Month: June 2023

In his memoir, Pageboy, Elliot Page detailed an encounter he had with a famous actor who verbally assaulted him.

In the chapter, “Famous Asshole at a Party,” The Umbrella Academy star writes that in 2014, he was approached at a party by an actor who told Page that “you aren’t gay. That doesn’t exist. You are just afraid of men.” He added, “I’m going to f*ck you to make you realize you aren’t gay.” A few days later, they ran into each other at the gym, and the actor, who Page described as an “acquaintance,” said, “I don’t have a problem with gay people I swear.”

Page, who came out as a trans man in 2020, told People, “I’ve had some version of that happen many times throughout my life. A lot of queer and trans people deal with it incessantly. These moments that we often like don’t talk about or we’re supposed to just brush off, when actually it’s very awful.”

He continued:

I put that story in the book because it’s about highlighting the reality, the sh*t we deal with and what gets sent to us constantly, particularly in environments that are predominantly cis and heterosexual. How we navigate that world where you either have more extreme, overt moments like that. Or you have the more, like, subtle jokes. [In Hollywood] these are very powerful people. They’re the ones choosing what stories are being told and creating content for people to see all around the world.”

Page made the deliberate decision to not share the actor’s name, “but he will hear about this and know it’s him.” You can read more from Pageboy here.

(Via People)

Peter Parker is most well-known for being, well, a nerdy teen who likes to take pictures and has an affinity for science (and sometimes redheads). But the various Spider-Men in Across The Spider-Verse each have their own stories. Peter B. Parker, for instance, is a young dad trying to balance out his Spider-Man persona while on daycare duty. Then there’s Spider-Punk, who is a cool dude who plays guitar. There really is a Spidey for everyone.

Across The Spider-Verse introduces Spider-Man 2099 aka Miguel O’Hara, a non-nonsense grump who has to keep Miles Morales in line. This is quite the departure for Oscar Isaac, who voices O’Hara, as he is…. practically the opposite of a grumpy dude. He might even be a little ray of sunshine! Most of the time.

Isaac opened up to GQ about his new character, and why he was the one to bring O’Hara to life. “Miguel O’Hara is pretty amazing as a character,” Isaac said that that’s what attracted him to the voice role. “He’s got this particular unique quality to him, but there are lots of things about him that I think are very surprising and make him such his own thing. The fangs and claws and this violence that’s simmering underneath at all times? He’s just a really interesting character.” Even though O’Hara is a far cry away from Isaac’s more charming characters like our good friend Poe.

Even if fans don’t get any fun Spider-jokes in Oscar Isaac’s voice, he was happy to try out a different type of character. “I do think he gets to by the nature of him being the straight man, you know? So no, I wasn’t disappointed at all. There was so much to do there, we laughed so much. Finding the humor with someone that just is so serious can be really fun.”

Speaking of laughing, Isaac says that if he could bring another Spider on board, it would be Pedro Pascal as a “cranky, old Spider-Person.” Just imagine the dialogue between those two. It would be hard to look away.

Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse is in theaters now.

(Via GQ)

We’re halfway through 2023, and it’s safe to say that things have been pretty bleak for the LGBTQ community. Brands like Bud Light and Target have all come under fire for marketing allyship, while — more insidiously — nearly 500 bills are being tracked in the U.S. that attack LGBTQ rights.

The silver lining: the LGBTQ community is known for its resilience. Pride festivals were born out of a brutal police protest, after all. As the calendar changes to June — Pride Month — festival season is in full swing.

To celebrate the season, we’ve highlighted ten performers across the rainbow spectrum that will take stages across the U.S. From a former Britney Spears backup dancer who’s finding his own light to a nonbinary artist who reworked tracks by Harry Styles and Phoebe Bridgers to be gender-neutral, read on to discover a new queer fav.

_SANTI_

For fans of: Bad Bunny, Ice Spice

Despite sharing a home state with Gov. Rob DeSantis, no U.S. city goes harder for Pride Month than Miami; in fact, they already had a two-week festival in April. Their month-long programming for June starts with Friday’s (June 2) kick-off party, which features a performance from Venezuela-born artist _SANTI_. The reggaeton rapper garnered a fanbase with Spanglish remixes of Kim Petras’ horniest tracks, but showed off his versatility with an EP of original party anthems, dripping with his distinct erotic energy. Fans can also catch him alongside Tinashe and Ty Sunderland at the Wynwood Pride Music Festival (June 10).
Check out: “perreON,” “Treat me like a slut”

Tolliver

For fans of: Janelle Monáe, CeeLo
Growing up, Chicago-born Tolliver couldn’t escape the church: he’s the son of a pastor and a gospel choir singer. It’s evident in his soulful sound, and in the core message of his latest album, Daddyland. The record doubles as a letter to his deceased father, unraveling worries that he’d be condemned for his lifestyle. Tolliver brings his fabulous brand of sass to the WeHo Pride stage opening night (June 2), with Grace Jones, Jessie Ware, Carly Rae Jepsen, and Passion Pit set to perform throughout the weekend.
Check out: “Jimmy,” “Call Me A Freak”

Lorelei K

For fans of: Florence and the Machine, Lykke Li
Among the acts taking the Dallas Pride (June 3) stage is hometown heroine Lorelei K. Known for her haunting vocals and ethereal production, the avant-pop artist creates her own arresting album artwork to match. She described her latest release “I Want To Be Alone,” as music for inked stoner babes and freaks with daddy issues.
Check out: “Lying Love,” “Blue Part Four”

Siena Liggins

For fans of: Charli XCX, Shygirl
Pop artist Siena Liggins is truly doing the most this Pride season, appearing at LGBTQ festivals in Detroit (June 10), Sacramento (June 11), Columbus (June 17), and Seattle (June 24-25). Exploring genres from hyper-pop to hip-hop, Liggins blends it all together under her masterful wordplay: “Friends, girl, I come with all the benefits / Total package, no subscription,” she teases on her latest release, the slinky “Sneaky Links.”
Check out: “Sneaky Links,” “thicc”

Maude Latour

For fans of: Lorde, Oliva Rodrigo
When the pandemic hit, bedroom pop singer Maude Latour was forced to cancel live shows, including her debut at South By Southwest. Not one to give up, Latour turned to TikTok where her stream-of-conscious style songwriting helped her land a passionate audience (and a record deal). She’s since returned to the stage, and Midwest fans can catch her at Indy Pride (June 10) alongside Saucy Santana and Of Montreal.
Check out: “One More Weekend,” “I am not the sun”

Allegra Hernandez

For fans of: The Pretty Reckless, Ethel Cain
“How many times does it take / for you to address me in the right way?,” screams Allegra Hernandez on their succinctly titled “Use My Fkn Pronouns.” Given the political climate in the Des Moines-native’s home state, they have a lot to be pissed off about. But Hernandez is more than angst; as attendees of Capital City Pride (June 10) will experience, they also know their way around a guitar.
Check out: “Use My Fkn Pronouns,” “Serious”

Mad Tsai

For fans of: Yungblood, Conan Gray
Growing up, Taiwanese and Peruvian musician Mad Tsai felt disillusioned by coming-of-age films where he didn’t see himself represented. Now, he’s reclaiming the narrative, envisioning a world where queer Asian and Latinx heroes can take center stage. Tsai plays out his main character fantasy in his latest pair of music videos “in my head” and “stacy’s brother,” the latter being a queer twist on the 2000s pop/rock anthem “Stacy’s Mom.” And for his next role? Tsai will join LA Pride (June 10) with a stacked lineup that includes Mariah Carey, Megan Thee Stallion, King Princess, and RuPaul’s Drag Race current reigning winner Sasha Colby.
Check out: “stacy’s brother,” “killer queen”

Willie Gomez

For fans of: J Balvin, Maluma
Willie Gomez may have toured the world as a backup dancer for pop titans like Katy Perry, Britney Spears, and Kylie Minogue, but the Dominican heartthrob is prepared to step into his own spotlight. With his party-forward debut album, last year’s Del Cibao, Gomez is taking the stage at Omaha’s Heartland Pride (June 15) to show off his solo star power.
Check out: “Morjadoes,” “Yun Yun”

Mila Jam

For fans of: Idina Menzel, Victoria Monét
A self-described “artivist,” NYC-based Mila Jam has built her fanbase by combining her outspoken LGBTQ advocacy with soulful, pop melodies. Her latest anthem, “Say Your Name,” was released on Transgender Day of Visibility to empower the transgender and drag community amidst the ominous political climate. She’ll join Christina Aguilera and Angelica Ross for Stonewall Day (June 23) in her home city.
Check out: “Fierce,” “Say Your Name”

Mika Ratsula

For fans of: Phoebe Bridgers, MUNA
For Nashville Pride (June 24) performer Mika Ratsula, visibility is key. They don’t shy away from vulnerable subjects; instead Ratsula, who identifies as nonbinary, leans into them, exploring topics like coming out and gender envy with honest storytelling over lo-fi soundscapes. On last year’s Made For Them EP, the singer-songwriter reimagined tracks by Harry Styles and Phoebe Bridgers to be completely gender-neutral.
Check out: “jealous of my brother,” “Missing June”

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

Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour has brought out the inner Swiftie amongst local elected officials, business owners, and more wherever she visits. The record-breaking tour is looking to do the same when it storms international shores. Mexican Swifties will know before the summer comes to an end.

The “Anti-Hero” took to Instagram to announce the first wave of international The Eras Tour dates. Swift’s Latin American wing will launch in Mexico City on Thursday, August 24. The post captioned, “Really thrilled to tell you this! Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil: We are bringing The Eras Tour to you this year,” went on to uncover the featured supporting act.

“Sweet angel princess Sabrina Carpenter will be joining us on all of the shows,” wrote Swift.

The songwriter added, “LOTS more international dates to come soon, promise!”

Fans looking to secure tickets must register for a chance to enter the virtual queue. Registration is open until Wednesday, June 7, at 11:59 p.m. CDMX time. Find the Latin American dates below and more information here.

08/24 — Mexico City, MX @ Foro Sol
08/25 — Mexico City, MX @ Foro Sol
08/26 — Mexico City, MX @ Foro Sol
11/09 — Buenos Aires, AR @ Estadio River Plate
11/10 — Buenos Aires, AR @ Estadio River Plate
11/18 — Rio de Janeiro, BR @ Estadio Nilton Santos – Engenhao
11/25 — São Paulo, BR @ Allianz Parque
11/26 — São Paulo, BR @ Allianz Parque

Many people have experienced seeing chimpanzees at a zoo or some other animal sanctuary, but they weren’t all born into captivity. Some are rescued from the wild and others are raised by humans because their mothers rejected them for one reason or another.

Limbani was one of those chimps rejected by his mother when he was born. He was born with pneumonia, and his mother rejected him early on, likely because he would’ve died or slowed her down. The laws of nature can be cruel, but when you live in the wild, it’s survival of the fittest, and having to look out for a new baby is probably already a vulnerable position for an animal to be in. Adding in a baby that is sickly is probably too much to risk.

Luckily for Limbani, he was rescued by a zoo, but it quickly became clear that the baby chimp needed care around the clock in order to survive.

---

That’s when Limbani was placed with Tania and Jorge Sanchez, who had volunteered to foster the baby while he continued to receive care. The Sanchezes were part of the crew that looked after Limbani when he was receiving intense treatment while at the zoo. But it’s been years since Limbani was a sickly baby chimpanzee. After his successful recovery while living with Tania and Jorge, he was moved to the Zoological Wildlife Foundation, where he has remained for nearly seven years.

But recently, the once-abandoned chimp was reunited again with his foster family. His reaction is always as if he hasn’t seen them in years, though they have visited him on more than one occasion. Limbani ran excitedly towards the two before springing into Jorge’s arms, with lots of hugs and kisses coming from both the humans and the chimp. They even went out for a treat together.

Seems that it’s always a party when they get together. Their reunions have been caught on video previously, proving that while he likely misses them, the couple remains in contact with their furry baby. That doesn’t stop their reunions from being the cutest events ever. Watch one of the first times they reunited below, complete with Limbani in a baby onesie.

If you’ve been paying any attention to the discourse surrounding female rappers lately, you’ll likely be aware of a common complaint about rap’s recent slate of it-girls, who take more than their fair share of abuse online for making rap that breaks from traditional, street-centric, tough-guy content in favor of twerk-ready, independent woman anthems. While those men (it’s always men) are wrong, rap’s latest it-girl offers something completely different. Meet Scar Lip, the Brooklyn-born, Bronx-raised mic menace whose single “This Is New York” has her dominating viral playlists and rapidly becoming one of hip-hop’s most recognizable faces.

Who Is Scar Lip?

Born Sierra Lewis sometime around the turn of the millennium (not a lot of biographical info is readily available about this burgeoning star), Scar Lip had a rough upbringing, resulting in the injury that gave her her stage name and a devil-may-care approach to rhyming (and life) that has many fans comparing her to a young DMX, who she counts as an inspiration alongside the rap group Onyx. Those influences show in her flow.

While a number of similarly tough-talking female lyricists have risen from the gritty streets of New York (among them: Cardi B, Lola Brooke, Nicki Minaj, and more), Scar Lip raps like the living embodiment of the phrase “mad brick” — both the local idiom meaning “it’s hella cold” and, well… imagine very angry masonry flying at your face. That’s how Scar Lip raps. Every bar is a big brass barbell being flung by the most brolic and belligerent weightlifter in the gym.

A sample from “This Is New York”: “This is New York, f*ck I look like tellin’ a n**** good morning?”

That’s the first line, by the way. Scar Lip’s exaggerated hostility has captured rap fans’ imaginations thanks to tracks like “New York” and “Glizzy Gobbler” and her viral Funk Flex freestyle, leading to appreciation from newfound peers like Swizz Beatz, who put her on his Hip-Hop 50 EP alongside fellow NY stalwarts Benny The Butcher and Jadakiss, Shaq, who recruited her for his “Bodies Freestyle,” and Snoop Dogg, who added his voice to a “This Is Cali” remix.

Although she’s yet to release a full-length body of work (and test fans’ tolerance for 20+ minutes of unhinged bars like the sample above), there’s certainly a lane for her hyper-aggressive style among more laid-back contemporaries like Ice Spice and Latto. And with so much support from hip-hop’s old heads (who probably miss when the genre radiated an air of danger compared to the more emo-friendly material on tap today), she’s got the headwinds to take her far after signing with Epic Records earlier this week. Ready or not, here she comes.

Check out some of Scar Lip’s signature tracks below:

The Phoenix Suns decided to make a major change at head coach this offseason, as new owner Mat Ishbia decided to part ways with Monty Williams and bring in a new voice to lead the team. On Friday afternoon, we learned the role will end up going to Frank Vogel, the former head coach of the Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic, and most recently, Los Angeles Lakers.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Phoenix and Vogel are hammering out the details of a long-term deal, with Shams Charania of The Athletic reporting that he’ll agree to a 5-year, $31 million contract.

Vogel brings a career record of 431-389 to the Suns, and while his tenure with Orlando didn’t go especially well, he led the Pacers and the Lakers to the postseason in seven of his nine years at the helm of those teams. Most notably, this included the Lakers’ run to the most recent championship in franchise history, as his first year in Los Angeles ended with the team lifting the Larry O’Brien trophy while they were in the NBA’s Orlando Bubble.

His time with the Lakers came to an end following the 2021-22 season, when Los Angeles missed out on the playoffs. He spent last year out of the coaching game altogether. Now, he’ll head to a team with ultra-high expectations of winning a title behind the duo of Devin Booker and Kevin Durant.

Chase customers woke up to quite the shock on Friday morning as they noticed the financial institution was somehow duplicating Zelle payments. As the bank got slammed on Twitter for overdrawing accounts and generally freaking out customers who saw large payments processed twice, a spokesperson for Chase put out statement saying that the bank is aware of the issue and is working to resolve the problem.

“We’re sorry,” the spokesperson told MarketWatch. “We’re working to resolve the issue and will automatically reverse any duplicates and adjust any related fees.”

However, that message took a while to reach customers, who have reportedly been on hold for hours due to the overwhelming amount of calls over the widespread issue. That said, customers are reportedly being assured that the matter will be resolved if they do manage to reach a representative.

“Anyone waking up to duplicate zelle charges from chase, my call just went through and was told the duplicate charge should be credited within 24hours,” one user tweeted. “They’re having issues with this today. I was on hold for an hour, so just in case anyone else wakes up freaked out lol.”

In the meantime, Chase is getting slammed on social media as customers continue to discover that their accounts have been double charged, and some are not pleased with the fact that they have to wait at least 24 hours for the issue to be fixed.

You can see some of the reactions below:

(Via MarketWatch)

Warning: Me and Eric Andre talk a lot about playing tennis with your dick in this interview. The topic is in reference to a bit on The Eric Andre Show (which returns Sunday at midnight on Adult Swim) that could really and truly only be found on that specific show, which is now entering its sixth season as late night’s most chaotic and creative exercise in shocking the hell out of audiences and guests. That’s “Sexy Season Six” as Andre calls it because they were hopped up on Prince videos, Eric’s rockin’ bod (the press release announcing this season declared that Eric was “stripped, shredded, full of energy, complete with beads of sweat dripping down from his taut nips onto his glistening six pack abs”), and a durable leopard print speedo that pops up so much it might be third in the credits beside Eric and sidekick Felipe Esparza. Thank goodness it’s back, bringing the awkwardness with a smashing guest list including Blac Chyna, Diplo, Rico Nasty, Waka Flocka Flame, Lil Yachty, Jon Hamm, and Meagan Good.

In addition to Andre’s speedos and stewardship of genital sports, trying to shock Lil Nas X, breaking Jaleel White, aka Stefan Urkel, and the difference between playing on Adult Swim’s dime and working for ABC with The Prank Panel.

Season six. I think you referred to it as “Sexy Season Six.” What is it about season six that is so sexy other than yourself, of course?

I lost weight and I got sexy.

You did.

And also we were watching Prince videos and PM Dawn videos and it just felt good to say “Sexy Season Six.” It’s completely based on alliteration.

How much time did you spend in the Speedo?

I wore that every day. The leopard print I wore every day. That was Emily Ting’s, our stylist, our wardrobe head’s idea. And she was like, “You get naked so often, you should have a little sexy leopard print in the melee.”

I’m curious about the logistics of the ping pong ball that you were able to fire from your nether area. How does one propel a ping pong ball?

There are women that can actually do it out of their vagina. And there might be men or women that can do it from their anus. Our special effects guy was a wizard, so it was like a ball return on a tennis court but for a ping pong ball, it looked like a shop vac. I think Felipe (Esparza) was distracting Lil Nas X and I ripped off my pants and I had those fishnet stockings with the high heels and he was distracted by that. I think we usually create a distraction and then set the guest up for a ride.

Is there extra motivation to shock Lil Nas X or do you have to go a little higher?

Oh, yeah. He’s a savvy guy, so he is a little bit harder to shake, but he had great reactions when they happened and I’m always swinging for the fences with every guest.

Where do you find Penis and Sir Weiner Williams (the cock tennis players)? Because that’s a pretty specific skill set.

They were male strip strippers. They were strippers and I think we have, I would have to ask somebody in my casting department. But we go on Craigslist and there are also sex worker adjacent websites, sex performer websites, but they’re available. Actually, let me text my producer. I want to bring them to the premier. We’re having a little premier party. Can we invite Penis and Sir Wiener Williams and dress them up and have them play cock tennis for everyone?

What’s it like watching cock tennis in the room?

I was so happy with Jaleel White’s reaction that I was just like, I won the Super Bowl. He was so genuinely shocked. He was like, “I have to pick up my daughter from school after this. I feel like I need to take a shower.”

I thought he was pretty cool with it though. He handled it.

He was cool with it, but he was like… I wish we had more time to show you more footage. He never recovered. He was like, “What show is this?”

Jaleel White is next to Kendall Roy on a bench just staring off into the distance and the Hudson River. He’s broken forever by cock tennis. It’s blurred, obviously, but they’re really just cocking it up?

Full Monty. Yeah, Full Monty. I want to leak the unblurred version, but I don’t even know how, where the footage is.

What kind of ball is that? An actual tennis ball? I imagine that might hurt.

We had a ping pong tennis ball.

Like hard or a Nerf-y thing? Nerf should do a cock tennis ball.

There’s a whole market that they’re not tapping into. It’s a shame.

It is, yeah. So hitting the streets this season, love the EMS stuff, the coroner stuff.

We had a tremendous amount of emergency vehicles called on us this season. I think somebody said 33 calls. I got to get the actual number, but it’s the most amount of cops and firetrucks and ambulances dispatched on our behalf.

Do you guys get hit with any fines or anything like that?

We’ve gotten in a little trouble. You got to break a few eggs to make an omelet.

With your other show, The Prank Panel on ABC, I’m curious about that as well. How is it to work within the structure of a network as opposed to what you’re able to do with Adult Swim?

Adult Swim gives me full creative freedom. They haven’t given me a single note in 10 years, I don’t think. I have full artistic and creative freedom. So what could be better? I’m spoiled.

But this deal with ABC, do you have to feel like you have to change it up a little bit?

A lot of the creative stuff goes through many more layers of filtration at ABC, but the big battles Johnny Knoxville and some of the producers were taking on. So I didn’t have the burden of fighting for creative victories over there. But yeah, you can do whatever you want on Adult Swim versus ABC, but you have a lot more money at ABC to play with. That’s the deal. The more money you ask your overlords for the less creative freedom you typically have. That’s how it’s worked since Beethoven when he was writing for the King and Queen.

‘The Eric Andre Show’ returns Sunday on Adult Swim at midnight.

Much fuss has been made by the Kremlin over reports that Vladimir Putin has allegedly taken to increasingly hiding in a bunker out of fear for his life during his invasion of Ukraine. In fact, he disappeared from public view for so long that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky challenged him to provide proof of life, after which he miraculously began doing more public events. Yet beyond Putin probably not loving the bunker reports (because he is so manly), it seems that he’s prioritizing a safe little setup for himself. One can expect that to increase after recent drone attacks (which have been neither claimed nor disavowed by Ukraine) on Moscow.

Beyond the already existing pickle-filled compound that has presumably provided a happy escape from the drudgery of being an autocrat, there’s apparently a super-fortified bomb shelter that will soon be in the works, as commissioned by the Kremlin. And Team Putin wants this puppy to go up fast, according to The Moscow Times:

The Kremlin has signed a deal to build a bomb shelter on the grounds of Moscow’s most elite hospital days after unprecedented drone strikes on the Russian capital, according to a procurement contract cited by The Moscow Times’ Russian-language service.

The 800-person bunker for VIP patients and personnel is expected to be constructed at the Moscow Central Clinical Hospital, a protected facility, in near-record time.

The publication notes that the shelter’s design is likely to be approved within 15 days, at which point, construction will presumably begin — and conclude by December 20 — at a steep price equivalent to $433,000. And yes, this appears to be designed with specfic features “for officials under state protection,” so one would assume that this is for Putin and his goons. This will also be a nice little luxury beyond the already existing secret path of train tunnels that materialized right before Putin invaded Ukraine, but I guess civilians will be out of luck in the event of more drone attacks? Sounds like it.

(Via The Moscow Times)