Month: September 2023

Donald Trump has been going around accusing President Joe Biden of “cognitive decline,” but what if — and hear us out — that’s mere projection? What if the big guy, who’s only three years shy of the dude to whom he lost in 2020, is the one whose brain is turning into mush? After a gaffe-strewn speech he delivered on Friday, that certainly seems like a possibility.

While addressing the D.C. Pray Vote Summit, Trump hit many of the topics that trigger him. One was U.S. elections, which he’s claimed were riddled with cheating but which others, including Republican officials he himself appointed, say are more secure than ever. At one point he decried someone who said the nation should do away with voter IDs, which inspired him to revisit a bizarre claim he’s been repeating for years.

“You have voter ID to buy a loaf of bread,” he said. He believed it so much he repeated it: “You have ID to buy a loaf of bread.”

This one dates back to at least 2018, when he boldly asserted to a rally crowd that “you need a picture on a card, you need ID.” Some months later he claimed you need ID to buy cereal. Has no one on Trump’s team informed him that this is untrue? Or has he really whittled his posse down to all “yes” people.

Trump’s deranged bread line inspired plenty of yuks.

Trump’s Friday speech wasn’t a good one for him. On top of revealing that he still believes you need ID to buy rye, he also claimed that Biden will drag us into “World War II.” He also claimed he was polling better than Barack Obama, a human who is not running for president, having already served two terms. Trump caught himself on that one, but his attempt to save it only made things worse. Perhaps nowadays he won’t do so hot on that basic cognitive test he “aced” three years back, which he still won’t shut about.

(Via Yahoo!)

The New York Jets saw Aaron Rodgers go down with an achilles injury four games into his tenure with the team. Rodgers, the legendary Green Bay Packers signal caller who joined New York this offseason, suffered the injury during the team’s Week 1 game against the Buffalo Bills, and while Zach Wilson was able to lead the team to a surprising win, the Rodgers situation put a damper on things.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network and Adam Schefter of ESPN, Rodgers is not shutting the door on a return this year. After floating the possibility in a conversation with Pat McAfee, the reports indicated that Rodgers has an eye on potentially returning for the playoffs due to the procedure he underwent on his achilles earlier this week.

Via NFL Network:

Sources say renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache and his team performed a procedure to place an internal brace — called an Achilles “speed bridge” — on Rodgers’ fully torn left Achilles, which he ruptured just four snaps into Monday’s game against the Bills. While there are no guarantees, the speed bridge protects the repair and opens up the possibility of an earlier return, sources say.

It’s worth pointing out that there is no guarantee the Jets will even make the playoffs, particularly in a difficult AFC East. But even if they do, Schefter says that Rodgers would not immediately want to step in, because “if Wilson is shining, Rodgers will not want to interfere with his progress.” Wilson will get an opportunity to lead the Jets on the field on Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys.

Jann Wenner, the co-founder of Rolling Stone, isn’t having such a good week. Although Wenner sold the publication to Penske Media in 2017, he has remained a prominent voice in music media. On Friday, September 15, Wenner sat down for an interview with The New York Times‘ David Marchese about his upcoming book The Masters. During the conversation, Wenner made what others consider insensitive comments about the contributions of both Black and women artists.

Apparently Wenner’s remarks did not sit well with members of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Foundation. On Saturday, September 16, the The New York Times confirmed that he was formally removed from his position on the board of directors via a statement exclusively shared with the platform.

The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame ceremony has been criticized for its lack of inclusion of Black and women musicians. However, over the years, the team has worked to spotlight entertainers across racial demographics and gender expressions. The 2023 class includes Kate Bush, Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, George Michael, Willie Nelson, Rage Against the Machine, and The Spinners.

View a few snippets of Wenner’s remarks that landed him in hot water below:

It was kind of intuitive over the years; it just fell together that way. The people had to meet a couple criteria, but it was just kind of my personal interest and love of them. Insofar as the women, just none of them were as articulate enough on this intellectual level.

Joni [Mitchell] was not a philosopher of rock ‘n’ roll. She didn’t, in my mind, meet that test. Not by her work, not by other interviews she did. The people I interviewed were the kind of philosophers of rock. Of Black artists — you know, Stevie Wonder, genius, right? I suppose when you use a word as broad as ‘masters,’ the fault is using that word. Maybe Marvin Gaye, or Curtis Mayfield? I mean, they just didn’t articulate at that level.

“Where My Girls At” singer Irish Grinstead, a member of the popular R&B girl group 702, has died at the age of 43. On Instagram, Lemisha Grinstead, Grinstead’s older sister and fellow group mate, shared the news by uploading a greyscale image of the departed with a touching note.

“It is with great sadness that I have to let you know that my beautiful sister and friend has passed away this evening,” Grimstead wrote. “She has had a long battle, and she is finally at peace. That girl was as bright as the stars! She was not only beautiful on the outside but also within. Sharing the stage with her was a joy I will cherish for the rest of my life! We, the family, ask for prayers and respect for our privacy as we grieve an outstanding loss to our family.”

In 2021, Irish, along with her sister Lemisha, appeared on BET’s reality show The Encore. As a member of 702, the group recorded popular tracks such as 1996’s “Get It Together,” which was sampled by DJ Mustard in his 2019 song “Ballin‘” Roddy Ricch. Other popular songs from the group include “Steelo,” which featured Missy Elliott. A snippet of “Steelo” was featured in Diplo and Sidepiece’s track “On My Mind.”

Roddy Ricch is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Donald Trump might be going to jail. Most people would be terrified of that, even if they scored some swanky white-collar prison, as a former president certainly would. Reports are that the big guy is, too, which almost makes him seem human. (Almost.) But in public Trump has always tried to appear stronger than he is, even getting mad when Fox News uses photos that show him looking like crap. So of course when asked by a reporter about his potential jail time, he tried to play it cool.

Trump sat down for a rare mainstream press interview, chatting with Meet the Press’ Kristen Welker for a piece that ran Sunday. When asked if he worries about being thrown in the slammer, he gave a not-very-convincing answer.

“I don’t even think about it,” Trump said. “I’m built a little differently, I guess, because I have had people come up to me and say, ‘How do you do it, sir? How do you do it?’ I don’t even think about it.”

Trump then shifted to the “corrupt” law enforcement he’s “dealing with,” who he claims are “destroying our country” with their “third world indictments.” He also again claimed President Joe Biden ordered Attorney General Merrick Garland to go after him because of his strong polls, which prompted Welker to point out “there’s just no evidence of that.”

He also slammed Biden for allegedly lying about his handicap at golf. “He says he’s a six, he’s not a six,” Trump charged.

Later in the interview (in which he again bragged about how he “aced” a basic cognitive test three years ago), he returned to the idea of losing sleep over his ambiguous future.

“When you say, do I lose sleep? I sleep,” Trump said. “I sleep. Because I truly feel that, in the end, we’re going to win.”

Last month, Page Six spoke to an insider who claimed that the indictments are “showing signs that it’s wearing on him,” and that they’ve “brought about a change” in him. They added, “He’s not so confident anymore. He’s not acting so cocky anymore. He’s not lashing out so much. The arrogance is gone.”

Still, Trump’s base famously buys anything he tells them, so they’ll happily swallow the line about him not being worried about prison. Heck, they’d probably buy his claim that Biden is leading us to “World War II.” Everyone else, though…

(Via NBC News)

Drew Barrymore has amassed a ton of good will over her long career, but last week she nearly lost all of it: She dared bring her daytime talk show back on-air. The move caused instant backlash, not just from the WGA but from fans, some of whom called her a “scab.” The furor was such that she recorded an emotional video defending her decision. She eventually took that down, then went one further.

“I have listened to everyone, and I am making the decision to pause the show’s premiere until the strike is over,” Barrymore wrote on Instagram, as caught by Variety. “I have no words to express my deepest apologies to anyone I have hurt and, of course, to our incredible team who works on the show and has made it what it is today. We really tried to find our way forward. And I truly hope for a resolution for the entire industry very soon.”

Barrymore’s decision to effectively cross the picket lines was baffling to many given that when the WGA strike began all the way back in May, she bowed out of her gig hosting the MTV Movie and TV Awards in solidarity with the strikers. Jump some four months later and she was bringing back a writer-less version of her strange yet endearing chat show.

“I own this choice,” she said at the time. “We are in compliance with not discussing or promoting film and television that is struck of any kind. We launched live in a global pandemic. Our show was built for sensitive times and has only functioned through what the real world is going through in real time.”

Chaos ensued. At a taping of the maiden return episode last Monday, audience members wearing pins showing solidarity with the WGA — some of whom were striking outside Barrymore’s show, some of whom were staffers on her show — were ejected from the building. Barrymore herself was later removed as the host of the National Book Awards. But perhaps this mea culpa will be a good first step in rehabbing her quickly tattered image.

(Via Variety)

Drew Barrymore has amassed a ton of good will over her long career, but last week she nearly lost all of it: She dared bring her daytime talk show back on-air. The move caused instant backlash, not just from the WGA but from fans, some of whom called her a “scab.” The furor was such that she recorded an emotional video defending her decision. She eventually took that down, then went one further.

“I have listened to everyone, and I am making the decision to pause the show’s premiere until the strike is over,” Barrymore wrote on Instagram, as caught by Variety. “I have no words to express my deepest apologies to anyone I have hurt and, of course, to our incredible team who works on the show and has made it what it is today. We really tried to find our way forward. And I truly hope for a resolution for the entire industry very soon.”

Barrymore’s decision to effectively cross the picket lines was baffling to many given that when the WGA strike began all the way back in May, she bowed out of her gig hosting the MTV Movie and TV Awards in solidarity with the strikers. Jump some four months later and she was bringing back a writer-less version of her strange yet endearing chat show.

“I own this choice,” she said at the time. “We are in compliance with not discussing or promoting film and television that is struck of any kind. We launched live in a global pandemic. Our show was built for sensitive times and has only functioned through what the real world is going through in real time.”

Chaos ensued. At a taping of the maiden return episode last Monday, audience members wearing pins showing solidarity with the WGA — some of whom were striking outside Barrymore’s show, some of whom were staffers on her show — were ejected from the building. Barrymore herself was later removed as the host of the National Book Awards. But perhaps this mea culpa will be a good first step in rehabbing her quickly tattered image.

(Via Variety)

What does a Republican have to do to get trashed by other Republicans in 2023? Apparently groping your boyfriend’s crotch during an all-ages production of the Beetlejuice musical is one way. Last Sunday MAGA lawmaker Lauren Boebert did just that while in Denver, and though she’s tried to deny and spin it, video footage keeps emerging to make her look even worse. She’s yet to face any serious blowback, but already even Republicans are starting to turn on her.

Ann Coulter — who’s no stranger to trashing the Trump wing of her party — called Boebert a “Totally embarrassing bimbo,” adding, “Can’t Colorado find SOME Republican not trashy and stupid to represent them in the 3rd congressional district?”

Meghan McCain didn’t mince words either. “Lauren Boebert is trash,” she wrote on the joint formerly known as Twitter. “She lectures everyone about the LGBT community being a threat to children while getting caught performing a lewd sex act in a public theatre where children possibly were. This is ‘family values’? This is why people think the GOP are all hypocrites.”

Far right dude Erick Erickson called out her dishonesty. “On Boebert, the tribe will defend what the tribe will defend, but she denied it until exposed,” he wrote. “She behaved badly. Excuse it all you want — she behaved badly, denied it till exposure, and there’s no excuse except tribally.”

Former Virginia representative Denver Riggleman simply had a joke. “Lauren Boebert seems a bit confused about Freedom Caucus members telling her to ‘reach across the aisle,’” he zinged.

Boebert apologized for her theater antics, though only after security video footage emerged that debunked her attempts to deny or downplay what she did. One fun detail is that her frisky date was no less than a Democrat owner of a bar that’s open to drag queen performances — one of the biggest targets of today’s GOP, who accuse them of exposing children to sex. Unlike someone like Lauren Boebert, of course.

(Via The Daily Beast)

What does a Republican have to do to get trashed by other Republicans in 2023? Apparently groping your boyfriend’s crotch during an all-ages production of the Beetlejuice musical is one way. Last Sunday MAGA lawmaker Lauren Boebert did just that while in Denver, and though she’s tried to deny and spin it, video footage keeps emerging to make her look even worse. She’s yet to face any serious blowback, but already even Republicans are starting to turn on her.

Ann Coulter — who’s no stranger to trashing the Trump wing of her party — called Boebert a “Totally embarrassing bimbo,” adding, “Can’t Colorado find SOME Republican not trashy and stupid to represent them in the 3rd congressional district?”

Meghan McCain didn’t mince words either. “Lauren Boebert is trash,” she wrote on the joint formerly known as Twitter. “She lectures everyone about the LGBT community being a threat to children while getting caught performing a lewd sex act in a public theatre where children possibly were. This is ‘family values’? This is why people think the GOP are all hypocrites.”

Far right dude Erick Erickson called out her dishonesty. “On Boebert, the tribe will defend what the tribe will defend, but she denied it until exposed,” he wrote. “She behaved badly. Excuse it all you want — she behaved badly, denied it till exposure, and there’s no excuse except tribally.”

Former Virginia representative Denver Riggleman simply had a joke. “Lauren Boebert seems a bit confused about Freedom Caucus members telling her to ‘reach across the aisle,’” he zinged.

Boebert apologized for her theater antics, though only after security video footage emerged that debunked her attempts to deny or downplay what she did. One fun detail is that her frisky date was no less than a Democrat owner of a bar that’s open to drag queen performances — one of the biggest targets of today’s GOP, who accuse them of exposing children to sex. Unlike someone like Lauren Boebert, of course.

(Via The Daily Beast)

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. The Morning Show (Apple TV+ series)

One of the first Apple TV+ original series bought us this team-up of former Friends siblings and remains a crowd pleaser. Reese Witherspoon’s brash co-anchor bounces delightfully up against Jennifer Aniston’s more mainstream-leaning counterpart, and Billy Crudup remains the Kermit The Frog of this series. This season, the network’s future might be in jeopardy due to a tech titan’s presence. Those darn chaos agents keeps showing up in the art that reflects life these days.

TIE: 10. The Nun (Warner Bros film on HBO Max)

Does James Wan’s unofficial muse, Patrick Wilson, appear in this installment as paranormal investigator Ed Warren? An equally important question: does Vera Farmiga pop into view as Lorraine Warren? You gotta watch to find out, but do expect to see Taissa Farmiga walking right back into Hell on Earth. As well, Bonnie Aarons is still here to make you pee your pants as Valek, and these movies sure do love their jump scares, but director Michael Chaves and Wan know how to pull them off well, so they are forgiven.

9. Power Book IV: Force (Starz series)

Do you have to watch Power before heading into Book IV? We’ve got you covered on that front, and long story short, it’s a good idea to watch the first Power (with Book II and Book III being optional) to see necessary background context about Tommy Egan. We are ranking the power players each week this season, which follows Tommy descending upon Chicago on his way to California. You can probably guess that the Windy City’s drug game distracts him.

8. The Other Black Girl (Hulu series)

This Rashida Jones-produced show has humor with bite, rather than being a fluffy little comedy. The satiric story, which takes on takes on tokenization and racial identity in America, is based upon Zakiya Dalila Harris’ same-named NYT best-selling novel about an editorial assistant, who is initially thrilled to no longer be the “only Black girl” in the office. However, something sinister is afoot as the novelty of Hazel’s arrival gives way to the unexpected.

7. The Little Mermaid (Disney movie streaming on Disney+)

Disney appears to be committed to live-version redos of their most beloved classic stories, and this particular reimagining stars Halle Bailey as Ariel. Bailey earned rave reviews with Rob Marshall directing, and you’d be ready to sit down for the starring lady’s performance of “Part of Your World.” Expect this incarnation to be more overstuffed than its predecessor, given that it expands on some issues. Additionally, the ocean is a very different place in 2023 than 1989, so there’s that darker vibe, too.

6. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (Paramount film streaming on VOD and Amazon Prime)

This is not one of the Michael Bay movies, so expect less “boom” from Jeff Rowe, and Megan Fox does not appear whether, but you will be able to enjoy the voice of Ayo Edebiri (as April) to lessen your craving for the next season of The Bear (it will be awhile on that note, so stay patient). Our own Mike Ryan called this installment the best theatrical TMNT film, so there is no shortage of cowabunga on hand.

5. The Wheel Of Time (Amazon Prime series)

Rosamund Pike is a gem at portraying sociopaths, but she’s in more morally grey territory here. She portrays Moraine, part of the Aes Sedai organization, and she is one of the few choice women in this world who can wield magic. Under her watchful eye, the prophesied Dragon Reborn could either fix humanity or do the opposite. Jeff Bezos may have actually scored his own Game of Thrones with this series, rather than with Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power, and The Wheel Of Time‘s viewership appears to be stronger at this point. No matter your preference, it’s an overall good time to be a fantasy-lit loving watcher of TV.

4. No Hard Feelings (Sony Pictures movie on VOD and Amazon Prime)

It’s a nice week to catch up on some side projects starring The Bear cast. In this case, Ebon Moss-Bachrach can be seen as an ex-boyfriend to Jennifer Lawrence’s fail-hard character, Maddie, who needs to make some money, fast, so she answers a Craigslist ad from parents who would really like a nice woman to boink their 19-year-old unsociable son. Cue the raunchy shenanigans that we’ve been missing in movies. Long live the filth, y’all.

3. One Piece (Netflix series)

Netflix has had a few anime-to-live action misses (Cowboy Bebop and Death Note) over the past handful of years, but they hit a home run with this stab at adapting a beloved anime/manga with Monkey D. Luffy searching for an elusive treasure and aiming to become the pirate king. Season 2 has already been greenlit, only a few weeks after the show’s debut. And for those who love to tangle with the dub-vs-sub debate, you can enjoy a bonus with the Japanese dub that features the voice cast behind the anime series.

2.. The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon (AMC series streaming on AMC+)

Norman Reedus began The Walking Dead with an ensemble character who didn’t originate in the comics and appeared to be the “hillbilly” little brother. Following a wealth of development, the crossbow-wielding earns his “Big Ass Kicker” nickname and receives the European “vacation” that he never asked for. This happens to be the only “solo” spinoff in the franchise, and Reedus carries it with some impressive supporting nuns and an absurd amount of French landmark chaos and eye candy, often at the same time.

1. Barbie (Warner Bros. movie on VOD and Amazon Prime)

This film isn’t streaming as part of a service package yet, but Warner Bros. smash box-office hit of all time is now available to rent or purchase, so you can enjoy the Barbies, Kens, and one Allan in the privacy of your own living room. Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie, and Ryan Gosling pull off impressive satire and an unexpected amount of thematic heft about the most iconic plastic doll. They do not scrimp on the pink in a mainstream-friendly beach house for the ages but also do not shy away with grappling with the famed doll’s legacy. It’s a blast to watch and apologetically feminist at the same time.