Month: May 2023

Bob Huggins has been a college basketball head coach since 1984 when he took over at Akron, spending five years with the Zips before making a name for himself at Cincinnati. There he made the Bearcats a power program, reaching 14 consecutive NCAA Tournaments, and after one year at Kansas State, he’s spent the last 16 at West Virginia.

Huggins still has ties to Cincinnati, as well as less than stellar feelings about Cincy’s longtime rival Xavier, and on Monday he made an appearance on longtime Cincinnati radio host Bill Cunningham’s show, where he made remarks that very well may bring an end to his career.

After being asked about whether he’d gone after any Xavier transfers, Huggins used a homophobic slur multiple times when talking about Xavier fans after an incident in a Cincinnati-Xavier game years ago (via Awful Announcing).

Huggins: “Any school that can throw rubber penises on the floor and then say they didn’t do it, by god they can get away with anything.”

Cunningham: “I think it was transgender night wasn’t it?”

Huggins: “It was a Crosstown Shootout, yeah, no, what it was, was all those f**s, those Catholic f**s I think.”

Cunningham: “All right.”

Huggins: “They were envious they didn’t have one.”

There’s no possible excuse for using that kind of derogatory slur, and Huggins noted that in a statement apologizing and saying he’ll accept whatever consequences are coming his way.

One would expect, and Huggins seems to as well based on his statement, that he will no longer be the coach at West Virginia for long.

This time last year — when his war with Disney was still relatively green — it appeared that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was the Republican who would unseat Donald Trump. He was a younger Mini-Me version of him anyway, and better at self-control. But his battle with his state’s biggest company has persisted, and it’s escalated, and it’s taken unexpected turns. Now the people who really control politics — that is, the people with all the money — aren’t so sure he’s their guy anymore.

As per Politico, the financial titans of Wall Street are reportedly souring on DeSantis after a number of gaffes, embarrassments, and legal woes. The most recent is him being sued by The Walt Disney Company over his retaliation against them after they pushed back against his so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Now Wall Street donors are, Politico reports, “keeping the door open to his competitors.”

Says Politico:

Where Wall Street puts its money matters because financial industry executives are among the biggest donors in presidential elections. And while bankers and asset managers generally favor lower taxes and lighter-touch regulation, they also value stability and experience — and they spread their money around to candidates of both parties, meaning they’re very much in play in each cycle.

An advisor to one top GOP donor, referring to DeSantis’ problems, says they favor a “wait and see” approach, adding, “and this is why.”

But Wall Street still hates the 45th president and doesn’t want him back in office. They’re just no longer confident Meatball Ron is the one to unseat him

“DeSantis is certainly a better option than Trump at this point,” one executive said. “But he’s a really weak option.”

DeSantis has been dropping in the polls all while Trump — who very well may have to run for re-election from prison — has been inexplicably surging. But he’s still clobbering the rest of the competition. Will Wall Street throw its weight behind Nikki Haley or Senator Tim Scott? Or will they hold their nose once more and resign themselves to another Trump vs. Biden showdown? Or will they change their mind and go with the guy who eats pudding with his fingers after all?

(Via Politico)

No family on TV has as much drip as the Roys. In a typical episode of Succession, the Roy kids can be seen wearing multiple ensembles that add up to more than a lot of people make in a year. Even Roman, who often looks like his parents dressed him for an elementary school picture day thanks to his love of short-sleeve linen shirts, is rocking Brunello Cucinelli. That’s a shirt that will easily set you back a grand.

Take that in… a short sleeve shirt… that costs… over $1000. Madness.

While a lot can be said about Shiv’s impeccable style choices (she is Succession’s best-dressed, period) the person who has the most to prove in his wardrobe choices is, unsurprisingly, Kendall (he has the most to prove everywhere and is the most prone to floundering wildly to do so). As such, Kendall’s outfits aren’t just smart set dressing that reflects his insane wealth, they are a core representation of his character. Jeremy Strong, the actor who portrays Kendall, says as much. Strong collaborates closely with Succession costume designer Michelle Matland for Kendall’s look, and he gets pretty granular with the details.

Speaking to GQ on the customized Loro Piana jacket and Richard Mille watch Kendall wears in the newest season, Strong explained “Those are all things that I do on my own because those details just feel really important to me, and so I take initiative in that area.” Does any of this stuff truly matter? We think it does (so does GQ, which posted a great article breaking down every character’s watch) and because we find it all relevant to TV’s most unpacked show, we’re about to get really nerdy. Brace yourself.

Prior to this final season, Kendall has worn all sorts of rich-dude watches, from a Vacheron Constantin to a Traditionelle World Time. These are both well-respected statement timepieces, but there are some reasons Strong likely opted for a Richard Mille watch this season and they speak to Kendall’s journey as a character. Let’s break it down. But first…

SPOILER WARNING FOR SEASON 4 EPISODE 3 — In order to talk about this we’re going to have to lay down a gigantic spoiler and this article about watches is not the way you want to find out about it. Fair? Let’s roll…

Why does Kendall Roy start wearing a Richard Mille watch?

1. Kendall Loves Hip-Hop

First and foremost, before we really get into the deeper symbolism, we have to go with the most obvious reason for Kendall rocking a Richard Mille watch this season. Kendall Roy loves hip-hop and hip-hop loves Richard Mille. While a lot of timepieces are works of quiet, understated luxury, a Richard Mille is the opposite. It’s a watch that flaunts its status which is why the biggest rappers love to represent the brand.

Pharrell shouts out Richard Mille in “Can I Have It Like That,” the opening track from his In My Mind album,

“She knows the time, she sees the Richard Mille. Plat-double skeletal, Tourbillon.” And Jay-Z made headlines two years ago when he showed up at Philadelphia 76ers co-owner Michael Rubin’s house party rocking a green sapphire Richard Mille RM 56-01 Tourbillon, a watch worth $3 million. Drake loves them so much that in addition to regularly wearing Richard Mille, he gifted Future an ultra-rare 1-of-1 piece.

It is, without a doubt, the watch of hip-hop’s finest. And, as a product, it’s ostentatious (literally showing its gears and cogs in a way that screams: “See how complicated and valuable this is?!?”). That’s in line with how rappers floss, not with how the Roy family typically does.

It tracks that Kendall would love Mille watches, of course. Don’t forget that our first introduction to him in the pilot episode is of him offering a tone-deaf rap along to the Beastie Boys track “An Open Letter To NYC.” Of course, it’s easy to laugh off the idea of this nepo baby aligning with the race and class struggles that birthed rap. But on another level, struggle is something that is core to Kendall as a character — something he’s constantly at war with throughout the entire show’s run.

The struggle with his addiction, the struggle to push Waystar Royco into the future, the struggle of his feelings about his father — he has just the right type of arrogance to quote a classic rap bar without any irony and fully think it applies to his life. Can’t you just see Kendall asking for whatever brand of watch Jay-Z wears because he considers them to be self made contemporaries?

2. Kendall’s Daddy Is Dead

Here is that spoiler! Our first glimpse of Kendall’s Richard Mille (from what we can tell, a RM 67 Extra Flat) is in episode four during Logan’s wake. Our boy Kendall has just lost his dad and because of the complicated feelings surrounding that, we can assume he was in need of some serious retail therapy. Which might explain why he’s now wearing a $185,000 watch (according to Chrono24).

But let’s dig deeper — how does this differ from Kendall’s old watches? It’s not just that the watch is insanely expensive, all of Kendall’s watches are, but the Vacheron Constantin and Traditionelle World Time are understated, well-respected “timepieces.” The Richard Mille is a polarizing brand in the watch community and it’s just the type of ultra-flashy watch Logan Roy would’ve hated.

I can imagine Logan Roy, in the midst of yelling at Kendall, saying something along the lines of “and take your fancy fucking bullshit watch and stick it up your ass!” God, just read that in L to the O-G’s voice in your head — it works.

The idea of buying something ostentatious when your dad is sure to make you feel like it’s an idiotic choice in public is scary. But once the old man dies? Call the jeweler, bro!

3. Richard Mille Represents The Future

Aside from being beloved by rappers and new money spenders (Kendall isn’t “new money” but he’s just the type of rich guy to say “Everyone thinks I’m successful because of my dad but I actually worked my ass off for this!”), Richard Mille watches are distinctly futuristic. The watches are made from NTPT carbon (a new material for the watch community), which is a composite material that is used in F1 vehicle chassis. The materials used in a Richard Mille are adapted from the aviation, automotive racing, and sailing industries, and are equal parts utilitarian, sleek, and lightweight.

Kendall has always sought to push Waystar Royco into the future and sees himself as the person to do it. “FUCK THE PATRIARCHY!” Now, as he looks to take over the company, he’s quite literally wearing the future on his sleeve. Altogether this is a stunning amount of detail to hide away in a few passing shots. The typical viewer isn’t going to pick up on these things, and the show isn’t any worse for it, but it does reflect the amount of genius and attention to detail that goes into making Succession work.

We’re going to miss it when it’s gone.

Game 5 between the Suns and Nuggets will, in fact, be played at full strength, as Nikola Jokic will not face a suspension for his altercation with Suns owner Mat Ishbia during Game 4 of Denver’s loss in Phoenix.

After running over to grab the ball that fell into Ishbia’s lap, the two tussled over it briefly before it popped into the row behind, leading to Jokic giving Ishbia a little shove that the Suns owner sold with a flop into his seat. Jokic was assessed a technical and after the game was not happy with that outcome, believing Ishbia should’ve been kicked out for trying to influence the game by withholding the ball. Ishbia issued his first statement on Monday about the incident, saying he has lots of respect for Jokic and hoping the league won’t suspend or fine him.

On Monday evening, word broke that the league would be half listening to Ishbia’s request, as Jokic would not be suspended for Game 5 back in Denver, but would be getting a $25,000 fine.

Jokic certainly won’t be happy about the fine considering he certainly didn’t appear to feel he did anything wrong in the incident, noting that Ishbia initiated the contact and wouldn’t give up the ball. That said, given the officials deemed it a purposeful shove, it’s not surprising to see him face some form of further punishment, but it’s just good that it won’t cost him a game, as that would’ve put a serious damper on the series (and only created more controversy than already existed).

Months after Jeremy Renner’s harrowing snowplow accident, the actor has been updating his fans with his impressive, superhero-like progress.

The Avenger himself posted a video that showed him taking slow but steady steps, nearly five months after he was crushed by a snowplow. “My PT made this for reference and to remember, you cannot walk unless you take one step at a time! #onefootinfrontoftheother,” he captioned the video.

Fellow actor Jason Momoa sent his love by commenting a series of hearts on the video. In the months since the ordeal, many of Renner’s famous friends and co-stars have sent well-wishes and voiced their support for the actor, who broke over 30 bones in the accident. Of course, they also sent along some jokes and pranks, which is just another way that men show affection for one another these days. It really is the thought that counts.

Renner’s Disney+ series Rennervations debuted last month, and while he has been in physical therapy, the actor has appeared in good spirits. He recently recalled the terrifying story to Diane Sawyer, saying he thought his life was going to end. “I chose to survive. That’s not gonna kill me, no way,” Renner said. Next up, Renner says he won’t get rid of the snow plow, but he is keen on learning how to drive it a little bit better.

(Via People)

A passage from a new book by Dr. Becky Kennedy makes a strong case for parents to focus more on raising resilient kids than happy ones. The excerpt from “GOOD INSIDE: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be” by Dr. Kennedy was published by Big Think.

Dr. Kennedy is a clinical psychologist, bestselling author and mom of three named “The Millennial Parenting Whisperer” by TIME magazine.

Everyone wants their children to be happy, but Dr. Kennedy argues that the path to that ultimate goal lies in addressing the root cause of unhappiness. When a child doesn’t have the skills to cope with everyday feelings such as disappointment, frustration, envy and sadness, it will interfere with their ability to cultivate happiness. However, If we teach children how to regulate their emotional states, they will be able to develop the peace of mind necessary to be happy.

It’s like the old adage says: “Give a man a fish, and he’ll eat for a day. Teach him to fish, and he’ll eat forever.”

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“What do we really mean when we say, ‘I just want my kids to be happy’? What are we talking about when we say, ‘Cheer up!’ or ‘You have so much to be happy about!’ or “Why can’t you just be happy?’” Kennedy asks.

Confidence comes from knowing how you feel, feeling at home with yourself, and being compassionate and curious about your internal experience.

The more we help our kids learn that they are okay how they are, the more internal strength they have to change – when they’re ready. pic.twitter.com/HNhyAVTpBZ

— Good Inside (@GoodInside) September 27, 2022

“I, for one, don’t think we’re talking about cultivating happiness as much as we’re talking about avoiding fear and distress,” Kennedy continues. “Because when we focus on happiness, we ignore all the other emotions that will inevitably come up throughout our kids’ lives, which means we aren’t teaching them how to cope with those emotions.”

Kennedy believes that focusing on happiness instead of the underlying conditions that create it is like putting a bandaid over the problem.

“For me, happiness is much less compelling than resilience,” Kennedy writes. “After all, cultivating happiness is dependent on regulating distress. We have to feel safe before we can feel happy. Why do we have to learn to regulate the tough stuff first? Why can’t happiness just ‘win’ and ‘beat’ all other emotions? That certainly would be easier!”

So how does one raise an emotionally resilient child?

Kenneth Barish, Ph.D., Clinical Professor of Psychology at Weill Cornell Medical College, told PBS that parents build their child’s resilience by having a 10-minute discussion with them every night at bedtime.

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“In these brief daily conversations, we should ask kids if there is something they might want to talk about—perhaps a problem at school or with friends, something they are angry with us about, or what they may be anxious about the following day,” Barish writes.

“Parents should listen to the child’s recount of the day without judgment and let them know that they have had the same experiences, too. “We can say, for example, ‘Yes, I know, it feels really bad when other kids won’t let you play…I also felt bad and angry when those kinds of things happened to me.’ Many children will respond to these statements with astonishment,” Barish writes.

This parent-child discussion can help children put their disappointments in perspective and learn that everyone has struggles. The key is developing the skills to overcome them.

“Resilience is not a static character trait that children possess or lack; it’s a skill that can be cultivated, and one that, hopefully, parents help instill in their kids from a young age,” Kennedy writes. “Because we can’t always change the stressors around us, but we can always work on our ability to access resilience.”

If there is one thing a Skarsgård is gonna do, it’s show up unannounced and stir up some drama. So are we really surprised that Succession took this patented formula and ran with it?

Alexander Skarsgård may be prancing around in a fancy gold bomber jacket as Matsson while the Roy children battle their internal and familial demons, but the actor sure is loving it! And so are most of the fans. So his latest antics have people wondering: how is this all possibly going to play out?

Skarsgård himself even mentioned how Mattson is a bit of a mess, but that’s why we are all entertained by him, right? Skarsgård recently told The Hollywood Reporter, “He’s definitely a bull in a china shop. He subscribes to the philosophy ‘move fast and break things,’” the actor said. Even though his character is all over the place, he has sure been a standout in the final season. “He’s an agent of chaos. He loves it. He’s not a PR-created … there’s nothing fake about him. If you want to call it ‘genius,’ he’s just so out there and chaotic.” Speaking of chaos, fans seemed to have a problem with Matsson’s recent party-crashing antics. But mostly the numbers thing.

Let’s say you could get over the very bad numbers thing, sure, fine. But what about his grand entrance to a party he wasn’t really wanted at, where he decided to choose violence instead of just staying silent and eating a cocktail frank like a normal person?

Listen, he knows how to show up and act out, which is all we can have ever expected from this guy. At the end of the day, just take comfort in knowing that his jacket cost $50k and will be impossible to dry clean. It’s also sold out.

The long-awaited return of Verzuz is upon us, and the comeback event will ensure it’s well worth the wait. After a nearly year-long hiatus since the last event, which featured R&B stars Mario and Omarion, Verzuz will return on September 8, pitting superproducers Diddy and Jermaine Dupri against each other in a matchup the duo previously confirmed in October. On Sunday, Busta Rhymes posted a video to his Instagram Story in which Diddy confirmed the next Verzuz date and promised to have Busta “in the rafters” of Madison Square Garden, “flying out the sky.”

No doubt, Diddy’s gift for showmanship will serve him well at the next Verzuz, which he initially refused to do as a result of Swizz Beatz and Timbaland’s lawsuit against Triller. However, it seems once the Verzuz founders reached a settlement with the streamer, all bets were back on the table. The battle between the Bad Boy Records and So So Def founders could see appearances from the likes of former Verzuz participants The Lox, Mase, Mary J Blige, and more on Diddy’s side, while JD could tap Bow Wow, Da Brat, and a string of JD’s collaborators including Ludacris, Usher, Monica, and more. You can find more info at VerzuzTV.com.

An eventful weekend for most people involves going to the supermarket. Maybe fixing the garage door. Finally getting around to cleaning the gutters. Tom Cruise is not — and I say this with love — most people.

Over this past weekend, the Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One star recorded a mid-flight video to congratulate Charles III on becoming the king. That same fighter plane also made a virtual appearance at the host-less MTV Movie & TV Awards, where he won Best Performance in a Movie for Top Gun: Maverick.

“Thank you so much for this award. I make these films for you. I love you. I love entertaining you. To know how much you enjoy it, how much you appreciate it, there’s just no better feeling,” Cruise said in a video. Many celebrity acceptance speeches are disingenuous (did ALF really want to thank “everyone” when he won Favorite TV Actor at the 1989 Kids’ Choice Awards?), but I believe Cruise when he says he loves our admiration. It explains why he continues to do this in his mid-50s, when he very much doesn’t have to.

Cruise’s weekend wasn’t done, however. He also attended 2023 Miami Formula One Grand Prix, where he mingled with Shakira and took a photo with Fast X stars Vin Diesel and Ludacris.

This post has 1.7 million likes as of publication. It deserves 10 times that. At least.

(Via People)

In what’s being described as a peak Logan Roy move, Succession star Brian Cox has reportedly submitted his Season 4 performance as the no-nonsense, foul-mouthed media mogul in the Emmy category for Lead Actor in a Drama Series. However, this move is causing a bit of head-scratching.

As fans of Succession know, Logan appears very briefly in the final season. In fact (uh, spoilers), he dies in the third episode, in an impressive move by the creative team that made Logan’s death a complete shock to viewers. Granted, Logan’s death was not entirely expected, but not with seven episodes left to go. The pivotal moment was also filmed with a brutal realness that left the Roy siblings dealing with Matthew Macfadyen’s Tom, who acted as a middleman over the phone.

Setting aside Cox’s short presence in the season, there’s also the matter of his Succession co-stars Jeremy Strong and Kieran Culkin, who are also competing for Lead Actor.

Via Variety:

With Cox, Culkin and Strong opting for the same category, the show could make history as the first to land three lead drama actor noms in a year. In addition, it would be the first for any leading male category.

In any lead actress categories, that has already happened three times: NBC’s “The Golden Girls” did it in 1986-87 with Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Bea Arthur (who coincidentally walked away with one award each during their respective years); and in 2005, ABC’s “Desperate Housewives” landed noms for Marcia Cross, Teri Hatcher and eventual winner Felicity Huffman.

On Twitter, Emmy watchers are predicting that Cox’s entry is basically going to cause a three-way split and hand a Lead Actor win to Bob Odenkirk for the final season of Better Call Saul:

Meanwhile, the Succession fan reactions vary from confusion to laughing at Cox for channeling Logan by screwing over his on-screen children in epic fashion:

(Via Variety)