Category: News

The rideshare experience involves a leap of faith for both the passenger and the driver. The passenger trusts the driver to get them to their destination safely and comfortably. The driver trusts the passenger to be a decent human who won’t harm them or eat tuna fish in their car. (Rideshare drivers use their own vehicles, after all).

A grandmother who drives for Lyft has taken matters into her own hands and posted a list in her car that spells out what she will and won’t allow. Similar to a Taxi Passenger’s Bill of Rights, this is her own personal bill of rights.

A photo of her list went viral after user u/joyisnotdead posted it to Reddit. Commenters love the list for its sass while also debating its merits. The vast majority fiercely defend it. “Most of [this] is really just basic etiquette,” writes shannibearstar.

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The list in question, which relies heavily on all caps and a healthy sprinkling of emojis, begins with a plea.

“First and foremost, my grands and greats ride in this vehicle! Be considerate of that! I have family and I’m raising a great that needs me! Be sure I get home safe to her! And my family! I don’t carry money or real jewels! If you carjack me < wreck it good! I want a new one!”

It’s pretty understandable and relatable so far. She has responsibilities!

Granny’s rules for the Lyft
byu/joyisnotdead infunny

Things begin to go lovably off the rails in the second rule.

“Do not touch or cuss around my parrot! I will put you out! I don’t teach your kids and I don’t teach your kids to cuss, don’t teach mine!”

Whoa whoa whoa, a parrot?

While it’s possible she is referring to her “grands” or “greats” as parrots since kids love to repeat what they hear, many commenters are taking her at her word. “Why does she have a parrot in an Uber? That does not seem like a good environment for a bird. Nor does it seem like a good environment for the passengers who want to go places and didn’t order a bird sanctuary on wheels” writes Vendeta44.

Apparently, should you drive for Uber and want to bring your bird on board, it is allowed. According to Uber’s “Feedback about the driver or vehicle” section: “Since all drivers who use the Uber app are independent contractors, they are allowed to travel with a pet or service animal in their vehicle.”

Her next rule is pretty straightforward and colorful. “No smoking, vaping, smoking pot or snorting/smoking dope!> This isn’t your hookah room! Or trap house!”

Trap house? According to Dictionary.com, it’s “a place where illegal drugs are sold” and according to Urban Dictionary it was “originally used to describe a crack house in a shady neighborhood.” Interestingly, the “trap” in trap music takes the same root.

Okay, fine, no teaching her parrot any bad words, no vaping, but what if you just want to spend the time headed to your destination putting the finishing touches on your lewk? If you’re of a certain age you may remember an ad that appeared heavily in women’s magazines in the 1980s for a cordless butane-powered curling iron. In it, a woman was stepping out of a car, curling iron in hand, having just styled her magnificent coif on the go.

Grandma would NOT be okay with this.

“No spraying perfume, doing your hair and makeup. (I don’t want your hair all over the place and other customers don’t want to get into your hair all over them). Spraying hair spray or cologne> This isn’t your bathroom!” To be fair, perfume and cologne have immense staying power.

The next rule is one that you wish didn’t need to be said but according to the comments, does need to be said: “No sex or making out. This isn’t your hooker room/hotel room.”

Fair.

The last rule concerns a common activity that vexes rideshare drivers everywhere: Eating and drinking.

“No eating or drinking in my car! I provide water for your convenience! This isn’t your diner!”

Most of the commenters agreed with the spirit of the list while decrying the need to state things they feel should go without saying. This was especially true in the Lyft Drivers subreddit, where it was crossposted. “[…] It’s called common courtesy, but we apparently have to remind people it’s a thing,” writes Potatersauce.

The story is an excellent reminder that when we’re sharing space, our behavior impacts those around us, whether it be our kids, our drivers or their parrots.

If you’ve found yourself frustrated after seeing pesky tipping options pop-up literally everywhere you spend money (even at self checkout, seriously?), know you are not alone. Tipflation is leaving many people drawing up newer, stricter spending boundaries for 2024.

Take Justice, for example.

In a video posted to her TikTok, the Chicago-based content creator recently shared her list of services she will absolutely, with zero guilt, “NOT be tipping” for this year, stating that “tipping culture is OUT of control.”

While her sentiments resonated with viewers, not everyone agreed with who she’d be cutting off.

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Justice started with food and dining spots that would not be receiving an extra sum.

“I’m not tipping at the drive-thru. I’m not tipping for fro-yo. I’m not tipping for Auntie Anne’s. Yes, they ask for tips there now, and I’m not tipping on to-go orders,” she said in the clip.

This is probably the one that had the least amount of controversy, as a lot of these require more effort from the customer than the worker. As one commenter put it, “ Tipping for fro-yo I made myself is CRAZY.”

However, one person argued that “a lot of full service restaurants have a ‘to-go specialists’ to pack up orders and they make the same tipped employee wage as servers (so like $5/hr) so plz consider leaving them at least 10%.”

Next up on Justice’s list: “Anyone who sets their own prices.”

“I will absolutely not be tipping you. The whole point of tipping a service professional is that you’re paying the business like double or triple what the employee is actually making during that service. So if you’re both the business and the servicing employee, why would I pay more on top of that, if you’re going to obtain the full 100% of what I pay? Doesn’t make any sense,” she said.

This mainly included beauty service professionals, which many folks came in to defend.

One person countered, “Yes they are getting 100% but if they are they’re most likely paying for color, booth rent, foils, etc.”

Another echoed “I think tipping when it comes to services, like nails, lashes, etc is a good thing to do bc it’s complimenting their service and helps keep them in business to buy all the extra things to make it, wow✨.”

Still, one hairstylist came in to say, “Tips are appreciated but never expected. A lot of people save up for a hair appointment and it’s OK not to tip.”

Lastly, Justice said she would not be tipping medical professionals, explaining that “If you need a medical qualification or license in order to administer the service to me, I’m not giving you a tip because it’s against the code of ethics to accept tips for these types of procedures.”

One person seems to have a similar souring experience, saying, “My Botox DOCTOR, yes she has a PhD, asked for a tip. For medical Botox. At a doctor’s office.”

@antidietpilot

I said what i said

♬ original sound – Justice

All in all, while not everyone could get fully onboard with Justice’s personal approach to tipping, everyone could agree that something needed to be done. Many even contributed their own opinions on who should and shouldn’t be tipped.

“Waitstaff, nail techs, and tattoo artists always get a good tip. Anyone else is totally optional to me,” one person wrote.

The changes to tipping culture, while obviously triggering, are only a symptom of larger issues with inflation, unlivable wages and technology moving faster than society can keep up. In some ways, fixating on this smaller, albeit annoying problem pits individuals against one another when the situation calls for more nuance. We miss getting the chance to discuss how our world is beginning to feel like a minefield of scams constantly trying to drain our bank accounts…all because we don’t feel that we should have to tip our barista that extra $1.

In reality, they probably should get it for a job well done. But it’s also true that they should be paid more. It’s probably also true that you should be paid more as well. It’s the system—and the kinds of people it turns us into—that we should be criticizing.

As it turns out, going onto television and implying that someone might be on the list of Jeffrey Epstein’s clients isn’t going to go over all that well. In a statement released on Friday afternoon, ESPN spokesperson Mike Foss released a statement regarding a recent appearance Aaron Rodgers made on Pat McAfee’s show where the New York Jets quarterback speculated that Jimmy Kimmel’s name could pop up in the recently-released documents related to Epstein’s court case.

“Pat announced today that he’s planning on Aaron joining the show Tuesday. Aaron made a dumb and factually inaccurate joke about Jimmy Kimmel,” Foss told Front Office Sports. “The show will continue to evolve. It wouldn’t surprise me if Aaron’s role evolves with it.”

“There’s a lot of people, including Jimmy Kimmel, who are hoping that list doesn’t come out,” Rodgers said during his weekly appearance on McAfee’s show, which is broadcast on ESPN. It’s worth mentioning that ESPN and ABC, the network that airs Jimmy Kimmel Live!, are both owned by Disney.

Unsurprisingly, Kimmel was pretty pissed about all of this, going as far as to threaten legal action against Rodgers if he continued to go down this road. McAfee attempted to do some damage control on his show in the aftermath of Rodgers’ appearance, making the bizarre argument that while he understood Kimmel’s frustration here, “I think Aaron was just trying to talk sh*t.”

Rodgers’ appearances on McAfee’s show have caused plenty of controversy in the past, as the All-Pro quarterback has used the platform to do things like spread misinformation regarding COVID vaccines. Recently, it was reported — and McAfee confirmed — that Rodgers is paid for his appearances on the show.

In theory, a holiday movie starring Paul Rudd, Paul Giamatti, and Sally Hawkins should be an instant classic, but that’s also what they said about Wonka and look how that turned out. But it exists, and it’s called All Is Bright, a comedy/drama from 2013.

While the film was a standard, run-of-the-mill Christmas movie, it did leave a lasting impact on one of the actors, who snagged a first on-screen kiss with the leading man. What kind of kiss haunts you over a decade later? A kiss with Paul Rudd, naturally.

Colman Domingo, who is currently starring in the acclaimed adaptation of The Color Purple, shared this touching memory this week.

“This is a little-known Christmas movie we did maybe 10, 12 years ago,” Domingo told W. “I played this guy named Nzomo, who’s a South African dude who works at a tree stand. Paul Rudd is a great improviser. In one scene, he turned me around and kissed me on the lips. It was very sweet, because he was excited about something.” Rudd, a fan of improvising the most out-of-pocket things, seems to be very used to this. While he might not remember, Domingo sure does.

“I thought, ‘Hey, actually, that’s my first screen kiss. Did you know that, Paul?’” he added. Domingo didn’t share what Rudd’s response would have been, but we can assume he made a goofy-looking face and flashed his million-dollar smile.

Domingo has gone on to win an Emmy for his role on Euphoria, starred in Jordan Peele’s Candyman, and even wrote a book. But he still can’t get that mesmerizing Rudd kiss out of his mind, and… you know what?

You can’t blame him.

(Via EW)

Willis Gibson made video game history this week as the 13-year-old became the first person to win the NES version of Tetris in an awesome viral moment where his skills were so great that it literally broke the game.

The feat has already reached mythical status, but get ready to bust out the tissues. In a new interview with MSNBC, Gibson dedicated his record-breaking achievement to his dad who died just last month in December.

“I’m dedicating it to my dad,” Gibson told MSNBC’s Steve Patterson. “He was always very supportive, and I think he’d be proud.”

Is it getting misty here? What’s happening? Via Mediaite:

Patterson’s report included a video of the moment Gibson realized he had beaten the game, saying, “You are witnessing one of the proudest moments in the history of video games. Tetris, finally toppled by human hands,” as Gibson is heard celebrating and declaring, “I can’t feel my fingers!”

Patterson continued, “The 13-year-old prodigy scoring so high the game could no longer function, reaching its once-mythical ‘kill screen’ in 38 minutes at level 157.”

“I was just sort of shocked and just happy that I did it,” Gibson said.

Gibson’s touching dedication arrives shortly after Sky News broadcaster Jayne Secker mocked the young boy for his impressive Tetris achievement by telling him to “go outside.” The callous remarks were widely rebuked on social media as gamers, and basically anyone with a soul, rushed to defend the boy with tweets like the one below:

(Via Mediaite)

Following the smash success of Marvel’s first Disney+ series, WandaVision, the studio didn’t waste time greenlighting a spinoff starring Kathryn Hahn‘s scene-stealing Agatha Harkness.

While it’s been over two years since Marvel announced the Agatha spinoff, the series is reportedly on its way to Disney+ in the very near future. Now titled Agatha: Darkhold Diaries, here’s everything we know about the bewitching new entry to the MCU:

Plot

Agatha: Darkhold Diaries will reportedly pick up after the events of WandaVision, which saw Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) become the wildly powerful Scarlet Witch and take control of the Darkhold book of sorceries after defeating Agatha. Wanda stripped her adversary of her memories, but clearly, that won’t be the case for long.

However, if Agatha is on a quest to reclaim the Darkhold, she’s in for a rough slog. The book consumed Wanda causing the cataclysmic events of Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. We won’t spoil what happened, but let’s just say, finding the Darkhold ain’t going to be easy.

Here’s the latest synopsis via Deadline.

In the first episode we see Agatha Harkness (Hahn) finally break out of a spell she has been trapped in. She can’t wait to go back to her old murderous ways only to find that she is powerless. The only way forward for her is to embark on a perilous quest to get her powers back with the help of an unlikely friend or two.

We should note that Agatha: Darkhold Diaries has gone through several name changes since the spinoff was first announced, and Marvel has been doing a considerable amount of retooling following the lackluster response to Secret Invasion and The Marvels. Whether that plot synopsis remains the same is up in the air.

Cast

Kathryn Hahn will naturally be reprising her role of Agatha Harkness from WandaVision. Emma Caulfield Ford is also set to return, adding fuel to rumors that her WandaVision was hiding a secret and not just an innocent resident caught in Wanda’s spell. New cast members include Patti LuPone, Aubrey Plaza, Joe Locke, Sasheer Zamata, and Ali Ahn. As for which of the cast will join Agatha’s burgeoning coven is being kept under wraps for now.

Release Date

In an official press release, Disney+ has confirmed that Agatha: Darkhold Diaries will start streaming some time in 2024. An exact release date hasn’t been announced as of this writing.

Trailer

While Marvel has yet to release an official trailer, the recent WandaVision Blu-Ray release contained a surprise bonus clip teasing Agatha: Darkhold Diaries. You can watch it below:

Agatha: Darkhold Diaries will cast its spell on Disney+ in 2024.

For the past few years, the Toronto Raptors have come up as a potential seller going into the trade deadline, but as this year’s round of rumblings began, there was skepticism they’d actually make trades after years of balking at offers. However, when OG Anunoby got dealt to the Knicks, it indicated the Raptors had finally chosen its long-term direction, looking to get younger and build around Scottie Barnes.

As such, Pascal Siakam’s future now shifts into focus, but trading him is made difficult by the fact that he is widely expected to enter free agency this summer, no matter where he’s traded. Now, a team trading for him would have an inside track at retaining him simply by acquiring his Bird rights — which would allow them to go over the cap to sign him — but Siakam’s camp has made it clear they won’t be making any promises about his future or entertaining short-term extension options. Even so, Tim Bontemps of ESPN reported this week that it’s “expected” that Toronto will move Siakam by the deadline, but finding the right fit and figuring out what his trade value is, exactly, on an expiring is a tricky proposition.

The Indiana Pacers are a known Siakam suitor (Adrian Wojnarowski made that clear this week) and there are a handful of other teams that have been rumored to have interest in him in the past or at least make sense in terms of on-court fits for the former All-Star forward. However, Siakam, being a non-shooter, isn’t a guy who is going to command interest from the entire league. There are some teams like the Heat that would not make a lot of sense to add Siakam, as you’d end up with a lot of the spacing issues Toronto has had recently with three non-shooters in your frontcourt with Siakam, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo. That said, for teams that could use more length, defense, and rim pressure, Siakam could be had at a relatively low price (with the risk, of course, that he’s a half-season rental).

I can’t even pretend to know what Siakam will actually command, and it will really come down to whether multiple teams get into the mix and Toronto can pit offers against each other to pry the best picks out of teams. However, with Anunoby not fetching a first, it’s hard to expect Siakam to net them a ton in terms of picks. That said, Siakam’s $38 million deal can allow the Raptors to take on a bit more long-term money in order to get better picks. With that in mind, let’s look at the teams that make sense as Siakam destinations and what their potential offers may look like

Indiana Pacers

A potential Pacers offer would look something like Buddy Hield, Jarace Walker, and Jalen Smith plus a first round pick. If the Pacers are looking to accelerate their build after seeing what they’ve been able to do over the first half of this year, moving Walker (who has upside as a defender, but needs some time before he can be a helpful player on a winning team) could present the Raptors with an intriguing young player for the future. Hield has been on the trade block forever in Indiana, but he’s certainly valuable to them given how he helps space the floor. That said, they don’t have a lot of options for making the money work and I feel like they’re more likely to include Hield than Bruce Brown or Myles Turner, who are their only other big money options. For the Raptors, this would definitely be a play for the future, and I could also see them looking to turn this into a three-team deal to redirect Hield to a contender by the deadline if they’re still way down the standings in the East.

Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks have been connected to Siakam forever and are expected to make some kind of move before the deadline, but I’d be fairly surprised if it was for the Raptors forward. That’s because making the money work for Siakam requires a combination of two of De’Andre Hunter, Clint Capela, Bogdan Bogdanovic, or Dejounte Murray. After trading for Immanuel Quickley, it’s hard to imagine Murray being of interest for Toronto, Capela is redundant with Jakob Poeltl (on almost an identical contract, to boot), and the Hawks probably won’t want to lose one of their few floor spacers in Bogdanovic. As such, an Atlanta trade would likely need to involve a third team that was interested in either Capela or Murray, and that’s always easier said than done. Still, it’s possible they find a way to rekindle talks (if Knicks-Anunoby discussions can be reignited, why not here too?) but it likely needs another party to get involved and for the Raptors to be higher on Hunter than most.

Sacramento Kings

The Kings are constantly connected to trade rumors, but it’s hard to figure out exactly how interested they are in taking a big swing. They were supposed to be the team that made a splashy signing or move this summer, but instead chose to be patient and run it back. That means they’re still in position for an upgrade, but aren’t willing to part with their best young players to do so. It’s possible that Siakam’s market value has dipped low enough for the Kings to get involved and nab him without Keegan Murray (who is, by all reports, untouchable in talks). Harrison Barnes and Kevin Huerter would work financially, and one can argue Huerter is redundant with Murray and Malik Monk in the rotation. The question is what draft capital they’d be willing to attach to that, as Huerter could be a nice fit in Toronto as a floor spacer, but it’s not exactly a move that shifts their timeline back in line with Scottie Barnes with both Huerter and Barnes having two more years left on their deals.

Golden State Warriors

There’s certainly a lot of chatter around the Warriors recently, and not much of it is good for the four-time champs. That could push them to exploring some bigger moves, and trading for Siakam would certainly shake things up if they were looking to really shake up that roster. The Raptors could continue bringing back Canadian stars with Andrew Wiggins, while looking to nab a young wing in Jonathan Kuminga (who has expressed his frustration with the Warriors, again) — the Warriors would also need to include Gary Payton II to make money work in this concept. The Warriors don’t have a ton in the way of draft capital to give out, but if the Raptors still believed in Kuminga’s potential, they might see him as the best young player they could get back in a trade. The question is whether adding Wiggins and Kuminga would help them with their logjam on the wing or present some of the same problems they’ve had recently.

Detroit Pistons

The Pistons have also been floated as a Siakam suitor, which requires Toronto to be interested in the young players Detroit is willing to offer. I am not going to pretend to understand Troy Weaver’s team-building strategy or what guys on his roster he values the most, but there are some interesting offers to be made. However, Detroit would have to be very confident in their ability to sign Siakam this summer and I’m not sure how they could feel strongly about that — and I also don’t know if I’d be confident he’s the right veteran star to pair with Cade Cunningham in the first place. The Pistons do have the expiring veteran salaries (Joe Harris, Monte Morris, Alec Burks) to pair with their youngsters to make money work, but Toronto might only be moved by the inclusion of Ausar Thompson and I would be surprised if Detroit moved him in his rookie year.

Dallas Mavericks

The Mavs have also been floated as a Siakam landing spot given their need on the wing, although Marc Stein’s noted their interest might be overstated. The real problem is, while Siakam makes plenty of sense in Dallas, the Mavs don’t have a really good package to offer for him. It’d have to be something like Tim Hardaway Jr., Maxi Kleber or Grant Williams, and Richaun Holmes plus a pick, which takes some depth away from Dallas and doesn’t really provide any upside for the Raptors long-term. I think the Mavs would love Siakam but the reality is, there’s not an obvious package of players and picks that makes sense on either side to make that happen.

With a new year, we often find ourselves seeking new luxurious experiences with balanced flares of immersive, sexy programming that bring out the best in us. Especially ones that include a dancefloor. Last month, Your Paradise took over Fiji’s Mamanuca Islands for its eighth edition, reminding global festival seekers of its place as one of the world’s most iconic music and travel experiences.

The festival immersed attendees in a bucket list journey into the natural beauty and cultural wonder of the South Pacific. Revelers enjoyed six days full of vibrant landscapes, expansive ocean life, and intimate dancefloor parties.

Mainstage headliners included Bonobo, TSHA, Bru-C, Prospa, Hot Dub Time Machine, Kah-Lo, Maribou State, Partiboi69, Koven, and more. Along with music, attendees spent the week indulging in everything the island had to offer through snorkeling, scuba diving, surfing, yoga, and meditation workshops while learning about the environmental issues impacting the local habitat, tree planting, and more.

While the cold of winter continues its seasonal impact on the northern half of the globe, allow these photos to take you back to the tropical breezes and hard-hitting beats of Your Paradise (and maybe start planning for this year’s fest).

The Uproxx 2023 Fall Travel Hot List is live! Visit here for the full experience!

Travis Scott hasn’t released very many videos for his new album Utopia, but the ones he has have been events. The videos for “K-Pop,” “God’s Country,” and “Hyaena” are all relatively tame, though, in comparison to his Travis’ borderline-NSFW new clip for “Topia Twins.”

The video lives up to its title, featuring multiple sets of scantily-clad siblings riding jet skis, twerking on a yacht, and flashing in a local convenience store (with artful but ultimately pointless mosaic censoring). Rob49 and 21 Savage both appear for their respective verses, with Savage delivering his bars in a separate set of scenes overseeing a boxing match between one pair of twins and menacing the camera in night vision.

“Topia Twins” is one of the standouts on Utopia thanks to the two guest rappers. While 21 Savage is already a force in his own right, the emerging Rob49 used the placement to make a name for himself. In an August interview with Uproxx last year, he explained how his appearance on the track happened, and how the song evolved from its original version to the raucous format it has now. “It was just a mellow song, how his mellow songs be,” he recalled. “I said, ‘Give me this right here and put this up here. Cut the beat right here. This the song we’re going to start it from right here.’ And that’s what we did.”

Watch Travis Scott’s “Topia Twins” video featuring Rob49 and 21 Savage above.

There are some jobs out there that in order to be considered for the position, you probably need to already know somebody on the inside. That’s especially true for music: High-profile bands looking for new members usually approach somebody they’ve worked with before or somebody with industry experience. They don’t really accept job applications from just whoever… unless you’re talking about The Smashing Pumpkins.

You (yes, you reading this) can apply to be the band’s new guitarist right now, if you’d like: A message shared on the band’s social media pages today (January 5) reads, “The Smashing Pumpkins are in search of an additional guitarist. The application process is open to anyone who might be interested. Applicants may submit a resume and related materials to: [email protected].”

In the announcement they shared on Facebook, they clarified, “SP is looking for a new guitarist (not bass).”

This comes after guitarist Jeff Schroeder announced in October 2023 that he had left the group, after spending over 15 years in the band. He said at the time:

“It’s easy to say now that when I joined The Smashing Pumpkins in 2007 I had no idea what I was getting into. The opportunity seemed to have come out of nowhere. I was at UCLA working on my doctorate in comparative literature when a close friend messaged me and said The Smashing Pumpkins were looking for a guitar player. Being a huge fan of the band, the audition was something I threw myself into. It was one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life. The amount of incredible memories created over the last 16 years with the band are almost too numerous to quantify. Although it was a very difficult decision to make, I’ve decided to leave the band to make some space to explore a slightly different path. I want to thank Billy, Jimmy, James, and Jack for being both wonderful bandmates and even better friends. I will absolutely miss sharing the stage with you. I wish the band all the success in the future. I will be watching and listening.”