Category: News

The MCU has a lot of plates spinning these days, but they’re only telling one, increasingly huge story. DC has another approach: They have multiple iterations on the same characters. For instance, there are currently three Harley Quinns going: the one played in movies by Margot Robbie; the one in the darker Joker wing that will soon be played by Lady Gaga; and the animated HBO Max series, voiced by Kaley Cuoco. But now there’s one more, even if she shouldn’t exist.

As per The Daily Beast, the Toronto International Film Festival just yanked The People’s Joker, an unauthorized, crowdfunded indie parody that uses the names and likenesses of multiple DC characters, most prominently Joker and his gal pal. The twist? It’s actually a trans coming-of-age story. The plot of filmmaker Vera Drew’s debut, as per the Beast:

The People’s Joker follows a clown whose chosen name is Joker the Harlequin. Raised in Smallville by a repressive mother and numbed by a drug called Smylex—which does less to alter one’s mood than one’s facial expression—Joker eventually strikes out on her own to figure out who she really is. Eventually, she finds comedy—which, in this interpretation of Gotham City, has been outlawed unless you’re a cast member on a powerful show called “UCB Live.”

The trailer, which bills it as “an Illegal comic book movie,” also features appearances from Bane and the “Hello There” neon sign featured in Selena Kyle/Catwoman’s apartment in Tim Burton’s Batman Returns. Meanwhile, an animated parody of Lorne Michaels is voiced by no less than current SNL cast member Sara Sherman, recorded before she got her gig. Awkward!

Alas, the film wound up being removed from the TIFF slate due to “rights issues,” which may or may not stem from Warner Bros. The disappearance has prompted some online to rally for it to nab the festival’s People’s Choice Award.

There may be a silver lining here: The film could be protected by the first amendment, which protects parodies. And The People’s Joker includes a title card at the beginning making the case for Fair Use. While it may not wind up back on the TIFF roster, it may have a future after all.

You can watch the trailer for The People’s Joker in the video above.

(Via The Daily Beast)

It’s always time for gin — because gin is one of the more versatile spirits out there. It’s great in a martini, mixed forever into a creamy Ramos Gin Fizz, layered into a bitter Negroni, or just over some ice with a dash of bitters. The botanical-forward clear juice contains multitudes, is what I’m getting at.

That’s why I figured it was high time to try some gins — blind! — to see which ones are really worth tracking down.

For this blind taste test, I’m focusing on one thing: Is it worth tracking down a craft gin when you can go into any liquor store (nationwide) and simply buy some Bombay Dry Gin for around $15? Look, we write about a lot of booze around here and a lot of it is tied to a region and not available nationwide. That begs the question, are there, say, craft gins that are worth the time and effort to seek out when there’s a perfectly good macro gin at your corner liquor store? Yes, I’m blind tasting and ranking these (mostly dry) gins on taste. But I also want to figure out if any of them are really that much better than a classic bottle of Bombay.

Our lineup today is:

• Still Austin American Gin “The Naturalist”
• St. George Terroir Gin
• Saxtons Distillery Snowdrop American Dry Gin
• Mulholland Gin
• Bombay London Dry Gin
• Vara High Desert Gin Small Batch
• Linden Leaf 88 Organic Molecular Gin

Okay, let’s see if anything can beat the iconic Bombay Dry Gin!

Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Blind Taste Test Posts Of The Last Six Months

• We Blind Tasted A Whole Bunch Of $30-60 Bourbons To See If Any Could Beat Weller
• We Put A Whole Bunch Of Bourbons To A Giant Blind Test And Discovered Some Absolute Gems
• The Affordable Vs Expensive Blind Bourbon Bottle Battle
• The Best-Known Basic Bottles Of Bourbon, Blind Tasted And Ranked
• Blind Soda Taste Test: Can Any Cherry Soda Beat Cherry Coke?

Part 1: The Tasting

Taste 1

Tasting Notes:

This has a nice nose full of bright orange and lemon zest, hints of tart berries, a touch of elderflower syrup, and a hint of fresh parsley and maybe some tarragon. The palate has an almost rye spiciness with a cinnamon bent that leads to freshly squeezed orange and grapefruit juice and a hint of black pepper, anise, and dried flowers. The end has a whisper of juniper but it’s barely detectable alongside some bitter grapefruit pith.

This felt crafty (the fruitiness and savory herbs were a dead giveaway) and good. It was a nice gin overall.

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

This opens with a beautiful nose that takes you. journey to the high desert with fresh juniper berries, dry sage, pine sap, sandy dirt, and desert lilies. The palate leans into the forest vibe with a Douglas fir bark and pine needles which leads to huckleberries and wild sage with a hint of burnt orange and balsamroot. The end softens with a hint of dark berries and orange oils as the pine pitch and fir bark lead back to a fresh rush of juniper.

This is a journey in a glass. It’s delicious.

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

There’s a lightness to this one the nose that’s slightly vodka-esque with hints of dried herbs, menthol, and a little beeswax. The palate has an orange vibe with thyme and rosemary next to cinnamon candy and clove berries. There’s a light sense of cinnamon candy on the short end.

There just wasn’t a whole lot going on here besides that cinnamon candy on the palate. It felt a little muted.

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

Cucumber jumps off on the nose with a mild sense of juniper berries and a hint of sweetness. The palate continues on the cucumber wave with a very sweet center — almost corn syrup — before woody spices kick in and lead back to a fresh cucumber cut with lime and lavender. The end leans into fresh cucumber and lime with a hint of vanilla lurking underneath it all.

If you like cucumber in your gin and tonics, this is your gin.

Taste 5

Tasting Notes:

This is just a straight-up classic on the nose with a whisper of juniper next to anise, cloves, orris root, dried florals, and sweet yet slightly tart red berries. The palate is soft with a slight sense of lime leaves next to spice barks, a hint of potpourri, and a small edge of orange candy. The end leans into the woody spices with a tiny dose of juniper, almond, and coriander.

This is clearly the Bombay. It’s so well-balanced but ultimately a little light on the flavor palate.

Taste 6

Tasting Notes:

This opens with a dark spiced cake with a layer of plum jam and covered in milk chocolate next to hints of fresh juniper and an echo of high desert sagebrush. The palate pops with a bright orange/lemon zest vibe next to star anise, black licorice, tarragon, galang root, and a hint of pine tar. The end is soft and spicy with just the right balance of juniper, spice barks, and dried florals.

This is another really nice sipper.

Taste 7

Tasting Notes:

This opens with a nose full of lemon oils, orange blossoms, and pumpkin skins. The palate is mildly botanical with a good hit of juniper next to licorice and anise. The end has a hint of tart red berries, lemon pepper, and spiced Christmas cake.

This was perfectly fine but not that exciting.

Part 2: The Ranking

7. Saxtons Distillery Snowdrop American Dry Gin — Taste 3

ABV: 44.5%

Average Price: $35

The Gin:

This gin is “vacuum-distilled” with 100 percent grain spirit. The idea is that they create a vacuum in the still while steeping the botanicals. That means the boiling point is lower for the spirit and, according to Saxton, that allows the juice to absorb finer notes from those botanicals.

All of that aside, this gin is infused with coriander, juniper, thyme, star anise, cocoa, orris root, cardamom, sarsaparilla root, rosemary, allspice, fennel seed, grains of paradise, orange peel, Damiana leaf, caraway seed, anise seed, and ginger.

Bottom Line:

This was the thinnest gin on the list. I can see mixing it out into a cocktail where you don’t really want too much gin character.

6. Linden Leaf 88 Organic Molecular Gin — Taste 7

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $36

The Gin:

This gin is all about the “molecular notes” of each of the 28 botanicals in the gin. Basically, the distillers look at each ingredient on a molecular level to figure out what pairs with that best before distilling with the botanicals. Evidently, they were able to intertwine 88 molecular notes from 28 exotic botanicals, which include yuzu, calamansi, grains of paradise, Aztec sweet herb, and organic juniper.

Bottom Line:

This makes me think that Pappy Van Winkle was right when he banned chemists from the old Stitzel-Weller distillery. It’s fine but didn’t really land as anything other than average.

5. Mulholland Gin — Taste 4

ABV: 48%

Average Price: $30

The Gin:

This sourced gin is distilled six times with 100 percent non-GMO corn in Missouri. That juice is then infused with juniper, coriander, angelica, French lavender, Japanese cucumber, and Persian lime aromatics.

Bottom Line:

This almost lost me on the very sweet mid-palate, and then it pulled back into a very nice gin. The clear and very fresh cucumber might be a deal breaker for some folks though.

4. Bombay London Dry Gin — Taste 5

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $21 (1-liter bottle)

The Gin:

This gin was rereleased in the 1950s based on the original Bombay London Dry Gin recipe from 1761. The gin is made with only eight botanicals. Juniper berries, coriander seeds, licorice root, almonds, lemon peel, cassia bark, orris root, and angelica root round out the base spirit.

Bottom Line:

Well, there you go. This was easily beaten. That said, this was so easy to drink and not overly heavy on the juniper that it was hard not to like. It just wasn’t that distinct when tasted side by side with some of these.

3. Still Austin American Gin “The Naturalist” — Taste 1

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $46

The Gin:

This Texas gin is made with a base of local Brasetto rye (70 percent) and non-GMO white corn (30 percent). It’s then amped up with botanicals sourced from local farmers including, juniper, cinnamon, citrus peels, elderflower, and allspice.

Bottom Line:

This was the first sip but it stuck with me. It was just really well formed, carried a nice and light juniper vibe, and felt like it’d stand out nicely in a cocktail. The only reason it’s a little lower in the ranking is that the next two just had more going on.

2. Vara High Desert Gin Small Batch — Taste 6

ABV: 44%

Average Price: $46

The Gin:

This New Mexico gin is all about that high desert. The grape distillate is infused with local juniper, coriander seed, sage, angelica root, nutmeg, star anise, cardamom, and citrus.

Bottom Line:

This has a great nose that leads to a balanced and multifaceted flavor profile. There was a rich botanical and floral vibe that feels like it’d be perfect for a dry martini or Negroni.

1. St. George Terroir Gin — Taste 2

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $32

The Gin:

This California gin takes its feel from California’s Mt. Tam wilderness. The spirit is infused with botanicals and wild herbs that grow around the unit’s hiking trails like Douglas fir, California bay laurel, wild fennel, and coastal sage (amongst other secret ingredients).

Bottom Line:

This was the most distinct and delicious gin of the day. It’s deep, fun, and clearly built. It also transports you to those Northern California trails from the nose to the finish.

Part 3: Final Thoughts

Well, Bombay didn’t even come close to winning. For my money, the top two — Vara and St. George — are the gins you want to have on your bar cart. The rest were fine. I liked the Still Austin gin and highly recommend trying that if you’re in Texas. The rest are all pretty much a pass from me.

As for the Bombay, well … I’d still probably just run down to my local liquor store for a bottle first. It’s good stuff that mixes really well. It’s also well-priced and available everywhere. The Vara and St. George feel more like gins you break out on a birthday or holiday. That Bombay feels like the gin you actually keep stocked for everyday pours/mixing.

So here’s my verdict: Bombay for the mundane and Vara or St. George for special occasions.

The music community suffered another tragic loss on Monday when Rakim Allen, better known as PnB Rock, was pronounced dead. The rapper was reportedly shot multiple times at a Roscoe’s Chicken And Waffles in Los Angeles by a suspect looking to rob him of his jewelry. Some on social media were quick to assume that his girlfriend was at fault for posting their location and meal on her Instagram story. A Los Angeles police chief and the Roscoe’s property manager have revealed that is not the case.

In a Fox 11 broadcast from Wednesday, news anchor Hailey Winslow said that she spoke with Chief Michael Moore, who stated that PnB Rock posted himself at the Roscoe’s location on Instagram first. “He was targeted because of an Instagram post, there were actually a couple: one from the rapper himself in the back parking lot when they first got here giving somebody enough time to get here and kill him.”

Winslow also made mention of PnB Rock’s girlfriend’s Instagram post, to which one of the hosts asked “So Hailey, just to clarify, Chief Moore says somebody saw that Instagram post saying that he was at Roscoe’s and then that suspect came to the restaurant because of that looking for the jewelry specifically? Is that what they believe right now?”

Winslow replied, “Yes, he does believe that he was targeted because of the Instagram post. Now, I talked for an extensive amount of time to the property manager here who is actually the one who gave him the chest compressions, the CPR trying to save his life, and he confirmed with me that the rapper posted on Instagram in the back parking lot in a Cadillac with his girlfriend telling people that they were here. He was in the restaurant for about forty-five minutes and then the girlfriend posted an Instagram story about her food when they were sitting at the table.”

Winslow closed her segment with the property manager’s urgent reminder for people to be careful posting where they are.

You can watch the Fox 11 broadcast detailing Hailey Winslow’s conversation with Los Angeles police chief Michael Moore above.

The NBA announced the results of an independent investigation into Robert Sarver on Tuesday afternoon. Sarver, the longtime owner of the Phoenix Suns and Mercury, was given a year-long suspension by the league and fined $10 million for numerous examples of racism, sexism, and fostering a hostile work environment during his nearly two decades at the helm of the teams. He also has to “complete a training program focused on respect and appropriate conduct in the workplace.”

The league received plenty of criticism for what was viewed to be a light punishment — Sarver only staying away for a year and getting a fine that he can pay off without any issue pales in comparison to, say, Donald Sterling being forced to sell the Los Angeles Clippers. And on Wednesday, one of the game’s most authoritative voices spoke out against the league’s approach, as LeBron James tweeted that the NBA “definitely got this wrong” while proclaiming that “we hold our league up as an example of our values and this aint it.”

It is worth noting that one of the major reasons Sterling was banned from the league for life was the pressure applied by players, both on the Clippers and elsewhere in basketball, for the hammer to be brought down. NBA commissioner Adam Silver came under fired earlier in the day on Wednesday at a press conference where he was tasked with explaining the league’s decision and was criticized for a number of his answers.

When cultures come together, sometimes it can be challenging, sometimes it can be beautiful and sometimes it can be hilarious. For one couple, highlighting the hilarity of their American-Italian love story has endeared them to millions of people around the world.

It all started when Sarah, who is American, went to southern Italy to visit family members who live there. Carlo worked as a lifeguard at the beach club his family owns where Sarah’s family would go. He barely spoke English, but he asked Sarah on a date in the summer of 2019. They basically became inseparable for the rest of the summer.

Sarah returned to the U.S. and Carlo surprised her with a month-long visit in the fall. Their long-distance relationship was supposed to get a reprieve when she was to return to Italy in May 2020, but pandemic travel restrictions destroyed that plan.

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They ended up meeting up in Ireland during the summer of 2020, one of the only places allowing both Americans and Italians to travel. That’s where Carlo proposed.

Their wedding plans also got thwarted by COVID-19. They got married in Italy, but without Sarah’s family and friends able to attend. Now they’re about to have their second wedding in October here in the U.S.

@carloandsarah

@justinbaldoni @wayfarerstudios this is my #lovestory 🤍 #LoveWithNoLimits #longdistance #ldr #couple

But their cute love story is only one part of why they’ve grown a following of 4 million people on TikTok alone. The cross-cultural nature of their relationship regularly creates hilarious moments, from Carlo’s confusion over English words and phrases to Sarah committing Italian food faux pas just to see his reactions.

Their playful energy is delightful, but people also can’t get over Carlo calling Sarah “my love” over and over again.

In one of their first mega-viral videos, which has nearly 100 million views, Sarah breaks the pasta in half before she puts it into the water—a totally typical American thing to do—and Carlo nearly has a heart attack.

@carloandsarah

did someone say… DRAMA??? 🤣

Or how about the time Sarah suggested that she ask for pineapple on her pizza while in Italy and Carlo basically said he’d be forced to move out of the country if she did that?

@carloandsarah

Carlo has had it with me🤣

Italians have far more superstitious beliefs about luck than Americans do, which come out frequently in Sarah and Carlo’s videos. For instance, you’re not supposed to put a loaf of bread top-side down. And if you get a new car, you’re supposed to put a jar of salt in the car to ward off “malocchio” (evil eye/bad luck).

@carloandsarah

YOU WANT MALOCCHIO?!🌶😡

Carlo’s English has come a long way since they met—he started learning the language because he was interested in Sarah—but as with anyone learning any language, there are sometimes some funny misunderstandings.

For instance, calling a tall building a “scratchy sky.”

@carloandsarah

Gelato with a nice view of scratchy sky😩😂

Or mistaken a seed for a seaman or … something else.

@carloandsarah

the SEA MAN😩🐟

There’s often some confusion around which words are appropriate and which words aren’t, which is illustrated no more clearly than how Carlo reacted to saying the word “peacock.”

@carloandsarah

THE WAY HE YELLED IT💀

Cultures may clash sometimes, but cross-cultural relationships can also create humorous moments that highlight the human side of all of us.

Sarah and Carlo even came up with a way to “fight” without having to understand one another’s languages at all.

@carloandsarah

You should try it out💀

You can follow Sarah and Carlo on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram.

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1. “Everything you do as a teenager will be cringe to your children.” – @divinetrackies

2.“You won’t ‘feel’ different when you’re older, or have kids. You’ll just be you, it’s weird.” – @Poshspicer

3. “Today’s eyebrows are yesterday’s clown makeup.” – @Lardinho

4. “In 15 years you’re going to think the kids have gone too far and they’re going to think you’re old-fashioned.” – @neat_machine

5. “Getting good at stuff will take time. Sometimes lots of time. And sometimes, you’ll spend lots of time on something, and you still won’t get good at it. That’s the human experience. Some things you struggle with will come very easily to others, but some things they struggle with will come very easily to you. Don’t be mad that someone possesses skills you don’t, and don’t be a jerk for possessing skills that many other people don’t.” – @OskeeWootWoot

6. “Nobody else wants to hear whatever TikTok you’re watching. Buy some headphones.“ – @EmiliusReturns

7. “Being controversial isn’t the same as being interesting.” – @HezFez238

8. “School has a system in place to keep you from falling behind, life doesn’t.” – @Corey854

9. “Just because you fucked up does NOT mean you’re a fuckup.” – @Mr_Murder1

10. “Things will likely take significantly longer to achieve than you think.” – @Dull-College

11. “Life is NOT like a video game where you just keep leveling up. Sometimes, what you built will fall apart, and you will have to repeatedly do the same thing over and over…However, don’t beat yourself up about it – this is normal. And with experience, you will also become more adept at facing and resolving problems, so each time the same problem repeats, you will be better at solving them.” – @EmpRupus

12. “Not everybody can be an internet sensation, somebody has to drive the dump truck.” – @Raggydasavage

13. “Social media is not reality and your entire life should not revolve around it.” – @RickGrimesSnotBubble

14. “One day you too will be old and uncool. And it’ll happen faster than you think.” – @omguseries

15. “Just because it’s new to you doesn’t mean it’s new.” – @Broad_word_1690

16. “As you get older you just keep realizing how dumb you were last year.” – @Comparison_Past

17. “That heartache you’re going through? It consumes everything now but it will be nothing but a footnote in the future. You’ll rarely think about it later – & when you do, it won’t hurt you. It’s hard to hear that your pain isn’t the worst in the world when you’re feeling it. But it does help to know that it won’t mean as much as it does in this moment.” – @st3washere1

In this world, there is no shortage of people who can carry a tune. But there are singers, and then there are singers.

We don’t need to debate who has the best singing voice, as that’s really a matter of taste. But there are a handful of singers who can sing anything, anytime, anywhere and sound amazing every single time they open their mouths.

In 1974, Gladys Knight clearly solidified her spot on that list.

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At the 16th Grammy Awards, Gladys Knight and the Pips were the presenters for Song of the Year. But instead of simply naming the nominees, Knight sang snippets from each song (with some backup help from the band and the Pips).

Knight was 29 years old at the time and had just won her first two Grammy awards, one for Best R&B Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group Or Chorus with “Midnight Train to Georgia” and one for Best Pop Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group Or Chorus with “Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye).”

Even for an award-winning singer, the idea of singing the nominations—parts of five different songs from five different artists in five different styles back to back—seems daunting. But Knight pulled it off flawlessly, sounding as good as, if not better than, each of the original artists as she sang. The richness of her voice, her pitch-perfect delivery and the emotion with which she sang each song is simply unreal.

Watch her just effortlessly slay portions of each of these nominees:

“Feel Like Makin’ Love” (Greg McDaniels)

“I Honestly Love You” (Peter Allen, Jeff Barry)

“Midnight at the Oasis” (David Nichtern)

“The Way We Were” (Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman, Marvin Hamlisch)

“You and Me Against the World” (Paul Williams, Kenneth Ascher)

She isn’t known as the Empress of Soul for nothing.

Knight has won seven Grammy awards and has been inducted into both the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame (along with the Pips). Most recently, she made headlines for her gracious response after a sports commentator mistook Dionne Warwick for her at Serena Williams’ final tennis match. Though both singers were in attendance, they were not sitting together and when cameras panned to Warwick, the announcer mistook her for Knight.

“Dionne and I have been sisters for a long time, and I hope she is as honored to be mistaken for me as I would be her,” Knight said in a statement to NBC News. “I’m sure it was an honest mistake. It was a blessing to be in the house to see Serena’s greatness.”

Knight will also be starring in an upcoming holiday film, “Someday at Christmas.”

The Cleveland Cavaliers announced their newest player on Wednesday afternoon. After the team pulled off a move to acquire Donovan Mitchell from the Utah Jazz earlier this month, Mitchell finally got to northeast Ohio today for an introductory press conference that, apparently, also included a sit-down interview with Brian Windhorst of ESPN.

Windhorst and the Jazz’s pair of big offseason moves — Mitchell and Rudy Gobert — were linked based off of a First Take segment he joined earlier in the summer. The long, winding, hand gesture-y clip of Windhorst breaking down Royce O’Neale’s trade to the Brooklyn Nets went viral and led to the basketball-watching universe making a ton of jokes and memes and all sorts of other things.

To celebrate his finally getting unveiled, Mitchell and Windhorst took a moment to throw their index fingers in the air and recreate the most famous image from that clip.

In the interview, Mitchell alluded to something he said during his introductory press conference about how close he came to joining the presumed frontrunners for his services, the New York Knicks. Mitchell went as far as to say that “I won’t say more than [very close], but I know a little bit more than most.”

The Cavaliers parted way with numerous first-round draft picks, Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen, and Ochai Agbaji to acquire Mitchell’s services.

There’s one more season left of Stranger Things, which begs the question: What kind of ending will it get? Will it stick the landing, like Mad Men or Breaking Bad? Or will it be so divisive it spooks anyone working on a prequel, as with Game of Thrones? Whatever happens, supporting player Maya Hawke knows what she wants for her character: a good, awesome death scene.

“It’s the last season, so people are probably going to die,” the daughter of Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke, who’s played Robin Buckley since 2019, told Rolling Stone (as caught by Entertainment Weekly). “I would love to die and get my hero’s moment. I’d love to die with honor, as any actor would.”

If that happens, that would mean Hawke wouldn’t be around for any potential reunion shows or series, like if they decided to do one in 10 years but set it in the Clinton ‘90s. Then again, anything can happen on Stranger Things, such as bringing back a character who got a top shelf death scene. Then again again, endings are underrated in the era of franchises, and there are few better honors for an actor than a really good send-off, even if that eats into any future paychecks down the line.

Hawke is busy anyway, with a new movie en route and a music career taking off, resulting in risqué videos. In other words, give her a death scene. She’ll be fine.

(Via Rolling Stone and EW)

At this point, avant-garde indie-pop singer Grimes is becoming as well-known for her outlandish statements as she is for her music. The truly bewildering part is that nobody can tell whether or not she’s just trolling when she says things like the “earth is only 4,000 years old” or that she wants to surgically modify herself into a creature from a Guillermo Del Toro movie.

Her latest wild claim is about meeting her idol, Game Of Thrones author George R.R. Martin. She says that while she doesn’t normally get starstruck, she was so dumbfounded when she met him that she introduced herself as a completely different pop star. “I’m immune to most celebrities,” she wrote on Twitter. “but when I met George RR Martin I was so beside myself that when he asked my name I said ‘Gaga’. Unbelievably tragic fumble.”

As with most of her offbeat tweets, it’s unclear if she’s trolling and if she is, just who she is. Did she really call herself Lady Gaga? Was this some sort of elaborate revenge for his near-constant pump-faking about finishing his long-running series, A Song Of Ice And Fire? Or was she really such a big fan of the books that she temporarily forgot her stage name and offered the first one to share a letter with hers (the only reasonable explanation for such a strange error)? The answer is only truly known to Grimes, who for better or worse, at least offers plenty of entertainment value.