Category: News

The 2022 WNBA Playoffs are upon us, as all 12 teams finished out their regular seasons on Sunday, with the Phoenix Mercury and New York Liberty landing the final two playoff spots after New York beat Atlanta and Minnesota lost to Connecticut in the final game of the season.

Elsewhere, the Aces locked up the 1-seed with an impressive win over Seattle, and the playoff picture was set in stone, with postseason play starting on Wednesday night. The new bracket format the WNBA introduced this season sees a Best of 3 first round, followed by Best of 5 series for the semis and Finals, which means gone are the days of single elimination in the first round. Each higher seed will host the first two games of the first round series, meaning they’ll have a chance to wrap things up at home without needing to go on the road, but if a lower seed can steal a game, they’ll ensure at least the chance to close things out in their home arena.

The daily schedule for first round action will look like this, with all times listed being Eastern.

Wednesday, August 17

New York Liberty at Chicago Sky (8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
Phoenix Mercury at Las Vegas Aces (10:00 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Thursday, August 18

Dallas Wings at Connecticut Sun (8:00 p.m. ET, ESPNU/NBATV)
Washington Mystics at Seattle Storm (10:00 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

Saturday, August 20

New York Liberty at Chicago Sky (12:00 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Phoenix Mercury at Las Vegas Aces (9:00 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

Sunday, August 21

Dallas Wings at Connecticut Sun (12:00 p.m. ET, ABC)
Washington Mystics at Seattle Storm (4:00 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Tuesday, August 23 (if necessary)

Chicago Sky at New York Liberty (TBD)
Las Vegas Aces at Phoenix Mercury (TBD)

Wednesday, August 24 (if necessary)

Connecticut Sun at Dallas Wings (TBD)
Seattle Storm at Washington Mystics (TBD)

Are you looking for something to make you smile? Well, you’ve come to the right place. Starting off on a positive note can set the tone for the rest of the week. For those who enjoy our weekly 10 things that made you smile this week article, here’s an extra dose coming at the start of each week. Now you can find some bright spots to look forward with each passing day!

Mondays can be a drag for a lot of us. Unless you’re starting your week on vacation, of course. For the rest of us, we’re just trying to get through the work week while keeping our sanity intact. If you’re looking for a little sunshine, we’ve got you covered. Read on…

1. Throw on your most comfortable pajama pants and call your boss.

August 15 is National Relaxation Day. Yes, you heard me right. It’s a day dedicated to relaxing and as it’s a national day, it should be paid time off right? Well, I’m not sure if that’s how it works but it should. In the event that you don’t have any PTO days saved and are terrible at faking a cough, you can set your day up to be as relaxing as possible for when you get home from work. Grab some ready-made margaritas from your local grocery store on your way home and do your best to become a human burrito for the rest of the day.

2. Beauty, brains and an uncontrollable tenancy to turn green.

“She-Hulk: Attorney at Law” premiers on Disney+ August 18. I love everything Marvel so sign me up. This trailer is amazing. Who wouldn’t want a hulk for their attorney? Mark Ruffalo is still The Hulk so no need to get all huffy about the studio changing things. The series looks pretty entertaining, especially if you’re a Marvel fan.

3. Music brings people together.

How many of us remember screaming at the top of our lungs at our favorite artist’s concerts as teens? Heck, some of us still do this as adults. Well, you’re in luck if you’re a Harry Styles fan. Styles is touring from August 15 through November 15. Now, he may not be everyone’s cup of tea but I’m sure there are teen and young adult girls and nonbinary people who would be thrilled to get their hands on some tickets. That’s if the shows aren’t already sold out.

4. Roses are red, violets are smelly and no matter what you try, they won’t taste like jelly.

I’m sure someone appreciated the bad poetry, and August 18 is the day you should read some of yours out loud. You may be wondering why someone would read bad poetry out loud. It’s because it’s National Bad Poetry Day! Look, I’m sure someone sits around trying to think of the most ridiculous things to celebrate and through a petition or I don’t know, putting it on a super-official-looking website, it becomes a thing. Let’s not ask questions. It’s the little things in life that bring us joy. Now gather some friends, grab some wine and have a bad poetry reading event in your living room. Some towns even have events just for bad poetry, so see if your town has one. Someone’s bound to make you laugh hard enough to pee a little.

5. This one’s for the thriller movie fans.

Many people enjoy being scared. They go to haunted houses, prepare for Halloween like it’s a year-round event and, of course, watch horror movies. Within the horror genre there are thrillers to really mess with your head to keep you on edge long after the movie has ended, such as “Orphan.” The movie is still on enough people’s minds after the original was released 13 years ago, so the creepy child looking murderer is returning on August 19. This movie will keep you in suspense and make you walk around filled with anxiety long after. If that’s your thing, you’ll appreciate the late sequel.

With the MTV VMAs airing on August 28, MTV has been slowly revealing the performers to build hype for the show. The first batch was revealed earlier this month and included Anitta, J Balvin, and Khalid, while the latest group was announced today and features Blackpink, Jack Harlow, and Lizzo.

In addition to the performers, MTV previously announced the full list of nominees, which is led by Jack Harlow, Kendrick Lamar, and Lil Nas X, who have seven each. Artists of the Year include Bad Bunny, Drake, Ed Sheeran, Harry Styles, Jack Harlow, Lil Nas X, and Lizzo, while the coveted Video of the Year category sees Doja Cat, Drake, Ed Sheeran, Harry Styles, Lil Nas X, Olivia Rodrigo, and Taylor Swift nominated for their biggest videos of the year.

Of course, not everyone is excited about the award show. During an interview last year, Ed Sheeran noted that American award shows have “a horrible atmosphere” compared to their British counterparts. He blamed it on a sense of resentment driven by artists’ entourages, saying “It’s just lots of people wanting other people to fail and I don’t like that. It’s a really horrible atmosphere to be in. I always walk away feeling really sad, and I don’t like it.” Let’s hope this year’s VMAs can break that tradition.

The 2022 VMAs are on 8/28 at 8 pm ET.

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

Marvel’s latest streaming series, She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, will have its premiere this week, and while fans are excited to see the titular hulk in action, both in court and beyond, there is one burning question that has yet to be answered: when exactly does this show take place?

While sometimes Marvel gives concrete hints about specific eras and timelines (remember when Captain Marvel visited a Blockbuster?) it’s been pretty close-lipped regarding where in the timeline She-Hulk, who is played by Tatiana Maslany, will reside. Fans have pointed out that some stills from the series feature the original Hulk Bruce Banner wearing his sling from his arm injury post-Avengers: Endgame, while in other shots he seems fine. So, when does this series actually take place?

Writer and executive producer Jessica Gao confirmed that the show does do a good job of explaining where it lands on the timeline, though it is set “not too far” after the events of Shang-Chi. Gao told TVLine, “It’s not, like, years later. It’s a relatively short amount of time.” The timeline is supposed to be made a bit clearer after episode two.

To put this into a little more perspective: Shang-Chi takes place after the series Wandavision and Falcon and the Winter Soldier but before Eternals, and the last two Spider-Man installments. This is confirmed on Disney+, where you can sort the titles by chronological order.

She-Hulk: Attorney At Law also stars Jameela Jamil, Josh Segarra, Ginger Gonzaga, Jon Bass, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Tim Roth, the Hulk himself Mark Ruffalo, and Benedict Wong. The series begins streaming on August 17th on Disney+, with new episodes weekly through October 12th.

(Via TVLine)

As is usually the case in July and August, the sports calendar has slowed down considerably after the end of the NBA and NHL seasons, with football just now starting to ramp up alongside the MLB and WNBA playoff races. In that time, ESPN has still had to fill the hours, but they’ve been unable to turn to their most reliable innings eater to do so, as Stephen A. Smith has been out after having shoulder surgery after the NBA Draft — he did make an impromptu appearance prior to free agency because he couldn’t resist a chance to discuss the Kevin Durant trade request, but otherwise has stayed off air for six weeks.

That’s as long a time as Smith has ever taken away from the airwaves, as he is notorious for always being on — often calling in from vacation to get takes off when a big story breaks. However, on Monday, Smith made his triumphant return to First Take amid great fanfare, as ESPN celebrated having their star back by putting the show on a boat in New York City for some reason — with Stephen A. apparently raiding Derek Dooley’s old closet for his finest Tennessee orange suit.

While Stephen A., Michael Irvin, and Molly Qerim rode around the Hudson on a boat, ESPN made sure to welcome Smith back with some help from some of the biggest names in sports. From the NBA, ESPN tapped none other than commissioner Adam Silver — who had some questions about the legitimacy of Smith’s “shoulder surgery” — and Warriors owner Joe Lacob to welcome him back to the show.

Silver wasn’t the only one with jokes about Smith’s return from injury, as Nick Saban also recorded a message for Stephen A.’s return and made sure to note that when he had hip surgery, he was back at work the next day, questioning Smith’s commitment to the game.

You can tell how much Stephen A. loved all of this, and also how the folks they had record messages enjoyed getting a chance to poke at the man who is always the one that gets the final word on TV.

At the moment, Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak are in the midst of a Silk Sonic residency at Las Vegas’ Park MGM. Those boys apparently really love performing, as they were just spotted on stage at a surprise concert immediately after one of the residency shows, which wasn’t the only shock of the night. At the Vegas club Barbershop (which is owned by the folks who own Park MGM), the duo busted out a rendition of, of all songs, Papa Roach’s 2000 nu metal favorite “Last Resort.”

Fan-shot footage shows .Paak donning a long blond wig singing the song with more rock-style vocals, which don’t really sound like .Paak’s voice as we know it, as the crowd sings along with him.

Elsewhere during the show, they also covered Outfield’s 1986 classic “Your Love.” Stereogum notes they also performed the Police’s “Roxanne,” although video of that does not appear to be available online.

As Stereogum also points out, the Papa Roach cover isn’t entirely unprecedented in relation to Mars and .Paak’s musical tastes: In 2018, Mars noted he was listening to Nine Inch Nails, System Of A Down, and Incubus. Then, in 2019, .Paak was seen moshing as one of the handful of attendees at a local hardcore band’s concert.

Check out clips from the show above.

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

Lauren Boebert can’t stop stirring the pot on social media, so it’s no surprise that she and her family keep the chaos going at home. Last week, we heard about how Boebert’s husband, Jayson (who has previously tangled with the law in an obscene way while Boebert blamed the woman on the receiving end of his display) went on a temper tantrum in their neighborhood.

Initially, we heard vague details about the incident, which was to be expected as the dust settled. Denver Post reported that Jayson had grown irate about complaints that his son was one of multiple kids racing a dune buggy at dangerous speeds. He reportedly got in people’s faces, wanting to fight, and then the 911 call surfaced. Details of the transcript indicated that Jayson was “probably drunk” and was roundly considered a “jackass” and “dumb as a post” while also speeding through the neighborhood on a rampage. The neighbors also, as Business Insider further points out, panicked on the 911 call over the Boeberts’ lust for guns:

“It’s the Boeberts, if you know who the Boeberts are,” the neighbor added to dispatchers, asking for the sheriff. “Our wonderful congresswoman,” another voice was heard saying in the background, per the audio.

“I’m sure he’s loaded to the hilt. Do you know who his wife is? Lauren Boebert. She’s loaded. They all have guns,” a neighbor said in a 911 call obtained by the Post. “He just got chest to chest, face to face, looking to fight.”

The Denver Post reports that Jayson did run over a neighbor’s mailbox while wildly careening down the street, and he was reportedly getting in people’s faces, and it’s sure not looking great. No charges were pressed, but that doesn’t preclude some sort of civil suit over property damage. Meanwhile, Boebert has not commented on the incident and is wildly tweeting about everything else in the world. She’s still terribly wound up about the FBI’s Mar-a-Lago raid, and in the below tweet, she doesn’t seem to realize that Trump could release that warrant if he really wanted people to see it.

(Via Denver Post & Business Insider)

Bryce Dallas Howard has shed some light on the pay disparity between her and Chris Pratt for their work in the Jurassic World sequels. Back in 2018, several industry reports claimed that Howard was making $2 million less than Pratt for the first sequel, Fallen Kingdom, but the actress has now revealed that it was “so much less.” Not only that, but the situation only improved when Pratt stepped in and used his clout to negotiate other franchise opportunities.

“The reports were so interesting because I was paid so much less than the reports even said, so much less,” Howard told Insider. “When I started negotiating for ‘Jurassic,’ it was 2014, and it was a different world, and I was at a great disadvantage. And, unfortunately, you have to sign up for three movies, and so your deals are set.”

According to Howard, Pratt learned of the situation and made sure she got an equal cut of the theme park and video game deals that were separate from their film contracts. Via Insider:

“What I will say is that Chris and I have discussed it, and whenever there was an opportunity to move the needle on stuff that hadn’t been already negotiated, like a game or a ride, he literally told me: ‘You guys don’t even have to do anything. I’m gonna do all the negotiating. We’re gonna be paid the same, and you don’t have to think about this, Bryce,’” Howard said.

While Pratt couldn’t do much for her film salary, the side deals he negotiated ended up being surprisingly profitable. “And I love him so much for doing that,” Howard said. “I really do, because I’ve been paid more for those kinds of things than I ever was for the movie.”

(Via Insider)

Last month, Kodak Black was arrested on drug charges in Florida after police said they found 31 oxycodone pills in his Dodge Durango after pulling him over for his illegal window tinting. Kodak was put on house arrest for violating his probation, but his lawyer claims that the pills police found were indeed prescribed to the rapper for pain from a string of unfortunate incidents for him.

Now, his lawyer is asking the court to push police to return the rapper’s confiscated SUV and $74,960 in cash, which was seized during the arrest, according to TMZ. Bradford Cohen, Kodak’s attorney, filed a motion, saying that he’s already given the police the prescriptions, so there is no reason for them to hold the vehicle or the cash. Kodak also railed against the arrest on Twitter, writing in a now-deleted series of tweets:

This Sh*t bogus Af I feel like This a character assassination issue Kuz theirs no way I should be getting harassed bout my tag being expired , that’s no reason to even search my car in the first place and going to jail about having my medication in the car is insane. Ima Sue these people for every dollar I gotta spend bout this sh*t !

I’m being racially profiled and as a black man in America I deserve my freedom especially with everything I do for my community I should be getting love , respect and support from the authorities ! To move freely , not getting arrested for expired tag and dark windows. This a self inflicted wound that coulda been prevented ! My people posta made sure my tags stay up and my tints Just right but @ da same time I should have a pass to drive with tints due to my status AT LEAST !!! I show all this love round here just to get slapped in the face.

Kodak Black is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

With Jeopardy! on hiatus until next month, Celebrity Family Feud is proving to be the summer’s must-watch game show. Where else can you watch Jean Smart face off against Quinta Brunson, Boyz II Men blow it in spectacular fashion, and Our Flag Means Death star Rhys Darby repeatedly use the word “carked,” all while host Steve Harvey looks like a million bucks in his tailored suits? Nowhere, that’s where.

Sunday’s episode had Hocus Pocus 2 star Kathy Najimy vs. Broadway and Pushing Daisies legend Kristin Chenoweth, who Harvey called an “exceptionally nice person.” She also has an exceptionally dirty mind, based on her answer to, “We asked 100 women, after the lips, what’s your favorite part of a man to kiss?” Chenoweth buzzed in and replied, “Rhymes with [BLEEP].” It’s unclear the exact word she used, but you don’t need to know it, because of the implication. And Harvey’s reaction:

After walking away from the podium in shame, Chenoweth returned and told Harvey, “I’m sorry. I’m a good Christian girl. Forgive me.” The thing is, it’s a pretty good guess! But apparently not to the 100-person survey. The top-six answers: neck, cheek, furry pecs, ear, back, and shoulders. “Furry pecs” is a much weirder answer than “[BLEEP].”

You can watch the Celebrity Family Feud clip above.