Category: News

Black Widow looks to be on the road to financial success after endless pandemic-related delays. Although the film was Scarlett Johansson’s so-called “solo outing” in the MCU, Florence Pugh won over even more hearts than she’d already captured in various other projects. Yelena Belova should carry the torch well in future outings, perhaps starting with Disney+’s Hawkeye series. Sure, there were a few complaints about the movie here and there; one overriding remark concerns the reveal of the Taskmaster’s identity.

Part of the issue there is that the Taskmaster character felt heavily teased in early promotional materials, including the D23-revealed footage that previewed back in fall 2019. The mysterious, unidentified antagonist was able to mimic opponents’ fighting styles, and the fan theories ran amuck about this character’s Hawkeye moves and (in another trailer) apparent King T’Challa salute, which suggested that this person had fought other Avengers at some point (and yep, Masters did travel to Wakanda in the comics). Well, none of that really got discussed in the movie, and fan theories about the Taskmaster being Rachel Weisz’s character turned out to be wrong. Likewise, the comic version, Tony Masters, was not underneath that armor. Instead, Drekov had resurrected his daughter (who was killed by Natasha in Budapest) as Taskmaster, and the presentation felt a little bit jarring, which led to disappointed tweets like these.

Black Widow writer Tony Masters told ComicBook that some upset fans are sending him Twitter Direct Messages, and they’re unloading on him:

“I made the mistake of looking in direct message requests and someone said, ‘I don’t mean to be out of line, but Taskmaster was the biggest betrayal of my life.’ I got mad for a second and then I was like, ‘Well, you’ve had a pretty good life then.’ If that’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you, then you should be psyched because someone in a movie wasn’t who you wanted them to be,” Pearson shared.

Well, the Taskmaster that did appear in Black Widow, contextually speaking, did make sense. It lent more of an emotional depth to Natasha’s journey and allowed her to scrub a lot of red from her ledger. Still, that depth came at the expense of disappointing some fans because, yeah, they wanted to see Tony Masters, and they got Dreykov’s daughter instead. And as Pearson explained to Comic Book, he couldn’t logistically draw a connection between trying to tie Taskmaster’s identity to what Natasha needed to do in order to finally put the Red Room to rest. Yep, what Pearson says does make sense. However, it’s also understandable that people wanted to see Tony Masters, and perhaps that there should have been more emphasis on explaining why Taskmaster had seen all those fight moves from the other Avengers… instead of watching the character watch a TV screen to learn them. That part felt like an afterthought in the film as a whole.

You can read more of Comic Book’s interview with Eric Pearson here.

(Via ComicBook)

The Walking Dead: Origins (AMC+ limited series) — This batch of episodes will bridge the gap between zombie-apocalypse-laden seasons with the origin stories of Daryl, Carol, Maggie, and Negan. Expect a lot of interwoven clips (along with cast interviews and narration) to remind everyone of these characters’ most pivotal moments as their stories head into the final season.

American Horror Stories: Season 1 (FX on Hulu series) — This spinoff series of Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s long-lived anthology-based franchise will present a new iteration of horror. Viewers will receive a fresh set of terrors within every episode, after the flagship series already dove through an unsettling asylum, a freak shows, a haunted hotels, a witch coven, and the apocalypse.

Never Have I Ever: Season 2 (Netflix series) — Mindy Kaling’s brainchild (one of them, at least… there are so many) returns with more coming-of-age comedy. Devi’s making more questionable decisions along the way (that’s obligatory) while fumbling around through the finer points within new relationships. She does, however, face an out-of-her-control dilemma at school when “another Indian girl who is prettier, cooler” arrives on the scene. Expect more drama at home, too, as this beloved series continues to celebrate the awkwardness of adolescence.

Dr. Death (Peacock limited series) — This true-crime series tells the story of Dr. Christopher Duntch, whose homicidal ways left dozens of victims in his career’s wake. Alec Baldwin and Christian Slater play the medical colleagues who attempt to stop the mayhem and help bring him to justice. The story’s based upon the Dr. Death podcast, and the prosecutor on the case (portrayed by AnnaSophia Robb) will stop at nothing to indict the healthcare system that helped Duntch bury his misdeeds for years. The doc is so chillingly portrayed by Joshua Jackson that this show might freak Dawson’s Creek fans the hell out.

The North Water (AMC+ limited series) — This adrenaline-filled series stars Jack O’Connell, Colin Farrell, and Stephen Graham with a story about a beleaguered and disgraced military surgeon who must contend with a terrifying Arctic mission. The elements are the worst enemy here, followed closely by the crew-mate violence at hand. Civilization is a long way away from this story.

Holey Moley 3D in 2D (ABC, 9:00pm) — This new episode of holes (yes, that’s right) includes a Putt-A-Saurus and a joust on an obstacle that references King, uh, Parthur. These puns never get old for the contestants or the audience.

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert — Hugh Jackman, Lorde

In case you missed this streaming pick from last Thursday:

Gossip Girl: Season 1 Premiere (HBO Max series) — The original CW series helped to launch the careers of Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Sebastian Stan, and Penn Badgley (and the latter is now portraying an amped-up version of the same character on Netflix’s You). HBO Max is now ready to welcome another crop of mostly unknown faces playing wealthy, privileged teens who find themselves socially surveilled and at the mercy of the “Gossip Girl” narrator, who’s still voiced by Kristen Bell. Showrunner Josh Safran has promised that this reboot series will be much more socially conscious than the original, and that the teens will “take Ubers, not limos.” If you’re wondering how well this premise will update for 2021, that’s one of the reasons why this show’s worth a whirl. XOXO?

Following the release of excerpts from the upcoming book, I Alone Can Fix It, that report General Mark Milley’s concerns that Donald Trump was preparing to attempt a coup after losing the 2020 election, the former president released a bizarre statement in response to Milley, and well, it was pure Trump.

Here’s the opening paragraph from the statement where Trump literally writes that if he did a coup, Milley wouldn’t be invited, which is an interesting choice of words:

Despite massive Voter Fraud and Irregularities during the 2020 Presidential Election Scam, that we are now seeing play out in very big and important States, I never threatened, or spoke about, to anyone, a coup of our Government. So ridiculous! Sorry to inform you, but an Election is my form of “coup,” and if I was going to do a coup, one of the last people I would want to do it with is General Mark Milley. He got his job only because the world’s most overrated general, James Mattis, could not stand him, had no respect for him, and would not recommend him. To me the fact that Mattis didn’t like him, just like Obama didn’t like him and actually fired Milley, was a good thing, not a bad thing. I often act counter to people’s advice who I don’t respect.

As Trump’s statement bounced around social media, people couldn’t help but notice that the part about “if I was going to do a coup” bore a striking similarity to the infamous and ill-conceived O.J. Simpson book If I Did It, where he provided a “fictional” account of how he would’ve murdered Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman if he were the actual killer.

By Thursday afternoon, “If I Did It” was trending on Twitter because, hey, nothing says skilled communicator like having your latest statement compared to one of the most poorly received books in modern history.

Upworthy is proud to have Fresh Cravings as a partner in its goal to share the best of humanity.

Tim Rose lost his son Korey to bone cancer at the age of 18. “He was one of those kids that you look at and just go ‘that kid really doesn’t have a care at all,'” Tim says. “He was never moody. He was always there to make a joke.”

To continue spreading his son’s joy, Tom created Camp Korey. It’s a camp for children and families living with serious medical conditions that aims to inspire joy, adventure, and resilience.

Salsabrate The Good: Episode 14, Camp Korey

www.youtube.com

Emma Benoit attempted suicide at the age of 16 and although she survived, was left paralyzed. “I had no self-esteem, no identity,” she says. “I didn’t know who I was. I didn’t know who I wanted to be. I see that with a lot of youth and I know that they’re lost right now.”

Today, she is courageously helping others struggling with similar emotional challenges by sharing her story in a documentary called “My Ascension.”

Salsabrate The Good: Episode 7, My Ascension

www.youtube.com

Stephani Germanotta endured tremendous trauma as a teenager and had to go through the experience completely alone. “I was raped repeatedly when I was 19 years old, and I also developed PTSD as a result of being raped and also not processing that trauma. I did not have anyone help me, I did not have a therapist, I did not have a psychiatrist, I did not have a doctor help me through it,” she said according to Teen Vogue.

After becoming an international superstar as Lady Gaga, Germanotta has used her fame to promote youth mental health by creating the Born This Way Foundation.

Salsabrate The Good: Episode 12, Born This Way Foundation

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These three people who’ve endured hardships and used them to empower others also have another thing in common. They’re recipients of a $5,000 donation through Fresh Cravings’ Salsabrate The Good giveback campaign.

Fresh Cravings, a family-owned brand known for produce-aisle chilled salsas and dips, has committed to donating a total of $250,000 among 50 nonprofit organizations, supporting an array of causes. Every week, Fresh Cravings is donating to a new nonprofit and sharing its story.

So far, the brand has highlighted 10 nonprofits nationwide, spanning from California to New York with wide-ranging philanthropic missions, from food insecurity to literacy, suicide prevention to environmentalism, and more. The company places a special priority on youth social entrepreneurs.

“As a small family-owned business, kindness, and community are at our core. This is why we reallocated a large portion of our marketing budget, $250,000, and put it toward a more meaningful platform. Ultimately, we want to celebrate the best of who we are as humans,” Jay Whitney, FoodStory Brands chief marketing officer, said in a press release.

Fresh Cravings is looking to Salsabrate 40 more nonprofits and if you know one that deserves consideration, nominate them at the campaign’s website.

Being a conscious consumer means not only supporting companies whose products you enjoy but those who give back to the communities that have made them successful. Purchasing Fresh Cravings salsa means you’re giving your family a healthy way to snack while also supporting those who help make our communities great.

Learn more about how Fresh Cravings supports heroes in communities across the country on its website.

Human rant machine Tucker Carlson continues to dodge the question of whether or not he’s vaccinated in increasingly gross ways.

The Fox News anchor has made a spectacle of his questionable vaccination status over the past few months. While his colleagues at the network began to admit that they’d gotten their shots, especially once people started returning to the studio and the company put safety protocols into effect, Carlson continued to spread baseless claims about the “dangers” of getting vaccinated. He asked viewers to harass mask-wearers, he cited misinformation as fact, he told his followers that thousands of people had died from the vaccine (which, of course, is not true), all while the rest of his conservative buddies, including boss Rupert Murdoch, got jabbed.

Carlson’s anti-vax campaign became such a big talking point on his show that people on Twitter started demanding to know whether, like pretty much everyone else hosting a Fox News program, he’d gotten his shot so, of course, journalists also started asking that question. And Carlson? He’s found a really weird way to avoid answering.

Carlson spoke with reporter Charlotte Alter in a wide-ranging interview for TIME that eventually touched on his hesitancy to admit whether he’d been vaccinated or not. When Alter asked him if he had received his shot, Carlson responded, “Because I’m a polite person, I’m not going to ask you any super vulgar personal questions like that.”

“That’s like saying, ‘Do you have HIV?’” he continued after Alter assured him he could ask her anything he wanted to. “How about ‘None of your business?’” But things got uncomfortably awkward when Carlson employed a deflection tactic he’s used in past interviews to sidestep his vaccination record.

“I mean, are you serious?” Tucker questioned. “What’s your favorite sexual position and when did you last engage in it?”

Apparently, that’s his go-to comeback when asked if he’s vaccinated. He told New York Times reporter Ben Smith something similar when Smith dared to question him on his beliefs about Covid vaccines.

So yeah, it sounds like Carlson’s going to drag the whole “did he get jabbed?” thing out for a while. Whether that’s because he really thinks it’s no one’s business, he’s protecting his brand, or he’s just oddly curious about other people’s sex lives and thinks he’s found the perfect excuse to ask strangers about their favorite sex positions, we just don’t know.

(Via TIME)

The AV Club‘s recap of the most recent episode of Rick and Morty asked if it was the show’s “stupidest” episode yet, while a top comment from the episode discussion thread on the Rick and Morty subreddit reads, “This was the most repulsive and unenjoyable sh*t ever. Like if in two years Dan Harmon reveals they were doing a prank and trying to write the worst episode of Rick and Morty without telling anyone I would not be surprised at all. Jesus christ.” What could cause fans of the show to dislike an episode so much?

Folks, we got giant sperm. And an incest baby.

To be honest, I kind of liked “Rickdependence Spray.” It was ridiculous, sure, and not everything worked, but I laughed a bunch (“Morty, you dirty little doggy”) and I can’t hate any episode with President Keith David. Plus, it’s fun to imagine the creative team, including creators Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland, writer Nick Rutherford, and director Erica Hayes, daring themselves to see what they could get away with. It turns out, a lot!

Even they were surprised with “Rickdependence Spray” making it to air.

“I don’t know how this is an episode,” Rutherford admitted in an “Inside the Episode” video uploaded to Adult Swim’s YouTube channel. “I still don’t know how this is allowed to be on TV, to be honest.” He thinks the episode, which features Beth and Summer riding sperm down the Las Vegas strip, CHUDs (Cannibalistic Horse Underground Dwellers), and, to quote Hayes, a “massive incest fetus” being launched into space, turned out “disgusting and tasteless.” But sometimes all you want is something disgusting, like a Baconator from Wendy’s. I might get one tonight (I guess those ads worked after all).

You can watch the behind-the-scenes video above. It has Dan Harmon saying “giant sperm” and “Jumanji sequence where people had to ride sperm,” if that’s your thing. Rick and Morty season five continues with “Amortycan Grickfitti” this Sunday.

It’s been about two weeks since Doja Cat dropped her astrology-inspired “You Right” video featuring The Weeknd, a track off her otherwordly Planet Her album. The singer has now shared some behind-the-scenes footage of the shoot where, true to the video’s theme, Doja researches her astrology sign. In doing so, Doja finds out that she’s apparently very comparable with Paul Rudd.

The behind-the-scenes footage opens with Doja calling up her mom to find out the exact time she was born, a crucial piece of information needed for finding out an astrology birth chart. Doja’s birth chart describes her as “committed and assertive,” to which she responds, “Oh. This is about me being a b*tch.”

Using the same app, Doja looks up Paul Rudd’s birth chart to see if they are compatible. Doja reads off the results: “Right away, Paul might have seemed familiar, like you two were close friends or family in a past life. This sense of shared history creates an ease of comfort between you and a deep sense of immediate trust. It’s like Paul’s the kind of friend you can let down you guard with, you can be yourself with.” The singer then mentions, “I’ve never met this guy, but that’s very weird because his demeanor is very much like my family, which is very strange.”

Doja then checks her compatibility with Beyonce, which is apparently her “strongest connection.” The app says the two musicians would make “incredible allies,” and Doja seems to agree.

Watch Doja’s “You Right” behind-the-scenes above.

Planet Her is out now via RCA. Get it here.

Soccer Mommy (aka Sophie Allison) upped her clout in the music world with her 2020 album Color Theory, a sophomore effort that became a critical- and fan-favorite. There’s no word yet on when a follow-up might arrive, but Allison did share some new music today, a song called “Rom Com 2004.”

The song was produced by BJ Burton, who is known for his work with artists like Bon Iver, Charli XCX, Chance The Rapper, and many others. Allison says of the track, “I wrote this song a while back and made a poppy demo for it. Then I told BJ to destroy it.”

Based on how Allison described the creation of the song, the result makes sense. For a lot of the track, it sounds like one of the breezy, poppy tunes from one of her last two albums, but there are times when it sounds like the device used to play the track is malfunctioning, resulting in some dissonance that keeps you on your toes and wondering what’s going to happen next.

The song arrives with an appropriately glitched-out visual, which features a Nintendo Mii-like representation of Allison adventuring through a city and encountering all sorts of madness.

Listen to “Rom Com 2004” above.

DDG is having a breakout year/month/week. His recent shift toward music from vlogging can definitely be considered a success after his Die 4 Respect mixtape with OG Parker charted on the Billboard 200 and its single “Moonwalking in Calabasas” was certified Platinum by the RIAA. Those feats were followed up by his selection to the 2021 XXL Freshman class and this week, Uproxx debuted our digital cover story profiling his journey from working at TJ Maxx in Pontiac to making five-figure checks from YouTube to his current hip-hop stardom.

Today, he caps all that off with a performance of his latest Die 4 Respect single “Hood Melody” for UPROXX Sessions, projecting the calm confidence befitting of a burgeoning star. Along with his XXL Cypher, it’s a glimpse at a surprisingly polished performer who is taking the craft seriously, even as he continues to expand his interests into even more areas like acting and amateur boxing.

Watch DDG perform “Hood Melody” for UPROXX Sessions above.

UPROXX Sessions is Uproxx’s performance show featuring the hottest up-and-coming acts you should keep an eye on. Featuring creative direction from LA promotion collective, Ham On Everything, and taking place on our “bathroom” set designed and painted by Julian Gross, UPROXX Sessions is a showcase of some of our favorite performers, who just might soon be yours, too.

Bradley Beal’s dreams of participating in the 2020 Summer Olympics appear to be on the verge of ending. According to a report by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, USA Basketball is looking for someone who can take a spot on the roster from Beal, who entered health and safety protocols on Wednesday.

This would be an absolutely brutal blow for Beal, who figured to play a major role for the Americans as they looked to win their fourth consecutive gold medal. It is unclear if he entered the protocols because he tested positive for COVID-19 or was just a close contact of someone who did, nor is it clear if a similar fate will befall Jerami Grant, who reportedly had the same thing happen to him on Thursday.

The question, should Beal need to be replaced, is whether or not the organization tries to get another guard to fill his role — Cleveland Cavaliers youngster Darius Garland, a Select Team member who has been with the team in recent days while they wait for their players that are still participating in the NBA Finals, would be a snug fit — or if they look to address their relative lack of size by adding someone who can play big man and go up against the likes of France’s Rudy Gobert. The team has a little time to make a decision, as their first game will take place on July 25 against Gobert and the French.