Month: March 2024

Have you noticed it’s getting harder and harder to find a place to sit in public spaces these days? There’s a reason for that. It’s a purposeful choice many municipalities are making in an effort to keep people who are homeless from setting up camp or making beds out of benches.

The anti-homeless spikes that make lying down on steps, along buildings and on other flat surfaces have been addressed by communities in creative ways, such as the artists who set up a cozy bed with a bookshelf attached to it over one set of spikes in London. But there are other manifestations of hostile architecture popping up around the world as the homelessness crisis reaches dire proportions in some cities.

Hostile or anti-homeless architecture makes the environment incompatible with comfortable rest and relaxation, which serves the purpose of pushing homeless people out of those spaces (but does nothing to actually solve the problem). And at the same time, it makes shared public spaces a lot less comfortable for everyone.

Cash Jordan shared a bunch of examples of hostile architecture in New York City, from bumpy subway vent covers that prevent people from sleeping on them, to slanted benches you can just lean on but not sit on, to removing benches and seats from public transportation stations altogether.

Not only do such choices make life harder for homeless people, but people with disabilities, elderly and pregnant people and others need to be able to sit for a bit when they’re out and about. And all of us could use a little respite from walking and standing sometimes. Hostile architecture choices remove features that make public spaces accessible and usable for us all.

Watch Jordan explain:

“It seems to me the ‘hostile architecture’ is only kicking the can down the road— if you notice they are not solving their homeless crisis—just keeping people out of certain areas,” wrote one commenter.

“That’s not stopping people from being homelesss, that’s just making everyone uncomfortable,” wrote another.

“Cities/people think homeless people will just go away with things like this. Unless you’ve been homeless (I have) you don’t understand the desperation, fear, and embarrassment of it. Whether due to poor choices or not (and it’s NOT always, even in America), no one deserves this,” shared another.

“As someone with a disability that makes it very painful for me to stand for long periods, that train station would be absolute hell,” added another. “So not only is this affecting the homeless population, it affects the many, many people like me with disabilities. I don’t like having to take my wheelchair places if I can help it, but places like that would force me to.”

Homelessness is not a simple problem to solve, no matter what anyone says, but putting money into something like this, which doesn’t actually address the problem itself, is wasteful in addition to making public spaces less usable. What if we invested that money into quality, affordable housing, programs that address the addiction and mental health issues that often perpetuate homelessness or other initiatives that actually stand a chance of solving the problem at its core instead?

Targeting the homeless population with hostile architecture is unkind at its core, and making public spaces uninviting, unwelcoming and uncomfortable for all is a short-sighted “fix” that doesn’t actually help anyone. Let’s take a step back, reset our moral compass and create spaces that are useful, accessible and comfortable for all.

Saving old text messages from exes can sometimes be an asset when you need to remember exactly why you left them. Alternately, sometimes digital relics from old relationships are a good reminder of how much good we have in our lives currently.

At least, they did for the Twitter user May Larsen, who recently posted screenshots of two text threads with two very different men.

The conversation on the left shows how an old conversation went down with an emotionally manipulative ex. While the other screenshot is a prime example of what communication in a healthy partnership looks like.

u201cDifference between a boy and a man.u201d

— Mayc (@Mayc)
1533704969

The emotional dynamics of this exchange are full of red flags.

This ex (boyfriend, hookup, whatever he was) went from 0-100 in no time. In fact, the ONLY way this kind of freak out would be excusable would be if they had prior plans she ditched on. Alternately, if he was doing a performance art bit where he embodied Drake’s 0-100 via text message. Outside of those possibilities, this type of reaction is nothing short of manipulation and emotional abuse.

The second text message showed how Larsen’s current partner responds to a simple night out.

The difference between these responses to a simple night out on the town is night and day. When comparing the two messages, the red flags really pop.

People on Twitter had a LOT of thoughts about the texts.

Difference between a man and a cuckboi

— paxil (@paxil)
1533870240

Some women shared similar experiences with possessive partners.

Youu2019re reminding the one on the left not to cheat. He already has his guard up. The one on the right is just doing the minimum

— X u00c6 A-12 Musk (@X u00c6 A-12 Musk)
1533905239

A lot of people assumed the texts were from two guys she’s currently dating.

SO IS EVERYONE IGNORING SHAWTY TALKING TO TWO GUYS AT THE SAME TIME?????

— Not Josh (@Not Josh)
1533864031

Nah dude check the first one she cropped the time and allat out of it. You was right at first

— Dee (@Dee)
1533873487

That quickly got shut down.

Donu2019t get pressed over a joke B.

— Dee (@Dee)
1533877627

Meanwhile, others were caught up with the fact that her current dude wears a cowboy hat.

You can tell which one is the man by the cool hat.

— Adam Dane (@Adam Dane)
1533867124

YEEHAWW

— u2764ufe0fud83eudd0dud83dudc7c u0142u2c64u0142u0246u20aeu2c64u0142u2c60u2c60u0142u0246 (@u2764ufe0fud83eudd0dud83dudc7c u0142u2c64u0142u0246u20aeu2c64u0142u2c60u2c60u0142u0246)
1533883789

Regardless of whether the rest of us are pro cowboy hat (I’m pro if you can pull it off), it seems they’ve got a healthy situation going. Communication is key, in any kind of relationship.

This article originally appeared on 04.10.19

Gerod Roth posted a photo of himself with a coworker’s child last month.

And while it might not be immediately obvious why this was such a mistake, well … let me tell you.

The initial photo, screencapped and tweeted above by Twitter user Dr. X, is seemingly adorable. But the comments and Roth’s intent soon turned rather ugly.

Roth had snapped the pic of his coworker’s 3-year-old son, Cayden, without his coworker’s permission (already an incredibly uncool thing to do) and proceeded to use it as his profile picture.

u201c#HisNameIsCayden Racist White People Mock Black Child on Facebook https://t.co/y7IriGlK3fu201d

— Dr. X (@Dr. X)
1444009492

After it was posted online, his Facebook friends filled the photo’s comment section with hurtful, racist “jokes”:

“I didn’t know you were a slave owner.”

“Dude where the hell did you get a black kid??”

“Kunta Kinte.”

“But Massuh, I dindu nuffin.”

Roth replied in the thread, “He was feral.”

Yep. Real comments from real people … aimed at a 3-year-old. Because of his skin color.

Of course, this being on the Internet and all, Cayden’s mom quickly learned about the awful things being said about her child.

The funny thing about the Internet is, things get around. And before long, Cayden’s mom, Sydney Shelton, heard about what this coworker had done at her child’s expense.

“He is a well-loved, fun-loving, hyper-active and typical three-year-old,” Shelton told Fox 5 News, adding there was nothing funny about that post.

Roth told the outlet he was disappointed in his friends’ reactions to the photo and insisted that his own comment had only been “interpreted as racist,” even though he hadn’t meant it that way.

Shelton wasn’t buying it.

“People post things in a [joking] manner and it gets taken a completely different way,” Shelton acknowledged. “But I don’t believe any of these people were joking.”

Instead of firing back at Roth with a few choice words, Shelton responded by letting the world see the real Cayden.

She posted several photos of her smiley, adorable son to Facebook, accompanied with the hashtag #HisNameIsCayden.

The Internet caught wind of #HisNameIsCayden. And unlike Roth’s friends on Facebook, there were some really fabulous responses.

Britt Turner, a woman from Phoenix, was so inspired by Cayden’s story that she decided to launch a GoFundMe to raise money for Cayden’s college fund.

“Instead of continuing to shed light on all of the dark aspects of this horrible act, I would like to shed a lot of light onto the good things,” Turner wrote on the fundraising page. “This young man has a full life ahead of him. I wanted to create this for Cayden, simply for that reason alone.”

In the aftermath of the comments on the initial photo revealing Roth’s penchant for racist humor, Roth has since lost his job.

Michael Da Graca Pinto, president of Polaris Marketing Group, where Roth had been employed, shared a statement on the company’s Facebook page about the incident. He, too, was not happy about what had happened and assured followers that Roth had been fired on Sept. 29 (although he claimed it was due to unrelated issues at work):

“It breaks my heart that Sydney and her adorable son Cayden were subjected to such hateful, ignorant and despicable behavior. Cayden visits my office almost every afternoon after daycare, he’s sat at my dinner table and I consider him a part of the PMG family. The atrocious lies, slander and racism he and his mother have been forced to endure are wholly intolerable. Myself and the entire PMG family in no way condones this kind of behavior and would never willingly associate with anyone who does.”

Sometimes the Internet can be a truly awful place…

But the times when overwhelming love trumps mean-spirited hate, victory tastes so sweet. Keep being awesome, Cayden.

This article has been updated. It was originally appeared on 10.06.15

I grew up black in a very white neighborhood in a very white city in a very white state.

As such, I am a lot of people’s only black friend.

Being the only black friend is a gift and a curse. I am black and I love having friends. But I am also, at any given moment, expected to be a translator, an ambassador, a history teacher, and/or a walking, talking invitation into “I am not racist” territory. It’s a lot to handle. See what I mean about that curse?

So when I saw the animated short-film “Your Black Friend,” I felt so seen. Clearly, I am not alone.

The film, which was written, designed, and narrated by Ben Passmore and is based on his mini-comic of the same name, is a brilliant, refreshing way to examine whiteness and racism. The comic and animated short are an open-letter from “your black friend” to you, their well-meaning white friend, about bias, alienation, and what it means to be a good ally and friend.

It’s funny, honest, and heartbreaking in equal measure. And speaking from personal experience, it captures the experience of being a black friend to white people pretty much perfectly.

So if you’re a “woke” friend and ally, here are some things your black friend wants you to know.

1. You’re going to have to get uncomfortable.

It could be something as obvious and upsetting as a racist joke. Or something as “benign” as your aunt suggesting you cross the street when she sees a group of black kids walking by. But either way, if you want to be a good friend and a real ally, you’re going to have to speak up. You’re going to have to have those tough conversations with people you care about.

It’s not easy to confront strangers or people you love, but if you don’t do it, you are part of the problem. Sitting out isn’t an option. No one said being an ally is easy.

2. “Your black friend would like to say something to the racist lady, but doesn’t want to appear to be that ‘angry black man.'”

“He knows this type of person expects that from him, and he will lose before he begins,” Passmore says.

Black people can’t always react or respond the way we want to. When I am followed in a department store, pulled over for no reason, or stared at while picking up dinner at the fancy grocery store, I can’t stop what I’m doing and yell, “YES, I AM BLACK. NO, I AM NOT A CRIMINAL YOU SMALL-MINDED, BIASED ASSHOLES.” Trust me, I want to. But especially when police are involved, I have to be calm, respectful, and obedient.

That’s where you come in. You, white friend, need to speak up and say something when I can’t. If you are not at risk, nor considered a threat, you have a certain amount of privilege in these situations. Use it to demand answers, speak to supervisors, or if things really get dicey, pull out your phone and hit record.

3. We are constantly monitoring our surroundings and adjusting our clothes, hair, speed, and speech to maintain white comfort.

We don’t like it, but one small choice — like deciding whether or not to wear a hood, or the speed at which we reach into our glove box — can be the difference between life and death.

When I am in a parking garage and walking behind a white woman, I intentionally cough or walk a little louder so she turns and notices me.

Why? Because when I don’t, that same white woman will often clutch her purse and occasionally let out an audible gasp as I pass her. This is something my white friends likely don’t realize I have to do. Some of them may even be the pearl-clutchers in the parking lot.

But to maintain white comfort and to avoid having the cops called on us, we often have to tamp down clothes, modify our speech and volume, even do our hair differently. We have to have “the talk” with our kids about how the world sees them, and how act in order to make sure they come home alive.

No, it’s not fair. No, we don’t like it. But so long as this country and its institutions are built on a solid foundation of white supremacy, it’s a grim reality. You need to know that, and take it up with your fellow white people about how to dismantle it.

4. “Your black friend wishes you’d play more than Beyoncé. There are more black performers than Beyoncé.”

“Lemonade” was awesome. There is no denying it. And yes, I love seeing her iconic looks on Instagram too. But there is more to black music and black art than Beyoncé. Dip a toe outside your comfort zone and try new new artists and genres you may not be familiar with. Go listen, see it, and experience it for yourself.

And while we’re here, you can’t say the n-word when you sing along. Nope. You just can’t.

5. Speaking of which, performative blackness is really uncomfortable.

When you wear that braided wig on Halloween, or use your “blaccent” when you’re around me or other black people, it hurts. It’s not cute or charming, and it definitely doesn’t make you seem cool.

Our culture and heritage are not costumes you can slide on and off at your convenience. We don’t get to be black only when it suits us. Neither do you.

6. “Your black friend feels like a man without a country.”

Having white friends and seeming to “fit in” with the majority can feel really alienating. You can feel too “white” for black people, and too “black” for white people when all you want to do is find people to eat pizza with. As Passmore wrote, “He is lost in this contradiction, and held responsible for it.”

7. We would love it if we could stop talking about our anxiety and frustrations regarding racism. But right now, that’s impossible.

Our concerns are urgent and real. We’re getting subpar health care. We’re disenfranchised. We’re over-policed. We’re thrown in jail. We’re killed by people sworn to protect us. It’s exhausting, but we have to keep talking about it. So do you.

We can’t be expected to dismantle white supremacy on our own.

Our white friends and allies need to step up and gather their people. Have the tough conversations. Speak up when you see racism, discrimination, and microaggressions. The time to talk about it is done. Be about it, or find yourself a new black friend.

Watch “Your Black Friend” in full and check out Passmore’s book, “Your Black Friend And Other Strangers.”

This article was written by Erin Canty and originally published on January 30, 2018.

A former script supervisor for SEAL Team has launched a lawsuit at CBS for allegedly not giving him a staff writer position because he’s a white and male. Brian Beneker is seeking $500,000 in damages as he publicly rails against “diversity, equity and inclusion measures,” which he calls “illegal policy.”

To the surprise of no one, Beneker’s lawsuit is being backed by former Trump administration toadie Stephen Miller, who has a well-documented history of backing controversial moves like separating families at the border and pushing Donald Trump to take an aggressive stance against Black Lives Matter protestors. (For more flavor, Miller also thinks Taylor Swift is a deep state plant propelled by “dark forces.”)

Via Deadline:

Beneker, who has worked on SEAL Team since 2017 and before that was a script coordinator on Sons of Anarchy, claims in 2019 that he questioned current showrunner Spencer Hudnut over why previous showrunner John Glenn had hired a new male writer when Glenn claimed at the time that “there were already too many staff writers and there was no room for CBS to hire [Beneker].”

“Hudnut indicated it was because he was Black,” the complaint says.

In his suit, Beneker alleges that he suffered by not being part of the “favored hiring groups; that is, they were nonwhite, LGBTQ, or female.” However, several of Beneker’s colleagues have already come forward to blast the spurious nature of his claims and basically call him a weirdo.

You can see some of the reactions below:

(Via Deadline)

The ticket industry has come a long way from flashing a piece of paper to get into an event. Case in point: Coachella’s new partnership with leading NFT marketplace OpenSea. Today (March 5), the companies announced Coachella Keepsakes, a series of three NFT collections that serve as passes to “some of the festival’s most exclusive experiences and products,” per a press release.

The first of them is The VIP Pass + Oasis Lounge Keepsake, which launched today and will be available for purchase until April 1 (although only 1,000 will be made available). This asset will offer access to a 2024 VIP Festival Pass and the Oasis Lounge, a new offering described as “a serene space offering exclusive bar benefits with limited complimentary drinks, a shaded lounge, and more.”

The second collection, the Canvas Welcome Box Keepsake, launches March 25 and “will offer varying levels of utility, including unique merchandise, digital content, and access to the Rose Garden VIP area, among other benefits.” The final drop lands in mid-April and “will introduce an artist collaboration, promising yet another layer of exclusive benefits for Coachella attendees,” with more details to be unveiled later this month. More information about the NFT collections is available here.

Sam Schoonover, Innovation Lead for Coachella, says, “Our collaboration with OpenSea begins a new chapter in how we use NFTs to provide unique custom experiences for Coachella in real life and online. We’re moving towards a future where Coachella isn’t just an event you attend, but an experience you can own and shape based on the digital tokens in your possession. We’re enabling this future with OpenSea, a trusted and secure marketplace that helps us safely provide these new opportunities to fans.”

Devin Finzer, CEO of OpenSea, also says, “We are thrilled to embark on this journey with Coachella, a festival that has dominated the cultural zeitgeist for over two decades. Since our inception in 2017, we’ve been at the forefront of the NFT revolution, witnessing firsthand the expansion of digital ownership and its evolving utilities. Our partnership with Coachella represents a significant milestone, uniting the digital with the physical in ways that promise to enrich the festival experience and usher in a new paradigm in the live event and ticketing industry.”

Inglewood singer Sir Daryl Farris — better known mononymously as SiR — has been rolling out his fourth studio album Heavy for the last few weeks, releasing the single “Karma” and even appearing in the NBA’s Celebrity Game for All-Star Weekend. Today, he revealed the cover art and tracklist, which features both his fellow TDE labelmates (Ab-Soul, Isaiah Rashad) and other LA soul veterans (Anderson .Paak, Ty Dolla Sign).

Like labelmate Schoolboy Q, who just dropped his album Blue Lips after a five-year hiatus, SiR is also releasing after a five-year break. His last album, Chasing Summer, came out in 2019 and reached No. 64 on the Billboard 200 chart. It featured appearances from then-labelmate Kendrick Lamar, Lil Wayne, Sabrina Claudio, and Smino, among others, and spawned two singles “Hair Down” and fan favorite “John Redcorn.” The five-year album cycle seems to be a trend for Top Dawg Entertainment, with Ab-Soul and Isaiah Rashad both also putting half a decade between their most recent releases.

Heavy is due on March 22 via TDE and RCA.

SiR’s Heavy Tracklist

1. “Intro”
2. “Ignorant” Feat. Ty Dolla Sign
3. “Karma” Feat. Isaiah Rashad
4. “Heavy”
5. “Six Whole Days”
6. “No Evil”
7. “Poetry In Motion” Feat. Anderson .Paak
8. “I’m Not Perfect” Feat. Ab-Soul
9. “You”
10. “Only Human”
11. “Satisfaction”
12. “Life Is Good” Feat. Scribz Riley
13. “Ricky’s Song”
14. “Nothing Even Matters”
15. “Tryin’ My Hardest”
16. “Brighter”

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

If you were hoping to see Air (no relation to the Jordan movie) live in action, your chance has come. This fall, the French duo will travel across the US and Canada to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their critically acclaimed album, Moon Safari. For those with the money to fork over to experience the blast from 1998, the shows are set to a momentous occasion, marking their first time ever dedicating a string of shows to the work.

The presale for Air’s 2024 North American dates will begin on March 7 at 10 a.m. local time. The general ticket sale will follow at the same time on March 8. Find more information here. If you aren’t lucky enough to secure admission to a show, on March 15, you can stay at home an enjoy their Moon Safari 25th Anniversary Edition Rarities album due out on March 15.

Either way, all the information for the show dates, poster, tracklist, and more can be found below.

Moon Safari 25th Anniversary Edition Rarities Album Cover Artwork

Moon Safari 25th Anniversary Edition Rarities Tracklist

1. “Dirty Hiroshima (Demo)”
2. “New Star In The Sky (Demo)”
3. “Ce Matin Là (Demo)”
4. “Maggot Brain (Live)”
5. “J’ai Dormi Sous L’eau” (BBC Live Session)
6. “Sexy Boy” (BBC Live Session)
7. “Kelly Watch The Stars “(BBC Live Session)
8. “Kelly Watch The Stars” (Extended)
9. “Remember” (David Whitaker version)

Air 2024 North American Tour Dates: Air Play Moon Safari

09/25 — Vancouver, BC @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre
09/27 — Seattle, WA @ Benaroya Hall
09/29 — Los Angeles, CA @ Orpheum
09/30 — Los Angeles, CA @ Orpheum
10/02 — San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic
10/04 — Denver, CO @ Bellco Theater
10/06 — Minneapolis, MN @ State Theatre
10/08 — Chicago, IL @ Auditorium Theatre
10/10 — Detroit, MI @ Fox Theatre
10/12 — Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall
10/13 — Montreal, QC @ Place Bell
10/15 — Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall at Fenway
10/17 — Philadelphia, PA @ The Met
10/18 — Washington DC @ The Anthem
10/21 — New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
10/24 — Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle
10/26 — Miami Beach, FL @ Fillmore Miami Beach
10/29 — Dallas, TX @ Music Hall at Fair Park
10/30 — Austin, TX @ Moody Amphitheatre

Air 2024 North American Tour poster

Moon Safari 25th Anniversary Edition Rarities is out 3/15 via Warner Records. Find more information here.

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

Break out the steel drums and bottle of cognac: the 2024 Oscars are almost here. The 96th Academy Awards air this Sunday, March 10th, at 7 p.m. EST on ABC with host Jimmy Kimmel. Today, a new round of presenters was revealed, including multiple former winners and current nominees.

The just-announced presenters are Emily Blunt, Cynthia Erivo, America Ferrera, Sally Field, Ryan Gosling, Ariana Grande, Ben Kingsley, Melissa McCarthy, Issa Rae, Tim Robbins, Steven Spielberg, Mary Steenburgen, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlize Theron, Christoph Waltz, and Forest Whitaker.

They will join Mahershala Ali, Bad Bunny, Nicolas Cage, Jamie Lee Curtis, Brendan Fraser, Chris Hemsworth, Dwayne Johnson, Michael Keaton, Regina King, Jessica Lange, Jennifer Lawrence, Matthew McConaughey, Kate McKinnon, Rita Moreno, John Mulaney, Lupita Nyong’o, Catherine O’Hara, Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Ke Huy Quan, Sam Rockwell, Octavia Spencer, Michelle Yeoh, Ramy Youssef, and Zendaya. This is also my dream cast for a Valentine’s Day-style movie.

Ahead of hosting the ceremony, Kimmel told Deadline that he thinks he sees “more movies than almost anyone — not even just when I’m hosting the Oscars, but I figured it out. I think I see around 100 movies a year. I make a point to see all of the features, even the short films, the short animated, the animated — you know, everything.”

You can find the full list of nominees for the 2024 Oscars here.

The Suits team unintentionally hit the jackpot when the 2011 series hit Netflix last summer and quickly became the top streaming show of 2023. The crew then began to appear in a handful of Super Bowl ads and reunited on stage minus one of the key players. She’s been busy with other stuff.

Now, Netflix has tapped Patrick J. Adams to return to the small screen for a new drama series titled Lockerbie. Barbie’s Connor Swindells and Tiny Beautiful Things’ Merritt Weaver are also slated to star.

The series will be a joint limited series from Netflix and BBC and focus on the real-life tragedy of the 1988 Pan Am Flight 103 in which a bomb went off over the small town of Scottish town of Lockerbie, killing 270 people. According to Deadline, the series will take a look at the aftermath and investigation. Here is the synopsis:

Lockerbie will focus on the investigation into the crash on both sides of the Atlantic and the devastating effect it had on the small town and the families who lost loved ones. From the initial exhaustive search for evidence on the ground in Scotland, via the U.S. and Malta to the trial at Camp Zeist in 2000, the drama takes us right up to the most recent indictment at the end of 2022.

Filming is reportedly already underway in Scotland. Meanwhile, Colin Firth is tapped to star in a Peacock series inspired by the same event. He’s been on a true crime kick lately.

All of this just goes to show you that if you put your mind to it, a project from a decade ago can always come back and revitalize your career! Start planning now, and you’ll have your own Netflix show in 2043.

(Via Deadline)