Category: News

In perhaps the most universally agreed-upon choice it’s ever made, People magazine has named Paul Rudd as 2021’s Sexiest Man Alive.

I mean, duh.

Rudd, with his boyish grin and flawless skin, is certainly cute. But when you add in his well-established talent and extreme likability, the miraculously immortal 52-year-old becomes beloved. He’s got it all—the eyes, the hair, the teeth, the bod, as well as the acting chops, the humor, the humility and the genuine nice-guy-ness that makes a man sexy in the eyes of most, if not all, of us.

Nothing exemplifies why Rudd was named Sexiest Man Alive more than his reaction to it.

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Paul Rudd is PEOPLE’s 2021 #SexiestManAlive! https://peoplem.ag/3BVxcicu00a0pic.twitter.com/PPxEaZo6Ty

— People (@people)
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Check out what he told People:

“I do have an awareness, enough to know that when people hear that I’d be picked for this, they would say, ‘What?’ This is not false humility. There are so many people that should get this before me.”

Humility = sexy.

“When I think about myself, I think of myself as a husband and a father,” he said. “Like I’m that. I just hang out with my family when I’m not working. That’s what I kind of like the most.” (Rudd has been married to his wife Julie for 18 years and they have two kids, Jack, 17, and Darby, 12.)

Family man = super sexy.

“She was stupefied,” Rudd said about wife’s reaction to the news. “But you know she was very sweet about it. After some giggling and shock, she said ‘Oh, they got it right.’ And that was very sweet. She was probably not telling the truth, but what’s she going to say?”

Sweet husband = oh so sexy.

After saying his friends were going to give him “so much grief” for the title, he added:

“As they should. I would. I mean I’m going to lean into it hard. I’m going to own this. I’m not going to try to be like ‘Oh, I’m so modest.’ I’m getting business cards made. But all of my friends will destroy me and I expect them to. And that’s why they’re my friends.”

True friendship = Sexy sexy sexy.

Finally, on how his life will change after the title:

“I’m hoping now that I’ll finally be invited to some of those sexy dinners with Clooney and Pitt and B. Jordan. And I figure I’ll be on a lot more yachts. I’m excited to expand my yachting life. And I’ll probably try to get better at brooding in really soft light. I like to ponder. I think this is going to help me become more inward and mysterious. And I’m looking forward to that.”

That signature sassy sarcasm that somehow makes him sound self-deprecating = SO DARN SEXY.

He said he had to read the email twice when he received the news, and his first reaction was “Oooh, get ready for outrage.”

Paul Rudd on becoming People magazineu2019s Sexiest Man Alive: u201cI thought u2018ooh, get ready for outrage.u2019u201dpic.twitter.com/OmWDVhlKG4

— The Recount (@therecount)
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But of course, there is no outrage because Paul Rudd is a perfect choice. He is *just* unconventionally sexy enough to keep the title interesting, but also totally, 100%, undeniably sexy. Nailed it, People.

And just to add one more fun bit to the mix, watch Stephen Colbert put Paul Rudd through a rigorous audition process to see if he was worthy of being named Sexiest Man Alive:

Which, of course, he is. In both mind and body, as Colbert so hilariously demonstrates:

Thank you, People, for finally acknowledging the obvious. And thanks for the #crushforlife hashtag that speaks for all of us.

Travis Scott continues to cancel performances in the wake of last week’s Astroworld Festival disaster, this time shutting down a planned “$5.5 million one-off show” in Saudi Arabia on November 19, according to Variety and Complex. Scott previously canceled his performance at Day N Vegas this weekend; the festival replaced him with Post Malone.

Scott’s come under scrutiny as a result of the incident at Astroworld, in which 300 people were injured and eight were killed as the crowd surged forward, crushing and trampling festival-goers. Scott reportedly continued performing for nearly 40 minutes after things had gotten out of hand as festival organizers struggled to shut down the event once it was clear that a “mass casualty event” had taken place, and both Scott and the show’s producers/promoters Live Nation and ScoreMore have received a staggering number of lawsuits — a number that is expected to continue rising as more details of the event come out.

Among those that were injured were a nine-year-old who was trampled after his father, who was carrying him, passed out. The boy was found hours later in a hospital, admitted as a John Doe, and put into an induced coma; the family is among those suing Travis Scott. A 22-year-old college student was also legally declared brain dead earlier today, which would bring the total number of deaths to nine should her family remove her from life support.

In case it wasn’t fully clear that Dave Chappelle has become a hero figure to the right thanks to his controversial new special, The Closer, and the backlash that followed, he’s now being praised by gun-slinging Arizona Congresswoman Lauren Boebert. The rootin’ tootin’ representative, who recently showed up to an event wearing a “Let’s Go Brandon” dress, fired off a single word tweet supporting Chappelle’s love of being canceled.

“Boss,” Boebert wrote while linking a Breitbart article from earlier in the month.

The article referred to Chappelle’s recent performance in San Francisco where he, once again, proudly proclaimed how much he loves being canceled: “It is a huge relief. It’s like getting Capone on tax evasion.” However, Chappelle’s argument that he has been ‘canceled’ seems dubious considering he made the remarks at a sold-out venue in front of 19,000 people.

As for the latest member of Chappelle’s fan club, Boebert is currently in hot water after being linked to the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol building, which the Arizona congresswoman has denied, but not very convincingly. Boebert also has been criticizing the Democratic Party’s efforts to federally mandate parental leave. According to Boebert, she once gave birth in her truck because, “Ain’t nobody got time for two and a half months of maternity leave. We have a world to save here.”

Enjoy your new supporter, Dave, and maybe don’t eat at her restaurant. Trust us.

(Via Lauren Boebert on Twitter)

There’s no shortage of heartbreak, outrage, and theories surrounding the horrific shooting that took place October 21 on the set of Alec Baldwin’s upcoming western Rust. Since that fateful day and the passing of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, the studio behind Rust has come under fire for improper gun safety protocols on set, with both the film’s assistant director, David Halls, and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed admitting to some negligence and a veteran prop master stating he actually passed on working on the film due to “massive red flags.” However, in light of these various claims and the conspiracy theories that have subsequently appeared, Santa Fe district attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies took to Good Morning America to remind people it is vital to separate negligence from “sabotage,” Deadline reports.

“I know that some defense attorneys have come up with conspiracy theories and have used the word ‘sabotage.’ We do not have any proof .. It’s probably more important to focus on what led up to the shooting, because the moment of the shooting we know that at least Mr. Baldwin had no idea that the gun was loaded,” she said. “It’s more, how did that gun get loaded? What levels of failure happened, and were those levels of failure criminal?”

When questioned directly on whether or not she believed there could be an element of sabotage to the incident, Carmack-Altwies told reporters “no,” and added that until she is given additional information, these speculations don’t “play into the decision-making process.” Instead of humoring theories, Carmack-Altwies said it’s more important to point out the concerning “levels of failure” on the set of Rust. While the attorney declined to state how many live rounds were tucked away on the film’s set, Carmack-Altwies implied there were many and that solving the question of how they came to be is the case’s most pressing issue.

Carmack-Altwies also declined to answer who reportedly loaded the gun, but confirmed they now know who did. While the attorney for David Halls denied the assistant director handed the gun to Baldwin during the scene rehearsal, but armorer Gutierrez-Reed said it “does seem to be the case” that he did.

Typically taking place in the heart of the spring season, Downtown Boise’s Treefort Festival moved to September in 2021 for obvious reasons. The COVID-19 pandemic caused a lot of festivals to veer from tradition in order to maintain their longevity and the independently-operated Treefort was among them, with acts like Japanese Breakfast, The Marias and Boise faithfuls Built To Spill helping to maintain the energy the festival has built across the past decade. But now for 2022, Treefort Fest is back for it’s 10th anniversary on for March 23rd – 27th, and a killer first wave of the lineup was announced today.

Headliners include Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth fame, the newest iteration of the legendary John Dwyer’s fiery garage rock in Osees, and the dandy modern soul of Durand Jones & The Indications. Other highlights include the legacy indie of Guided By Voices, retro-rockers Shannon & The Clams, London jazz saxophonist Nubya Garcia, Caroline Rose’s electric indie pop, the post metal of Deafheaven, ambient producer William Basinski, “Femmehouse” DJ/producer LP Giobbi, Sinkane’s globally-minded indie and a lot more.

There’s real diversity in the Treefort lineup every year, pulling in a range of styles across Downtown Boise’s many venues. In the past Uproxx has even quested for hip-hop while there and 2022’s rap slate already includes Little Rock’s Kari Faux, Chattanooga’s bbymutha, Richmond, VA’s Fly Anakin, Bengali-American from Queens Anik Khan and Austin’s Magna Carda. Check out the full lineup here.

Treefort Festival goes from 3/23-3/27 and passes are now on sale here.

There’s a hidden quality about Australian indie-rocker Courtney Barnett’s rise over the last several years and that hidden quality is empathy. You can hear it in her lyrics and you can certainly see it in the merchandise she sells. If you had to describe her merch aesthetic, it would be easy to say, “Oh, that’s just pure Courtney Barnett.” Like her album covers, there is a minimalist vibe to what she offers us to plaster on ourselves to show our support as a true Courtney Barnett fan. T-shirts full of splashy colors or anything really that’s going to be an overt life statement about your qualities as a human being — it’s not her thing. Instead, you can get a drawing of a brain in a mixing cup; a pot plant looking like it may need some water; a tomato can; or a mother duckie uttering the line from her excellent 2018 album Tell Me How You Really Feel, “I’m not your mother, I’m not your b*tch.”

Looking at these little drawings that adorn her shirts…there’s something very raw about them, something that’s simplistic, crude, yet humble. And she’ll tell you drawing isn’t really isn’t her forte.

“I’ll be the first to admit that it’s not my true talent,” Barnett says. “I enjoy it and it’s another level of expressing ideas… expressing little pockets of life and trying to recreate moments. But for the most part it’s a fun exercise. I have a few objects in my life, like chairs, or pot plants, and [I’m] drawing all the different ones that come into my life. It’s for no purpose really, but an exercise to keep the hand busy and the brain flickering.”

Barnett has been drawing all her life, taking art classes as a kid; nowadays, she finds herself doodling at her desk at home, or when she’s in motion — traveling seems to inspire creativity in her. There’s a pleasure in getting lost in the moments doing, where the self-editor in all of us goes out the window, and the free-form flowing part of our brain takes over and allows creation to happen. These moments exist for Barnett in the act of writing songs, but also in the act of these simplistic drawings that adorn her merch.

“When I stop thinking about what I’m doing and stop thinking about the purpose of the piece, or the outcome of the piece, or if it’s good or bad — if I stop thinking about that and just get carried away in the moment, time can pass very easily,” she says. “The push and pull is a bit of a battle. When I find that moment in between all of the thoughts, that’s when it feels most magical. On one hand, you want to create something for the purpose of releasing it, or there’s some stress behind something like art for a t-shirt, and there’s a deadline to print it. It adds this other element of stress… but also it recreates the purpose of the art in the first place. It’s a constant lesson to learn how to balance it.”

On her new album Things Take Time, Take Time, this push and pull exerts itself in the lyrics, the song titles, and the music itself. On the slow, jangly single “Rae Street,” Barnett captures a mundane day, with scenes of a mother yelling at her kid, neighbors doing neighbor things like walking dogs and riding bikes, yet at the end, the song’s lyrics flip to become a rallying cry for someone who’s clearly struggling. On the punchy “If I Don’t Hear From You Tonight,” Barnett’s narrator is caught in mental relationship games that are mostly confessional, a bit paranoid, and certainly a snapshot in time of how our brains accelerate tiny things into way bigger things. The romantic drive of “Before You Gotta Go” does this too — it’s a song about a fight and a desire for reconciliation.

These themes of time and space run deep in Barnett’s work, where the minutia can be used for inspiration around bigger ideas we are all grappling with day in, day out. And this notion of taking simple moments and expanding them — it’s creating a unity around how Barnett approaches her whole vibe, in everything she does. The simplistic drawings adorning her merch, on the surface, look like just that: simplistic drawings sketched out, likely taking very little time. But there’s more to them than that — and it’s a holistic representation of who Barnett sees herself as. That is, at least from an artistic point-of-view.

“Now, it feels like an extension of the music,” she says. “It feels like a small, visual element that connects to the music. I was thinking of how Joni Mitchell has painted a bunch of self-portraits of her on her album covers. I love that. It’s another peek into the artist, into the process. Same with song titles. They are another layer of the story. It all adds up — the song title could be the recurring chorus or whatever, but when it’s something outside, or something abstract… it paints a bigger picture. They’re all small elements that add up to the bigger picture.”

Which brings us back to empathy. Barnett’s simple drawings on her t-shirts have more of a life — just like the mundane conversations or observations in her songs have more of a life — if we look for it. Barnett’s become a master at blurring the realities of beauty around the little things. It’s a grand vision of empathy.

“I go through moments when I say I wished I’d documented this time better, but there’s a world where you can live too much in the past… I don’t think that’s healthy,” she says. “The flipside of that is looking back at embarrassing stuff or bad art or bad writing. It’s kinda nice to be able to reflect on that as well. You can see your own personal growth as well. You can be like ‘Oh I was really struggling then.’ It creates this empathetic feeling… there’s something about it because you feel so far removed from that person. It’s an interesting way to look at the human, psychological journey.”

Leon Edwards is suddenly without an opponent for his highly-anticipated showdown with Jorge Masvidal after the latter suffered an undisclosed injury, per ESPN.

The welterweight showdown was slated to feature on the card headlined by Charles Oliveira defending his lightweight belt against Dustin Poirier. As of now, there’s been no word on whether Edwards will remain on the Dec. 11 card.

At 19-3, Edwards is on a nine-fight winning streak, yet he’s been unable to earn his first shot at UFC gold. His last time out in the Octagon, Edwards earned a decision victory over Nate Diaz, a win many assumed would be enough to give him No. 1 contender status. After Kamaru Usman’s second victory over Colby Covington at UFC 268, there’s no clear path forward for the welterweight king.

With Edwards’ appearance now in jeopardy, a fellow rising welterweight has thrown his name into the ring: Khamzat Chimaev.

Chimaev is unbeaten in 10 professional appearances, with his last three wins coming in the first round via knockout, TKO and submission just 11 days ago.

For Masvidal, despite coming off back-to-back losses against Usman, he’s reach McGregor and Diaz status: his wins and losses no longer matter. Masvidal is a draw no matter who he fights. With that said, there’s no guarantee an Edwards tilt gets rescheduled with Covington calling out “Gamebred” following his own loss to Usman.

Clifford The Big Red Dog (Paramount+ film) — This live-action movie is both adorable and symptomatic of utter chaos, but the first thing that’s worth remembering about the original animated series that “love” is the reason why Clifford is so big. Remember that when you start thinking about Venom tongue-reveal after spotting the “cute” tail wagging from underneath a blanket, and when he sprints into Central Park, attempting to “play” with an unfortunate human who’s stuck inside of a giant plastic hamster ball. Don’t even try to resist the Big Red Charisma.

Gentefied: Season 2 (Netflix series) — If you haven’t had the pleasure of binging this heartwarming dramedy yet, it’s time. Glorious character actor Joaquín Cosío (Narcos: Mexico) is up for deportation, and the siblings must work to save his ass while continuing to explore their own Mexican-American identity, save their taco shop, and generally be the coolest while wrapping their arms around the American Dream. That dream, of course, might be a double-edged sword because success also threatens the communities and values that the family’s hoping to help preserve. It’s a charming series full of authentic characters, and they must rescue Pops.

Passing (Netflix film) — Ahead of a theatrical release, you can watch this Sundance-acclaimed black-and-white movie that follows opposite stances of the New York 1929 color line. Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga portray two Black women (and childhood friends) who can pass as white, and they decide to take different routes during the Harlem Renaissance. They later have a chance encounter and soon find themselves deeply intwined in each other’s lives, which transforms the action into a story about obsession and repression while also exploring racial identity, along with sexuality and femininity.

Happiness Ever After (Netflix film) — This Happiness is a Four-Letter Word sequel picks up with the gang four years later, while they’re seeking more self-discovery amid life’s latest challenges. Come for the rom-com vibe and stay for the thoughtful treatment of life’s issues, which many of us must also tackle.

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow (CW, 8:00pm) — Astra, Spooner, and Gideon are all attempting to halt the Legends’ plan while Ava, Behrad, and Gary land in the Big Apple while seeking a certain scientist.

Batwoman (CW, 9:00pm) — Ryan and Sophie go to an even together while seeking information from Jada about Wayne Enterprises, but an uninvited guest causes a fuss.

The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon — Will Ferrell, Lucy Hale, Dusty Slay

Late Night With Seth Meyers — Gayle King, David Copperfield, Aurora, Elmo Lovano

Jay-Z has racked up another legal victory today, avoiding a $67 million penalty in the process. Billboard reports that a Manhattan jury determined that the rapper/mogul did not breach his contract with Parluxe Fragrances for failing to promote the failed “Gold Jay-Z” cologne. The lawsuit, which was brought against Jay by Parlux in 2016, alleged he “never once personally appeared” to promote the cologne, didn’t help develop product-line extensions to help sell the main product, and never returned a $20,000 prototype bottle after rejecting the design.

Jay responded with his own lawsuit, not only denying Parluxe’s accusations but also accusing the brand of failing to provide accounting reports, business plans, promotional resources, or royalty payments. The case, which began in October, prompted Jay-Z to hire a private investigator to refute former Parluxe CEO Donald Loftus’ claims of ill health in a bid to avoid testifying and saw Jay deliver an impatient testimony in his own defense. “I wanted great products and these guys didn’t understand,” Jay reportedly said. “It was so frustrating working with them.”

According to Billboard, the verdict left both sides in the same place as when they started, awarding no money to either. While Parluxe claimed to have lost $18 million on the Gold Jay-Z cologne and sought $67 million in the lawsuit, neither Parluxe nor Jay, whose countersuit demanded around $6 million in unpaid royalties, got their target payment. Justice Andrew Borrok told the attorneys after the verdict, “You failed to prove your case, they failed to prove their case. You’re excused.”

Disclaimer: While all of the products recommended here were chosen independently by our editorial staff, Uproxx may receive payment to direct readers to certain retail vendors who are offering these products for purchase.

Welcome to SNX DLX, our weekly roundup of all the best sneakers to hit the market. After a heavy slate of releases last week, our wallets are getting a chance to breathe a bit. Emphasis on “a bit” because while the dope sneaker releases are on the lighter side this time around, we’ve got some serious heavy-hitters showing up, namely a new release by Virgil Abloh’s Off-White which is sure to have the internet buzzing all weekend long.

Joining Abloh’s latest Nike collaboration are a few new notable Jordan colorways, and some new drops from Adidas and New Balance. Ultimately though, we’re going to have to give this week’s crown to Nike who once again dominated the list with the most notable drops of the week.

Let’s get into it.

Nike Women’s Waffle Trainer 2 Warm Core

The winter season means cozy and comfy sneakers, which is why Nike is dropping the new WMNS Waffle Trainer 2 WarmCore this week. Season-appropriate fabrics combine with a workwear aesthetic for this simple warm-weather sneaker that combines canvas and suede. It’s not the most exciting release of the week, but it’s functional and fashionable and in the winter months, that’s the most we can ask for.

The Nike Women’s Waffle Trainer 2 Warm Core is set to drop on November 12th for a retail price of $100. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Air Jordan 13 Low Singles’ Day

Released in celebration of this year’s Singles’ Day, Jordan Brand is dropping a 13 that utilizes a futuristic cyberpunk aesthetic with a glowing quilted upper that reveals secret messages when exposed to UV light. To round out the futuristic vibe, Nike added a glow-in-the-dark outsole and inner side with a digitized woven label.

Is this what the future of footwear will be like? Because if it is, we’re all for it.

The Air Jordan 13 Low Singles’ Day is set to drop on November 11th for a retail price of $200. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Jeremy Scott Forum Dipped Shoes

It’s pretty much the end of the year so we feel comfortable calling this out, Adidas is nuts for the Forum silhouette. It’s become the go-to shape anytime Adidas wants to do a big collaboration. We’ve had Boba Fett Forums, Chewbacca Forums, Bad Bunny utilized the silhouette in his sneaker partnership with Adidas, and now famed designer Jeremy Scott is giving it a go.

For Scott’s Forum, we see Adidas take a DIY approach to the sneaker by covering each of the shoe’s signature details with a gradient shifting graphite colorway. It looks almost as if the entire sneaker has been spray-painted the way the color coats everything.

The Jeremy Scott Forum Dipped Shoes are set to drop on November 11th for a retail price of $160. Pick up a pair exclusively via the Adidas Confirmed app.

Air Jordan 12 Royalty

If you’ve been paying attention to SNX in the last couple of weeks, you may have noticed that double-digit Jordans are having a bit of a moment right now. After a summer that brought us endless drops of the Jordan I, III, IV, and V, it’s nice to see the double digits get their deserved time in the spotlight.

This week brings a new Royalty colorway of the XII which features luxurious accents like golden embroidered Jumpman branding on the tongue, heel, and insole over a white colorway with a contrasting black mudguard. It’s like royalty in shoe form, so the name is fitting.

The Air Jordan 12 Royalty is set to drop on November 13th for a retail price of $190. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or aftermarket sites like GOAT or Flight Club.

Air Jordan 2 Low x Off-White White And Varsity Red/Black and Varsity Royal

We’ve long been supporters of the Air Jordan 2, it’s by far the best of the underrated Jordans and it deserves a reevaluation. I think Abloh is going to achieve that with this release. For this two sneaker release, Abloh went high concept, as is his MO. He imagined what an Air Jordan 2 might look like had it been put in a time capsule since its release in 1986.

To be honest, I still don’t really understand the concept, but Abloh made Nike put some work into the whole thing. They reverse-engineered an original pair from the DNA Archive using three-dimensional scans of a pair MJ wore, which led to both the left and right pair of sneakers having a uniquely cracked midsole. A reference to the fact that no two sneakers crumble in quite the same way.

Rounding out the design is the usual Off-White features like zip-ties and production fonts. Each pair also features MJ’s signature printed in a different place, a call-back to Jordan’s tendency to sign his shoes and give them away to kids after games.

The two sneaker set drops in your choice of White and Varsity Red and Black and Varsity Royal. Both pairs look great.

The Air Jordan 2 Low x Off-White White and Varsity Red and Black and Varsity Royal are set to drop on November 12th for a retail price of $250. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or via aftermarket sites like GOAT.

New Balance 990v4 Heritage

Throughout the year, New Balance has been paying tribute to the 990 by giving shine to each of the silhouette’s different iterations. We’ve already seen versions one through three and now this week finally brings the release of the V4.

Featuring a mixed upper of suede and mesh, the V4 features that familiar gray-scale colorway that has become synonymous with the brand and features little else besides a bright “Version 4” tab near the collar. It’s light and to the point, letting the design be the highlight. Good move on NB’s part.

The New Balance 990v4 Heritage is set to drop on November 12th for a retail price of $185. Pick up a pair via the New Balance store.

Adidas YEEZY Knit Runner Boot Sulfur

I’m just going to go ahead and say it outright, I don’t like the Yeezy Knit Runner. I don’t know a single person who likes it in fact. Yet, the Knit Runner Boot is coming out this week and it’s probably going to drop alongside a considerable amount of hype, so we’re including it here. We don’t want to be the reason you missed out on the Knit Runner. Let good taste be that reason.

As much as I don’t like the way the Knit Runner looks, if the Foam Runner is anything to make assumptions off of, this sneaker…boot… whatever you want to call it is probably incredibly comfortable. The isn’t the first time Ye has dropped a knit runner, but it is the first time we’re seeing the design in boot form. That high-cut collar will make this fully wearable in the snow, and if you feel like stunting on the mountain, this will surely have everyone talking.

The Adidas YEEZY Knit Runner Boot in Sulfur is set to drop on November 13th for a retail price of $400. Pick up a pair through the Adidas Confirmed app or via Yeezy Supply.