Category: Viral

When Lisa Wright watched the mid-’70s TV show “That’s My Mama” as a child, she had no idea that she was actually seeing her mother on the screen.

“I grew up watching my mother on TV and didn’t even know it,” Lisa told Today. “‘That’s My Mama’ — that was our must-see TV. We all sat down and watched ‘That’s My Mama’ every week, and who knew? No idea. … And that’s my mama!”

Lisa was born on Dec. 10, 1964 and her mother gave her up for adoption. The mother’s face was covered by a towel after she delivered the baby, so she was never able to see her child. She only heard the baby’s cries as they ushered her away.

50+ Years Later, A Daughter And Birth Mother Reunite With Help From DNA Tests | TODAY

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Fifty-four years later, in 2018, Lisa signed up for 23andMe to learn about her genetic heritage.

“I get an alert, and it says, ‘This person is your uncle,'” Lisa said. So, she reached out to the man, named Carlton Moody, and asked, “If you’re open to it, I would love to chat with you to see what all of this means.” Carlton got back to her the next day.

The next day on the phone, he asked Lisa to tell him something about herself. “‘I was told that my biological mom was very young when she had me,'” she told Carlton. “‘She moved to L.A. because she wanted to be in Hollywood.’ And then he just stopped me right there.”

“So then I’m thinking, ‘OK, here it comes. He’s going to say don’t ever call me again.’ And so he goes, ‘Lisa, you’re my niece. We’ve been looking for you. We’ve all been looking for you,'” she said.

Lisa was excited to learn that her mother, Lynn Moody, lived in Los Angeles, too. And her name sounded familiar.

“Wait a minute, I know that name,'” Lisa told Red Rocks. “Sitting at my desk, I Googled Lynne Moody and when her picture popped up, I almost wanted to cry because it was the first time anyone had looked like me. I then realized that I grew up watching my mother on TV and didn’t even realize it. It was amazing information but it felt like a dream.”

Lynne has had a long career as an actor, starring on “That’s My Mama” for one season as the groundbreaking mini-series “Roots” and its follow-up “Roots: The Next Generation.” She also appeared on “Soap,” “Hill Street Blues,” “General Hospital,” and “Knots Landing.”

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“For 54 years I had to learn how to deal with the fact that I had a daughter out there, not knowing if she was dead or alive,” Lynne said. “For the first time in my life, I was able to say, ‘Yes, honey, I am your mother,'” Lynne said. “I was still nervous. I wasn’t sure if she’d hate me, resent me, accept me, love me. I didn’t know.”

Lynne had searched for Lisa for years but kept hitting dead ends because the adoption was confidential. She even received help from revered “Roots” author Alex Haley, but he couldn’t make any headway either.

Unfortunately, Lisa’s adoptive parents weren’t able to meet Lynne because they had passed away in 2006 and 2010. The mother and daughter have forged a deep bond since they were first reunited in 2018. Lisa has got to meet many of her aunts and cousins, and Lynne has gotten to know her grandson.

“It’s a story about love and never giving up,” Lynne told Red Rocks. I’m experiencing a new world as a result of what has happened and I couldn’t be happier.”

Ziwe (Sunday, Showtime 11:00 p.m.) — Ziwe Fumudoh’s former status as a Desus & Mero writer will be no shocker for anyone who catches her new variety series. She intends to use comedy as a weapon to examine the hardest-hitting issues out there, and those will include cultural issues including race, but also, as she’d like to know (of Fran Lebowitz), “What bothers you more, slow walkers or racism?” Ziwe shall spread her brand of unfiltered chaos, which viewers of her YouTube-turned-Instagram Live comedy show, Baited, will recognize. This week, Ziwe will be presiding over a focus group for real-life women who are burdened with the name “Karen.”

Mythic Quest: Season 2 (Apple TV+ series) — Two pandemic specials sustained viewers between seasons of Rob McElhenney’s workplace comedy, which shall see plenty of awkward maneuvering while the crew comes back to the office after you-know-what happened. In short, sometimes the bigger battle than the work itself is learning (and in this case, relearning) how to achieve harmony with one’s coworkers, but here’s great news: Snoop Dogg stops by this season to spread his feel-good… vibes.

Jupiter’s Legacy (Netflix series) — Kick-Ass and Kingsman creator Mark Millar is to thank for this epic superhero series, starring a heavily bearded Josh Duhamel as The Utopian. He’s the head of a superhero family that’s hoping to pass the torch to a new generation, but (no real surprise) things aren’t going well. Yes, this description does evoke shades of Robert Kirkman’s Invincible (on Amazon), but the vibe is less R-rated and also entertaining on its own merits. No spoilers here, but there are twists involved with this family’s ethics as heroes, and the show answers a lot of questions left open by Marvel Studios’ The Avengers with all of its collateral damage.

SNL (Saturday, NBC 10:30 p.m.) — Elon Musk hosts with musical guest Miley Cyrus.

A Black Lady Sketch Show (Friday, HBO 11:00 p.m.) — The fast-paced, quick-witted narrative series returns with loads of celebrity guests, but of course, the sketches all happen by the grace of the core cast, including Robin Thede, Ashley Nicole Black, and Gabrielle Dennis with Issa Rae executive producing,

Fear the Walking Dead (Sunday, AMC 9:00 p.m.) — Weeks after the show brilliantly subverted Negan’s storyline, Grace copes with amnesia after losing years of life with her friends. Can she put the puzzle pieces together?

Zoe’s Extraordinary Playlist (Sunday, NBC 9:00 p.m.) — Jane Levy’s so great here, and this week, Zoe goes to therapy to look back on her first day on the SPRQPoint job.

The Nevers (Sunday, HBO 9:00 p.m.) — This Joss Whedon-created show (with a steampunk elephant in the corner) sees Penance struggling with the moral implications of Amalia’s plan, and there’s a pending execution on the horizon.

City On A Hill (Sunday, Showtime 9:00 p.m.) — Grace can’t overlook the criminal activity of her sons and must take action, while Jackie confronts her over the Copeland territory shootout.

Mare Of Easttown (Sunday, HBO 10:00 p.m.) — Kate Winslet returns not only to TV but to HBO as a hard-vaping detective in a small town where she both portrays and elevates the “complicated” cop trope. This week, Mare must step back from the case while Colin confronts a local priest about the suspicious circumstances of his arrival.

Couples Therapy (Sunday, Showtime 10:00 & 10:30 p.m.) — Dr. Orna Guralnik is guiding a new trio of couples through all of their conflict and resentments and otherwise unhealthy behavior, all with the hope of keeping them together.

Last Week Tonight (Sunday, HBO 10:00 p.m.) — Please, let John Oliver tackle Ted Cruz again.

Here are some more fresh streaming picks:

From Cradle To Stage (Paramount+ series) — The premiere episode of this Dave Grohl-directed series follows Dave and his mom, Virginia, taking a pilgrimage of sorts to Las Vegas, where they meet with Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds and his mom, Christine. It’s the first of six similarly-themed installments that will warm the hardest of hearts. Moms rule! Hug your mom, and then watch this show.

Star Wars: The Bad Batch: Season 1 Premiere (Disney+ series) — You might prefer to think of this show as the Star Wars franchise’s version of D.C.’s Suicide Squad, but fear no Leto-Joker intrusion. Instead, this The Clone Wars spinoff follows the conclusion of its flagship series that recently wound down on Disney+. Dave Filoni (also of The Mandalorian and Rebels) is executive producing here, and the show focuses on a mercenary squad of sorts that’s made up of (as the title indicates) “the Bad Batch” or Clone Force 99. These elite soldiers stand apart from standard clones due to their unique physical capabilities like super strength, super eyesight, and so on. They’ll try to find their place in a post-Clone War era, and good luck to them.

That Damn Michael Che (HBO Max series) — This show’s title kindly tells us which SNL star will be front and center. However, several other SNL stars from today and yesteryear shall be right beside him, and that includes Colin Quinn, who previously admitted that he wasn’t the best fit for Weekend Update, but he seems to be a good fit for a priest who’s gearing himself up to hear all of Michael Che’s sins. This season also won’t shy away from tackling the all-too-timely issue of policing. Yes, the series promises appearances from Cecily Strong, Heidi Gardner, Ellen Cleghorne, and Colin Jost. Also expect to see Billy Porter, Method Man, Omari Hardwick, and Geoffrey Owens.

Girls5Eva (Peacock series) — Tina Fey and Robert Carlock haven’t swung and missed yet while executive producing together, and here’s their latest joint project about a one-and-done, Spice Girls-esque 1990s girl group who get one more shot at stardom. Unfortunately, they’re all balancing real-life stressors like family, day jobs, and aches and pains that one doesn’t exactly deal with during early-20s life when abusing one’s body simply comes with the territory. Busy Phillips stars alongside Sarah Bareilles, Paula Pell, and Renée Elise Goldsberry.

Years ago, Seth Rogen shared a wild anecdote about the time he got to meet George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, only to have Lucas spend a concerning amount of time sharing his belief that the world was going to end in 2012 to the noticeable embarrassment of Spielberg.

“George Lucas sits down and seriously proceeds to talk for around 25 minutes about how he thinks the world is gonna end in the year 2012, like, for real. He thinks it,” Rogen told WENN back in 2011. “He’s going on about the tectonic plates and all the time Spielberg is, like, rolling his eyes, like, ‘My nerdy friend won’t shut up, I’m sorry…’”

To this day, Rogen remains convinced that Lucas was actually serious about his theory, which obviously didn’t pan out. While promoting his upcoming collections of essays, Yearbook, which recounts the meeting with the Star Wars creator, Rogen stopped by Conan O’Brien’s podcast to explain why he still believes Lucas wasn’t joking with his apocalyptic prophecy and clarify that Lucas “will not be happy” with the story re-circulating. Via IndieWire:

“We [made] a joke like, if you’ve got a spaceship to escape Earth, can we get a seat on that thing?” Rogen said. “And he was like, ‘No.’ It makes me think he wasn’t joking because, if you were joking, you would just say ‘Yes’… But, no, he said, ‘No.’ To this day, I am confounded and plagued by that story.”

Rogen also shared the Lucas story in his latest interview with British GQ, where he remembers the Bearded One looking at him during his doomsday prediction and saying, “I know it’s gonna happen… it’s science. And I know science.”

(Via IndieWire)

With the Mac Miller estate announcing The Book Of Mac: Remembering Mac Miller releasing this October, fans may be surprised to learn that Donna-Claire Chesman’s book isn’t the only one about the rapper planned for release in the next year. Journalist Paul Cantor also has a biography in the works called Most Dope: The Extraordinary Life Of Mac Miller with a release date of January 17, but unlike Chesman’s book, Cantor’s effort has drawn the ire of Miller’s estate.

Sharing a statement through publicity company Orienteer’s Nick Dierl, Miller’s estate denounced the upcoming project, saying that it was “not authorized or endorsed by Malcolm’s family” and noted that Cantor wasn’t closely connected with Mac during the rapper’s life. The statement also points out the Cantor was advised that “the family and friends of Malcolm were uncomfortable with him authoring this biography.” The fact that the book has since been made available for pre-order also rubbed Mac’s family the wrong way, prompting them to wonder if the release date was announced to take advantage of the Book Of Mac pre-order in hopes of confusing fans.

The family expresses disappointment with Cantor and Abrams Press for the move and for setting the release date so close to Mac’s birthday (January 18). “With that in mind,” the statement reads, “We urge those that wish to support Malcolm and his legacy to abstain from purchasing this new book.” You can read the full statement below.

Mac Miller is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

KennyHoopla has been on the rise, and last year, his increasing profile afforded him the opportunity to collaborate with Travis Barker on the single “Estella.” Now the pair is back together again, this time on the frenetic new punk single “Hollywood Sucks.”

A few months ago, Uproxx asked Barker about new artists he’s excited about and he mentioned Kennyhoopla, saying, “As far as a new pop-punk act that not a lot of people are hip to, his name is Kennyhoopla; he’s really, really talented. He would have to be my pick for a new pop-punk artist.”

Around the same time, KennyHoopla also spoke with Uproxx and explained how his fashion mirrors his self-image, saying, “Everyone wants to be this figure, but all I’ve ever wanted to be was myself and the greatest, biggest, strongest version of myself. So, it’s very important for me to be wearing Vans and dressing almost, you can call it normal, but myself, and expressing that. I know that a kid that felt just like me is going to be watching that and they’re going to be like, ‘Oh, I don’t have to have on leather pants and all this crazy sh*t.’ I know how that felt. Being like, ‘F*ck, I can’t afford that, but that is me, but I don’t look the part, or it’s not believable.’ But we’re changing that now.”

Watch the “Hollywood Sucks” video above.

Much like the original Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy 7 Remake is a must-play, and if you’ve been on the fence about starting it — or simply looking for the right time — it’s just around the corner. Square Enix has revealed the final trailer for the game’s upcoming DLC, Intergrade, which comes to PlayStation 5 exclusively on June 10. Based on the trailers, it looks to be a sizable upgrade and addition to Remake, with enhanced visuals and an entirely new chapter following everyone’s favorite ninja, Yuffie Kisaragi.

In this new chapter, titled Intermission, we see Yuffie and her fellow ninja companion Sonon navigate through Midgar prior to that tragic moment in Final Fantasy 7 Remake. During their brief stint in the gritty city, the pair take on villains such as Shinra’s Head of Development, Scarlet, and Weiss and Nero, two brothers we last saw in working for the secret Shinra organization Deepground in Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII. Based on the new trailer, it appears like these battles are very personal, as Sonon blames Scarlet for the attack on his hometown the killed a woman who is presumably his love interest — and looks quite similar to Yuffie,

On a lighter note, it looks like we’ll also be seeing some new summons this time around, with the classic lightning summon Ramuh making a memorable appearance. Last, but certainly not least, the Fort Condor mini-game is back, reassuring fans that Square is truly keeping every bizarre gem from Final Fantasy VII in tact. While the tower-defense game looks a bit different from the original and no longer takes place in Fort Condor, it shares a lot of similarities and looks like something fans will be sinking a lot of time into.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade will be available as a timed-exclusive on the PlayStation 5 starting June 10.