No one likes doing the dishes, but the tedious chore is made much easier when using a dishwasher. However, an alarming amount of people have reported that their dishwashers can actually make the job harder because they don’t properly fit their dishes.
And that’s where Twitter user Mike McLoughlin (@zuroph) comes in.
Back in January, McLoughlin made an observation about his dishwasher that would change the way he does dishes forever. For a decade, the Irishman thought that the bottom rack of his washer simply was too small for his large dinner plates. Then he made an amazing discovery:
The tweet went totally viral, and was shared over 14,000 times. He even tweeted a picture to show just how much he could fit in the dishwasher now that he knows the racks are adjustable:
I moved into this house in 2008. It always annoyed me that the lower level of the dishwasher wasn’t tall enough to fit my biggest dinner plates. Been handwashing them all this time. This week I discovered you can raise the upper shelf and all my plates fit fine. TEN FUCKING YEARS
The “hack” (is it still called a hack if the appliance is doing what it is supposed to be doing?) blew people’s minds:
Haha, brilliant. My car key central locking is dodgy so I’ve been getting in on passenger side for ages, hauling myself across the handbrake. I paid mechanic €100 to show me that the problem is solved by putting the key in driver door and turning it. Click!
But other people were basically like, “Seriously, dude?”
— (@)
— (@)
While a group of others tried to one-up McLoughlin with stories of their own:
18 YEARS! I’ve had mine 18 years and only just realised! I used to lie the plates down so they would wash! I’m raging and ecstatic all at the same time. Do you have any other helpful hints about how to live life efficiently?!
The magic of twitter. 5 years of confusion about why my dishwasher was the only one on the planet that didn’t fit normal dinner plates. A year of measuring every dinner plate that crossed my path for one that might. Fixed in 30 seconds. @zuroph you are my hero. https://t.co/dYIuXD5Itq
Woke up this morning. Saw your tweet. Leapt out of bed and feverishly emptied top rack of dishwasher. Voila! Rack moved up a notch and my dinner plates now fit perfectly! Thank you..it’s been five years of frustration..life changing:)
Thats neat but hold my beer😎….my friend just found out in 2017 that her kitchen HAD a dishwasher. She thought it was a false cabinet as it was so hard to open. Her niece forced it open and voila instant dishwasher! She owns the property and lived there for 8yrs by then..😂
Try this one on for size. I grew up in anAsian house hold and thought it was only a drying rack until sophmore year of college when my roomate @eddieschneider1 was wondering why I was hand washing dishes. TWENTY FUCKING YEARS https://t.co/dAyEsmF7Ik
Having a celebrity parent seems like it’d be cool, especially if they’re known for being an all-around chill, laid-back, amiable personality. But what if all that chill was attributed to a little pharmaceutical aid? As it turns out, people are surprisingly okay with it — at least when it comes to notorious stoner Wiz Khalifa and his son Sebastian. During a recent podcast appearance, the “Black And Yellow” rapper admitted that he even pulls up to parent-teacher conferences high.
“Hell yeah, I’m pulling up stoned,” he chuckled, after being asked by Call Her Daddy host Alex Cooper whether he imbibes ahead of the ostensibly serious business of meeting his son’s teachers. “They expect it. They know what’s up.”
He explained why this doesn’t get the adverse reaction it would have a generation ago, continuing, “It’s not like back in the day where you were considered a bad parent if you smoke weed. I’m pretty sure my son smells like weed. I don’t know because I can’t smell it but I’m pretty sure he smells like pot… I’m pulling up high because I want them to connect with the real me. They’re not going to get a fake version of me or this made-up parent that society makes you think that you’re supposed to be. I am who I am, and it’s not because I’m a celebrity or anything.”
Wiz does plenty of things stoned, so none of this should be suprising; recently, he admitted to being under the effects of psychedelic mushrooms while throwing out the first pitch at one of his hometown Pittsburgh Pirates’ games.
The Phoenix Suns have not been able to put together a consistent stretch of winning this season without immediately giving it back, sitting at 19-18 on the year as we near the midway point of the season.
They are currently trying to find the balance between their three stars, as Bradley Beal is finally back on the court for the first real extended stretch of the season after missing a lot of time to start the year with a back injury. As is often the case in these situations, the play has been uneven and losses stacking up leads to frustration, particularly for a team that has title aspirations. On Christmas, we got a report from Adrian Wojnarowski that Kevin Durant was not only frustrated with the losing, but with the Suns roster and the overall situation in Phoenix.
Woj on ESPN talks about the #Suns and speaks about frustration from Kevin Durant with Brad Beal out and an “underwhelming supporting cast.”pic.twitter.com/Ap7k7LO7LG
That sparked plenty of conversation about whether Durant was headed for another trade request, particularly considering the Suns don’t have the ability to really make upgrades to the roster given they emptied their asset clip to get Durant and Beal. This week, Durant decided he wanted to set the record straight in a conversation with Fox Sports’ Melissa Rohlin, and state, in no uncertain terms, that was not going to happen and that any frustration is with losses in the moment but has nothing to do with his desire to be on this Suns team and try to figure it out.
“I don’t want to get traded,” Durant said. “I’m not frustrated because Brad was injured. I wasn’t frustrated because of the role players on the team. That s— really was ignorant to me, you know what I’m saying? It’s like, yeah, we lose a game – you think I’m supposed to be happy after we lose a game? You know what I’m saying? I’m not frustrated with the whole situation. I may be frustrated at the moment, at a bad play or a tough stretch. But nah, I enjoy the grind.”
KD continued on to say people were trying to read into his body language and everything else, but weren’t considering some of his frustration might be with himself. He made it clear that he’s committed to figuring it out with the Suns, noting the struggles will only make it feel better when they figure it out.
We don’t often get players making these kinds of direct statements regarding rumors and rumblings, and it’s somewhat refreshing to hear someone address them in this way. It also only raises further questions about who was telling that to Woj, because he is just relaying things he’s heard and isn’t one to go on TV with stuff that’s not coming from pretty plugged in places. Still, this can hopefully alleviate some concerns from Suns fans that they were already in a tense place with their superstar less than a year into his arrival in the desert, but as always, the only real cure for concerns with star-studded teams is winning.
Pedro Pascal showed up to Sunday night’s Golden Globes sporting a concerning accessory. The Last of Us actor was seen sporting an arm sling, but he was still in a jovial mood while walking the red carpet. According to Pascal, he injured his arm in a fall and joked that the reporters should “be careful” because “it could happen to anybody.”
“It can happen to anybody.”
Pedro Pascal, who showed up to the Golden Globes red carpet with his arm in a sling, said his injury was caused by a fall. pic.twitter.com/ZpLgrNeXWI
Naturally, The Last of Us fans became immediately concerned about how Pascal’s injury might affect Season 2 of the HBO series, which has already experienced a significant delay due to the writers and actors strike. Well, good news, Deadline reports that Pascal’s arm sling will not slow down the production of Season 2. The hit adaptation will start filming in February with an eye towards a 2025 release date.
For further proof that The Last of Us Season 2 is moving full steam, Kaitlyn Dever has been officially cast as Abby. As fans of The Last of Us Part II video game know, Abby plays a very pivotal role in the story. For real, be careful what you read out there if you don’t want to see spoilers.
With Dever on board, Season 2 will get to work adapting the sequel game, but unlike Season 1, don’t expect a full conclusion. Showrunner Craig Mazin has confirmed that the second game will need at least two seasons to tell the game’s epic sprawling story, if not three.
The Last of Us Season 1 is available for streaming on Max.
Jason Momoa and Lisa Bonet announced their intent to divorce so long ago (in celebrity gossip time) that you might have assumed that they had already tied everything up legally due to lack of further commentary. Yep, that news came down nearly two years ago, and then Momoa jumped into a Metallica mosh pit, started living in a fancy RV, and took a shower in public because, hey, why not? Oh, I forgot about the naked bike ride, but yes, it was mostly business as usual for him.
This week, Bonet finally followed up with a divorce filing, and within a day, as PEOPLE reports, a settlement was achieved. The former couple will share custody of their two children, and they have split up property with no one deciding to pursue spousal support. This would seem unremarkable except that most divorces are somewhat contentious and drag out long after initial filing, and of course, there are also the particularly messy proceedings like Kevin Costner recently experienced.
Also unexpected? How the initial announcement from Momoa and Bonet felt like a parody of Goop’s “conscious uncoupling” gem of yesteryear:
“We have all felt the squeeze and changes of these transformational times… A revolution is unfolding and our family is of no exception… feeling and growing from the seismic shifts occurring. And so we share our Family news that we are parting ways in marriage. We share this not because we think it’s newsworthy but so that as we go about our lives we may do so with dignity and honesty… The love between us carries on, evolving in ways it wishes to be known and lived. We free each other to be who we are learning to become…”
Well, seem to have meant what this message communicated, so hey, good for them. There’s no word on whether love is truly dead, but we can probably assume that Bonet got to keep that restored Mustang gift, too. Perhaps that was the key to achieving divorce harmony, but whatever the case, it’s nice that two former spouses aren’t tearing each other apart. Nice stories are nice.
San Francisco is an absolute gem of a city with some of the richest cultural history on the West Coast. It’s the home of the hippies. The birthplace of the beat poets and blue jeans. The inspiration behind the classic Journey song “Lights.” The burnt orange towers of the Golden Gate boast the title, by far, of the most famous and recognizable bridge on earth.
Iconic destination? Definitely.
Still, in recent years the beautiful city has caught its share of shade. The wealth gap caused by the influx of Silicon Valley loot hiked up the already premium housing and rental market and the homeless population and correlated crime rate swelled in response. It’s no secret that things got a little grimy in SF post-pandemic. That said, the restoration and rehabilitation efforts have been massive and San Francisco’s renaissance is at hand. Look no further than SF’s rooftop bars getting a nod on the Uproxx Fall 2023 Travel Hot List.
Another of the brightest gems to emerge in SF in recent years is the 1 Hotel San Francisco. We spent a weekend at their waterfront roost and loved what we saw. Read my full review below.
WHY IT’S AWESOME:
1 Hotel San Francisco
The 1 Hotel SF gets no shortage of style points and we’re happy to give those flowers. Still, style speaks largely to the surface of things. Digging deeper, the number one awesome factor at the 1 Hotel SF is the intangible sense of intentionality that underlies every aspect of the property and the brand at large.
The 1 Hotels brand hangs its hat on being mission-driven with sustainability and wellness as their chief values. From the lobby floor boards which were milled down from reclaimed barn wood to the wall panels on each floor hewn from the pillars of the old bay bridge, their use of materials is both environmentally responsible and virtually stunning. The space is also distinctly alive — you’d be hard-pressed to find a corner without some living greenery, whether a moss wall, a dangling fern, or any number of other carefully festooned fauna. One afternoon we had a staff member knock on our door just to water the in-room plants. Not housekeeping mind you, this was the in-house gardener. Who does that?! The lobby even features a farmstand offering fresh seasonal fruits that are imperfect in appearance but perfect in taste, which would otherwise be discarded by producers or grocers. No, they’re not for sale. Just take what you need and enjoy.
More than just lip service and aesthetics, the team at 1 Hotel really went the extra mile to live their espoused values. Every property in the portfolio is currently LEED-certified or in the process thereof. The water glasses and decanters in the rooms are made from cut and polished recycled wine bottles. Sure, the mini bar is stocked with reusable aluminum water bottles but there is also a filtered H2O fill-up station on every floor. Aside from the high-quality rubber yoga mat that comes standard in every room, I honestly can’t remember seeing a single piece of plastic. Anywhere. The room keys are all crafted from thinly cut reclaimed wood. Even the “do not disturb” signs for your lazy mornings are laser-etched stones that you just place outside your door.
It’s also worth mentioning that the property has its own scent. Yep. The 1 Hotel group has developed a proprietary aromatic bouquet that is used in every one of their properties. It’s subtle. It’s soothing. It’s top secret so we won’t begin to conjecture about the blend. Still, these are the touches that make a “hotel we love.”
IN-HOUSE FOOD AND DRINK:
1 Hotel San Francisco
Located in the lobby of the 1 Hotel SF is a vibey gem by the name of Terrene, where they take pride in keeping things fresh and local. All of Terrene’s ingredients are sourced from farms within 100 miles and the chef even has his own rooftop garden complete with bee hives for on-site honey production. Again, who does that?!
Terrene opens up for breakfast at 7 am and has a stellar wake-up selection ranging from your basic avo toast and overnight oats to a decadent sweet potato waffle with vanilla bean maple syrup and seasonal organic berries. Guests are invited to dine in the main restaurant or the much more casual adjacent lounge. One major gold star that we didn’t see coming — if you’re eager to get out into the city or overslept and have to rush to catch your flight, they’ll serve up your breakfast to-go. Maybe a faux pas for some fine dining snobs, but Terenne, like the rest of the 1 Hotel SF, is about what works for people and the planet. (Before you ask, yes, all the to-go containers are 100% biodegradable.)
Lunch is served from 11-2 pm then the kitchen closes from 2-4 pm to flip to dinner service. During the transition, the bar remains active so you can still sip on one of the craft cocktails inspired by famed Bay Area neighborhoods and landmarks. Their beer and wine menu is also curated to include a variety of local breweries and wineries with a selection of sustainable, organic, and Napa Green-certified wines. It’s a solid beverage program all around — we salute that.
The full dinner menu stands up to scrutiny too. With a wide variety of options, especially for the plant-based eaters among us, the nighttime is the right time to visit. Not just a “I’m here so I might as well” spot, Terenne’s evenings are a scene frequented by travelers and locals alike. In addition to the killer cuisine, they have curated programming such as their Thursday and Friday night “Sunset Sessions” featuring local DJs to treat your ears while the chef’s innovations tend to your taste buds.
AMENITIES:
1 Hotel San Francisco
Top-of-the-line gym
Full Restaurant and Bar
Lounges Galore
Filtered Water on every floor
Boardroom-style business center
Spa Treatments
55” 4k TVs with cast function to connect your device
Portable Bluetooth speakers in the room
Pet Friendly
Free parking
Audi Partnership (more below)
Oh, and programming. Lots of it. From HIIT classes in the gym and yoga on the upper decks to mixology workshops down at the bar, there’s constantly something going down at the 1 Hotel SF. They do a great job at keeping things fresh with unique one-offs but they’ve also got recurring monthly offerings to delight such as their full moon celebrations and “dark sky” night where they drop the glow down low in the lobby and go full candlelight to raise awareness of global brightening.
Vibe check. A+
ROOM TYPES:
1 Hotel San Francisco
Absolutely no shortage of options here. For a relatively modest-sized building, the 1 Hotel San Francisco has a serious spread to choose from when selecting your accommodations. We were lucky to stay in their crown jewel, the Ferry House Terrace Suite, a sublimely spacious 1 bed – 2 bath that boasts a private patio with picturesque views overlooking the east bay.
The sunrise from our perch was straight out of a postcard. We loved it so much we couldn’t help but host a small cocktail hour with a few local friends to share the glory. We also peeked in to check out a few other floor plans and were especially impressed by the Panoramic Waterfront Suites. There’s honestly not a bad seat in the house. See for yourself here.
Alcove King
Alcove Double Queen
City King
City Two Queen
City King With Sofa Bed
Bay Bridge King
Waterfront King
Waterfront Two Queen
Studio King
Terrace Studio Suite (Private Terrace)
Alcove Studio Suit
Panoramic Waterfront Suite
Ferry House Terrace Suite (Separate Bedroom + Private Terrace)
BEST THINGS TO DO WITHIN A 15 MINUTE WALK:
1 Hotel San Francisco
The easiest and most obvious option is to take a stroll along the Embarcadero, the waterfront boulevard that runs from the Bay Bridge just south of the 1 Hotel up to the famed Fisherman’s Wharf. There is no shortage of things to see, do, and taste along this stretch but to keep it extra simple, you can walk literally across the street to the Ferry Building.
Hard to miss with its iconic clock tower, the Ferry Building is just that- the functional terminal building for all of the Bay Area’s aquatic ferry lines. That said, it’s not just that.The Ferry Building is also a bustling boutique marketplace with dozens of cafes, restaurants, and artisanal shops. Forget your sunglasses and need a stiff latte after a rough night? You’re covered. Want to find a rare bottle for your room and some serious snacks beyond the mini bar array? Did someone say charcuterie? Check and check.
Oh, and if you happen to be there over the weekend, don’t sleep on the Saturday farmers market! The Ferry Building farmers market is a scene and a half. It dwarfs most farmers markets by a long sight. With well over 100+ different vendors, the Saturday market offers a wide variety of fresh, local produce, food products, unique crafts, and wares from all around the bay.
Fun fact for perspective: Over a third of the USA’s veggies and three-quarters of its fruits and nuts come from California. You’d be hard-pressed to find a fresher and more scrumptious selection, anywhere.
BEST THING TO DO WITHIN AN HOUR DRIVE:
Aryeh-Or
There’s no simple plug for this question. As we’ve mentioned, San Francisco is a major destination with a whole lotta history, and picking your to-do’s is all about your choice of flavor. Here are just a few of the dozens of things we could recommend to see and do in the city.
Fisherman’s Wharf – Killer seafood, kitschy shops, mini museums and much more. The wharf is the ultimate family-friendly afternoon destination.
Chinatown – Nope, it’s not the Jack Nicholson classic ‘Chinatown’. That’s down south in LA. San Francisco’s Chinatown is the oldest and largest in North America. Covering 24 square blocks, it’s another world. Grant Street is the main drag that runs all the way through but there are some amazing secrets awaiting those bold enough to veer off into the many side streets and alleyways.
Haight St (& Ashbury) – Home of the flower children, this was the Mecca of the hippie movement in the late 60’s into the early 70’s. Sure, things have changed. Yes, there is a Starbucks, but there are also a half dozen of the hottest vintage stores you’ll ever find. This is the place for unique shopping and a taste of the old-school SF vibe. Before the legalization of cannabis, this was also the spot to scoop your smoke, but now, you can just google that.
PERK OF THE DAY:
Need a car? The 1 Hotel has struck up a partnership with Audi and they’ve got a fresh pair of eTron SUVs available for guest use. One is considered a “house car” which is on call to give guests a ride anywhere within a one-mile radius of the hotel up until 9 pm. The second Audi of the pair is yours to take for a 2-hour test drive. Just fill out a digital waiver and they hand you the keys. No sales pitch. No catch. Just a brand-new luxury vehicle for your general enjoyment.
Just be sure to make a reservation with the concierge in advance, the 2-hour experience is a hot ticket and can book up.
BED GAME:
1 Hotel San Francisco
Show stopper! We’ve belly-flopped onto and slid gracefully into countless beds across the globe and we’re not afraid to drop a “wow” here.
The 1 Hotel partnered with mattress mogul Simmons and created a custom eco-friendly mattress line that would have stopped Goldie Lox on her first sit. Not too firm, not too plush, height just right for… um, sleeping of course.
The bedding is a surprisingly sumptuous linen x bamboo blend by Kassatex of New York and we’re already ordering them for home. Yeah, that good! And of course, pillow game to match — a layered variety for every sleeper. We have zero notes to give here, the 1 Hotel SF nailed their bed game.
Rating: 10/10
SEXINESS RATING:
Style and sexiness are correlated but far from synonymous. The 1 Hotel SF feels like you’re staying in a Restoration Hardware catalog. Everything is crisp and thoughtfully adorned. We’ve got nothing cross to say about the aesthetic whatsoever. We legit love it.
Still, there’s a je ne sais quoi factor that tips the scales from stylish to “Take me! Right here, right now!” We co-sign to the sexy but the judges score it just shy of “must be ravished at this exact moment.”
Rating: 8/10
VIEWS & PIC SPOTS:
Aryeh-Or
Everything within the walls of the 1 Hotel SF is editorial-worthy. The seamless blend of materials, tones, and textures make for stunning sets. There are plenty of corners for pretty pics and if you’re looking to fill your gram with candids you won’t be disappointed. As views go, we got the best of it from our perch in their top-tier suite but not all rooms are equal in this respect.
If you’re looking to catch the classic elements of SF, you’ll need to take that Audi out for a spin.
Rating: 7/10
BEST SEASON TO VISIT:
SF is a full-spectrum weather city. It’s still coastal California so you won’t ever need your snow gear, but it gets cold and wet. You could be enjoying a perfectly sunny afternoon in a tee shirt but when that notorious fog rolls in, you’re gonna want a layer close by. To make the most of it and see all the sights, hit the bay in late spring through fall. It’s a pretty wide window so color as you will.
IF I HAD TO COMPLAIN ABOUT ONE THING:
If we’re keeping it 100, we weren’t fully wowed by our dinner at Terenne, which surprised us because the reviews are generally all A+. I know that no two nights at a restaurant are the same. The head chef doesn’t always have his hands on your plate. The night my date and I visited, someone was a little heavy-handed with the oil and skimpy with the spice. It wasn’t a bad meal, but we didn’t stay for dessert or order that last drink.
Still, I wouldn’t hesitate to give them another shot to win us over. Everything else at the 1 Hotel is of such a high standard that we’re willing to call this a mulligan.
BOOK HERE:
Rates at the 1 Hotel San Francisco range from $520~ in a basic room to $1500 in the waterfront suite. The Ferry House Terrace Suite is significantly more expensive, clocking in around $5K per night.
After locking down a Golden Globes trophy for his performance in The Holdovers, Paul Giamatti showed that he’ll always be gracious to Howard Stern for giving his career a major boast.
Back in 1997, Giamatti, who was a little known actor at the time, landed the role of Stern’s obnoxious boss, Kenny “Pig Vomit” Rushton, in the biopic Private Parts. When asked if he’d ever work with the shock jock again, Giamatti didn’t hesitate to shout out Howard.
“In a heartbeat,” Giamatti responded. “I owe that man everything.”
During a recent episode of his radio show, Stern reacted to the Golden Globes shout-out, and he had nothing but appreciation for his time with Giamatti. Via Entertainment Weekly:
“Because I was new to film acting I didn’t even realize how good the guy was,” Stern said. “When I would watch [our] scenes back, I went ’Oh my God, look what he’s doing there. He’s so in the character and he’s so good.’”
Stern continued, “he made my job easy.”
Co-host Robin Quivers, who also acted in the biopic, praised Giamatti for being “perfect.” While Stern has steered clear of film acting, he knows who he’s calling if he ever gets back in the game.
“He was just a wonderful moment in my life,” Stern said about Giamatti. “So, if I ever do another movie, boy I would want him in it.”
Charles Barkley has never been afraid to speak his mind on any topic, so it should come as no surprise that he was fully prepared to offer his thoughts on the Jimmy Kimmel-Aaron Rodgers feud that has been the leading topic of the sports media world for the last week.
While joining CBS Mornings on Wednesday to promote his new CNN show with Gayle King, Barkley was asked how he would’ve responded if he was in Kimmel’s place, and he said very succinctly “I’d have punched him in the face.”
Charles Barkley said he would’ve punched Aaron Rodgers in the face if the New York Jets quarterback implied he was on Jeffrey Epstein’s list, like Jimmy Kimmel. pic.twitter.com/WR9MyQl91y
“I’d have punched him in the face,” Barkley said, with King asking what that meant. “You know what the hell punched him in the face means. I think when you’re in the limelight people get to say things about you, that goes with the territory. But when you start comparing people, saying you hanging out with pedophiles and people having sex with underage girls, that’s dangerous. I love how Jimmy responded, but like — I don’t know Aaron Rodgers, he’s always been cordial, I’ve said hello to him a couple times. But you can make fun of celebrities, that goes with our territory, but that’s slander. When you say he hangs out with pedophiles and people having sex with underage girls…hell yeah I’d punch him in the face.”
I do love the “you know what the hell punched him in the face means,” because while so many people speak metaphorically in the media world, Charles absolutely means what he says — he even joked he didn’t know what metaphorically or rhetorically meant. King will learn that soon enough on their show together, and Chuck will get to tackle all manner of stories outside the world of sports with his typical bluntness and humor.
Some of you may not know that Stephen A. Smith is … well, not a Swiftie, but he is certainly empathetic to Taylor Swift. As Smith has explained in the past, he attended The Eras Tour over the summer and was a big fan, calling it “the best concert I’ve ever been to in my life.”
Now, this was before Swift became a fixture at NFL games during her relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, so it’s not like this was directly tied to Smith’s day job or anything. But not long after Smith said this on his podcast, Swift and Kelce’s relationship became public, which meant that Swift became a person that sports talking heads talked about a lot. And on Wednesday’s episode of First Take, Swift came up when Smith’s colleague Chris “Mad Dog” Russo — who previously expressed the belief that their relationship is all a PR stunt — said that Kelce is under pressure to perform in the NFL playoffs, in part because of the attention that he’s received for this.
“We’re gonna see nine million pictures of her in the booth, he was awful a couple of occasions this year — remember when he went to Argentina and came back, he dropped passes all over the place?” Russo said. “If you’re gonna live this culture life, and you’re gonna be a pop hero, and be on the cover of People magazine, you can’t have three catches for 26 yards in a loss in a playoff game.”
Anyway, he went on to yell about some more stuff because he gets paid to do that, but then, Stephen A. was given the floor to respond, and boy, did he respond.
“I have to take a moment to come to the defense of Taylor Swift. Everybody’s sitting up there and acting like she’s some kind of impediment and, excuse me, she did her job! That Eras… pic.twitter.com/CujqQ6sM7H
“I have to take a moment to come to the defense of Taylor Swift,” Smith said. “Everybody’s sitting up there and acting like she’s some kind of impediment. Excuse me, she did her job! That Eras Tour? Off the chain. Generated billions. Now, there’s only one Beyonce to me, and Beyonce, all day, everyday, but Taylor Swift was phenomenal. I went to the concert, I see these kids, they absolutely love her. The concert was absolutely, positively, phenomenal, off the chain.
“She did her job,” Smith continued. “She’s going to support her dude, to show up at a football game, and the cameras are on her. That ain’t her fault! And by the way, she went to the games after the concerts. It’s not like she used the games to bump up the concerts, oh no! Those kids were going to her concerts whether the NFL was promoting her or not! Taylor Swift is that girl. Let’s show some respect. She probably is gonna have a positive impact on Travis Kelce’s performance, okay? I’m not trying to disrespect Taylor Swift.”
It is probably worth mentioning that, despite the argument that he’s been distracted or whatever, Kelce is second in the NFL among tight ends this season in receptions (93) and receiving yards (984), while he was tied for third among tight ends with five touchdowns. This was despite the fact that the Chiefs have struggled mightily to get consistent production from essentially anyone at wide receiver, meaning defenses could focus their efforts on slowing down the 34-year-old.
Kelce and the Chiefs will play host to the Miami Dolphins on Super Wild Card Weekend, with the game taking place on Saturday, Jan. 13 at 8 p.m. EST. Our assumption is that Stephen A. Smith will be watching intently.
It’s been 25 years since the first episode of The Sopranoswas released. From there, the show spent six seasons (and one prequel film) establishing itself and its characters as icons, inspiring countless stories similarly focused on antiheroes, criminal lifestyles, the evasion of punishment, suburban rot, internal and external toxic masculinity, and most impactfully, existential dread.
I want to focus on that last one to make a point about the show’s continuing relevance.
There’s a scene at the end of the pilot episode of The Sopranos that plays like a horror movie. Tony Soprano’s (James Gandolfini) mother Livia (Nancy Marchand) and his Uncle Junior (Dominic Chianese) are in a car, his body uptight, upright, and forward in his seat, their discomfort obvious as he yells “these kids today!” and she shrieks for him to stop as he paints a picture of a world turned to chaos as it slips from their generation’s control. None of us wants to ever be this way, so unable to reckon with generational drift.
There’s another scene, this one with Tony where he’s in his therapist’s (Lorraine Bracco) office. The pilot spends a lot of time establishing that Tony is intimidated by the idea of therapy due to his work as a mobster, but it’s also rooted in his idea of what toughness is and his fears about self-discovery.
“Whatever happened to Gary Cooper?!” is a line that often gets cited when talking about the show, but the bit that immediately follows is incredibly important: “He (Cooper) wasn’t in touch with his feelings. He just did what he had to do. See what they didn’t know was that once they got Gary Cooper in touch with his feelings, they wouldn’t be able to shut him up.”
One last scene, this one with Christopher (Michael Imperioli), Tony’s eager young henchman and nephew who flirts with a mob war by acting impulsively, whacking a rival while being inspired by The Godfather and the romantic idea of sending messages to the family’s rivals. Christopher is a wrecking ball lacking precision and patience, powered by the idea that it’s time for his generation to take the reins, whether he’s earned it or not. Whether he’s ready or not.
In these three scenes, Sopranos creator David Chase tells you everything you need to know about the warring factions within the Soprano family. Three distinct eras – all connected by fear of irrelevancy – the moment is past, the moment is fading, the moment is never going to come. It’s a generational divide that resonates today, because 25 years on, while the times and details are different, the fears and feelings are the same.
I’m sure you identify with one of those phases when you look around at the world. When I first watched the show, I was a teenager and incredibly eager to be taken seriously. Now, I’m closer to Tony’s age and unsteady with it. I’m sometimes wistful for a less complicated and more stoic process that didn’t come with as many prompts to tussle with my emotions and choices. I’m also annoyed by being dragged by a younger generation and held down by an older one.
So much of the focus on The Sopranos is, naturally, on that middle stage with Tony as the show’s star. He’s fending off frustrations from underneath and challenges from above, he’s trying to keep a sense of order amidst chaos, even though he is, quite often, the source of the chaos.
In the pilot, Tony lays it all out when he first meets Dr. Melfi (the aforementioned therapist):
“It’s good to be in something from the ground floor. And I came too late for that, I know. But lately, I’m getting the feeling that I came in at the end. The best is over.”
Who can’t relate to those feelings?
Tony is never happier in the pilot than when he gets to take back some of his power, embracing the old-school mobster methods by gleefully running down a “degenerate gambler” with Christopher’s new Lexus. He grins ear to ear before busting the fleeing man’s leg and Christopher’s expensive toy, later making it clear that any talk about him not being as tough as the past generation is a lie.
The ducks that have chosen the Soprano family pool as their sanctuary also bring him immense joy, when they’re there, in view and safe. Not flying away, causing a full-blown panic attack. Again, you make the connection to worries about kids growing up and family falling apart – be it your actual family with aging relatives or how found families and friendships can come undone over time – and it’s another highly relatable moment when you divorce it from the notion of “whacking” members of that found family.
Tony finds solace in talking about his problems, upending the thought about Gary Cooper, though it’s all slow to come and hollow based on the lies he needs to tell. I love the moment with his wife, Carmella (Edie Falco), when he says that his life is out of balance and she tells him, “Our existence on this earth is a puzzle.” She’s not very reassuring, but why should she be? She’s got her own existential dread to deal with. We’re alone, together, in this world.
I keep throwing the word relatable around, which feels weird when looking at the whole board. Tony Soprano is a middle-aged, (upper) middle-class white man and criminal with decidedly backward social views. Sexist, homophobic, racist, violent, deceitful. The list of flaws could stretch the length of the NJ Turnpike. No one should look to him as a model, but this is what makes for compelling art: something that doesn’t just present characters and their flaws like a problem to be solved, but rather as something to experience while, at the same time, prompting questions about what we like, what we loathe, and what it all says about us.
If Tony Soprano is 70% monster then there’s still 30% left for us to connect to while realizing, of course, that we’re all a little monstrous. Hell, the final statement from the pilot highlights that point with Nick Lowe’s pained “The Beast In Me.”
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I recognize that it is such a typical middle-stage thing to try and be the anti-Uncle Junior and Livia Soprano in the car, aiming to connect to the incoming alpha gen, saying, “No, this ancient thing is good. It should be a part of your culture too!” And yet that’s exactly what I’m doing with this article. But I swear it comes from a good place. It also comes from a place that doesn’t respect the idea of generational boundaries all that much.
Instinctively, we seem to push away the art of a prior era in search of new things because old things couldn’t possibly connect to now. But that’s not quite right. Art, books, poetry, and music have stretched across centuries to inspire anew and anew again, not belonging, specifically, to any era.
If time is a construct of man, cultural dividers are even more so. In a way, the awesome untapped potential of mass streaming and availability (with its obvious limits) makes this even more true because no one is dictating, specifically, when you can watch things or your access to them. As such, The Sopranos exists at the same time in the same space as anything freshly released. You only need a prompt to engage with it.
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