Month: November 2023

Dirk Nowitzki is one of the greatest scorers the NBA has ever seen, as the Hall of Famer is sixth on the league’s all-time scoring list at 31,560 points, positioned on that list between Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain.

A whole lot of those points came by way of what became his signature shot, a one-legged fadeaway that he made famous and constantly drove defenders insane because it was just about unblockable. However, it wasn’t a shot he came into the league with, but was something he developed in the middle of his career. As he explained it recently on the All The Smoke podcast, he felt he’d lost a step and was getting crowded more, and didn’t want to deal with the physical grind of trying to rip through contact and work his way to the free throw line and tough buckets.

So, around 2010-11 — the Mavs championship season — he started tinkering with the one-legged fadeaway that would eventually become known simply as “the Dirk” and it worked well enough that it stuck and eventually got him immortalized doing that shot outside the Mavs arena.

I do always enjoy hearing all-time greats talk about these things as if they’re so simple and not really a big deal. It’s funny hearing Dirk give an “aw, shucks” routine about how one of the NBA’s most unstoppable shots was really just him being lazy and not wanting to fight through crowds anymore, so he just figured out how to shoot over them and create some space with his legs. Most great shooting big men now have “the Dirk” in their arsenal, but no one’s ever quite mastered the same touch that Dirk had with it. As he noted, it’s not a shot most coaches would encourage someone to take, but when done well and by the right person, it’s the kind of thing that can drive defenders crazy.

Everyone knows that dinner parties in the Housewives universe are never a good sign, so the fine folks at Bravo decided to throw together some friends, enemies, weed edibles, and enough alcohol for a small army, just to see what would happen!

On a recent episode of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, the ladies were treated to some edibles, which Denise Richards refused. “I don’t wanna eat that stuff. I’ve smoked weed twice in my life, and I’m good. I’m not gonna say who I did that with,” she explained. So, in an effort to get on everyone else’s level, it seems like Richards substituted may have substituted alcohol for weed, and fans were… concerned? Or entertained.

Richards appeared to be going through the motions of a demonic exorcism and/or a lot of alcohol throughout these moments. As with any dinner table confrontation, things quickly got heated between two other attendees, and Richards continued with the silent but chaotic facial expressions.

The Tammy and the T-Rex actress was a regular on the show before exiting the series in 2020. Fans were a little disturbed by Richards antics, but who says you can’t sit at a table with a few of your enemies and act up? This is Bravo! She’ll be fine.

After the episode, Richards revealed she had a “cuckoo” time at dinner, so she seems over it by now.

Reactions to writer/director Emerald Fennell‘s Promising Young Woman follow-up, Saltburn, have been interesting, with The Guardian asking if it’s the most divisive film of the year and The Mary Sue wondering why so many men seem to hate it. To some, this upstairs/downstairs satire with Talented Mr. Ripley vibes hits the mark with a mix of obsession, outrageousness, and obnoxiously wealthy and pretty people. To others, the film comes off as a self-satisfied mess with an obvious twist that they totally saw coming. They really want you to know that they saw that twist coming.

The one scene everyone is talking about, whether they like or loathe the film, is the bathtub scene. What is its significance to the larger story and is it an over-the-top device conjured to spur controversy and attention for the film? We’re going to dive into those questions, but first let’s break down the scene in question, which starts with Jacob Elordi’s Felix Catton helping himself to, well, himself, during an oh-so-steamy and solitary soak in the tub while home for break with his ultra-rich family (Saltburn is the name of the English countryside manor where they reside), some hangers-on, and his much poorer friend and school mate, Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan).

Peering through the doorway of their shared bathroom (it’s a literal castle with 30 servants, but sure, there are shared bathrooms), Oliver is obviously captivated by the vision of Felix in the throes of self-love, but he’s been nursing an all-consuming obsession with more than a few obstacles in his way, so the voyeuristic pleasure of spying on Felix in the most private of moments must suffice. Until it can’t.

Once Felix is done with his splish-splash-splosion and out of range, Oliver enters the bathroom and begins to hover over the drain before pressing his lips to the cast iron tub (a guess) to get a taste of Felix’s bathwater, et al.

The implication is, of course, that tasting Felix (who is kind and flirty at times, but otherwise not interested) is as close as Oliver can get to being with him.

Fennell is doing a few things here: tagging an exclamation point onto Oliver’s consuming desires and asking the audience to be a voyeur and question any stirrings it unlocks as we watch this erotic act of total submission to Oliver’s sad, unfulfilled longings – slow and then complete.

It’s so easy to feel bad for Oliver in this moment (despite the obvious violation), even if you’re not quite able to conjure memories of unrequited love’s desperate influence or envision going to such slurpy lengths. There’s something in there you can relate to.

In Mike Ryan’s interview with Fennell for Uproxx, she spoke to the way the pandemic-prime era of isolation influenced this film that’s set in 2006: “[the] sort of longing to touch and what happens when you can’t touch the thing you want to touch, what that does to you. It makes you completely insane.”

Still, could you accomplish the same thing if Oliver had picked up Felix’s sweater and given it a whiff? No, Fennell clearly wanted to put us in a specific lane of thought with an act that, later, might have some more significance. But for that dissection, we need to throw up a big shiny spoiler warning for anyone who has not seen the film yet. Sorry.

For everyone else, let’s throw on some tiny demon horns and party.

As you know, this whole movie drives towards the realization that Oliver has been pulling strings and drugging angelic richlings to death. Lined up all nice and in a row, Felix, his sister Venetia (Alison Oliver), father Sir James (Richard Grant), and mother Elsbeth (Rosamund Pike), are all buried in the yard while Oliver has a dick-swinging dance fest in his freshly inherited castle, the product of burrowing into the family like some kind of parasite a little before and a lot after Felix was the first Catton to fall.

The preceding flashbacks tell the whole story about Oliver’s plan, how long he’d been working Felix, and the strings he pulled to get this result. A confession to Elsbeth on her deathbed is one more twist of the knife: Oliver both loved and hated Felix.

Jumping back to the bathtub scene, that act of slurping someone’s bathwater (+) feels more in the love/desire column, but when paired with the scene where Oliver luxuriates in fingering and going down on Venetia during her period and you see that he literally wanted to devour these people in every possible way. Actually shocked Fennell didn’t dive into literal cannibalism, but ya gotta save something for the sequel.

The scene with Oscar at Felix’s grave is another recurring point of discussion, and I kinda get it on the surface. It’s visually and emotionally powerful, a man denied the man he most desired and desperate from grief, pulling down his pants and having sex with the pile of dirt atop his would-be lover’s grave. But it’s also kinda confusing with what we know about Oliver’s actual wants.

As with the other supposedly over-the-top scenes, there are reasons that justify that (albeit big) choice. Maybe Fennell wants us to question the hierarchy between love and hate with regard to Oliver’s feelings toward Felix at the end while also waving a big red flag that indicates that Oliver is fully insane. Maybe she wanted to add a tinge of sadness to the triumphant naked dance party of one at the end. Or maybe that scene and the bathtub scene really are shocking for the sake of being shocking and sparking people to leave the theater with something to talk about. Either way, I’m good.

So many filmmakers paint by numbers, giving us what they (a big word encompassing many people) think we want. But it’s absolutely wonderful to be pushed out of our comfort zones either for narrative purposes or even just to drop a few jaws.

These sharp turns push some people out of the story, but it pulls others in closer. Because now we’re off the rails and less likely to slip into that mode. You know, the one where we lazily watch things thinking we already know what’s going to happen and how it’s going to happen because of how zapped our attention spans are and how samey our stories are. It feels like a loveless marriage between us and art, going through the motions, a murder-suicide with time. I hate that mode.

But Emerald Fennell gets it. All evidence from her work shows she’s more for the people who want to feel something — love, rage, befuddlement, whatever — when leaving a theater, enlisted in an army whose mission is to defend or even tear down a film. She’s willing to take chances and risk making you want to tear down her films because the story matters, not the response or what the response does for her career. It’s fantastic.

Being a provocateur and a good filmmaker aren’t mutually exclusive titles, sometimes they can be the same thing.

After CBS struck ratings gold by airing old episodes of Yellowstone to fill gaps in its Fall lineup from the writer and actor strikes, ABC is pulling a similar move with Only Murders in the Building. The mystery series starring Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez has been a breakout hit for Hulu, so why not create some of that magic on ABC?

As of now, the plan is to only air Season 1 of Only Murders in two hour blocks consisting of three episodes, with the exception of the finale. Here’s the broadcast schedule:

Episodes 1-3: January 2, 9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Episodes 4-6: January 9, 9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Episodes 7-9: January 16, 9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Episode 10: January 23, 9:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Both Hulu and ABC are owned by Disney, in case you were curious how any of this works. However, there will be a little bit of finagling to adjust for time slots and network codes.

Via Variety:

According to insiders, ABC will follow broadcast standards and practices rules on the episodes, and the network has been working with the show’s producers on edits that need to be made (likely, mostly language that runs afoul of FCC rules). In terms of timing, episodes will not be edited down. To fit the timeslot, credit windows will only air once a night, and recaps will only appear at the top of the night’s first episode after week one.

Of course, CBS only planned on airing the first season of Yellowstone until it became a ratings hit. With entertainment companies leaning back into the older, ad-based broadcast model, there is a chance Only Murders’ next two seasons could air on ABC, too. Which wouldn’t be a bad thing. Network television viewers deserve to see Paul Rudd eat a cookie, too.

(Via Variety)

Welcome to SNX DLX, your weekly roundup of the best sneakers to hit the internet. Now that Black Friday is behind us, we’re finally getting some decent sneaker drops again. And I use the word “decent” for a reason.

This might come as shocking from Uproxx’s resident sneakerhead but we’re at the end of the year and, save for one or two drops a week, nothing released is really going to wow anybody or land on the “Best Sneakers of 2023” list. That doesn’t mean the shoes coming out between now and year’s end are not worth picking up but it’s safe to assume the best sneakers of the year are behind us.

It’s sad. But hey, 2024 is just around the corner and a new year of sneakers always has us hyped.

Despite the lack of truly groundbreaking stuff, this week still has a few gems: a women’s exclusive Jordan 6, a link-up between New Balance and Patta, and a new colorway of the Zoom Vomero 5. Let’s dive into this week’s best drops.

Nike Women’s Air Jordan 6 GORE-TEX

Price: $250

This sneaker is in the running for the week’s best pick, but it’s a women’s exclusive, so if you’ve got big feet, sorry, you’re out of luck. This winter-ready Jordan 6 features a waterproof GORE-TEX equipped upper in premium Brown Kelp leather with purple accents and a dusty gum sole.

Overall the sneaker has a sort of worn and utilitarian aesthetic, while still exuding that classic Jordan luxuriousness.

The Nike Women’s Air Jordan 6 GORE-TEX is set to drop on November 29th at 7:00 am PST for a retail price of $250. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Nike Women’s Zoom Vomero 5 Cargo Khaki and Sequioa

Price: $160

The Vomero 5 — one of our favorite sneaker silhouettes of the year — is getting a brand-new colorway this week. The sneaker features a mix of olive green and grey tones against an upper composed of textile and synthetic leather with plastic accents. Rounding out the design is a contrasting white midsole with a black outsole.

Like the Jordan 6, this sneaker is billed as a women’s size exclusive but features an extended size run that tops out at a men’s 13.

The Nike Women’s Zoom Vomero 5 Cargo Khaki and Sequoia is set to drop on November 29th at 7:00 am PST for a retail price of $160. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or aftermarket sites like GOAT and Flight Club.

New Balance Made in USA 996 Crimson

Price: $219.99

Wait, am I seeing this right, is this essential a NB 996 inverted BRED? Sorry, but Nike has broken our brains, it’s hard to see this color combination and not think of a Jordan and… you know what? That’s not stopping us from wanting this shoe. In fact, it might be contributing to our desire.

This 996 Crimson features a leather upper, a woven tongue label, and an ENCAP midsole.

The New Balance Made in USA 996 Crimson is set to drop on November 30th at 7:00 am PST for a retail price of $219.99. Pick up a pair at the New Balance webstore.

New Balance Made in USA 990v4 Teal

Price: $219.99

Fans of the San Jose Sharks are going to flip out when they see these. The 990v4 features a leather upper, made in USA flag logo tongue label, flying NB logo at the heel, and an ENCAP midsole. THe colorway combines rich teal with white and black accents. It’s a simple but effective three-color design.

The New Balance Made in USA 990v4 Teal is set to drop on November 30th at 7:00 am PST for a retail price of $219.99. Pick up a pair at the New Balance webstore.

Nike LeBron XXI Abalone

Price: $210

We never thought we’d say this about the concept of a sneaker but the inspiration behind the LeBron XXI Abalone is pretty cute. According to Nike, LeBron’s daughter helped him not only grow as a person but softened him and now King James feels the need to protect her at all costs the way an oyster shelters a pearl — which brings us to the LeBron XXI Abalone.

Wait, Abalone? An Abalone is not an oyster… why not just call this sneaker the “Oyster?” Let’s not think too deeply into it or it all falls apart.

Anyway, the Abalone features an exposed heel with a quilted tongue, a shell-like semi-metallic multicolored finish, and a low profile. It’s a dope sneaker, shakey concept and all.

The Nike LeBron XXI Abalone is set to drop on December 1st at 7:00 am PST for a retail price of $210. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or aftermarket sites like GOAT and Flight Club.

Nike Air Max 1 ’86 Doernbecher Freestyle Collection

Price: Varies

Every year Nike teams up with the OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital, enlisting young patients to design limited-edition sneakers known as the Doernbecher Freestyle collection. All proceeds from these sales go straight to benefiting the hospital and several legendary colorways in Nike’s roster come straight from this program.

This year’s collection consists of six reimagined sneakers, including an Air Max 1 ’86, ACG Mountain Fly 2, high-top Dunk, Cortez, FlyEase, and Jordan 3. Our favorites include the Hailey, Garrett, Macey (pictured here) but there is a little something for every kind of sneaker fan so the whole collection is worth checking out.

The Nike Air Max 1 ’86 Doernbecher Freestyle Collection 2023 is set to drop on December 2nd at 7:00 am PST. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or aftermarket sites like GOAT and Flight Club (Please note if you pick these up on the aftermarket your money isn’t going to the hospital).

Patta x New Balance 991v2 Pickled Beet/Sea Moss

Price: $250

The iconic Amsterdam-based streetwear and sneaker store Patta has teamed up with New Balance for one of the dopest sneakers of the month. What a way to cap off November! The 991v2 sports a premium nubuck, leather and mesh upper in two vibrant colorways, Pickles Beet and Sea Moss, with a FuelCeel midsole, dual branding at the tongue, and a metallic silver badge with a ‘v2’ emblem.

Both pairs feature three different lace sets for an extra level of customizability.

The Patta x New Balance 991v2 Sea Moss is set to drop on December 1st for a retail price of $250. Pick up a pair exclusively at Patta.

Disclaimer: While all of the products recommended here were chosen independently by our editorial staff, Uproxx may receive payment to direct readers to certain retail vendors who are offering these products for purchase.

South African superstar Tyla has had an amazing breakout year, but she’s just getting started. Today, she announced her debut album, Tyla, is coming soon, revealing the artwork and a partial tracklist with the titles of three new songs — including the recently teased “Truth Or Dare” and “On And On,” which she debuted on COLORS today — to whet fans’ appetites.

“Everything that’s happening has surpassed anything I could have dreamt of,” she wrote. “African music is going global and I’m so blessed to be one of the artists pushing the culture. I’ve been working on my sound for 2 years now and I’m so ready for the world to hear it. The ‘TYLA’ PRE-SAVE is now live + 3 new songs for
you to eat till the album debuts. I cannot wait for the world to experience an African Popstar.”

The world has already been experiencing Tyla’s breakout for the past few months. We’ve seen the 21-year-old Johannesburg singer become the first artist from her home country to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 in 55 years, then go on to make her US television debut, collaborate with one of rap’s biggest stars in Travis Scott on the remix, and the song climb all the way to the top ten. Oh, by the way, she’s also nominated for a Grammy. What a year.

Tyla is out soon via Fax / Epic.

As one of the biggest music festivals in the US, Bonnaroo is an event worth planning ahead for. So, if you’re gearing up to head to Manchester, Tennessee in the summer of 2024 (June 13 to 16, specifically), here’s what you need to know about buying tickets.

How To Buy Tickets For The 2024 Bonnaroo Festival

The “Troo Roo Presale” is happening right now (as of this post on November 30). To get tickets, it’s as simple as going to the Bonnaroo website and hitting the “buy tickets” button. From there, you choose whatever options you’d like and go through the online purchasing process.

How Much Do Tickets For The 2024 Bonnaroo Festival Cost?

Tickets are sold at different levels of luxury. At the current pricing tiers (early buyers were able to score passes for cheaper), the least expensive option is 4-day general admission, at $410. Then there’s 4-day GA+ at $695, 4-day VIP at $1,000, and 4-day platinum at $4,155.

The good news for those who’d prefer to space out their spending is that layaway is available. Plans start at just $25 down for the general admission level, then for subsequent levels rise to $50, $100, and $200.

When Will The 2024 Bonnaroo Festival Lineup Be Announced?

Festival organizers have not yet confirmed a date when the 2024 lineup will be revealed. However, they’ve been sharing clues on social media in recent days. Furthermore, the 2023 Bonnaroo lineup was revealed on January 10, so if that precedent holds, expect the 2024 lineup not long into the new year.

Bonnaroo, the expansive four-day music festival held annually in Manchester, Tennessee, is set to return in 2024 on June 13. The 2023 festival, which featured Foo Fighters, Kendrick Lamar, and Odesza, was held around the same time, which means there are still a few more months left until we find out the 2024 lineup. So…

When Will The Lineup Come Out For Bonnaroo 2024?

Judging from the most recent example, we should expect to see the lineup announcement sometime in January, as the 2023 lineup was revealed on January 10, 2023. This gives us another reason to look forward to the new year!

How Much Are Bonnaroo 2024 Tickets?

With ticket prices increasing, some fans might be wondering just how much tickets for next year’s festival will be. The festival’s organizers announced the price change a few weeks ago on social media, revealing that “prices need to go up just slightly” as the “cost of producing this magical world has increased.” The good news is there won’t be any fees tacked on, so fans will know exactly what they’re paying from the start.

Using this year’s prices as a baseline, fans should expect to pay a little over $350 at the lower end of general admission tier for four days, with VIP starting at around $900 and Platinum packages going up from around $4,155. Is it worth it? Fans this year apparently moshed so hard they kept butt (hip/knee/elbow/etc.) dialing police so all indications point to “yes,” unless that’s not your jam.

Tickets are already on sale, and you can find out more at Bonnaroo’s website.

It’s reportedly official between Jeremy Allen White and Rosalía. After weeks of rumors and smoke break photos, US Weekly reports that The Bear star and the Grammy-winning singer are officially an item. A source told the outlet, “Rosalía and Jeremy Allen White have recently started dating. They started out as just friends, but things have turned romantic recently.”

They were first spotted together in October.

Rosalía — who had the biggest Billboard Hot 100-charting hit of her career this year with “Beso” — was previously engaged to singer Rauw Alejandro before they called things off. Allen White, who stars alongside Zac Efron in next month’s A24 wrestling drama The Iron Claw, was married and has two kids with actress Addison Timlin, but she filed for divorce in May.

“White’s romance with Rosalía comes after he was seen passionately kissing model Ashley Moore in August,” according to US Weekly. “One week before his PDA-filled L.A. outing with Moore, 30, White sparked speculation that he and estranged wife Addison Timlin were reconciling. The coparents were seen embracing and walking with their arms around each other at their 5-year-old daughter Ezer’s soccer game in July.”

We’ll find out how serious things are between the reported couple when Rosalía has to visit Allen White in Chicago in winter.

Picture this for a second: It’s been a few months, hell, maybe a few years since you’ve last had McDonald’s. Suddenly, you’re hit with a craving that must be sated. You roll up to a McDonald’s drive-thru, only to find yourself staring blankly at the menu because… you don’t know what to order. You don’t go to McD’s!

We’ve all been there. Well… except me. At this point, I’ve done a deep dive into just about every fast food menu ever. But I know that feeling of not knowing the best way to spend your money and I empathize.

To help you with this “Now, we’re holding up the line!” ordering conundrum, I’m filtering down the entire McDonald’s menu into the five absolute “must-order” dishes and breaking down why they’re the best. Keep in mind, this isn’t a ranked list so order these in any combination or all five for the perfect meal!

Quarter Pounder

Why It’s Great:

At McDonald’s you have nine different burger builds. I’m here to say: the classic Quarter Pounder with Cheese is the right pick. If you haven’t been to McDonald’s this year you’re probably unaware that the burgers are prepared differently now. The onions are caramelized on top of the burger as the meat patty sits on the grill, deepening the flavor a bit, and McDonald’s does a better job at seasoning its patties. These changes are most visible (taste-able) on the Quarter Pounder.

The Quarter Pounder is proportioned perfectly, the bread-to-meat ratio is ideal, allowing the flavor of the thick beefy meat patty to cut through while the double dose of cheese and semi-caramelized onion amps up the savory qualities. The combination of pickles, mustard, and ketchup brings some tang and sweetness to each bite.

For best results, eat this burger as soon as you order it — that is when the texture is at its best.

The Bottom Line:

If you’re looking for the single greatest burger at McDonald’s, this is it.

A Larger Order of French Fries

Why It’s Great:

It should go without saying that if you’re going to McDonald’s, you better be getting fries. These are simply the best fries you can get from a fast food drive-thru — they’re buttery and salty with a hint of sweetness on the backend.

There is a reason I’m specifying a large order though and that’s because there is nothing worse than ordering French Fries from McDonald’s and getting a lukewarm order. If you order a large, there is a higher chance that the employees will have to drop a new batch to accommodate your gluttony. Another hack for getting fresh fries is asking for your order “without salt.” That’ll ensure the employees have to make a new order just for you, and you can always salt them yourself afterward.

Orrrrrrrrrr you can simply say “Can I wait in my car for a fresh batch of fries?” I’ve found that they will usually accommodate you.

The Bottom Line:

The greatest French Fries in fast food. We’ve proven this.

McNuggets

Why It’s Great:

McNuggets are more than a nostalgic classic. In small doses, they’re delicious and super addicting. The outer layer of a perfect McNugget is crispy and airy, while the chicken inside is tender and hot. Keep in mind, if you get a stale McNugget, it’s going to ruin the experience.

In this case, I think less is more. 10 Nuggets is a good amount but, in my experience, six is better. So treat this as a side dish rather than a main meal.

The Bottom Line:

Pair it with your favorite sauce and you’ve got a great side or appetizer to your main dish.

Sausage McMuffin With Egg

Why It’s Great:

The Sausage McMuffin with Egg is a perfect breakfast sandwich. The sausage is savory, sweet, and meaty, heavily seasoned with black pepper, and is complemented by the salty notes of the melted American cheese.

The English muffin bun is perfectly toasted, providing some crunch which serves as a counterbalance to the softness of the fried egg. The craggy surface of the bun works as a sponge to soak in all of the savory and satisfying flavors.

The Bottom Line:

This staple from the Breakfast Menu is worth waking up early for.

McDonald’s Coca-Cola

Why It’s Great:

Wait! I know this seems like a throwaway choice, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. McDonald’s Coca-Cola tastes far different and way better than any other fast food restaurant’s Coke. You could taste a cup of this side by side with Coca-Cola from other restaurants and be able to pick this one out as the best — it’s that much of a noticeable difference.

There is a reason (and a science) behind why. McDonald’s goes the extra mile to ensure it’s Coke tastes different by following the guidelines set out by Coca-Cola. The water and syrup used in the fountain machines is pre-chilled and the ratio of syrup to water is calibrated to account for ice meltage. That’s some nerdy shit right there and it pays off.

McDonald’s also claims its straw is slightly wider than a typical straw which allows the drink to hit your taste buds just right. We don’t know if that actually makes a difference, but we totally taste the difference the pre-chilling and syrup ratio provides.

The Bottom Line:

There is a reason McDonald’s Coke hits differently.