Month: September 2023

When human beings find things amusing or are happy or are trying to simply trying to charm other humans, they do a thing called a smile. To most, this comes naturally. To others, not so much. Ron DeSantis is very much in the latter category. He has trouble seeming normal, and during his spluttering presidential campaign he’s gone viral for weird smiles and weirder laughs. At the second GOP debate, he did a freaky smile again.

At one point during the debate, DeSantis tried to act tough, talking about vetoing legislation he doesn’t like. As some in the audience applauded, the Florida governor tried to do what anybody else would do: give a little smile while basking in the glory. But DeSantis can’t do that. Instead, he lurched through a series of awkward expressions that made him resemble an android on the fritz. At one point it looked like he’d smelled something foul, like a skunk.

Eventually, perhaps sensing that his efforts to seem cool, or at least like a human person, had failed, he shyly looked down, as though hoping no one had noticed the weirdness.

But people had noticed. Lots of them.

To some it was inevitable that “DeSantis makes a weird face” would happen.

Elsewhere during the evening, DeSantis mustered enough courage to be one of the only candidates on the stage to actually criticize Donald Trump, who was once again AWOL. Alas, he did so by basically plagiarizing things the more fierce Trump critic Chris Christie had said earlier.

(Via Mediaite)

On Wednesday, September 27, Variety broke some startling news concerning Cher and her son, Elijah Blue Allman. According to newly obtained court documents related to Allman’s ongoing divorce from his wife, Marie Angela King, Cher is accused of “employing four men to forcefully remove [Allman] from his New York hotel on the night of his wedding anniversary with his estranged wife” last November.

Allman is the youngest of Cher’s two sons. On March 4, 1969, Cher and then-husband Sonny Bono welcomed Chaz Bono. The couple later finalized their divorce on June 26, 1975 (as chronicled by History Channel). As per People, Cher briefly married Gregg Allman shortly thereafter, and they welcomed Elijah Blue on July 10, 1976.

In July 2022, days after the US Supreme Court ruled to overturn Roe v. Wade, Cher posted to X (formerly known as Twitter), “When I was young I had 3 miscarriages. 1st at 18. I was alone in our house. Son came home & I was sobbing & rocking on our floor. When I got [to the doctor] I was screaming in pain. Couldn’t even stop in elevator. Dr sent me straight 2 hospital & into operating [room]. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN 2 ME TODAY [crying emoji”

According to the report from Variety on Wednesday, King described her account of the alleged kidnapping, which she claimed happened after she and Allman spent 12 days together in New York. King said that “four people came to our hotel room and removed [Allman] from our room,” and she recalled being “told by one of the four men who took him that they were hired by” Cher.

At press time, Cher has not publicly acknowledged the now-public allegations.

On Wednesday, Donald Trump spoke to auto workers at a non-union factory. Also there was another GOP debate. The former president has skipped two of the events thus far, allegedly because he’s already crushing the polls, so why waste his time? His most critical rival, Chris Christie, doesn’t think that’s the real reason. He’s called him a “coward,” but he’s also gone a step further, saying he knows he can’t defend his poor presidential record. Christie repeated those accusations during the second debate, while giving him a kind of weird nickname that might not stick.

The former New Jersey governor — who’s made torching his old pal the center focus of his campaign — spent part of the night talking about bringing “law and order back to this country.” He meant “everywhere,” including in D.C. He, of course, was referring to the guy facing 91 criminal charges.

“And Donald Trump should be here to answer for that,” Christie thundered. “But he’s not. And I want to look at that camera right now. Tell you, Donald, I know you’re watching. You can’t help yourself. I know you’re watching.”

He continued, “You’re not here tonight, not because of polls and not because of your indictments. You’re not here tonight because you’re afraid of being on the stage and defending your record,” he said. “You’re ducking these things. And let me tell you what’s going to happen. You keep doing that. No one up here is going to call you Donald Trump anymore. We’re going to call you Donald Duck.”

The line drew some gasps and some applause but also boos from a crowd that probably still thinks Trump is the bee’s knees. Was it a good nickname? Eh, maybe, maybe not. It certainly pales in comparison to some of Trump’s names for others, including one he claims he didn’t dream up and refuses to use, even though it’s one of his best, if it is his.

It wasn’t the only time Trump lit into the elephant not in the room. “You know, during the Trump administration, they added $7 trillion. Seven trillion dollars in national debt,” he railed at another point during the debate. “He should be in this room to answer those questions for the people you talk about who are suffering. And if the government closes, it is to the blame of everyone in Washington, D.C. who has failed to do their job and just plays to the grandstand.

Christie also got in a pretty good zinger about another issue Trump “failed” on as well: “He said he was going to a wall across the whole border. He built 52 miles of wall and then said Mexico would pay for it. Guess what? I think if Mexico knew he was only gonna build 52 miles, they might’ve paid for the 52 miles.”

Apart from Christie, all the other GOP candidates have been afraid to dump on Trump, or even say anything even lightly critical of him. But Ron DeSantis, who desperately needed this second debate to shine, did so…by ripping off stuff Chris Christie had said before him.

“Where’s Joe Biden? He’s completely missing in action from leadership,” DeSantis told the crowd. But he was just teeing up for a segue. “And you know who else is missing in action? Donald Trump is missing in action. He should be on this stage tonight. He owes it to you to defend his record, where they added $7.8 trillion to the debt, that set the stage for the inflation that we have.”

Well, at least two GOP candidates weren’t afraid to slam the guy who’s clobbering them all at the polls.

In the last month, Lil Wayne has delivered a new theme song for FS1’s new-look Undisputed and led Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders’ Colorado Buffaloes onto the field while performing “Ride For My N****s (Sky Is The Limit).” But on Wednesday, September 27, Wayne confirmed more is on the way, confirming on Instagram that Tha Fix Before Tha VI is due out this Friday, September 29.

Lil Wayne also revealed its presumed red-tinted cover art and 10-song tracklist. “Kat Food” was released as a single on September 1.

As Uproxx‘s Aaron Williams previously pointed out, the album figures to be “a table-setter for his upcoming sixth installment of Tha Carter.”

On March 31, Wayne released his career-spanning compilation album I Am Music, including classic hits such as “Lollipop” and “Mr. Carter.” On Wednesday, the video for Tyga’s “Brand New” featuring Lil Wayne and YG premiered. The track is from Tyga and YG’s joint project, Hit Me When U Leave The Klub, also due out this Friday, September 29.

Check out the tracklist for Tha Fix Before Tha VI below.

1. “Act Up” Feat. Jon Batiste
2. “Birds”
3. “Slip”
4. “Kat Food”
5. “Tuxedo” Feat. Euro
6. “To The Bank”
7. “Chanel No. 5” Feat. Fousheé
8. “No New B*tches”
9. “Tity Boi”
10. “Good Morning”

Tha Fix Before Tha VI is out 9/29 via Young Money Records. Find more information here.

The Taylor Swift economy knows no bounds. On Sunday, Swift attended the Kansas City Chiefs’ 41-10 beatdown of the Chicago Bears. She sat in Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce’s suite, dousing weeks-long rumors that they’re dating with Swiftian gasoline.

During the game, Swift displayed a range of emotions — screaming “let’s f*cking go” in elation after Kelce caught a touchdown and trying to eat in peace. Several Swift fan accounts circulated a photo of her posing next to a plate with one lonely chicken finger, one dab of ketchup, and one dab of Ranch dressing.

On Tuesday, September 26, Heinz announced “Ketchup and Seemingly Ranch,” a new limited-edition flavor that will be available soon.

On Wednesday, September 27, Kelce addressed the mania on the newest episode of New Heights, his podcast with his brother, Philadelphia Eagles All-Pro center Jason Kelce. The two-time Super Bowl champion called it “pretty ballsy” for Swift to accept his invitation to the game. (Afterward, they rode off in Kelce’s “Getaway Car” and reportedly spent the rest of the night at Prime Social in Kansas City.)

“She looked amazing,” Kelce said. “Everybody was talking about her in a great light, and on top of that, the day went perfect for Chiefs fans, of course. We script it all, ladies and gentlemen. It was just impressive.”

However, Kelce clarified that he doesn’t plan on continuing to make his private life so public. “I want to respect both of our lives,” he said. “She’s not in the media as much as I am, doing this show every single week and having fun during the NFL season on other guys’ shows. […] I’m enjoying life, and I sure as hell enjoyed this weekend, so everything moving forward, I think me talking about sports and saying ‘Alright nah’ will have to be kind of where I keep it.”

If the reports are true that Swift “plans to attend” the Chiefs’ game against the New York Jets on Sunday night, October 1, it will be even more difficult to dodge the influx of attention. The game will be aired on NBC’s Sunday Night Football.

Every so often, a pick goes haywire and it happens almost immediately. That was the case in Week 3 for us. Granted, we finished the week with a respectable 2-2-1 finish that could’ve easily been 3-2 if not for a backdoor against us on Monday evening. However, it would be hard to be more wrong about a handicap than taking the Denver Broncos (+6.5) against the Miami Dolphins in a game in which Miami put up 70 (yes, 70) points. That was a fun one but, hey, it happens.

We endeavor to give you hideous picks that profit and, so far, it’s going okay. Here’s a look at the year-long progress before handing out the Week 4 winners.

• Week 3: 2-2-1
• 2023 Season: 7-6-2

Come get these winners.

Green Bay Packers (+2) over Detroit Lions — PointsBet/SuperBook

As I type this, there are injury questions on both sides, and perhaps that is why this line is sitting in this range. However, signs point to Aaron Jones, Christian Watson, or both returning for Green Bay, and this line should be a pick’em or Green Bay should be a short favorite in my view. Detroit looked good, particularly on defense, in a home win over Atlanta last week, but this is a short week on the road, and I like Green Bay.

Jacksonville Jaguars (-3) over Atlanta Falcons — Widely Available

We didn’t give out the Jaguars last week or anything, but Jacksonville murdered a lot of survivor pools with a bad loss to Houston. Atlanta’s bandwagon derailed a bit as well, avoiding a full-blown “buy low, sell high” situation here, but this line opened well above three in the preseason and early-season markets and I think it’s bargain. There is a chance I’m just flat-out wrong on Jacksonville, but this is a test for that and against a Falcons team that remains a touch overvalued for my taste.

Buffalo Bills (-2.5) over Miami Dolphins — DraftKings/BetMGM

If you’ve followed the column for a long time, you had to know this would be on the list. As noted above, Miami looked incredible last week. Buffalo has been quite good the last two weeks, but many remember a rather epic flop in Week 1 against Zach Wilson. This line should be at least three and you can get 2.5. I just have to do it.

TEASER: Philadelphia Eagles (-2) over Washington Commanders and Dallas Cowboys (-0.5) over New England Patriots — DraftKings

This is pretty square. I acknowledge that. I’m also quite low on Washington and New England in a vacuum while liking the spots for both Philly and Dallas. The other teaser leg I like this week is the Ravens, so I’m sure I will regret leaving them off, but here we are.

New York Giants (PK) over Seattle Seahawks — Caesars

This is a relative desperation spot for New York at 1-2. The Giants’ only win was thoroughly unimpressive against Arizona, and Seattle has won two straight. There are some -1’s in the market but, with pick’em available, that would be a nice number to grab.

Taylor Swift seems to be thoroughly enjoying her well-earned downtime — dancing her way into the loving nickname of “Drunk Taylor” at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards, taking Sophie Turner out to dinner in New York City, and attending a Kansas City Chiefs game to give some sort of validity to rumors she’s hanging out with Travis Kelce.

Swift will resume her The Eras Tour on November 9 in Buenos Aires, Argentina and continue with her international dates through August 2024 before staging a second North American leg in October and November 2024. In other words, her New York City apartment will be available.

According to Page Six on Wednesday, September 27, Swift has “loaned” Turner “a stunning apartment in her own downtown New York City neighborhood that the actress and her children can live in while Turner and [Joe] Jonas get their complex custody arrangements ironed out.” The publication shared paparazzi photos of Turner in and out of the apartment with her two daughters with “a folded-up travel crib and two large suitcases.”

Page Six additionally relayed, “Apparently, the ‘Shake It Off’ songstress keeps a Tribeca pad as an investment property, but has handed the keys to the ‘Game of Thrones’ star as a temporary home. Page Six spies say Turner has been spotted settling into the famously chic hood, checking out some of the local comfort food spots.”

It was reported on September 5 that Joe Jonas, a recent Uproxx cover star, filed for divorce from Turner, his wife since 2019. The following day, Jonas and Turner released joint public statements that emphasized they had “mutually decided to end our marriage.”

However, last week, NBC News obtained court documents filed by Turner suing Jonas for custody and “the return of their two young children to England.” Representatives for Jonas immediately released a counter statement, dismissing Turner’s lawsuit as “a harsh legal position.”

“Joe is seeking shared parenting with the kids so that they are raised by both their mother and father, and is of course also okay with the kids being raised both in the US and the UK,” the statement read, in part.

On Monday, September 25, People reported that three-year-old Willa and their second child, whose identity has never been publicly confirmed, “will remain in New York for the time being amid the former couple’s custody disagreement,” an interim consent order filed in New York.

Jonas is currently on The Tour with the Jonas Brothers, scheduled to stretch into June 2024, and Turner is reportedly filming a forthcoming television series titled Joan in the UK.

Mitski is on top of her game. Earlier this month, the singer-songwriter dropped her album The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We, which Uproxx‘s Steven Hyden believes signifies “something greater and altogether new for Mitski.” She’s already confirmed a string of intimate live dates from September 11 to October 20, stretching from Los Angeles and New York to Berlin, London, and Paris. But will she stage a larger tour?

On Wednesday, September 27, Mitski posted across her social channels that she will announce tour dates next week. She didn’t identify a specific day, but encouraged fans to “sign up for news and updates by texting +1 (432) 755-7123 or at laylo.com/mitski.”

“The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We is not the kind of record you make in anticipation of playing stadiums with Harry Styles, as Laurel Hell was,” Hyden wrote in his album review. “Rather, it is situated in a strange, shadowy environment that exists strictly in the singer’s imagination, and only during the album’s 32-minute duration. Which is why, based on my own personal experience, I suspect listeners will play it compulsively, in order to re-conjure what Mitski has invented for one more half-hour. The land might be inhospitable, but her world draws you in.”

Next week, Mitski’s listeners will learn which physical environments in which they’ll be able to enjoy the album.

Who’s going to be the next permanent host of The Daily Show? Somehow it’s still unclear. On Wednesday Deadline reported the comedy news program will be back in October following the end of the WGA strike. When they do they’ll still be doing what they were doing pre-strike: having a revolving door of guest hosts, with an official replacement for Trevor Noah finally taking over in 2024. But one thing seems (allegedly) certain: That person won’t be Hasan Minhaj.

Sources tell Variety that Comedy Central is going back to the drawing board over Noah’s successor. Previously they’d been reportedly considering Minhaj, who has been one of the rising stars among the show’s army of correspondents, which he was until 2018. But after a recent New Yorker profile revealed that he’d embellished some of his routines, including one about his family being mailed a letter containing anthrax, which turned out not to be true.

Comedy Central has never confirmed that Minhaj was in the running for the gig.

Noah left The Daily Show late last year. Guest hosts since then have included Chelsea Handler, Sarah Silverman, Leslie Jones, and Al Franken, as well as contributors like Roy Wood, Jr., Jordan Klepper, and Desi Lydic, who was the last to host the show before the WGA went on strike. The names of future guest hosts has not yet been made public.

(Via Variety)

There’s a second GOP debate airing on Fox News Wednesday night. It’s not the most exciting news. After all, the guy who’s crushing the polls by a lot isn’t even attending, and maybe not only out of cowardice. But those who tune in will at two points be treated to an unexpected guest: the current president of the United States.

As per The Daily Beast, the Joe Biden campaign has bought some airtime on Fox News, Fox Business, and Univision, which is showing the smackdown in Spanish, to air two separate ads during the debate. One is called “The Difference,” and it argues today’s Republican party is beholden to the rich and powerful, at the expense of everyone else.

“Republicans say they’re for us, but we know they’re working for the rich and powerful,” says the ad’s narrator. “President Joe Biden is different. He’s fighting for us. He’s working to make billionaires and corporations pay their fair share.”

In the other, called “Delivers,” Biden takes on Trump alone, specifically about his stance on the United Auto Workers strike.

“He says he stands with autoworkers,” it begins. “But as President, Donald Trump passed tax breaks for his rich friends while automakers shuttered their plants, and Michigan, lost manufacturing jobs.”

It concludes, “Joe Biden said he’d stand up for workers and he’s delivering. Passing laws that are increasing wages and creating good-paying jobs. Manufacturing is coming back to Michigan because Joe Biden doesn’t just talk, he delivers.”

The ads will be played in English and, on Univision, in Spanish. The demographic they’re aiming for, says a Biden campaign official, is swing voters they want to dissuade from voting for a party they argue is anti-working class and definitely not pro-union.

Where will Trump be during all of this? In Michigan, speaking to auto workers…who are, of course, not in a union and therefore not striking. But hey, they might get to hear Trump say something like how Jeb Bush, not his brother George, is responsible for starting the Iraq War.

(Via The Daily Beast)