Category: Viral

What do a portable minidisc recorder, VHS copies of My Little Pony, and computer programing textbooks have in common? Tons of things! Including the fact that they were all someone’s very first purchase online. Jake Riley has asked the nostalgia-doused question of the day, and Twitter has been more than happy (if only a little embarrassed) to respond. Books, especially college textbooks, were a popular item, but people also bought Strawberry Shortcake-themed roller skates, bike parts, and, naturally, a $50 plaster mold of David Duchovny‘s face.

Fascinatingly, user @newdaynewlife11 said they bought a Gateway 486 (that’s a desktop computer, young folks) which didn’t work, so the company mailed them individual parts until they found out which part was defective. Bonus points if they kept the cow print box.

Other notable buys included a pillow case with Heath Ledger‘s face printed on it, Battle Beast toys, and the Ultimate Iron Giant figurine from the official Warner Bros. website.

Despite being born before the 1990s, I was weirdly late to the online purchasing game. Having looked it up, it turns out my first online purchase was in 2005 when I bought The Complete Monty Python’s Flying Circus 16 Ton Megaset. Not only was it my first, it was undoubtedly the best purchase I’ve ever made online. What was yours?

Love comes with many highs and lows. The lows can only lead to one questioning his or her self, the decisions they make, and how they will press onward. Those down moments don’t last forever, and the gratification that comes with rising out of the ashes of a failed relationship can feel euphoric. Most importantly, they allow someone to reconnect with who they once were, as well as the person they have become after a tough break-up. Canadian singer-songwriter Elissa Mielke outlines those experiences in beautiful fashion in her two new singles: “Get Well” and “Body Knows.”

In the songs, Mielke delivers heartfelt odes to what people remember from a failed romance, as well ashow they heal by exploring the manifestation of self-deliverance through heartache. The 31-year-old packs angelic vocals, sweet harmonies, and vulnerable lyricism into these two powerful songs, allowing listeners to relate to the way she pours out her soul.

“Get Well” and “Body Knows” follow Mielke’s recent single “Paper Moth Flame.” The fashion model is gearing up for the release of her next EP, Mouse, which will arrive on August 26, just over a year after her debut EP Finally anchored by the acoustic ballad “Trying” and “Kind Of Thing.”

Check out “Get Well” above and “Body Knows” here.

Mouse is available 8/26 via slashie and Mom + Pop. Pre-order it here.

Usually, when the current rap hierarchy is discussed, the same three names come up as the best: Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and J. Cole. Things get a bit murky when it comes to the next spot, with names like Kanye West and Nicki Minaj often coming up. However, there is a strong hive that advocates for Future deserving a spot in the conversation, and his latest achievement certainly adds to their argument. On July 27, the DS2 artist was recognized by the RIAA for over 95 million units certified Gold, Platinum, or more over the course of his career.

The Grammy award-winning rapper was honored in a private event at Soho House Miami Beach where RIAA COO Michele Ballantyne and Epic Records Chairwoman and CEO Sylvia Rhone were both in the building. They gifted him with special plaques commemorating this unprecedented milestone.

Future’s career spans of nine albums and 68 songs, placing him in rarified air with one of the highest totals in history throughout RIAA’s 65-year-old existence. It comes on the heels of his latest album, I Never Liked You, reaching Gold status in under three months, with the standout record “Wait For U” featuring Drake and Tems already double Platinum and “Puffin On Zootiez” certified Gold.

Ballantyne had this to say about the major moment: “We’re thrilled to celebrate that Future now has 95 million RIAA certified units spanning 9 albums and 68 separate singles! He’s in an elite group – very few artists have achieved this level of success in the history of our nearly 65 year old program. Congratulations to Future and his incredible Epic Records and Freebandz teams!”

That number four spot in the rap hierarchy might have just been officially claimed.

Check out Future’s reaction to the moment via Twitter above.

There’s a chance the Brittney Griner detainment story may be coming to a close. On Wednesday, CNN reported that the United States has signed off on a deal with Russia to bring Griner — as well as Paul Whelan, who’s been in their custody since 2018 — home. The plan, should it go through, is to swap both of them for one Russian prisoner: arms trafficker Viktor Bout, who’s been serving a 25-year sentence since 2012 in an Illinois prison. Strangely enough, this is where a semi-obscure Nicolas Cage movie comes in.

As noted by Entertainment Weekly, three years before Bout was arrested in Thailand, and later extradited to America and convicted on three counts, Bout served as the inspiration for Lord of War, a 2005 drama from The Truman Show writer Andrew Niccol. Cage played Yuri Olov, a self-hating arms dealer inspired by Bout. The movie ends with him detained by an Interpol agent (played by Ethan Hawke), only to [spoiler] be released thanks to his connections. Again, this movie was made a few years before Bout was rounded up and eventually thrown in jail.

Now Bout may be released so as to save the lives of two Americans seen by the U.S. government as being “wrongfully detained.” Griner has been in custody since February, after she was arrested for possession of hashish oil cartridges while flying into Moscow. The WNBA star pleaded guilty to the charges, though she told authorities she brought the offending items accidentally. The deal has yet to go through, but whatever happens, this is yet another strange twist in the strange life of one of America’s strangest (and greatest) actors.

(Via EW)

We’ve been inundated with Princess Diana content over the past few years. The renaissance of every attention-grabbing moment of the 1990s has created a kind of feeding frenzy that feels disgustingly appropriate for the era. Yet here we are, longing for another documentary event covering the late Princess of Wales because The Princess promises that the real subject is us. Namely, the British (and global) fascination with this one woman which, in its fervor and bottomless appetite, arguably doomed her marriage and sent her into the spiral that eventually led to her death. Supply and demand is a sick game in the world of paparazzi.

And guess what? It’s still wildly relevant today. We’re still doing this. Over and over and over again. Obsessing over celebrities (especially women) and building them up to tear them back down. We just spent another round in the barrel with the Johnny Depp/Amber Heard trial.

Where the first trailer for Ed Perkins’ archival footage doc gave us a glimpse of ourselves in the mirror, the latest goes for the throat. What does it say about us that we have this need?

We’ll face that question and more when the documentary hits HBO Max on August 13th.

One of the biggest — and weirdest — stories of 2019 concerned “Operation Varsity Blues,” in which a number of wealthy parents were involved in a conspiracy to get their kids into top universities. Felicity Huffman was one of them. So was Lori Loughlin, whose one part of the case dominated headlines for months and months. The former Full House actress wound up losing most of her gigs and spending two months in jail in late 2020. Now, a year-and-a-hgalf later, she’s finally speaking up, albeit briefly, about what she went through.

Over the weekend, Loughlin appeared on the telethon for Project Angel Food on Los Angeles’ KTLA, a nonprofit that works to provide food for those with food insecurity. She spoke about how working with the charitable organization made her feel better during a low point in her life.

“They welcomed me with such open arms at a time when I was feeling particularly down and broken,” Loughlin said. She said she’d “found a home” with the nonprofit, saying “they really do care.” She added, “It’s really a community. It’s more than just feeding people, it’s about loving people and helping people.”

Loughlin’s relatively short stint in prison was nothing compared to Huffman, who served a mere 14 days. Meanwhile, Loughlin’s YouTuber daughter Olivia Jade — who got into the University of Southern California as a result of her parent’s underhanded behavior — has parlayed her increased fame from the controversy into a Dancing with the Stars stint. She finished in eighth place.

(Via KTLA and The Daily Beast)

Fresh off the news that Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik will trade off hosting duties for the foreseeable future, Jeopardy! executive producer Michael Davies has announced that the show is getting its own official podcast. Inside Jeopardy! lands in podcast apps of all kinds August 1st, but what can we expect from an inside look at a world-class quiz show?

According to Davies, “On Monday’s podcast, we will announce all of the contestants who will be returning for a Second Chance to become a Jeopardy! Champion and I will share my vision for Jeopardy!’s future, including new developments in the areas of pop culture and sports, plans for a Jeopardy! Honors awards show and my biggest and most passionately held idea: a Jeopardy! Masters league in primetime or on a streaming platform.”

That feels more like housekeeping and news which comes with its own appeal — especially for those who want to know everything about Jeopardy! as early as possible — but doesn’t say much about what a sustained podcast will do to entertain and hold our attention. It’s not like they’re going to have casting news every week. Davies also promised “gameplay analysis and behind-the-scenes stories, to official announcements, and special interviews.”

Maybe it’s an unfair comparison, but it would be really cool to see Jeopardy! craft a podcast more akin to No Such Thing As A Fish, the QI podcast that is its own animal of facts and comedy and moss appreciation. Obviously Jeopardy! would have to craft its own version, but surely there’s a fun trivia podcast to be made by the makers of the most famous quiz show in America.

(via The Wrap)

Jimmy Butler is coming off of his 11th season in the NBA, becoming a bonafide superstar in Miami, leading the Heat to the 1-seed and the Eastern Conference Finals last season while averaging 27.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 2.1 steals per game in the postseason.

Butler is a recognizable face for NBA fans, diehard or casual, but when pics and videos from Butler’s latest offseason workout with Chris Brickley popped up on Instagram, fans had to do a double take. That’s because Butler, who has always kept his hair fairly short, suddenly appeared with long dreads, bleached at the end, which is a very different look from the Heat star than we are accustomed to.

Butler started wearing braids this season in Miami, which was the start of the hairstyle change, but I don’t think anyone was anticipating him taking that to a new level with the extra long look.

We’ll see if he sticks with the extensions going into next season, but it caught fans off guard and as always happens on the internet, it got plenty of reaction and, yes, lots of jokes.

There were at least some people who are fans of the look, but, mostly, the social media reaction was just people roasting the extensions.

Tupac‘s influence upon hip-hop is undeniable. Despite a very short career, halted by his death via gunshot, his DNA and legacy transcend the time he was actively releasing music. Several commemorative efforts have been released since the California rapper’s passing and the latest comes in the form of his very own Funko Pop! figurine, set to be released in correlation with the anniversary of his debut album, 2Pacalypse.

The official Pop In A Box Instagram account announced the release on July 26 with a photo of both the Funko Pop and the cover art for Tupac’s 1991 LP. People will notice that the outfit the figurine is wearing is the exact same one the rapper sported on the album’s cover. The special edition Tupac Funko Pop! figurine will be available for purchase on November 28, 2022 for $19.99.

2Pacalypse is a beloved record in Tupac Shakur’s discography, boasting the songs “Brenda’s Got A Baby,” “Trapped,” and “I Don’t Give A F***.” The album was released while he was signed to Interscope Records and TNT Recordings, in addition to being a member of Digital Underground. It would serve as the launchpad for a legendary, albeit short solo career.

Check out the Tupac special edition Funko Pop! above.

Donald Trump’s paranoia is really getting the best of him this week.

According to a new report from Rolling Stone, the twice-impeached former president is starting to suspect his closest allies at Fox News are turning on him and favoring his Republican opponent, Florida Governor Ron. DeSantis, in the next primary race. Though no official announcement has been made, plenty within the party expect both men to run during the Republican Primary and getting that nomination relies largely on how favored a candidate is by conservative America’s favorite network. According to insiders, Trump has started placing his former friends at Fox News in specific camps. Those who give him more airtime and positive press are in the “for Trump” group while those who don’t are labeled as being “against Trump.”

“In private discussions, Trump has cataloged which major on-air personalities, hosts, and shows he views as steadfastly all-in ‘for Trump,’ which ones he sees as possibly defecting, and which he deems ‘against Trump,’” the article reads. “For instance, Trump views Sean Hannity as firmly in his column and has expressed some doubt about which camp Laura Ingraham might end up in come 2024.”

Ingraham has been vocal about her doubts when it comes to a Trump 2024 run and whether she’d support the former president should he try for the White House again. But, she’s not the only Fox News personality Trump is worried about. Earlier this week, Trump took to his failing social media platform Truth Social to rant about Fox & Friends hosts Steve Doocy, Brian Kilmeade, and Ainsley Earhardt after they pushed back on some of his more positive polling numbers by suggesting that DeSantis was still beating him in the race leading up to the Republican Primary.

This all comes as the Jan. 6th Committee continues to uncover more damning evidence against Trump and his administration regarding how the former president handled the insurrection he helped instigate. Still, knowing Trump, having Fox News turn on him probably hurts worse than hearing Ivanka’s deposition confirming she knew her father was a loser this whole time.

(Via Mediaite)