Category: News

Snoop Dogg is a master of branding. While he’s been known to dabble in everything from cookbooks to cannabis (of course), he’s always looking to expand his personal brand. Now, according to Billboard, he’s even looking to move in on Oscar Mayer’s territory, filing an application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to trademark “Snoop Doggs,” his own brand of hot dogs and sausages. While that doesn’t mean that any plans are in motion just yet, his lawyers want to make sure the name is available if or when he does decide to sell them.

Filed in December as an intent-to-use application, the trademark suggests that he does have future plans. If so, he’ll have to squeeze in running the company between a bunch of other ventures, including releasing and performing new music as both a solo act and a member of the West Coast supergroup Mount Westmore alongside E-40, Ice Cube, and Too Short. He’s also Def Jam’s new executive creative consultant, a supporting cast member of 50 Cent’s BMF series, and the pitchman for everything from cerveza to homemade soda machines. Along with all that, in just one month, he’ll be joining long-time collaborator Dr. Dre onstage at the Super Bowl to perform the halftime show.

He’s a pretty busy guy, but from those of us who love a good barbecue, we can’t wait for Snoop Doggs to hit the stores — and our grills.

Back in September, Reese Witherspoon dipped her toes into the cryptocurrency waters by purchasing her first etherium coin and letting Twitter know that she was now entering the theoretically lucrative world of non-fungible tokens, better known as NFTs. Since then, Witherspoon’s crypto-evangelicizing was contained to an occasional retweet here and there. Nothing too crazy, and basically just your run-of-the-mill social media endorsement.

And then December happened.

In the lead-up to the holidays, Witherspoon started tweeting way more heavily about crypto. Not quite Elon Musk-levels, but the Legally Blonde star was definitely making a concerted push for those sweet imaginary coins.

“Crypto is here to stay,” Witherspoon tweeted at the start of the month. “I’m committed to supporting creators who have pioneered the NFT space, and encouraging more women to be a part of the conversation.”

And because this is Reese Witherspoon we’re talking about, naturally, she managed to rope in another celeb: TV powerhouse Shonda Rhimes.

We’re going to be perfectly honest. We have no freaking clue what this next even means. Your guess is as good as ours.

Witherspoon then switched things up by encouraging all you moms out there to ask your kids about NFTs, which are apparently just like the video games they can’t stop playing, or something.

However, Reese Witherspoon’s love of crypto took a turn in the new year. On January 11, she went a little too hard on the future of crypto life, and the internet was not feeling it. “In the (near) future, every person will have a parallel digital identity,” Reese tweeted. “Avatars, crypto wallets, digital goods will be the norm. Are you planning for this?”

While Witherspoon might be excited about this brave new digital world, the rest of Twitter was not on board and definitely let The Morning Show star know about it. Even Velveeta cheese was like, “Lady, what are you doing?”

After Matt Damon got raked over the coals for his recent bitcoin commercial, that now makes two high-profile celebrities who have seen their crypto endorsements get roasted online. Let that be a lesson to the rest of Hollywood. Or, you know… not.

(Via Reese Witherspoon on Twitter)

It can be psychologically distressing for people who’ve had an eating disorder to stand on a scale. For those who have struggled or are currently dealing with a disorder, being weighed can lead to obsession. It can also trigger dangerous behaviors such as purging, binging or reducing food intake.

That makes going to see the doctor a dangerous proposition for many. Most doctors routinely weigh every patient regardless of their body type or whether they’ve struggled with eating issues.

The fear of having to stand on a scale in a doctor’s office can lead those who’ve struggled with an eating disorder to avoid medical care for fear of having to be weighed.

“I myself recovered from an almost lifelong eating disorder. And when I did, being weighed at the doctor’s office was very stressful,” Ginny Jones, Editor of More-Love.org and a parent coach, told TODAY. “I knew that, especially among people with a history of eating disorders, being weighed is not a helpful way to begin every medical appointment.”

So in 2019, Jones created cards to hand to medical practitioners so people could discreetly ask not to be weighed unless it’s a medical necessity. The cards have gone viral multiple times on social media, leading them to become popular among patients and medical practitioners.

The cards’ popularity shows just how stressed so many feel about being weighed in a medical setting. “So many people are avoiding going to medical appointments or feeling incredible stress and anxiety leading into medical appointments,” Jones said.

A tweet by Dani Donovan sharing one of Jones’ cards went viral last month, earning over 27,000 likes.

They have cards at my doctoru2019s office now to tell them if youu2019d prefer not to be weighed pic.twitter.com/6jgbFfiAOO

— Dani Donovan ud83dudc69ud83cudffbu200dud83cudfa8 ADHD Comics (@Dani Donovan ud83dudc69ud83cudffbu200dud83cudfa8 ADHD Comics)
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The tweet started an eye-opening conversation about the discomfort many feel about being weighed by their doctors. It also stirred up debate over the lengths to which patients should go to dictate how they are treated in a medical setting.

I have refused to be weighed since a doc came in and told me to lose weight before she even looked at me. Went home and took this pic to post a rant on FB. I bicycled there and was in head to toe spandex, so I asked her to point to the excess weight. pic.twitter.com/alOqiKZLFN

— Ruth Shelton (she/her) (@Maggie1750) December 16, 2021

Loving the number of people getting upset in the comments but no where on this card does it say its for people who are overweight or obese. Anyone of any size shape and weight can pick up this card, including slim/underweight people and it is justified.

— Me (@motherofsneks) December 16, 2021

As someone who’s trying to recover from an eating disorder, i would really, really like to have something like this.

— AndyLovesBats (@AndyLovesBats) December 15, 2021

Donovan has an eating disorder and the cards have allowed her to avoid unnecessary stress and to be an advocate for her health in a quiet, nonconfrontational way. “I’d heard somewhere that you could refuse or tell them that you didn’t want to be weighed, but I had always felt way too intimidated to say it out loud,” she said.

The success of the “Don’t weigh me” cards is backed up by studies conducted in treatment facilities for people with eating disorders. In these facilities, healthcare practitioners must consider the benefits between allowing patients to know their weight or “blind weighing” them in which their numbers are kept secret.

A recent study from 2020 found that patients in the “acute” phase of their treatment that were blind weighed experienced “decreased anxiety and eating disorder symptoms and as a result, increased their ability to effectively engage in their treatment.” Blind weighing also resulted in patients experiencing “significantly less anxiety” around being weighed.

Having an eating disorder can be an invisible problem that is very difficult to discuss, even in the presence of a doctor. Jones’ cards are a way for people to advocate for their health in a way that is comfortable for themselves and their healthcare professionals.

This article originally appeared on 08.20.19

I occasionally get asked by mothers of young children what the secret is to raising great teenagers.

My initial response is that I have absolutely no clue. My kids are who they are IN SPITE of having me as a mother. (The young moms don’t find that answer too helpful.)

Really, the first thing that I will tell you is to disbelieve the myth that teenagers are sullen, angry creatures who slam doors and hate their parents. Some do that, but the overwhelming majority do not. Every one of my kids’ friends are just as happy and fun as my kids are, so I know it’s not just us.

Teenagers are incredible. They are funny, smart, eager to please, and up for just about anything as long as food is involved. They have the most generous hearts and want desperately to be loved and validated. They are quirky and messy and have the best sense of humor.

So, here is my list of “rules” for raising teens. These are the secrets we have found to be successful.

1. Love them fiercely.

Love everything about them, even the annoying stuff. Love them for their actions AND their intentions. Let them know in word and deed how much you adore them. Daily. Love their wrinkled shirts and Axe-body-spray-covered selves. Love their bad handwriting and pimpled cheeks. Love their scattered brains and long limbs. All these seemingly insignificant details are an amazing, magical process at work. It’s like being witness to the miracle of a diamond mid-formation. All this imperfection is going to one day yield a responsible, serious adult. A loving husband and father. Or a wonderful wife and mother. It’s a privilege to be witness to such glorious growth.

See your teenagers as a privilege, don’t see them as a burden. They’re more perceptive than you can imagine. How you feel about them will be no secret. So just love ’em.

2. Listen and pay attention.

When they walk in the door after school, you have a precious few minutes when they will divulge the secrets of their day with you. Be excited to see them. Put down the cell phone. Don’t waste this time making dinner or taking a phone call. Look them in the eye and hear what they are saying. Make their victories your victories. Be empathetic. It is really hard to navigate high school and middle school. Don’t offer advice at this time unless they ask for it. Don’t lecture. Just listen. It makes them feel important and valued. We all need to feel that way.

3. Say yes more than you say no.

The world is forever going to tell them no. For the rest of their lives, they will be swimming in a stormy sea with wave after wave of “you’re not good enough” and “you can’t do this” crashing down on their heads. If nothing else, I want to be the opposite voice in their lives for as long as I can. I want to instill in them the belief that they are not limited and they can do anything if they’re willing to work hard enough for it. I want to be the YES, YOU CAN in their lives. I want them to leave my house every day feeling invincible.

4. Say no often.

You need to say no to experiences and situations that will set your child up for harm or unhappiness. Don’t let them go to the parties where they will be forced to make a choice about alcohol at age 16 in front of their peers . Don’t let them stay out until three in the morning with a member of the opposite sex. Be the parent. Set up rules for their safety, both physical and moral. You would think this rule goes without saying, but we have known a shockingly large number of parents who don’t.

5. Feed them. A lot.

And not only them, but their friends too. These bodies are growing and developing at an astonishing rate and need fuel to do so — most of which they prefer to be loaded with processed sugar and hydrogenated-something-or-others. When their friends know your pantry is stocked to the gills with treats, they will beg your kid to hang out at your place. This allows you to not only meet and know their friends, but to keep an eye on your teen as well.

6. Don’t sweat the small stuff.

When living with teenagers, it can be so easy to see the backpack dropped in the middle of the living room as laziness. Or the bedroom scattered with dirty clothes as irresponsible. Instead, and before you open your mouth to yell at them, put yourself in their shoes. Find out about their day first. Maybe they are feeling beaten down, and they just need to unwind for a minute and tell you about it. Ignore the mess for a bit and put your arms around that big, sweaty kid and give him a hug. Talk to him about his world. Find out what he did, wants to do, and dreams of doing. THEN, and only then, ask him to pick it up and put it away.

That being said, do I completely ignore the state of my boys’ bedrooms all the time? No, I do not. But I pick my battles, and I pick the appropriate time to fight them. Once every seven to 10 days or so, I tell them their bedrooms need to be picked up. Which they do happily because it’s not the running loop of a nagging mom. They know when I ask, it needs to be done.

7. Stand back and watch the magic happen.

If you let them, these glorious creatures will open their hearts and love you more fiercely than you could possibly imagine. They are brilliant, capable, strong spirits who bring with them a flurry of happiness. They are hilarious and clever. They are thoughtful and sensitive. They want us to adore them. They need us to adore them. They love deeply and are keenly in touch with the feelings of others.

They are just about the greatest gift God gave to parents.

This article originally appeared on 11.06.15

If you just got married, chances are lots of people think they know what your life is like.

These people are totally well-meaning! And also, mostly wrong.

Being married isn’t exactly like it used to be. Which is great, as there are so many different, amazing ways to be newlyweds than ever before. But it’s also occasionally frustrating, as we newlyweds are frequently forced to dispel a lot of myths about our relationships.

So let’s get them out of the way in one fell swoop.

Here are the most common (but mistaken) assumptions strangers make when you’re a newlywed couple, and what our lives are really like.

Assumption #1: We went on our honeymoon already, and we left right after the wedding.

Reality: In our dreams, we definitely did — and we had a great time!

In real life, however, most of us can’t just take a week (or more) off work at will. The office is hella busy, and on top of that, we live in the only wealthy country in the world that doesn’t mandate any paid vacation. Many of us were barely able to get the day of our actual wedding off (ultimately, we compromised with our manager and took a half-day).

We’re planning to get to it … eventually. But it might be a while. We promise we’ll send pictures!

Assumption #2: We’re going to have babies ASAP.

Reality: We love being married! But, you know, we actually haven’t decided? About babies? We’re just enjoying being married right now. But we’ll let you know when it happens. We promise.

Assumption #3: We’re going to move out of “the city” one day.

Reality: It makes sense to assume that, like so many newly married couples in generations past, we’re already planning our escape from our local metropolis to a less population-dense area TBD. But many of us who live in the city really, really like it! The city is great. There are good schools here. We can get nachos delivered at 3 a.m.! From either the good nacho place or the OK-but-cheap nacho place.

Sure, some of us are planning to one day move to the ‘burbs for more space (and many already are), but many of us aren’t. And still others of us who already live in the suburbs are making the suburbs more like the city.

Having a yard is really nice, but so is not having car insurance payments.

Assumption #4: We feel superior to our second-cousin Frieda whose boyfriend of 19 years still hasn’t proposed.

Reality: Even though we’re feeling pretty good about being married, Frieda and Richard are adults and get to make their own decisions — no matter what Aunt Cindy thinks. Maybe they have financial reasons. Maybe they decided a long time ago they don’t want to be married. Maybe they believe marriage is an oppressive, archaic, patriarchal institution that they don’t want to participate in, and also they’re vegan now.

In any case, leave Frieda and Richard alone.

Assumption #5: We’re going to have babies soonish.

Reality: So, yeah. Like I said. Really haven’t decided about babies. Keeping our options open. But probably not soon? You know?

Assumption #6: One of us changed our last name.

Reality: There’s totally nothing wrong with couples who decide that one partner will take the other’s last name, of course. But not all of us do. At least 1 in every 5 women decide to keep their maiden names, according to a New York Times survey. And if you haven’t taken your partner’s last name, it’s kind of frustrating to constantly hear yourself referred to as Mr./Mrs. Someone Else (for opposite-gender couples, this pretty much applies exclusively to women).

If you’re not sure what last name to use, just ask! We’ll tell you what the deal is.

Assumption #7: We’re having Guinness Book of World Records amounts of sex.

Reality: For those of us who waited to have sex until marriage — which is, of course, totally cool — you might need a supercomputer to tabulate. But lots of us have been together for a long time already and may even have been living together already, so we’re probably having whatever amount of sex is normal for us. It’s just a regular part of our lives that throwing a wedding doesn’t really have a magical impact on.

After many years in a relationship, most of us take “Netflix and chill” quite literally. And seriously.

Assumption #8: We’ve finished all our thank-you notes.

Reality: Never. We’ll be writing these until the end of time.

Assumption #9: Hanging out with one of us means hanging out with both of us.

Reality: We’re still different people. Each of us is a self-sufficient being with free will. And we’re probably totally down to hang out with you, even if our spouse isn’t available.

Except you, Greg. We’re totally avoiding you.

Assumption #10: We’re going to have babies ever.

Reality: So um, like I said, there’s actually a chance we might never have babies? We might decide we don’t want them after all. We might find out we can’t — in which case, these questions might become extremely invasive and painful. We might adopt a child … who’s not a baby. We haven’t figured it out yet.

At the end of the day, It’s kinda up to us, you know?

Assumption #11: We never use the garlic press you got us.

Reality: We use it all the time! Thank you so much!

Assumption #12: One of us is going to stay home and take care of the house from here on in.

Reality: Some of us might want to be a housewife or husband. Others of us shudder at the thought of giving up our careers, or urging our spouse to give up theirs. Still others of us might want to, but might not be able to forfeit the second income. There’s really no right — or standard — way to do it anymore.

Assumption #13: We both have all the same likes, dislikes, preferences, outlooks, and opinions now.

Reality: My wife will never convince me to like jazz. And I will probably never convince her to like “Captain Phillips” fan fiction. And you know what? We’re OK with that.

For the things that matter, we’re committed to presenting a united front. But we’re still individuals with different thoughts, feelings, and opinions about what Tom Hanks was up to two weeks before the Somali pirates attacked, ’cause honestly, that’s where the real drama of the story probably is.

Assumption #14: We wear wedding rings.

Reality: Some of us like wearing a physical symbol of our connection and duty to our spouse. Some of us don’t as much. So we don’t wear them. But don’t worry! We’re still extreme double married 5000.

Assumption #15: Making us a pink cake that says “baby” on it is going to change our mind about babies.

Reality: It won’t. But we will definitely eat that cake.

Assumption #16: Our lives are a lot different now.

Reality: Beginning roughly seven seconds after we say, “I do,” lots and lots and lots of well-intentioned people ask: “How does it feel?!” seemingly expecting to hear: “So much has changed! We got matching ponies! Being married really is a whole new world!” It feels like we’re disappointing them when we answer, “Pretty much the way we did the day before the wedding.” Which is silly, since there’s no shame in that.

For some couples, life is a lot different after marriage, and that’s great. But if stuff is kinda sorta the same, that’s OK too! Life was great before. That’s why we decided to get married.

Assumption #17: If we’re not going to lay out a precise plan for having babies, at least we’ll probably get a pet.

Reality: OK. This one is true.

It’s been several years since indie rock staple Spoon released their 2017 album Hot Thoughts, but fans won’t have to wait much longer for their next release. While they’ve shared a handful of covers since then, the band officially announced their forthcoming album late last year, Lucifer On The Sofa, which they’ve now previewed with another pumped-up single.

The band returned Tuesday with the catchy new track “Wild,” a song which features the band’s signature jangly guitar chords and lead singer Britt Daniel’s husky vocals. The band themselves described the song as a “a full-on rock song just made for walking w conviction down highways real or imagined.” And the video accompanying “Wild” perfectly visualizes that theme. Filmed in black-and-white and directed by Ben Chappell and Brook Linder, the “Wild” video sees lead singer Britt Daniel walking down a deserted highway in a fitting cowboy hat.

About the video, Linder said it was inspired by their conviction that Spoon is “the best band” ever:

“We were mid putting this video together and my friend Ben asked ‘Is Spoon the best band?’ Yes. Yep. Probably. There’s always something unexpected in the familiar with Spoon. They are mythic to me somehow, and ‘WILD’ needed to feel like a myth, or at least illustrate the myth-making process in some odd way. We used the old ways – crude in-camera techniques – to hit this uncanny western film note. Britt is the quintessential western hero. Had a blast 10/10 would do again.”

Watch Spoon’s “Wild” video above.

Lucifer On The Sofa is out 2/11 via Matador Records. Pre-order it here.

Daniel Craig was introduced as the new James Bond at a press conference in 2005. He arrived on a speedboat and, based on this photo, looked like he was having a blast.

At least until the press conference started.

In an episode of the Hollywood Reporter‘s “Awards Chatter” podcast, Craig discussed how his 007 debut was a “f*cking train wreck.” Here’s how podcast host Scott Feinberg set the scene: “You’re 37 and you are brought to the press conference that’s going to announce your casting in a Royal Navy boat that comes down the River Thames, and basically, it was a barrage of sh*t.” People were apparently upset that Craig wore a lifejacket on the boat and maybe chewed gun during the press conference; he was also accused of being “too blonde” and “not tall enough” to play James Bond. Feinberg asked Craig how he handled that pressure and whether he had anyone to talk about it.

“The honest answer is nobody,” he said. “Once the announcement was made and we did that incredibly successful press conference… I’ve watched bits of it. It’s a f*cking train wreck. In some ways, I regret the way that press conference went; in other ways, I’m very happy the way that press conference went. I didn’t know how to turn on the charm, which was to be charming and be artful about it, ‘Oh, that’s a lovely question, how nice of you to ask that.’ I was just, ‘F*ck you! You, f*ck you as well!’ That’s all I wanted to say.”

Craig should have. The poker scene in Casino Royale is cool. But you know what’s cooler? Yelling “f*ck you” after jumping off a speedboat.

You can watch the press conference above, and listen to the podcast below.

(Via the Hollywood Reporter and Mediaite)

Oscar-nominated actress Sharon Stone is returning to the small screen for season 2 of HBO’s hit comedy-drama series The Flight Attendant, starring Kaley Cuoco as Cassie Bowden, a troubled flight attendant who wakes up in the middle of a murder scene and sets out to solve the case. Stone is slated to play Cassie Bowden’s estranged mother Lisa Bowden, who has had enough with Cassie’s problematic past and prefers to stay out of her life.

Cuoco shared her excitement on Instagram, posting a picture with Stone, paired with the caption: “Welp, I can finally share this news .. hi mom , I you. @sharonstone seriously what life am I living?!”

Stone will be joining Mo McRae, Callie Hernandez, and JJ Soria, who were all recently cast as regulars on the series, alongside returning cast members Zosia Mamet, Griffin Matthews, Deniz Akdeniz, and Rosie Perez.

Most recently, Stone starred in Ryan Murphy’s Ratched alongside Sarah Paulson, which premiered in 2020. Stone is known for her dramatic movie roles, and critically acclaimed performances in Total Recall, Basic Instinct, and Casino, just to name a few. Stone also released an autobiography last spring, titled The Beauty of Living Twice, cataloging her long-standing career in Hollywood.

The Flight Attendant season two is expected to air sometime this spring.

It’s a good day for fans of early aughts rock music. Not only did Paramore announce they’re back in the studio and working on their next album, but Jimmy Eat World and Dashboard Confessional have an exciting announcement of their own: The two bands are set to hit the road together on a 2022 co-headlining US tour.

The tour, which is named the Surviving The Truth Tour, officially kicks off in late February in Albuquerque before coming to a close a month later in Houston. The tour dates are meant to celebrate the release of Dashboard Confessional’s upcoming album All The Truth That I Can Tell, which marks the band’s first full-length release in four years.

About the upcoming project, Dashboard Confessional vocalist Chris Carrabba said the LP is centered around honesty:

“Honesty was at the heart of the writing process, at the heart of the recording process and at the heart of this collection of songs. I had the rare opportunity to be unflinchingly honest. But I think I would have thought in the early days that that would be commonplace. Now, I realize it’s some kind of cycle within your life and there’s great personal reward in accepting that.”

Check out Jimmy Eat World and Dashboard Confessional’s Surviving The Truth Tour below.

02/27 — Albuquerque, NM @ Kiva Auditorium
03/01 — Oklahoma City, OK @ The Criterion
03/02 — Des Moines, IA @ Val Air Ballroom
03/04 — Wichita, KS @ The Cotillion
03/05 — Fayetteville, AR @ JJ’s Live
03/06 — Little Rock, AR @ The Hall
03/07 — Birmingham, AL @ Avondale Brewing Company
03/09 — Louisville, KY @ Louisville Palace Theatre
03/10 — Knoxville, TN @ Tennessee Theatre
03/11 — Pelham, TN @ The Caverns
03/12 — Pelham, TN @ The Caverns
03/14 — Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz
03/15 — Charleston, SC @ North Charleston Performing Arts Center
03/17 — St. Augustine, FL @ St. Augustine Amphitheatre
03/18 — Coconut Creek, FL @ Pavilion at Seminole Casino
03/21 — New Orleans, LA @ Orpheum Theater
03/22 — Houston, TX @ 713 Music Hall

Tickets to the Surviving The Truth Tour go on sale 1/14 at 10 a.m. local time. Get them here.

All The Truth That I Can Tell is out 2/25 via Hidden Note Records/AWAL. Pre-order it here.

The trailer for Steven Soderbergh’s latest film is here, the HBO Max high-tech thriller KIMI, starring Zoe Kravitz, named after an eerie, Siri-like bot who tracks and traces everybody’s moves. Kravitz stars as an agoraphobic tech worker who works from home reviewing sound clips. When she believes she overhears a crime taking place and is promptly brushed off by authorities, she has to take matters into her own hands. Rita Wilson also stars.

A unique blend of Hitchcock-inspired tropes with an updated tech element, KIMI takes place in Seattle during the COVID-19 pandemic, as many characters are shown wearing masks and working from home, a true sign of the post-COVID times. The thriller was written and produced by legendary screenwriter David Koepp, known for his budget thriller/action movies, like Jurassic Park and Mission Impossible.

Soderbergh is no stranger to HBO Max, having released the 2021 crime thriller No Sudden Move on the streaming service last summer. He is also slated to direct the newest Magic Mike movie, Magic Mike’s Last Dance, sometime this year. Kravitz also has a busy year lined up, as she appears in the highly anticipated Batman reboot, aptly titled The Batman, starring alongside Robert Pattinson.

KIMI is scheduled to be released exclusively on HBO Max on February 10th.