Month: May 2023

American Idol viewers have brought attention to Katy Perry’s — in their words — “unhinged behavior” on the show in several viral clips. However, the proud California girl’s meme-worthy unintentional humor apparrently traveled with her across the pond.

While attending the Coronation of King Charles III, Perry had difficulty locating her assigned seat before her scheduled performance. In a clip now viewed over two million times, she aimlessly paces inside the Westminster Abbey while accompanied by British Vogue editor-in-chief, Edward Enninful. The pair quickly became social media’s newest meme.

In the end, Perry was a good sport about the jokes. She responded to the viral video on Twitter, writing, “Don’t worry guys. I found my seat.”

The musician then took to Instagram to share her gratitude for the opportunity to attend the event, writing, “Was such an honor to be able to watch history being made today at the coronation of King Charles III! I am so grateful to have been invited by The King on behalf of The British Asian Trust and their Children Protection Fund, an organization I’ve deeply believed in and have been fortunate to support for the last three years.”

Perry knows just how hot and cold the internet can be. So, it’s always best to enjoy a good laugh when you can.

Jack Harlow may go to extreme measures to weasel his way out of interviews. However, he holds nothing back when it comes to trash-talking both on-screen and in his music. In his song, “They Don’t Love It,” featured on his latest album, Jackman, the rapper declared himself the “hardest white boy since the one who rapped about vomit and sweaters.” That was clearly a reference to Eminem and it prompted fans to flood social media with their thoughts on the matter. Now rapper-turned-rockstar Machine Gun Kelly is chiming in.

Instead of firing off a series of tweets, Machine Gun Kelly took it back to the essence of rap by dropping a diss track aimed at Harlow. Ironically enough, the diss was performed over the beat of Jay-Z’s 2001 song “Renegade,” which featured Eminem, his longtime rival. Throughout the freestyle, the musician takes subtle jabs, but near the end of the track, he goes in for the haymaker.

“I’m a great white I can eat these barracuda / See who I am? You’re stupid, it’s nice to meet you / I just put this hole in the ground for you like a soccer cleat shoe / I see why they call you Jackman, you jacked man’s whole swag / Give Drake his flow back, man, I eat rappers like Pac-Man / Must I regurgitate and show you who’s in my stomach / From the Last Dance? I battle rapped, no Instagrams,” raps Kelly.

Despite pouring all his energy into his creative endeavors late last year, Kelly ensured that he “never departed” from his rap music roots. This freestyle is just another example of that sentiment.

Watch the video above.

Jackman is out now via Atlantic. Find more information here.

Jack Harlow is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The New York Times has a lengthy new profile of Elizabeth Holmes, the Theranos maven who was supposed to report to a Texas prison last month for a 11.25-year sentence. (After making a last-minute request, that was pushed back to an as-yet-undetermined date, possibly due to her recently giving birth to a second child.) The piece finds a very different Holmes than the one seen in public: a relaxed mother of two in a healthy marriage — that is, if you can trust that someone convicted of fraud isn’t simply trying to deceive a reporter. It also unearths a secret that should shock exactly no one: That ridiculous low voice? Yep, it’s a fake.

“In case you’re wondering,” writes reporter Amy Chozick, “Ms. Holmes speaks in a soft, slightly low, but totally unremarkable voice, no hint of the throaty contralto she used while running her defunct blood-testing start-up Theranos.”

But that’s not all she claims she was faking. She claims that the Elizabeth Holmes seen in interviews, at presentations, and in courtrooms or in award-winning TV shows — the one with the low voice and the Steve Job-ian black turtlenecks — was a “character” she created when she was a 19-year-old who founded a biotech company.

“I believed it would be how I would be good at business and taken seriously and not taken as a little girl or a girl who didn’t have good technical ideas,” she claimed. “Maybe people picked up on that not being authentic, since it wasn’t.”

Throughout the piece, which found her spending several days with Holmes and her family, Chozick finds herself questioning whether she can trust that the calm and reserved version of the disgraced Theranos honcho is itself also a character. Perhaps “Liz” — who works at a rape-crisis hotline and gives off the vibe of being “normal” — is as much a fiction as the “Elizabeth” who speaks with a thoroughly unconvincing fake voice.

(NYT)

Tucker Carlson has been off the airwaves for nearly two weeks, and there’s a chance his absence will last a lot longer. Fox News, which abruptly canned him late last month, could very well keep him on exclusive contract until January 2025. If they do, that means he can’t nip off to Newsmax or create his own rival media company. Another Fox News alum, Megyn Kelly, recently advised him to fight back. Reportedly he’s already thinking of doing just that.

A source described as a “close Carlson friend” told Axios that the guy who’s introduced millions of viewers to white supremacist conspiracy theories has been plotting his revenge on the downlow, telling people, “I want to get this done quiet and clean.”

But now he’s allegedly thinking of something more aggressive. “We’re going from peacetime to Defcon 1,” said Carlson’s friend. “His team is preparing for war. He wants his freedom.”

Another source told Axios that Carlson “knows where a lot of bodies are buried, and is ready to start drawing a map.”

Carlson has keep a low profile since his unexpected — and still unexplained — termination. He initially told reporters things were “going great” and that he finally had time to spend with the wife. A few days after, he released a cryptic video in which he called the media “stupid” and dropped what sounded like ominous dog-whistles for his base.

So you might see Tucker sooner rather than later. For now, enjoy the silence.

(Via Axios)

It’s been almost a week since the Writers Guild of America went on strike and not all Hollywood productions have reacted the same way. Late night chat and sketch shows, which rely on writers, have gone dark (unless they’re on Fox News). Some scripted shows, like House of the Dragon, have decided to soldier on with completed scripts, even though writers are regularly changing things during filming. But another, even more popular show ain’t doing that.

As per Variety, Stranger Things was supposed to start filming its fifth and final season this month. But since thousands of writers are picketing for things like fair pay and regulations on AI tech, they’re going on hiatus.

“Writing does not stop when filming begins,” wrote the Duffer brothers, the show’s creators, on its Twitter account. “While we’re excited to start production with our amazing cast and crew, it is not possible during this strike. We hope a fair deal is reached soon so we can all get back to work. Until then — over and out.”

The scripts for Stranger Things’ last season were completed last summer, but, as they said, that doesn’t mean they aren’t still tinkering with them during principal photography. And so one of Netflix’s biggest juggernauts has joined such shows as Cobra Kai and Big Mouth, which have faced delays or gone on hiatus until a deal has been reached with Hollywood studios and streamers. Till then, at least some of the striking writers can feast upon pizza — good pizza — given to them by Pete Davidson.

(Via Variety)

Every single week, our TV and film experts will list the most important ten streaming selections for you to pop into your queues. We’re not strictly operating upon reviews or accrued streaming clicks (although yes, we’ve scoured the streaming site charts) but, instead, upon those selections that are really worth noticing amid the churning sea of content. There’s a lot out there, after all, and your time is valuable.

TIE: 10. Renfield (Universal Pictures film streaming on VOD and Amazon Prime)

Nicolas Cage adds to his gathering of off-his-rocker characters to finally play Dracula. He apparently never stopped being Dracula on set, and most method acting can be insufferable, but can you blame Cage for deciding to go there with such a role? The other Nicholas (Hoult, that is) portrays poor Renfield, the assistant to Dracula because delegation must happen. They’re codependent, too. This movie hasn’t received the most flattering reviews, but if you are a Cage completist, you won’t be able to resist him in this nightmare role.

TIE: 10. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (Paramount Pictures film on VOD and Amazon Prime)

The good graces that be decided to make this tabletop role-playing game adaptation into a comedy, which was a wise move, considering that this obsession shouldn’t be taken too seriously, even by fans. Hugh Grant gets to be a baddie again while Michelle Rodriguez kicks ass as usual, and Chris Pine swashbuckles around with Regé-Jean Page smoldering in plain sight for good measure. This box-office hit can now liven up your living room, so stream to your nerd-heart’s content.

9. Mrs. Davis (Peacock series)

Slowly, this show is parceling out the details of Simone’s quest as Betty Gilpin keeps wearing that nun’s habit. Jesus! Literally. Watchmen oddball Damon Lindelof keeps things weird throughout this series, and I’m still convinced that Lube Man haunts the joint. Jake McDorman’s Wiley turns out to be far more than a pretty cowboy-face, and I wish we could discuss more, but this show is best left in a pure state for you to enjoy without being spoiled.

8. Dead Ringers (Amazon Prime Video series)

Somehow, this series adaptation of David Cronenberg’s 1988 film (starring Jeremy Irons) churns out a more unsettling iteration of twin gynecologists. Rachel Weisz picks up both roles while essentially also playing God at a fancy-pants fertility clinic. Along the way, a feminist interpretation shines through while the body-horrific series examines the complexity of reproductive health, but mainly, it will make you perhaps never go to the doctor again.

7. The Diplomat (Netflix series)

It’s about damn time that Keri Russell starred in a TV show again, and she’s back in the realm of political intrigue. Here, she portrays a less hardcore character (than in FX’s The Americans) in terms of danger and genuine, nail-biting risk, but she’s also balancing a challenging marriage with a demanding career. People cannot get enough of this meat-and-potatoes-style streaming TV in manner of The Night Agent, but the great news is that we’re going to receive second seasons of both series.

6. White House Plumbers (HBO series streaming on HBO Max)

Even if you didn’t know that you could enjoy a Watergate portrayal in this day and age, the Veep guys are here to bring you an absurd look behind the scenes of this honest-to-god fiasco. Justin Theroux bestows the world with a knockout performance as G. Gordon Liddy’s mustache with Woody Harrelson giving us a believable portrayal of the cocky-as-hell E. Howard Hunt. In the end, we receive a satiric look at the experiences of Egil Krogh during and after his Special Investigations Unit leadership. The “plumbers” comes from the cutesy nickname associated with plugging information leaks, and this David Mandel-directed limited series grows a bit stressful at times, but it always remembers to be fun.

5. Sweet Tooth (Netflix series)

Another Netflix show scored a swift renewal. Christian Convery will return as Gus for one more season, and this season doesn’t feature enough of him bouncing off against Nonso Anozie’s gruff Jeppard, but they’re both still in action. This season, Team Downey enlightens the audience more on the post-Great Crumble madness, and we get to see plenty more adorable Hybrids in a twisted fairytale that managed to involve a virus during pandemic times but still rise above that potential pitfall.

4. Barry (HBO series streaming on HBO Max)

Only a handful of episodes remain for the world to keep enjoying Anthony Carrigan’s irresistible performance as as the perpetually-disguised Noho Hank. Henry Winkler will also have to find a way to hop right back onto our TV screens, and Bill Hader’s brainchild will also collectively bid the world goodbye. It’s not easy to maintain the life of an assassin-turned-actor, after all, and even though this show is ending, we can still be grateful to have had such wildness at our disposal.

3. Silo (Apple TV+ series)

Justified creator Graham Yost ain’t in Harlan County here. Instead, he world-built an underground silo (as introduced in Hugh Howey’s first book, Wool) meant to house the 10,000 or so souls left on Earth following an apocalyptic event. Rebecca Ferguson portrays hard-as-nails engineer Juliette, who keeps the whole joint together. She uncovers too many secrets for her own good, naturally, and this show turns into a gripping meditation of how both truth and lies can be equally deadly. Ferguson’s co-stars include Rashida Jones, David Oyelowo, Tim Robbins, Harriet Walter, and Common’s leather jacket.

2. Succession (HBO series streaming on HBO Max)

After last week’s Logan Roy jumpscare, the world awaits word of how long it will take for Kendall and Roman to completely screw the pooch and prove to their dad’s ghost that they are “not serious people.” Let’s hope that we will see more of Lukas Matsson’s abs, along with more followup on that bitey stuff, but most of all, I’m hoping that Gerri goes nuclear after Roman’s gross power trip. Only a few more episodes remain of the Roys, y’all.

1. Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (Netflix series)

Unlike with The Witcher, this spinoff enhances and is arguably even better than the original series. We get a different focus upon Shondaland’s corset-filled, 19th century soap opera of a world when the series ravels back in time to take in Charlotte’s origin story as portrayed by India Amarteifio, along with regular visits with Golda Rosheuvel as her present-day incarnation. It’s heartbreaking to know how this couple turns out in later life (Corey Mylchreest steps in as the younger version of King George), but at least we’ll always have that Snorting Habit to bring some relief.

The Los Angeles Lakers took Game 3 of their Western Conference Semifinal series against the Golden State Warriors. Despite the defending champions racing out to an 11-point lead in the second quarter, the Lakers rode a 30-8 run in the frame to a nine-point halftime lead. That cushion grew and grew during the second half, and by the time things came to an end, L.A. went up, 2-1, thanks to a 127-97 win.

As has been the case in both Lakers wins, L.A.’s physicality and desire to attack the rim led to a whole lot of free throws. After the game, Draymond Green cited this as the main reason why the Warriors lost their grip on the game in the second quarter.

“They game stopped,” Green said when asked why the team’s momentum dissipated in the second. “[They were] on the free throw line every time.”

When asked about the way the officials called the game, Green said “it is what it is, game over now, don’t matter if I’m satisfied.” He also called it “frustrating” when a game stops and starts.

The Lakers shot 37 free throws on Saturday night, with 15 of them coming in the second quarter. This included a technical foul on Green, who expressed his discontent over his third foul of the night in such a way that he was T’d up.

The free throw line has been crucial to the Lakers in their two wins this season, as they outscored the Warriors by 20 points from the line in Game 1 and 16 points in Game 3. In their one loss in the series, the two teams were level on points from the charity stripe.

Bronny James is going to play his college basketball in Los Angeles. In a post on his Instagram account on Saturday afternoon, Bronny announced his verbal commitment to USC, where he’ll join a class that features a pair of blue-chip prospects in Isaiah Collier, the No. 1 player in the nation, and Arrinten Page.

It’s a big win for the Trojans, which were believed to be one of three schools fighting for Bronny’s commitment, along with Ohio State and Oregon. And in the aftermath of the news, Bronny’s dad, LeBron James, hopped onto his Instagram and celebrated his oldest child’s decision.

“FIGHT ON !!!” LeBron wrote in his caption. “So damn proud of you kid! I have no words besides I LOVE YOU @bronny!!! LET’S GO!!!!!!!! #GoTrojans”

It’s one of the two big basketball questions about Bronny’s future that had been unanswered. The other, of course, won’t be answered until he’s on an NBA roster, and that’s whether or not his dad’s well-documented wish that they can play alongside one another will come to fruition. Bronny cannot enter the NBA until 2024 at the earliest, which lines up with LeBron’s next potential foray into free agency — his current option has a player option for 2024-25, and if he picks it up, he can become an unrestricted free agent at the end of that season.

This would mean that LeBron is playing into his 40s, but seeing as how he’s still playing at a high level at the age of 38, it’s certainly plausible that he has another 2-3 years of being a productive NBA player in him. But until then, we expect to see him courtside at a whole lot of USC basketball games while Bronny’s suiting up for the Trojans.

Back in March, it was announced that WWE would head to Puerto Rico for Backlash, marking the first time since January of 2005 that WWE would hold an event on the island. Unsurprisingly, it was revealed that Bad Bunny would be part of the proceedings, as the world famous artist and native of Puerto Rico has a rich history with the promotion and has turned himself into one of the best wrestlers among the celebrities who have stepped into the squared circle.

WWE set things up for Bunny to step into the ring at Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot for a San Juan Street Fight against Judgement Day’s Damian Priest, with whom he teamed at WrestleMania 37. Unsurprisingly, the crowd was electric as he made his way to the ring to his 2017 single “Chambea.”

Bunny, right out of the gate, showed off his chops in the ring, hitting Priest with a Michinoku driver.

The match eventually spilled to the outside of the ring, where Bunny hit Priest with a crossbody from the top rope.

Bunny was able to go to his shopping cart full of weapons and take it to Priest with some trash can lids and a kendo stick. After Priest got the kendo stick away from him, Bunny hit him with a Falcon Arrow for a two count, and eventually, Priest was able to pull a fast one on him by getting him out of the ring and throwing a big boot through a garbage can.

From there, Priest hit Bunny with both a garbage can lid and a kendo stick before things spilled into the crowd. While there, Priest was able to land a Broken Arrow through a table before throwing Bunny over his shoulder and carrying him back to ringside.

After ducking out of the path of a kick from Priest that hit the turnbuckle, Bunny started to attack his left leg, which included a kendo stick right to the ankle. He wrapped a chain around Priest’s ankle and pulled his leg into a turnbuckle, then smashed his leg with a chair. Eventually, Priest’s Judgement Day partners, Finn Balor and Dominik Mysterio, ran in to interfere, only for Rey Mysterio to come to Bunny’s aid. While that wasn’t enough, Carlito made a cameo in a Latino World Order shirt to lend a hand, which ended with Rey hitting Dominik with a 619 and Carlito spitting an apple in his face. While Judgement Day were attempting to retreat, Savio Vega came out with Latino World Order to take them out.

Back in the ring, Bunny threw a figure four on Priest and attacked his injured leg, which led to him nearly tapping out. Priest was ultimately able to get out of it, but Bunny countered for a near-fall, and after Priest went head-first into a chair stuck in the corner, Bunny landed a Sliced Bread #2 for another near-fall. To get the pinfall, Bunny landed a Canadian Destroyer, which was a callback to his match at WrestleMania 37.

The LWO came out after with a Puerto Rican flag for Bunny, who celebrated while the crowd sang along to his entrance music. While this did not close the night, this will go down as one of the most entertaining matches in WWE this year.

The 149th running of the Kentucky Derby took place on Saturday afternoon at Churchill Downs. In a thrilling race, Mage, which closed at 15-1 odds to win, was able to use a late charge to overtake Two Phil’s and win the race. You can watch the full race right here.

Two Phil’s was able to hold on for second, while Angel of Empire was able to take third. It was a stunning result for Mage, which entered the day with only three starts under its belt and one win, and now gets to add a win in the Kentucky Derby to its list of accomplishments. Mage was rode by Javier Castellano, a 45-year-old native of Venezuela who had never won the Kentucky Derby despite this being the 16th race in which he participated. After the race, NBC caught up with Castellano to get his reaction to finally getting over the hump.

Next up for Mage in its efforts to win the Triple Crown is the Preakness Stakes, which will take place on Saturday, May 20 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. The horse will look to become the first since 2018 to win all three races, when Justify became the 13th horse in history to earn the honor.