It feels like just yesterday we heard that Big Mouth would spin off a very intriguing part of its fictional version of puberty on Netflix, but nearly two years later we are finally getting some casting news about Human Resources. What began as a cartoon about humans and hormone monsters has grown into a show where a variety of anthropomorphized beings influence the whims of young adults, and now the spin-off has some very impressive voices included in the cast.
Variety reported that Nick Kroll and Maya Rudolph will have roles in the show, and Randall Park, Aidy Bryant and Keke Palmer are among an impressive list of voices that will help bring Human Resources to life. The reveal came as part of the Annecy Animation Film Festival, which featured some video teasers of the series and lots of quotes from show creator Nick Kroll about just what Park will be doing: playing a rock named Pete. We also know now that the Shame Wizard, voiced by David Thewlis, will “feature heavily” in the new show:
They were also visited briefly by Park, who shared a first-look image of his character, a Logic Rock named Pete.
“I’m very much a logic rock,” Park said when asked if he related to any of the monsters from the “Human Resources” world. “I felt like this part was written for me, was it? I’m very logical, organized, clean. Pete does everything by the book like me. He has rock hard abs…” he trailed off to laughter from the panel.
Two videos were shown as part of the presentation, the first taken from Season 5 of Big Mouth where we first see the Human Resources offices. The other was reportedly an HR-style welcome video that looked very much like what you’d expect from a corporation that controls human emotions. Kroll also gave some hints about what Park’s Logic Rock and others will be like, calling it a “joy” to further flesh out these concepts in a full-length series:
“You have these characters that represent a major force in the human condition,” Kroll explained of the major difference in creating the two shows. “The challenge has been that these characters don’t only function according to the one thing they do professionally. The Logic Rock is filled with a lot of emotion and love and that defies his nature. Building out the characters in that complex way has been a joy.”
Any animated show that has Maya Rudolph doing voice work is worth watching, and given the popularity of Big Mouth on Netflix this seems like a sure thing. But it certainly seems like things are heading in a very interesting direction here.
The Republic Of Sarah (CW, 9:00pm) — This show follows the ending of tranquility of Greylock, N.H., after it’s found to be sitting atop an enormous stash of the valuable coltan material. This leads a corporation to attempt to wipe the whole town off the map, and a rebellious teacher (Sarah Cooper) steps in to halt the madness. Or at least, she attempts to do so by proposing that the town declare independence, therefore becoming internationally sovereign. Soon enough, there’s the prospect of Greylock becoming a fresh nation, which will present problems of its own.
All American (CW, 8:00pm) — Spencer’s quarterback is on the blink for the big game, so he’s feeling the pressure on the entire team due to the high stakes.
In Treatment (HBO, 9:00 & 9:30pm) — Brooke finds herself disturbed by Laila’s disclosure following their last session, so they talk even more about love, sex, and the future and all of the resulting complications. Meanwhile, Brooke looks for clarity on her own interactions with Rita.
The Housewife and the Hustler (Hulu) — Legal powerhouse Tom Girardi, who happens to be married to The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast member Erika Jayne, gets the ABC News Originals treatment into his real-life legal woes.
Jimmy Kimmel Live — Elisabeth Moss, Omar Sy, Valerie June
The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon — Ethan Hawke, Ilana Glazer, Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall
Late Night With Seth Meyers — Luke Wilson, Juno Temple, MARINA, Stevie Nistor
The Late Late Show With James Corden — Hugh Grant, Mike Colter, TOMORROW X TOGETHER
In case you missed these streaming picks:
Betty (Friday, HBO 11:00 p.m.) — Like a breath of the most refreshing, free-wheeling air possible, HBO’s Betty will soon glide back into our lives. It’s what we really need to heal our pandemic-addled minds, and somehow, director Crystal Moselle managed to gather the Skate Kitchen crew back up for a second season and film on the streets of New York City. The main players are all back — Rachelle Vinberg as Camille, Ajani Russell as Indigo, Dede Lovelace as Janay, Moonbear as Honeybear, and Nina Moran as Kirt — and they’re still making the act of soaring through the streets look like the coolest thing on Earth. In their defense, Betty really is the coolest show on TV these days, and we could all stand to live vicariously these days.
Lupin: Part 2 (Netflix series) — This (the fancy French heist show starring Omar Sy) turned out to be a smash hit for Netflix in January. The overwhelming reaction even led the streamer to hustle fast to release Part 2, so that everyone could see how the beloved gentleman burglar would take revenge (against Hubert Pelligrini) for the abduction of his son, and by the way, we could probably use a lot more heisting as well? Give it to us. Of course, after that train station switcheroo in last season’s finale, we can expect police to redouble their efforts. So, Assane reenters as the most wanted man in France, and he’ll tempt fate while attending black tie events, high-speed car chases, speeding motorboats, thrown punches, and a trip to the catacombs.
This summer is gearing up to be one for the books — with the dramatic lessening of restrictions and newly vaccinated travelers anxious to get out of the house. Despite the travel surge, it is still complicated or even impossible to travel to many places outside of the United States, making a classic summer road trip a no-brainer. Interest in National Parks is at an all-time high, so I’ve outlined five of my favorite itineraries for summer road travel that will maximize your time in parks and your level of stoke.
1. The Washington Parks Circuit
Washington is known for Mount Rainier and Olympic National Parks, but many people wouldn’t be able to name the third — and arguably best — National Park in the state. North Cascades is one of the most awe-inspiring landscapes I have ever traversed. It is dramatic and mountainous while also feeling small and somewhat secretive. Like you just happened to drive into a fairytale.
While technically open year round, many services can only be accessed during the summer months, so this circuit is a perfect excuse to take a Washington Parks road trip. I would fly into Seattle (if I wasn’t driving from another Western location) and start by spending a few days on the Olympic Peninsula — visiting Hurricane Ridge, the western beaches, and the Hoh Rainforest before heading down to Lake Quinault.
From there, it’s just a three hour drive to Mount Rainier. Spend some time in the aptly named Paradise to marvel at the wildflowers and — hopefully — get a clear view of the massive mountain. Then it’s just a three and a half hour drive to North Cascades. Swim, hike, camp, and marvel at the beauty that is somehow still considered “underrated”.
Pro Tip:
There are several beautiful spots to swim in Olympic and North Cascades. Bring your swimsuit!
Where to stay:
In Olympic your options are fairly limited outside of camping. I’d stay in Port Angeles or Forks for a night or two and then Lake Quinault or even Olympia/Tacoma — a great central location to the southern part of the Peninsula and Mount Rainier.
Reminders:
Mount Rainier will be very busy this time of year. They all will be very busy, I’m sure. So plan ahead, get there early, and have a plan B if you can’t find parking at the trailhead you planned on.
2. Grand Teton To Yellowstone National Park
Grand Teton and Yellowstone are perennially some of the busiest National Parks in the summer months — but for good reason. They are both bucket list destinations that happen to only be 31 miles from each other.
Our avice? Brave the crowds this summer and take yourself to both. If I was flying I’d book a ticket straight into Jackson — the only commercial airport entirely within a National Park — then rent a car and spend a few days exploring Grand Teton before hitting the (short) road to Yellowstone.
Despite their proximity I find these two parks to be vastly different experiences, and definitely both worth your time. If you’re coming from the Tetons you’ll enter at the South entrance in Yellowstone, but you’ll want to spend time in all of the major areas and, yes, even the touristy areas.
Pro tip:
Watch Old Faithful erupt from the bar balcony at the Old Faithful Inn (if and when COVID restrictions have fully lifted). You get a unique vantage point above the ever present crowds, and a chance to cool down with a drink (or two).
Where to stay:
The obvious choice is Jackson, WY, but be prepared for crowds and very high prices. The less obvious and also less crowded (and least likely to break the bank) is a stay on the Idaho side or even West Yellowstone.
Reminders:
While there are no reservations needed for GTNP or Yellowstone this summer, visitation is already over 2019 numbers — so get there early and be prepared for some crowds.
3. The California Parks Route
As the state with the most major National Parks, of course there are many great options for road trips in California this summer. I’d generally recommend two different itineraries — one in and around LA and one with a more Northern trajectory. Around LA, you can easily visit Joshua Tree,Channel Islands and even Death Valley in one loop of a trip — but summer isn’t going to be enjoyable in two out of those three. So I’d opt for heading North.
I often fly into San Francisco as a jumping off point to Yosemite, Pinnacles and Lassen National Parks. Sequoia and Kings Canyon are also within 4 and a half hours from the city — giving you truly endless options. Spend a week or a month, you’ll never get bored with these diverse landscapes.
Pro Tip:
Lassen is super underrated (many of you are probably scratching your head as to what I’m even talking about as we speak) so plan to spend more time there than you originally think. Yosemite will be super crowded, but the banks of the Merced always have a spot to cool down.
Where to stay:
You won’t want to base yourself in SF for more than bookends to your trip. Outside of camping I’d recommend looking to Airbnb. There are tons of great options around each park.
Reminders:
Yosemite is on a reservation system. If you opt to head down towards the Channel Islands you’ll also need advance ticketing (they are only accessible by boat).
4. Colorado National Parks
Emily Hart
There are four major National Parks in Colorado, all located near opposite corners — making a National Parks road-trip an obvious choice. I would start in Denver and, depending on my timed entry tickets to Rocky Mountain National Park, either begin or end there. (I wrote a detailed guide here.)
Pro Tip:
Like most of the places on this list, Colorado is very crowded in the summer and most camping is now reservation only. So head to recreation.gov or Airbnb far in advance if you want any sort of unique lodging.
Where to stay:
So many options here. Summer is especially perfect in Boulder, Buena Vista, Salida, Aspen and Crested Butte.
Reminders:
RMNP is on a timed entry system! And to drive Bear Lake Road (where many popular insta-worthy hikes originate) you’ll need another permit on top of the entry ticket on top of admission. Spend some time understanding the reservation system before you go.
5. Great Smoky Mountains and New River Gorge
One of the most classic (and most visited) National Parks just happens to be just four and a half hours from our newest National Park — New River Gorge. If you haven’t been back to the Smokies since your childhood family vacation, now is the time to go. Not only to experience the majesty of the range, but to visit New River Gorge while it’s still slightly under the radar.
Pro Tip:
New River Gorge is known for rafting! Book a tour as far as possible in advance
Towns to stay/play:
Gatlinburg is a touristy, but fun gateway to the smokies where you may want to spend a night. Pigeon Forge is just down the road — and home to Dollywood! For New River Gorge there really are no large towns to speak of — part of it’s charm — but there are many Airbnbs and bed and breakfasts that dot the area and are worthy of checking out.
Reminders:
Great Smoky Mountains is the most visited major US National Park every year. It’s large, sure, but it will still be crowded. Like most parks on this list, plan ahead. New River Gorge is the newest park so info is still a little scratchy. So again, plan ahead.
In ASAP Rocky’s documentary Stockholm Syndrome, the Harlem rapper reportedly addresses the efforts of Donald Trump to get him out of Swedish prison in a preview shared by Rolling Stone, saying that Trump’s efforts had the opposite effect of helping.
“I said ‘Aw shit,” Rocky jokes. “Look like I might do a bid.”
Elaborating on his thoughts about the situation, Rocky explains, “I kinda was scared that Trump was going to f*ck it up. But then on the other hand, I’m just like, ‘That’s what’s up, man.’ You want the most support you could and it’s like, ‘Oh, the president supports you.’ That felt good. Cause for the most part, I don’t think he ever knows what’s going on in the urban communities … I was thankful for that, I can’t lie. I was also scared that it would jeopardize me being in [jail] longer.”
Rolling Stone reports that toward the end of the film, Rocky addresses the Trump administration’s insistence that he never “properly” thanked the man for his efforts. ““It was a chess move and they tried to strong-arm a lot,” he says. “In reality, I had no problem saying thank you to the man, especially if he helped me. That’s the narrative they pushin’: That he got me out. And he didn’t free me. If anything, he made it a little worse.“
Ghana kicked off an ambitious new program on Friday that its leaders hope will reverse over a century of significant deforestation and climate change. On June 11, the country celebrated its first Green Ghana Day by planting somewhere near five million trees.
“The exploitation of forest resources for national development has not been sustainable over the years,” President Akufo-Addo said in a speech marking the country’s inaugural Green Ghana Day.
“We don’t have tomorrow or the day after tomorrow to do this. We have to act now,” he added.
Ghana’s current forest cover stands at 1.6 million hectares, down from 8.2 million in 1900, according to statistics from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources. Much of the West African country’s forests have been degraded by small-scale illegal gold miners and the indiscriminate chopping of trees without reforestation.
Friday, 11th June, 2021 is #GreenGhanaDay. Let’s plant a tree for future generations. #GreenGhanaProject… https://t.co/YiZIBM7sfs
The Forestry Commission mapped out places for people to start planting, including backyards, school compounds, residences, and roadside areas.
According to Sector Minister Samuel Abu Jinapor, the Forestry Commission sent six million seedlings to the country’s 16 regions. He says that the first Green Ghana Day is the beginning of a long-term commitment to repairing the country’s ecosystem.
The campaign brought together people from all walks of life, enlisting the help of corporations, schools, faith-based organizations, the media, celebrities, and political parties.
The Forest Commission created videos on social media to teach people how to plant their seedlings.
“So the Green Ghana Project is national in character and aimed at awakening national consciousness for everyone to plant a tree at his/her backyards, open spaces, school compounds, 100 meters from a road, among other places, and should be a collective efforts by all,” the Minister emphasized.
The Minister hopes to scale up the number of trees planted on Green Ghana Day from five million to 20 million in 2022 to 50 million in 2023 and 100 million in 2024. Making Green Ghana Day an annual event will also remind people to care for the newly planted trees as well.
“We’ve had similar projects in the past. Once the trees were planted everybody goes their way and they end up dying. This time we’ll make it an annual affair,” Hugh Brown from the Forest Commission told The South African.
By noon on Friday, nearly 2.7 million of the targeted five million seedlings had been planted, Ghana’s forestry commission wrote on Facebook.
U.S. Ambassador to Ghana Stephanie S. Sullivan commemorated #GreenGhanaDay by planting a Lignum Vitae tree on the U… https://t.co/Jk7GQR2O84
— U.S. Embassy Ghana (@USEmbassyGhana) 1623426515.0
U.S. Ambassador to Ghana Stephanie S. Sullivan commemorated Green Ghana Day by planting a Lignum Vitae tree in the U.S. Embassy grounds. The tree is known in Ghana as the “Tree of life” for its medicinal properties.
“Prompt reforestation is critical,” Sullivan said in a statement. “The goal of 5 million trees set by the Government of Ghana is an ambitious but necessary one, so we must all do our part, one tree, or many at a time. I strongly encourage Ghanaians to embark on restoring Ghana’s forest cover, repair degraded landscapes, and protect water bodies.”
For nearly two years now, Kelly Clarkson has had her own daytime talk show, the fittingly titled The Kelly Clarkson Show. Over the course of 300+ episodes, the program has yielded some fun moments, like chatting with Seth Rogen about a certain iconic The 40-Year-Old Virgin line, a terrific poop story, and an awkward Vin Diesel moment. A recurring feature on the show is “Kellyoke,” in which Clarkson and her band bust out a cover. Well, on today’s episode, the chosen song was Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drivers License.”
Clarkson is a seasoned vocalist, so naturally, she nailed it. Clarkson’s band put a more rock-oriented spin on the instrumental, which both works in light of the pop-rock style of Clarkson’s biggest hits and with some of the more guitar-based material on Rodrigo’s Sour album. Even in the shortened-for-TV version of the song, Clarkson got to the emotional core of the song, even if the feeling of just getting her driver’s license isn’t so fresh in her mind these days.
Clarkson isn’t the only high-profile figure to focus their attention on Rodrigo lately. Kyle MacLachlan recently turned in a wonderful Rodrigo cosplay, while Zooey Deschanel looked back at Rodrigo’s previous acting role on New Girl.
The 2012 Judd Apatow movie This Is 40 is a spiritual successor to 2007 film Knocked Up. And though the former isn’t even a decade old, there are things in the film that don’t hold up nearly as well as those involved would have hoped. The movie was the topic of conversation between several actresses over the weekend, with Apatow being called out for the way a character played by Megan Fox was treated in the film.
This Is 40 stars Apatow’s wife, Leslie Mann, and Paul Rudd as a married couple navigating a fairly comfortable life in Los Angeles. Mann, who owns a store with younger female workers. Fox plays a character named Desi, who is sexualized in a number of ways throughout the movie. There’s a lingering scene in the movie, for example, where Fox’s Desi is changing in the store and invites Leslie Mann’s character to touch her breasts while only wearing a bra.
There’s other awkwardness with Desi that’s meant to be played for laughs, too. Men (and women) ogle her, and a competitive co-worker says disparaging things about her and later accuses her of theft. But one person not laughing is Emily Ratajkowski. As Us Weekly detailed, Ratajkowski said “that movie is not aging well” when it came to Desi in particular:
“So that movie is hilarious and very spot-on,” Ratajkowski, 30, explained during a conversation with Schumer, 40, at the Tribeca Film Festival on Saturday, June 12. “I recommend everybody who has a husband or wife and kids to watch it [but] Megan Fox is treated in it so badly.”
Ratajkowski got support from Schumer on stage despite her work with Apatow on Trainwrecked.
“It’s Judd Apatow,” Schumer said. “I don’t care, I’m ready to burn that bridge to the ground tonight.”
Comedies tend to fare worse than other movies in the passage of time, but the way Fox was treated earlier in her career is far from a new topic of concern for herself and others in the industry. As US Weekly notes, Fox has spoken about the way she’d been portrayed in Hollywood, including with the marketing for the Diablo Cody horror comedy Jennifer’s Body. But Ratajkowski pointing it out at Tribeca is another example of how quickly something from even just a few years ago can make viewers cringe when considered in a different light.
The Phoenix Suns have won seven straight games dating back to Game 4 of their first round series with the Lakers, polishing off a sweep of the Nuggets on Sunday in Denver to reach their first conference finals since 2006.
The catalysts for the Suns recent run have been their superstar backcourt of Chris Paul and Devin Booker, who combined for 71 points in their series clinching Game 4 win over the Nuggets. It was the culmination of a thorough destruction of a good but undermanned Denver team by a Phoenix squad peaking at the right time with two star guards who recognize when a team’s down and pounce on them. That mentality also extends to the Suns fan base, apparently, as after Game 3 a video of a Suns fan laying a beatdown on a Nuggets fan that tried to fight him in the stands while yelling “Suns in 4” went viral.
That fan became something of a cult hero for the Suns and while fighting in the stands is never good, the Nuggets fan certainly didn’t shower himself in glory with his actions to get that beating (particularly trying to go back at him with a cheap shot and earning more punches to the face). On Monday, Booker put a call out for Suns fans to find the “Suns in 4” guy and get him his contact info so the Phoenix star could, in theory, hook him up with some gear.
One of the internet’s finest resources is Common Sense Media. The website is the self-proclaimed “leading source of entertainment and technology recommendations for families and schools.” In other words, it tells the Helen Lovejoys of the world what they should and shouldn’t let their kids watch. Here’s the “What Parents Need to Know” for HBO Max’s wonderful Harley Quinn: “Harley is working to become one of the best supervillains in Gotham. This comes with a lot of gratuitous violence and death. Characters are killed in gruesome ways, including being shot, stabbed, dissolved in acid, and having their limbs removed. There are frequent mentions of sex and sexual innuendo as well as the appearance of some pixilated genitalia. Characters use every curse word in the book (“f-ck,” “sh*t,” etc.). Underneath the racy and grisly nature of this series are themes of female resilience and empowerment.”
I’m not saying Harley Quinn rules because of all the “gratuitous violence and death” and “frequent mentions of sex and sexual innuendo,” but I’m also not not saying it. There is a line that the funny and filthy animated series isn’t allowed to crossover, however.
“It’s incredibly gratifying and free to be using characters that are considered villains because you just have so much more leeway,” co-creator Justin Halpern told Variety. “A perfect example of that is in this third season of Harley [when] we had a moment where Batman was going down on Catwoman. And DC was like, ‘You can’t do that. You absolutely cannot do that.’ They’re like, ‘Heroes don’t do that.’ So, we said, ‘Are you saying heroes are just selfish lovers?’ They were like, ‘No, it’s that we sell consumer toys for heroes. It’s hard to sell a toy if Batman is also going down on someone.’”
I always assumed Batman was the DJ Khaled of superheroes, but I was wrong. My apologies to the Dark Knight. As for all the bat stuff, though…
Saweetie is still aiming for a summertime release for her long-awaited debut album, Pretty B*tch Music, and continued her seemingly everlasting media tour with a cover story for Complex and an appearance on the outlet’s interview show GOAT Talk. In the latter, she named her favorite culinary concoctions (for which she’s garnered almost as much attention as her music), as well as her favorite songs from her prime influences, J. Cole and Nicki Minaj.
Long before she’d released her breakout single “ICY GRL” and become a household name, Saweetie rapped for J. Cole outside one of his shows, receiving a bit of encouragement from the older rapper. When asked which of his songs is his greatest of all time, Saweetie chose “Cost Me A Lot” from Cole’s 2010 mixtape Friday Night Lights. In the interview for the cover story, she’s asked whether she’d want to collaborate with her underground hero and replies in the affirmative… with one caveat. “On production, yes,” she says.
When it comes to her favorite Nicki Minaj song, Saweetie can’t settle on just one. “I feel like we have to go into two different libraries,” she argues. “There’s mixtape Nicki and mainstream Nicki… For mixtape Nicki, ‘Itty Bitty Piggy‘ [from 2009 mixtape Beam Me Up Scotty] is the obvious choice, but a song I just loved from the depths of my soul was [Lil Wayne-featuring 2008 Sucka Free cut] ‘Higher Than A Kite.’” Saweetie picks “I Wanna Be With You” from DJ Khaled’s 2013 album Suffering From Success because of the velocity Nicki’s flow reaches.
Watch Saweetie reveal her “GOATs” in the latest episode of GOAT Talk above.
Saweetie is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
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