Category: Trending

Like many in Donald Trump’s orbit, Mike Lindell ain’t doing so hot these days. For nearly three years, The MyPillow guy has dumped untold millions down the drain chasing proof — any proof — that the 2020 election was stolen. He’s even admitted that he, the owner of a profitable bedwear company, is going broke. He should be mad at Trump, or maybe himself for buying his BS. Instead he’s mad at pillow critics.

As per The Daily Beast, video of a deposition Lindell did in March was made public, showing him being a decidedly unruly interviewee while fielding questions in regards to his pricy Dominion Voting Systems lawsuit. During it, Lindell was, in the words of Dominion exec Eric Coomer, ““vulgar, threatening, loud (and) disrespectful.” He was so hostile that the company filed a motion against him calling on him to be sanctioned.

“Mr. Lindell refused to provide a direct answer to virtually every question asked, instead opting to shout over Dr. Coomer’s counsel and then provide lengthy, meandering filibusters that each consumed substantial amounts of time and several pages of transcript,” the motion reads.

During the deposition, Lindell called Coomer and his lawyer “evil,” “criminals,” and “disgusting slime.” Arguably the strangest moment came when they presented him with a customer review calling MyPillow pillows “lumpy.” That’s when he really lost it.

“No, they’re not lumpy pillows,” Lindell raged. “When you say lumpy pillows, now you’re an asshole! You got that? You’re an asshole is what you are!”

He continued to rail, saying “Lumpy pillows? Kiss my ass. Put that in your book.” After vowing to simmer down, he hit them where it really hurts: “Obviously you don’t have a MyPillow, too. You don’t, do you?”

Lindell is facing lawsuits from both Coomer and Dominion itself for spreading byzantine — and, so far, unproven — conspiracy theories about their involvement in the election that went to Joe Biden. None of this has stopped his pursuit of the elusive — and almost certainly nonexistent — smoking gun proving that possibly the most hated politician in modern history somehow won re-election.

(Via The Daily Beast)

At this point, it is hard to tell whether people were more excited for SZA’s sophomore album, SOS, or the corresponding deluxe edition. After releasing her steamy video for the breakout single “Snooze,” starring Justin Bieber, Benny Blanco, Woody McClain, And Young Mazino, fans were on high alert.

But after months of rumors, SZA has finally shared more details about the forthcoming release. On Friday, September 8, during her SOS Album Celebration show at The Navy Yard in Brooklyn, New York, she treated concertgoers to vital information about SOS Deluxe.

In a video captured by a fan, SZA says, “So, the deluxe is like a whole nother album. It’s called ‘Lana.’ It’s seven to ten songs, and it’ll be out this fall.” The album’s title is an abbreviation of her SZA’s first name, Solána. This Easter egg is a common occurrence in SZA’s work, especially in her shows and music videos.

In May, SZA took to her official X (formerly Twitter) profile to shut down claims from people sharing an unverified tracklist and release date for the album. Although nothing about her superstar career has been routine, reimagining the beloved album is bold considering the massive success generated from tracks such as “Kill Bill” and more.

It’s been a while since Alex Jones, arguably America’s most famous conspiracy theorist, has made news. The last time was back in May, when the Infowars guy fell for a fake AI Tucker Carlson who suggested they suck on each other’s nipples. But now he’s made a big comeback by going on Russian state TV, where he proceeded to trash America, almost cry, and almost vomit.

As per Newsweek, Jones was a guest on Full Contact, hosted by top propagandist Vladimir Solovyov. There he called America under Joe Biden an “occupied globalist country” run by “oligarchs” like “Klaus Schwab and Bill Gates.” He also claimed that the government is “arresting everybody” and that “our country is captured.”

To really class up the joint, Jones compared government officials to “hijackers who take over an airplane,” adding, “They’re flying the American airplane into the building—like 9/11—that is Russia. And so I’m trying to stop that.”

Jones also asserted that he’s facing “assassination” attempts, even going so far as to say, “This could be my last message.” About the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he said, “we have to tell the truth about what’s happening in Ukraine, even if it gets us killed, because the globalists are insane, mentally [sic] degenerates.”

He also claimed that Tucker Carlson, already a Putin fanboy, is about to go “all in” for Russia over Ukraine. At one point he said, “The globalists want to eat Russia and they want to eat me. To understand their mindset, they’re cannibals.”

At one point Jones got so worked up that he started tearing up. At another, he started to gag repeatedly, looking off-screen for, presumably, a bucket.

Solovyov gushed about Jones, comparing him to Rush Limbaugh and calling him a “great knight in shining armor.” He also invited him to stay at his family home.

Does this mean Jones will be hightailing to Russia, to live where there’s no McDonald’s? Will Tucker join him? Stay tuned, apparently.

(Via Newsweek)

Who doesn’t love Martin Short? Some people, evidently. On Friday, Slate published a hit piece on the beloved performer, who’s currently enjoying a career renaissance thanks to the delightful Hulu comedy Only Murders in the Building. Entitled “Why We Keep Putting Up With Martin Short,” it argues that Short’s “over-the-top characters” — from Ed Grimley to Jiminy Glick to Building’s Oliver Putnam — are “unbelievably annoying.” Alas, it seems few agreed. Instead, many rushed to Short’s defense.

In an instantly ratio-ed piece, writer Dan Kois confidently asserts that he’s “not the only one” who’s allergic to the Canadian entertainer’s shtick:

I find Martin Short’s whole schtick exhausting, sweaty, and desperately unfunny. Throughout his evolution from sketch-comedy standout to uneasy movie star to twice-failed talk-show host to enthusiastic song-and-dance man, I’ve wrinkled my nose. Every time he dresses up in a silly outfit or says something outrageous or mugs for the audience, I want to shout at the screen: Why are you being like this? Only Murders in the Building has fun with this reputation, making Oliver Putnam a try-hard only in comparison to his staid friends Mabel (Selena Gomez) and Charles (Short’s longtime comedy partner Steve Martin)—a gentler version of Short, one who in Season 3 must tamp down his personality further to avoid a second heart attack. But even in this quasi-naturalist mode—directing actors, interviewing witnesses, or wooing Meryl Streep—you can always see the mischievous glint in his eye.

Kois’ piece probably got clicks. But instead of people agreeing with him, they did something better: It encouraged an outpouring of love. Confronted with the idea that someone who’s been a fixture of the entertainment industry for over four decades could inspire vitriol from anyone, people stopped taking Short for granted and offered proof of his genius.

People shared Jiminy Click clips.

SNL clips (like this one).

SCTV clips.

Clips from his movies.

Talk show appearances (like this one).

Assorted other media appearances.

They shared fun stories.

Interviews with him.

They made jokes at the article’s expense.

Others simply praised Martin Short.

You know you’ve made a dent in the world when social media is clogged with your work for hours and hours and hours. Hopefully Martin Short feels the opposite of hated right now.

It’s only been about a day since Olivia Rodrigo dropped her anticipated sophomore album, Guts. However, people are already dissecting the songs for easter eggs and meaning from Rodrigo’s personal life.

The song arguably causing the biggest debate is fittingly titled “The Grudge,” which finds Rodrigo reflecting on a moment in May where someone severely hurt her.

I hear your voice every time that I think I’m not enough,” she sings. “You built me up to watch me fall / You have everything and you still want more / I try to be tough, I try to be mean / But even after all this, you’re still everything to me / And I know you don’t care, I guess that that’s fine.”

Because of Rodrigo describing someone setting her up and still having to hear the voice of someone she presumably looked up to, many have suspected the song is about Taylor Swift.

For a while, there have been rumors that while Rodrigo looked up to Swift, it turned into a don’t-meet-your-heroes situation. Things apparently went south after Swift got partial credit for Rodrigo’s “Deja Vu” — given the similarities to her 2019 song, “Cruel Summer.”

They also haven’t interacted much since then, with Rodrigo being noticeably absent from going to any of The Eras Tour dates.

While we’ll likely never know for sure if Rodrigo’s “The Grudge” is about Swift, you can find some fan speculation below.

Alan Moore, 69, is a legendary comic book writer best known for “Watchmen,” “V for Vendetta,” “The Ballad of Halo Jones,” “Swamp Thing,” “Batman: The Killing Joke” and “From Hell.”

Moore is known as one of the best comic book writers in the English language, and his advice for fellow scribes is a bit counterintuitive. He believes that it’s as important to read “terrible” books as it is classic literature.

---

“As a prospective writer, I would urge you to not only read good books. Read terrible books as well, because they can be more inspiring than the good books,” Moore says in a clip taken from his BBC Maestro online storytelling course.

“If you are inspired by a good book, there’s always the danger of plagiarism, of doing something that is too much like that good book,” Moore says in the video. “Whereas, a genuinely helpful reaction to a piece of work that you’re reading is, ‘Jesus Christ, I could write this sh*t!’ That is immensely liberating — to find somebody who is published who is doing much, much worse than you.”

Moore also believes that being exposed to bad writing can help you learn from other writers’ mistakes. Knowing why something doesn’t work can be as valuable as understanding why something succeeds.

​“And by analyzing why they are doing so badly, this will immensely help your own style. You’ll find out all of the mistakes not to make,” Moore continues. “‘Why did this story offend me so much?’ Analyze that. Find out why you didn’t like it. Find out all of the examples of clumsiness or bad thinking that spoiled the story for you.”

So, next time someone judges you for reading something that some would call “terrible,” remind them that the only way to be great is to be able to understand the awful.

Sean “Diddy” Combs is continuing with his lawsuit against the liquor brand Diageo after a judge ruled earlier this week to reject the company’s request to dismiss and/or make it a private matter, according to Billboard.

According to Rolling Stone, Diddy’s lawsuit will now be held in New York and is going to be open to the public.

“I’m fighting for fair and equal treatment for everyone,” he shared in a statement to the publication. “This isn’t just about me. I look forward to continuing this fight in court. We all deserve the same 24 hours.”

Meanwhile, Diageo has pushed back against the judge’s decision.

“It is important to underscore that this is not a ruling on the merits of the claims, which we maintain are false and baseless,” the company’s spokesperson said to Billboard. “We are currently considering all legal options.”

Diddy first filed a lawsuit against Diageo in May, claiming “discriminatory treatment” and that they failed to invest in Ciroc and DeLeón — as it was allegedly only being marketed to “urban” brands.

He also alleged that Diageo’s Stephen Rust, the President of Reserve and New Business, told him that “race was part of the reason Diageo limited the neighborhoods where the Combs brand were distributed.” The company has continued to deny all claims.

Hank Azaria has starred in dozens of TV shows and movies, both as a full-bodied actor and as a voiceover artist. But the roles he’s best known for are the multiple characters he has voiced on “The Simpsons.”

One of those voices helped win Azaria multiple Emmy awards, but also landed him in hot water—his portrayal of Indian shopkeeper Apu Nahasapeemapetilon.

A documentary by Indian comedian Hari Kondabolu, “The Problem with Apu,” examined the issue of Apu being a racialized stereotype, no matter how beloved the character was. Kondabolu himself started of as a fan of the character. “Apu was the only Indian we had on TV at all so I was happy for any representation as a kid,” he told the BBC. But that perspective changed as he got older. “He’s funny, but that doesn’t mean this representation is accurate or right or righteous,” he said. “It gets to the insidiousness of racism, though, because you don’t even notice it when it’s right in front of you.”

Azaria spoke to his own obliviousness and his years-long journey from defending his portrayal of Apu to co-founding an anti-bias non-profit aimed at educating people about why such portrayals are harmful on The Man Enough podcast.

---

“So what happened to me with Apu was that got pointed out to me,” he told host Liz Plank and Jamey Heath. “It’s like, your well-intentioned character that was very funny and made a lot of people laugh, and won you Emmys, and helped create an iconic, wonderful television show—and all those things are true about it—but it had some blind spots baked into it, in its groundwater that came through me and the writers and the creators, that had unintended negative consequences. And the fact that I was oblivious to it only underlined how much I needed to look at it.”

That wasn’t his first reaction, though. He said he got upset and “very defensive” at first, reacting in a way that many people find familiar.

“I was like, ‘Well, where does this end?’ And I hear now a lot of people say it today. They say it to me: ‘Isn’t this all silly? It’s gone too far. Where does this end? Can you not do an Irish accent? Can you not do a Polish accent? You’re not a policeman. How come you can play Police Chief Wiggum? I mean, where does this nonsense end?’ kind of thing. And that was my first, second, and third reaction.” He said to him, it was just another thing he was imitating as a voice actor. He didn’t see the difference between imitating an Indian or a Black person versus a French or German person.

@wearemanenough

Taking accountability for the past 💛#growth #mindset

“Learning that difference became important to me,” he said. That was the beginning of his gaining a deeper understanding of how his voicing of Apu could be problematic.

Interestingly, Azaria’s experience with a 12-step recovery program helped him process the backlash he experienced in a healthy, accountable way. He pointed out that a part of recovery is denial, but once you get past that, you start owning your part in the issue.

“Even if, in the end, you decide, well, my part of this, I think, is only 10% of the whole thing, I think somebody else is maybe 90% of this…you can only really work on your end,” he said.

“Step four is that inventory. What am I doing here? Who am I? Where was I at fault? Where am I to blame? What’s my part? How am I accountable?” he went on. “And step nine is amends. Now how do I make this right? How do I make up for it? Sometimes that can be 20 minutes. Sometimes it can take you years to work through that.”

Azaria also had a professional and personal choice to make. “Am I gonna keep doing this voice or not?” he asked. “It wasn’t so apparent to me what to do, especially when I was so defensive at first, because on the one hand, I didn’t want to just bow to what we called then ‘PC pressure.’ Now there are other words for it, right? I didn’t want to ‘fold to the woke mob’ or ‘give in to cancel culture,’ whatever we wanna call it. But more to the point, I didn’t want to just, for appearance’s sake, fold, because I was afraid of criticism or looking like a bad guy. On the other hand, I certainly didn’t want to continue to do harm and perpetuate a stereotype and hurt people and marginalize people I really didn’t know.”

Azaria shared that one reason he didn’t participate in Kondabolu’s documentary was that he was afraid he would misstep and say things that would hurt both himself and other people. He said he was still learning and knew he needed to keep his mouth shut and his ears open. He started reading and attending seminars and talking to people.

“And these are conversations I had never had before,” he said. “I don’t think I’d ever had a conversation about race with anybody before, except in college, in a class where I was mostly just taking it in as an intellectual exercise.”

Through that learning, Azaria began to recognize what many would call “white privilege,” but that Azaria refers to as “relative advantages.”

“I realized one of the main relative advantages or privileges I enjoyed is never having to think about that stuff. Never ever once. Didn’t impact me. It’s why I didn’t take a pause when I did the voice of Apu or others, because it didn’t occur to me that there would be any kind of impact beyond either a laugh or not a laugh, a successful show or not a successful show.”

The more he learned, the clearer the reality became for him and he was able to make the decision to stop voicing Apu in 2018. Since then, he has gone on to work closely with The Soul Focused Group, a Black-led organization that focuses on building connections and raising the consciousness of people to help bridge divides that keep us apart. He also partnered with the group to found The Human Solidarity Project to remove financial barriers to the services The Soul Focused Group offers.

Azaria’s evolution is fascinating to hear about and a great example of how education, open-mindedness and open-heartedness can lead us to a deeper understanding of and connection to one another.

Watch the entire interview below.

,

Olivia Rodrigo sat down with Zane Lowe from Apple Music to talk about her new album, Guts. During their chat, she revealed the difficulties she encountered during the creation process.

“I think the first time around I was just filled with so much adrenaline, I was like, ‘Okay, wow, this is happening. I’ve never done this before,’” Rodrigo shared. “This time it feels a little more real, and it’s a scary thing to know that people are going to be curious and they’ll maybe have a lot of ears on it.”

Despite her being anxious about making a sophomore record, she did feel that doing it gave her “a lot of confidence as a songwriter.”

“I think this time I was in a different place, and I was having a lot of pressure and a lot of expectations placed on me, and I think I really had to try to block out the noise and just focus on the craft of songwriting,” she noted. “I wasn’t going through my first 17-year-old heartbreak, and I think that it forced me to be maybe a little bit more creative in the way that I write.”

Later on, Rodrigo also discussed her love for Phoebe Bridgers. The two recently had a conversation, as Rodrigo was on the cover of Interview Magazine and Bridgers was conducting it.

“It was so much fun talking to her,” she added. “I think she’s so smart and obviously such a brilliant songwriter, but she’s just really, really gracious and really down to earth and it’s been really nice to have some interactions with her. I think she’s just great all around.”

Check out the full video above.

Goose treated fans to a new surprise EP, Autumn Crossing, which features three live rare songs that have been dubbed the “Travelers-Elmeg Suite.”

The release came with a music video directed by Will Thresher, Michael Nuchereno, and Aaron Mannes. Filmed in western New York, the nature shots add to the calming nature. And it even takes viewers to space, just to give off the psychedelic vibes.

Fans will also be able to purchase a limited 12″ vinyl version of the EP, with artwork from Jonathan Lovering etched into it.

“This is a meaningful one for me,” Rick Mitarotonda, the band’s guitarist, shared in a statement. “It’s among a collection of material I wrote in the years prior to Goose forming. This band is interesting to me in that way, it draws from many different times and places, and there’s a particular freedom to that. This one was a special time and place for me personally.”

Starting next week, Goose will be heading out on the road, playing shows across North America and Europe through December. A complete list of dates and more information can be found here.

Check out the video for “Travelers I,” “Travelers II,” and “Elmeg The Wise” above.

Autumn Crossing is out now on streaming platforms. It will be available on vinyl starting early December. Find more information here.