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Shady Trump-Loving Dandy Roger Stone Is Having Trouble Finding A Non-Woke, Non-Ukraine-Supporting Vodka For His Martinis

Republicans are in a lot of trouble with voters right now. They’re so extreme, so still in thrall to a guy who dines with anti-Semite bigots on Thanksgiving, that their beloved midterms “red wave” failed to coalesce. Have they read the writing on the wall and simmered down? Of course not! In fact, one of them is doubling down so hard he’s struggling to find hooch that isn’t woke and/or pro-Ukraine.

As per Rum Raiders, longtime fixer and Nixon tattoo-haver Roger Stone went on his podcast and ranted about…vodka. Specifically, he ranted about Roger Sterling fave Stolichnaya, which may be a Russian brand but which recently came out in support of Ukraine. Stone, however, is pro-Putin, like some others in his party, and he unleashed a torrent of conspiracy theories to support his stance.

“That means the people who make Stolichnaya vodka support child sex trafficking, money laundering … and the arming of actual Nazis on the ground in Ukraine,” Stone railed. He declared that he will “will never drink another sip of their swill,” and that instead he’s “going all-American, Titos, made in Austin, Texas, is my new brand.”

Thing is, then he ran into another problem: His party is currently waging war on the LGBTQ+ community, despite the recent Club Q mass shooting in Colorado.

“I decided to switch to American-made Tito’s until I learned that they sponsored a drag queen show,” Stone fumed. “Now I have no choice but to use Russian Standard Vodka in my extra dry Martinis.”

Anyway, good luck to Roger Stone in finding a non-woke vodka, though he probably has more pressing issues to worry about.

(Via Rum Raiders)

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Spirits Experts Shout Out The Best Dark Rums For The Holiday Season

Like other dark alcohols, rum starts as a clear spirit before it enters the barrel and begins aging. While there are various types of rum, dark rum is aged for an extended period in charred barrels. Just like with whiskey, the longer the maturation, the more pronounced, nuanced, and rich the flavors will be. Known for its sweet notes, dark rum can carry myriad flavors including molasses, vanilla, oak, coconut, and various baking spices.

A great dark rum is invaluable when it comes to holiday mixing. The time is right to stock up on all of the essential styles, but a great dark rum can be enjoyed neat (instead of your usual bourbon or single malt Scotch), on the rocks, or mixed into a dark ‘n’ stormy, Planter’s Punch, or even a hot, buttered rum.

To find the best bottles of dark rum for the holidays we asked a handful of well-known distillers and spirits experts to pick bottles for this party-filled season. Keep scrolling to see them all.

Montanya Oro Rum

Montanya Oro Rum
Montanya

Caley Shoemaker of Altar Spirits in Santa Fe, Mexico

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $31.99

The Rum:

When it comes to rum, I am forever a fan of anything that Montanya Rum from Crested Butte, Colorado releases. Their rums are interesting and complex, making them an absolute delight to sip straight. A great beginner dark rum is its Montanya Oro Rum.

Aged for one year in American oak barrels, it’s known for its flavors of vanilla, chocolate, caramel, and tropical fruits.

Real McCoy 5 Year

Real McCoy 5 Year
Real McCoy

Jason Barrett, founder and master distiller of Black Button Distilling in Rochester, New York

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $24.99

The Rum:

Real McCoy 5 Year. It’s the real deal and what rum should taste like with no additives. Aged for at least five years, this favorite or distiller, bartenders, and drinkers alike is known for its notes of vanilla, candied orange, caramel, and oak.

Mount Gay Master Blender Collection Madeira Cask Expression

Mount Gay Master Blender Collection Madeira Cask Expression
Mount Gay

Meghan Ireland, head blender at WhistlePig in Shoreham, Vermont

ABV: 55%

Average Price: $236

The Rum:

We love supporting our female friends in the industry doing awesome things. There are a few we are geeking on right now. Mount Gay’s Madeira Cask (Maggie Campbell and Trudiann Branker) is a great expression. Being fans of Madeira finishing ourselves, this expression takes the cake with juicy pear, brown sugar, vanilla, and dried fruit.

Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva

Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva
Diplomatico

Matt Chavez, brand ambassador for Beefeater Gin and beverage director at Ci Siamo in New York City

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $35.99

The Rum:

As a fan of rum, I tend to gravitate towards so many different producers depending on my mood. My most comforting and tried and true bottle may be Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva. I am a big fan of rum old fashioneds and Diplomatico carries all those notes inherently. Brown sugar, cola spice, toasted nuts.

A perfect sipping rum over a large cube of ice.

Lyon Dark Rum

Lyon Dark Rum
Lyon

Max Hames, distillery operations manager at Sagamore Spirit in Baltimore

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $48

The Rum:

Some phenomenal dark rums are being made right here in Maryland. Lyon Dark Rum from Windon Distilling in St. Michaels, Maryland embraces the Maryland eastern shore maritime rum tradition with a classic palate of caramel and molasses. Rum has a long history of production in Maryland, and that is carried out today across the state.

This consideration of the rum roots of distilling in Maryland is in part what inspired our Rum Finished Rye Whiskey.

Ron Centenario Fundacion

Ron Centenario Fundacion
Ron Centenario

Jared Adkins, founder and master distiller at Bluebird Distilling in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $45

The Rum:

Centenario Rum from Costa Rica. I travel there to surf several times a year, and I always make it a point to pick up a bottle of their 20 — the Ron Centenario Fundacion — or 25 year at the start of my trip. It’s chock full of brown sugar, spice, and dark fruits.

New Liberty Distillery Dreadnought Dark Rum

New Liberty Distillery Dreadnought Dark Rum
New Liberty

Robert Cassell, CEO of Millstone Spirits Group in Philadelphia

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $34.99

The Rum:

New Liberty Distillery Dreadnought Dark Rum. It’s got a rich velvety sweetness with notes of molasses, chocolate, and cherry, sugary caramel, as well as a touch of oak and spice. It’s a great, bold rum that’s great for drinking neat, on the rocks, or as a base for your favorite seasonal cocktail.

Ten To One Caribbean Dark Rum

Ten To One Caribbean Dark Rum
Ten To One

Eli Servance III, bartender at Cedric’s At the Shed in New York City

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $51.99

The Rum:

Ten to One Caribbean Dark Rum. Its palate is dominated by two of my favorite things: toffee and apples. Plus, a slight hint of oak with baking spices. This highly complex rum is a combination of 8-year-old Barbados, Dominican, Jamaican, and Trinidadian rums matured in ex-bourbon barrels.

Denizen Vatted Rum

Denizen Vatted Rum
Denizen

Beau Gaultier, bartender at Bay 6 in Nashville

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $32.99

The Rum:

Denizen Vatted Rum is the perfect bottle to have at the house. This blend is well-balanced, fruity, and funky, and it doesn’t break the bank — perfect in stirred and shaken cocktails. A good portion of the blend is made in Guyana and this award-winning rum is known for its flavorful palate featuring hints of caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, plantains, and tropical fruits.

Rhum Barbancourt 5-Star 8 Year

Rhum Barbancourt 5-Star 8 Year
Rhum Barbancourt

Andrew Hueston, bartender at El Vez in Philadelphia

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $26.99

The Rum:

5-Star Rhum Barbancourt 8-Year. The perfect daiquiri dark rum. Made from sugar cane juice, this unique rum is matured for at least eight years in oak barrels. Flavors include chocolate, barrel-aged stone fruits, oak, vanilla, caramel, and dried fruits.

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Woman reunites with her family 51 years after being kidnapped

In 1971, Melissa Highsmith was kidnapped from her home in Fort Worth, Texas. Her disappearance has been one of the oldest missing person cases in America. Now, she gets to celebrate a long-awaited reunion with her family in what she calls a “Christmas miracle.”

As ABC affiliate WFAA reported, Melissa’s mother, Alta (who now goes by Alta Apantenco) had put out an ad for a babysitter to watch over her then 21-month-old while she was at work. A white gloved, well-dressed woman going by the name of Ruth Johnson responded to the call, but she was no babysitter. After Johnson picked up baby Melissa from Apantenco’s roommate, the two were never seen again.

As any parents would do in this situation, the Highsmiths worked tirelessly to find their little girl, involving the Fort Worth police and even the FBI. Sadly, it was all to no avail. The only glimmer of hope remaining was that there was no evidence of harm, so maybe, just maybe, their Melissa was being well taken care of. And for 51 years, the family held onto that possibility.


Meanwhile, Melissa—who never remembered being kidnapped—led a hard life with the woman who claimed to be her mother. “I didn’t feel loved as a child. It was abusive, and I ran away at 15 years old. I went to the streets. I did what I had to do to get by… I worked the streets,” she shared in a one-on-one interview with WFAA.

Then in September, everything would change. After receiving a failed tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that Melissa had been sighted, her father Jeffrie Highsmith (now divorced from Apantenco) decided to try his luck with DNA testing. DNA testing service 23andMe came back with a match linking him to Highworth. Their son Jeff (Melissa’s brother) then found her on Facebook and reached out.

Even though Melissa was skeptical, she was shown a baby picture by the Higworths which she admitted looked like her “twin.” According to Good Morning America, Melissa had a special birthmark and celebrated a birthday very close to the child taken all those years ago.

Any remaining shadows of doubt immediately disappeared when Melissa confronted the woman she thought was her mother. “The person that raised me, I asked her is there anything you need to tell me and it was confirmed that she knew that I was baby Melissa so that just made it real,” she told FOX 25.

In perhaps the strangest twist of fate, Melissa and her family had been so close, yet so far this entire time—living less than 20 minutes apart.

That discovery is not without its bittersweetness, but so far the family is focusing on making up for lost time and celebrating their reunion.

“I’m just elated, I can’t describe my feelings. I’m so happy to see my daughter that I didn’t think I would ever see again,” Apantenco told WFAA. “I feel like I am dreaming and I keep having to pinch myself to make sure I’m awake,” Melissa added.

On their shared Facebook Group page the family wrote, “the joy is palpable amongst all family members” adding that finding Melissa “was purely because of DNA, not because of any police / FBI involvement, podcast involvement, or even our family’s own private investigations or speculations.” They are not alone. Previously a man kidnapped in 1964 found his real family using different ancestry services. There are still miles to go in terms of diversifying DNA databases, but DNA testing has taken on an increasingly significant role in finding missing persons over the years, and continues to be a game changer.

As for the newly reunited Highsmith family, the plan is to simply take things day by day. According to WFAA, Melissa has officially adopted her birth name (she had previously gone by “Melanie”), and is even planning on remarrying her current husband so that her father can walk down the aisle. These are sure to be hard won memories the entire family will cherish forever.

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Anuel AA Revealed The Tracklist For His ‘LLNM2’ Album With Features From Lil Durk, DaBaby, And Kodak Black

Anuel AA will be releasing his LLNM2 album next month with 33 songs. On Friday (November 25), the Puerto Rican superstar also revealed the tracklist for the LP with features from Kodak Black, DaBaby, Lil Durk, and his wife Yailin La Más Viral.

In the past few years, Anuel AA rose up the ranks in the Latin trap scene alongside Bad Bunny. They have featured on each other’s albums. Now he is getting back into the game with his next album LLNM2, a sequel to last year’s Las Leyendas Nunca Mueren LP. Anuel AA has teased the album throughout the year with the hits like “La 2Blea” and “Malo” featuring reggaeton OGs Zion and Randy.

Anuel AA is branching out beyond Latin trap and reggaeton on his next album as evidenced by the tracklist. LLNM2, dropping December 9, will include a whopping 33 tracks. Among the many collaborations, French DJ Guetta will feature on the song “Vibra” and Kodak Black will join Anuel AA on “Sufro” with Ñengo Flow. DaBaby will appear on the track “Wakanda” and Lil Durk was enlisted for “1ro.” Anuel AA also released a prison-themed music video for his latest reggaeton banger “Si Yo Me Muero.”

Last week, Anuel AA announced the news that he is expecting a baby girl with his wife, Dominican artist Yailin La Más Viral. Earlier this year, they teamed up for the steamy love song “Si Tu Me Busca.” They will regroup on his album for the song “La Máquina” alongside Jowell y Randy and De La Ghetto.

Find the LLNM2 tracklist below.

1. “Brrr”
2. “Borracha & Loca”
3. “Vibra” Feat. David Guetta
4. “La Máquina” Feat. Jowell y Randy, De La Ghetto, and Yailin La Más Viral
5. “Hoodie” Feat. Bryant Myers
6. “Si Yo Me Muero” Feat. Mvsis
7. “Sufro” Feat. Kodak Black and Ñengo Flow
8. “Las Jordan”
9. “Wakanda” Feat. DaBaby
10. “Somo’ Así”
11. “Me Siento HP”
12. “Del Kilo” Feat. Treintisiete
13. “Contra la Corriente”
14. “Mintiendo”
15. “El Nene” Feat. Foreign Teck
16. “Diamantes en Mis Dientes” Feat. Young Chimi
17. “Teteo”
18. “Monstruo”
19. “Mercedes Tintia”
20. “1ro” Feat. Lil Durk
21. “Mientes” Feat. Nicky Jam
22. “40”
23. “La 2blea”
24. “Sin Ti”
25. “Airbnb”
26. “Ascensor”
27. “Anuel & Emmanuel”
28. “Tú Lo Sabes”
29. “Coroné”
30. “Tiene Novio”
31. “Nosotros”
32. “Malo” Feat. Zion and Randy
33. “Brother”

LLNM2 is out 10/21 via Real Hasta La Muerte LLC. Pre-order it here.

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Rootin’ Tootin’ Lauren Boebert’s ‘History Lesson’ About ‘Nazis’ Is (Unsurprisingly) Not Working Out As Planned

Rootin’ tootin’ Lauren Boebert can’t stop herself from sarcastically tweeting, and people cannot stop themselves from responding. It’s a cycle, for sure, and it runs up against Boebert’s own reported discussion of how she received her GED after dropping out of high school. As I’ve mentioned before, there’s no shame in taking that path, but Boebert also set herself up for ridicule by proposing longer reading times for legislative bills before it’s time to vote. She also pushed back hard against student loan forgiveness, which didn’t inspire critics to join her cause(s).

There was also the time that Boebert confused John Adams (the 2nd president of the U.S.) and Samuel Adams (who was also a founding father, but is also a brewery’s namesake), which resulted in more pushback. Now, Boebert has tweeted a “history lesson,” which is a move that’s not likely to turn out well for anyone, let alone someone whose red-leaning district barely voted her into a sophomore congressional term.

The “lesson” followed Alyssa Milano’s declaration that she “gave back” her Tesla in the wake of Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover. Subsequently, Milano “bought the VW ev” and tweeted, “I’m not sure how advertisers can buy space on Twitter. Publicly traded company’s products being pushed in alignment with hate and white supremacy doesn’t seem to be a winning business model.”

Elon Musk found this information to be hilarious for a reason that Boebert echoed. “.@Alyssa_Milano traded in her Tesla for a Volkswagen because she says @elonmusk enables Nazis.” She added, “Really quick history lesson below:”

Boebert then tweeted a screencap of the first paragraph of a History.com article. Of course, the first paragraph doesn’t tell the whole story, which has been detailed at length by Jalopnik and includes decades of Volkswagen’s post-war shifts and redemptive moves, including recently (as Reuters reported) cutting ties with a distributor who apparently showcased “a wall decorated with an image of a Nazi celebration of the Beetle car.”

Let’s just say that the history of Volkswagen is complicated and not easily boiled down to a screencapped paragraph wrapped in a tweet. And people had their own “history lessons” to offer Boebert in return.

My “lesson” for the day: we should all tweet less and have more naps. Our stress levels will thank us in the end.

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Adam Brody Is Having A Moment

Real Adam Brody fans have been with him through it all: seasons two through four of The O.C., Mr and Mrs. Smith, Thank You for Smoking, In the Land of Women, Jennifer’s Body, I could go on and on and on. Even more real ones went back and watched The Ring for his very small role as “Male Teen #1”. The actor made a significant splash in the early 2000s due to his role as Seth Cohen on the FOX teen soap The O.C. Seth was a comic book nerd who was adorable (adorkable, even, sorry to even say it) at the time but in retrospect, is kind of an insufferable whiner. Seth Cohen moans and complains when things don’t even slightly go his way, but Brody’s inherent charm made Seth seem like the most romantic guy on television, like the loneliest teenage boy in the universe who deserved the world when, in fact, he was pretty self-serving.

Fleishman Is In Trouble, the FX series based on Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s novel of the same name, follows Upper East Sider Alex Fleishman (Jesse Eisenberg), who is amidst a nasty divorce with his ex Rachel (Claire Danes). The newly single Alex finds himself in a modern dating culture far removed from the one he was used to before his marriage. Seth, an old friend Alex lost touch with during his marriage, serves as a guide. Seth is played by Brody, who bravely took the role despite the character having the same name as the character that defines him.

Brody’s innate ability to make even the vilest characters relentlessly charming manifests in Fleishman Is in Trouble. Seth isn’t exactly an asshole but he makes grand statements that, if made by someone less appealing than Brody, would come across as insensitive and ignorant. For example, Seth says that no women on dating apps are 39 or 29. “There’s only 40 and 30,” he says.

In his first scene in the series, he orders a dish called the lumberjack with a side of grilled cheese, a moment that deserves to be commemorated. Later, he is shown eating the grilled cheese while making grand statements about why women have choke kinks now:

Adam Brody Fleishman Is in Trouble
FX on Hulu

While Brody was a 2000s heartthrob and while he has had a consistently respectable career, he didn’t exactly become a leading man. But over the past few years, he’s built up to a moment. In 2019, he appeared in DC’s Shazam!, and will return for the sequel early next year. Later that year, Brody was in the hit horror-comedy Ready Or Not, in a role that was perfect for him. In 2020, he officially became an FX boy with his small role as feminist Marc Feigen-Fausteau amongst some of the greats including Lydia Tár herself on the miniseries Mrs. America. Also in 2020, he led the extremely dark comedy The Kid Detective, in which he played a former child detective who in his adult life, comes across a missing person’s case and had a role in the Oscar-winning Promising Young Woman. Now, Brody’s back to being an FX boy on Fleishman Is in Trouble.

And suddenly, I find myself in a state of rewatching episodes of Fleishman Is in Trouble solely for Brody’s performance, and I am planning to see Shazam! Fury of the Gods solely for his performance. The power that he has. Adam Brody is having another moment, and I hope it never ends.

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James Gunn Wants To Connect The DCU ‘Across Film And TV,’ Which Could Mean… A Lot Of Things

As James Gunn begins his tenure as the new co-CEO of DC Studios, the writer/director is continuing to be an open book when it comes to fielding fan questions on Twitter even while he’s busy promoting his second-to-last project for Marvel, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. Over the holiday weekend, Gunn took some time to tease what he has in store for the DCU, which is apparently what we’re calling it now. RIP DCEU.

When asked if he and co-CEO Peter Safran are “planning to give more DC character tv shows that’ll add to the story for the DCEU,” Gunn made a pretty bold promise.

“Yes, most definitely,” Gunn tweeted. “The DCU will be connected across film and TV (and animation).”

That answer does cement Gunn and Safran’s recent promise that the DCU will deliver “one great overarching story” over the next 10 years and across several mediums including “film, television, gaming, live-action, and animation.” However, that is way easier said than done. To chagrin of Warner Bros. Discovery’s new CEO, DC Comics’ creative output has been wildly fragmented. The majority of its properties includes separate universes, and it will require some pretty sweeping changes to bring them altogether. It doesn’t seem like Gunn is ready to provide answers on that front.

Seeking a clarification, one user asked, “Will there still be some standalone animation or live-action shows that take place in separate worlds (like Harley Quinn)?” to which Gunn replied, “Yes, some.”

He had the same answer for DC’s fan-favorite slate of animated movies, which have existed in their own continuity. There was already a recent reboot in that realm, and it appears there may be another one coming down the road.

However, when it came to video games being directly connected to the DCU, Gunn gave a firm “yes.”

As for what all of this means, it’s hard to say at this point. Clearly, Warner Bros. Discovery wants a more connected cinematic universe like Marvel and has openly said as much. Gunn and Safran seemed poised to deliver on that front, but that could also involve making some sweeping changes like no longer allowing the animated projects to operate in their own universe. (Harley Quinn appears to be safe because, well, it’s freaking Harley Quinn.)

There’s also the issue of ongoing shows like The Flash, Titans, and Doom Patrol, which have all operated independently of each other. The Flash is already nearing its endpoints, but will Gunn’s plans involve winding those series down for more connected projects like Peacemaker?

Finally, there’s the elephant in the room: The Batman. The Robert Pattinson film and it planned spinoffs have also been operating in separate film universe, but will that be the case going forward? As the DCU goes for a more streamlined universe, will Battinson be left alone or will he have to shoulder being the Dark Knight to a wider franchise? It’ll be interesting to see as Gunn and Safran get ready to unveil their ambitious plans over the next few months.

(Via James Gunn on Twitter)

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Auburn Is Hiring Hugh Freeze, Who Most Recently Lost To UConn And New Mexico State

Hugh Freeze is returning to the SEC, as word broke on Monday that the former Ole Miss head coach and current Liberty head coach was headed down to Auburn after the school was unable to poach Lane Kiffin from Ole Miss.

It doesn’t come as a significant surprise, as Freeze had been rumored as a candidate at Auburn for months, but considering how his tenure ended in Oxford, with him being resigning in disgrace after committing various NCAA infractions as well as calling escorts on his university issued phone, it certainly didn’t take long for him to return to one of college football’s top jobs. Freeze has, as many will be quick to point out, won everywhere he’s been, as evidenced by an 83-43 career record, but while programs have been quick to succeed under Freeze, maintaining the level of winning Auburn expects has not been something he’s done particularly well.

Ole Miss peaked in his third and fourth seasons, going a combined 19-7 and reaching a high of third in the AP Poll in both seasons, but the next year he went 5-7 (helping lead to his ouster). At Liberty he quickly got them to a 10-1 year in 2020 with an NFL prospect at the helm in Malik Willis, but has stumbled to 8-5 and 8-4 seasons since, most recently suffering losses to UConn and New Mexico State in succession to end his tenure with the Flames.

It’s not a surprise that Auburn would overlook the off-field scandals and NCAA violations committed at Ole Miss to hire a splashy name, that’s how college football works, but even accepting that as the way the world works, there’s still an issue with this hire in Freeze not a coach with such a great track record that you can feel confident he’ll get Auburn to the highs they want to reach for anything approaching a sustained period of time.

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Billie Eilish Finally Confirmed Jesse Rutherford Is Her ‘Boyfriend’ By Bragging That She ‘Locked That Motherf*cker Down’

For months now, it has been rumored that Billie Eilish and The Neighbourhood singer Jesse Rutherford are dating. Sure, they all-but-confirmed their relationship by walking a red carpet together and by wearing a couple’s Halloween costume, but now Eilish has officially called Rutherford her “boyfriend.”

In Eilish’s new sixth-annual installment of her “same interview” with Vanity Fair that dropped today (November 28), she was asked if she had a boyfriend and she responded:

“Yeah, I do, and… it’s really cool, and I’m really excited and I’m really happy about it. I managed to get my way to a point in my life where I not only was known by a person that I thought was the hottest f*ckin’ f*cker alive, but pulled his ass. Are we kidding me? Can we just [claps]… round of applause for me. Thank you. Jesse Rutherford, everyone. I pulled his ass, all me. I did that sh*t. I locked that motherf*cker down.”

She also reflected on what the yearly Vanity Fair videos mean to her, saying, “It’s just so cool to get to do this every year. I don’t know, I feel like… sometimes people are like, ‘You’re still gonna… you’re doing it… you’re gonna go back and keep doing it?’ And I just, I love… I just like it. It’s just like a really cool… ah, they mean so much to me. Every year, I watch these and I’m just like… ah, it just feels really… it makes me really happy.”

Watch the video above.

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‘The Guardians Of The Galaxy Holiday Special’ Introduced ‘Swole Groot’ To The MCU

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special follows Drax and Mantis as they travel to Earth to find Kevin Bacon and bring him to Star-Lord, who misses Christmas while traveling the universe with a talking raccoon and a big tree. (More holiday specials should involve aliens kidnapping Earth celebrities — and talking raccoons.) The premise is the second best reason to watch the Disney+ one-off. The best reason: Swole Groot.

Look at my big happy boy:

disney+

When asked on Twitter if the reason that Groot’s head is “so big [is] because he’s still growing into it or because that’s just the way this Groot is and not at all like the slim OG Groot,” Guardians of the Galaxy writer and director James Gunn replied, “Well, YA Groot, or Swoll Groot, as we call him, is getting bigger, outward as well as upward. As you can see by now he has a different, stockier physiology (and a more outgoing personality) than his father did.” He added that Swole Groot is “100% computer generated.” You don’t get those kind of muscles without some kind of assistance.

Gunn also discussed Swole Groot with Entertainment Tonight:

“He’s jacked man, he’s jacked. I think he’s like the collegiate, like excitable football Groot. I think you can see now that he’s very much a different Groot than the original Groot”

The Mandalorian better not get any ideas. We do not want Swole Yoda, or Swoleda.

(Via TVLine)