Category: News

Sia isn’t bad, she’s just drawn that way in the trippy animated video for her new song “Hey Boy” featuring Burna Boy. The song is the closing track on the soundtrack to Sia’s upcoming directorial debut Music, which stars Kate Hudson, Leslie Odom Jr., and Maddie Ziegler.

The video is directed by Rafatoon and turns Sia and Burna Boy into cartoon characters straight out of classic animated films like Who Framed Roger Rabbit? — or maybe Cool World, the reference to which probably just carbon-dated me as a fossil. The video also takes inspiration from anime and the psychedelic Yellow Submarine short film, as Sia’s lounge singer not only sings her way through the old “wolf whistle” trope but also flies through a pair of trippy dream sequences. Burna Boy is an anthropomorphic cat, for some reason, but don’t worry — at least his grill is intact.

Music is set to follow estranged sisters played by Hudson and Ziegler, whose relationship is helped along by Odom Jr.’s neighbor character. It’s being described as a musical drama, so it helps that the music is provided by Labrinth as well. The film debuts on IMAX screens on February 12, 2021.

Watch the “Hey Boy” video above.

Music – Songs From And Inspired By The Motion Picture is out 2/12 on Monkey Puzzle/Atlantic. You can pre-save it here.

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

Donald Trump loved his Twitter account, possibly even more than his own children. The president has been a prolific user of the platform for going on a decade, but what started as random tweets that alternated between giving Robert Pattinson advice after being cheated on by Kristen Stewart and birther conspiracy theories about Barack Obama descended into a constant stream of fiery rants that threatened markets and foreign relations. The situation with Trump’s Twitter account, which was already being aggressively labeled for spreading misinformation about the 2020 election, reached a tipping point following the attack on the Capitol last week.

After mounting public and internal pressure over the very real possibility of Trump inciting more violence, Twitter finally banned Trump last Friday, which broke the dam on Google, Apple and Amazon taking aggressive steps to curb a future MAGA insurrection from being planned on their platforms. However, in light of the industry-wide efforts to deplatform the dangerous rhetoric coming from Trump-world, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey is concerned about the “dangerous” precedent that his company and others may have set. While Dorsey ultimately agrees that banning Trump was the right move, he’s worried the situation may have consequences on the “public conversation.” Via Twitter:

This moment in time might call for this dynamic, but over the long term it will be destructive to the noble purpose and ideals of the open internet. A company making a business decision to moderate itself is different from a government removing access, yet can feel much the same. Yes, we all need to look critically at inconsistencies of our policy and enforcement. Yes, we need to look at how our service might incentivize distraction and harm. Yes, we need more transparency in our moderation operations. All this can’t erode a free and open global internet.

After waxing poetic about the virtues of a free and open internet, Dorsey pivoted the discussion into a pitch for… Bitcoin, which was probably not what people were expecting while reading a thread about de-platforming the president of the United States.

You can read Dorsey’s thoughts on banning Trump below:

(Via Jack Dorsey on Twitter)

After 2020’s Marvel movie drought, the studio is prepping to launch its highly-anticipated Phase Four plan, and WandaVision seems to be the show that will slingshot fans into the Multiverse and time-travel side-plots and galaxy-hopping adventures that await. In other words, Disney+’s first comic book spin-off has a lot of heavy-lifting to do, especially considering we’re still dealing with the fallout of Avenger’s Endgame and the revelations of Spider-Man: Far From Home. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

A decade of storytelling and dozens of movies pre-date WandaVision, and because our collective pandemic brain fog means most of us can’t remember what happened last week let alone two years ago, we thought a quick recap of the MCU might be in order before Scarlet Witch throws everything into chaos.

Phase One

Marvel’s first phase launched with Iron Man and ended with The Avengers team-up. Most of the storylines introduced within this first crop of films have been neatly wrapped. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) went on to co-captain the Avengers with Steve Rogers (Chris Evans). Thor (Chris Hemsworth) would become worthy of wielding Mjolnir and return to fulfill his duties on Asgard. Captain America earned his fame in the past before being unfrozen in the present and having to come to terms with losing his first love, Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), and best friend, James “Bucky” Barnes (Sebastian Stan). And Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow foiled Iron Man before recruiting the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) in a battle against an alien invasion led by Thor’s mischievous younger brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) in The Avengers. That final film set up Marvel’s second phase, but key events also had a role to play in Avengers Endgame, setting up a future Loki series on Disney+ and throwing the timeline into a tailspin.

Biggest Takeaways

– The introduction of Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and The Hulk.
– Loki’s invasion of New York and the power of the Tesseract.
– The earliest introduction of Thanos (Josh Brolin).

Phase Two

The MCU’s Phase Two kicked off with Iron Man 3, which saw Tony Stark reeling from the battle of New York. His PTSD and fear that partnering with Asgardian Gods had opened up Earth to bigger threats than he was capable of dealing with are what eventually would lead to the creation of Ultron, the villain in the second Avengers team-up flick. This phase also introduced Captain America’s sidekick, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), and revealed that Hydra (a nefarious organization created by Nazis who caused headaches for Steve Rogers in his origin story) had not only infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. but also turned his friend Bucky, who he thought was dead, into a deadly assassin named the Winter Soldier. Phase Two also marked one of the first outings into space for the MCU, introducing fans to Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) and his team of reluctant heroes in Guardians of the Galaxy. It’s here we learned more about the Infinity Stones, the powerful elemental crystals forged during the birth of the universe that control essential aspects of our existence. Ronan (Lee Pace) is the central villain in Guardians of the Galaxy and appears to be working for Thanos, who’s been seeking the stones for a long time.

Speaking of the Avengers, they regroup to take on Tony Stark’s Frankenstein creation in Age of Ultron. Once a computer program meant to monitor and manage threats to our planet, Ultron grows into an uncontrollable force, wielding technology to bring about the end of mankind who he deems the biggest threat to peace. He partners with the Maximoff twins, Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) and Pietro (Aaron Johnson) who were imbued with powers from Loki’s scepter — which once housed the Mind Stone — as part of an experiment conducted by Hydra. Age of Ultron nearly tears the team apart, with Thor vanishing to pursue apocalyptic visions that hint at Thanos’ larger plan and the Hulk taking off in the Quinjet to planets unknown but it does introduce Scarlet Witch as a new member of the team, now led by Captain America after Iron Man decides to retire and leads to the creation of Vision (Paul Bettany), an all-powerful being powered by the Mind Stone. Phase Two also introduced Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man, who would play a crucial role in solving the problem of “the snap” in Endgame, and saw a reunion of sorts between Thor and his brother Loki, who had to work together to save Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) after an army of Dark Elves seeking a powerful object target her.

Biggest Takeaways

– Hydra has taken over S.H.I.E.L.D. and revived Bucky Barnes as the Winter Soldier.
– Ronan, working under Thanos, seeks the Infinity Stones and is defeated by the Guardians of the Galaxy.
– Wanda Maximoff is introduced and her powers open up new possibilities in the MCU.
– Vision is created using the Mind Stone.
– Ant-Man is introduced, as is Sam Wilson.

Phase Three

Still with us? Good, because Phase Three is where the MCU really complicates its timeline. Captain America: Civil War serves as the spark, setting Tony Stark and Steve Rogers against each other after Bucky Barnes lands on everyone’s most-wanted list, and Wanda Maximoff accidentally blows up a building with Wakandan emissaries inside. The governments of the world want to be able to control Earth’s mightiest heroes, something that doesn’t sit well with Captain America, but the split between the two friends is made worse when Wakanda’s king is killed by a bomb set off during peace negotiations between friendly nations. This marks one of the first introductions to Wakanda, a secret African society with advanced technology, and it’s when we officially meet T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman), the new king and heir to the Black Panther mantle. The reveal that Wakanda’s resources far surpass what many believed to be possible ties into later films.

Captain America is able to clear his friend’s name, but not before Stark learns it was the Winter Soldier who killed his parents, cementing the rift between the pair. Doctor Strange follows, which sets up the idea of multiple timelines and alternate universes as Stephen Strange bears the burden of protecting the Time Stone. In Guardians of the Galaxy 2, Quill learns his father, Ego (Kurt Russell) is actually an Elder God, a reveal that will have consequences in future films. Spider-Man: Homecoming gives Peter Parker (Tom Holland) his first feature film in the MCU after giving his mentor, Tony Stark, an assist in Civil War. Thor: Ragnarok sees the destruction of Asgard following the death of King Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and the return of his murderous offspring Hela (Cate Blanchett). Not only does the arrival of the Goddess of Death trigger Ragnarok (or the end of all times), but it also launches Thor onto a trash heap planet called Sakar and discovers the Hulk has been there since the events of Age of Ultron. He also teams up with Loki and a Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) to face off against Hela, which ends with the destruction of Asgard and the migration of its people. It’s here we learn that the Infinity Gauntlet introduced in Thor was a fake, and we see Thanos’ ship overtake the Asgardian fleet in a post-credits scene.

In the chain of events, Black Panther entry takes place about a week following the split of the Avengers. We see T’Challa officially inherit the throne and face opposition from a new villain named Kilmonger (Michael B. Jordan). We also see S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) partner with Black Panther to learn more about the origins and uses of Vibranium, which ends with T’Challa revealing his country’s richest secret to the world. In Black Panther, we also get our first glimpse of the Soul Stone, or at least its power, as T’Challa communes with his dead father on some kind of astral plane.

Exploring the world of Wakanda was a big step towards setting up the climactic battle of MCU’s Phase Four as Infinity War picks up with Thanos scouring Earth for the final two stones he needs to complete the gauntlet. After Thanos lays waste to the ship carrying the last of Asgard’s people, killing Loki and Heimdall (Idris Elba) in pursuit of the Space Stone, Thor is set adrift in space, and the Hulk, now just Bruce Banner, is sent back to Earth. He warns Doctor Strange of Thanos’ plan, but Strange is taken hostage by the villain’s lieutenants anyway, while Tony Stark and Peter Parker catch a ride on their spaceship in order to rescue him. Thanos’ plan to retrieve the Mind Stone from Vision goes awry, but he is able to score the Reality Stone from The Collector before the Guardians of the Galaxy can get to it. While Thor, Groot, and Rocket travel to a mythical planet to create a new battle-weapon to replace the destroyed Mjolnir, the rest of the team heads to Nowhere. It’s here Gamora reveals she knows where the Soul Stone is hidden which is why Thanos captures her. He’ll eventually sacrifice her to retrieve the Stone before facing off against Doctor Strange, Iron Man, Spider-Man, and the Guardians on a planet called Titan. He’s able to retrieve the Time Stone after Strange reveals he’s only seen one possible outcome where they defeat Thanos, which leaves Vision as the last barrier to ultimate power. So the fight heads to Wakanda, where Thanos kills Vision before snapping his fingers and wiping out half of the galaxy’s population including Black Panther, Scarlet Witch, the Winter Soldier, Peter Parker, and most of the Guardians. Before Nick Fury disintegrates he contacts Captain Marvel, which sets her origin story into motion, but first, another Ant-Man movie dated before Infinity War introduces The Wasp (Evangeline Lily) and the concept of the Quantum Realm.

Captain Marvel, the MCU’s first female-led superhero installment, takes place decades before any Marvel film to date, following the story of Carol Danvers, a U.S. Air Force pilot turned Kree warrior who discovers her extraordinary powers come from the Tesseract. The film also marks the return of Ronan, and a more in-depth look at the war between the Kree civilization and the Skrulls, whom Danvers sides with in the end. She teams up with Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) to defeat the Kree Empire, which serves as the catalyst for Fury’s formation of S.H.I.E.L.D. and his determination to put together a group of superpowered heroes to protect Earth.

This brings us to Endgame, where the survivors of the snap reverse time with help from Ant-Man and his knowledge of the Quantum Realm. Black Widow sacrifices herself to retrieve the Soul Stone before Tony Stark wields the Infinity Gauntlet to snap Thanos and his army out of existence at the cost of his own life. Endgame brings everyone back, though the five years post-snap are remembered by the survivors, and it also sets Thor on a journey with the Guardians, after passing the mantle of king to Valkyrie. When placing the Infinity Stones back in their correct timelines, a past version of Loki manages to escape with the Tesseract and Steve Rogers decides to live out his life with Peggy Carter, reappearing as an old man and passing the shield to friend Sam Wilson. Vision is still gone, having died before the snap, as is the post Guardians version of Gamora (though Star-Lord has gone off in search of the old Gamora).

And in Spider-Man: Far From Home, Peter Parker, now back from the beyond, is left navigating the years he missed, mourning the loss of his mentor, and fielding new threats in the form of Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio, a villain from the multi-verse. Well, not really. Mysterio claims to be from the multi-verse, but he’s really just a disgruntled Stark groupie out for revenge. Still, Far From Home introduces concepts that WandaVision is sure to pick up and run with.

Biggest Takeaways

– Thanos, Vision, Black Widow, and Iron Man are dead. The snap has been reversed but the five years in between Infinity War and Endgame still exist.
– Loki is somewhere in the timeline, armed with the Tesseract.
– Thor has partnered with the Guardians for more space adventures, leaving Valkyrie to look over the Asgardians on Earth.
– Peter Parker is positioned as the next Iron Man, err Spider, and we learn of the existence of the multi-verse thanks to the villain Mysterio.
– Captain America is now an old man and has passed the shield to Sam Wilson, setting up a future Disney+ spin-off.

So What Does That Mean For WandaVision?

The plot of WandaVision is being kept tightly under wraps. Even critics who’ve seen the first few episodes aren’t spoiling anything which makes sense seeing as the biggest story developments seem to happen later in the season. But, here’s what we know about how the show fits into all of this MCU history we just Cliff-noted.

WandaVision is set after the events of Endgame and, judging by its many trailers, it looks to be an amalgam of TV eras — from black and white sitcoms like I Love Lucy to ’80s family comedies. It’s said to sport a lineup of familiar faces, including Kat Dennings as Darcy Lewis from the Thor films and Randall Park as FBI agent Jimmy Woo from Ant-Man and the Wasp. This suggests that WandaVision might explore the concept of the multiverse in full, as Wanda interacts with key characters across timelines. In fact, it might be Wanda herself who’s responsible for the multiverse problem, something the confirmation of a new Doctor Strange movie and Elizabeth Olsen’s starring role in it, suggests.

It’s likely Vision is still dead, or somewhere in between life and death, when WandaVision starts and, to cope with the loss, Wanda has created a world or timeline that throws everything into chaos, which could have repercussions down the line.

Disney+’s ‘WandaVision’ will premiere on January 15.

SZA wrapped up her 2020 by dropping “Good Days,” and now she wants to kick off 2021 by making a video for the single. She wants her fans help making the visual, and the response she got was overwhelming.

She shared a video and image of a piece of notebook paper that reads, “Y’all asked and it’s coming!! I’m shooting ‘Good Days’ BUT I NEED YOUR HELP! I decided that this is ALL OUR SONG AND I HAVE TO HAVE YOU IN IT!! SEND ME STUFF! I WANNA SEE your happiest, saddest, YOU UGLIEST moments!! I wanna see what’s been keeping you alive! What does Good days mean to YOU! Whether you’re crying dancing screaming or sleeping IDCCC SEND IT TO ME!!! I WANNA SEE ITTT!! This is about us as a collective. LETS GO. I love you -Lana.” She also included an email address to send footage to, [email protected].

She shared some guidelines for her fans to share the videos, writing, “RULES: for best quality DOWNLOAD ALL VIDEOS TO YOUR COMPUTER TRY NOT TO TEXT THEM . Upload files to Dropbox or another hi res link and send that. HORIZONTAL orientation is best !!! DEADLINE IS SATURDAY @ MIDNIGHT.”

After about three hours, the inbox of that email address she set up was apparently full. SZA shared a screenshot of a text from somebody that reads, “Whew chile. Right under 2500 submissions. The Gmail account is full I can add more space.”

Elsewhere, she noted that the video won’t be made up entirely of fan-submitted footage, writing, “it’s PART of the video .. jus part.”

All in all, this initiative lines up with the New Year’s resolution she made before the end of 2020 as it relates to her fans, when she wrote that she wants “better friendships 2021 so imma be a better friend.”

“You’ve got red on you” has a whole new meaning.

Netflix’s Red Dot has a simple but stressful simple: a couple goes on a camping trip in the middle of nowhere, only for a mysterious red dot, looking like something from a video game gun, appears on their tent — and continues to follow them through the night. Not ideal. The Swedish movie, from director Alain Darborg, stars Anastasios Soulis and Nanna Blondell as Nadja and David, the couple who must escape from the red dot in the snowy wilderness, or else. If you like Open Water or Buried or Phone Booth, all thrillers/horror movies that largely take place in a single location, you will probably like Red Dot. (Red Dot technically isn’t contained to a single location, as Nadja and David leave the tent, but 1) I’m distracting myself from thinking about what happens to the cute dog in the trailer above, and 2) I wanted to mention Phone Booth, because it rules.)

Here’s the official plot synopsis.

When a red laser dot appears in Nadja and David’s tent, the once romantic trip now becomes a fight for their lives. During this sadistic hunt, the couple’s past comes back to haunt them.

Red Dot premieres on Netflix on February 11, just in time for Valentine’s Day.

Quite like how Marvel’s The Punisher keeps being co-opted by those who (including the U.S. Capitol rioters) don’t understand the character, Captain America has also been pulled into the failed MAGA coup. Steve Rogers, of course, stood against fascism and white supremacy, but that didn’t stop last week’s insurrectionists from seizing upon the character for their own twisted ends. Some were photographed while brandishing a Cap shield (adorned with Pepe the Frog) and even wearing specially made “Civil War” sweatshirts with a Marvel-esque font and a “release date” of January 6, 2021.

In response to the insurrection, Cap actor Chris Evans condemned the failed (and deadly) coup as it unfolded, and now, the son of Captain America creator Jack Kirby is speaking out to wholeheartedly denounce the rioters who are calling themselves “patriots” and using the Cap symbols to do so. In a statement to CNN’s Jake Tapper, Neal Kirby explained the sense of horror he felt while watching events unfold:

“While watching one of the horrific videos of the storming of the Capitol, I thought I noticed someone in a Trump/Capt. America t-shirt! I was appalled and mortified. I believe I even caught a quick glance of someone with a Captain America shield. A quick Google search turned up Trump as Captain America on T-shirts, posters, even a flag! These images are disgusting and disgraceful. Captain America is the absolute antithesis of Donald Trump. Where Captain America is selfless, Trump is self-serving. Where Captain America fights for our country and democracy, Trump fights for personal power and autocracy. Where Captain America stands with the common man, Trump stands with the powerful and privileged. Where Captain America is courageous, Trump is a coward. Captain America and Trump couldn’t be more different.”

Neal further explained why his father would be completely horrified. “My father, Jack Kirby, along with his partner Joe Simon, created Captain America in 1941. Perhaps the most iconic symbol of patriotism since the ‘Spirit of 1776,’ Captain America has stood as a symbol and protector of our democracy and the rule of law for the past 79 years,” Neal wrote. “He was created by two Jewish guys from New York who hated Nazis and hated bullies. Captain America stood up for the underdog, and, as the story as written, even before he gained his strength and process from Army scientists, always stood for what was righteous, and never backed down.”

You can read Neal Kirby’s full statement here, and he drives the point home by pointing out that he’s 72 years old, and he’s observed political upheaval since the 1950s Castro revolution, and yet, “the events that transpired at our nations’ Capitol on Jan. 6, an insurrection inspired and fomented by our own president, will be the event that haunts me forever.” He added that his father “would be absolutely sickened” to see his creation co-opted in this way. “If Donald Trump had the qualities and character of Captain America, the White House would be a shining symbol of truth and integrity, not a festering cesspool of lies and hypocrisy,” Neal wrote. “Several of our presidents held the same values as Captain America. Donald Trump is not one of them.”

(Via Jake Tapper on Twitter)

After weeks of speculation and bad optics, the Houston Rockets finally traded James Harden to the Nets on Wednesday, closing the book on one of the most complicated eras in the organization’s history. It was the culmination of a number of factors that have sent the organization into something of a tailspin the past few months and now offers a clean slate to start moving forward.

The blockbuster deal that sent Harden to Brooklyn — which involved four teams, multiple players, and countless assets — is a rarity in the NBA these days. Former MVPs who are still in their prime simply don’t get traded that often. Which got us thinking: how many former MVPs have been part of midseason trades?

It turns out the list is a small but distinguished one. And as you’ll discover below, it’s a mixed bag, but it’s important to keep in mind that not all were still in their prime at the time of their trade. Regardless, it’s fascinating to see some of the deals teams have finagled in the middle of a season to try and improve their roster for a title run or simply build toward the future.

In no particular order, these are the former MVPs who have been at the center of midseason trades.

Bob McAdoo

Younger fans might not be familiar, but Bob McAdoo was a force of nature in his day. During his 14-year NBA career, McAdoo was a five-time All-Star and won the regular-season MVP award in 1975 as a member of the Buffalo Braves. McAdoo was actually traded several times during the regular season after that, first to the Knicks the following year, then to the Celtics in 1979.

But it was a midseason trade by the Nets that sent him to the Lakers in 1981 that would help cement his legacy. McAdoo would go on to win two championships with the Showtime Lakers in 1982 and 1985, ensuring his rightful place in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Wilt Chamberlain

One of the most dominant athletes in any sport, the Big Dipper logged the type of career numbers that players today couldn’t even dream of. Granted, the competition wasn’t exactly on par with the elite athletes you see today, but his accomplishments are no less impressive.

Wilt was a four-time MVP winner (1960, 1966, 1967, 1968), and at the All-Star break in 1965, the then-lowly Warriors opted to send him to the 76ers, in no small part because of financial reasons. Two years later, Wilt would win his first NBA championship with Philly. The team they beat? The Warriors.

Shaquille O’Neal

The big fella was the subject of all sorts of trade rumors during his tumultuous tenure with Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles, and though he eventually got his wish and ended up in Miami alongside Dwyane Wade, he was never actually traded midseason while still in his prime.

As far as MVPs, it’s crazy to think that Shaq just has the one (2000), and if you were to ask him…well, you don’t even have to ask, he’s fond of telling anyone who’ll listen that Steve Nash stole at least one that he believes is rightfully his. In any case, after winning a title with the Heat — putting himself one ring ahead of Kobe for a brief period — Pat Riley traded him to Phoenix during the 2008 season where he would become the Big Shaqtus and join forces with trophy thief Nash.

Despite efforts in Cleveland and Boston, Shaq wouldn’t go on to win anymore titles or Finals MVPs, and in general, the less said about those last few stops the better.

Kevin Garnett

During the early 2000s, Garnett had established himself as a dominant force in Minnesota, which culminated in his lone regular-season MVP award in 2004 and a run to the Western Conference Finals, where they would fall to the Lakers in six games. His journey would eventually take him to a championship with the Celtics in 2008 alongside Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, followed by an ill-fated stint in Brooklyn.

Midway through the 2015 season, however, Garnett agreed to waive his no-trade clause so that he could return to the Timberwolves, where he would finish out his career with the organization where he spent some of the best years of prime, mentoring young talent like Karl-Anthony Towns.

Allen Iverson

Iverson is the only player on this list that has the dubious distinction of being at the center of two separate midseason trades, one right after another. The Answer had been named league MVP during the 2001 season and had led the Sixers to a Finals appearance against the eventual champs, the Lakers, but that would end up being the pinnacle of his complicated career.

Ongoing issues with coaches and management eventually led to the Sixers ending their rocky relationship in December of 2006 when they traded him to the Nuggets. Together with Carmelo Anthony, they were the No. 1 and 2 scorers in the NBA at the time, but their partnership never quite found its footing, and the Nuggets would go on to trade Iverson to the Pistons in November of 2008.

He continued on a steep decline from there, but in the years since, both his image and his legacy has recovered as he has once again become beloved among fans and players who hold dear his Hall-of-Fame career.

Derrick Rose

Derrick Rose will likely go down as one of the NBA’s biggest what-ifs. As the youngest MVP in league history, Rose took home the award in 2011 when he was just 22 years old. As with Iverson, that lone MVP season would end up being the apex of what appeared to be a legendary career in the making.

Multiple injuries and surgeries derailed things from there. Rose made stops in New York and Cleveland after his Bulls stint came to an end, and prior to the trade deadline in February of 2018, the Cavs unceremoniously traded him to the Jazz, who promptly released him. Rose, however, would go on to have a resurgence in Minnesota and has continued to prove that he can still be a contributing member on an NBA roster with his current team in Detroit.

It was revealed yesterday that people like Justin Timberlake and Demi Lovato will perform during a Joe Biden inauguration TV special. As for the inauguration itself, there’s going to be some musical talent there, too: Lady Gaga has been tapped to sing the National Anthem. Gaga famously sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Super Bowl 50 in 2016. Meanwhile, Jennifer Lopez is also set to deliver a musical performance at the ceremony.

Gaga is not a surprising pick, as she gave Biden’s presidential campaign her enthusiastic support. She performed at a pre-election rally of his in November and gave a speech that concluded, “To all the women, and all the men with daughters, and sisters, and mothers, everybody, no matter how you identify, now is your chance to vote against Donald Trump, a man who believes his fame gives him the right to grab one of your daughters, or sisters, or mothers, or wives by any part of their bodies. Vote for Joe, he’s a good person. Thank you.” She has also pushed for Trump to be impeached, tweeting recently, “I hope we focus to impeach Trump so Congress has the constitutional authority to possibly disqualify him from future election–the #25thAmendment doesn’t disqualify him. He incited domestic terror–how much more violence needs to happen? This is terrorism.”

On Wednesday, 222 Democrats and 10 Republicans voted to impeach Donald Trump, making him the first president in the history of the United States to be impeached twice. He couldn’t have done it with the haters and losers. “We cannot escape history. We know that the president of the United States incited this insurrection, this armed rebellion,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said. “He must go. He is a clear and present danger to the nation that we all love. The president must be impeached.”

Trump wasn’t done making history: it was the first time that a party unanimously voted to impeach a president. Tomi Lahren has an, um, interesting theory for why that is.

“The primary reason they are going down this path is because they are terrified of Trump, not because of what happened last week. No, they are terrified of Donald Trump because Donald Trump still has millions and millions of supporters who want to see him run again,” the conservative pundit tweeted. It wasn’t the failed insurrection, or incompetent response to the pandemic, or thousands of other reasons – the Democrats voted to impeach Trump because they’re “terrified” of him. There are reasons to be terrified of Trump, but this ain’t one of them. Lahren’s followers quickly corrected her.

Last year, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia co-creator, Rob McElhenney, said that they would continue to do to the show forever, or as long as FX would allow them to. Last month, FX gave them as close to “forever” as one can get in this industry by renewing the series for another four seasons, through Season 18, which is way more seasons than needed to make it the longest-running live-action comedy in TV history.

Most recently, McElhenney has been working on shooting the second season of Apple TV+’s Mythic Quest, where he’s run into some COVID-19 issues, but he’s still looking ahead to the next season of Sunny. Earlier this week, McEllhenney was asked if there are any updates on Season 15, and he very succinctly responded that they were doing it and that it would be “all about this bullsh*t.”

It’s not immediately clear to what “bulls**t” McElhenney is referring, because there is so much of it? The COVID-19 pandemic? The election bullsh*t? The Capitol insurrection? The absurdity of much of it seems tailor-made for not just an episode, but an entire season of It’s Always Sunny, a season that would absolutely have to include Charlie working behind the scenes of Four Seasons Total Landscaping. I’m sure there’s an amazing alt-history where The Gang is partially responsible for Rudy Guiliani booking that particular Philly venue.

The possibilities are endless, and given the topical nature of the next season, I think it’s finally their year to bring home a statue.