Category: Viral

There’s simple, straight to the point marketing, then there’s a Beyoncé announcement. Earlier this month, the music icon announced Black Is King visual album with a simple trailer. Few people knew exactly what the visual was, but speculation hit a fever pitch. The moment harkened to the Homecoming documentary announcement, which was a Netflix tweet of a photo and release date.

Beyoncé fanpage @theyoncehub joked that the pitch meeting for Homecoming consisted of Beyoncé telling Netflix to “tweet it the week before with no caption or context,” because “they’ll know.” And even if they don’t, the Beyhive will anxiously anticipate whatever she announces just because.

Beyoncé is a superstar of superstars. There’s a reason that her Instagram posts are loaded with comments from other celebrities acting like stans. Imagine how big of a star one must be to have Drake bringing them drinks at basketball games or incite jokes about Jay-Z being the mere sidekick of their relationship. She’s earned that stature not just with her catalog, but through a prodigious work ethic, an unforgettable live show, and the discernment to nurture her fans’ fascination through image conservation. You’ll never catch her slippin’ cause you’ll rarely catch her at all.

She undoubtedly has a mystique — but she’s relatable at the same time. Fans find personal solace in her love for her hometown Houston and her deep vulnerability about marriage and pregnancy struggles throughout the years. Consider the dichotomy of having fans belt out her “Flawless” lyrics while resonating with an earnest essay in part about embracing her FUPA.

Every star operates in their comfort zone. Some artists are introverted recluses, and some can’t stop oversharing on social media. Somewhere in the middle, high above the fray, is Beyoncé, who is a master of balancing mystery and accessibility.

One could credit Beyoncé’s 30 years of industry experience with shaping her dynamism. She was cultivating her artistry before social media was a thing and TMZ could catch you at the most awkward angles possible. Stardom was protected by PR and limited access in the ’90s, giving stars the ability to tell their own story.

Michael Jackson was the era’s superstar of superstars. Even as the tabloids dogged him, the fans who chose to ignore or disbelieve scandalous allegations could simply feed into the “King Of Pop” mystique. He knew that fans wanted to believe in something bigger than themselves, and he projected it to them. His 1993 Superbowl XXVII performance started with him appearing simultaneously at opposite ends of the stadium (symbolizing his ubiquity) and standing in place for two minutes, radiating that even being in his presence was a privilege. His music video premieres would be simulcast on multiple TV channels, essentially making him a trending topic before it was a thing. Similar to a young Kobe studying Michael Jordan, Beyoncé saw all of this and incorporated the knack for spectacle into her momentous live performance.

In a 2014 letter, she said that Jackson, who is polarizing, but undeniably impactful, “changed her and helped me to become the artist I am.” She recalled her first producer making her watch Jackson’s live performance of “Who’s Loving You” on a “back to back to back” basis for hours. From afar she absorbed his work ethic, careful cultivation of his image, and absorbed the idea that “you could hear his soul,” as she described.

Her own god-given gifts have manifested a similar brand of fandom. It’s harder to maintain privacy in 2020, but Beyoncé does her best. She’s joked about fellow partygoers signing nondisclosures — but the dearth of info that comes out about her infers that maybe she’s only half-joking. Her relationship with Jay-Z is one of the world’s most scrutinized partnerships, but they’ve been meticulous about what they let the public in on. But they’ve both spilled when it was time to let the people hear their soul.

Their 2014 Met Gala incident, in which Solange accosted Jay-Z, was infamously memed as the fight that spawned three classic albums — including the one that most exemplified Beyoncé’s lyrical vulnerability: Lemonade.

Music video director Melina Matsoukas, who directed “Formation,” has said that Beyoncé “wanted to show the historical impact of slavery on Black love” with the 65-minute visual companion to her personal excavation. The project focused heavily on her relationship with Jay-Z, her parents, and how her conditioning — and theirs — affected her womanhood.

Lemonade’s cultural relevance is a form of access in itself. Being accessible isn’t just about being on social media; it’s about engaging an audience on terms they understand, in ways they appreciate. There was a renewed push for more Black imagery in 2010s pop culture, and Beyoncé fed that better than anyone. Lemonade’s lyrical content contributed heavily to already-relevant dialogues of infidelity, generational trauma, self-worth, and body image. And the Lemonade film showed Beyoncé engaging with Black fans through their shared heritage instead of a carefully curated, larger-than-life aesthetic typical of much popular music. It was undoubtedly this generation’s biggest star at her creative zenith — but it wasn’t about supremacy as much as community.

She also keeps up that connection by staying attentive to what’s going on in the culture. It may seem like because she and Jay-Z are secluded they’re detached from what’s going on — but neither of them miss a thing. There are numerous examples of her being aware of what’s going on at the moment, from her aforementioned contributions to progressive discussions, to doing the Shmoney dance in 2014, to her “Apesh!t,” “Top Off,” and “Savage” remix verses, which all sounded fresh and of their moment. One has to stay on top of the game’s movements to stay on top of their game commercially, and Beyoncé embodies that dynamic.

Her work ethic is momentous, and nothing demonstrated that more than 2019’s Homecoming, another personal offering from the Queen. The Netflix documentary chronicled the leadup to her 2018 Coachella performance — a set so spectacular that it spurred debate about who was better between her and MJ. It would have been simple enough for Beyoncé to merely leave fans awestruck at what she did that night, but Homecoming let fans be a fly on the wall while observing the personal obstacles she overcame toward the moment.

Fans were made aware of the difficulties of her pregnancy with Rumi and Sir Carter, and her journey to get down from a post-pregnancy 218 pounds. She allowed candid access to her day-to-day life, showing aspirant viewers the symbiotic relationship between sacrifice, dedication, and achievement. Her fans often joke about her utter perfection, but Homecoming displayed a level of humility and resilience that makes her highs even more impressive.

Cultural ubiquity isn’t given; it’s earned. The most underrated aspect of stardom is being able to handle stardom. There are many celebrities who have offput fans with errant tweets, impulsive comments, and overall grating personalities. But in 20+ years, one would be hard-pressed to find moments where Beyoncé undermined her stardom or overplayed her hand. She’s both vulnerable and exclusive, candid and alluring at once. That mesh is what has allowed her to become — and stay — an icon.

Last week, Taylor Swift surprised many by surprise dropping her eighth album, Folklore. Arriving less than a year after Lover, the album was met with widespread acclaim and quickly found success on the charts, selling over a million copies globally less than 24 hours after its release. Despite all the positive press the album has received, Swift found herself in a bit of controversy after a black-owned business owner accused her and her team of theft.

Amira Rasool, founder of the online retail store, The Folklore, accused Taylor Swift of stealing her company’s logo for her album. She then went on to point out the similarities its design to her products.

“Based on the similarities of the design, I believe the designer of the merch ripped off my company’s logo,” Rasool said in an Instagram post. “I am sharing my story to bring light to the trend of large companies/celebrities copying the work of small minority-owned business owners. I am not going to let this blatant theft go unchecked.”

According to InStyle, Swift’s team removed all the merch that had the “Folklore” phrase on it, switching it out for merch that read “Folklore Album.” Rasool would later show her appreciation for the change made by Swift’s team.

“I commend Taylor’s team for recognizing the damage the merchandise caused to my company @TheFolklore’s brand,” she said. “I recognize that she has been a strong advocate for women protecting their creative rights, so it was good to see her team is on the same page.” Rasool also revealed in a second tweet that her and Swift’s team were in conversation “about the next steps to make this situation right.”

Swift then offered her support to Rasool and her brand. “Amira, I admire the work you’re doing and I’m happy to make a contribution to your company and to support the Black in Fashion Council (launching on 8/3) with a donation,” she wrote.

After weeks and months of anticipation, the NBA season resumed on Thursday evening with a battle between the Utah Jazz and the New Orleans Pelicans in Orlando. Prior to tip-off, the players, coaches and referees involved in the game took a knee during the national anthem and, with plenty of excitement about basketball, it was clear that there was a bigger focus on issues extending well beyond the court. Still, there was a game to play and, after 48 minutes on opening night, the Jazz emerged with a 106-104 after a last-second defensive stand.

In what was certainly an ironic twist, it was Rudy Gobert that garnered the first bucket of the restart. From there, the first points of the bubble journey for the Pelicans were tallied by none other than Zion Williamson.

The Jazz enjoyed a (very) strong start, using a 10-0 run to take an early 11-point lead and seemingly grab full control of the proceedings.

That was the extent of the positive mojo in the first half for the Jazz, though, as the Pelicans awakened in short order. New Orleans closed the first quarter on an 18-4 run to claim the lead and, along the way, veteran guard J.J. Redick delivered a startling move that drew plenty of attention.

After only a short burst of playing time in the first period, Williamson made an appearance to begin the second quarter, and he almost immediately converted a dunk off a lob from Lonzo Ball.

New Orleans extended the lead to as many as 16 points late in the second quarter and, by halftime, the Pelicans owned a 12-point advantage. While there was plenty to like, Brandon Ingram was a notable standout for Alvin Gentry’s team, scoring 15 points and grabbing six rebounds in the first half.

On the Utah side, things were ugly, including a 15-for-45 shooting clip from the floor and 4-for-20 from three-point distance. Fortunately, the Jazz did receive a jolt coming out of halftime, climbing within six, but Williamson again left his mark with a big-time dunk and a beautiful assist.

The Pelicans threatened to run away a bit, reclaiming a double-digit lead, but the Jazz were feisty. Utah scored five points in 12 seconds to prompt a timeout from New Orleans with the scoreboard reading 75-69 late in the third quarter.

New Orleans weathered the charge, in part due to back-to-back threes from Redick, but it was clear the Jazz found something in attacking the rim against the Pelicans. Utah kept the pressure on, slashing the lead in the middle portion of the fourth quarter, and the onslaught continued. In fact, the Jazz took the lead with approximately four minutes remaining, overcoming a sizable deficit and making things exceptionally interesting.

The end was an exercise in back-and-forth basketball, including what transpired in the final minute. Donovan Mitchell converted a pair of free throws to give Utah the lead with 48 seconds left but, on the next possession, Ingram answered with free throws of his own to tie it. On cue, Mike Conley did miss a shot for the Jazz but, after an offensive rebound, Mitchell broke down the Pelicans’ defense and flipped the ball to Gobert, who was fouled.

The big man buried both free throws with 6.9 seconds remaining, giving Utah a 106-104 lead. New Orleans then had one final chance to steal a win but Ingram’s contested three-point attempt went begging, giving the Jazz the win.

All told, it was a highly entertaining and strong start to the NBA’s restart, with a pair of intriguing teams putting on a show for 48 minutes. For the Jazz, it was a positive result to kick off what they hope to be a lengthy journey. On the Pelicans side, this is a disappointing loss, not only because the team blew a 16-point lead, but also with an eye toward an uphill battle for New Orleans in order to garner a playoff berth in the Western Conference.

On Thursday evening, Billie Eilish shared her second track of the year with “My Future.” The song, which was first announced late last week, is a continuation of the amazing year she’s had, including sweeping the Grammys with her album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? Eilish took a moment to sit down with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, revealing the recording process behind her new single and explaining how it differed from her previous releases.

“This was such a satisfying process. It was so, so satisfying. We wrote the song in like two days,” Eilish said in the interview. Calling the process “crazy fast,” she gave a day-by-day account of how she and her brother/go-to producer Finneas brought the record to life.

This is the most we’ve ever worked in one period of time. But we record, we wrote it like a month into quarantine probably. And it was pouring rain… Oh, it was such a perfect setting. And then we recorded the vocal in Finneas’ studio, which is just in his basement in his house…. For me, I’m sure you know, I take f*cking forever to get a vocal take that I like, and I do like a billion takes. And this one… I just, I don’t know, there was something about this one take that I did, and I was like, ‘This is the only way that it can be.’

Eilish grew comfortable with the track’s sound after just one day. She also explained how the track was completed the following day.

We had the song recorded, but we didn’t have, we didn’t know what to do with it. And we popped in the pool. We got out of the pool, and I was literally going to go home. And I was like, ‘Let’s just f*ck around with it a little more.’ And we finished the song that night, like finished completely. It was crazy.”

Eilish’s interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music can be viewed here.

The Umbrella Academy turned out to be a runaway hit for the Netflix audience with its 2019 debut. Based upon the graphic novels by Gabriel Ba and My Chemical Romance’s Gerard Way, the show proved itself to be a demented (and tolerably quirky) take on the superhero genre and something that not only felt and looked but sounded refreshingly novel. A lot of this was down to the inventive story: seven siblings were born on the same 1989 day to different mothers and adopted by mad billionaire Sir Reginald Hargreeves, who used their powers for his own ends. He proved to be a terrible father for many reasons, which left the group with varying degrees of trauma to overcome. Even more than the intricate worldbuilding, though, the show managed to eclipse a strange-for-the-sake-of-it vibe, which is quite a feat, considering the inclusion of a hyper-intelligent talking chimp called Dr. Phinneus Pogo.

Let’s face it: a lot of things could have gone wrong while adapting the comic book series for the small screen, but somehow, it all worked, down to a fantastically assembled cast: Ellen Page, striking a careful balance of portraying the sibling who was most the instrumental in triggering an apocalypse while being unaware of those powers for most of the season; Robert Sheehan, boosting his drug-addled, sexually fluid character who communes with the dead into fan-favorite status; Mary K. Blige as a hitwoman in what can only be described as inspired casting. I could go on, but it’s time to discuss whether the second season continues the momentum of the first, which was already a rarity in the inertia-heavy streaming era.

Hell yes, it does. The show even manages, in a few instances, to surpass the musical interludes of the first season, which included a most infectious use of an “I Think We’re Alone Now” dance break, not to mention The Doors’ “Soul Kitchen,” along with Radiohead, Queen, and Gerard Way tunes. Let’s just say that, this year, Klaus gets some of the better moments in the musical department, and although he’s still a tortured soul (who’s haunted by Ben), he’s also now a (benevolent) cult leader.

This is where I should mention that Five’s time-travel rescue of the group has gone awry, and the siblings find themselves landing in separate years in Dallas, Texas. However, it’s the when that allows the series to blossom while the characters continue battling their own internal demons. Not only does the audience rejoin this set of beloved personalities, but the early-1960s setting gives the show room to explore an expansive historical backdrop — including the civil rights movement and JFK’s impending assassination — upon which it can continue to paint its filled-to-the-brim tapestry.

Naturally, the Hargreeves’ arrival also caused disruption in the timeline, which sets the world on the brink of another apocalypse, this time of the nuclear variety. While dodging a trio of Swedish assassins (one of those oddball details that the show consistently manages to pull off), Five must find a way to unite the group and figure out how to save humanity. As always, the show has no shortage of furiously flying plot points while making time to be character-driven as well. In short, each of the siblings (other than Five, who’s still the same old-man-in-a-young-body) have built new lives and/or are still coping with their residual childhood traumas. They’re doing so while adapting to the times in vastly different ways, and it’s a blast to watch all of these big goldfish crash around in their newly tiny little ponds.

Things are, as usual, complicated with the family dynamics on display, but the show manages to tread new territory in that department by separating the siblings again before bringing them back together. New challenges presented by the era loom large, with the show’s queer representation growing even more prominent, and with the other issues that arise, this season doesn’t simply present a matter of fresh obstacles and hairdos. Yet the hairdos do matter, especially when it comes to Allison, who finds that the reaction to her natural hair isn’t the only challenge of finding herself down South during a particularly pivotal time in history.

Meanwhile, poor Luther’s still perhaps the most traumatized of all and turns himself into a literal punching bag. Diego, probably to no one’s surprise, lands himself in an institution, where he acquires a girlfriend who’s even more messed up than his family. Then we’ve got Vanya, whose powers turned out to be the major twist last year. This season, her arc is particularly engrossing, given that she suffers from amnesia and has no bloody idea that she took a chunk out of the moon, or that she’s prone to becoming super-mega-destructive. So, we get to know her on a purer level — which makes the show feel lighter, since Vanya was previously so dreary and angsty — and learn how she might have been without dear old dad’s manipulations. Speaking of which, Sir Reginald Hargreeves does surface, and boy, he’s just as terrible in the past as the present.

That’s not to say that this season gets too serious. Fans know the show will bring occasional dramatic moments, but the show’s chaotic and tragicomic spirit remains consistent with the show’s debut. Somehow, this season manages to be more overstuffed with events as the first one, with the show’s energy staying consistent as ever. You know that saying about everything being bigger in Texas? That’s definitely the case here: the twists are bigger, the impending apocalypse is bigger, and most importantly, the feels (the laughter, the tears, and everything in between) are bigger.

‘The Umbrella Academy’ launches its second Netflix season on July 31.

The reigning WNBA champion Washington Mystics absolutely dominated the Seattle Storm on Thursday to jump out to a 3-0 start to their season in the WNBA bubble at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. That’s the boring and most simple way you could describe what happened because in reality, it was a demolition that was honestly stunning. This is a Storm team that, while missing head coach Dan Hughes due to him being a high health risk, has the majority of its core roster still from the 2018 championship team. Breanna Stewart is back from injury, Jewell Lloyd and Alysha Clark are there, and Sue Bird is back for another go. This team is stacked and entered the Wubble as the title favorite.

And the Mystics crushed them from the word go in an 89-71 victory, despite being without the reigning MVP in Elena Delle Donne, two other starters in Natasha Cloud and LaToya Sanders, and their biggest offseason addition, Tina Charles. This is a team playing the literal version of the next woman up mentality and they crushed the Storm with ease. If this is surprising to you, do not feel bad, because just about everyone projected at least some form of step back from Washington, which begs the question: How exactly are the Mystics doing this?

It has been three total games so we should take all of this with a grain of salt and acknowledge that there’s a long way to go, but given it’s a shortened 22-game season, we are 14 percent of the way through the regular season and Washington has two wins over expected contenders in Phoenix and Seattle.

When watching the Mystics, something that stands out is how the general aspects of their system have remained largely unchanged. You would think that a team missing the majority of their key starters would change the system up to fit the massive changes, but instead they have opted to keep the status quo and just shift roles and workload over to different players on the roster. The result is players looking comfortable playing within a familiar system, even as they take on expanded roles. They already know where they need to be and what they would be doing at any given moment. They’re still firing away from three-point range and seeking out ways to create shots there as much as they can. They led the WNBA in attempts from deep last season and they’ve spent the bubble shooting 25+ times in two of their three games. The only time they didn’t shoot 20, was 17 against the Fever, and they dropped 100 points on them so obviously the deep ball wasn’t really necessary.

This is a high powered offense that knows how to function even without its stars thanks to a system that works. They seek out the deep ball and they shoot it with great accuracy. The sheer volume of shots from deep gives them an edge, but of course, that shot wouldn’t have much weight behind it if the defense wasn’t there to back it up. Defending three-point shooting can at times feel sporadic and random, but the Mystics close out on teams. They force them into bad shots. They have yet to give up 90 points in a game while themselves scoring no less than 89. That 89 came against the Storm after they had already wrapped up the game and rested throughout the fourth. They’re playing incredible defense while at the same time scoring in bunches. This is what elite teams do and the Mystics look elite even without their traditional stars.

Elevating players to expanded roles only works if those players take advantage of that opportunity and no one has done that better than Myisha Hines-Allen. Before this season, Hines-Allen’s career high in points per game was 3.8 which she earned in 10.5 minutes per game of play in her rookie season. Her sophomore year she fell to 7.8 minutes and only scored 2.3 points per game. She wasn’t exactly looked towards as a top offensive option for the Mystics, but through three games now she has scored 27, 17, and 16 and is one of the top three leading scorers on the team.

The two other players that have been taking on starring roles are Ariel Atkins and Aerial Powers. Atkins started every game in 2019, while Powers was a fairly important piece off the bench, so both seemed like strong candidates to take on a heavier load with so many key pieces not in the bubble. They, too, have thrived, shooting a crazy percentage from three-point range and helping propel this offense from the perimeter, but Hines-Allen has truly been a surprise force that has not only taken on a heavy volume of the offense but has thrived in it.

Hines-Allen stepping up out of nowhere is a great example of what the Mystics have managed to do so far. They’ve taken a season that had the potential to be lost due to external forces and have refused to back down from their quest to defend their title. While you shouldn’t feel bad if you doubted the Mystics entering the season, if you continue to doubt them from this point on then you are merely fooling yourself.

Here’s something you should know about me: I’m proud to be disabled.

I can picture some of you looking very perplexed right now. Admitting this fact about myself is something I may have said in a hushed tone just a few years ago. Why? By all accounts, I’m not supposed to be “proud” of my disability. Not according to society, at least. But then again, I’ve never given much thought to societal conventions. Thankfully, I’m not alone.

July is Disability Pride Month, which is sparking so many much-needed conversations about living with a disability and what it means to celebrate that. People with disabilities make up the largest minority group in the United States, with 61 million adults living with a disability, according to the CDC—that’s one and four people.

Disability Pride Month is a time to celebrate people with disabilities. It’s also a time to call for changes toward a more inclusive, accessible world. The first Disability Pride Day was held in 1990, coincidentally, the same year as the passage of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA); the pivotal legislation was the biggest disability rights win of our generation and it “prohibits discrimination and guarantees that people with disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else to participate in the mainstream of American life—to enjoy employment opportunities, to purchase goods and services and to participate in State and local government programs and services.”

Maybe that’s why this year, as we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the ADA, this idea of disability pride feels all the more poignant and important. While I may have reached a place of pride now, I didn’t always feel this way.

I was born with Freeman-Sheldon syndrome, a genetic bone and muscular disorder that primarily affects the face, hands and feet. I’ve had around 25 surgeries to straighten my legs, as well as correcting my scoliosis. I spent the majority of my formative years in and out of the hospital. At times, what was harder than all those surgeries was feeling so different from everyone else. I grew up never seeing anyone that looked like me— not on TV, not in movies, not in books or even magazines. At a time when all I wanted to do was fit in, it was hard to stand out so much.

People are shocked when I say I’m proud to be disabled because we still live in a society where pride and disability don’t belong in the same sentence. Disabilities are seen as shameful. They are looked at as something bad. People should feel sorry for us. Who would want to be disabled? That’s a question I’ve heard far too often from too many people. I’ve had individuals tell me that a disability and wheelchair is nothing to be proud of, it’s nothing to celebrate and that it’s something I should be ashamed of.

Of course, people’s cruel words are only parroting the messages society sends about disabilities. We live in a culture that treats disability as something bad or negative. From a young age, disabled people are taught to be ashamed of something that’s a huge part of their identity. I felt ashamed of my disabled body for many years; I wasn’t comfortable in my own skin and, interestingly, becoming a writer that helped me change my perspective. The more I wrote about disabilities and about my life, the more I felt a cleansing of sorts. It was as if the act of writing was literally rewriting the voice in my head that had played on a loop for so long. The voice that told me I was ugly. The voice that told me I was unworthy and unlovable. The voice that told me my disability was shameful. It was as if I was shedding my old skin, making way for self-love and self-acceptance after too many years of shame and hatred.

I can’t help but feel like 2020 is a reckoning of sorts when it comes to disabilities—a moving of the needle toward inclusion, accessibility, opportunity and acceptance. Those are the things disability activists have been fighting for years to achieve. Because where the ADA is about literal access, Disability Pride Month is all about visibility and representation. It’s about inclusion. It’s about opportunity. It’s about celebration. It’s about having a seat at society’s table.

I’m forever proud to claim my seat, to unapologetically take up space and to be included. Finally, we’re seeing this trend of disabled people reclaiming what it means to have a disability. We don’t typically see the words pride and disability together, but for disabled people like me, the two words go hand in hand. “Disability pride” is a declaration as much as it is a celebration, where the disability community is shouting, “Yes, disabled people want to be seen and heard. And guess what? We’re not going anywhere!”

My disability pride has taught me to be more vocal. To speak up. And, yes, to show my face, especially through countless selfies on social media. Disabled people are here and we’re proud. While Disability Pride Month may be about the disability community, it’s also important to have support from able-bodied people.

A huge part of disability pride centers around identity. I know things like “I don’t see your disability or wheelchair” are meant as compliments, but those words are actually quite hurtful. It’s dismissive of my lived experience as a woman with a disability. It’s like saying my disability doesn’t exist. Since my disability is a part of my identity, it’s like saying I don’t exist. It’s, again, viewing disability through the ableist lens of disability is bad and able-bodied is good. It’s assuming that I want to be seen as “normal.” But guess what? Spoiler alert…I am disabled. And it’s not a bad word.

My hope is that one day, we won’t need any entire month to remind people that it’s okay to celebrate disabilities and that society will celebrate us because they see our inherent worth and dignity just like we do. Until that day, though, here’s a reminder one more time: Please, see my wheelchair. See my disability. See all of me.

Three children were shot in an incident in New Orleans’ Seventh Ward on July 13. One of the children, a nine-year-old boy, died from a bullet to the head.

The disturbing news horrified jazz trumpeter, New Orleans resident and father, Shamarr Allen. “I thought how easy it could have been for that to be my own son,” he said.

The news inspired Allen to save the lives of at-risk New Orleans children the same way that he was able to lift himself out of a dire situation.

“What saved me and redirected my path was a trumpet, the music, and culture of the city that it connected me with,” he wrote. “It showed me that success, connections, and differences can be managed through self-expression.”

Allen had some spare trumpets lying around so he created a guns-for-trumpets exchange.

“To all the youth in New Orleans, Bring me a gun and I’ll give you a trumpet no questions asked,” Allen posted on social media. “People don’t understand that these kids are trying and wanting to do other things,” Allen told NPR. “But there’s just nothing for them to do.”

He wanted the children and their families to feel safe about the exchange so he reached out to New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, who connected him to Shaun Ferguson, the chief of police.

“I said ‘Listen, I have a different connection with these kids because I grew up like them, I know what they’re going through,’ ” Allen said. “They aren’t bad kids, they’re just dealt into bad circumstances.”

The police agreed to liquidate the guns Allen collects without asking who gave them to him.

For the first exchange, Allen received a fully-loaded gun form a young girl. “I would never suspect that she would have [a gun]. And she was the most excited about getting [a trumpet],” Allen says.

He then put her in contact with local musicians for lessons.

After Allen gave away four instruments he reached out to fellow musicians to donate theirs and created a GoFundMe page for funding to expand the program. The campaign is called My Trumpet is My Weapon.

“The trumpet became a weapon that really saved my life, so I figured it may be able to have the same impact for another young person from New Orleans,” he wrote on the GoFundMe website.

In just 13 days days, the program has received over $36,000 in donations.

“The trumpet was the first thing that showed me, ‘Oh I really don’t have to be here. It’s really a whole other world out here,’ ” Allen said.

He hopes the instruments will do the same for other children in New Orleans.

“So if I can create those little opportunities for one or two or three of them, they can actually bring that back to their neighborhood and do it all over again,” he said.

Of the properties Disney has acquired over the years, the most violent isn’t Marvel Studios or Lucasfilm, it’s Muppets Studio, home of the Muppets. Kylo Ren might have blown up a planet, but you don’t see the carnage. In Muppets Now, the first new Muppets series since ABC’s fortunately short-lived The Muppets, you see the mop-puppets (and occasional human) being punched, karate chopped, sling-shotted, devoured, and in one twisted segment, set fire to an Alexa-like device. The only thing missing in the four episodes screened for critics is a fish boomerang, and I’m sure that’s coming. It’s time to raise the curtain, because the Muppets, in their silly glory, are back.

This wasn’t a given, as my hopes weren’t high on Muppets Now. The “unscripted” teasers looked sweaty, in a “how do you do, fellow kids?” kind of way, and I’m still not sold on Joe the Legal Weasel. But the series is a welcome, if occasionally uneven, throwback to the Muppets’ variety show roots. Whereas The Muppet Show (still the best Muppets project, over The Muppet Movie and holiday classic The Muppets Christmas Carol) was a loving riff on The Ed Sullivan Show, Muppets Now finds inspiration from YouTube and reality TV, with the characters presenting individual segments — Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker test MythBusters-approved experiments for Muppet Labs; Miss Piggy sits down with celebrities like Taye Diggs and Linda Cardellini in her Uncle Deadly-assisted Lifesty (or is it Lifestyle?) web series; and Pepe the King Prawn hosts a game show that even Chunky would find chaotic. In some ways, Muppets Now reminds me of a kid-friendly I Think You Should Leave, and now I would like to see Tim Robinson play Fozzie Bear in a live-action Muppets movie. Thank you in advance.

(A brief aside: much has made about the new voice of Kermit, and yeah, even after multiple episodes, I never got used to it. That’s not a knock on Matt Vogel, a talented puppeteer; it’s just hard to hear anyone but Jim Henson or Steve Whitmire doing the voice. Eric Jacobson and Dave Goelz continue to do a fine job, however, as Fozzie/Miss Piggy/Animal and Gonzo, while Julianne Buescher is a nice addition as Beverly Plume.)

Every episode begins the same way, with an over-worked and under-appreciated Scooter scrambling to edit together the whims of his various fellow Muppets into something resembling a concise episode of TV. It’s hit or miss, both for poor Scooter (who also must deal with Zoom-triggering video calls from Fozzie, pitching a pun-heavy stream of concepts) and us viewers. Some segments work far better than others (the Pepe and Swedish Chef ones are personal favorites), but the structure unfortunately doesn’t allow for much interaction between the Muppets. It’s also curious that with so many characters to play with, the show repeats the same handful of sketches.

There’s a lot of promise here, and Muppets Now is already the best Muppets show in decades as is (I stand by Muppets Tonight being an underrated entry in the Muppets canon), but there’s a nagging sense that it could be better by adding 10 percent more chaos. Chaos is what the Muppets do best. Especially explosion-based chaos. But ultimately, if you’re tickled by the idea of the Swedish Chef wrapping an actual mole in a burrito and slathering the little guy with sour cream, while Danny Trejo makes mole sauce to impress a horny turkey named Beverly Plume, you will enjoy Muppets Now.

‘Muppets Now’ begins streaming via Disney+ on Friday, July 31.

The Ellen DeGeneres Show has always given off warm and fuzzy vibes, thanks to a host so friendly she has, well, some questionable friends. But recent reports have poked holes in that façade. A BuzzFeed piece discovered alleged racism and intimidation behind-the-scenes; Variety claimed longtime crew were mistreated as the show reformatted due to the pandemic. On Monday WarnerMedia began an in-house investigation into these claims, and on Thursday, as per Variety, DeGeneres herself broke her silence on the matter, apologizing to her staff.

“On day one of our show, I told everyone in our first meeting that The Ellen DeGeneres Show would be a place of happiness — no one would ever raise their voice, and everyone would be treated with respect,” DeGeneres wrote in a statement aimed at her staff. “Obviously, something changed, and I am disappointed to learn that this has not been the case. And for that I am sorry.”

She continued:

“I could not have the success I’ve had without all of your contributions. My name is on the show and everything we do and I take responsibility for that. Alongside Warner Bros, we immediately began an internal investigation and we are taking steps, together, to correct the issues. As we’ve grown exponentially, I’ve not been able to stay on top of everything and relied on others to do their jobs as they knew I’d want them done. Clearly some didn’t. That will now change and I’m committed to ensuring this does not happen again.”

DeGeneres claimed that this she learned that “people who work with me and for me are speaking on my behalf and misrepresenting who I am and that has to stop.” She added, “As someone who was judged and nearly lost everything for just being who I am, I truly understand and have deep compassion for those being looked at differently, or treated unfairly, not equal, or – worse – disregarded. To think that any one of you felt that way is awful to me.”

The daytime TV host vowed “to do my part in continuing to push myself and everyone around me to learn and grow,” adding, “It’s important to me and to Warner Bros. that everyone who has something to say can speak up and feels safe doing so.”

In the three days since the internal investigations were made public, there’s already been one major decision made: Executive producer Ed Glavin, one of the people mentioned in allegations of racism, is exiting his role immediately. It’s not yet clear if more heads will roll.

(Via Variety)