a problem for a long time. In recalling her experience, Bukovac offered some advice to parents who were receiving the phone call that their child’s school was the newest target.

“A lot of this is really bringing up a lot of tough memories for me that I’m going through,” Bukovac revealed. “And my biggest advice for all the families here, if your student witnessed the unthinkable today, just be very gentle with them and let them talk when they’re ready because the shock that they’re going to be feeling coming home is going to be unfathomable.”

Bukovac went on to describe her own experience of being in the hallway at her middle school when a gunman opened fire, which took her two years to feel comfortable enough to open up and talk with others about. She reminded parents that everyone copes with the trauma in their own way and not to try to force their children to discuss the events.

u201cIn a remarkable live hit, this local reporter covering the horrific school shooting in Nashville shared her own experience of surviving a school shooting when she was in middle school. I didn’t catch her name.u201d

— Reem Akkad (@Reem Akkad)
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During her time on the scene, Bukovac voiced the concerns she was hearing from parents about the number of school shootings and the desire for something to be done. Bukovac said she was able to put herself in the shoes of the students from her experience and the parents because she has a small child.

It’s amazing that Bukovac was able to not only report on a school shooting but that she was cognizant enough to offer words of support and advice to parents. The reporter ended her segment by telling parents that she would be available through email if anyone needed a listening ear.

Ron DeSantis has fashioned himself as a younger version of Donald Trump, one who actually has self-control, who’s laser-focused in his determination to defeat the “woke” left. But maybe he’s just a cosplaying doofus in way over his head. For one thing, Trump has been clobbering him at the polls. Now his attempt to one-up Disney has blown up spectacularly in his face.

As per Click Orlando, a board of DeSantis-picked cronies who were set to take over the land on and around Disney World in Orlando, Florida were in for a rude awakening when they convened on Wednesday morning. They were set to replace the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which served as the governing jurisdiction of the land, which has long had its own government independent of the state.

Instead they found out that back in February, the Reedy Creek board and Disney had reached a special agreement that handed direct control of the district’s development rights and privileges over to the powerful corporation. That means DeSantis’ board has almost no power to do anything, which they only discovered during their first meeting.

Upon learning this, board member Ron Peri, one of five on the team, was shocked and appalled. “I cannot tell you the level of my disappointment in Disney. I thought so much better of them. This essentially makes Disney the government,” he lamented. “This board loses, for practical purposes, the majority of its ability to do anything beyond maintain the roads and maintain basic infrastructure.”

As per Above the Law, DeSantis offered a meek response, claiming the agreement “may have significant legal infirmities that would render the contracts void as a matter of law.”

Problem is, he and his lawyers may have trouble proving that. For one thing, the board and Disney did this all out in the open, as per Florida law. DeSantis simply didn’t do anything to stop it. Maybe he was too busy spouting huffing and puffing on Fox News to notice.

For another, Reedy Creek and Disney ensured that their deal will last a good, long time. The agreement contains a clause declaring that the declaration will last until “twenty one (21) years after the death of the last survivor of the descendants of King Charles III.” That is quite a long time.

In other words, Bob Iger beat Ron DeSantis at his own game. Maybe a mid-40s upstart politician who models his hand gestures after a guy who now considers him his number one enemy is no match for a guy who runs one of the largest corporations on the planet.

News that DeSantis got pantsed, and not by the guy who refuses to call him “Meatball Ron,” led to a lot of jokes.

Iger had a big day Wednesday. News broke that he’d also fired Isaac Perlmutter, CEO of Marvel Entertainment (then Marvel Comics) since 2005 and a key part of it since the ‘90s, as part of overall layoffs. Perlmutter has not been looked on kindly by Disney brass for over a decade, and besides, he’s had diminished power anyway. He hasn’t been involved in their movies since 2015, and he lost control over the TV wing in 2019.

The one-two punch of Iger squashing DeSantis and Perlmutter led to still more jokes.

News of DeSantis getting humiliated by Iger comes mere days after Disney announced they were holding a summit on gay rights in Orlando, amidst the governor’s ongoing war on the LGBTQIA+ community. But he may have messed with the wrong people.

(Via Click Orlando and Above the Law)

Within the last year, GloRilla burst onto the scene with “FNF (Let’s Go),” leading to her signing with Yo Gotti’s CMG Records and becoming a ubiquitous voice in hip-hop with Billboard Hot 100 hits like “Tomorrow 2” alongside Cardi B and her debut EP, Anyways, Life’s Great. Yet, the Memphis standout is only beginning to cement her legacy.

That growing legacy now includes Tommy Jeans, as she is a face for the Tommy Hilfiger brand’s new collaboration with Aries. Her Tommy x Aries photos immediately conjured nostalgia for the late Aaliyah’s 1996 campaign.

According to Billboard, the Tommy x Aries capsule includes 35 pieces spanning menswear, womenswear, and footwear:

“The retro designs include ‘90s-style silhouettes with exaggerated proportions, split colorways, layers and lots of baggy denim. Some of the key pieces from the collection include a black trucker jacket with a five-pocket matching pant, a jacquard tape logo dress and relaxed indigo denim jacket and baggy split colorway screen-printed jean, similar to what Aaliyah wore in a 1996 campaign for Tommy Jeans.”

The full collection will be available this Friday, March 31, in select retailers on Tommy Hilfiger’s official website.

It was unexpected when the one and only Keanu Reeves mentioned indie darlings Alvvays during a Reddit AMA last year as a band he’d been listening to recently. Fans of the “Belinda Says” band wanted to know more, and now we finally have answers.

During a talk with NME, the interviewer asked about his favorite albums. Reeves tried to think about the new LPs he recently acquired, and the interviewer brought up Alvvays. “Yeah, I don’t have their new record,” he said about last year’s seismic Blue Rev. “I bought it digitally, but I don’t have it on vinyl.”

“So it’s your favorite album-to-be,” the interviewer suggested.

“Yeah, can I say that?” Reeves replied. “Because I love that band.” When asked what he loves about them, he explained, “I like me a good pop song, and I like me a kind of inventiveness in it. And I think the lead singer [Molly Rankin], she’s great. And the textures of it. I mean, I love bass guitar and drums, and I like their energy.”

If you’re looking to possibly run into Reeves this summer, Alvvays will be on a highly anticipated co-headlining tour with Alex G, who also released a notable record last year, God Save The Animals.

Even if you haven’t heard of Neuschwanstein Castle, there’s a good chance you’ve at least seen pictures of it. Set atop a tree-covered rock ledge in the Bavarian Alps, the picturesque castle looks like it was conjured straight out of a fairy tale. In fact, it served as inspiration for Disney Imagineers as they designed “Sleeping Beauty’s Castle” in Disneyland, and it’s regularly named the top castle to visit in Germany.

There are estimated to be around 25,000 castles in Germany, but Neuschwanstein is unique among them. Most notably, it’s not a real castle and never was. While it bears the look and feel of a well-preserved medieval castle, it was actually built in the 19th century, and rather than serving as a fortress, it served as the fantasy castle of an eccentric king obsessed with Richard Wagner’s operas and medieval mythology.

Ludwig II came to the Bavarian throne in 1864 at age 18 with no experience in government or politics. Two years later, Prussia conquered Austria and Bavaria, and Ludwig’s powerful status as king was greatly diminished. Not that he was particularly interested in governance anyway; he was more drawn to the romantic idea of having his own kingdom.

According to Encyclopedia Britannica, “The king worshiped the theatre and the opera, and henceforth concerned himself almost exclusively with his artistic endeavors, developing an extravagant mania for building in the Bavarian mountains that he loved.” He essentially spent much of his reign constructing an elaborate fantasy world in which he could be the king he imagined himself to be.

Hence the idea for Neuschwanstein Castle, which Ludwig wished to be built “in the authentic style of the old German knights’ castles.” The foundation for the structure was laid in 1869, but it took until 1892 for the 65,000 sq. ft. “castle” to be completed. Ludwig himself would only ever see it as an incomplete building site, as he drowned himself in a lake in 1886, a few days after being declared insane. (Though his death was officially ruled suicide by drowning, some sources point to some mystery surrounding his death, as the psychiatrist who diagnosed him also drowned at the same time.)

The tragedy of Ludwig’s final years stands in sharp contrast to the extravagant beauty of the castle he created, which The Cultural Tutor referred to as “the world’s biggest work of fan fiction.”

u201cNeuschwanstein Castle in Germany is one of the world’s most famous and beautiful castles.nnBut it isn’t a real castle: it has central heating, hot water, flushing toilets, telephones, and elevators.nnBecause Neuschwanstein is actually the world’s biggest work of fan fiction…u201d

— The Cultural Tutor (@The Cultural Tutor)
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The Throne Room serves as a symbol of how Ludwig saw kingship. The grand hall was built in the style of a Byzantine church, pointing to how Ludwig saw kings as being intermediaries between God and the world.

Where fan fiction comes in is in how much of the castle is an artistic shrine to Wagner’s operas. In many rooms, the walls are covered in paintings depicting the German legends as told in Wagner’s works, such as his 1845 “Tannhäuser” opera and his 1859 “Tristan and Isolde.”

In Neuschwanstein’s early stages, Ludwig wrote to Wagner describing his vision for the castle, telling the composer he looked forward to moving in and having Wagner come visit:

“There will be several cosy, habitable guest rooms with a splendid view of the noble Säuling, the mountains of Tyrol and far across the plain; you know the revered guest I would like to accommodate there; the location is one of the most beautiful to be found, holy and unapproachable, a worthy temple for the divine friend who has brought salvation and true blessing to the world.”

Ultimately, Ludwig and Wagner’s friendship would be complicated by money, differing artistic visions and Ludwig’s clear romantic feelings for Wagner, but if it weren’t for Ludwig’s support, Wagner would likely never have risen to the fame he ultimately enjoyed.

The “mad king” may have had some issues ranging from quirky to concerning, but he can fairly be credited with the making of Richard Wagner, as well as creating an architectural masterpiece that millions of people from around the globe travel to enjoy.

Check out the gorgeous Neuschwanstein Castle from all angles here:

Chlöe caused a stir last week with her role in Swarm, and she’s about to drop her debut solo album, In Pieces, on Friday (March 31). Ahead of the latter, the August 2022 Uproxx cover star served as Latto’s guest for the inaugural episode of 777 Radio on Apple Music, and she gave people even more to talk about — from unfair comparisons to her sister, Halle Bailey, to unfounded (?) rumors about her and Quavo.

“The tea was that you was talking to Quavo,” Latto said in a clip circulated by The Neighborhood Talk.

“Uh oh, well, we doin’ a movie together,” Chlöe playfully responded.

When Latto suggested that the rumors are that Chlöe and Quavo’s relationship might not just be professional, Chlöe said, “I don’t know where that came from.”

“Y’all working,” Latto said.

“Yes. Working. He’s a really nice guy,” Chlöe said.

“I mean, he got dreads,” Latto noted, and Chlöe agreed, “Yeah, I like his locs. I like his locs.”

Chlöe and Quavo are both in the musical comedy Praise This due to hit Peacock on April 7.

According to Collider, Chlöe plays an aspiring musician named Sam “who is driven to achieve success in the music industry at any cost,” but she’s moved to Atlanta by her concerned father (Philip Fornah) and reluctantly joins her cousin’s praise team. Quavo is billed as having “a very prominent feature.”

Watch the trailer below.

Keanu Reeves is arguably the most gregarious of Hollywood’s major stars. Everyone who works with him sings his praises. One thing he loves is giving people gifts. For instance, he gave the stunt team for his latest, John Wick: Chapter 4, Rolexes. But that’s not all he gave them.

A New York Times profile of the blockbuster (in a bit teased out by Insider) discusses its immense and dedicated stunt team, comprised of 35 professionals. As you may know, John Wick 4 has quite a bit more than 35 daredevil deaths. Indeed, some stunt people were killed by its puppy-avenging hitman hero multiple times. (One of them “died” five or six times doing that steps scene alone.

But they were rewarded handsomely, not just with Rolexes but also with specially-made t-shirts, tailor-made for each stunt person. What was on them? A number revealing how many times they had eaten it over the course of the film. Some of them had numbers that were over 20.

The stunt team may find themselves on the receiving end of more Keanu Reeves gifts. John Wick 4 did so well last weekend it may have scotched the star and director Chad Stahelski’s plan to make it their last in the series.

(Via NYT and Insider)

Katy Perry is leaving the booze behind, at least for now. The “Firework” singer recently discussed her new sobriety shared by her fiancé, the famous actor Orlando Bloom.

“I’ve been sober for five weeks today,” she said at a cocktail event at New York City’s Mister Paradise on Monday (March 27), according to People. “I’ve been doing a pact with my partner, and I want to quit.”

Fellow American Idol judge Luke Bryan joked about her caving in to drinking. “No, girl! I can’t cave,” she said. “I made a promise. Three months.”

Last month, the pop star made headlines for speaking out about gun violence on American Idol when a 21-year-old singer named Trey Louis came in to audition and shared his story about being a survivor of a school shooting. “Our country has f*cking failed us,” she yelled after breaking down into tears and holding her face in her hands.

“This is not okay,” she continued. “You should be singing here because you love music, not because you had to go through that f*cking bullsh*t. You don’t have to lose eight friends. I hope that you remind people that we have to change. ‘Cause, you know, I’m scared too.”

Lana Del Rey is not even a week removed from releasing Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd, an album that Taylor Swift thinks you should stream.

But did you know that there’s (allegedly) a ring on Del Rey’s finger?

Billboard reported yesterday (March 28) that Del Rey is engaged to Evan Winiker, a managing partner at Range Media Partners. Unnamed sources confirmed the news.

“While the couple have successfully kept their relationship under wraps, they’ve been spotted in public a few times together over the past several months, including a September outing at the Malibu Chili Cook-Off festival and, most recently, at Pappy and Harriet’s restaurant in Pioneertown, Calif., earlier this month, where they posed for pictures with fans,” Billboard added.

The publication additionally pointed out Winiker and Jack Antonoff were both members of the band Steel Train. Antonoff and Del Rey are close collaborators. Antonoff is credited as a producer on Ocean Blvd — Bleachers, a featured artist — and Del Rey was the only featured artist on Swift’s Midnights album, which Antonoff had a heavy hand in producing and writing.

Earlier this month, Del Rey was honored with the Visionary Award at the Billboard 2023 Women In Music event, where she teased a future collaboration with Billie Eilish.

For now, fans are reacting to her reported engagement. See some of the Twitter reactions below.

time travelling to tell my 15 year old self that evan winiker of steel train bassist fame is engaged to lana del rey so i can have an aneurysm

— camryn (@trampoline2007) March 29, 2023