Category: Viral

You can never have too many Bruce Waynes. Robert Pattinson’s Batman won’t return to theaters until 2026 and Ben Affleck hung up his cape for the final time in The Flash (remember that!) so we need to have someone fill the bat-shaped hole in our hearts. Luckily, there is a new Batman animated series heading to Prime Video to satisfy all of your brooding superhero needs.

Co-created by Batman: The Animated Series‘ Bruce Timm, Batman: Caped Crusader is the latest series to tackle the complex origin story of Bruce Wayne, this time with a fun cast of talented actors. Midnight Mass‘s Hamish Linklater voices the titular Batman/Bruce Wayne in this iteration, which also features Christina Ricci, Jamie Chung, Diedrich Bader, Minnie Driver, Mckenna Grace, Paul Scheer, Reid Scott, Tom Kenny, Haley Joel Osment, and more.

Here is the official synopsis:

Welcome to Gotham City, where the corrupt outnumber the good, criminals run rampant and law-abiding citizens live in a constant state of fear. Forged in the fire of tragedy, wealthy socialite Bruce Wayne becomes something both more and less than human: the BATMAN. His one-man crusade attracts unexpected allies within the GCPD and City Hall, but his heroic actions spawn deadly, unforeseen ramifications.

The first season of Batman: Caped Crusader will premiere on Prime Video on August 1 at 3 a.m. EST / 12 a.m. PT. All 10 episodes of the season will drop at once so you can make it into a movie event if you choose to do so!

You can check out the official trailer below.

At the top of 2024, Green Day’s Mike Dirnt said that on the band’s then-upcoming The Saviors Tour, they would be playing the classic albums Dookie and American Idiot in full.

He said, “What a f*ckin’ moment it’s going to be. We’ve never done anything like this before. And there’s a really good chance we’ll never do it again.” Dirnt added it would take around 90 minutes to perform both albums, continuing, “We’ll then have about 35 to 45 minutes to throw down on other stuff. And production-wise, doing these albums lends itself to some amazing possibilities.”

Well, fast-forward to present day and the tour has gone just about as Dirnt has described it. If you’re thinking of checking out a show or just want to see what the setlist looks like, keep scrolling for an example Green Day setlist, from the group’s July 29 show in Washington DC (via setlist.fm).

Green Day’s The Saviors Tour Setlist

1. “The American Dream Is Killing Me”
2. “Burnout”
3. “Having A Blast”
4. “Chump”
5. “Longview”
6. “Welcome To Paradise”
7. “Pulling Teeth”
8. “Basket Case”
9. “She”
10. “Sassafras Roots”
11. “When I Come Around”
12. “Coming Clean”
13. “Emenius Sleepus”
14. “In The End”
15. “F.O.D.”
16. “All By Myself”
17. “Know Your Enemy”
18. “Look Ma, No Brains!”
19. “One Eyed Bastard”
20. “Dilemma”
21. “Minority”
22. “Brain Stew”
23. “American Idiot”
24. “Jesus Of Suburbia”
25. “Holiday”
26. “Boulevard Of Broken Dreams”
27. “Are We The Waiting”
28. “St. Jimmy”
29. “Give Me Novacaine”
30. “She’s A Rebel”
31. “Extraordinary Girl”
32. “Letterbomb”
33. “Wake Me Up When September Ends”
34. “Homecoming”
35. “Whatsername”
36. “Bobby Sox”
37. “Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)”

While most cowboys are out and about celebrating Glen Powell Summer, those of us with pink glittery cowboy hats have rallied behind the Midwest Princess herself, Chappell Roan. And she’s not the only Midwest Princess to be having a breakout year!

This year alone, Cailee Spaeny received a Golden Globe nom for her role in Priscilla, starred in Alex Garland’s Civil War, and will take on the face huggers in Alien: Romulus. But out of all of her achievements, living around Springfield, MO at the same time as Chappell Roan might be the most impressive.

While speaking with MTV at San Diego Comic-Con, Spaeny and the cast of Alien: Romulus played a round of “Superhero or Popstar,” also known as the easiest game to exist. When Chappell Roan was mentioned, Spaeny spoke up. “We used to do talent shows together,” she said, adding, “Cailee and Kayleigh,” referring to Roan’s given name, Kayleigh Amstutz. Spaeny admitted that the pop star “would always win” though the actress didn’t say what her own talent was. Maybe if she went back now to kill some aliens on stage, she would probably win.

While the duo haven’t linked up lately, the actress admits that they do “message” each other from time to time. “Hopefully we can meet up,” Spaeny said. “Check in on her.” If she really wants to meet up with Chappell, she’ll have to wait two hours on the Ticketmaster queue like the rest of us!

Alien: Romulus hits theaters on August 16.

The countdown to Lollapalooza is on.

With (checks watch) just three days until the famed four-day music festival returns to Chicago’s Grant Park, there’s an energizing buzz in the air making every day this week ooze with excitement. And how could you not be excited knowing that SZA, Tyler The Creator, Blink-182, The Killers, Future & Metro Boomin, Hozier, Stray Kids, Melanie Martinez, Skrillex, among 160 others are slated to take over Chicago this weekend?

Go ahead, just try. We’ll wait. See — impossible!

Outside of Grant Park, the city of Chicago will be hustlin’ and bustlin’ with a slew of parties and events all week long. Live music fans can look forward to Uproxx and Sparkling Ice’s “Sparkling Sessions” at Tetto on Wednesday; Giolì & Assia at Outset, Don Diablo at Prysm, and Geese at Schubas on Thursday; Eyedress at Bottom Lounge, Cannons at House Of Blues, Briston Maroney at Park West, and Dillon Francis x Valentino Khan at Radius on Friday; Grentperez at Chop Shop, Mersiv at Concord Music Hall, Slow Pulp at Empty Bottle, Forester at Prysm, and Metro Boomin at Tao on Saturday; and Alison Wonderland at Cermak Hall, Friko at Lincoln Hall, Hippo Campus at Metro, Zeds Dead at Radius, and Hol! at Sound-Bar on Saturday. It’s hard to keep track of it all, but that’s part of the fun.

This week will surely be one for the books.

To get the most of Chicago’s most anticipated week of the year, we’ve tapped Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell for his personalized guide to Lollapalooza 2024.

What are some essentials that you always bring to Lollapalooza?

Lollapalooza is a marathon, not a race. Some essentials I would encourage everyone to bring is a reusable water bottle (bonus points if it’s aluminum!), earplugs, a waterproof poncho in case it rains, a shoulder bag for personal items, sunglasses, and a good hat for personal shade, sunscreen, and a great pair of shoes. The latter includes nothing open-toed!

Who are some under the radar artists you’re most excited to see this year?

The lineup this year is one of the best we’ve had! I’m really really looking forward to Geese, Last Dinner Party Four Tet, Ben Bohmer, Blu Detiger, Labrinth, Nia Archives, Killer Mike, Dominic Fike, and Laufey with the Chicago Philharmonic.

Something that is really exciting to me is seeing so many talented women on the lineup this year. I’m really proud of the team and what they accomplished, and I can’t wait to see some of these acts kick some ass on stage.

Is there any specific programming, workshops, or events happening inside (or outside) the festival that you encourage everyone to check out?

RE:WILD will have 3 activation tents on-site, and this cause is fundamental to me. I would love for everyone to stop by their activation to better understand their mission. They’re tackling climate change seriously by reforesting cities as well as the rainforest. This is bigger than just humans and our existence, it’s about all living creatures and our relationship with the world. We need more awareness around their cause and I’m very excited to welcome them to Lollapalooza this year.

What’s your best advice for arriving and leaving the festival? Are there any initiatives for biking or carpooling to/from the festival?

To start, we recommend good walking shoes. It’s always a good idea to grab public transportation, ride-share or ride your bike to go to and from Grant Park. We love having Lollapalooza in Chicago because it’s so accessible.

Chow Town and the overall food scene is always big at Lollapalooza. What are some standouts to try this year?

Next to the Re:wild activation, we will have a new plant-based food area called Plant Base. This area was inspired by Re:wild, as choosing more plant-based foods is the best thing we can do to help the environment.

What’s one thing you hope all attendees get out of attending Lollapalooza?

Everyone should come and definitely leave with an open mind and have acceptance for all.

On March 8, 2023, a keeper at World Bird Sanctuary in St. Louis County, Missouri, noticed something odd. A male bald eagle named Murphy was guarding what appeared to be a large depression in the ground.

“The spot was sparsely but carefully decorated with leaves and branches, and featured a simple rock right in the center,” the nature preserve shared on its Facebook page.

Murphy began sitting on the rock, nudging it and becoming fiercely protective of it, as it if were an egg. People visiting the sanctuary would inquire about the bald eagle just sitting there, wondering if he was okay. The keepers finally put up a sign that read:

---

“If you see an eagle lying down in the back left corner under a perch, that’s Murphy! Murphy is not hurt, sick, or otherwise in distress. He has built a nest on the ground, and is very carefully incubating a rock! We wish him the best of luck!”

In case you’re wondering if this is unusual behavior for a 31-year-old male bald eagle, the answer is “not really, but….” Male bald eagles do share equally in nesting and baby-raising, so the paternal instinct part is normal. Murphy’s channeling of that instinct onto a rock…maybe not so much. And at 31, he’s more like a great-granddad than dad, as bald eagles usually live 20 to 30 years in the wild (though they do live longer in captivity).

Murphy takes fatherhood seriously, though. Soon he began screaming and charging at the four other eagles in the aviary if they came anywhere near RockBaby. (That’s the official name the keepers gave Murphy’s…well, rock baby.) Naturally, the screaming and charging caused a fair amount of stress for all involved, so Murphy and RockBaby were moved to their own enclosure for everyone’s protection.

People who saw this unfold started suggesting sanctuary staff replace Murphy’s rock with a real egg or get him a mate, but 1) Eagle eggs aren’t just lying around waiting to be given to wanna-be dads, 2) hatching a different kind of bird’s egg would be potentially dangerous for it, and 3) Murphy had two females right there in the aviary, and none of them were interested in each other. Alas, the heart cannot be forced.

However, a different opportunity presented itself in late March when an aerie with two chicks in it was blown down by high winds. One chick didn’t survive the fall, but the other was brought to World Bird Sanctuary’s Wildlife Hospital.

A bit bruised, but otherwise healthy, the chick was given a good prognosis. Staff began feeding it while wearing a camouflage suit and holding an eagle stuffy to prevent the eaglet from imprinting on humans. What the baby really needed was a foster parent—an adult eagle who would feed and care for it.

“Murphy’s dad instincts were already in high gear,” the sanctuary wrote on April 11, “but at 31 years old, he had never raised a chick before. It’s definitely a gamble, but also the chick’s best chance.”

Introducing an eaglet to an adult eagle isn’t as simple as dropping it in the enclosure. First, the eaglet is put into what the sanctuary refers to as a “baby jail,” which is a heated, comfy cage made of wood and wire that protects the eaglet but still allows some interaction between the birds so they can get used to one another. Once the desired bonding behavior is observed, then they try out some direct one-on-one interaction without the cage.

On April 12, World Bird Sanctuary announced, “IT’S HAPPENING!!!!”

The eaglet (referred to as Bald Eaglet 23-126—they don’t name foster babies at the sanctuary for superstitious reasons) was released from baby jail, and after an hour or so Murphy approached it with curiosity. Was he wondering if his RockBaby had hatched? Maybe. Would he be the nurturing dad everyone hoped he would be? It appears so.

As the sanctuary shared:

“This morning, Murphy got his chance to be a full parent as 23-126 left the nest to go be closer to Murphy. The food is being dropped through a blind drop tube into the nest and baby appears unable to be able to get over the lip to get back into the nest to get the chopped food. When we checked back, we found that baby was still out of the nest and all the chopped food was still in the nest. However, Murphy’s whole fish had been removed from the nest and baby had a full crop. 23-126 is not yet old enough to tear food which means MURPHY FED THE BABY!!!!”

The comments on the update, of course, are pure gold as people have become fully invested in this story:

“I can’t believe I’m crying over eagles!”

“Murphy’s going to be giving a TedTalk: Manifest The Eaglet You Need In Your Life.”

“So happy for Murphy & eaglet Dwayne (the rock Johnson).”

“‘Rock, I am your Father.'”

“Omg I’m crying! Murphy never gave up on his rock and now has a baby of his very own The wonders of nature never cease. Ty, WBS, for making this possible. These two are saving each other .”

Many people have lamented that there is not a live cam so we can all watch this pair as their relationship develops, but staff reminded everyone that the sanctuary is out in the middle of the woods and they don’t have a strong enough signal for a live stream.

But WBS staff has been posting updates on social media and will share the story as it continues to unfold. Follow World Bird Sanctuary on Facebook here. And if you feel compelled to donate to help feed little Dwayne or 23-126 or whatever you’d like to call Murphy’s new baby—who apparently eats a ridiculous amount—you can donate here or check out their Amazon baby registry (yes, seriously!) here.

Congratulations, Papa Murphy!

This article originally appeared on 4.14.23

Odds are you’ve heard Wally de Backer, aka Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know.”

It’s the Australian musician’s biggest commercial hit, selling more than 20 million copies since its release in 2011, making it one of the best-selling digital singles of all time. Not to mention it inspired several amazing covers, which you might have also stumbled upon.

The music video, in its poignant simplicity, is every bit as iconic.

Gotye stands naked facing the camera, as featured singer Kimbra faces him. As they sing, they are slowly “painted” into and out of the background of geometric shapes using stop motion animation. There’s a very Wes Anderson feel to it that adds so much to the story told in the song, making it all the more memorable.

All this to say…it would be a challenge to recreate the magic that’s so inherent in the original. And yet, one dance company has clearly understood the assignment.

---

All this to say…it would be a challenge to recreate the magic that’s so inherent in the original. And yet, one dance company has clearly understood the assignment.

Netherland based dance troupe CDK recently went viral for their highly stylized movement performance to the well known art pop ballad.

As thousands of viewers were quick to note, it’s not just the incredible dance moves that make this performance so captivating. It’s a killer combination of choreography, camerawork and costumes that make the piece impossible to turn away from.

“This is pure art,” one person wrote. While another added, “I think I’m going to watch it everyday for the rest of my life.”

Take a look for yourself:

CDK – Somebody That I Used To Know by Gotye

This group is clearly at the top of their game, by how easy they make it all look (like, I’ve already convinced myself that I can pull off those moves). But what’s more evident is that they enjoy what they’re doing to the nth degree.

To find even more of CDK’s performances, follow them on Instagram.

Fun fact #1: Gotye allows small independent projects, like student films—and probably this dance piece—to use his music free of charge. “If someone wants to use it commercially I look at what the budget is and the creativity of the project,” he said, according to News.com.

Fun fact #2: CDK isn’t the only group to have recently breathed new life into the song. A few weeks ago, an electronic remix of the song titled “Somebody (2024),” created by electronic music producers Chris Lake, Fisher, and Sante Sansone, debuted. Much like it’s predecessor, “Somebody (2024) is topping the charts.

This article originally appeared on 3.6.24

Dr. Jason Singh, who has all kinds of medical insights on TikTok, recently weighed in on the topic he joked was “more debatable than pineapple on pizza.”

That debate would be whether it’s better to shower in the morning, or at night.

You would think the “right answer” would be largely up to personal preference, much like which way to face while showering and whether or not to snack in the shower…two previous hot button issues online.

But according to Singh, there are definitive pros and cons to each option, which could settle the debate once and for all.

---

Singh says in the clip that overnight, “your body can accumulate germs such as bacteria and fungus” through “processes like sweating and shedding skin cells,” all of which help create odor. When you shower off this residue in the AM, it brings your “skin microbiome back to a more hygienic baseline.”

Makes a pretty compelling case for morning showers, doesn’t it? Just wait.

Singh went on to say that nighttime showering has “ ‘three things going for it.”

One, it helps release melatonin to help induce sleep. Plus, when your body adjusts from a warmer temperature to a cooler temperature, that also helps your body prepare for a good night’s rest.

The second benefit is that it washes away “the entire day’s grime.” Which, let’s be honest, can be very therapeutic sometimes. And lastly, showering at night is the ‘better way to help hydrate your skin,” making it a better option for those with sensitive or dry skin.

Singh’s bottom line: “Overall night-time showers have more benefits to it but morning showers have really one benefit and that’s better hygiene.”

@drjaysonisfresh

More debatable than pineapple on pizza

♬ original sound – Dr. Jason Singh

Singh encouraged viewers to weigh in with their own opinions, and they didn’t hold back.

“You will never convince me to go to bed dirty,’ person wrote. Another argued “The worst part about night time showers is long, wet hair. I hate going to bed with wet hair!”

There ended up being some pretty funny responses as well. One person joked that they opted for morning showers since it helps them “Get my head together. Generate a to-do list. Fight with pretend people.”

Another person noted that timing preferences can be dictated by their schedule, commenting, “might showers during the work week and morning showers on the weekends.”

Many argued that two showers a day was the actual best option. That way you don’t go to bed dirty, and you’re fresh for the morning.

Obviously, showering at any time consistently is perfectly find, but Dr. Singh offered some valuable food for thought.

Of course, you could always follow in this viewer’s footsteps, whole wrote:

“I prefer to roll around in dust like a chinchilla.”

This article originally appeared on 3.5.24

The USA women’s rugby team has been one of the early breakout stars of the Olympics, led by Ilona Maher whose run against Japan, throwing a defender to the ground, went viral and earned her a stamp of approval from stiff arm king Derrick Henry.

On Tuesday, the USA women dropped their semifinal game against the tournament favorites, New Zealand, and had to face another top team in the bronze medal match, after Australia lost a stunner to Canada earlier in the day. The Aussies led 12-7 in the closing seconds of the match, with Team USA needing to go the length of the field for a try to tie the game — with a try and a made kick winning it.

After working the ball side-to-side, the ball found its way to Alex Sedrick, who got broke not one, not two, but three tackles to break free into the open field and then turned on the jets for a 90-yard winning score.

I’ve never needed a Chris Berman highlight call more than on this run. A couple WHOOOOPs on the pitches, a “pfft pfft pfft” as she breaks tackles, and then SHE. COULD. GO. ALL. THE. WAY.

It really is one of the most incredible individual efforts you’ll see in any sport, and for her to not only have the power to run through some arm tackles by Australia but to also have the speed to take it all the way is outrageous. The score (and kick to win after) gave Team USA their first ever medal in women’s rugby, in the most dramatic, stunning fashion possible.

When Shaboozey inked a deal six months ago to perform at this year’s Outside Lands Festival in San Francisco (August 9-11), festival organizers could never have imagined that by the time the festival came around, the Virginia-born country singer would have the No. 1 song in the nation on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Heck, “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” was nearly two months away from being released when the Outside Lands Festival Lineup dropped in late April, and Shaboozey’s name appeared on the bottom third of the lineup poster.

For Another Planet Entertainment (APE) President of Concerts and Festivals Allen Scott, it was more about booking up-and-coming country music talent to surround a lineup that features Sturgill Simpson and Post Malone’s country sets among its headlining acts. Charley Crockett and Paul Cauthen are also on the weekend bill, but Shaboozey presented a bit of a chance, one that really paid off for APE in yielding a powerhouse crop of country stars.

“Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good,” Scott says with a laugh on a call from APE offices in Berkeley. “When we booked Shaboozey, he had never really toured yet. We’re close with Empire in San Francisco [his label] and they had talked to us about a number of their artists but he really jumped out at us. We hadn’t even heard of this song, but we liked the whole vibe. And the further down the lineup poster you go, you can take more chances. Every once in a while you have something like Shaboozey.”

A lineup this top-heavy on country music is an anomaly for the 16-year-old festival, widely-regarded as one of the biggest and best in the country. If Coachella is 1A in California, then Outside Lands is easily 1B, a similarly-sized tone-setter for the festival industry. Going this all-in on country says something about the current music industry landscape.

Besides “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” atop the Hot 100 chart, Post Malone and Morgan Wallen’s pop country duet, “I Had Some Help,” sits at No. 2 on the chart dated July 27, after its own run at the top for a period. To have the artists behind the top two songs in the nation at your festival is a fortunate position to be in, yet Scott says the real challenge is in striking a balance between capitalizing on “unique opportunities that aren’t the same as other festivals,” while still capturing chart success.

Enter Sturgill Simpson, who hasn’t played a live show in nearly three years and will be closing out Outside Lands on the main stage. The performance (along with a festival night show underplay at the APE-operated The Independent; also in SF) comes a month before he embarks on a tour in support of his latest album, Passage Du Desir. Simpson has been enigmatic to say the least, spending most of this dark period based in France, only to emerge with a new alter ego, Johnny Blue Skies. It’s par for the course for arguably the one true psychedelic outlaw country act — and definitely the only one to win a Grammy.

“That’ll be the first time I’ve stepped on stage in years,” Simpson told GQ. “And I’m headlining closing night. It’s perfect. I’m Tyson with the towel, man, I like the pressure, I’m like the underdog. I’m gonna go punch everybody in the teeth. I’m pumped, bro. I’m jacked.”

A unique experience? Check. One can’t help but think APE has exercised a degree of foresight with Simpson as well. Because while he experienced success early in his career, it wasn’t on a mainstream scale. Now with country topping the charts, he seems poised for an even bigger breakout than before.

Outside Lands has made a habit of banking on these breakouts. In 2022, it was the first major US festival of its size to book SZA as a headliner, well before SOS came out. Even Lizzo’s 2021 headlining set might’ve felt a bit premature, but definitely proved to be a worthy choice. And while Post Malone has been an established name in hip-hop, he was tabbed to play a country set at this year’s Outside Lands well before he ever announced his country-focused F-1 Trillion Tour. He was booked even months before his transcendent Stagecoach Festival performance effectively set this current career arc in motion.

Yet while Coachella has a property in Stagecoach that it has historically funneled all of its country-leaning acts to, Outside Lands is taking a leap in doing it at a major summer festival that caters to fans of all musical styles. Whether fans will respond to it and whether other festivals will follow suit remains to be seen. But Scott has witnessed this changing of the tide before and is ready to confidently navigate these waters.

“It’s like when Glastonbury put Jay-Z on headlining for the first time [2008] and there were people scratching their heads saying things like, ‘Why do we have a hip-hop artist when this has been a rock festival and blah blah blah?’” Scott says. “So you have those naysayers who ask ‘Why? We didn’t ask for this!’ But look, we’re thinking about what people are asking for or want, but we’re also trying to lead people, too.”

Fame is a scary thing. Being known around the country or world might seem like a glamorous concept, but it also invites strangers into your life, which is always risky. Josh Hartnett was an early 2000s HartThrob(ha!) and starred in blockbusters like Pearl Harbor and 30 Days of Night before taking a lengthy acting hiatus.

While he has opened up about retreating from Hollywood in the past, Hartnett recently told The Guardian that it was for his own safety and wellbeing. “People’s attention to me at the time was borderline unhealthy,” he said.

Hartnett, who stars in the upcoming thriller Trap, admitted that he had his own harrowing experiences. “There were incidents,” he explained. “People showed up at my house. People that were stalking me. A guy showed up at one of my premieres with a gun, claiming to be my father. He ended up in prison.”

While these scary encounters would be enough for anyone to quit their job, Hartnett said it wasn’t the only reason. “I just didn’t want my life to be swallowed up by my work. And there was a notion at that time you just kind of give it all up. And you saw what happened to some people back then. They got obliterated by it,” he admitted. “I didn’t want that for myself.” The incidents mostly occurred during Hartnett’s late twenties.

So, he took some time off and decided to return to Hollywood to portray a dangerous serial killer. The only thing scarier than that role is appearing in the high stakes world of The Bear, which he also did. The HartThrob effect is catching on!!!! Just look at this guy!

You have to love him (sorry, Glen, we still love you too).

M. Night Shyamalan’s Traphits theaters on August 2.

(Via The Guardian)