Category: Viral

The United States is in an unprecedented, if not unpredictable, predicament right now. President Trump is refusing to concede the election, claiming it was stolen from him through fraud and cheating and illegal votes being counted. Despite legal experts, election officials (including Republicans in the states in question), and international election observers invited by Trump himself all saying that they’ve seen no evidence to back up these accusations, Trump isn’t backing down.

This behavior from Trump is not surprising. It’s been clear from the get-go that the guy is a malignant narcissist, and malignant narcissists will do anything to avoid admitting defeat. He is literally incapable of doing so, it’s likely that he will go to his grave claiming that this election was illegitimate, even if someone with sway in his circle manages the herculean feat of getting him to publicly accept the loss like a big boy.

Trump is a problem, but he’s not the biggest problem. This nightmare of a presidency has been marked time and again by half the country cringing at the president shattering democratic norms, then quickly shift to a chagrined brushoff of “Ugh, Trump being Trump again.” After four years, we’ve come to expect, if not accept, that Trump is gonna Trump. Playing the victim when he doesn’t get his way is Trump’s game. We know this. He’s not going to change.

What’s more disconcerting is how many people are continuing to enable his behavior, despite the fact that it’s tearing the nation apart. Not just disconcerting, but gross, frankly. As CNN’s Jake Tapper said this morning, “They’re coddling him like a 5-year-old whose pet turtle died.” We’re talking about a grown-ass man in the most powerful position in the world, not a petulant toddler past his nap time. It’s just embarrassing.

And yet only a handful of Republicans have come out to say so. According to the Washington Post, a senior Republican official recently remarked, “What is the downside of humoring him for this little bit of time? No one seriously thinks the results will change. He went golfing this weekend. It’s not like he’s plotting how to prevent Joe Biden from taking power on Jan. 20. He’s tweeting about filing some lawsuits; those lawsuits will fail; then he’ll tweet some more about how the election was stolen; then he’ll leave.”

I’m sorry, what?

What is the downside? How about the tens of millions of Trump followers who, for whatever reason, actually do believe his lies and who seriously do think the results will change? How about the fact that their adulation of him is the only thing he lives for, and that he will keep feeding them the narrative that the election was stolen even after these lawsuits fizzle out? How about the fact that a not-insignificant number of his most ardent supporters are armed to the hilt, just waiting for the call to save America from the evil Democratic overlords? How about the militias and extremist groups that have been foaming at the mouth for an excuse to start a civil war?

Even if the chances of violence are small, they’re real. These people don’t brush off Trump’s bombast; they cherish it. Trump’s base is full-on beholden to Trumpism to a cult-like degree, and if this senior Republican official can’t see the danger in fanning that flame of fanaticism, then they’re a fool.

But we don’t even have to go that far. The peaceful transfer of power is a democratic norm that keeps America safe and stable. Even during closer elections than this one—including the 2016 election, which Trump won with narrower electoral vote margins in key swing states and without the popular vote—the loser has conceded when the states’ official projections made it clear that they’d been defeated.

This reaction of Trump’s is humiliating on every level. We may have unfortunately had to live with Trump daily debasing the office of the presidency with his words and behavior because there was nothing we could do about it, but what he’s doing now goes beyond that. This is an undermining of democracy itself.

Trump’s base can’t or won’t see it, but I would think every single one of our elected officials would. This isn’t rocket science. This is basic. The Republicans could have nipped this in the bud immediately, but instead most are just going along with it, either oblivious to or unconcerned about how fractious and dangerous it is.

But perhaps the biggest downside of “humoring” the Trump narrative is that HELLO WE ALL NEED TO LIVE IN THE SAME OBJECTIVE REALITY HERE. Claiming that Democrats literally stole an election through fraud isn’t a schoolyard insult, but a genuinely serious criminal allegation. Pretending it’s just run-of-the-mill political theater is insane.

Because people believe it, 100%. The right-wing slip into unreality keeps getting steeper, with hoards of Trumpists fleeing Fox News—FOX NEWS, for the love—for not being Trumpist enough. This is the same frighteningly large percentage of Republicans who believe that QAnon conspiracy theories are real. Some of these people are now in Congress. The whacko fringe is taking over and bringing their untethered-from-reality misinformation machines with them and SERIOUSLY REPUBLICANS WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU? Conservative views are one thing; enabling your constituency to reject reality and substitute their own is entirely something else.

This goes so far beyond normal partisanship, it’s not even funny. In fact, nothing about this is funny. Mike Pompeo, Secretary of State, representative of the U.S. on the world stage, said today, “There will be a smooth transition to a second Trump administration.” Then he chuckled.

Was that a joke? Is the attempt to overthrow a democratic election a joke? Is letting the whiny child with the nuclear codes think he’s going to get his way, simply because he wants it, a joke? Or was Pompeo being serious? It’s impossible to tell anymore. Even listening to the entire press conference, it was impossible to tell. The president’s appointees are afraid to tell him the truth, either out of fear of his wrath—which is real—or fear of losing the brainwashed masses they need in order to keep political power.

Either that, or he has sucked them into his narcissistic delusions, which is actually a lot scarier.

Again, we are in uncharted territory here, but we shouldn’t be. No one should be humoring this man’s baseless claims to protect his fragile ego. No one should be going along with his undignified response to losing an election when the good of the country is at stake. No one should be allowing the feelings of a man with dangerous pathologies to control the way the United States of America transitions to new leadership.

Trump’s power is not absolute. His sway is not unshakable. Elected leaders—Republicans in particular—can put an end to this embarrassing, dangerous charade right now by raising a united front and saying “enough” to Donald, loud and clear. He’ll throw a fit and probably fire a bunch of people, but he’s going to do that anyway once it sinks in that he can’t have what he wants.

The stability and safety of the country, from forces both inside and outside our borders, hinge on how everyone in government who isn’t Trump acts right now. So please, take a step back, look at the big picture, and do the right thing.

In the long run, there isn’t a downside to that.

Acting is a notoriously tricky business, with huge ups and downs and no guarantee of work, even with a herculean amount of hustle. Even today’s biggest stars have had their bad patches, and even after appearing in big titles. One of those is Jason Momoa, who in an interview with InStyle, says that after his character, Khal Drogo, was killed off of Game of Thrones in Season 1, it almost killed him, too.

At the time, he was struggling to pay the bills at the Topanga Canyon house he shares with his now-wife Lisa Bonet. Losing the gig didn’t help. “I mean, we were starving after Game of Thrones,” he told InStyle, in a bit caught by Entertainment Weekly. “I couldn’t get work. It’s very challenging when you have babies and you’re completely in debt.”

Why on earth was Drogo having trouble getting work. As EW points out, he extrapolated on that in James Hibberd’s newish Game of Thrones behind-the-scenes book Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon, saying that people assumed he was as monosyllabic as his character. “For a while afterward, a lot of people bagged on me. It hurt me a lot. People thought I didn’t speak English,” Momoa recalled. “They didn’t know I was playing a role. I’m nothing like Drogo. I’m like Drogo when I’m being lovey and close to the woman I love and being nice, but his other half is not me. But then everyone fell in love with Drogo when they rewatched the show.”

It wasn’t until he nabbed the role of Aquaman in Justice League that things took a turn for the better. Now look at him! In lighter news, the same interview found him gushing about the color pink, so he’s obviously in a better place.

(Via EW and InStyle)

The Christmas season is a little over a month away, although some are already getting into the gift-giving holiday. That includes the LVRN record label, which announced on Tuesday that its members would join forces to release a Christmas album next week, before even Thanksgiving. The label is home to notable names like Summer Walker, 6lack, Boogie, and Shelley (formerly known as DRAM). Entitled Home For The Holidays, the nine-track project is set to release on November 16 and feature holiday renditions of “This Christmas,” “Chestnuts Roasting,” and more. There will also be guest appearances from Cruel Santino, OMB Bloodbath, Eli Derby, Young Rog, and BRS Kash.

LVRN made the announcement in an Instagram post that also revealed the project’s cover art, which shows cartoon versions of the label’s various members, putting up the decorations on a Christmas tree while others sit around and enjoy some conversation.

Home For The Holidays comes after two of its most-known members shared EPs earlier this year. Summer Walker made her impact in 2020 with her Life On Earth effort, which featured PartyNextDoor and No1-Noah. 6lack also shared an EP this year with his 6pc Hot release, which saw a guest appearance from Lil Baby.

Home For The Holidays is out 11/16 via LVRN/Interscope. Pre-order it here.

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

New York-based designer and illustrator Sophia Chang is transfixed by icons. The bulk of her playful and lighthearted illustrations tell entire stories through the use of simple symbols that are able to take the viewer on a visual journey. That use of attention-grabbing iconography stems from growing up in the busy streets of New York City, a city famous for its sensory overload. “It’s a super busy city, there are all these visuals, pictures, colors, sounds, everything is calling for your attention… I’ve always been very inspired and mindful of the moments when I stop in my tracks and look at something.” One of the icons that stops Sophia in her tracks is Nike’s Air Max, a sneaker silhouette that both satisfies Sophia’s interest in futuristic design and her admiration of cultural staples.

In this episode of Uproxx’s Studio Visit — created in partnership with Foot Locker — Sophia takes us into her studio for a behind the scenes look into her design process, which usually begins with pen and paper. She also shared her thoughts on the sometimes impenetrable gatekeeping of modern streetwear and sneaker culture, with the Air Max and Foot Locker acting as a way into the exclusive world and something that sparks nostalgia for her.

“All throughout high school and onwards a lot of our creative inspirations came from music, arts, illustration, graffiti, all kind of tied into how we wanted to leave the house. A retailer like Foot Locker opens doors for how we express ourselves.” Like her art, Sophia’s personal style is a reflection of the city she calls home, making the Air Max not just the perfect stylistic attention-grabbing icon to wear on her feet, but a functional piece of fashion that speaks to Sophia’s way of life.

“Growing up in New York, you’re always on the go, you’re always on the move, you want to be comfortable, but you also want to look fly and make sure you’re leaving the house looking good… There’s a phrase called ‘feet first’ which basically means we judge you by what’s on your feet first and foremost. If you wear black head to toe, but you still got some fire kicks on? You’re good.”

To learn more about Sophia Chang’s design process and her exciting collaboration with Foot Locker, check out the new episode of Discover Your Air above.

It’s hard to imagine this now, when he’s been a busy movie star for ages, but Dwayne Johnson’s first blockbuster appearance was pretty small. The year was 2001, and he was a big star in wrestling — his film debut was in the 1999 doc Beyond the Mat — but when he tried to cross over into movies, he did so with baby steps, making a cameo as the fearsome Scorpion King in the sequel The Mummy Returns. He returned to the character, now as a hero, in the next year’s spin-off The Scorpion King, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Now, dozens of films later, he’s about to return to his first triumph. Sort of. According to Deadline, he’s looking to reboot the Scorpion King franchise. Thing is, Johnson may not actually returning to the role, having a full schedule through 2022. Instead he’ll at the very least produce it, allowing a new actor to assume the role. Still, Deadline speculates he may at least make an appearance.

Johnson’s been busy, even during the pandemic, with Netflix’s Red Notice and the superhero pic Black Adam on the docket. In fact, it’s hard to imagine a time, as in 2001, when he would simply drop in for a couple appearances, one of those mostly ensconced in CGI, as was the cast in The Mummy Returns. Luckily, the spin-off was able to be pulled-off without much overflow with the then-Mummy series. Good, because the one with Tom Cruise likely killed that IP for at least a few more years.

(Via Deadline)

Alex Trebek’s death on Sunday hit home for millions of people, as the longtime Jeopardy! host had become an institution of American television and someone that was a regular visitor into your home most every weeknight. As Ken Jennings said in his tribute on Twitter, Trebek felt like a family member to so many because of the familiarity and comfort you felt just watching him, even if you’d never met the man. Those lucky enough to have met him, meanwhile, have almost nothing but glowing things to say.

As tributes continue to pour out about Trebek, we thought we’d put together some of our favorite moments of his on Jeopardy! For me, the last two years after he announced his diagnosis of stage IV pancreatic cancer produced some of the most memorable moments, as it seemed everyone that came on the show recognized that we weren’t going to have Trebek with us forever. That led to some touching moments as contestants made sure to give Trebek his flowers while he was still hosting the show, which if there’s a small silver lining to all of this, it is that he got a chance to hear from people how much he meant to them.

Two of the most shared clips in recent days have been of Dhruv Gaur’s touching “We Love You Alex” answer to Final Jeopardy during last year’s Tournament of Champions and recent champion Burt Thakur’s emotional testimony of how he learned to speak English by watching Trebek on Jeopardy! with his grandfather.

It has been pretty tremendous to see over the past couple years as contestants show their appreciation for the legendary host, and, as our Ryan Nagelhout wrote, part of what made Trebek so beloved was his genuine hope for everyone to do well on the show and the care he took in getting each contestant to open up, even ever-so-briefly, on the show. He also took delight in seeing contestants win, whether it was how astounded he was by the performances of Ken Jennings and James Holzhauer on their legendary runs, or this moment in which all three contestants tied (with the returning champ purposefully betting the amount to let the other two tie him) and, thus, all won $16,000 and got to come back to play the next day. (This rule eventually changed and there’s now a tiebreaker question.)

While Trebek was known for his kindness and warm-hearted nature, which was why so many took delight in seeing him make jokes or even curse, as everyone does, in outtakes like this oft-viral clip of him doing promos for the Jeopardy! phone game.

His dry humor was often on display, but almost never to the delight of the audience more than when they would slip a sports category in that would completely stump the contestants. His delivery of “If you guys ring in and get this one, I will die” is one of the funniest things ever on the show.

Trebek also listened to more “fun facts” about contestants than any human probably should have to, and sometimes their talents or stories would blow him away, such as the recent beatboxer who appeared on the show and made Trebek genuinely thrilled with his exploits.

Other times, people would relay some extremely obscure interests to the host and television audience, to whom Trebek would try to translate to the people at home, most famously with his “losers, in other words” quip after a lady explained nerdcore hip-hop.

And then there were those relationships we got to see him build on screen with two of the best contestants the show ever had, Jennings and Holzhauer, who are inextricably linked to Trebek forever. Holzhauer’s dominance was something that made Trebek almost guffaw at, with his incredible acumen, skill, and knowledge in just about every category. For Jennings, the on-screen dynamic was similar but the 74-time champ clearly loved to prod at Trebek and try to make him break his typical stoic character, never more successful than his answer of “hoe” that produced an all-time reaction from the host.

There are words that Jeopardy! fans will always hear in Trebek’s voice, none more than genre, but for me personally I will always laugh uncontrollably at the weirdest Jeopardy! video edit on the internet: Jeffpardy!

What’s amazing about Alex Trebek’s longevity as host of Jeopardy! is that nearly everyone you ask will have a different favorite memory of Trebek. Some will be incredibly personal, while others may simply be some very funny moment they’ll never forget, whatever the case, he has left an indelible mark on millions and it’s a pretty tremendous legacy to leave behind. As for Trebek himself, he became introspective after his cancer diagnosis and offered his thoughts on how he wanted his final episode to end.

“It’ll be a significant moment for me,” he said. “But I’ve kind of, in my mind, rehearsed it already, and what I would do on that day is tell the director, ‘Time the show down to leave me 30 seconds at the end. That’s all I want.’ And I will say my goodbyes and I will tell people, ‘Don’t ask me who’s going to replace me because I have no say whatsoever. But I’m sure that if you give them the same love and attention and respect that you have shown me…then they will be a success and the show will continue being a success. And until we meet again, God bless you and goodbye.”

Until we meet again, Alex.

Last Friday, it was reported Johnny Depp was being suddenly yanked from the third Fantastic Beasts entry. The reason? The failure of the libel suit he had filed against the British tabloid The Sun, which has been deemed not guilty for referring to him as a “wife-beater” in relation to his divorce from actress Amber Heard. Warner Bros. reportedly wished to distance themselves from Depp. Problem is, the movie had already re-launched production, with pandemic precautionary measures, of course. But it looks like they have quickly found a replacement for Depp’s character, fearsome villain Gellert Grindelwald, and it’s a thespian with a longer history at playing baddies.

According to Deadline, talks are under way with Mads Mikkelsen, the Danish actor who’s played the villains of Casino Royale, Doctor Strange as well as the cannibalistic anti-hero of NBC’s TV version of Hannibal. (For the record, he also played the kindly father of Felicity Jones’ hero in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, because the man has range.) Should he get the role, Mikkelsen will be the third person to play the role in the series in only three films. The first Fantastic Beasts concludes with Colin Farrell’s character revealing himself to be Depp’s Grindelwald, setting the stage for the 2018 sequel.

Depp may have only got to film one of his scenes before getting his walking papers, but he can’t be that sad: Monday it was revealed that he’ll still be receiving his full six-figures payment.

(Via Deadline)

When Warner Bros. dropped a first look at Matt Reeves’ The Batman during DC Fandome, audiences were absolutely blown away by the darker, intense approach that Robert Pattinson was bringing to the iconic role. But hardcore Batman fans were even more stoked to see a nod to the classic Batman: The Animated Series, which some considered to be one of the best interpretations of the Dark Knight, surpassing even the films. During the badass trailer set to Nirvana‘s “Something in the Way,” Pattinson’s Batman is asked who he is by a group of frightened thugs who just watched one of their own take a brutal beating. Pattinson’s response? “I’m vengeance,” a line that was epically growled by Kevin Conroy during his time voicing the Caped Crusader on the animated series.

As for how Conroy feels about seeing Pattinson use his classic line, he’s very cool with it. In an interview with Geek House Show, Conroy opened up about how he loves that there are different takes on Batman and The Joker, and he appreciates what each actor brings to the role even though he was against the idea when Val Kilmer first replaced Michael Keaton in Batman Forever.

“I think it was kind of brilliant of Warner Brothers to not give the role to one person,” Conroy said, via Comic Book. “I thought it was crazy at first because usually they give a role to one actor and that actor becomes the face of the franchise. So when Michael Keaton started and I thought well he’s going to be Batman. Then you got, George Clooney, Val Kilmer, all these different actors, Ben Affleck, who all did it slightly different. They all had a different strength in playing the role.”

(Via Geek House Show)

Nobody should call a woman a “bitch” – especially the dictionary. Oxford University Press has finally updated their definition of “woman” to fit in with the 21^st century. “We have expanded the dictionary coverage of ‘woman’ with more examples and idiomatic phrases which depict women in a positive and active manner,” OUP said in a statement, per CNN. “We have ensured that offensive synonyms or senses are clearly labelled as such and only included where we have evidence of real world usage.” The Oxford Dictionary’s definitions show up on search engines like Google, Yahoo, Bing, And Lexico.

The change is the result of a 2019 Change.org petition to update the definition, because it was pretty sexist. The petition was started by London-based communications strategist Maria Beatrice Giovanardi, and received over 30,000 signatures. According to the petition, the Oxford Dictionary contained words that were “sexist” and “show women as sex objects, subordinate, and/or an irritation to men” when talking about women. Giovanardi told The Guardian she feels the campaign achieved 90% of its goals – like getting rid of phrases and definitions that “discriminate and patronize” or “connote men’s ownership.”

The petition caused the dictionary compliers to undertake an “extensive review” of the entries “for ‘woman’ and many other related terms.” References to gender and words “typically associated with women” (like high-maintenance or housework) were removed. Any references to “sexual attractiveness or activity” were revised. It’s like the pressure for women to look good even extended to the dictionary.

There are so many arenas in which women have yet to reach gender parity, but now the dictionary is not one of them. OUP added “equivalent” phrases, such as adding “woman of the moment” to match “man of the moment.”

While women shouldn’t be defined by their relationship status, OUP also added that a woman can be “a person’s wife, girlfriend, or female lover,” in addition to a man’s. Speaking of man, they also updated their definition for “man,” adding the same-gender neutral terminology as used in the updated “woman” def.

One of the major complaints with the old version was that derogatory synonyms for “woman,” such as “bitch” and “bint” and “wench” weren’t labeled as such. The inclusion of these synonyms without the note that there’s anything wrong with them could open the door for harassment. Now, these synonyms are labeled as “derogatory” or “offensive” or “dated.”

It’s important to think about the words we use, because words have meaning. “The hard truth is that language does matter and does influence society,” Giovanardi told Mashable. “We want sexism to be taken as something that not acceptable, [and] not okay.”

Ultimately, the change is a reminder that if you stand up and say, “Hey, I don’t like it when you think it’s okay to call me a bitch,” people will eventually listen – even the people in charge of the dictionary.

The time has come to talk about one of the most snackable sweets on earth: mochi ice cream.

If you’re unfamiliar, mochi is a traditional Japanese rice cake made of mochigome — a mix of glutinous short-grain rice, water, sugar, and cornstarch — pounded into a paste and then molded into all variety of different shapes. Sometimes that shape is round and it holds ice cream inside. As you might imagine, these little ice cream dumplings are quite often delicious.

After seeing a huge boom over the past decade, mochi ice cream has fully hit the mainstream. It can be found in most markets, alongside all your other favorite frozen desserts. If you seek it out, chances are the first brand you’ll see is Los Angeles-based My/Mo Mochi. Kroger carries it. So does Target. Whether you’re in Anchorage, Alaska, or Zzyzx, California (an actual city!) you’ll be able to find the stuff.

Currently, My/Mo makes fifteen different flavors. Since that’s way too many for a person to pick from blindly, we’ve tested and ranked all fifteen of them below.

15. Apple Pie à la Mode

A hallmark of My/Mo Mochi is how far the brand strays from more traditional Japanese flavors (not having Red Bean is a crime) and it doesn’t get less traditionally Japanese than Apple Pie. That doesn’t make the flavor bad by any means, Apple Pie à la Mode is one of My/Mo’s seasonal flavors and, if you love spiced apple and vanilla ice cream, you’re going to want to stock up on these to enjoy during the off-season.

For me? It tastes a little too much like apple sauce and I’m just not into that.

The bottom line: If you don’t love the taste of artificial apple, almost any flavor will provide a better experience.

14. Cookies & Cream

My/Mo has two distinct styles of making mochi ice cream. Flavors either come in an all ice-cream form and a filled-form. Cookies & Cream would’ve been a great candidate for the filled variety, but sadly it’s not that. The cookie crisps in this flavor are just a bit too small, and the ice cream is a little more watery than it is creamy. It’s not bad at all, but it promises so much.

What should it have been? Creamy ice cream with a chunky Oreo cookie-like center!

The bottom line: Doesn’t live up to its promise, but a fine flavor overall.

13. Double Chocolate

A chocolate-flavored mochi exterior with rich and creamy chocolate ice cream and crisped brownie bites? Count us in!

The chocolate ice cream here is pretty solid, offering a nice balance of deep chocolate-y notes with brownie bites that provide a nice crunch and texture. Our only gripe here is the brownie bites are a bit flavorless, and, honestly, calling them brownie bites is being generous. They recall chocolate chips more than brownies.

The bottom line: Lovers of chocolate look no further, this is a great way to double up.

12. Pumpkin Spice

Pumpkin Spice is My/Mo’s other seasonal flavor and while I fully expected to dislike this flavor as much as the apple, I kind of love it. A delicious mix of clove, cinnamon, a dash of nutmeg, a dusting of gramham cracker… it’s pretty much Pumpkin Pie in a mochi ice cream form.

The bottom line: Not just for pumpkin spice die-hards, this is a solid flavor worthy of your freezer space.

11. Sweet Mango

I know this is going to weird people out, but believe me — what you’re about to read is not a knock on My/Mo’s Sweet Mango mochi:

The Sweet Mango mochi does not taste anything like actual mango. At all. It tastes like Nerds. From Wonka.

Lucky for me, I love Nerds. If you love Nerds there’s a high chance you’re going to love Sweet Mango mochi. That simple.

The bottom line: Don’t pick up this flavor expecting mango flavor. But if you want a balance of sweet and tangy, this is the one for you.

10. Ripe Strawberry

Strawberry ice cream is both one of the most divisive flavors of ice cream and one of the most basic. It belongs in the same class as vanilla and chocolate but it isn’t nearly as beloved. Which means if you love strawberry ice cream, you’re going to love My/Mo’s Ripe Strawberry. If you don’t, this flavor will do nothing to win you over.

In terms of strawberry ice cream, Ripe Strawberry is decent to good, the small bits of frozen strawberry are a nice touch and if they were a bit bigger it might push this ice cream firmly into the “good” camp.

The bottom line: For commited lovers of strawberry ice cream and strawberry milkshakes. Probably not for anyone else.

9. Mint Chocolate Chip

This flavor would’ve ranked much higher had My/Mo opted to make it strictly mint ice cream, rather than adding the flakey bits of chocolate. My/Mo’s chocolate bits just leave a lot to be desired. Again, these taste more watery than they do chocolatey and that’s really a shame as the mint ice cream is delicious.

Paired with the gooey mochi exterior, this flavor is as refreshing as ice cream can get.

The bottom line: A mid-tier flavor that manages to suffer from the inclusion of chocolate.

8. Orange Vanilla

My/Mo Orange Vanilla is essentially a 50/50 Creamsicle. And given this easy-to-eat form factor, we’re going to go ahead and say it’s superior to eating a popsicle. Better still, the orange ice is replaced with pillowy orange-flavored mochi with vanilla bean ice cream encased inside and a tangy burst of orange flavor in the center.

The bottom line: The evolution of the creamsicle. Eating this will never make you look at a 50/50 bar as fondly again.

7. Vanilla Bean

Vanilla is a classic flavor in the world of ice cream and the world of mochi and My/Mo’s Vanilla Bean exceeds expectations. It’s smooth — with a rich and creamy ice cream texture and a soft powedered exterior. It will be someone’s favorite, but we like our top picks to be a little more experimental.

The bottom line: A solid entry of a classic mochi flavor.

6. Dulce de Leche

If you’re looking for a mochi flavor to eat in the morning, Dulce de Leche is your jam. A rich decadent creamed coffee-flavored ice cream wrapped in a slightly bitter chewy exterior with a burst of creamy caramel in the center, Dulce de Leche is definitely My/Mo’s messiest flavor and also its richest.

This truly feels like an indulgent dessert, but at just 110 calories a pop, it never feels too heavy.

The bottom line: Perfect for wake-and-bake stoners or anyone else who feels like eating ice cream in the morning.

5. S’mores

My/Mo’s S’mores is dangerously delicious. Like, be-careful-or-you-might-end-up-killing-the-whole-box delicious. S’mores features a chocolate mochi exterior with graham cracker ice cream and a chewy marshmallow center. The graham cracker ice cream is one of My/Mo’s best and an obvious precursor to their similarly delicious Pumpkin Spice flavor and the chewy marshmallow center is easily My/Mo’s best filing in the entire line.

Our only gripe, and it’s a small one, is that the chocolatey exterior leaves something to be desired.

The bottome line: Delicious, thanks to My/Mo’s graham cracker ice cream and the chewy marshmallow center. Eat this with a side of hot chocolate and you’re in for a tasty winter treat.

4. Vanilla Blueberry

This was the first flavor of My/Mo I tried and the one I was most skeptical of. As I stared into a freezer packed with every flavor of My/Mo, I made some quick and shallow judgements that led me to believe the filled varieties would be the worst. I was wrong and the second I bit into Vanilla Blueberry I knew to throw all previous expectations out the window.

Vanilla Blueberry is so damn delicious. The creamy vanilla bean pairs perfectly with the jelly-like blueberry filling while rendering the plain Vanilla Bean flavor a little redundant.

The bottom line: If you’re a vanilla-lover and on the fence over this and the plain Vanilla Bean choose Vanilla Blueberry. It won’t disappoint and will quickly convince you that jelly-filled mochi is a good thing.

3. Green Tea

Green Tea was always going to rank highly for me. It’s the first flavor that comes to mind when anyone offers me mochi and it’s probably the first flavor of mochi I ever tried. My/Mo’s Green Tea features matcha ice cream encased in a pillowy soft mochi exterior that results in a nice blend of sweet and bitter flavors.

It’s refreshing, it’s markedly different than any other ice cream flavor you’d find at your favorite ice cream parlor, and it doesn’t disappoint for fans of mochi who are unfamiliar with the My/Mo brand.

The bottom line: A delicious iteration of one of the most popular mochi flavors ever.

2. Chocolate Sundae

Everything just comes together beautifully here. Chocolate Sundae, like the S’mores, combines three pillars of flavor. But this time My/Mo knocks it out of the park. Rich and creamy vanilla bean ice cream, semi-bitter chocolate flavored mochi outer, and a bright maraschino cherry center interact in perfect harmony.

The bottom line: Get the experience of eating an entire chocolate sundae in a single bite.

1. Banana Chocolate Cream

Here we are at the top. If My/Mo’s Chocolate Sundae offered the experience of a sundae in a small bite-sized form, Banana Chocolate Cream matches the experience of a banana split. A delicious, perfectly-ripened banana ice cream and mochi outer tossed in fluffy powdered sugar makes way for a decadent and rich chocolate filling.

This isn’t just My/Mo’s best flavor, it’s one of the best mochi ice cream flavors I’ve ever had. As someone who frequented Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo district for the sole purpose of scoring some delicious authentic mochi prior to the pandemic, that’s really saying something.

The bottom line: A banana split in bite-sized form. Banana Chocolate Cream will enhance any dessert you’re planning and will linger in your mind long after you’ve killed the box.