Month: March 2024

Back in the summer of 2021, a lot of people agreed that then-Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers hosting Jeopardy! was a non-nonsensical idea. What a different a couple months makes. That fall the footballer revealed he holds a number of, shall we say, out-there beliefs. It’s probably not a compliment that wacko Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is reportedly considering him for his vice presidential candidate. And yet it somehow gets worse.

On Wednesday, CNN reporter Pamela Brown revealed that she’s one of at least two people who’ve claimed that Rodgers has “enthusiastically” shared conspiracy theories about the Sandy Hook school massacre of 2012. Here’s what allegedly went down:

Brown was covering the Kentucky Derby for CNN in 2013 when she was introduced to Rodgers, then with the Green Bay Packers, at a post-Derby party. Hearing that she was a journalist with CNN, Rodgers immediately began attacking the news media for covering up important stories. Rodgers brought up the tragic killing of 20 children and 6 adults by a gunman at Sandy Hook Elementary School, claiming it was actually a government inside job and the media was intentionally ignoring it.

When Brown questioned him on the evidence to show this very real shooting was staged, Rodgers began sharing various theories that have been disproven numerous times. Such conspiracy theories were also later at the center of lawsuits brought by victims’ families when they sued conspiracy theorist Alex Jones on the matter.

Kennedy isn’t expected to reveal his veep candidate until later this month, but even the idea that Rodgers would abandon his newish gig with the New York Jets — a gig that already didn’t begin so well, though that wasn’t his fault — is reportedly not sitting well with his current employers.

(Via CNN)

It’s been the week of Zayn Malik — a sentence that hasn’t been said since at least 2021. Last Wednesday, March 6, the former One Direction member shared an album teaser on his Instagram. The following day, he posted a snippet of his next single and confirmed it would be released on Friday, March 15. Earlier this week, Malik announced the song’s title as “What I Am.”

It all led up to today, March 13, when Malik announced Room Under The Stairs, his first album since January 2021’s Nobody Is Listening. Malik confirmed the release date will be May 17, and the album will be available to pre-order on Friday, March 15.

Last June, Billboard reported Malik had signed a record deal with Mercury Records, so Room Under The Stairs will be his first release since securing a new label home.

In the album teaser from last week, Zayn contextualized the forthcoming album, saying, “I think the intention behind this album fully is for the listener to get, you know, more insight on me personally as a human being — my ambitions, my fears — and for them to have a connection with that. And that’s why it’s so raw. You know, it’s just me writing this. I didn’t want anybody else to be in between me and the music, and the music and the people listening to it.”

This February 28 Rolling Stone report confirmed that Malik co-produced Room Under The Stairs with nine-time Grammy winner Dave Cobb (Brandi Carlile, Chris Stapleton, Lady Gaga).

“In working with Cobb — one of Nashville’s most accomplished and in-demand producers — Malik will explore new sonic territory and lean into pairing his unmistakable vocals with live instrumentation,” Rolling Stone shared. “The soulful singer-songwriter had spent several years writing the album at his home in rural Pennsylvania before enlisting Cobb’s help as a co-producer.”

Just short of a year after it was rumored that she’d debut in AEW, Mercedes Moné is officially All Elite.

Last year, Moné debuted her post-Sasha Banks persona as part of New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Wrestle Kingdom 17 — Mercedes Moné — from the Tokyo Dome when she became a free agent. She then showed up at NJPW’s Wrestle Kingdom 17, and wrestled four times in NJPW before ultimately suffering a leg injury toward the end of May and missing the rest of the year.

History repeated itself this year, as rumors swirled that Moné was in talks about a return to WWE, but money reportedly remained an issue before her eventual debut in AEW. Recovered from what she said could have been a career-ending injury, Moné is back in wrestling and ready to reshape the women’s division in AEW.

Wednesday night’s Big Business is yet another step forward for AEW in building what Founder and CEO Tony Khan told Uproxx is the “strongest our women’s roster has ever been.” Former champions Thunder Rosa and Kris Statlander have returned from injury. Toni Storm is blossoming as champion in a really engaging storyline next to Mariah May and Deonna Purrazzo. Athena has been crushing it in Ring of Honor and she could very well be added to the mix. And Moné’s debut rounds out what will be an increasingly strong roster.

Ariana Grande dropped Eternal Sunshine last week. Now Dua Lipa has announced her similarly themed third studio album, Radical Optimism. Enter the Spider-Man meme. Lipa’s announcement came on Wednesday afternoon, March 13. Radical Optimism is due out May 3 via Warner Music UK.

So, why that title?

Here’s The Meaning Behind Dua Lipa’s New Album Title Radical Optimism

“A couple years ago, a friend introduced me to the term ‘Radical Optimism,’” Lipa said in a statement. “It’s a concept that resonated with me, and I became more curious as I started to play with it and weave it into my life. It struck me — the idea of going through chaos gracefully and feeling like you can weather any storm. At the same time, I found myself looking through the music history of psychedelia, trip-hop, and Britpop. It has always felt so confidently optimistic to me, and that honesty and attitude is a feeling I took into my recording sessions.”

Lipa also shared an album teaser on YouTube. The 81-second video captures behind-the-scenes footage of the album-making process with her collaborators: Carolie Ailin, Kevin Parker, Danny L. Harle, and Tobias Jesso Jr. At one point, Lipa says, “You know what the world needs is, like, the idea of being endlessly happy.” Elsewhere, she explains, “Every song does have that kind of, like, through the struggle, you kind of make it something optimistic.”

Then we briefly go underwater with Lipa before she revisits her acceptance speech when Future Nostalgia won Best Pop Vocal Album at the 2021 Grammys. “I said something just in the midst of panic, being like, ‘Yeah, the world just needs happiness,’” Lipa recalls. A clip of Lipa’s speech takes over, showing her past self saying, “Happiness is so important. Happiness is something that we all deserve.” Lipa adds, “Radical optimism is always something that was on top of my mind.”

Watch the teaser below.

Radical Optimism is out 5/3 via Warner Records UK. Find more information here.

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

If you saw Uncut Gems in theaters, perhaps you had yourself a fun little panic attack. It’s one of the most intense movies of recent years, following a devil-may-care gambling addict as he makes one doozy of a bet after another. Then, 135 increasingly wild minutes, it ends the only way it could. But are you a masochist who doesn’t think it wasn’t intense enough as is? If so, you’re in luck.

Per IndieWire, A24 — the little indie studio that’s going a little more Hollywood — has decided to up their game by re-releasing a handful of their bigger hits on the nation’s biggest screens. First out of the gate is Ex Machina, their brainy sci-fi about a humanoid robot (future Oscar-winner Alicia Vikander) who bewitches a programmer (Domhnall Gleeson) who should have known better, all while her creator (Oscar Isaac) busts some show-stopping moves.

Ex Machina will play March 27. A month later, on April 24, comes Hereditary, Ari Aster’s breakthrough, whose untold unsightly sights will seem even grislier when viewed on, say, the 97-feet-wide-by-76-feet-tall IMAX screen at NYC’s AMC Lincoln Square. May 22 brings Uncut Gems.

The Ex Machina date will precede an advance screening of Civil War, A24’s latest crossover gambit that will no doubt ease the anxieties of anyone obsessing over 2024 presidential polls and watching interviews of Trump supporters gleefully welcoming his promised dictatorship.

A24 is no stranger to IMAX. Aster’s Beau is Afraid played on the format. Ditto their reissue of Talking Heads’ top shelf concert movie Stop Making Sense.

The studio is promising more of their back catalog could wind up in IMAX, so the biggest screen treatment could be bestowed upon such titles as Spring Breakers, Under the Skin, The Witch, The Green Knight, and Everything Everywhere All at Once. Heck, put Moonlight, First Reformed or First Cow on IMAX screens.

(Via IndieWire)

The 2024 Oscars are over, so Barbie is firmly behind Dua Lipa — although Barbie and “Dance The Night” will likely follow her forever. That opens up the runway for Radical Optimism. On Wednesday, March 13, the singer announced her third studio album in social media posts, revealing its cover art, release date, and tracklist. Lipa had previously laid the groundwork with the shimmering singles “Houdini” and “Training Season,” but the new era officially begins now.

“A couple years ago, a friend introduced me to the term ‘Radical Optimism,’” Lipa said in a statement. “It’s a concept that resonated with me, and I became more curious as I started to play with it and weave it into my life. It struck me — the idea of going through chaos gracefully and feeling like you can weather any storm. At the same time, I found myself looking through the music history of psychedelia, trip-hop, and Britpop. It has always felt so confidently optimistic to me, and that honesty and attitude is a feeling I took into my recording sessions.”

Will Dua Lipa’s Radical Optimism Album Have Features?

Lipa posted the 11-song tracklist without any featured artists listed. For now, the answer appears to be that Lipa’s Radical Optimism album will not have any features. That could very well change between now and the album’s May 3 release date, but it’s equally plausible Lipa just won’t have any features because her Grammy-winning 2020 album, Future Nostalgia, also didn’t have any featured artists.

Dua Lipa’s Radical Optimism Tracklist

1. “End Of An Era”
2. “Houdini”
3. “Training Season”
4. “These Walls”
5. “Whatcha Doing”
6. “French Exit”
7. “Illusion”
8. “Falling Forever”
9. “Anything For Love”
10. “Maria”
11. “Happy For You”

Dua Lipa’s Radical Optimism Album Cover Artwork

Radical Optimism is out 5/3 via Warner Records UK. Find more information here.

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

On Monday MAGA governor Kristi Noem started her week a little unexpectedly: She dropped a bizarre, unprompted, five-minute-long video that appeared to be an infomercial for a dental chain in Texas. Noem is governor of South Dakota. Why was she shilling for dentists four very large states south of her? And given that Noem made no sign that it was paid advertising, why did it play like it was? Surely she knows that not identifying paid advertising as such on social media was illegal. If she didn’t, she knows now.

Per Mediaite, Travelers United, a consumer advocacy nonprofit, filed a suit against Noem on Wednesday, accusing her of violating the District of Columbia Consumer Protection Procedures Act (CCPA). The filing claims she made “undisclosed advertisements” for the chain, entitled Smile Texas, which constituted an “unfair or deceptive practice.”

In an interview with Mediaite, Travelers United lawyer Lauren Wolfe acknowledged that they hadn’t yet found direct evidence that Noem was engaged in quid pro quo with Smile Texas. Maybe Noem just really enjoyed their dental work, performed some 1,000 miles from her state. But if Noem didn’t receive payment for shilling for Smile Texas, then it “doesn’t make any sense.”

In the filing, TU called bull on Noem’s video:

Someone with a very busy job does not take time off of that job to make a free advertisement for medical services in another state. There are many dentists and cosmetic dentists in South Dakota. No one with an extremely important job in the South Dakota would fly to Texas to receive dental treatment and then sit in that office and film an advertisement without some form of compensation. Kristi Noem acted here as an influencer. She likely either received free dental care in exchange for this advertisement, discounted dental care in exchange for this advertisement or she was paid and received free dental care for the advertisement. Unfortunately Noem did not mark this as an “Ad” or “Advertisement” when posting so she is participating in an unfair and deceptive practice.

In the video, which again runs longer than most popular songs, Noem opened up about a bicycling accident she had some years ago, which resulted in losing teeth. But when she went to Smile Texas, in the Lone Star State, she received “absolutely phenomenal” work that “finally gave me a smile that I can be proud of and confident in.”

Noem isn’t the only MAGA figure who’s been acting funny of late. Alabama senator Katie Britt became a national laughingstock after she dropped a creepy rebuttal to Joe Biden’s fiery State of the Union. And then there’s always Marjorie Taylor Greene.

(Via Mediaite)

Calvin Ridley was an intriguing free agent in a fairly shallow wide receiver class (especially after Mike Evans and Michael Pittman Jr. re-signed with their teams), but with a very strong WR Draft class, it remained to be seen how many teams would chase him.

The Jaguars were in the mix to keep him and the Patriots had reported interest, but ultimately it was the Titans that offered him a 4-year, $92 million contract with $50 million guaranteed to be their No. 1 receiver after lacking at that position severely the last two years.

That was a surprising contract figure for many. Ridley had a nice season during his return from a gambling suspension in his first year in Jacksonville, catching 76 passes for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns, but no one was quite sure if the league would view him as a long term No. 1 and pay him like it. Tennessee did, and when some questioned the deal as being too much, Ridley responded with a very funny, matter of fact reply.

That’s exactly what Ridley should say, as he wasn’t the one who gave out that deal. He just took what the market gave him and can now cash in on at least $50 million. Whether that’s too much to pay him isn’t his problem and the Titans certainly believe in his ability to provide Will Levis with the kind of receiving threat needed to take a step forward.

The Boys recently revealed the release date for their fourth season of Supe shenanigans, and here’s some more positive news: Amazon’s similarly themed Invincible will be back sooner for the final half of the second season.

What Time Will ‘Invincible’ Season 2, Episode 5 Be On Prime Video?

Following the mid-season hiatus that caught some viewers off guard, viewers were keen to find out if and when Mark/Invincible (Steven Yeun) would be able to overcome the Viltrumite empire while also sorting out his daddy issues. That wait has almost come to an end, and Thursday, March 14 will be the official day that the magic starts to happen again. Or at least, we’ll find out if Mark puts that information about his father’s books to good use, or if Nolan (J.K. Simmons) was somehow tossing another dagger into the mix.

You never know what you’ll truly get with Omni-Man, after all.

The next four episodes will likely breeze by on a weekly basis, and then we’ll be waiting for the third season. That’s how TV goes! Gotta embrace it and appreciate the great storytelling when it happens. And hey, if you need something else to watch on Amazon while the rest of the (short) wait ticks by, Mr. and Mrs. Smith (starring Donald Glover and Maya Erskine) already has a full season available that is well worth your time.

Aaron Rodgers has played all of four snaps for the New York Jets, which acquired him in a trade with the Green Bay Packers last offseason. Whether he plays any more this season is a major question right now, and it has nothing to do with the ruptured achilles he suffered at the very start of the 2023 campaign.

On Tuesday, Rodgers got floated as a potential VP candidate for Robert Kennedy Jr.’s longshot bid for the White House. There’s apparently some mutual interest, with the two holding conversations and Rodgers joining Jesse “The Body” Ventura at the top of Kennedy’s list. But in a bit of completely unsurprising news, the Daily Mail reports that Rodgers’ current employer is not especially happy about the fact that he’s being floated for a new gig.

DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal that the Jets are ‘upset’ with Rodgers and say it is ‘ridiculous’ to think he could be campaigning and playing football at the same time.
…
A source said: ‘Lots of the Jets coaches and players want Aaron to commit to the team and worry about winning the Super Bowl over a chance to be in the White House.

‘Aaron and Robert aren’t going to win but for Aaron to consider helping run the country over playing for the team has many with the Jets all upset because you have to pick one or the other.

Of course, we haven’t heard from Rodgers on the subject, so it’s hard to know the extent to which he’s entertaining this or what his hypothetical plan would be. But if he is Kennedy’s pick when he announces his VP on March 26 in California (which, it’s worth mentioning, is Rodgers’ home state), there will unsurprisingly be a ton of questions about how this is all going to work, especially considering that Rodgers has expressed his desire to play football for a few more years.