Category: Viral

If you missed the Wall Street Journal op-ed this weekend that set social media discussions ablaze, here’s a brief recap:

Joseph Epstein, a professor emeritus at Northwestern University, penned an opinion piece titled “Is There a Doctor in the White House? Not if You Need an M.D.” that was bafflingly sexist in both its premise and its delivery. After an opening line that read, “Madame First Lady—Mrs. Biden—Jill—kiddo: a bit of advice…” he proceeded to explain how the doctorate that Dr. Jill Biden earned is not the same as having an M.D., and so she should cease using the title of “Dr.”

The entire op-ed reeked of condescension (referring to a grown adult as “kiddo” is rude under any circumstances) and misogyny (imagine addressing an accomplished man in such a manner). It was also just a bizarre and cringe-inducing take overall. Epstein shared how he’d somehow fallen into a 30-year teaching job at Northwestern with just a B.A. degree, whined about the standards for doctorate degrees (which he himself does not have), complained about honorary doctorates (which he does have) and claimed that Dr. Biden using her title of doctor feels “fraudulent” and “comic,” despite the fact that she literally has a doctorate in education and teaches at a university where professors with doctorates are generally referred to as “Dr.”

People pounced in righteous outrage, and understandably so. Women with doctoral degrees of all kinds changed their handles to include their doctor title. Women and men alike explained why the piece was so incredibly problematic. Female former students of Epstein’s shared their experiences in his classes, adding credence to the accusations of misogyny.

Epstein’s article seemed more like a rant you’d read in the comments on a YouTube video rather than a serious op-ed in a well-reputed journalistic outlet. What was the point of publishing such a take? It almost feels purposefully designed to get a rise out of the of the left’s “politically correct cancel culture,” which is just dumb, but here we are. “Look at everyone losing their minds over an academic title, ” as if this guy didn’t manufacture the controversy in the first place. Seriously, nobody actually cared that she was using her “Dr.” title before he made it a thing. Gaslighting at its finest.

While the public reacted as expected, Dr. Biden was quiet about it for nearly two days. Then she put out a one-sentence tweet that was honestly the best possible response she could have given. “Together, we will build a world where the accomplishments of our daughters will be celebrated, rather than diminished,” she wrote.

While the beauty of her response is its dignified simplicity, it’s also powerful in what it didn’t say.

Dr. Biden didn’t address, mention, or even allude to Joseph Epstein. While she could have, she didn’t get caught up in the mess of debates over sexism, misogyny, mediocre white men failing up in academia, the WSJ editorial dumpster fire, etc., like everyone else on social media. She didn’t take the bait or provide any oxygen to the op-ed. She didn’t give Epstein any of the attention he seemed so desperate for. Without actually saying it, she basically said, “This drivel is not worthy of my energy,” which is exactly how you should handle drivel that isn’t worth your energy.

And yet, she did address it. When you are in the public eye and the topic of an article that everyone is talking about, it would be odd to pretend that’s not happening. She just addressed it in a way that hit at the heart of the issue, cutting out all the b.s. and acknowledging the fact that women having their accomplishments diminished is something that needs to change. She made it about looking forward and building a future that’s better than the past, which is exactly where we need to keep our focus.

Finally, she provided a contrast to what we’ve become accustomed to seeing in our public discourse, and especially from the White House. In a situation where she could easily have slam-dunked a guy who quite honestly deserved it, she went high. The class and dignity of her tweet highlight a sea change as we leave the era of embarrassing, insulting Twitter rants filled with constant grievances. The maturity is refreshing.

Well done, Dr. Biden. Not only have to earned your title, you’ve also earned the respect of the people you will be serving.

Almost exactly on this date in 2019 (December 16, to be precise), it was revealed that Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” has risen to the top of the Hot 100 chart for the first time, 25 years after its initial release. It has looked like that would happen again this year, as the classic had climbed back up to No. 2 on the Hot 100 last week. Now, it’s official: “All I Want For Christmas Is You” is once again No. 1, as it tops the chart dated December 19.

“All I Want For Christmas Is You” has tied the record for the holiday song with the most time spent at No. 1 on the Hot 100, joining The Chipmunks’ “The Chipmunk Song.” Additionally, she and Rihanna are now the only two artists ever to have seven songs spend at least four weeks at No. 1. As for Carey’s new holiday single, “Oh Santa” with Ariana Grande and Jennifer Hudson, that debuts at No. 76 on this week’s chart.

“All I Want For Christmas Is You” is actually one of five holiday songs in the top 10 this week: Joining it are Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” at No. 3, Bobby Helms’ “Jingle Bell Rock” at No. 5, Andy Williams’ “It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year” at No. 6, and José Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad” at No. 10.

This news arrives shortly after it was revealed that “All I Want For Christmas Is You” is also No. 1 in the UK, a feat it pulled off for the first time this year.

CD Projekt Red, the Polish game giant and the makers of Cyberpunk 2077, offered an apology to frustrated gamers on Monday and offered those unhappy with the game’s release a full refund. Just days after the game was finally released, the makers of Witcher 3 issued a statement addressing the concerns of players, promising more updates to fix issues in the coming weeks and months but also offering a chance for those unhappy with the game to return it and get their money back.

Posting to the Cyberpunk 2077 Twitter account, the message detailed ways the company would issue refunds and gave a brief roadmap of updates as the company works well past release date to improve the experience in what was one of the most highly-anticipated games of 2020.

“We would appreciate it if you would give us a chance, but if you are not pleased with the game on your console and don’t want to wait for updates, you can opt to refund your copy,” the statement said.

For many, the problems have come on consoles like the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Though the game was ultimately designed for these last-gen consoles, the game seems to perform better on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, though that’s no consolation to those who haven’t bought the consoles that came out last month.

“We should have paid more attention to making it play better on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One,” the company said, the clearest indication yet that the game had a tortured development cycle. Cyberpunk 2077 promised a giant, open-world experience but development delays frustrated gamers as its release date moved later and later into 2020. The game finally hit consoles and PC last week, but the early days have often been filled with glitches and has disappointed some of the game’s most adamant supporters. CD Projekt Red said more than eight million pre-orders of the game were sold, with nearly 60 percent of those coming from PC gamers. The title is also a boon to GOG.com, the online game retailer that CD Projekt Red also owns.

The game, though buggy and without the polish many have come to expect from CD Projekt Red titles, is far from unplayable in its current form. But Cyberpunk 2077 was a title that cultivated a huge following well before the game was ever released. It was those gamers that defended it despite the numerous delays and other warning signs that it may not be completely ready, and it seems many of those same gamers have been ultimately let down by the title’s actual release. As the note mentioned, a hotfix has already updated some issues with the game, and another bug fix coming within “the next seven days.” Two large patches are also expected in early 2021, one in January and another in February.

We’ve seen many games have less than ideal debuts and turn into very satisfying game experiences, but that takes time and a dedicated base of users to encourage that extra work to get finished. The attention Cyberpunk 2077 drew from the gaming community certainly implies the latter will be there, as long as they don’t give up on the title and ask for their money back first.

Ahead of the first night of Chanooka Hanukkah on December 10, Dave Grohl and Greg Kurstin announced that for each of the holiday’s eight nights, they would be celebrating by sharing a cover of a song by a Jewish artist. So far, they’ve taken on songs by folks including the Beastie Boys and Drake. For the fourth installment, they covered Peaches’ “F*ck The Pain Away,” a performance that was made extra special as they were joined by Peaches herself.

The performance was driven by aggressive synths and Grohl’s drumming, but perhaps most importantly, it’s a great opportunity to hear Grohl sing “suckin’ on my titties.” Sharing the video, Grohl wrote, “Drake’s not the only musical Jew from Canada…tonight we feature a Canadian rock G-Dess…who coincidentally grew up around the corner from a Canadian Jewish rock G-D (G-ddy Lee). Straight out the mikvah, here’s @peaches!”

When initially announcing the series, Grohl wrote, “With all the mishegas of 2020, @GregKurstin & I were kibbitzing about how we could make Hannukah extra-special this year. Festival of Lights?! How about a festival of tasty LICKS! So hold on to your tuchuses… we’ve got something special coming for your shayna punims. L’chaim!!”

Watch Grohl, Kurstin, and Peaches perform “F*ck The Pain Away” above.

The Sopranos has come and gone and changed prestige TV with its presence, but that doesn’t mean the crew behind one of the most influential shows in modern history can’t add a bit to its canon. Especially when it’s for a good cause.

Which is why the cast of the HBO drama that debuted in 1999 is apparently reuniting to perform new material written by creator David Chase and another frequent show writer, Terrance Winter. According to Entertainment Weekly, the show will perform a new sketch to raise money for Friends of Firefighters, a non-profit that helps New York firefighters:

The cast of The Sopranos — including Edie Falco, Lorraine Bracco, Michael Imperioli, Drea de Matteo, Steve Schirripa, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Robert Iler, Maureen and Steven Van Zandt, and Steve Buscemi — are reuniting for a virtual event to benefit Friends of Firefighters, a not-for-profit organization that supports active and retired Fire Department of New York firefighters.

The fundraiser, powered by Tiltify, will be available to stream on Twitch Friday, Dec. 18 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

Buscemi, who worked as a firefighter in New York in the ’80s, is certainly excited to get the show back together for a good cause.

“This has been a very difficult time for everyone, but especially for our first responders,” he said in a statement. “Friends of Firefighters is a crucial support service for our firefighters and I’m looking forward to reuniting with my friends to help raise some awareness and funds for this wonderful organization.”

It’s not the first time the show has seen some of its surviving cast get together for a reunion, as they did hold an event in 2019 to celebrate the 20-year anniversary of its debut. And then there’s all of the Sopranos extended podcast universe to take into consideration. But charity is as good a reason as any to get the gang back together. And plenty of show fans are interested in new material.

(Via EW)

Amber Heard recently finished work on two genre projects, the reshoots for Zack Snyder’s highly anticipated director’s cut of Justice League and Josh Boone’s upcoming adaptation of The Stand, and she’s very excited for both thanks to a deep love for “nerd passion.” During a recent interview with Comic Book, Heard gushed about the Justice League reshoots, and the Mera actress couldn’t stop herself from blurting out that she “f*cking loves nerds” while talking about how much she enjoys working with geeks:

“He’s a perfect example, Zack [Snyder] is a perfect example of a nerd,” Heard said. “You know, I got into this project on The Stand because of another true, die hard nerd, which is Josh Boone, who connected all of us on this project as he was adapting the book for Stephen [King}. And I think it’s just a good rule of thumb to follow, especially in this genre which I love. It’s like follow the nerd, the nerd passion is where you want to be.”

If Heard seems particularly excited about nerds lately, the actress has nothing but love for the comic book community after they rallied behind her performance in Aquaman. According to Heard, that enthusiasm staved off a “paid social media campaign” to get her fired from the sequel in retaliation for Johnny Depp getting fired from Fantastic Beasts 3 franchise after a UK judge officially shut him down in his “wife-beater” libel trial. “Paid rumors and paid campaigns on social media don’t dictate [casting decisions] because they have no basis in reality,” Heard told Entertainment Weekly in November while confirming her casting. “Only the fans actually made Aquaman and Aquaman 2 happen. I’m excited to get started next year.”

In stark contrast to Heard’s flourishing projects, Depp was the subject of a brutal profile in The Hollywood Reporter that labeled the troubled actor as “radioactive” and revealed even more of his problematic behavior. Meanwhile he continues to pursue a lawsuit against Heard in Virginia despite his extremely damaging court loss in the UK, which looks to be a devastating blow to the former Jack Sparrow’s career.

(Via Comic Book)

Here we are again, looking for things to listen to and fill the time. With digital streaming platforms, we have all of the music in the world at our fingertips, but still can’t seem to figure out exactly what we want to hear. Lucky for all of us, Geoff Rickly is here to help with Making A Mixtape, the new video offering from Uproxx’s Indie Mixtape. As the singer for the post-hardcore band Thursday, Rickly has a unique and experienced perspective on what it takes to craft an impactful mixtape.

After crafting a “Cinematic” mixtape with Dogleg’s Alex Stoitsiadis and a “Mindblowing” mixtape with Bartees Strange, Rickly is joined by Jeff Rosenstock to put together a “Road Trip” playlist for those moments when you just need to roll down the windows and drive. Back in May, Rosenstock surprise-released his latest album NO DREAM, a powerhouse of a punk rock record that cemented his role as a voice for a disenfranchised generation.

Check out the sixth episode of Making A Mixtape above and the “Road Trip” playlist below.

The Killers — “My Own Soul’s Warning”
Haim — “The Steps”
Phoebe Bridgers — “Kyoto”
Waxahatche — “Fire”
Arcade Fire — “The Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)”
Jeff Rosenstock — “Scram!”
Fountains Of Wayne — “Radiation Vibe”
Mount Kimbie — “Blue Train Lines” (ft. King Krule)

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

For the last several weeks, TikTok users have been jamming out to a new song featuring a bouncy hook, a video-gamey beat, and an absurdly catchy intro adlib by the name of “Adderall” by 19-year-old North Philly rapper Popp Hunna. In fact, the refrain of “Corvette, Corvette” is so popular, it was retroactively added to the song’s title — a convention that has been adopted across the platform as more and more rappers see their songs blow up on the app largely as a result of short excerpts that leave fans guessing about their hits’ actual titles.

However, the fact remains that the song seems to advocate the abuse of prescription drugs, from the titular stimulant Adderall (used to treat ADHD) to lean (the combination of promethazine/​codeine cough syrup and Sprite). Considering the song’s immense popularity — everyone from Kevin Hart to Sasha Obama has been seen dancing to the song on TikTok — Popp addressed this aspect of its potentially inflammatory lyrics while breaking them down on Genius’ Verified. He also excerpted the moment onto his own Instagram.

“I just want to tell everybody out there, do not take Adderall if you do not need it,” he warns. “I’m not trying to promote it for, you know, anybody that just wants to take it for fun. Like, it’s not for fun, it’s for people who might actually need it to you know, work or concentrate. Make sure you get your prescription from a doctor.” Hunna, who is actually studying at the University of Michigan, might be speaking from experience here, as Adderall is sometimes used as a “study drug” by college students.

Watch Pop Hunna’s prescription drug PSA above.

Netflix knows that a little candy for the Christmas season will be extra welcome as a distraction this year, which means that it’s perfect time for a highly scandalous show to touch down. Enter Bridgerton, a Shondaland production (and Shonda Rhimes’ first series with the streaming service), which was created by Chris Van Dusen of Scandal and Grey’s Anatomy fame. As the trailer swiftly indicates, this show has a huge Gossip Girl feel with the narrator — and high-society scandal sheet author — being voiced by Julie Andrews. Off camera, she portrays Lady Whistledown, whose secret identity sends chills down the spine of families who are hoping to avoid a bad look during debutante season. And no one is immune to Whistledown’s biting commentary.

The show’s a Regency London-set confectionery of sorts and revolves around the powerful Bridgerton family as the eldest daughter, Daphne (Phoebe Dynover), comes together in a grand scheme with the rake-ish Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page) to meet their mutual goals while the vultures descend. Bridgerton‘s based upon Julia Quinn’s best-selling novel series, and while the action’s predictable, everything’s executed in such a sharp-witted, tongue-and-cheek manner that it’s hard to hate on the fluff factor. And god help Regé-Jean Page because the Twitter’s thirst for his character will be insurmountable over the holidays. From the synopsis:

Bridgerton follows Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor), the eldest daughter of the powerful Bridgerton family as she makes her debut onto Regency London’s competitive marriage market. Hoping to follow in her parent’s footsteps and find a match sparked by true love, Daphne’s prospects initially seem to be unrivaled. But as her older brother begins to rule out her potential suitors, the high society scandal sheet written by the mysterious Lady Whistledown casts aspersions on Daphne. Enter the highly desirable and rebellious Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page), committed bachelor and the catch of the season for the debutantes’ mamas…

Netflix’s Bridgerton will stream on December 25.

Hanukkah kicked off a few days ago, so celebrants all over are receiving gifts to mark the occasion. One custom present that can end up being a big hit is a Cameo video from a famous person the giftee admires (we put it in our recent holiday gift guide). That’s what somebody named Jeff Jacobson did, getting Smokey Robinson to make a video for his mother, who actually grew up on the same street in Detroit as the music legend.

The video starts off normally enough, with Robinson acknowledging his old neighbor. The second half of the video was less expected, though. Before we continue, this video is best experienced without any advanced knowledge about what the twist is, so please watch it if you haven’t already before reading on.

Based on the clip, it appears Robinson has never seen the word “Chanukah,” as Hanukkah is sometimes alternately spelled. Jacobson asked Robinson to wish his mother a happy Chanukah, but Robinson was confused by that request because he had never heard of “chuh-noo-kah,” as he mispronounced the word. He said, “But anyway, you’re living in Vancouver now and they wanted me to wish you happy Chuh-noo-kah. I have no idea what Chuh-noo-kah is, but happy Chuh-noo-kah because they said so. Anyway, God bless you, babe, and enjoy Chuh-noo-kah. Have a wonderful time.”

Watch the video above.