Category: Viral

For months, government officials, school administrators, teachers and parents have debated the best and safest way to handle educating kids during the global coronavirus pandemic. While some other countries have been able to resume schooling relatively well with safety measures in place, outbreaks in the U.S. are too uncontrolled to safely get kids back in the classroom.

But that hasn’t stopped some school districts from reopening schools in person anyway.

Photos have emerged from the first day of school at two districts in Georgia that have people scratching their heads and posing obvious questions like “Um, they know we’re in a pandemic, right?”

One photo shows high school students crowded in a hallway in Paulding County, Georgia. Of the dozens of students pictured, the number wearing masks can be counted on one hand. It’s like looking straight into a petri dish.

Another photo comes from Etowah High School in Cherokee County, Georgia. Dozens of senior class students, all huddled together for a photo in front of the school, with neither a mask nor distance between them.

According to 11 Alive News, Paulding County students were given the option to do online schooling, but there were only a limited number of spots available. Of the 30% of students who chose virtual schooling, it’s not clear how many ended up on the waiting list and were forced to go to school in person.

In addition, masks are “encouraged” by the district, but not required, for both students and teachers. Clearly, that’s not working out so well.

The photos are being shared widely on social media as examples of how outrageously badly parts of the U.S. are handling the pandemic. Pretending as if life can go on as normal in the middle of a pandemic is just silly. Acting as if young people are immune to the virus (they’re not) or as if they don’t spread it (they do) is uninformed behavior.

Every single one of those students presumably lives with a parent or other older person, and they’re in classrooms with teachers who are in higher risk age groups as well. It’s already risky enough to try to resume in-person school with strict social distancing measures and mandatory masking in place. But this? This is lunacy.

Americans have proven without a doubt that far too many people won’t wear masks if they’re just “encouraged” to or if masks are seen as a “personal choice.” If schools can mandate dress codes and police girls’ tank top straps and shorts length during normal school days, they can certainly mandate masks during an actual pandemic.

It’s no wonder teachers have been expressing concerns about reopening schools without a solid safety plan in place. No one in their right mind would agree to go to work in a place where people are going to fill hallways without even being able to distance, especially without masks. There’s a reason we’re doing all of this social distancing and quarantining and mask-wearing, and it’s not because the whole world is in on some kind of conspiracy involving American partisan politics. No, it’s not because of some evil plan of Bill Gates either (enough with the conspiracy theories already).

There aren’t enough words to describe how ridiculous these photos are in this current moment. Georgia has the third highest number of active coronavirus cases in the nation, and that number has risen steadily in the past month and a half. The World Health Organization recommends percent of positive cases to be less than 5% for 14 days before considering reopenings. Georgia’s percent of positive cases is above 12%. Schools there shouldn’t even be reopening in person to begin with, much less without very strict protocols in place.

This is foolishness. We’re just making things harder and harder on ourselves. Come on, U.S. Get it together, for all our sakes.

TMZ reports Detroit rapper 42 Dugg has been arrested after evading police for two months. He was picked up Monday in Oakland County, Michigan after fleeing from officers in a Detroit suburb after an attempted traffic stop on June 5. Officers tried to pull over a 2020 Chevy Tahoe that ran a stop sign, but after the SUV pulled over and they approached it, it pulled away and made “a clean getaway.”

Police ran the SUV’s plates and found out it was a rental under the name of a local promoter. Eventually they learned Dugg was one of the promoter’s clients and reviewed area surveillance video to identify Dugg as the driver of the Tahoe. They tracked him down and booked him for fleeing a police officer — a third-degree felony in Michigan (but, let’s face it, probably not as bad as whatever Dugg may have had in the car that prompted him to flee in the first place).

Dugg was released on $20,000 bond but was fitted with a GPS ankle monitor as part of his conditional release. He now faces up to five years in prison, a $1,000 fine, and suspension of his license for up to a year. His arraignment is scheduled for next week.

42 Dugg is best-known for his collaborations with Lil Baby, “We Paid” and “Grace,” and recently dropped the Young & Turnt mixtape in March.

Throughout their entire career, the Beastie Boys have kept up morale on tour by remaining playful. But sometimes, the jokes had a lasting impact.

Beastie Boys detailed their career, lives, and practical jokes through their recently-released Beastie Boys Story documentary directed by Spike Jonze. While Beastie Boys Story shed a spotlight on the group’s tight-knit relationship, there were some stories that were left out of the documentary. One deleted scene, for example, recounts the time Ad-Rock found himself the target of a 15-year-long prank.

It all started when the Boys went to a post-show afterparty and Ad-Rock was approached by a “creepy” man who insisted that the rapper keep his ring. Without thinking too much about it, Ad-Rock pocketed the ring. But it kept mysteriously appearing in his backpack even after he threw it out. One time, the Boys were on a train ride to DC when Ad-Rock discovered the ring was once again in his backpack. The rapper freaked out, made a scene, and threw the ring to the back of the train car:

“Cut to 15 years later, Santiago, Chile. I’m in my hotel room, packing my bags, getting ready to meet everybody downstairs like usual. I reach into my backpack and there it is — the ring. What the f*ck? I f*ckin’ froze. I ran down to the lobby in full panic mode and I told everybody, ‘The ring! I got the ring.’ And they were like, ‘Ring?’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah! Remember that super f*cking creepy guy with the ring and the thing in San Fransisco?’ And they were like, ‘Wow, that’s really peculiar.’ And I was left standing there with the f*cking horror show in my backpack. […] Outside the hotel there was this fountain it to have a little private moment of observance wit the ring. ‘Stop doing this to me.’ And I threw the ring in the fountain and we left Santiago, Chile.

The next night, we’re on the side of stage getting ready to go on and play a show, and Yauch pulls me aside. ‘Hey man. I put the ring in your bag. Remember when we were on that train to DC and you threw the ring down the end of the train? Well, when you went to the food car, I looked around on the floor and I found it and I just kept it. I had it and I put it in my bag every time we’d go out on tour and I’d wait for the right time to sneak it back into yours.’ ‘Wait, that was 15 years ago!’”

After finding it out was a prank all along, Ad-Rock was more impressed at Yauch than he was angry. “Who has the prank stamina to hold it back for 15 years?” he said.

Watch Ad-Rock tell the story above.

Beastie Boys Story is streaming now through Apple TV+. Watch it here.

Diddy’s son, King Combs, sustained minor injuries in a Beverly Hills auto collision early this morning, according to TMZ. A little after midnight, Christian “King” Combs was driving his Ferrari on Sunset Blvd. when his car was hit by a Tesla after its driver lost control. Although both cars were totaled, Combs’ injuries were minor enough that he was able to be treated at the scene without being taken to the hospital.

The other driver wasn’t so fortunate, though. After taking and failing a field sobriety test, the Tesla’s driver was taken away in cuffs, arrested for driving under the influence.

Christian has been following in his father’s tremendous footsteps, slowly raising his profile as a rapper in his own right. After drawing attention with a “Paid In Full” freestyle that had him sounding much like his father’s son, he began accumulating feature verses on other artists projects that have built him an audience of his own. So far, he’s featured on Teyana Taylor’s The Album standout, “How You Want It?” which samples “What You Want” by Mase and Total — a song Christian’s father had a hand in making a towering hit in the ’90s. Combs was also featured on Pop Smoke’s posthumous debut, Shoot For The Stars, Aim For The Moon on the song “Diana.”

Jurnee Smollett has been acting since she was four (she played Michelle’s friend Denise on Full House), but her career has really taken off in the past few years. She turned a lead role in WGN America’s acclaimed Underground into playing Black Canary in Birds of Prey, and she’ll soon star in HBO’s Lovecraft Country, one of 2020’s most anticipated shows. The show’s subject matter — racism, police brutality, the Black experience in America — has led many to dub it “timely,” but Smollett disagrees with that sentiment.

Lovecraft Country has, unfortunately, been timely for generations.

“We’re telling the story of heroes that go on a quest to disrupt white supremacy, and it’s maddening that in the year 2020 it’s still relevant,” she told the Hollywood Reporter, which added “that the series, from Jordan Peele, J.J. Abrams, and Underground‘s Misha Green, would be so had it come out on any day of any year since 1619.”

Smollett also discussed the on-set sexual harassment she’s faced since before she was even a teenager. “I don’t know that I can confidently say that I worked on one job prior to Lovecraft — from the time I was 12 on — where I hadn’t been sexually harassed, whether it was by an AD, a co-star, director, producer,” she said, before praising Green and Grey’s Anatomy showrunner Shonda Rhimes, among others, for giving her the courage to speak out about her experience. “And we’re no longer asking for a seat at the table,” Smollett said. “We’re building our own motherf*cking table.”

Lovecraft Country premieres on HBO on August 16.

(Via Hollywood Reporter)

In March of 2016, the first trailer for the Nina Simone biopic Nina was shared, and the film received immediate backlash due to the casting of Zoe Saldana (who identifies as Afro-Latina) as the titular singer. There were accusations of blackface, accusations that had legs considering Saldana wore dark makeup for the role, as well as a prosthetic nose and false teeth. Furthermore, Simone’s daughter Simone Kelly expressed her dissatisfaction with the casting choice when it was made public in 2012, saying, “My mother was raised at a time when she was told her nose was too wide, her skin was too dark. Appearance-wise this is not the best choice.”

Now, even Saldana herself wishes she hadn’t played Simone. In a new interview, she said she should not have had the lead role in Nina, saying:

“I should have never played Nina. I should have done everything in my power with the leverage that I had ten years ago — which was a different leverage, but it was leverage nonetheless — I should have tried everything in my power to cast a Black woman to play an exceptionally perfect Black woman. I thought back then that I had the permission because I was a Black woman. And I am. But, it’s Nina. And Nina had a life and a journey that should be honored to the specific detail… she deserved better. […]

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry because I love her music. We’ve been appropriating ourselves with someone like Nina Simone for a very long time, and I just want her story to be told, and I want it to be right because she deserves it.”

Watch the full interview below.

Fans are convinced that Travis Scott is taking them to “Utopia” on his next album — and that “Utopia” is that album’s title. In a post celebrating the third anniversary of the release of his last album Astroworld, Travis ended his note with the phrase “see you in Utopia,” which fans have now latched onto on social media, imploring the Texas rapper to release the follow-up.

“Happy Astroversary, a 2-year ride that’s still one of my favorites!!!” Scott wrote. “Album means so much to me!! To every one that bumps and rages to that soundtrack, I love you. Let’s keep the ride going. See you in Utopia.” Astroworld was released on August 3, 2018 and became one of that year’s best-selling albums, debuting at No. 1 with 537,000 equivalent units and returning there in December. It’s since been certified triple platinum and has spawned numerous hit singles, including “Sicko Mode” featuring Drake, Travis’ first Hot 100 No. 1.

Now that fans are sure the title of Travis’ next album is Utopia, they have gone all-in on the possible title, digging up hints and clues from throughout Travis’ last few months of social media posts to connect the dots like a conspiracy map. One fan even joked, “Now every Travis tweet gonna have ‘DROP UTOPIA’ under it for the next 2 years.”

That fan wasn’t wrong, as the “drop Utopia” posts have already begun appearing on Twitter, with Travis’ handle tagged in for good measure. Check out some of these posts below.

Troye Sivan marked last month by announcing the release of a new EP, In A Dream, and sharing the first look at it, “Easy.” Now the singer is back with another preview of the six-song collection, “Rager Teenager.”

On the track, Sivan sings of his desire to have an eventful evening with a special someone: “I just want to go wild / I just wanna f*ck sh*t up and just ride / In your car tonight / In your bed tonight / I just want to sing loud / I just want to lose myself in a crowd / In your arms tonight / Burn in his arms tonight.”

Musically, the song is a slow-burner, an introspective track that grows with intensity with each chorus, ramping up the blankets of synths and electronic percussion as the song goes on.

Sivan previously said of the EP, “A story that’s still unfolding, this small collection of songs explores an emotional rollercoaster period in my life when the feelings and thoughts were most shockingly fresh. Revisiting these songs and moments is tough, but I’m proud of this music and excited to have it out in the world.”

Watch the “Rager Teenager” video above.

In A Dream is out 8/21 via Capitol Records. Pre-order it here.

50 Cent may have joked that he’s taking a social media break, but there’s no way he’d have been able to resist the opportunity to protest an Emmy snub and troll the awards show at the same time. Power, 50 Cent’s Starz crime drama, completed its final season earlier this year, yet was never nominated for one of the coveted television awards at anytime during its six-year run. Understandably, 50 feels a way about this perceived snub, and he found a suitable, typically 50 way to respond.

“Ok here it is Emmy’s, My Black ass for your consideration to kiss,” he wrote in the caption of his latest post. “F*ck your organization I only care about NAACP awards.” True to his word, the caption came attached to a photo of a male posterior, although it looks like it might be a painting or sculpture, rather than 50’s actual “Black ass.” The NAACP Image Awards have been kinder to the mogul’s show, nominating it for its Outstanding Drama Series award four times since 2016. It won twice, in 2018 and at the most recent 50th NAACP Image Awards in 2019.

50, who’s been known to carry a grudge or two in his day, has been defensive of his show for years, even going so far as to troll the cable company Comcast for no longer carrying Starz late last year, in the midst of Power’s final season.

Grab yourself a slice of powdered toast and celebrate: Ren and Stimpy are back.

Comedy Central announced on Wednesday that beloved 1990s animated series The Ren & Stimpy Show will be “reimagined” for a “new generation.” Which is to say, the generation that grew up with Beavis and Butt-Head, Daria, and Clone High, all of which are also returning. “The series hails from Nickelodeon Animation Studio,” according to the Hollywood Reporter (which tellingly only makes one reference to disgraced creator John Kricfalusi, who presumably won’t be involved). “Additional information, including writers, an episode count, and premiere date, have not yet been determined”:

“We are excited to reinvent this iconic franchise with a new creative team and our partners at the Nickelodeon Animation Studio,” [ViacomCBS Entertainment & Youth Group president Chris McCarthy] said. “Ren & Stimpy joins our rapidly expanding roster of adult animation including South Park, Beavis and Butt-Head, and Clone High as we continue to reimagine our treasure chest of beloved IP for new generations.”

Bring back Eek! The Cat next (I’m only half-joking). The Ren & Stimpy Show ran on Nickelodeon for five seasons before being brought back for the now-first time in 2003 on Spike TV as Ren & Stimpy “Adult Party Cartoon.” Hopefully the Comedy Central reimagining brings us more happy happy, joy joy than the Spike revival did.

(Via the Hollywood Reporter)