Humans have enjoyed the art of puppetry since ancient times, and like all arts, puppeteering has become more and more refined over the centuries. To see that evolution in action, look no further than the incredible skills of Polish puppeteer Lukasz Puczko.

Puczko’s ability to mimic a dog’s movements with with his dog marionette, Burek, is so impressive even real dogs are duped. In a TikTok video that’s been viewed nearly 20 million times, Puczko is seen on a crowded street at an arts festival with Burek as he pounces around, wags his tail, lifts his ears and crouches into a playful stance just like a real dog would.

And it’s so convincing, his real doggy counterpart doesn’t seem to know what to do.

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Puczko shared that Burek carries the scent of other dogs, so a little wind will quickly catch a real dog’s attention. Then the “uncanny valley” experience begins, and you can almost hear the real dog saying, “That’s not real. Wait, is it real? That can’t be real. Or can it?”

Watch:

@aonsolniki

Burek – The Dog Marionette. Fully improvised show with unique type of marionette. Puppet has a smell from other dogs, what with a propper wind can bring a dog to Burek in seconds what randomly starts interaction. Body language allowed by handmade construction is the key here. Burek is not barking, but people around my shows are 😅 This puppet is working as well as a therapy dog for people who are affraid of dogs 💪 those are very random moments during a show on a street, but not that impossible to handle with this puppet. This is 7th generation of Burek, first has been made in 2009. (For licensing or usage, contact [email protected]) st-Art Festival, Tegelen 2024, Totaal Theater. #dogs #puppet #street

Even the people who clearly know it’s a puppet will reach down to scratch Burek’s ears and chin and pet him as if he were real. It’s incredible to witness.

@aonsolniki

Burek – The Dog Marionette. Fully improvised show with unique type of marionette. Puppet has a smell from other dogs, what with a propper wind can bring a dog to Burek in seconds what randomly starts interaction. Body language allowed by handmade construction is the key here. Burek is not barking, but people around my shows are 😅 This puppet is working as well as a therapy dog for people who are affraid of dogs 💪 those are very random moments during a show on a street, but not that impossible to handle with this puppet. This is 7th generation of Burek, first has been made in 2009 st-Art Festival 2024, Tegelen. Totaal Theater. #dogs #puppet #street

Puczko shared that Burek is often used as a therapy tool for people who are afraid of dogs. That makes perfect sense, since his movements are so similar to a real dog he can be used to demonstrate how dogs communicate through body language.

The encounters Puczko shares are fully improvised, which is all the more impressive. It’s one thing to memorize a choreographed show with a marionette and another to have the movements down so intuitively that the puppeteer—or puppyteer, in this case—can interact so fluidly in the moment.

Here’s Burek meeting other dogs during the holidays. The poor pups seem so confused at what they’re seeing.

It’s always a joy to watch someone who is a master of their craft, and Puczko’s puppetry skills are just as entertaining as the dogs’ reactions to them.

You can follow Lukasz Puczko on TikTok, Instagram and Facebook.

It must be incredibly hard to do live TV comedy sketches and never break character, especially when you’re working alongside some of the funniest people on the planet. Every “Saturday Night Live” cast member has had their moment where the sketch was too funny and they lost control, but few had it happen more times than Bill Hader, who starred on the show from 2005 to 2013.

One of Hader’s most popular characters on SNL was Stefon, the New York City nightlife reporter. Multiple times during the sketch, he had to cover his face to prevent the audience from seeing him laughing.

But one of the most obvious character breaks Hader ever had was in 2010, on season 36 of the show, during a “Hollywood Dish” sketch where he and Kirsten Wiig played entertainment reporters. The guest on this episode was Scarlett Johannson.

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Towards the end of the sketch, Hader spits a Big Gulp onto Wiig and throws a bowl over her head and the duo completely loses it. The clip recently emerged on TikTok, and people are remembering how hilarious Hader and Wiig were on the show.

(The entire sketch is at the bottom of the article.)

Great clip

@vincentlaframboise

Great clip #snl #saturdaynightlive #funny #humor #billhader #funnyvideos #scarlettjohansson

Scarlett Johansson, who’s hosted ‘SNL’ 6 times and is married to head writer Colin Jost, does a commendable job in the sketch by not breaking character. “She is such a good actress to just go along with it. Clearly, that wasn’t planned, but good for her for not breaking,” Jill wrote in the comments.

Hollywood Dish with Scarlett Johansson – SNL

Hours after Beyoncé dropped her new album Cowboy Carter, she also sent musician Mickey Guyton a truly lovely surprise. Guyton posted a picture of a large bouquet of white flowers that she received, along with a heartfelt note from Queen Bey.

“Mickey, thank you for opening doors for me queen,” Beyoncé wrote in the card. “Keep shining.”

“With opportunity comes possibility,” Guyton captioned the sweet photo. “The possibilities are endless with you @Beyonce. God gave me an assignment and I followed. May the doors continue to stay wide open.”

For fans who weren’t already familiar with her or her career, Guyton is a country musician from Texas and a five-time Grammy nominee. Specifically, she is the first Black woman to be nominated for the Best Country Solo Performance, after her 2020 song “Black Like Me” became a major and impactful hit. She then released her debut album in 2021.

Guyton is also a huge Beyoncé fan. About two years ago, she performed Bey’s “If I Were A Boy” as a cover during her Global Citizen Festival set. Most recently, she shared a throwback video on Instagram and pointed out how she was “so excited” to hear her in her “country era.”

View Mickey Guyton’s post about her gift from Beyoncé above.

Cowboy Carter is out now via Parkwood/Columbia. Find more information here.

We have all wondered what we might do in certain situations that seem to take super human courage. While many people like to assume they”d have the wherewithal to do what needed to be done in a dramatic situation, thankfully most won’t need to find out. But for the ones that do, it seems there’s not much thinking involved. Just adrenaline and instinct to protect.

Adriana Alvarez, a mom to an adult daughter found herself acting on pure mama bear instincts when her adult daughter was almost a victim of kidnapping. Her 18-year-old daughter, Lex, was just about to enter the home after walking the dog when a man wearing a surgical mask jumped the railing grabbed her and carried her away.

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Lex can be seen struggling on the doorbell camera while her screams pierced the air. That’s when Alvarez is seen peaking around the corner to see what’s happening when it appears she recognized her child was the one being carried down the steps. Immediately the fierce mom begins trying to attack the man, fighting him down all four flights of stairs.

The mom was pepper sprayed and punched but she was determined to free her child from this would be kidnapper. She was successful with the help of two of her neighbors.

“I never heard her scream like that,” Alvarez told NBC News.

When the mom made it to the first floor she ran to a neighbor’s apartment who then began chasing the man. Once the attempted kidnapper ran across the street, another neighbor took chase and tackled the man. Lex was sparred from whatever plans the man had for her and escaped with just a few scratches.

Alvarez on the other hand was pretty banged up with a dislocated shoulder, bruises on her face and an eye injury. She explained to NBC that she was unconcerned about her safety, her only focus was saving her daughter. What an incredible demonstration of not only bravery but community. Watch the entire harrowing video below.

The 1975’s Matty Healy is using his time wisely since the band is currently on hiatus. In a new announcement today, Healy uploaded a new song called “Loads Of Crisps” to Soundcloud under the alias “Truman Black,” allowing fans to still hear some tunes.

Overall, it is a very calming track, perfect for listening to at night — whether you’re on a drive past some city lights or just sitting at home.

“A family pet / A brand new purse / A man of steel / A wooden hearse,” Healy sings over a twinkling electronic beat when his voice comes in around the 1:20 minute mark. “Something borrowed / Something new / Something old / Me and you.”

According to the song’s release page on Genius, Healy produced it alongside fellow band member George Daniel. Back in 2022, the track was originally released as a demo from The 1975, but this seems to be the first proper release, according to NME. A few years earlier, he also reportedly auctioned off a painting with the same title.

As for what fans can expect from The 1975, the band recently finished their Still… At Their Very Best Tour and now plan to relax. Last month, they also dropped a song as part of the soundtrack for Apple TV+’s The New Look series.

Check out Matty Healy’s “Loads Of Crisps” below.

In typical Drake fashion, the Toronto rapper made a cryptic new post on Instagram — leaving fans to wonder if he’s throwing a dig at Future and Metro Boomin. The two rappers recently did on a collab track with “Like That” featuring Kendrick Lamar.

On it, Lamar took aim at Drake, alluding to his recent For All The Dogs album.

Drake’s latest post is a slideshow that includes several unique images, from an eerie owl with the phrase “We never sleep” and a cartoon of two young boys captioned with “A Story That Has No End.” While we’re not exactly sure what this means, he surely picked it for a reason.

“I could never sell ya’ll out to sell my latest work,” Drake wrote. “Never do you bad out the blue but I’m down to make it worse.”

There has since also been rumors that Lamar will be dropping a solo diss track that fully goes after Drake. According to HipHopDX, Adin Ross recently revealed that the song reportedly exists.

“Past couple nights I’ve been going out… and I bumped into somebody who’s very close on this Kendrick/Drake situation,” Ross shared. “There’s a bird on the street that Kendrick already has a full-on diss track ready to drop for Drake.”

Until then, check out Drake’s Instagram post above.

Lizzo is making waves online over a new post to her Instagram, where she revealed she would seemingly be quitting music. It serves as a sharp turn, since she seemed to tease new tunes were on the way in January.

“I’m getting tired of putting up with being dragged by everyone in my life and on the internet,” Lizzo wrote. “All I want is to make music and make people happy and help the world be a little better than I found it. But I’m starting to feel like the world doesn’t want me in it.”

“I’m constantly up against lies being told about me for clout & views… being the butt of the joke every single time because of how I look… my character being picked apart by people who don’t know me and disrespecting my name,” she added. “I didn’t sign up for this sh*t — I QUIT.”

The majority of the replies to Lizzo’s post include fans expressing their love for her. Over the past few months, Lizzo has been dealing with a lawsuit from her former backup dancers, citing a hostile work environment and sexual harassment. The most recent update as of February found a judge denying her request to have the case dismissed.

Check out Lizzo’s Instagram post below.

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

Dolly Parton apparently knew two years ago that a collaboration with Beyoncé was in the card. Even more specifically, she appeared on The Daily Show to chat with Trevor Noah and dished about how she’d love to hear the icon’s spin of her song “Jolene.”

Noah had asked the question because he had heard it as a rumor. At the time, Parton seemed to think it was a long shot dream.

“I don’t know if she’s even got the message, but wouldn’t that be killer?” Parton shared, with the video reposted by The Daily Show here. “I think she’s fantastic and beautiful, and I love her music. I would just love to hear ‘Jolene’ done in just a big way, kind of like how Whitney did my ‘I Will Always Love You,’ just someone who can take my little songs and make ’em like powerhouses. So that would be a marvelous day in my life, if she ever does do ‘Jolene.’”

So, Parton is having a fantastic day today — as Bey’s cover of “Jolene” is featured on her new Cowboy Carter record. “Wow, I just heard ‘Jolene,’” Parton also posted on Twitter following the album’s release. “Beyoncé is giving that girl some trouble and she deserves it!”

Check out Beyoncé’s reintrepretation of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” above.

The best new hip-hop this week includes albums, videos, and songs from Buddy, Doechii, IDK, and more.

An eventful March has come to a close. While I took a look back at the best albums of the month in a new column, there are still a few more releases to take a look at this week. While all eyes were on the release of Beyoncé’s new album Cowboy Carter, a surprising number of artists were undaunted by the prospect of being overshadowed by the queen.

While Beyoncé leaned into country, a couple of rappers kept riding the dance wave that she fostered with Renaissance. Rico Nasty talked with Uproxx about her joint album with with Boys Noize, HARDC0RE DR3AMZ, while Doechii teamed up with JT on “Alter Ego.”

Meanwhile, other rappers went more traditional, like IDK and Joey Badass on the nitty-gritty “Denim,” which they previewed in a fiery From The Block performance.

Here is the best of hip-hop this week ending March 29, 2024. (Sidebar: I have no clue if MGK and Trippie Redd’s Genre: Sadboy falls into this category and I don’t want that smoke either way, but I feel it deserves a mention.)

Albums/EPs/Mixtapes

Bfb Da Packman — Forget Me Not

Potential Drake feature scam aside, Forget Me Not is the perfect chance to get familiar with Packman’s hilarious punchlines and unhinged observations.

BlueBucksClan & Hit-Boy — Biggest Out The West

Speaking of outrageous punchlines, California duo BlueBucksClan has more than their fair share of their own, shot through with a healthy dose of timely sports references. Hit-Boy’s unstoppable run continues.

Buddy — Don’t Forget To Breathe

The Compton cool kid has gone through some things, but remains as chill as ever on his therapeutic third album. With less pressure to prove himself to a major label, Buddy sounds more confident than ever.

Flyana Boss — This Ain’t The Album

True to the title of this five-song EP, Flyana Boss gives fans a taste of life beyond “You Wish.” The future still looks bright.

Katori Walker — Mezzanine

Another LA County native drops this week, offering more sharp-tongued witticisms over an eclectic mix of production from G-funk to easygoing neo-soul.

Roc Marciano — Marciology

I’ve been hyping up Roc Marci’s latest in the column for the past few weeks and it lives up to it. Blaxploitation funk samples background sinewy street rhymes with typical New York braggadocio.

Sainté — Still Local

I wasn’t expecting to include this album in the roundup this week, but following an impulse to hit play on Tidal sent me down a welcome rabbit hole of strong, observational raps from the Leicester native. UK rap might be largely defined by grime and drill, but Sainté proves there is a place for the groovy stylings most associated with laid-back US MCs like Curren$y, Dom Kennedy, and Larry June.

Singles/Videos

Bossman Dlow — “Finesse (Remix)” Feat. GloRilla

You really have to admire Bossman Dlow. A lot of rappers in his position, holding onto a viral hit, would have turned to any number of potential suitors to up the ante for a remix. GloRilla not exactly who you’d expect a new rapper to go to, but she does just that.

Chris Patrick — “Take Time For Myself”

I’ve been following the East Orange, New Jersey native for a minute, and while he still flies firmly under the radar, he always makes his latest work worth the mining expedition.

DJ Premier — “Can U Dig That?” Feat. Snoop Dogg

Thirty years ago, such a collaboration would have been unimaginable. Premier’s production is the de facto sound of East Coast rap, and Snoop is the West’s vanguard. Thank goodness it ain’t thirty years ago because they’re actually a match made in hip-hop heaven.

Machinedrum — “ILIKEU” Feat. Duckwrth

Funnily enough, there were actually two opportunities to include Duckwrth in this week’s list. And while Nascent’s “Don’t Check 4 Me” with Saba included is a worthy option, I’m always going to go for Ducky in his element, rapping over dance music — especially if it’s groovy garage like what we’ve got here.

Moneybagg Yo — “Bussin” Feat. Rob49

Within 30 seconds of pressing play, I found myself gasping. The raunchy hook is unintentionally hilarious, but in the way that you know you’re going to be hearing this song everywhere this summer.

Mozzy — “Jaded ” Feat. Eric Bellinger

I am never going to understand how Eric Bellinger isn’t a bigger star. The LA singer’s soulful chorus elevates Mozzy’s latest reflective single.

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

Glen Taylor will continue to serve as the majority owner of the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Minnesota Lynx. On Thursday, Taylor announced that he would no longer sell his controlling stake in the two teams to Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez, claiming that “Under terms of the purchase agreement, the closing was required to occur within 90 days following the exercise notice issued by Lore and Rodriguez. That 90-day period expired on March 27, 2024.”

All of this was disputed by Lore and Rodriguez, who released their own statement indicating that they fulfilled all of their obligations and have the funding to make this deal happen. Now, Lore and Rodriguez are upping their rhetoric towards Taylor, as Lore indicated to Sportico that the two are ready, willing, and able to do whatever is necessary to take over the two teams.

Via Sportico:

“We’re going to be the owners of the Minnesota Timberwolves,” Lore said. “It’s just a matter of time, and how much pain Glen wants to put the fans, the players, the town and community through. It’s his choice. It didn’t have to be this way.”
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“I’ve never sued anyone; I’ve never been sued,” Lore said, “but we’re dealing with someone that is very comfortable operating that way, and we have to take whatever actions are necessary to protect our childhood dream here.”

It’s probably not surprising to hear Lore float the possibility of lawyers getting involved, but it’s certainly crazy to see that the teams are in this position, particularly amid one of the best seasons in franchise history.