Category: News

The Royal Family is reportedly spitting mad at the BBC for refusing to let them see a new documentary on Prince Harry and Prince William before it airs. Titled, The Princes and the Press, the documentary explores Harry and Williams’ relationship with the press, most notably accusations that the two planted “smears” against each other through their advisors. While things have obviously been strained between the brothers after Harry and Meghan Markle’s interview with Oprah, revealing their clandestine press wars probably won’t help the situation.

According to a senior source, the Royal Family has condemned the documentary as “tittle tattle,” which we’re guessing is British for “not cool.” (Don’t quote us on that.) In fact, the monarchs are so perturbed that they weren’t given a chance to respond in advance that they’re now threatening the BBC with a family-wide boycott if the documentary isn’t edited to their liking. Via The Daily Mail:

It is understood that unless Monday’s documentary removes these allegations, the three households have threatened to withdraw co-operation for future BBC projects such as interviews or documentaries. Such a move would mark the end of a long relationship between the Royal Family and the BBC, which screened a tribute to the late Prince Philip this year and broadcast Earthshot, a five-part series about climate change which was presented by Prince William.

In a statement, the BBC defended its reporting and showed no signs of making the adjustments requested by the Royal Family. According to British law, this now means Prince Charles may hurl one Wonka bar in the BBC’s general direction, or two Everlasting Gobstobbers at medium velocity. (Maybe don’t quote us on that either.)

(Via Daily Mail)

Kamikaze: Season 1 (HBO Max series) This Polish show might not be on your radar yet, but it arrives with a riveting premise: what happens to one’s identity when everything that matters in your life disappears in one panicked heartbeat? Marie Reuther portrays a young woman who gets a terrible text message — her entire family is about to go down in a plane crash — that changes everything. She’s alone and picking up the pieces, and this feels very much like Morvern Callar but with a contemporary spin. Yes, expect tragedy here, but you also won’t be able to look away from where this protagonist goes.

Ordinary Joe (NBC, 10:00pm) — James Wolk’s still playing three Joes as they endure three different Thanksgiving dinners. Cop Joe’s on the defense, Music Joe’s feeling betrayed, and Nurse Joe admits that he needs help.

All-American (CW, 8:00pm) — Spencer must develop a contingency plan, Layla extends an offer to Patience, and Coop has a difficult realization, all while Olivia considers a new role.

4400 (CW, 9:00pm) — Keisha learns new details about her sister’s death. Meanwhile, Shanice and Andre head out yonder for a day while another pair of friends grows much closer.

We’re Here (HBO, 9:00pm) — The Queens travel to Kona, Hawaii to help make more vibrant stage dreams come true.

Wakefield (Showtime, 9:00pm) — Genevieve cannot remember her wedding day, which horrifies Raff while Linda’s bullying behavior results in a confrontation from Colette.

The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon — Jeremy Renner, Kristin Chenoweth, Jenny Lewis

Late Night With Seth Meyers — Michael Che, Rep. Adam Schiff, Jon Epcar

The Late Late Show With James Corden — Adrien Brody, Zazie Beetz, Little Simz

While they might have a hard time securing shows in London, looks like the four-part Muslim punk band Lady Parts has a pretty steady gig on NBCUniversal streaming service Peacock. Earlier today, Peacock announced the comedy-musical series We Are Lady Parts has officially been renewed for its second season, which is slated to hit the streamer sometime next year, according to Variety. The big news comes on the same day the show’s creator, Nida Manzoor, is set to receive the 2021 Rose d’Or Emerging Talent Award for her work on the show, making it a pretty momentous day for the British television writer.

“I feel so incredibly lucky and excited to have the opportunity to make a second series of We Are Lady Parts. I can’t wait to delve back into the world of the band and go deeper into their lives. Expect more high jinks, more music, and more flights of fancy.”

First premiering earlier this year, We Are Lady Parts follows the fictitious punk band Lady Parts as they navigate relationships, identity, cultural differences, and the London music scene. Anjana Vasan shines as lead character Amina Hussain, a geeky college student who becomes the band’s unlikely lead guitarist and ultimately forms close friendships with fellow, eccentric bandmates Saira (Sarah Kameela Impey), Ayesha (Juliette Motamed), and Bisma (Faith Omole). The series received two Emmy nominations for its first season, including breakthrough short format series and outstanding performance in a new series for Anjana Vasan, and has been widely praised by critics. NBCUniversal scripted content president Lisa Katz said the service is “incredibly proud” to host the “fan-favorite” series that is driven by “boundary-pushing comedy.”

“We Are Lady Parts exploded onto our screens and into our hearts with irreverent humor, original storytelling and boundary-pushing comedy. We’re incredibly proud that this fan-favorite series was heralded as groundbreaking for Muslim representation on TV and can’t wait to continue on this journey with visionary creator Nida Manzoor and this beloved ensemble.”

It has been well over two years since the last full-length solo release from El Paso, Texas singer Khalid Robinson, who last dropped an album, Free Spirit, in April of 2019. Understandably, the former teen star’s fans have been anxious for any new information on his forthcoming third album — information that he’s been reluctant to supply. Despite previously calling finishing the album “overwhelming” and saying he was losing passion for it, today, he finally shared all the information his fans could want on a new project, including the project’s title, tracklist, and most importantly, its release date.

The new project will be titled Scenic Drive and it will drop on December 3. Consisting of nine all-new tracks, the album will feature guest appearances from Alicia Keys (with whom Khalid previously collaborated on “So Done” from her 2020 album ALICIA), 6lack and Lucky Daye (on the song “Retrograde”), LA-based singer Quin (who has collaborated with and dates 6lack), Dreamville rapper JID, blooming R&B singer Kiana Lede, OVO dance-pop duo Majid Jordan, and rapper/singer combo Ari Lennox and Smino (on the album’s title track).

“Been waiting for this one and I can’t wait for you guys to hear it,” he wrote in a tweet announcing the new project. While his tweet didn’t cover whether this would be the same project as the previously announced Everything Is Changing, I’m sure fans are more than happy just to be getting a new project at all, whether it’s been renamed or this is just a side project to hold them over. Naturally, the announcement caused quite the stir on Twitter as fans marked their calendars, set their alarm clocks, and prepared to take this long-awaited Scenic Drive.

Taysom Hill is 31 years old and has been the New Orleans Saints tight end, H-back, quarterback combo for the past five seasons. He has 1,291 combined rushing and receiving yards in that span, with seven touchdowns, and is 101-of-142 as a passer for 1,103 yards, four touchdowns, and four interceptions as a passer.

There is some value to what Taysom Hill brings to the Saints team, but the strange obsession Sean Payton and the Saints have with trying to make him a thing baffles most NFL viewers — and many Saints fans. They also keep handing Hill contracts that pay him, potentially, like a quarterback despite him not having ever won the starting QB job despite this offseason his top competition being Jameis Winston, who is certainly a talented QB but even the most ardent Winston supporters would have him in the league average starter realm.

So, when Adam Schefter brought word of a new contract extension for Hill in New Orleans that includes a weird “hybrid” model that could pay him more if he plays QB, everyone was stunned this was happening again.

The real answer involves some cap gymnastics and paying him out at a base of $10 million a year, with just that $22.5 guaranteed, which isn’t horrible, but still eyebrow raising.

Still, that didn’t stop fans and media from having plenty of jokes about the Saints handing Hill yet another potentially huge contract, despite him quite clearly not being the answer at quarterback. A popular theory among fans is that Hill is, in fact, a money laundering scheme for the Saints that will one day come to light.

Others are just baffled that we are still doing this with Hill, despite Trevor Siemian starting over him recently — which has been, in part, due to Hill coming back from another concussion, which he has suffered a few times in his career.

After going four years without making a movie (I’d need a break after working with Kevin Spacey, too), director Ridley Scott returned in a big way in 2021. House of Gucci is one of the most anticipated dramas of the fall with a fantastic cast led by Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, and Jared Leto in clown makeup for the second time, while The Last Duel had all the makings of a Gladiator-sized hit. Unfortunately for Scott — and fans of R-rated dramas — the film bombed at the box office, earning a meager $27.5 million on a $100 million budget. What the heck happened? Was it because of Ben Affleck’s hair? Not exactly.

“I think what it boils down to — what we’ve got today [are] the audiences who were brought up on these f-cking cell phones. The millennian, [who] do not ever want to be taught anything unless you told it on the cell phone,” Scott said on the latest episode of Marc Maron’s podcast, WTF with Marc Maron. He added, “This is a broad stroke, but I think we’re dealing with it right now with Facebook. This is a misdirection that has happened where it’s given the wrong kind of confidence to this latest generation, I think.”

Normally I would roll my eyes at an 83-year-old guy going off about Facebook and “the millennian” (I assume he means “millennial”?) and not attributing the low box office to the film’s older demographic maybe not wanting to go to the theater during a pandemic. But Scott made Alien AND Blade Runner AND Thelma & Louise, so you won’t hear a peep from me. Also, The Last Duel is a good movie; it’ll find its audience on streaming.

As for Gucci, it’s expected to open around $17 million, which is more than The Last Duel made during its entire run in the United States. The power of Gaga.

(Via the Hollywood Reporter)

Nirvana has been celebrating the 30th anniversary of Nevermind this year, but a gray cloud that has been hanging over the whole situation is the lawsuit from Spencer Elden, the album’s cover star, who alleges that the famous image constitutes child pornography. Now, Rolling Stone reports that Elden filed an amended complaint today and the new documents allege that Elden was also photographed dressed as Playboy founder Hugh Hefner. They also cite some disturbing journal entries from Kurt Cobain.

Of the Cobain journals (which were published by Riverhead Books in 2002), the documents note, “Undated journals written by Cobain sketch the album cover in a sexual manner, with semen all over it. In several instances, the journals describe Cobain’s twisted vision for the Nevermind album cover, along with his emotional struggles: ‘I like to make incisions into the belly of infants then f*ck the incision until the child dies.’”

As for the Hefner part, the documents repeat the claim that photographer Kirk Weddle intended to “trigger a visceral sexual response from the viewer” by activating “Spencer’s ‘gag reflex’ before throwing him underwater in poses highlighting and emphasizing Spencer’s exposed genitals.” Without explanation, the documents then continue, “Weddle soon after produced photographs of Spencer dressed up and depicted as Hugh Hefner.”

Last month, Dave Grohl said of the situation, “I don’t know that I can speak on it because I haven’t spent too much time thinking about it. I feel the same way most people do in that I have to disagree. That’s all I’ll say. […] Listen, he’s got a Nevermind tattoo. I don’t.” A few weeks before that, he indicated he’s open to changing the album cover, saying, “I have many ideas of how we should alter that cover but we’ll see what happens. We’ll let you know. I’m sure we’ll come up with something good.”

For over a week now, Chris Christie has been out in the press promoting his new book, Republican Rescue: Saving the Party From Truth Deniers, Conspiracy Theorists, and the Dangerous Policies of Joe Biden, which has revealed all kinds of juicy details about Christie’s relationship with former president Donald Trump. Considering the former New Jersey governor has been relentlessly criticizing Trump for how he acted after losing the 2020 election, and again, spilling lots of tea, you’d just assume Christie had cut off his relationship with Trump or was in the process of doing so.

Oddly, Christie still hopes to have a friendship with the former president, who has apparently shut down communications, which is typically what happens when you cross him, a fact that Christie seems surprised by during a new interview with SiriusXM. Has he even met Trump before? Via Mediaite:

“As a friend, I have my disagreements with him politically and what he did and I’ve expressed those, but I’ve always expressed those to him, both publicly and privately,” he continued. “And we’ve gotten back to a place where we were counting on each other and giving each other advice. If we get back to that place, that’s fine by me, but if we don’t, that’s his choice, not mine. I’m not the one who’s not communicating with him. He’s chosen not to communicate with me at this moment.”

Dude, one of the very first things you revealed on your book tour is that Trump called you to make sure you didn’t tell anybody he gave you COVID. How did you think he was going to react to that? Send you a gift basket?

(Via SiriusXM)

Those of us not indoctrinated into the QAnon cult have had a good laugh this month while watching a small subgroup of the MAGA-centric conspiracy theorist movement travel to Dallas, Texas in the hopes of witnessing a John F. Kennedy, Jr. resurrection.

That gathering, led by former-demolition-expert-turned-full-time-Jim-Jones impersonator Michael Brian Protzman, was initially held after he convinced a few hundred people that the former president’s deceased son was actually alive, working in secret for 20 years to take down the “deep state,” and prepping to return and crown Donald Trump as president once again. Even when JFK, Jr. didn’t appear, followers stayed in the city, attending Rolling Stones concerts, holing up in hotels, and singing Michael Jackson ballads about children on the grassy knoll. It was the ultimate form of satire.

But, according to a new report from VICE, the joke is over and things are starting to look very bleak for family members whose relatives have shut off all communication, presumably under Protzman’s direction. A nurse named Katy Garner told the news outlet that her sister left her husband and children a month ago and refuses to come home “until this is over.” Garner says Protzman has group members ingesting a “hydrogen peroxide solution” and taking “bio pellets” to ward off COVID-19. He’s also drastically altered his message to followers, claiming to be God’s representative on Earth and talking openly in video chats about the need to “experience death in order to learn the truth.”

Cult experts have told VICE that the situation in Dallas is concerning, a some are working with the FBI to see what can be done about it.

As of now, the Dallas Police say they aren’t concerned about the cult or Protzman while admitting they’ve had “limited contact” with the group.

(Via VICE)

If all the new holiday rom coms hitting various streaming services just aren’t cutting it for you this year, HBO Max might have just what you’re looking for. For those of you a bit too cynical for mistletoe-kisses, HBO is bringing putting the “naughty” in “naughty-or-nice” with an eight-episode Christmas series titled Santa Inc. created by the same team behind Sausage Party — a fact which becomes abundantly clearly mere moments into it’s highly NSFW trailer.

Complete with flashing elves, a whole lot of f-bombs and multiple peeing contests, HBO’s Santa Inc. is a not-so-wholesome holiday series modeled after the stop-animation Christmas specials we grew up watching as kids. In it, Seth Rogen plays the “biggest name in ‘snow’ business,” Santa Claus, while Sarah Silverman portrays the hard-working elf Candy Smalls, whose greatest ambition is to become Santa’s first female successor and thus end the line of white, male Santa Clauses. How does Candy intend to do this? Well, based on the trailer, by learning how to “bro out” and “shoot the s—, do shots,” and, somehow, “shoot shots of s—” with Santa and the rest of his merry men. In addition to Silverman and Rogen, Leslie Grossman, Gabourey Sidibe, Craig Robinson, Nicholas Braun, Maria Bamford, and Joel Kim Booster are all set to star in Santa Inc.

The series was both written and created by Shrill and Parks and Recreation producer Alexandra Rushfield, with Silverman, Rogen, Amy Zvi, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver, Joshua Fagen, Rosa Tran, Seth Green, John Harvatine IV, Matthew Senreich, Eric Towner, and Chris Waters all helping with production. Harry Chaskin directed all eight episodes of the adult-animated series, which premieres exclusively on HBO Max on December 2.