Category: News

In 2021, Lorne Michaels talked to CBS Mornings‘ Gayle King about when he might retire from Saturday Night Live, the late-night sketch series that’s aired on NBC since 1975. “I think I’m committed to doing the show until its 50th anniversary, which is in three years,” he said. “I’d like to see that through and I have a feeling that would be a really good time to leave.” Well, guess what: it’s three years later, and the 50th anniversary is fast approaching.

Lorne (in journalism, you typically refer to people by their last name, but calling him “Michaels” feels weird — he’s Lorne) hasn’t given any updates about whether he still plans to hand SNL‘s reins over to someone else. But it’s a storyline worth watching as the show reaches golden jubilee status.

Here’s everything we know about SNL season 50, including returning cast members and details on the 50th anniversary special.

Plot

If only there was something happening this year for the SNL writers to cover. Oh well.

SNL doesn’t have a “plot,” obviously, and little has been said about the upcoming season (although I am 95 percent sure that Glen Powell will be the host with Chappell Roan as the musical guest). But we do know details about the 50th anniversary special. As part of a “celebratory weekend,” the special will be three hours long and feature returning cast members and hosts. According to current cast member Mikey Day, “I believe every famous person in the universe will be there. It’s wild.” He added, “[It’s] going to be insane.”

Cast

No one from the season 49 cast has announced that they won’t be returning for season 50, so it’s possible everyone will be back, with the only major difference being featured players getting bumped to repertory players.

Here’s the season 49 repertory cast: Michael Che, Mikey Day, Andrew Dismukes, Chloe Fineman, Heidi Gardner, James Austin Johnson, Punkie Johnson, Colin Jost, Ego Nwodim, Sarah Sherman, Kenan Thompson, and Bowen Yang. Marcello Hernández, Molly Kearney, Michael Longfellow and Devon Walker are likely to be promoted to repertory players next season, according to Deadline, while Chloe Troast (who is so good) could be joined by new featured folks. They haven’t been revealed, however.

Release Date

SNL season 50 premieres on NBC on September 28, followed by the 50th anniversary special on Sunday, February 16, 2025.

Trailer

There’s no trailer for season 50 yet, so instead, now is a good time to rewatch a “perfect sketch” from last season.

Will the Hawk Tuah Girl be the next scream queen? (Imagine saying that sentence two months ago; heck, imagine saying it out loud now.)

Jonnie Forster, the manager for the viral sensation who does have a real name, talked to The Hollywood Reporter about the litany of job offers that her client has received, including starring in horror movies. “She’s not an actress. We’ve turned down a number of movie offers, including several horror movies. One was from a mini-major company, and the others are indies. One producer wanted to reshoot his movie’s ending to include her,” he said. “She’s not a professional actress. She’s funny. Her lane’s going to be doing comedic things and potentially doing something down the road in that way.”

The Hawk Tuah Girl is interested in starting a podcast and a reality show is already “being developed,” according to Forster. He added, “There are a couple different ideas. We’ll be sitting down with a couple of the showrunners that have already had calls with us and flesh that out.” Outside of horror flicks, there’s something else she won’t be doing: adult films. “We’ve been offered millions of dollars in deals that would be for adult-themed appearances, sponsorships, obviously OnlyFans, and that’s not who she is,” he explained.

She’s doing just fine without it: Hawk Tuah merchandise has made around $300,000, on top of the appearance fees she’s been raking in. And what does she plan to do with that money? Spend it on “animals and giving pizza to the homeless,” reports Page Six. What an unexpectedly wholesome development.

(Via The Hollywood Reporter)

You did it, Joe. As promised, one third of Uproxx cover stars Jonas Brothers, Joe Jonas has released his new single, “Work It Out.” Given the year he has had (a public divorce and a massive reunion with his brothers) fading out of the limelight would have been understandable.

But instead, Joe is bringing fans along with him through the music as he navigates his new life. On the record, co-produced by Jason Evigan and Kane Ritchotte, Joe has a few tough conversations with himself.

“So you think you’re too cool to go to therapy / But look at you, your anxieties got anxieties / You go to bed with a head full of insecurities / Nobody cares what you said back when you were seventeen,” sings Joe.

But fans’ favorite part of the track was heard in its official teaser, when Joe belts: “Even baddies get saddies / And that’s the hardest truth / Called your mommy and daddy, they don’t know what to do.”

As the first offering from his forthcoming album, Music For People Who Believe In Love, prepare for a diary full of feelings to be poured into the body of work.

Listen to Joe Jonas’ single “Work It Out” above.

Music For People Who Believe In Love is out 10/18 via Republic Records. Find more information here.

It seems absurd to consider, but Blxst is only just now releasing his debut album, I’ll Always Come Find You, today. That’s right, despite his star-making project No Love Lost being nearly four years old, and Blxst dropping a wealth of music since then — including two Just for Clarity EPs, the Before You Go mixtape, and three Sixtapes with Bino Rideaux — and curating a soundtrack for NBA2K, I’ll Always Come Find You is technically the LA rap crooner’s first album. Here’s the thing: It’s a really good one.

See: the video for “I Need Your Love,” the Ty Dolla Sign colllaboration that displays Blxst’s newly increased range as an artist. Blxst previously showed off his expanded sound with “Dance With The Devil” featuring Anderson .Paak, and the album goes several steps further. By now, we’ve heard enough from him to know what to expect. All over the album, though, he subverts those expectations, expanding from the G-funk-laced neo soul he engendered on past projects to a new wealth of stylistic influences, including Afrobeats, dance music, and more. The results should speak for themselves.

You can watch Blxst’s “I Need Your Love” video featuring Ty Dolla Sign above.

I’ll Always Come Find You is out now via Red Bull Records / Evgle LLC. You can find more info here.

Beatle George Harrison was pigeon-holed as the “Quiet Beatle,” but the youngest member of the Fab Four had an acerbic, dry sense of humor that was as sharp as the rest of his bandmates.

He gave great performances in the musical comedy classics, “A Hard Days Night” and “Help!” while holding his own during The Beatles’ notoriously anarchic press conferences. After he left the band in 1970, in addition to his musical career, he would produce the 1979 Monty Python classic, “The Life of Brian.”

Harrison clearly didn’t lose his sense of humor for the rest of his life. Shortly before his death in 2001, he played an elaborate prank on Phil Collins that shows how the “Here Comes the Sun” singer would go the extra mile for a laugh.

In 1970, Harrison was recording his first solo record and arguably the best by a Beatle, “All things Must Pass.” The session for the song, “The Art of Dying” featured former Beatle Ringo Starr on drums, keyboard legend Billy Preston on keys, virtuoso Eric Clapton on guitar, and was produced by the notorious Phil Spector.

Harrison wanted a conga player for the session, so Ringo’s chauffeur reached out to Phil Collins’ manager. At the time, Collins was a relative unknown who was about to join Genesis, a band that would bring him worldwide stardom.

The 18-year-old Collins was starstruck playing on a session with two former Beatles, so he played extra hard in rehearsals, resulting in blood blisters on both hands.

“Anyway, after about two hours of this, Phil Spector says, ‘Okay congas, you play this time.’ And I’d had my mic off, so everybody laughed, but my hands were shot,” Collins told Express.

“And just after that they all disappeared – someone said they were watching TV or something – and I was told I could go,” after that, Collins was relieved of his duties and told to go home. A few months later, Collins bought the massive triple album in the record shop and was devastated to learn he’d been edited out of the song.

“There must be some mistake! Collins thought. “But it’s a different version of the song, and I’m not on it.”

Some thirty years later, Collins bought the home of Formula One driver Jackie Stewart, a close friend of Harrison. Stewart mentioned to Collins that Harrison was remixing “All Things Must Pass” for a rerelease.

“And he said, ‘You were on it, weren’t you?’ And I said, ‘Well I was there,”‘ Collins recalled.

Two days later, a tape was delivered from Harrison to Collins with a note that read: “Could this be you?” Collins continued: “I rush off and listen to it, and straight away I recognize it.” It was a recording of “The Art of Dying.”

“Suddenly the congas come in – too loud and just awful,” Collins was devastated, then as the end of the take, Harrison can be heard saying, “Hey, Phil, can we try another without the conga player?”

Collins was devastated, to say the least.

A while later, Stewart calls Collins and puts Harrison on the line. “‘Did you get the tape?’ Harrison asked. “I now realize I was fired by a Beatle,” Collins sighed. The two changed the subject, but a few minutes later, Harrison couldn’t stop laughing.

“Don’t worry, it was a piss-take. I got Ray Cooper to play really badly and we dubbed it on,” Harrison admitted. “Thought you’d like it!” So, Harrison had an entire recording session with a conga player who he asked to play poorly, just to pull one over on Collins.

If you’re in the mood for another of rock’s greatest pranks. The story of “The Ring” told by Beastie Boys’ Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz shared in “Beastie Boys Story” is another great example of someone going to incredible lengths just for a laugh.

The story revolves around the late Beasties’ rapper Adam “MCA” Yach, his bandmate Horovitz, and a very creepy ring given to him by a fan backstage at a concert.

This article originally appeared on 12.01.21

Writer and illustrator Aubrey Hirsch jokingly asked her followers on Twitter what’s a “universal thing that most men like?” because she was writing a comic and “just realized I don’t actually know any men in real life.” The tweet inspired an avalanche of funny responses.

Hirsch is the author of “Why We Never Talk About Sugar,” a collection of short stories, and her work has appeared in The New York Times, Child, American Short Fiction and Time.

The interesting thing about the responses is that they weren’t the typical stereotypes about men. She didn’t get a ton of people talking about sex, sports or toxic masculinity. Instead, there were a lot of folks that mentioned very specific male behaviors as if they were talking about a bizarre species they discovered in the wild.

There were two things that got the most comments on her post. First, men enjoy throwing heavy objects into bodies of water. Preferably, the larger the rock, the deeper the body of water and from the highest vantage point possible.

The other is watching construction sites. Evidently, the phenomenon is so popular in Italy that there is a specific word for this type of person in Italian.

Here are 19 of the best responses to the question, “What’s a universal thing that most men like?”

Whatu2019s a universal thing that most men like? Iu2019m making a comic but I just realized I donu2019t actually know any men in real life.

— Aubrey Hirsch (@Aubrey Hirsch)
1647902733

1.

It’s so common in Italy that there’s a name for ithttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umarell

— James Billot (@James Billot)
1647938793

When asked why men enjoy watching construction sites so much, a poster on Reddit named justdaps had the perfect response. “I just find it really satisfying and interesting to see the process behind things being built,” he wrote.

2.

https://t.co/SpjqBiViFr

— Daniel Larkin 🌹🏴 (@larkin721) March 22, 2022

3.

Me: Thinking intently trying to come up with a good answer.nAlso me seeing this tweet: Ooh, yeah, this is a good one. A good deep sounding sploosh with a big splash. Yeah, this is a good one.nWe aren’t complicated.

— Michael Miller (@Michael Miller)
1647967400

pic.twitter.com/33W9wqOYP4

— Uhtred Ragnarson (@Iskander861) March 22, 2022

Skipping a stone an unexpected number of times on a lake

— Van Weasel (@vanweezer) March 21, 2022

4.

standing while watching tvhttps://t.co/RJBUGPyJBw

— Russ Shanahan (@russshanahan) March 23, 2022

I have seen dudes do this and I have done it plenty of times myself. I usually stand while watching TV when I want to really focus on what’s happening and do not want to be distracted. This usually happens while watching sporting events or the news. It’s also a great way to use your body language to let other people know that there is something very important happening on the television.

5.

https://t.co/mlTq6HmYBJ

— Randojoeblow (@randojoeblow) March 21, 2022

6.

My work life got a lot easier when I started saying “I don’t know enough to have an opinion on this subject”. Life changing.

— PG (@PG)
1647907387

7.

A man will buy a knife, and if there is another man, he will ask to hold and admire it for 4 seconds and then give it back and say: “Nice.”

— Nathan (Elemeno P) (@realNathanWheat) March 22, 2022

8.

https://t.co/b56zP1KrTx

— AreaMantis, Hat Guy 👒 (@AreaMantis) March 23, 2022

9.

If a guy walks under a low hanging sign he will jump up and try to tap the bottom of the sign as he passes.

Guys like being asked to open jars.

Power tools. Give a guy a new drill and he’ll wander around looking for stuff that needs holes.

— Alan Morgan (@lettersndigits) March 21, 2022

When we do this 99% of the time we’re pretending that the sign is 10 feet high and that we have the ability to dunk a basketball. There are two types of men, those that can dunk and mere mortals.

10.

Memorizing favorite lines from their favorite movies, then reciting them with their friends (or even strangers) who’ve also memorized them, doing entire scenes. Extra points for using accents. A true source of unparalleled amusement & male bonding.

— cautiously optimistic 🙏🏼✌🏻 (@BethCal84918882) March 22, 2022

As a man, this one is near and dear to my heart. I can’t tell you the number of hours I have spent with my friends just throwing lines from “The Big Lebowski” back and forth.

“Nice marmot.”

“The Dude abides.”

“Say what you want about the tenets of national socialism, Dude. At least it’s an ethos.”

A movie that’s running up the ranks of being among the most quotable is another dude buddy pic, “Once Upon a Time … In Hollywood.”

“All right, that’s too hot. Anything we can do about that heat?” … “Rick, it’s a flamethrower.”

11.

Right, no-one else has posted this yet, I know my duty: pic.twitter.com/HPwd8qwgUP

— Katie (@ZiziFothSi) March 22, 2022

12.

Talking about their athletic glory days pic.twitter.com/9LmaG2oEiD

— Ben Ross (@BenRossTweets) March 21, 2022

13.

Dining tables made with resin pic.twitter.com/3WQOjEjvcK

— 🌹Robin Isomaa🐕 (@RobinIsomaa) March 22, 2022

14.

Using tie down straps to secure a load in the back of a truck, then twanging the straps and going “that’s not going anywhere”

— Gom Jabbarjaw (@SensitiveWigi) March 22, 2022

15.

When my dad had to chainsaw branches off a dead tree, neighbor men just gathered with various saws from all corners of the subdivision. It was like a siren song.

— Liz (@WarmestRegardss) March 21, 2022

16.

Posing for photos while holding fish.

— Jill Filipovic (@JillFilipovic) March 22, 2022

17.

Given a wood fire and a long branch, 100 of 100 men will find a reason to poke the fire every few minutes. Just, you know, to make sure things are burning evenly.

— Patrick Fessenbecker (@pfessenbecker) March 21, 2022

18.

explaining things to women

— ˗ˏˋ Hayley DeRoche ˎˊ˗ (@hayleyderoche) March 21, 2022

Unfortunately, this is true and men do far too much of it.

19.

When shopping at a grocery store, leaning forward with your forearms on the handle of the carriage, while you walk up and down the aisles

— Joe DellaGatta (@JoeDellaGatta) March 23, 2022

Evidently, after reading the responses, Hirsch knew what was going to happen next. No need to feel ashamed about going viral. It just means you created something that people love.

I really feel for the poor Buzzfeed intern currently searching for the perfect gifs to turn this into an article that will support 8 ad spots.

— Aubrey Hirsch (@aubreyhirsch) March 22, 2022

This story was originally published on 3.42.22.

Gyms are communal spaces where people can come to improve their health, fitness and/or overall well-being.

However, it’s no secret that many gyms have also become a production studio of sorts where influencers can set up a tripod to demonstrate the most cutting-edge squatting technique or where the average Joe can take that obligatory gym selfie to prove that the workout did, in fact, happen.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with either of these activities. However, they have sparked a new kind of behavior in gymgoers where they feign extreme frustration if folks walk from one machine to the next or grab a piece of equipment and, heaven forbid, enter the frame.

Take for instance a video shared to Reddit by u/ASTATINE_628, where we first see several cuts of a young woman at the gym, seemingly perturbed that people are continuously walking through her frame in her video.

The clip then cuts to a guy who breaks down what’s wrong with this scenario in a very clear and concise way.

“This sense of entitlement has gotten out of hand,” he said, noting that “for you to get upset because there’s people simply in your video going about their workout, not bothering you, minding their own business, is ridiculous.”

To act like she owns the gym.
by u/ASTATINE_628 in therewasanattempt

He certainly has a point. Of course, when personal space is actually being infringed upon, like when someone is facing harassment, that’s a different story. But in this case, as the man stated, there is no wrongdoing by simply existing.

The man then summed it all up with a short and sweet reminder about common decency. Or maybe not-so-common, since we’re needing reminders.

“Unless your name is on that gym, your filming is never a priority over other people. They pay the same gym membership that you do. If you can’t film responsibly, if you can’t respect other people in a shared space, you don’t belong filming at all,” he said.

Really, this behavior stems from something larger than modern-day gym culture. We film ourselves a lot these days, and often in public. This has undoubtedly caused a shift in how we view personal boundaries in the outside world, with both positive and negative effects.

On the one hand, it can be fun and self-esteem-boosting to treat your life as one big video diary. On the other hand, we bring strangers unwillingly into our orbit, treating them as punching bags, entertainment, or, in the case of the miffed gymgoers, nuisances. We vainly stop treating other people like fellow humans sharing life on this crazy blue planet. No video seems worth forgetting that.

Even for those who have never set foot into a gym, and never will, this is a poignant reminder to not lose our humanity as our relationship with social media grows. It’s perfectly fine to tap into “main character energy.” Let’s just keep in mind that really, we’re all part of the same story.

This article originally appeared on 3.28.23

Over the past few years, book bans have been happening in public libraries and schools across America. In the 2022-2023 school year alone, over 3,300 books were banned in 182 school districts in 37 states.

Most books that have been banned deal with LGBTQ and racial themes. According to a report from PEN America, Florida has been the most aggressive state regarding book bans, accounting for about 40% of those taken off the shelves.

On November 5, Collier County, Florida, announced that it was banning 300 books from its school libraries out of an effort to comply with state law HB 1069, which says books that depict or describe “sexual content” can be challenged for removal.

Among the books banned by the school district was “Shopgirl,” a novella by author Steve Martin published in 2000. Martin is also the star of the hit Hulu show, “Only Murders in the Building,” featuring Martin Short and Selena Gomez.

Upon hearing about his book being banned, Martin responded with his iconic wit on Instagram, saying, “So proud to have my book Shopgirl banned in Collier County, Florida! Now, people who want to read it will have to buy a copy!”

See on Instagram

“Shopgirl” is a story about a young woman who works in a luxury department store and has an affair with a wealthy older man. It was made into a movie in 2005 starring Claire Danes and Martin. It’s believed the book was banned for its mild sexual content. On Amazon, the book is recommended for readers ages 13 and up.

This article originally appeared on 11.11.23

Contestants on “Britain’s Got Talent” (as well as “American Idol” and “America’s Got Talent”) have long feared Simon Cowell’s judgment, so imagine auditioning with a song choice that automatically brings out his sour side.

That’s what contestant Sydnie Christmas did when she chose to sing “Tomorrow” from the musical “Annie,” which is Simon Cowell’s least favorite song. But much to everyone’s surprise, she totally blew him away with her beautiful soulful rendition, causing him to change his tune.

Before performing, Christmas bounded onto the stage with her genuine smile and spunky energy, which endeared her to the judges and audience immediately. She even cracked a joke about her middle name being “Mary” (Sydnie Mary Christmas would be quite the name choice) and got everyone laughing with her.

However, when she announced she’d be singing “Tomorrow,” Cowell winced and the other judges groaned.

“That is Simon’s worst song,” warned judge Amanda Holden.

But when Christmas, who works as a receptionist at a gym, began to sing, it soon became clear that this wasn’t an ordinary rendition of the musical classic. Soulful, heartfelt, sad but hopeful, she built the song up bit by bit, bringing the audience along with her on an emotional ride.

Watch:

Not only did she get the coveted Golden Buzzer, but she also managed to get Simon Cowell to say he now loves the song he said he’d hated just minutes before. Viewers loved it, too.

“That was the first time I could take this song serious. Before today I hated it, too,” wrote one person.

“When they say you have to make the song your own, she did just that. I have never heard a better version,” wrote another.

“Absolutely beautiful; love how the word “tomorrow” always sounded unique EVERY TIME! Listened over and over…” added another.

“I’ve heard that song a million times and she REALLY got the poignancy of it,” shared another. “It is a sad song, but a song of hope, and it is hard to walk that line and she KILLED IT. It’s not just about her voice, it is how she sold that song.”

She even pulled in people from various walks of life, moving them with her performance:

“I’m a 60 year old highway worker. Just got off work and my wife sent this to me. What I’m trying to figure out is who’s been cutting onions in my vehicle? Seriously, teared me up. This took me COMPLETELY off guard and I am so delighted to have experienced this diamond!”

“41 year old hip hop head here and never did I think I would be touched like this. The sound of suffering with a glimmer of hope in the sound. Who is cutting onions at this time.”

“I’m a 60 year old builder sitting in my van having lunch. I just watched this. The guys in the next van are taking the P coz I’m crying my eyes out! Brilliant!”

As someone named Annie, I’ve had “Tomorrow” sung to me countless times over the years, so I shared Simon Cowell’s initial grimace upon hearing what she was going to sing. But I too was moved by Christmas’s performance and gained a whole new appreciation for the song after her gorgeous rendition. Not an easy feat. What a delightful surprise for us all.

This article originally appeared on 5.1.24

It seems absurd to consider, but Blxst is only just now releasing his debut album, I’ll Always Come Find You, today. That’s right, despite his star-making project No Love Lost being nearly four years old, and Blxst dropping a wealth of music since then — including two Just for Clarity EPs, the Before You Go mixtape, and three Sixtapes with Bino Rideaux — and curating a soundtrack for NBA2K, I’ll Always Come Find You is technically the LA rap crooner’s first album. Here’s the thing: It’s a really good one.

See: the video for “I Need Your Love,” the Ty Dolla Sign colllaboration that displays Blxst’s newly increased range as an artist. Blxst previously showed off his expanded sound with “Dance With The Devil” featuring Anderson .Paak, and the album goes several steps further. By now, we’ve heard enough from him to know what to expect. All over the album, though, he subverts those expectations, expanding from the G-funk-laced neo soul he engendered on past projects to a new wealth of stylistic influences, including Afrobeats, dance music, and more. The results should speak for themselves.

You can watch Blxst’s “I Need Your Love” video featuring Ty Dolla Sign above.

I’ll Always Come Find You is out now via Red Bull Records / Evgle LLC. You can find more info here.