Evan Rachel Wood came forward one week ago to name ex-partner Marilyn Manson as her alleged abuser, and in the aftermath, several other women have accused the singer of abusive treatment as well. Phoebe Bridgers then followed with a sickening story while former Manson collaborator Trent Reznor issued his own statement of condemnation. Importantly, Wood made her statement after years of advocacy for abuse survivors, including testimony in front of Congress and California lawmakers to help lengthen the statute of limitations for crimes involving domestic violence. Last September, Game Of Thrones actress Esme Bianco (who played Ros during the show’s first three seasons) revealed that she, like Wood, testified in support of California’s Phoenix Bill.
Last year I testified in front of the CA Assembly in support of #ThePhoenixAct a bill I co-created to increase the statute of limitations on #domesticviolence crimes. Here, for the first time, I share my full, unedited testimony about the abuse I suffered https://t.co/MwzNhUq8QZ
New York Magazine has now published a lengthy profile of Bianco, in which she alleges that Marilyn Manson abused her during a 2011 relationship. Bianco provided photos to the publication and gave her harrowing account of physical abuse by Manson, who she claims terrorized her (with both emotional and physical abuse that included whipping, cutting, and bruising her) during the two months that she lived with him. Her claims were corroborated to New York by Manson’s former assistant, Jessica Walters, who went on record with the publication. A former member of Manson’s inner circle also spoke up (under the pseudonym of Alex) to reveal that he’d spotted bruises on Bianco’s back and arms, but he was too afraid to speak up out of fear of retaliation:
Alex remembers seeing bruises on her arms and back. He didn’t know if they came from consensual sexual experiences and was too afraid of Manson to ask. In retrospect, Bianco doubts she would have accepted any help. “I think I would have made excuses for him,” she says. “I was in survival mode at that point, and my brain had taught me to be small and agreeable.”
Bianco spent roughly two months living with Manson, drinking heavily to cope. She was often in a dissociative state, “hovering above life like I was looking at it through a net curtain,” she says, raising her hands in front of her face. Once, she remembers, he repeatedly cut her torso with a knife. “I just remember laying there, and I didn’t fight it,” she says. “It was kind of this final-straw moment where I had lost all sense of hope and safety.” He sent a photo of her cuts to Walters and one of his bandmates at the time, with the subject line “See what happens?”
The rest of Bianco’s account is an equally harrowing one (she says he would play her GoT sex scenes in front of people while berating and humiliating her) and can be read here. Throughout the course of the piece, it becomes clear that a 2019 Twitter photo of whip marks on her back was posted by Bianco in reference to Manson. “This is my back,” she wrote at the time. “The injuries you see are real. The whipping that I got here was filmed in the name of ‘art.’ Despite the many years that have passed since this happened my night terrors and PTSD symptoms continue to get worse. I am a domestic violence survivor and #IAmNotOk.”
The same day that Pedro Pascal publicly supported his sister after she came out as trans, his The Mandalorian co-star Gina Carano shared some very bad posts on social media. Again.
The MMA fighter-turned-actress previously tweeted anti-mask memes and “made light of people including their preferred pronouns on social media by adding ‘beep/bop/boop’ to her Twitter bio, which many fans called out as transphobic,” according to Variety. This time, Carano compared present-day Republicans to… Jews during the Holocaust?
“Jews were beaten in the streets, not by Nazi soldiers but by their neighbors… even by children. Because history is edited, most people today don’t realize that to get to the point where Nazi soldiers could easily round up thousands of Jews, the government first made their own neighbors hate them simply for being Jews. How is that any different from hating someone for their political views,” the post, which originally appeared on another account, read. She also shared a photo of a person wearing multiple masks on their head. The caption: “Meanwhile in California.” That’s the kind of humor the alt-right is so famous for. Those posts have since disappeared from Instagram, but “other posts, including a quote saying ‘Expecting everyone you encounter to agree with every belief or view you hold is f*cking wild’ and one saying ‘Jeff Epstein didn’t kill himself,’ remained.”
Disney has yet to respond to a star from the company’s most-watched streaming show sharing conspiracy theories and anti-Semitic images and making transphobic jokes, but #FireGinaCarano has been trending for much of today.
Back in January of 2020, Porter Robinson returned to music with his first new single since the release of his 2014 album Worlds. The musicians has been teasing his upcoming album Nurture ever since, most recently sharing “Look At The Sky” as his first song of the new year. On the heels of the single’s release, Robinson has now followed up with a surreal visual.
Directed by Samuel Burgess-Johnson, the “Look At The Sky” video opens with Robinson seated at a piano in an indoor meadow. Robinson isn’t alone, however, as he’s shortly joined by a group of friendly ghosts who offer him their assistance.
Speaking about the visual in a statement, Robinson explained his concept:
“I wanted to represent the things we all contribute to this world, and how they last even after we’re gone,” he said. “When I make music in a room by myself, I’m not truly working alone–someone else invented the piano, the computer, the software, even the ideas of melody, chord, harmony and scale. We’re always collaborating with a limitless number of people we don’t know, most of whom aren’t around anymore. We’re all contributing something to the world with our every action, for better or for worse. When we’re gone, let’s hope that the things we leave behind will be useful and beautiful.”
Watch Robinson’s “Look At The Sky” video above.
Nurture is out 4/23 via Mom+Pop. Pre-order it here.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers celebrated their Super Bowl victory on Wednesday with a boat parade, and fitting with the boat theme, Tom Brady ended up three sheets to the wind by the end.
Brady, a veteran of seven championship parades, seemed to forget that he isn’t as young as he once was and years of the TB12 system had left his tolerance a little low, because as he departed the boat parade he looked COOKED, being propped up by a Bucs staffer as he walked by the sea of reporters at the dock.
Our first suggestion that old Touchdown Tom was vibing a bit too much was when he launched the Lombardi Trophy from boat to boat, which worked out but could’ve been a minor disaster had it found water and sank to the bottom of the river. Brady, who during the season has as rigid a diet as anyone, probably hasn’t had much in the way of alcohol in the last six months so those Bud Lights and hard seltzers were hittin’ a little more than he anticipated. Compounding the issue of a likely lower tolerance was the fact that boat drinkin’ is a different animal, as you’re out there on the water under the hot Tampa sun and it can really sneak up on you.
Luckily, Tom wasn’t tasked with steering any ships on Wednesday and you can forgive him for getting extra toasty on a celebration day. He also has a good friend there to help keep him upright and moving as he got off the boat. Now, it’s time to hydrate Tom. You’re not as young as you once were.
After the hoopla surrounding a recent report from The Athletic around the Dallas Mavericks choosing not to play the national anthem before games to start the season, team governor Mark Cuban has decided to go back to following league policy and play “The Star-Spangled Banner” pregame once again.
The decision came after conversations with the NBA and commissioner Adam Silver about the need to return to usual as more teams bring fans back into the building for games.
“We respect and always have respected the passion people have for the anthem and our country,” Cuban said in a statement to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks will resume playing the Anthem tonight vs. Atlanta. Statement from Cuban, in part: “The hope is that those who feel passionate about the anthem being played will be just as passionate in listening to those who do not feel it represents them.” pic.twitter.com/XnXpd8ThlW
In the past, Cuban has expressed strong support for those who protest during the anthem in the NBA and other sports, but has now fallen in line with NBA policy rather than continue to make a stance at Mavericks home games. Dallas is, however, among the teams beginning to welcome fans into the building starting this week.
As ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski noted, Silver “wasn’t letting one team make that decision” on how to best handle the anthem for the whole league, and wanted uniformity as fans began to trickle back into the building. Perhaps the hope is that the NBA will look into its policy next offseason or determine a better course with regard to the anthem, but for now, it will be business as usual for the Mavs and the rest of the NBA.
Morgan Wallen isn’t the best horse to hitch your cart to at the moment. He is fresh off a career-altering controversy, having been filmed using a racial slur and subsequently had his contract with his label suspended. Still, the drama hasn’t yet had a measurable impact on Wallen’s new release, Dangerous: The Double Album, which is currently on top of the charts. On the album, Wallen covers Jason Isbell’s 2013 song “Cover Me Up,” and now Isbell is using that fact to his advantage.
A couple days ago, the AP Entertainment Twitter account tweeted, “Fans of Morgan Wallen are buying up the country star’s latest album after a video showed him shouting a racial slur last week. His ‘Dangerous: The Double Album’ spent a fourth week at the top of Billboard’s all-genre chart.” In response, Jason Isbell wrote today, “So… A portion of this money goes to me, since I wrote ‘Cover Me Up.’ I’ve decided to donate everything I’ve made so far from this album to the Nashville chapter of the @NAACP. Thanks for helping out a good cause, folks.”
So… A portion of this money goes to me, since I wrote ‘Cover Me Up.’ I’ve decided to donate everything I’ve made so far from this album to the Nashville chapter of the @NAACP. Thanks for helping out a good cause, folks. https://t.co/Ch3FlDBmJf
Jason Isbell was among the artists who shared their thoughts about Wallen in light of the controversy, tweeting recently, “Wallen’s behavior is disgusting and horrifying. I think this is an opportunity for the country music industry to give that spot to somebody who deserves it, and there are lots of black artists who deserve it.”
Our journey to find the best scotch whisky at every price point is past its “cheap bottles” phase and is edging closer to the “yep, this is the good stuff” range. Scotch whisky that costs between $50 and $60 is starting to show signs of serious refinement. Sure, we’re still talking about a mix of blended scotch whiskies and single malt scotch whiskies, but we’re also talking about almost universally good booze.
If you’re charging people half a hundy for a bottle, it’s safe to say that there’s a solid amount of effort and craft being put in.
The ten bottles of scotch below touch on what makes scotch such a varied style of whisky. Please note, prices will fluctuate depending on which state you’re in. As always with this series, taste is the only parameter besides the price range. Sound good? Let’s get into the best scotch whiskies between $50 and $60.
Chivas is renowned for its iconic blended whisky. This expression — originally created for the Japanese market and released in the U.S. in 2019 — adds a unique dimension to the classic blend. A portion of the whisky is finished in Japanese Mizunara casks, adding a layer of nuanced flavors to the standard Chivas.
Tasting Notes:
There’s serious fruit up top with hints of ripe pear next to almost spicy orange zest, leather, and softwood. That spice becomes the backbone of the sip as subtle notes of fatty nuts mingle with more fruit and a moment of honey-soaked oak. The end holds onto the spiciness with a velvet texture and sweet pear on a medium-length finish.
Bottom Line:
This is a really interesting and nice step up from the standard Chivas (which is perfectly fine). It’s a nice sipper (get some water in it to get a dark chocolate/hazelnut Nutella vibe with that orange oil) that has no rough edges while expanding your palate.
Compass Box is one of the most interesting blenders working today. This expression is the perfect example of the craft of whisky blending, with six masterfully married peaty barrels coming together, focusing on Caol Ila and Laphroaig. A touch of Highland malt is added to bring in hints of dark spice to balance all that Islay peat.
Tasting Notes:
Yes, this is peaty but not ridiculously so, thanks to the subtlety that is Caol Ila. There’s a really rich and sweet apple/pear vibe that cuts through the earthy peat while a vanilla cream brings about a velvet mouthfeel. The smoke returns but is tied to the fruit — like a bushel of smoked apples, pears, and apricots next to a touch of ashy smoke.
Bottom Line:
This is a great bottle to dip your toe into the world of peaty whisky. Yes, it’s bold, but it’s well-rounded and really accessible for a peat monster. Add a little water or a few rocks to really let it shine in the glass.
This dram from Glenmorangie is a much-loved Highland malt. The juice is matured in ex-bourbon barrels for an undisclosed number of years. The whisky is then transferred to French Sauternes barrels which held sweet dessert wines where it spends two more years finishing.
Tasting Notes:
This has that classic “shortbread cut with lemon and vanilla” vibe that makes some single malts so approachable. The sip has a buttery toffee nature that’s layered with subtle oak, mild brown spices, and more fruits tied into a creamy pudding body. The spice then leans a little towards ginger with that buttery shortbread as it slowly fades out.
Bottom Line:
This is a very nice sipper with a few rocks. It’s also a great highball candidate with some good mineral water and a spritz of citrus oils.
This is a pretty unique whisky. The distillery is located in Scotland’s far north islands on Orkney. The juice in the bottles is a classic peaty single malt that spends 12 years maturing in European and American oak, which was seasoned with sherry.
The whiskies are then married and proofed down to a very accessible 40 percent.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a real sense of rich and almost rummy Christmas cake full of dark spices, dried fruits, candied citrus, and nuts with a hint of smoke. A touch of fragrant honey arrives to smooth out the texture while adding sweetness. That smoke pops back in on the finish but it’s more like a chimney smoke from a house a few doors down on a wintry day.
Bottom Line:
This is a solid entry point single malt from Highland Park. It’s also a solid workhorse and will shine as brightly in a cocktail as in a glass with a little water.
This expression is all about amping up the oak and smoke. The juice is standard Johnnie Black that’s finished in a heavily charred oak barrel for final maturation. That heavy char really allows the more earthen flavors to pop on the palate.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a dark spice that’s counterpointed by a soft smoke that’s almost sweet — like a cherry-wood filled smoker. The palate has a balance of fruits from apples to dried berries with creamy vanilla underpinning more of that smoke. The end brings back the spice with a tobacco buzz as the smoke and oak linger on the senses for a fair bit.
Bottom Line:
This really does feel like Johnnie Black re-done for the peatier whisky drinkers. It’s definitely worth trying in a highball or in your favorite scotch cocktail.
This single malt hails from a tiny yet beloved Speyside distillery. The actual whisky is also made on their smallest still, nicknamed “Wee Witchie.” That juice then goes into ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks for 12 years. Finally, those whiskies are married, proofed, and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
This is subtle yet engaging, with a nose of almost burnt toffee next to bright red berries, mild spice, hints of oak, and a bit of cedar. The palate leans into the berries by becoming jammy with more of that toffee and a mild sense of spicy tobacco arriving late. The end is long-ish with a plummy chew next to that tobacco and malty spice.
Bottom Line:
This is a solid neat sipper that’s super soft and enticing. Make sure to add a little water to let it bloom and take your time. You’ll find an extra dimension of dark cacao with a hint of cherry before that tobacco spice really amps things up.
This is a classic Highland/Speyside malt in every way. The juice is made at a tiny distillery on a windswept hill, making it one of the highest elevation distilleries in Scotland. The extreme, high-altitude weather adds to the uniqueness of the barreling program.
Tasting Notes:
You can really feel the softness of this dram from the nose, as notes of wild/sweet herbs mingle with buttery toffee and a touch of pear soaked in honey. The palate holds onto the honey with notes of vanilla cake topped with nuts and dusted with cinnamon. The fruit makes a reappearance on the slow end with hints of honey and spice holding onto your senses the longest as that almost inherent softness coats your mouth.
Bottom Line:
This is a superb and subtle sipper. It’s soft, welcoming, and drinkable, even neat. Still, add a little water to let it bloom in the glass.
Aberlour is the whisky that’s at the core of famed bottles like Chivas. The juice in this bottle is aged in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks for 12 years. They’re then married, proofed, and bottled, creating a hidden gem single malt from Speyside.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a clear sense of apples baked into a cinnamon cake with buttery streusel on top. The palate has that sherry edge of plums stewed in spice with walnuts or hazelnuts swimming in those stewing juices next to a hint of oak and vanilla. The end is medium-length with the fruit and spice at the center of the fade.
Bottom Line:
This is a solid whisky for highballs, cocktails, or on the rocks. It’s versatile and really easy to drink.
This might be one of the most “classic” Islay smoky whiskies on the shelf. The craft behind this whisky is a blend of the unique Islay peat (used to smoke the malts) and the influence of the sea, which laps at the distillery’s outer walls.
Tasting Notes:
The smoke is what greets you with a hint of fruity wood, creating an almost sweet smoke next to a hint of anise and maybe some Band-Aid scent (not in a bad way!). The palate holds onto the smoke while adding a wet seaweed brininess next to hints of vanilla cream, peppery spice, and soft oak. The end really amps up the smokiness while holding onto the iodine of the sea with a final note of salted toffee.
Bottom Line:
This really is a love/hate whisky. We’d argue that if you let it bloom with a little water or a rock, you’ll find something truly special in the glass — but you have to like smoke.
It’s also a killer whisky to use in a funky sour cocktail.
Bruichladdich’s philosophy on whisky making is pretty unique. Each batch highlights local, unpeated Scottish barley that’s fermented and distilled. That juice then goes into some combination of ex-bourbon, ex-sherry, and ex-wine casks for a varied amount of time. That means each batch is unique.
Bruichladdich provides a code on their bottles so that you can go to their website and find out what makes the bottle in your hand special. Pretty cool, right?
Tasting Notes:
Though each batch has its own nuance, there will be a throughline on the taste of this whisky. Expect a nose full of wildflowers, fresh mint, brine, and salted caramel wax paper with a touch of citrus oils. The taste will edge towards malts and sweet woods with hints of sea spray, tart apples, and dark syrups. The end is often very slow and has a well-balanced fade of sea salt, malt, and oak.
Bottom Line:
Find yourself a bottle and take your time. Geek out on the uniqueness of each batch. Make sure to add water to let it bloom to get the full experience.
Karl-Anthony Towns has missed the last 13 games for the Timberwolves as he battled COVID-19, dealing with a lengthy recovery from the virus, but he will apparently be back on the court on Wednesday night when the Wolves play host to the Clippers, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
After recovering from COVID-19 and missing the past 13 games, Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns is expected to return tonight vs. the Clippers, sources tell @TheAthletic@Stadium.
It will be great to see Towns back on the floor, as he’s only appeared in four games thus far for Minnesota, who have unsurprisingly struggled mightily in his absence. It’s not known if he’ll have a minutes restriction as he works his way back into game conditioning, but it’s just great to know that he has gotten back to being able to play.
Towns and his family have been impacted tremendously by COVID-19 over the last year, as he lost his mother Jacqueline in 2020 and six other family members to the virus, and has been very open about the difficulties he’s had in dealing with such a tragic year. He dedicated the game ball from Minnesota’s opening night win to his mother and explained how nothing feels the same now, and having to battle the virus himself after what he’s seen happen to his family had to have been extremely difficult. Hopefully being back on the court can bring him some normalcy again, starting Wednesday, and it will be great to see him back playing ball.
People love to point to “identity politics” as if it’s a new, progressive phenomenon, but there is no shortage of examples of how racial and cultural identity has always played a role in politics. It’s just that up until recently, the identity in identity politics was white.
This has not only been the case in the U.S., where white, male identity politics kept women and racial minorities out of power for most of our history, but in other Western nations as well. Case in point: A story from New Zealand of a Maori lawmaker who was ejected from parliament proceedings because he was not wearing a necktie—or at least not a necktie that fit Western standards of “business attire.”
The Maori are the indigenous people of New Zealand, and Maori representatives make up nearly a quarter of the country’s parliament. Rawiri Waititi, a Maori MP, was kicked off the parliament floor after the Speaker Trevor Mallard twice refused to recognize him due to his attire. Instead of a necktie, which male parliament members are required to wear, Waititi wore a hei tiki—a traditional Māori greenstone pendant—tied around his neck.
“It’s not about ties, it’s about cultural identity, mate,” Waititi said as he was leaving.
Watch the parliament exchanges here:
Māori MP ejected from New Zealand parliament in necktie row
Waititi had argued in the parliament’s recent “business attire” debates that the Western necktie was like a “colonial noose.” Mallard pointed out that he himself wished to eliminate the tie requirement, but that the consensus had disagreed.
In an interview following his ejection from parliament, he said, “As you can clearly see, this is a tie, as far as I’m concerned…this is a tie to my people.”
Speaking to Reuters, Waititi said, “Māori have not been treated equal in its own country and indigenous people all over the world have been subjected to discrimination due to racist systems that keep our peoples in second place. For us to stand up against subjugation, to stand up again assimilation, to stand up against those who try and make us look, feel, make us think like they want us to think … this was standing up against that.”
Māori Party co-leader kicked out of Parliament for not wearing a tie
Waititi showed up to parliament with the same attire the next day, but this time he was allowed to remain. According to Radio New Zealand, the male necktie rule has now been dropped after the Standing Orders committee met and decided it should be optional.
“The noose has been taken off our necks, and we are now able to sing our songs,” Waititi told Reuters.
If kicking a lawmaker out because their cultural dress attire doesn’t line up with an arbitrary perception of what makes up business attire seems silly to you, you’re not alone. Dress codes are meant to keep a sense of professionalism in a proceeding, to say, “This is serious work we are doing, so showing up in your workout gear or loungewear isn’t appropriate.” They should not be used as an excuse for upholding white Western standards of dress and keep people from diverse cultures from wearing something appropriately formal.
Not to mention, how much of a waste of time and energy is this when there are important issues to discuss and problems to solve? Maybe this is what happens when your country manages to control a pandemic and isn’t dealing with an insurrection and impeachment trial. You find ridiculous things to argue about.
In all seriousness, though, good for Waititi for illustrating how racism and white supremacy can be reinforced through something as simple as a dress code. And good for the members of parliament who stood up for his right to wear traditional attire from his culture.
SXSW was one of the first festivals to cancel their event in 2020 in light of the pandemic. While they’re still not holding in-person events this year, they plan on going ahead with a full virtual festival in 2021. Organizers have just unveiled the film festival’s lineup, and it includes premieres of documentary films following several acclaimed musicians.
Charli XCX’s documentary Alone Together will kick off SXSW’s events. Directed by Bradley Bell and Pablo Jones-Soler, the film will follow Charli as she wrote, recorded, and produced her album How I’m Feeling Now over the course of just two months in quarantine. Along with a look at Charli’s life, SXSW will premiere Demi Lovato: Dancing With The Devil, a YouTube Originals documentary about the singer’s nearly fatal overdose in 2018 and her healing process afterwards.
SWSW isn’t staying exclusive to the pop world, as they will also show the Tom Petty film Somewhere You Feel Free. Directed by Mary Wharton, it’s composed of recently discovered 16 mm archival film showing Tom Petty at work on his 1994 record Wildflowers.
Speaking in a statement about this year’s festival, Director Of Film Janet Pierson said:
“It’s been a year unlike any we’ve experienced, first marked by the cancellation of SXSW 2020. We feel privileged to have been able to pivot to SXSW Online and present a fantastic treasure trove of programming, including a pared down and wonderful selection of films that we know will delight, entertain and move our attendees. SXSW Online will bring attendees a multifaceted event that speaks to so many areas of creativity in one five-day experience that everyone can access on their laptops, phones and TVs. While we won’t have the wonderful in-person SXSW that we know and love, we can gather together to be inspired by the work.”
Because the festival has gone fully virtual this year, ticketing looks a little different. SXSW will launch seven films concurrently in two-hour increments from 11 am to 9 pm EST. Once a film is streaming, it will remain available for ticketholders to view until the event ends. SXSW is a global event, but certain films may have restricted access due to rights or the filmmaker’s discretion.
SXSW takes place from March 16 to 20. Get tickets here.
Charli XCX is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
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