On Saturday, word broke that USA Basketball had made its decision on the 12 players that would make up the women’s basketball team that will be going for its eighth consecutive Olympic gold medal in Paris later this summer.
The roster is, per usual, stacked with the top stars from the WNBA, but Indiana Fever star rookie Caitlin Clark was not among the names on the list. That came as a surprise to some, as Clark has drawn massive audiences for the past year, dating back to her senior season at Iowa, but USA Basketball isn’t in the TV ratings business (maybe to the chagrin of NBC) and rolled with a lineup featuring veterans and established stars at the pro level.
As is the case with everything involving Clark, this became a topic of controversy, as people are seemingly incapable of being normal when it comes to Clark as she’s made the leap to the pros. One of the only people with a tempered response to Clark not being on the roster was Clark herself, who addressed the media on Sunday after Fever practice. Clark said was excited to cheer on the group that did make the team, that it gives her something to strive for in the future, and that she hopes to make the squad in 2028 — while also noting a month off will be a welcome break after going straight from the Final Four to the WNBA.
When it comes to not making the Olympic team, Caitlin Clark has nothing but praise for the 12 who made it: “it’s the toughest team to make.”
It is the kind of perspective we often see from Clark, who has shrugged off controversy at just about every turn, imploring people to keep the focus on basketball and let things fall where they may. It’s folks on the outside, namely the loudest voices in the national media and on social media, that seem determined to make everything that happens with Clark something more than it is. In this case, it’s a rookie who’s had an up-and-down start on her hopeful road to superstardom being left off of, as she noted, the most competitive team in the world for a bunch of established stars, Olympic veterans, and MVP candidates.
Clark is taking that all in stride, understanding her time will come if she continues growing as a pro, and I think we all could do well to follow her lead in not acting like everything that happens with her is a life or death proposition.
Festival season is a chance for music fans from around the world to catch their favorite acts live. For Governors Ball 2024 that includes performances from headliners Post Malone, Rauw Alejandro, The Killers, 21 Savage, SZA, and Peso Pluma. The global diversity of this year’s lineup helped tickets fly off of the shelf.
But yesterday (June 8) during their highly-anticipated set, The Killers decided to pay tribute to New York’s rich musical legacy. While the band were sure to play fan favorites (hi, Smashing Pumpkins), they snuck in a few regional goodies. One of those musical treats was a striking cover of Yeah Yeah Yeahs‘ 2003 cult classic track “Maps.”
The already deeply emotional record was elevated to a new height as The Killers’ frontman Brandon Flowers, with the help of the band, dramatically rearranged it.
Maps (Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ cover) at Governors Ball Music Festival
But The Killers’ local tribute didn’t stop there. According to festivalgoers, the group’s entrance was sound tracked by another Big Apple staple, Ace Frehley’s rendition of “New York Groove.”
The Killers walked onto the #GovBallNYC stage to “New York Groove” and covered Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ “Maps” which just solidifies why they are my favorite band.
— Laura K. Garrison (@laurakgarrison) June 9, 2024
The Killers shredded their set, especially their cover of “Maps.” To many, including the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ frontwoman Karen O, it is hard to believe just how popular the over twenty-year-old song still is. Back in 2019, during an appearance on BBC Radio 6’sThe First Time, expressed her shock by its continued success. “I’m fascinated by it, I really am,” she said. “I’m endlessly curious about that song because it’s just strange to me. It was one of the earliest songs that we wrote for the [first] record. I remember it was like a daydream making that song; it just happened so kinda effortlessly and so incidentally.”
What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Well, that’s not always true. One bong-hitting Phish fan learned that a ban at Las Vegas’ newest venue, The Sphere, actually extended to all other Madison Square Garden venues (including Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, The Beacon Theatre, The Chicago Theatre, and more).
But it looks like the company had a change of heart. Yesterday (June 8), according to Variety, The Sphere rescinded its ban, but not for the reason you think. In a statement, the representative claimed the note was mistakenly sent out.
“There was a breakdown in our process due to a change in personnel, which resulted in the letter being sent inadvertently,” wrote the rep. “This customer is not banned from our properties, however, it is still against our policies, which are in accordance with local laws, to smoke, bring glassware into our venues, and disrupt other fans’ enjoyment of the event.”
Footage of the incident wasn’t retrieved from the venue’s surveillance, but rather the concertgoer himself. On April 20 (nonetheless), the patron, only known by his Instagram hand @acid_farts, uploaded a video smoking from a bong inside the facility with the caption: “First bong hit to ever be ripped in the @spherevegas @phish Somebody call @guinessworldrecords 4/20/24.”
Shorty after, he received a notice from that Madison Square Garden Entertainment’s legal counsel notifying him that he was banned from returning to all of its properties.
During an interview with Rolling Stone, he expressed no regret over his actions. “I’m really wearing it as a badge of honor,” he said.
He later went on to sell “Free Acid Farts” t-shirts to laugh about the incident, with proceeds going to the Divided Sky Foundation, an addiction recovery center founded by Phish’s frontman Trey Anastasio.
Now that the ban has been lifted, MSG security is sure to keep a keen eye on the cameras as they patiently await Acid Farts return.
The Starz premium cable network already provides plenty of bang for the buck with 50 Cent’s Power Universe, but another long-lived source of bread and butter exists in their historical dramas. Outlander has been cranking out seasons since 2014 when it began adapting Diana Gabaldon’s same-named book series. The show turned out to be more enjoyable than it had any right to be, and as a result, the show’s audience has remained sticky.
The genre-straddling romance series recently entered production for an eighth and final season, but before that arrives, the show is still catching up on airing the last half of the seventh installment. Those Hollywood strikes are largely to blame for the scheduling traffic jam of sorts, and a prequel series, Blood of My Blood, is also in the works (filming began in February) — perhaps the shows will overlap a bit? It’s hard to imagine that Outlander‘s final season will finish production and air before the prequel surfaces, but of course, we are here to talk about the series proper.
The good news is that, finally, there’s light at the end of the time-travel tunnel, even though you don’t have to look too far across the Internet to see frustration after fans found out exactly how long the wait will be for more episodes. Let’s talk about that release date and what to expect:
Claire Randall (Caitríona Balfe) and Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan, who recently joked about his own “Love Story” with Taylor Swift) will not be having the most fantastic time when the period drama returns. You would think that these characters could catch a break after Claire endured being taken a prisoner of the Revolutionary War, among other tribulations, but unfortunately, that isn’t in the cards. The official Starz synopsis suggests that a return to Scotland is afoot, and in the colonies, Revolutionary War has continued to test the bonds of family, love, and the meaning of “home,” via Variety:
Coming off of the first half of ‘Outlander’ season seven, viewers find Claire, Jamie and Young Ian leaving the colonies and arriving in their beloved homeland: Scotland. The perils of the Revolutionary War force them to choose between standing by those they love and fighting for the land they have made their new home. Meanwhile, Roger (Richard Rankin) and Brianna (Sophie Skelton) face new enemies across time, and must battle the forces that threaten to pull their family apart.
And as executive producer Maril Davis recently told Entertainment Weekly, “You know that saying, ‘You can never go home again?’ That’s definitely true.” She continued:
“Home is never the home you knew. It’s never going to be the same. That’s true when we come back — there’s troubling things on the horizon and some painful stuff. It’s bittersweet. It’s a homecoming, but things happen that are more of a sad note.”
As already mentioned, these episodes will lead into the show’s final season, but viewers can take comfort in knowing that the prequel, Blood of My Blood, will exist and will revolve around two love stories, those of Claire and Jamie’s parents, respectively.
Cast
As mentioned above, Outlander currently stars Sam Heughan, Caitríona Balfe, Sophie Skelton, Richard Rankin, and John Bell. They are joined by David Berry, Charles Vandervaart, Izzy Meikle-Small, and Joey Phillips.
Release Date
The Starz series will return on November 22 with another eight weekly episodes (for sixteen total episodes in the season). That return date will be over a year since the show last aired a new episode in August 2023. It’s no wonder that fans are getting antsy and wouldn’t mind a time-travel machine of their own.
Trailer
Surely, Starz will soon provide a full trailer, but for now, this teaser will barely keep fans afloat.
In the U.S. and Canada, it’s common for cats to be purely indoor pets, rarely if ever going outside. Some cat owners build “catios” to give their feline friends a taste of the outdoors, others make use of harnesses and leashes (if the kitty will abide) and others provide contained, supervised outside time on occasion.
Of course, containing a cat is no easy feat, so you have to have a pretty specific outdoor space to be able to do that successfully, which is exactly what the owners behind the “Adventures of Chai” TikTok channel have.
With high hedges, a tall brick wall, and a large swath of grass, the backyard that Chai the cat gets to play in is perfectly suited to allow her inner-outdoor-cat frolic safely. And Chai’s joy at getting in a little “garden time” is absolutely a must-see.
The video is captioned, “POV: you let your indoor cat out and have never seen her happier.” I mean, she does a complete backflip, for the love. And there are so many things to stalk, chase after and catch, you can tell she’s having a blast.
It is so cute to watch🥺❤️ #kitten #cat #cattok #petsoftiktok #catlove #catlover #britishshorthair #cats #scottishfold #cutecat #funnycat
Her sheer joy is 100% contagious. The video has more than 10 million likes and over 52 million views and people in the comments simply could not get over the flip.
“No one talking about the fact that the cat did a literal backflip💀”
“She was so happy that she did a backflip 😭”
“Did your cat just do a backflip 😭”
“DID BABE JUST DO A BACKFLIP”
“THAT JUMP WAS SPECTACULAR”
“THE CAT FLIP SAYS IT ALL HAPPY TO BE ALIVE.❤❤❤❤”
Of course, getting her back inside is not quite as enjoyable. “She loves to make us run for her,” Chai’s owner wrote on a video of Chai doing everything she could to avoid being brought back inside while her humans chased her around.
She loves to make us run for her😭 #kitten #cat #cattok #petsoftiktok #catlove #catlover #britishshorthair #cats #scottishfold #funnycat
People the comments also debated the merits of keeping cats indoors vs. letting them roam outside. Some people feel strongly that cats are meant to live outdoors and that depriving them of that life is limiting their happiness. Others pointed out that being outdoors can be unsafe for domesticated cats and that cats themselves pose a threat to wildlife like birds.
In Chai’s case, she appears to have the best of both worlds, being an indoor cat with a large outdoor area to play in with her humans’ supervision. And boy, is she obviously happy about the arrangement.
Disney princesses have become such an ingrained part of our collective conscious that most of us can rattle off the names Cinderella, Snow White, Jasmine, Belle, Tiana, Ariel, Moana, Mulan, Rapunzel and so on without having to think too hard about it. Disney princes, however, are another story. There’s the classic Prince Charming, of course. Aladdin is hard to forget, since the story is literally named after him. Beast doesn’t have a name, and beyond that, most Disney princes just don’t stick in people’s minds.
Flynn Rider from “Tangled,” however, might be the exception.
There’s something about Flynn Rider that has made him a Disney fan favorite, and a behind-the-scenes video explains one possible reason why: He was designed by a room full of women.
First, here’s a reminder of Flynn’s character for those who haven’t seen “Tangled” in a while:
“Flynn’s character, from the get-go, had to be a charmer,” Howard said. “He had to be this charming kind of swashbuckling, amazing action guy who you had to love from square one…We always kind of compare him to characters like Indiana Jones, who have confidence about them but they’re human at the same time. Because you have to relate to these guys. They can’t just be Superman.”
Greno added that Flynn is one of the funniest characters Disney has created. “He’s this really smart, witty guy. He’s an action hero, he’s also very handsome.”
Flynn’s handsomeness ended up being highly curated. Howard and Greno shared that after the animators had come up with hundreds of mockups of potential Flynns, they invited the women from around the animation studios to come and weigh in on the sketches, as well as images of leading Hollywood men over the years, to determine what features would make Flynn the most attractive.
This “hot man meeting” yielded a lot of strong opinions, which Howard said was “tough.”
“The hot man meeting was hard to go to, for us,” said Greno, “because everyone had opinions on what works and what doesn’t work. And occasionally things would come up that don’t work, and those were things that, you know, we have.”
Never forget The Hot Man Meeting #disney #tangled #flynnrider #animation #menwrittenbywomen #disneytangled #disneytiktok
Designing a male hero based on what women actually find attractive vs. what men think women find attractive turned out to be a solid approach. It may be worth imagining what would happen if the idea were reversed—a group of men in a “hot woman meeting” to piece together the ideal woman would likely be received a bit differently—but the consensus in the comments was that the meeting achieved its intended goal.
“This makes so much sense. Flynn Rider is elite.”
“And in the end, they nailed it.”
“My girls KNEW what they were talkin about.”
“And they did a FANTASTIC job.”
“Those women did amazing bc that man is FINEEEE.”
“THAT MAKES SO MUCH SENSE! I always felt like he was such a female gaze character I was surprised they nailed it…now I get why.”
Several commenters also wondered if that meeting was the genesis of the WANTED posters and Flynn’s “They just can’t get my nose right!” line in the film.
Of course, as much love as Flynn got in the comments, some people disagreed that he was for sure the most attractive prince. There was a lot of appreciation for Prince Naveen from “The Princess and the Frog” (that voice), Li Shang from “Mulan” and Eric from “The Little Mermaid” in the comments.
Thousands agreed, however, that Disney should have used an approach like this to create Beast when he turns into human form because that reveal left a lot to be desired.
Ultimately, asking women what they actually find attractive instead of assuming or guessing led to the creation of one of the most beloved princes in the Disney lineup. If the goal is to have the female audience swooning over a character, it’s definitely something for creators to consider when designing a leading man.
Tierra Whack’s personality and creative world is too vast to be contained. However, yesterday (June 7) the “Two Night” rapper managed to squeeze it all in during her NPR Tiny Desk Concert performance.
To commemorate Black Music Month, Tierra served up her eclectic discography for all to enjoy with a special slice of her hometown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania via a cameo from the beloved mascot, Phillie Phanatic.
If you thought only tracks from her latest album, World Wide Whack, made the setlist, you’re wrong.
Tierra and her newly formed band, The Big Backs (comprised of bassist Ali Bervine, keyboardist
Charles Jackson & Mary Floyd, guitarist Russell Gelman-Sheehan, percussionist Sheldon Robinson, drummer Mark Thomas, and vocalist Michelle Hunt), opened with 2018’s “Flea Market.” Then transitioned to melody of “Pretty Ugly,” “Hungry Hippo,” “Mood Swing,” “Accessible,”
“Ms Behave,” and “Imaginary Friends.”
Before performing “Moovies,” Tierra invited Phillie Phanatic to share the desk with her. Although the character is mute, Tierra went on to explain why their appearance was necessary to her. “Y’all know I gotta keep it Philly,” she said. “I bleed green. I bleed red. Anything Philly is all me. I had to bring a piece of home with me.”
Tierra closed the set with a vibrant performance of “27 Club” and “Shower Song.” Watch the full performance below.
He’s also an entertaining storyteller, but did Glen Powell unknowingly repeat an urban legend while speaking with Jake Shane on the Therapuss podcast in late May? It sure feels like that’s the case (at the 22:00 mark ^^^ in the above video), but the “crazy story” (as Glen begins the tale) is now going viral:
Glen related an account that sounds like it belongs in Fresh (the movie starring Sebastian Stan as a cannibal who kidnaps Daisy Edgar-Jones). The account apparently came from his sister, who “was friends with a girl who went on a date with a guy.” She went to his apartment, and he offered to give her a massage. Then this “black market lotion” scenario arrived from Glen’s mouth:
“He starts massaging her shoulders. Everything just feels odd. She’s like, ‘I gotta get out of here.’ It’s a little weird … she leaves. Her skin starts itching like crazy the next day. She goes to the doctor … it turns out it’s a black market lotion that breaks down skin for human consumption. This man was rubbing lotion on her body to eat her. The doctor is like you have to give me this person’s address and you should call the police. They go to this guy’s house, and he had several bodies in the house.”
Yup, that’s enough to freak people out. A few examples:
just saw glen powell saying a girl he knows went on a date with a cannibal from a dating app and didn’t know it so great new fear unlocked!!!!!!
In all likelihood, Glen was simply relaying a story that knocked him down, and people are reacting accordingly. Of course it’s really bad idea to go back home with a stranger and then accept a massage, but this probably did not happen, and it almost certainly did not happen without making national news. Or so you’d think! (Watch out for secret cannibals, y’all.)
While Megan Thee Stallion’sHot Girl Summer Tour is smashing records all across the country, trolls online are looking to crush her spirit. But in the words of her mentor Beyoncé, the “Boa” rapper won’t let them break her soul.
Today (June 8), Megan found herself at the center of another celebrity AI-generated deepfake controversy. A seemingly doctored clip of a sex tape video circulating online claims to feature the Grammy Award-winner. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Megan slammed the accusation and threatened to take action against anyone pushing it as authentic.
“It’s really sick how y’all go out of the way to hurt me when you see me winning,” she wrote. “Y’all going too far, Fake ass shit. Just know today was your last day playing with me and I mean it.”
It’s really sick how yall go out of the way to hurt me when you see me winning. Yall going too far, Fake ass shit. Just know today was your last day playing with me and I mean it.
The origins of the video remain unknown. However, it gained popularity after blogger Mílagro Gramz liked the upload on X, then jokingly encouraged users to check it out. Fans of Megan quickly chimed in to encourage, the rapper to take legal action against not only the creator but Mílagro as well.
“Please sue them,” wrote another. “We’re begging. We tired of them playing on your name.”
Please sue them, we’re begging. We tired of them playing on your name
Mílagro took to her page to clap back at users. She went on to claim she could not be held legally liable as she did not repost or create the clip. “And that’s not illegal,” she wrote. “Suck it.”
Every single week, our TV and film experts will list the most important ten streaming selections for you to pop into your queues. We’re not strictly operating upon reviews or accrued streaming clicks (although yes, we’ve scoured the streaming site charts) but, instead, upon those selections that are really worth noticing amid the churning sea of content. There’s a lot out there, after all, and your time is valuable.
10. Your Honor (Showtime series streaming on Netflix)
If you caught this show years ago — and who doesn’t love a good Panic Cranston face? — you might be wondering why it appears on this list. Well, the Netflix audience has discovered this tension-fueled show in which Bryan Cranston simply cannot stop breaking bad, this time as a judge who spirals into corruption in an attempt to save his son. Fine performances exist across the board here even if the show is not exactly easy, breezy, or well-paced viewing material. Again here, Cranston is a sort-of everyman, who tangos with the criminal underworld after making an incredibly bad decision that quickly leads to an impressive series of even worse decisions.
These stories of a galaxy far, far away never finish for good, and this series actually takes place a century before the Empire ascends to power when the Jedi Order and the Galactic Republic are peacefully co-existing. Get ready for things to get police-procedural like, however, when a crime spree brings a dangerous warrior back from a Jedi Master’s past. The series stars Dafne Keen, Amanda Stenberg, Carrie-Anne Moss, Charlie Barnett, Manny Jacinto, Margarita Levieva, and Rebecca Henderson.
8. Bad Boys for Life (Sony Pictures movie streaming on Hulu)
With Bad Boys: Ride Or Die in theaters this weekend, it’s only natural that people are catching up with the third film before heading into the movie that, yes, does nod at the Oscars slap. The threquel, however, released in 2020 in the midst of another mess and follows Will Smith and Martin Lawrence’s wisecracking buddy cops dealing with a vengeful Mexican drug cartel while also learning to coexist with their new colleagues on the scene.
Surely, creator, writer, and star Richard Gadd never expected to land on the all-time Top 10 list, which is due to happen pretty damn soon. In other words, watch out Bridgerton, Stranger Things, and Wednesday. Meanwhile, Gadd is moving past the trauma of his past to work on his next project, Lions, in which he will not star but will still no doubt compel viewers. If you haven’t caught Baby Reindeer yet, know that it’s an intense and stressful watch, and it’s not exactly a true-crime series, but the public’s fascination with the based-on-personal-experiences story could arguably qualify it as such.
After that cliffhanger finale, you might wonder if we will see a resolution in a fourth season? Fortunately, that answer is “yes.” Max knows what the people want after this series hit its highest viewership numbers over the past month, and Ava gave Deborah a taste of her own cutthroat medicine, and yes, it sure looks like the student has become the teacher. Did Deborah create a monster? No way, Ava was messy already, but she’s stepping up in a way that wasn’t expected, and their dynamic is truly upside down now. Delicious viewing material, indeed.
Multiplex theaters are struggling right now, but home theaters have never been both hotter and cooler. This will be Alex Garland’s final stint in the directors seat for awhile while he heads back into screenwriting mode, and he went out with a doozy. This A24 movie will eventually stream on Max but is still in the VOD phase at present to large success. Cailee Spaeny (Priscilla, Alien: Romulus) is popping through every genre these days, and the film also stars Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, and a brief but unsettling Jesse Plemons.
Netflix is also hitting every quadrant these days, and not everything is Bridgerton, Baby Reindeer, and years-old shows suddenly seeing a burst of renewed interest. Here, Shane Gillis stars in a very differently-located workplace comedy as a comedian and thorn in the side of Will (Steven Gerben), who has inherited his father’s auto-repair business and is struggling to make it work. A second season is already on the way.
The second half of this season will be coming next week, and the first half is still causing swooning attacks across the Internet. Thus far, the first half of the season has delivered on the Carriage Scene promise, but what will come in the next four episodes? Shondaland will not disappoint viewers who adore seeing Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton together, but the Lady Whistledown secret could ruin everything. [Cue dramatic whispers.]
Glen Powell — he is everywhere right now, and that’s more than alright. He portrays a dramatized version of real-life undercover officer Gary Johnson in this Richard Linklater film that takes inspiration from Skip Hollandsworth’s 2001 Texas Monthly article that detailed Johnson’s life as an undercover/fake killer for hire. Disguises are embellished for the sake of cinema, but Powell’s charisma shines through during even the most darkly humorous moments. He’ll soon be seen in Twisters, where the Austinite actor hopefully does not actually attempt to ride a tornado like he’s on a bull.
1. Godzilla Minus One (Toho Studios movie streaming on Netflix)
The first Godzilla movie to win an Oscar received a semi-surprise streaming release so that those who didn’t make it into theaters can see what all the (justified) fuss is about. The low-budget movie turned into a blockbuster hit, and the nuclear lizard is having quite a few years with his Kong team-up and Apple TV+ show, too. It’s no wonder that he needed a Nap City trip after all that excitement. Seriously though, this film emotionally resonates while doling out the frightful angry-monster goods, too.
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Maps (Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ cover) at Governors Ball Music Festival 
joneyre 
(@arianaunext) 
