Category: News

Was Elon Musk ever actually cool? At one point, long ago, he was respected enough to score a cameo in Iron Man 2, the guy then primarily known for Space X joking around with Tony Stark. In the last few years, though, we’ve come to learn way too much about him, including what he finds funny. Lo and behold, it turns out he’s a dork’s idea of a cool dude. For example, what in heavens is this?

On Tuesday, the world’s richest person dropped a truly gobsmacking new promo for the social media service he purchased for way too much money two Novembers ago. With computer graphics that wouldn’t pass muster in a mid-aughts installment of Elder Scrolls, it shows a panther with neon purple stripes and flashlight eyeballs hurtling towards the viewer. Once there, it slashes the screen, revealing the new name of the company that no one but him uses.

Did Musk think this neon panther was rad? He 1000% did. There is no chance that Musk didn’t think it was the sickest thing he’d ever seen. He probably thought others would agree. Alas, others did not.

And so, once again, the guy who wants to put gizmos in people’s brains got trolled on his own social media platform. A lot of people made old-timey computer/video game jokes.

There was the inevitable Anchorman sex panther joke.

There were lots of miscellaneous yuks.

And there were reminders of the appallingly large amount of money Musk paid for a service where everyone routinely makes fun of him.

But surely at least those smart enough to fork over actual money to use Musk’s otherwise free service think the neon panther is cool. They definitely don’t think he’s the biggest dork in human history.

Our Flag Means Death is a rare gem of a show that has a coveted Rotten Tomatoes score, so naturally, it’s coming to an end.

The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that the series, created by David Jenkins, will not be renewed for another season. The show ran on Max for two seasons and followed the bizarre adventures (and misadventures) of gentleman pirate Stede Bonnet and his lover, Blackbeard. Rhys Darby, Ewen Bremner, and Joel Fry also starred, alongside executive producer Taika Waititi. In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, a Max spokesperson said:

“While Max will not be moving forward with a third season of Our Flag Means Death, we are so proud of the joyous, hilarious, and heartfelt stories that creator David Jenkins, Taika Waititi, Rhys Darby, Garrett Basch, Dan Halsted, Adam Stein, Antoine Douaihy, and the entire superb cast and crew brought to life. We also thank the dedicated fans who embraced these stories and built a gorgeous, inclusive community surrounding the show.”

This is just the latest title to be axed from Max as we head into a new year. On the bright side, Waititi isn’t slowing down anytime soon. The actor/writer/husband to Rita Ora has a handful of projects on deck, including an alleged Star Wars movie. We don’t have enough of those.

Of course, we will never get to see how Jenkins wanted the series to end. Last year, he gave UPROXX a taste of what we could have had:

Without spoiling anything, does season two end in a way that if that was the last bit, that people aren’t going to light things on fire, that people will accept that as an ending? Is it satisfying or do you have to leave it open to try to push?

It was very important to me to land season two in a place where if this was it, this particular audience would feel like Ed and Stede had their due and it wasn’t just pain, but it was something that could be construed as a happy ending. And I think there’s a clear way forward for a season three, but I think if this were it, I think this could be a kind and non-upsetting and gratifying way to wrap the show up.

With Muppets.

With Muppets.

RIP what could have been.

Just weeks after 21 Savage suggested that his new album was coming soon during his first-ever concert in the UK, it appears that the album is arriving sooner than anyone could have thought. Just before the new year, billboards advertising the album began to pop up in Savage’s hometown, Atlanta, and then, earlier this week, Savage and fellow ATLien Donald Glover teased American Dream: The 21 Savage Story just before dropping a trailer that finds Glover depicting the other rapper with an accompanying album on the way. They’ve since revealed a few more of the details for the album American Dream, which is coming out later this week. Check out everything we know so far below:

Release Date

American Dream is out this Friday, January 12.

Tracklist

The tracklist for American Dream is still TBA.

Singles

No singles have yet been released as of press time.

Features

Features for American Dream are still TBA

Artwork

The artwork depicts an image of a young 21 Savage, presumably take from his expired immigration documents.

Tour

A supporting tour for American Dream is still TBA but on the bright side, fans in Canada, the UK, Europe, and elsewhere will be able to see him now that his immigration troubles have been resolved.

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

After wowing audiences with Game of Thrones, the creative duo of David Benioff and D.B. Weiss are back with an ambitious new series for Netflix, 3 Body Problem.

Starring Benedict Wong (Doctor Strange) and Eiza González (Ambulance), the series will adapt the best-selling books of the sam name as it unravels a massive and mind-bending sci-fi mystery that threatens all of humanity.

Naturally, Game of Thrones fans will recognize a few familiar faces in the epic 3 Body Problem trailer. Right out of the gate, there’s Liam Cunningham who played the stalwart Sir Davos, The Onion Knight on the medieval series. And, yes, that’s John Bradley a.k.a. Samuel Tarly poking around. However, this time around they’ve traded in swords for science as they race against the clock in this wildly ambitious thriller.

Here’s the official synopsis:

From multiple Emmy Award-winning creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss (Game of Thrones), and Emmy-nominated Alexander Woo (The Terror: Infamy, True Blood) comes 3 Body Problem, a thrilling story that redefines sci-fi drama with its layered mysteries and genre-bending high stakes. Based on the acclaimed, international bestselling book trilogy, The Three-Body Problem.

A young woman’s fateful decision in 1960s China reverberates across space and time to a group of brilliant scientists in the present day. As the laws of nature unravel before their eyes five former colleagues reunite to confront the greatest threat in humanity’s history.

3 Body Problem premieres March 21, 2024 on Netflix.

About a month ago, Doja Cat completed her sold-out Scarlet tour, which Uproxx reviewed as show “not just for [the fans] and not just for Doja Cat, but also for Amala, the girl who loved music so much she made it her life against all odds.”

If you missed out on your chance to see the Scarlet tour live, have no fear. Later this month, you’ll get the chance to experience it for yourself from the comfort of your own home. Best of all, it’ll be for free — as long as you have a Meta Quest headset.

The immersive experience will go live on Saturday, January 20 at 5pm PT, in Meta Quest’s Music Valley and run for the next month. The set was recorded during her concert in Detroit, capturing all the best moments, from her Matrix-inspired robot to a giant eyeball.

In the press release, Doja said, “Bringing The Scarlet Tour to life was an amazing experience for me. Taking it from an idea to real life and sharing that with my fans at arenas was surreal and rewarding. To now be able to share the live show through VR with Meta and The Diamond Bros for Doja Cat: The Scarlet Tour in VR is a perfect way for fans who did not get to come to a show to feel like they did. I can’t wait for everyone to see what we have created.”

You can see a trailer for the tour event above.

As a Gen X parent, it’s weird to try to describe my childhood to my kids. We’re the generation that didn’t grow up with the internet or cell phones, yet are raising kids who have never known a world without them. That difference alone is enough to make our 1980s childhoods feel like a completely different planet, but there are other differences too that often get overlooked.

How do you explain the transition from the brown and orange aesthetic of the ’70s to the dusty rose and forest green carpeting of the ’80s if you didn’t experience it? When I tell my kids there were smoking sections in restaurants and airplanes and ashtrays everywhere, they look horrified (and rightfully so—what were we thinking?!). The fact that we went places with our friends with no quick way to get ahold of our parents? Unbelievable.

One day I described the process of listening to the radio, waiting for my favorite song to come on so I could record it on my tape recorder, and how mad I would get when the deejay talked through the intro of the song until the lyrics started. My Spotify-spoiled kids didn’t even understand half of the words I said.

And ’80s hair? With the feathered bangs and the terrible perms and the crunchy hair spray? What, why and how?

In some ways, that era was simpler. We weren’t bombarded with information and opinions about every issue in the world 24/7 and had the freedom to just be kids. At the same time, I personally have no desire to go back. (My straight, fine hair was not made for the ’80s.)

However, one dad is bringing full-on nostalgia to millions of Gen Xers with a viral TikTok he made about sharing his ’80s childhood with his 8-year-old son. Justin H (who goes by @shadyraro on TikTok) included photos and descriptions of things all ’80s kids will recognize and it’s like hopping into a time machine.

Like, the unwound cassette tape struggle was genuinely real. Grab a pencil, start winding and pray. “The A-Team”? Totally. Streetlight curfew? Yep.

@shadyraro

The 80’s was the best decade #80s #80skid #oldschool #genx #parents #funny #family #foryou #fyp

The video has been viewed more than 10 million times this week, with commenters neck-deep in their feelings about their childhood flashbacks.

“I miss them days, technology has taken away so much,” wrote one commenter.

“Miss the 80s era but unfortunately us kids were the remote control,” wrote another. (So true. Changing the channel was exercise.)

“The 80’s cannot be explained…it was an experience…a complete vibe all its own…and if you missed it I’m so sorry for you!” wrote another.

And if you feel like there were some things missing, no worries. There’s a Part Two:

@shadyraro

The 80’s was the best decade Part 2 #80s #80skid #oldschool #genx #parents #funny #family #foryou #fyp

The ashtray in the back of the car seat! The phone booth! The Walkman! The overhead projector. So my childhood. I can practically taste the Tang and Twinkies.

Kids today will never know the ugly beauty of growing up in the ’80s, but someday they’ll have their own tales to tell their kids that they’ll look on with fondness and nostalgia. “We used to spend hours building things with little digital blocks in Minecraft…”

There’s never been anything like the ’80s and there never will be again. Thanks for the trip down memory lane, Justin H.

This article originally appeared on 05.21.22

Eating an early dinner has always been a stereotype associated with older, retired people who don’t have to worry about work schedules and traffic. Plus, older people tend to have an early-to-bed, early-to-rise schedule and are more concerned about thoroughly digesting their meals before hitting the hay.

But an unexpected change in the great American culture means that older people and Gen Zers are more likely to fight each other for a 5 p.m. reservation at their local diner. A recent story in The Wall Street Journal shows that an increasing number of Americans are going out to dinner earlier.

According to Yelp data cited by the WSJ, restaurants currently seat 10% of diners between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. That number has doubled since 2019 when only 5% of people went to restaurants between those hours. People are also taking Ubers to dinner earlier these days, with a 10% jump in rides between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. and a 9% drop in those after 8 p.m.

— (@)

The trend has also caught on in New York City, which, at one time, was known for being a city that never sleeps. RESY reports that reservations across New York City made at 5:30 p.m. have jumped from 7.75% to 8.31% over the past two years, while 8 p.m. reservations have fallen to 7.8%, down from 8.31%.

So what has happened? Have Americans been so run down by the last few years that they’re now acting like their grandparents? Is it more important to binge TV before bedtime than burn the midnight oil with friends? The Robb Report attributes the change to hybrid work. These days 34% of people work from home most of the time, so they can leave the house a lot earlier than before. Plus, when you’re cooped up in your house all day it’s nice to get out and enjoy a bite to eat as soon as possible.

Broadway has adapted to the new trend by scheduling its performances earlier in the day. Movie theaters accommodate the new early-bird lifestyle by adding more early screenings and canceling those that run late at night.

Devorah Lev-Tov from RESY New York applauds the change. “A few years ago, we would’ve joked about dining with all the old folks or being condemned to screaming children. Yet now, 5 or 5:30 p.m. is my preferred time to dine … And I’m not alone,” Lev-Tov writes.

According to research, this new change in the American lifestyle could benefit our collective health.

A study published by Cell Metabolism found that people who eat all their meals within a 10-hour window and finish dinner earlier in the day are less hungry, burn calories faster and have a lower risk for obesity.

This rapid change in America’s dining habits shows how sometimes the things we think are deeply embedded in our culture can easily change overnight. The next question is, will brunch still be brunch when people begin eating it at 7:30 a.m.? Because then it’s just breakfast, and drinking champagne for breakfast feels uncouth. But then again, that could change, too.

This article originally appeared on 7.4.23

Look, you’re busy. You’ve got stuff that needs to be done today. Do you really have time to watch tiny baby goats jump in slow motion? Will that really add anything of value to your life?

Actually, the answer is yes. Because watching tiny baby goats jump in slow motion is not only exceedingly entertaining, it’s actually a simple life lesson in disguise.

These little guys hail from Sunflower Farm Creamery in Maine, where 60 (yes, 60) goats are born each year. Sunflower Farm promises that even if you didn’t love goats before, you will after watching videos from its Youtube channel showing the wee babes run, play, hop and snuggle. I mean, there’s another video showing the goats in pajamas…what’s not to love?

But back to this one. In the video’s description, Sunflower Farm writes, “The amount of effort a baby goat puts into each hop is astounding, and only fully observed by slowing down their motion so you can see every twist and turn clearly. They leap so bravely forward. Even the youngest six, who are one week old, are full of twists and turns and side kicks.”

Yep, in the clip you can definitely see boundless energy and fearlessness in their leaps. Which, let’s be honest, might not always result in the most graceful move. And yet when you slow that action down and put on a little Tchaikovsky, it suddenly becomes a riveting ballet nonetheless.

Check it out:

The farm added that the goats aren’t merely hopping around to learn how to avoid predators. They are also simply doing it for the “joy of it.” Play in the animal kingdom is as nuanced as it is for humans, with many experts noting that some species actually don’t engage in play to develop any sort of motor or cognitive skills. They do it, seemingly, just cause.

In other words, these goats “leap because they can.” And that’s that.

Folks who watched the video seemed to agree that their spontaneous, unbridled joy was contagious.

“OMG, the sheer joy! I had no real understanding of how random their movement was! That is probably the best thing I’ve seen in months!” one person comments.

Another added, “These kids are simply experiencing the sheer joy of life bursting out of them. Absolutely wondrous to watch.”

Sure, it’s a silly little goat ballet, but Sunflower Farms argues that humans could learn a thing or two from it.

“Humans could benefit so much by practicing being more nimble, fluid, and joyful. It is so easy to get stuck in our ways, to feel heavy, and weighed down by the world. The goat kids show us that there is another way,” the video description read.

Indeed, life might feel heavy at times. But take it from a group of baby goats…jumping around for no reason at all can be the best pick-me-up. No kidding.

This article originally appeared on 5.7.23

History has many heroes, but few human beings have left a direct mark on children’s lives like Fred Rogers did. In a time when television had become a staple in American households, prompting fears over its potentially pernicious influence, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood shone like a beacon of wholesome delight.

Fred Rogers’ conviction that educational television could make a positive difference in the lives of children has been proven true again and again. Countless people have shared how Mr. Rogers’ messages of love and compassion and self-worth influenced them during their formative years, and for many, his presence provided a calm and stability that were missing in their own households.

The emotional and societal topics Mr. Rogers tackled are vast and varied, and it seems there are always more gems of goodness to uncover in the archives. Eric Stanley of “Stay Inspired” shared a compilation of clips from Fred Rogers’ life that exemplify his warm, genuine kindness, some of which are unfamiliar even to ardent fans of the show.

The video includes so many examples of what made Fred Rogers so special, from his ability to talk to anyone to his selfless and humble Lifetime Achievement Award speech to how he responded when he felt he’d been too harsh with one of his grandsons. (That story is so beautiful—can you even imagine Mr. Rogers being harsh?) He also shared a conversation with children about a stuffed animal’s ear coming off in the washer that exemplified how much better he understood children than most adults do.

“Mr. Rogers was one of those people who impacted multiple generations—young, old—so many people were inspired by Mr. Rogers,” said Stanley in the video. “His messages transcend race, gender, how much money you make—it doesn’t matter. Everyone was inspired by Mr. Rogers.”

Watch and enjoy these prime examples of Fred Rogers’ humility and humanity courtesy of Eric Stanley on Facebook:

Soulja Boy and Blueface’s feud, which was kind of funny when it was just about which of the two rappers has more mainstream hits, has continued long enough that we’ve reached the “death threats” portion of the program. While Blueface did try to escalate the beef to the point of physical altercation a few weeks ago (a week before Christmas, no less), it ultimately came to nothing, but it sounds like Soulja Boy is willing to take things even further.

During an Instagram Live stream, Soulja denounced the back-and-forth on the internet, inviting Blueface to a shootout instead. Blueface took the opportunity to mock his would-be rival in a Twitter response, posting a circus tent emoji and offering some baby talk.

The dramatic response may seem outsized when you consider that this all started during an interview in which the LA native suggested he could win in a Verzuz hits battle with Soulja, prompting an aggrieved comeback from the Atlanta rapper. “You gon’ perform bust down ‘Thotiana‘ five times in a row?” he taunted. “Don’t make me go into the vault and start pulling sh*t out with Bow Wow… You know how many songs I got, buddy? I got songs with Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Trey Songz, Omarion, DJ Khaled.”

The two rappers seem to like the attention they’ve been getting for this “beef,” but let’s hope that Soulja Boy ends up disappointed.