Category: News

Every update to Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl feels more bizarre than the last one. We know exactly what it is — t’s a clone of Nintendo’s crossover fighting game, Super Smash Bros. — it’s just that seeing Spongebob duke it out with Nigel Thornberry, Leonardo, and CatDog is never not going to look weird. No amount of polish or quality analysis is going to fix that. Yet, it’s also incredible, and I can’t wait to play it.

Every time there’s a new update for the game, everyone rushes to see which classic Nickelodeon character is confirmed for the game next. We’ve gotten some gems like Aang from Avatar: The Last Airbender and Powdered Toast Man from Ren & Stimpy. It’s pretty clear that while they’re going to try and get the big names on the roster, they’re not going to be afraid to pull some of the more obscure ones from the Nickelodeon universe as well. This is a good thing, especially if you’re the kind of person who will be excited to know that Ren & Stimpy are coming to the game.

The pair are serve as a combo character, meaning they will fight opponents. This is exactly how they should play, because it’s going to lead to funny moments like Stimpy using Ren as a weapon throughout fights. The trailer also featured them running over opposing enemies with a car and Stimpy licking them with his sandpaper tongue. They need to be weird, because that show was weird, and so far, the trailer has them playing the part.

The Nickelodeon games over the last few years have definitely not been of the highest quality, so the fact that every trailer of this game looks so good is really surprising! It’s even catching the attention of professional Smash Bros. players like Mang0.

Could this game be the next true esport? Probably not, but we’d love to be able to watch a professional Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl league somewhere down the line.

In a new interview that’s sure to go over well with a certain former The View host, Amber Tamblyn revealed the surprising inspiration for her Y: The Last Man character Kimberly Campbell Cunningham. In the FX series based on the critically acclaimed graphic novel series by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra, Kimberly is a conservative author and daughter of the president, who along with every man on the planet (save one), died in a mysterious event.

As Tamblyn explains it, the trauma from losing her father, husband, and three sons causes Kimberly to double down on her right-wing politics. So Tamblyn modeled her character after the closest real-world approximation she could find to a fire-brand daughter of a conservative dynasty: Meghan McCain.

Oh, and also the Joker. Gotta have the Joker in there. Via Entertainment Tonight:

Viewing Kimberly’s late father, President Ted Campbell, as a John McCain type, it only makes sense that Tamblyn drew inspiration from his daughter. “I pulled from Meghan [and] I pulled elements from a lot of different kinds of women for this character,” the actress explains, before revealing that she even turned to the Joker for inspiration. “Even though he’s not a woman, I pulled from the Joker for some of her looks.”

In a particularly damning quote, Tamblyn also said, “Kimberly’s entire identity has been built on her relationship to her three sons, to her husband, certainly to her father and his access to power,” which, yeah, sounds a whole lot like Meghan McCain. So far the Daily Mail‘s newest columnist has yet to react to being Tamblyn’s muse, but we wouldn’t put money on McCain being quiet about it. That’s not exactly her style.

New episodes of Y: The Last Man stream Monday on FX on Hulu.

(Via Entertainment Tonight)

If the TCAs are any indication, Ted Lasso is going to have an Emmys night to “Believe” in.

The Apple TV+ series won three awards at the 2021 TCA Awards: Outstanding New Program, Outstanding Achievement In Comedy, and Program of the Year, beating Bridgerton, Hacks, I May Destroy for You, Mare of Easttown, The Queen’s Gambit (which feels like it was on seven years ago), The Underground Railroad, and WandaVision. The awards are selected by the Television Critics Association, an organization composed of 200 TV critics and journalists across the United States and Canada. I am not a member, otherwise this clip of a drunk Ewok doing the moonwalk before humping Al Roker’s leg would have won for an unprecedented 12th year in a row.

Other big winners include Jean Smart (it’s her summer and her fall; she can have the whole dang year) and I May Destroy You. The Golden Girls also received the Heritage Award, joining previous winners The Simpsons, Cheers, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Here’s the full list:

Individual Achievement In Drama: Michaela Coel (“I MAY DESTROY YOU,” HBO)
Individual Achievement In Comedy: Jean Smart (“HACKS,” HBO Max)
Outstanding Achievement In News and Information: “FRAMING BRITNEY SPEARS” (FX/FX On Hulu)
Outstanding Achievement In Reality Programming: TIE: “COUPLES THERAPY” (Showtime), “DEAF U” (Netflix)
Outstanding Achievement In Youth Programming: “THE BABY-SITTERS CLUB” (Netflix)
Outstanding Achievement In Variety, Talk Or Sketch: “LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER” (HBO)
Outstanding New Program: “TED LASSO” (Apple TV+)
Outstanding Achievement In Movies, Miniseries, Or Specials: “MARE OF EASTTOWN” (HBO)
Outstanding Achievement In Drama: “THE CROWN” (Netflix)
Outstanding Achievement In Comedy: “TED LASSO” (Apple TV+)
Program of the Year: “TED LASSO” (Apple TV+)
Career Achievement Honoree: Jean Smart
Heritage Award: “THE GOLDEN GIRLS” (NBC)

Ted Lasso received 20 nominations for the 2021 Emmys (it’s already won three), while Smart and Michaela Coel are up for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, respectively.

The ceremony airs this Sunday, September 19.

Jordan Battle, a safety for the Alabama Crimson Tide, said something eyebrow-raising earlier this week: Nick Saban loves deez nuts jokes. Battle was asked during a press conference whether he has a favorite saying from Saban, which led to a truly delightful answer that appeared to get someone in the room to yelp.

“He’s always talkin’ about, ‘touch deez,’ or, you know, ‘suck on deez,’” Battle claims Saban loves to say.

This surprised plenty of folks, because Saban does not exactly seem like the kind of guy who laughs at much of anything, let alone jokes that formed in the darkest depths of Twitter. Saban has in the past been asked about his love of this specific joke, but there is still a pretty major question that exists: Why, exactly, is this a go-to for Nick Saban?

Source of all important college football information Lane Kiffin has the answer. Kiffin was Saban’s offensive coordinator for several years, and he has the backstory as to how he became aware of this joke format.

Humphrey addressed this but decided to sidestep Kiffin’s claim.

I would still like to know exactly what joke hooked Saban here, but Marlon Humphrey, thank you for your role in teaching Saban about deez nuts jokes.

Singer Lauren Jauregui is the latest Fifth Harmony member to pivot to a solo career, something that fans have been begging for ever since the group’s 2018 disbandment. Jauregui previously teased the beginning of a new era with her rhythmic 2020 single “Lento” and “50ft.” But now, over a year after the singles dropped, Jauregui has finally released details about her debut solo album.

Titled Prelude, Jauregui is set to further detail the upcoming solo debut project in a cinematic livestream. Jauregui announced Prelude with a the livestream’s trailer Wednesday, which previews an exquisitely choreographed performance complete with white, flowing outfits and plenty of flowers. The livestream, presented in partnership with the platform Moment House, airs October 14 and 15 and features several dancers, costume changes, and more.

Speaking about her upcoming project in a statement, Jauregui expressed her “deep gratitude” for the chance to finally share it with the world:

“Deep gratitude to be able to finally birth the beginning of this project into the world. ‘Prelude’ is a piece of my heart and I can’t wait for you all to hear what that sounds like.”

While Jauregui has shared only a few songs since leaving Fifth Harmony, the singer has still been hard at work both in and out of the studio. She’s spent the last few years recording and revising her music in anticipation for her debut release, as well as expressing her support for various social justice and human rights issues.

Watch Jauregui’s Prelude trailer above.

At this year’s VMAs, Lizzo and Cardi B’s “Rumors” was up for Song Of The Summer, a title that ultimately went to BTS’ “Butter.” Lizzo did end the evening with one award, though, as she and Yayayayummy won Best Artist x Creator Collab for the “mustard watermelon” TikTok trend they launched. Lizzo wasn’t at the ceremony, though, because she was keeping busy with… something else.

In a TikTok video yesterday, Lizzo hinted at what she was doing the night of the VMAs, with the clip’s text overlay reading, “I really won a VMA while I was getting my back blown out last night… I’ll be there next year promise.” In the video, “Rumors” plays in the background, and the lyrics heard in the clip are fitting: “All the rumors are true, yeah / I f*cked him and you, yeah.”

She also captioned her post, “WE WON THE FIRST @mtv VMA FOR A TIKTOK BESTIES!!! WE DID IT— WHERE MY MOONMAN AT?”

Naturally, a lot of the comments on the post reference Chris Evans, as Lizzo and the actor have had some flirtatious social media interactions in recent months. Lizzo didn’t indicate who she spent time with that evening, though.

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

While it was easy enough to tell that Nicki Minaj’s tweet featuring a cousin’s vaccine horror story probably wasn’t true based on its junior high urban myth-level sourcing, a new report cast even more aspersions on the likely tall tale by citing one important missing factor. When even Tucker Carlson doesn’t believe you, it might be time to issue a retraction.

Nicki’s story cited her cousin in Trinidad, who told her that his friend’s wedding was canceled by his adverse reaction to a COVID vaccine — swollen testicles and impotence. However, the Health Minister of Trinidad & Tobago, Dr. Terrence Deyalsingh, refuted the claim at a press conference, explaining that, “We could not respond in real-time yesterday to Ms. Minaj [because] we had to check and make sure that what she was claiming was either true or false. We did, and unfortunately, we wasted so much time yesterday running down this false claim. As far as we know, at this point in time, there has been no such reported side effect or adverse event.”

He further lamented the cost of the investigation in both time and effort, which could have gone to shoring up real COVID defenses that would actually help people. His comments echoed those of Dr. Anthony Fauci, who also had to debunk the AOL chain letter rumor-quality anecdote in an interview with Jake Tapper. Meanwhile, CNC3 Television in Port of Spain, Trinidad also had some thoughts on the tweet, directly admonishing Nicki for misusing her platform. Props for calling it a “Bacchanal story.”

Seriously, though, Nicki’s cousin’s friend — if he even exists — should probably seek treatment for what sounds like a sexually transmitted disease… and then get the damn vaccine. I have no advice on repairing his relationship; next time, wear a condom or something. As for Nicki, a good prescription would be another social media hiatus… and getting the damn vaccine.

Deathloop rules. Arkane Studios, the creators of the Dishonored series, has a gem on their hand with the time loop game nobody can stop talking about. The concept is simple: The main character, Colt, wakes up on a beach unable to remember what happened the night before. Turns out, he’s been in a non-stop loop where the entire island keeps killing him for fun. The only way to get out of the loop is for Colt to eliminate the eight targets in a single day, and if he fails, it’s back to the beach.

The game is really fun and has garnered a lot of attention for taking a not-so-unique premise and making it fun. It’s so impressive that legendary developer Hideo Kojima wants to play it, which on its surface makes sense. But there’s just one problem: As someone who suffers from motion sickness, this is the kind of game that he believes will make him sick.

It says a lot about how good Deathloop must be that even someone with a history of motion sickness wants to play it. Interestingly enough, Kojima has made a first-person 3D game in the past: P.T., the infamous demo for the now-canceled Silent Hills, was a first-person horror experience. Regardless, it’s a bummer that he might not get to experience one of the best games of the year because of motion sickness. Maybe Arkane can throw him a bone and add in a third-person mode for him.

After flying in hot as the new Captain America, Anthony Mackie is crashing into the world of video games by signing onto a live-action Twisted Metal series from Sony Pictures Television and PlayStation Productions. Mackie still star as John Doe in the half-hour action comedy from the creative team behind Deadpool, which will give the series an added boost as Sony gears up to shop it around to potential buyers. Also, the whole premise sounds pretty rad. Via Deadline:

Twisted Metal is a high-octane action comedy based on an original take by Deadpool scribes Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick about a motor-mouthed outsider offered a chance at a better life, but only if he can successfully deliver a mysterious package across a post-apocalyptic wasteland. With the help of a trigger-happy car thief, he’ll face savage marauders driving vehicles of destruction and other dangers of the open road, including a deranged clown who drives an all too familiar ice cream truck.

Obviously, scoring Mackie is a huge get for the Twisted Metal series. The actor’s transformation into the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s new Captain America in the Falcon and the Winter Soldier finale went over huge with fans. Within hours of Mackie making his debut as Cap, Marvel announced a fourth Captain America movie featuring his Sam Wilson character in the title role.

Of course, the big question is whether we’ll see Mackie engage in vehicular combat with a murderous clown before he takes flight as Cap again, but frankly, either one sounds awesome. There’s been a whole entire pandemic. We’re not picky.

(Via Deadline)

As with most things, the rules of conversational decorum spring from a mix of puritanical hokum and repetition that first wore a path in the grass before inspiring the construction of tracks that we’re all supposed to use when going back and forth with each other. What better way to avoid confusion and awkwardness? But why would we want to avoid those things? How boring. How uptight.

When I interviewed Norm Macdonald in 2017 for this very website, he said, “The only interesting guys are guys that think differently than every other single person.” Norm McDonald had little interest in staying on the tracks. The late comic, who passed away yesterday after a draw with cancer, made his own rules and mined the awkward spaces most comics run away from. Because silence is thought to be a killer when you’re trying to make someone laugh, but not for Norm. He was fearless, not as a high-minded socio-comedic strategy. More for kicks.

There are so many great Norm clips circulating right now as people remember the masterful and pure way he structured and delivered jokes, but I want to pull a few specific ones from the pile which specifically point to the fearlessness I’m honoring.

First up is Norm’s appearance on Comedy Central’s Bob Saget roast. Delivered slow and low, Norm shows off a set of balls that’d put Nicki Minaj’s cousin’s friend to shame. It doesn’t matter if the individual jokes fall flat or feel hacky, earning only scattered applause and laughter — that’s the point. But you notice that it feels like the laughter is growing as it goes. Because fully assembled, this is an unforgettable bit of anti-comedy which roasts the weirdly resilient roast format. And, most importantly, everyone, Norm included, is having a grand time.

To really appreciate the way Norm used awkwardness as a weapon, we have to view him in slightly more uncomfortable situations. Because Norm, to his total credit, clearly didn’t love playing the game and he didn’t always play nice when he was asked to. As an example, here’s this gathering of YouTube comedy personalities from 2013.

It’s a pre-show where Norm is barely masking the stranger-in-a-strange-land feelings he’s having while there to celebrate viral comics he’s never heard of. Co-hosts Jenny Slate and Kassem G valiantly try to straddle the line between keeping order and giving this sweatpanted legend space to do his work. Norm? Like Superman drawing power from Earth’s sun, Norm is getting absolutely nourished by everyone’s lack of comfort, including The Lonely Island, who he introduces as “Samberg and the other two fellas.” It’s a near half-hour of awkwardness with Norm relishing the chance to be a volatile elder freaking out the kids for what he might say next.

Going back in time to 2000, there’s this absolute trainwreck with Norm on The View. Why is Norm on The View? An amazing question. This is more notable for the reaction of the hosts to Norm than anything he says, even though he insinuates, repeatedly, that Bill Clinton killed someone and that George W. Bush is pretty great.

[Side note: Norm occasionally kicked up controversy when things got political. It may be why he often strived to keep politics out of his act and flatly stated to us that he “hated politics” while praising the importance of comics who could make everyone laugh. But then he kept bringing it back to politics in the interview… which is pretty damn relatable because who doesn’t hate that shit while also failing to not be drawn back into it?]

Norm’s statement on The View, which was in response to a direct question about the election and not plucked out of thin air, turned Barbara Walters instantly apoplectic with Star Jones turning similarly dismissive of Norm and Joy Behar insulting him to his face to try and make him stop. This all happens over like three minutes, but Norm doesn’t really waver or intensify, so much as he just coasts, watching the car wreck as the hosts of The View go atomic. And I mean, it was so freaking easy to do it. It’s as though he set off firecrackers in the show’s throw pillow storage room.

Doesn’t it seem like fun to pull the thread on someone’s buttoned-up show plan, introducing mayhem and realness in a way that creates the rarest thing in entertainment — a fully unscripted, unanticipated moment? Unsurprisingly, some people, like Barbra Walters, hate it. But others love it. Look at how much fun Conan had with Norm over the years.

In his hybrid novel/memoir, Based On A True Story, Norm opens the final three pages by saying that the “events surrounding [his] departure” from Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update desk may be what he’s most remembered for. And that’s fair, but while it’s a case study in admirable antagonism how he kept taking a sledgehammer to the throbbing nerve of his NBC exec nemesis over his OJ trial coverage, the more interesting aspect of Norm’s Update term is in his relationship to silence and bombing.

I had a whole song worked up about how there was no panic or rush to the next thing. No effort to make people feel comfortable by cracking self-effacing jokes when Norm bombed, but Seth Meyers summed it up perfectly last night on Late Night:

“He just didn’t care if he was bombing. If he thought the jokes were good, he had exactly as much fun telling them to a dead audience than to one who appreciated them. For so many of us, we came up watching Norm and we thought that you were on the inside with him when you were watching him tell these jokes that you thought were great and no one in the room thought was good and you just felt this connection to him and that ability to just stare into an audience unblinkingly telling the jokes that you believed in.”

Goddamn was it thrilling to feel like a cool kid who “got” Norm and his brand of smart-by-way-of-being-silly comedy.

To be your own compass when it comes to telling jokes or being otherwise creative for an audience is difficult and a little dangerous, producing approximately one genius for every 5,000 flameouts who get high on their own supply. But Norm was an absolute genius who understood the scourge of self-seriousness and boilerplate entertainment and the fun he could have by steering things off the tracks to a more interesting place while challenging everyone else to keep up and similarly toss out the rule book. Though, sadly, few ever did. Here’s hoping his memory is an inspiration to others to go freak people out a little.