Category: Viral

Since Jason Aldean’s “Try That In A Small Town” song and video became a matter of concern a few days ago, a lot of people have weighed in. Jason Isbell raised an interesting point, though, about who actually wrote the song.

On July 19, Isbell tweeted, “Dare Aldean to write his next single himself. That’s what we try in my small town.” He later added in subsequent tweets, “Ok here ya go @Jason_Aldean I’m challenging you to write a song yourself. All alone. If you’re a recording artist, make some art. I want to hear it,” and, “Seriously how do you defend the content of a song you weren’t even in the room for? You just got it from your producer. If you’d been there when it was written, you’d be listed as a writer. We all know how this works.”

Indeed, it does not appear that Aldean had a hand in writing “Try That In A Small Town”: listed as writers of the song in the Spotify credits are Kelley Lovelace, Kurt Allison, Neil Thrasher, and Tully Kennedy, none of whom are Jason Aldean.

Aldean recently said of the song’s meaning, “Try That In A Small Town, for me, refers to the feeling of a community that I had growing up, where we took care of our neighbors, regardless of differences of background or belief. Because they were our neighbors, and that was above any differences. My political views have never been something I’ve hidden from, and I know that a lot of us in this Country don’t agree on how we get back to a sense of normalcy where we go at least a day without a headline that keeps us up at night. But the desire for it to- that’s what this song is about.”

South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone poured at least $40 million into revamping Casa Bonita in Lakewood, Colorado. They did so with loving attention to detail, and during the project’s extensive renovations, the new owners made headlines for the special perks that they gave to existing employees. That included continuing to keep those workers on the payroll and asking them to volunteer some of that time to places like Habitat for Humanity. Employees were also treated to bilingual language classes, which is rad.

However, a bit of a controversy has been brewing, and that has to do with the restaurant’s soft-opening rollout. Their revamped “eatertainment” venue is currently only open for select dates and by invitation only. That coincides with a new policy to eliminate tipping for servers and bartenders while paying all workers at least $30 per hour. This meant to level the playing field between front-and-back-of-house staffers and also provide a more predictable income for workers, so they aren’t reliant upon “tipping culture” to know whether they can pay bills and the like.

When this policy came to light, Axios reported that a few workers weren’t thrilled, and now, the Denver Post reveals that around 50 workers are asking management to reverse the no-tipping policy and be more upfront about hours that the joint will be open. The workers further argue that they cannot pursue health benefits with the current scheduling plan. The Denver Post reveals details on an letter from staffers:

The employee letter is asking the owners to revert to [the pay structure that] was originally promised by ownership when they were hired months ago, and to clarify hours of operation, since there is no “clear pathway” to being open seven days a week, they said. They are also asking for access to health benefits; for transparency and two-way communication with ownership.

The group sounds generally frustrated with the limited business involved with the slow rollout:

“There was a promise of lucrative business which would bring an incredible opportunity monetarily,” said employee Gayle Durr in the statement. “We have yet to see any of this lucrative business – despite people nationwide waiting patiently to finally see the inside of this Colorado landmark. We want to see Casa Bonita thrive, and if ownership/management cannot bring that about, then we will.”

The people want their sopapillas, too, but man, this was a huge undertaking by Parker and Stone, so perhaps a slow rollout is for the best in an overall sense. They want to get this right, but the process has apparently turned out to be a bit more controversial for workers than planned. Hopefully, business hours will fully open up soon, and the cliff diving can commence for real.

(Via Denver Post)

The hype for the Barbie movie has had everyone on the edge of their seats for months, and it’s finally out today, along with the soundtrack. A bunch of long-awaited songs are available to listen to now, like Lizzo’s “Pink,” Sam Smith’s “Man I Am,” and Brandi Carlile’s Indigo Girls cover.

Carlile took on the 1989 hit “Closer To Fine” with her wife Catherine. It was first previewed in the main trailer for the movie, the country-pop anthem blasting while Barbie drives from her world to the real world. She sings along enthusiastically at the wheel.

In 2021, Carlile penned a piece for Rolling Stone about her admiration of Indigo Girls. “The Indigo Girls were so deeply influential in my life — not just musically, but also as an activist and as an out queer person. The representation and the visibility that they managed to scrape together at that time, despite all odds and all the obstacles against them, were really important for me in my life. I needed them,” she wrote.

She continued, “We’re very close with each other — we have a family relationship now. They know all about my origins as a little baby lesbian who was obsessed with the Indigo Girls. Those women are so different, and they’re so spectacular, but they have this unspoken agreement that their souls have made to cast their lots together. But to maintain their [own selves] is something that everyone in a band could learn from, and everyone in general could learn from. How do you truly connect to another person on a soul level, but maintain yourself?”

Listen to the “Closer To Fine” cover above.

The strawberry margarita is a fantastic drink… that has been horribly bastardized over the decades. But even with the cutting of corners via overly sweet, neon red “strawberry margarita mix,” this tequila drink remains one of the most popular cocktails in the world. Here’s the crazy part — this drink is so easy to make with fresh and real ingredients that using a pre-mix is absolutely pointless and, worse, takes away from the beautiful profile of the original drink.

So… Let’s make a real strawberry marg!

Below, I’m breaking down the beauty of making both a frozen and on the rocks strawberry margarita at home. I’m using real lime and real strawberries. Please trust me that you just don’t need to resort to bullshit pre-mixes with way too many sketchy additives and sugars — because I will personally guarantee that if you even kind of like strawberry margaritas, you’re going to fall in love with this real version. It’s about a bazillion times better than the premix crap that dominates the market these days.

And, one last time, these are super easy to make. It takes about a minute, maybe two, to whip up either of these drinks. Read the recipes below and then throw out that garbage strawberry margarita mix. You’ll never need it again.

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Frozen Strawberry Margarita

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz. blanco tequila
• 1 oz. triple sec
• 1 oz. fresh lime juice
• 0.5 oz. Blue Weber agave syrup
• 6 medium strawberries (quartered)
• Pinch of kosher salt
• Ice
• Strawberry for garnish

You have to start any great margarita with a great tequila. I’ve been using Tres Generaciones Plata lately. It has this wonderful roasted agave profile with a hint of spice and funk that shines through in a margarita nicely.

I also like to use a decent triple sec to marry with a great tequila. So I’m using Cointreau.

A frozen strawberry margarita does need a touch of sweetness. Most of that is going to be derived from the strawberries and triple sec. But to really layer the sweetness, you need to add a touch of agave syrup. Don’t add too much though. You want it to accent, not overwhelm.

The rest is pretty straightforward. As you can see from the image below, I’m using medium-sized strawberries. If you have those huge California berries, maybe only use two or three.

What You’ll Need:

• Rocks glass or margarita glass
• Blender
• Jigger
• Pairing knife
• Hand juicer

Method:

• Add the tequila, triple sec, lime, agave, strawberries, salt, and a large handful of ice to a blender.
• Blend until smooth and thick — add more ice if needed to thicken.
• Pour into a waiting glass, garnish with a strawberry slice, and serve.

Bottom Line:

This might not come as a shock, but this is delicious. The fresh strawberry and lime really pop on the palate with a hint of earthy depth thanks to the tequila. There’s still a real sense of a classic and really good margarita that’s accented by fresh strawberries. The best part is that you can taste all the elements without them being completely washed out by sugar. There’s nuance and depth to this drink that’s incredibly fresh and delicious.

This is so good — and so much better than the premix margs — that it’s almost baffling that the other option is so ubiquitous.

Strawberry Margarita On The Rocks

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz. blanco tequila
• 1 oz. triple sec
• 1 oz. fresh lime juice
• 4 medium strawberries (halved)
• A drop of Blue Weber agave syrup
• Pinch of kosher salt
• Ice
• Strawberry for garnish

Again, you have to start with great tequila to make a great margarita. For that, I’m going with Tres Generaciones Plata. It just makes too good of a marg not to use in both applications.

The rest is pretty easy to get. Cointreau is the play for the triple sec element. Then, make sure to get nice fresh strawberries with a mild sweetness. Always taste the strawberries before you use them. If they’re a little tart, then add a drop or two more of the agave syrup. If they’re already sweet AF, draw back on the agave.

What You’ll Need:

• Rocks glass or margarita glass
• Cocktail shaker
• Cocktail strainer
• Fine mesh strainer
• Muddler
• Jigger
• Pairing knife
• Hand juicer

Method:

• Prechill the glass in the freezer.
• Add the lime and strawberries to the cocktail shaker and muddle the strawberries gently into the lime (you don’t have to smash them, just mush them a bit).
• Add the tequila, triple sec, agave, salt, and a large handful of ice to the shaker. Affix the lid and shake vigorously for about 20 seconds (or until the shaker is very ice-cold to touch).
• Retrieve the glass from the freezer, fill it with fresh ice, and double-strain the cocktail into the glass — the cocktail strainer will hold the ice back while the fine mesh strainer catches all the strawberry bits.
• Garnish with a fresh strawberry slice and serve.

Bottom Line:

Like I said up above, once you start making these for real, you’ll never go back to the fake premix margs.

This is refreshing, deep, and full of strawberry goodness. The best part is that this feels like a really solid classic margarita that’s accented with fresh strawberries. There’s no sugar bomb element and these feel almost healthy (it’s booze, folks, that’s obviously not true).

Overall, both of these cocktails took all of three or four minutes to make. It’s really that easy and you get amazingly refreshing cocktails without all the additives and corn syrup. That’s a win-win, folks!

After previously teaming up with Lil Wayne on “Ain’t Gonna Answer” and flourishing St. Louis rapper Sexyy Red on “Slut Me Out,” NLE Choppa teams up with fellow Memphian Duke Deuce for his latest video for “Stomp Em Out.”

A hyperactive song sitting in the middle of the spectrum of raucous Memphis rap tradition, “Stomp Em Out” is an exuberant fight song that positions Choppa and Deuce as a pair of neighborhood tough guys ready to rumble with whoever. However, in the video, they show off a different kind of footwork, taking over Beale street with a crew of dancers to to jitterbug and two-step all over the pavement with the kind of energy that lets you know this shoot was a fun one.

The song appears on the deluxe version of Choppa’s new album Cottonwood 2, which is out now via Warner Records. Unfortunately, the touring future for Choppa is up in the air; while he was originally billed as an opener on Lil Durk’s Sorry For The Drought Tour, Durk’s recent health setback canceled all but a handful of the tour dates. We’ll see how NLE Choppa bounces back, but for now, you can check out his video for “Stomp Em Out” above.

NLE Choppa is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

A very weird rumor went around the internet back in June. In the aftermath of Taylor Swift‘s relationship with longtime partner Joe Alwyn coming to an end and her much shorter reported fling with The 1975 frontman Matty Healy also coming to an end, some rumors began circulating about Swift and Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves being spotted in a bar in Arkansas together. The source of it appears to be this tweet.

It is very easy to see that the whole thing was a joke, in large part because it was pretty obvious and also because Reaves’ brother, Spencer, who would be an extremely good source for the truth with this sort of thing, said it wasn’t real. But despite that, it gained just enough traction that Austin got asked about it while appearing on the “All the Smoke” podcast. Unsurprisingly, he found it all very silly.

“We heard a rumor, and we don’t like to start troubles here, but we heard something about Taylor Swift meeting you somewhere,” Matt Barnes asked at the 37:07 mark of the above video.

Reaves and Stephen Jackson both got some jokes off about it, while Reaves seemed to find the whole thing very funny, presumably because the whole thing is very funny. But when he finally got the chance to give his side of … whatever we wanna call this, Reaves admitted that none of it is true.

“I have never met her, never talked to her … all bullsh*t, I ain’t never talked to her,” Reaves said. When Jackson asked if he would be interested in dating Swift, Reaves said his plan is to “stay out the media.” This might be difficult for him to do, as he just signed a 4-year, $54 million deal to remain with the Lakers, but who knows?

(h/t Silver Screen and Roll)

Just when it seemed like conservatives have stopped freaking out over Bud Light and moved on to a never-ending list of boycotts that now includes the Barbie movie, CMT, Garth Brooks, and probably a whole bunch we’re forgetting, Ron DeSantis is reportedly threatening to sue the beer makers over a single, innocuous social media video featuring trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney.

The Florida governor and flailing presidential candidate stopped by Fox News on Thursday night where he confirmed to Jesse Watters that he’s pushing the state’s pension fund manager to pursue legal action against Bud Light’s parent company for harming shareholders with the Mulvaney campaign.

While CNN, who initially reported DeSantis’ plans, notes that it’s “unclear what legal recourse the state might have to challenge a multinational corporation’s business decisions,” the governor doubled down on his threat while talking to Watters.

Via The Daily Beast:

“We believe that when you take your eye off the ball like that, you are not following your fiduciary duty to do the best you can for your shareholders,” he said.

“So we are going to be launching an inquiry about Bud Light and InBev, and it could be something that leads to a derivative lawsuit filed on behalf of the shareholders of the Florida pension fund,” he continued. “Because at the end of the day, there have to be penalties for when you put business aside to focus on your social agenda at the expense of hardworking people.”

If DeSantis follows through on his threat, Bud Light’s parent company would be the second massive business that the Florida governor has gone to war with. He’s currently locked in a fight with The Walt Disney Company, one of the biggest employers and sources of tax revenue in his state, and it hasn’t been going well for him. Even members of his own party have called out DeSantis for retaliating against the entertainment giant after it opposed the state’s controversial “Don’t Say Gay” law.

“Fundamentally, it’s not small government,” Asa Hutchinson told The View back in May. “It’s not Republican. It’s not conservative to say we’re going to use the power of government to go after a business that we disagree with.”

(Via CNN, The Daily Beast)

Solar Opposites doesn’t get as much attention as the other show created by Justin Roiland (who now has nothing to do with either), but it should.

The Hulu animated series, about a family of aliens living on Earth, is a lot of fun. Especially once “The Wall,” where humans are shrunk down and held hostage, became an integral part of the show. The season four trailer, which you can watch above, teases more adventures for the former inhabitants of Planet Shlorp (including the Pupa, who is like a more mischievous Baby Yoda), and more time spent in “The Wall,” but there’s a big change from previous seasons: Korvo is now voiced by Dan Stevens, who showed off his comedy chops in Eurovision Song Contest. So if there’s more jokes about Mr. Bean, going “on holiday,” and other British things this season, that’s why.

Here’s more:

Solar Opposites centers around a team of four aliens who are evenly split on whether Earth is awful or awesome. Korvo (Dan Stevens) and Yumyulack (Sean Giambrone) only see the pollution, crass consumerism, and human frailty while Terry (Thomas Middleditch) and Jesse (Mary Mack) love TV, junk food and fun stuff. In season four, we pack up the sci-fi and get normal… for a second. Then it’s back to classic Solar chaos, mayhem in the Wall, and some all new Silvercops adventures!

Solar Opposites returns to Hulu on Monday, August 14, with 11 episodes, followed by a Valentine’s Day special coming in 2024.

When the fair rolls into town, it is supposed to signify a wave of family and fun times. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case for Megan Fox. As the actress attempted to enjoy her evening out with her fiancée Machine Gun Kelly, an angry bystander had other plans.

As the “Emo Girl” rapper and his lady stepped off of an attraction at the Orange County fair, he was involved in a tussle with this individual. In the midst of the heated interaction, Fox was accidentally slammed into a barricade fencing off the ride’s entrance and exit points. Pop Crave’s video uploaded to Twitter shows that after realizing that his partner is caught in the mix, MGK quietly grabbed her to bring her to safety.

The clip captured by a fan alleges that the fan physically assaulted MGK, which led to the exchange. Fortunately, based on the footage, neither Machine Gun Kelly nor Megan Fox was seriously injured. The couple did have a security guard present to intervene before the alleged fight got out of control.

Machine Gun Kelly and Megan Fox were reportedly on a break from their relationship, but it appears that they are working towards rekindling their romance.

Happy Barbie Day! The long-awaited big screen debut of the most accomplished woman in history (sorry, Hilary) has arrived. So has the film’s soundtrack, which not only features expected pop-rap collabs like Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice’s “Barbie World” and FIFTY FIFTY’s Kaliii crossover “Barbie Dreams,” but also has the film’s co-star Ryan Gosling showing off some surprisingly adept vocal chops in his own sorrowful ballad, “I’m Just Ken.”

Gosling’s contributions don’t end there, though; a collection of Barbie bonus tracks released today by surprise also includes one of the film’s funniest Ken-related moments: His cover of Matchbox Twenty’s “Push.” No spoilers here, but if you don’t mind a few, you can check out our in-depth look at the plot circumstances here. Suffice it say that Gosling pretty much nails this. It’s funny as a concept, but he could probably whip this out at karaoke and have the ladies swooning (if he weren’t already… y’know… Ryan Gosling, the guy who did this in Crazy Stupid Love).

By the way, the Barbie movie itself is garnering a wide variety of reactions. While most have been positive, there are always outliers — mostly the sort of doofuses who think satires of little plastic people need to be “alpha males” and hate anything that empowers women (because then, they’re not the big-strong-men, you see). Of course, when even they are getting fed up with their own silly shenanigans, it seems that Barbie really can do anything.

Watch Ryan Gosling (as Ken) cover Matchbox Twenty’s “Push” up top.