Category: Viral

By Friday morning, democratic nominee Joe Biden had overcome deficits in four key states and appeared to be well on his way to securing more than the necessary 270 electoral votes required to win the presidency and oust Donald Trump from office. But with thousands of ballots still waiting to be counted in each of those states, media outlets have done the responsible thing and held off on declaring a winner.

To many, it’s simply delaying the inevitable. To the incumbent demagogue, it’s an outcome that he’s clearly unwilling to concede at this point, as he and his lawyers are attempting to take legal action against the states in question based on spurious, unfounded claims of voter fraud. However, judges in Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Michigan have already thrown out those suits.

Trump’s unwillingness to come to terms with the results isn’t surprising. He signaled as much prior to the election and repeatedly refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power should he be defeated. It’s unclear how long this might drag on, even as many of his aides and GOP allies — including some of his friends at Fox News — have begun to distance themselves in preparation for the incoming administration.

Convincing Trump of his new reality won’t be easy, but thankfully, there are plenty out there willing to take up the task. Long-time NBA coach George Karl, for instance, took to Twitter on Friday to offer him some wisdom and advice on how to deal with tough losses.

If @realDonaldTrump needs a pep talk about managing through first round losses, I would be willing to speak with him tonight or read him a bed time story.

— George Karl (@CoachKarl22) November 7, 2020

Karl, of course, can speak from experience on first-round losses. In the ’94 season, Karl led Seattle to the No. 1 seed in the West before they fell in the opening round to the eighth-seed Nuggets. The same thing happened the following year when the 57-win Sonics lost to the Lakers in the first round. There were other first-round losses during his tenure with the Bucks, and then an absolutely brutal run of first-round losses with the Nuggets in eight of his nine seasons at the helm.

Karl also hasn’t been shy about taking shots at his enemies on Twitter. He recently reignited his beef with DeMarcus Cousins by once again tweeting out a snake emoji, and unleashed on Mark Jackson during the playoffs when the TNT analyst criticized his coaching on air.

Trump historically has had no qualms about engaging in Twitter feuds with anyone who deigns to cross him, no matter how small or petty the sleight, although he might have his hands full with the way things have been going for him the past couple of days.

The Cool Jeopardy! Stories Twitter account seems to have gone quiet, but the stories contestants tell during their get-to-know-you conversation with Alex Trebek are legendary in the game show universe. These are a bunch of very nerdy people asked to give a single factoid that narrows down who they are as a person unless, of course, you win the taping and come back for another episode.

That first impression, however, is a big deal. Which is why sometimes those stories truly stand out, especially if Trebek reacts positively about it. The latest example is a man stunning Trebek by revealing that he’s a very accomplished beatboxer, which is something that apparently Trebek has no idea even exists.

On Friday’s episode, challenger Andrew revealed that he’s a musician and teacher with a special skill, one that, once revealed nearly had Trebek attempting to mimic him.

“You’re a world-famous beatboxer,” Trebek said. “And I don’t know what that means.”

But when Andrew started spitting, Trebek went through several levels of emotion. He appeared at first like he might join in and try to beatbox along, then actually cheered and clapped for Andrew. Trebek was much more positive about another contestant’s musical interests, which has gone viral several times over as people rediscover it in the years since it happened.

Perhaps in his later years Trebek has grown more forgiving of some of the show’s contestants and their nerdier hobbies. Or maybe he really does want to “jam” with Andrew after the show.

Christine And The Queens has remained highly prolific while in lockdown over the past few months. To fill her time, the singer has offered an array of covers to some of her favorite songs, like Travis Scott’s “Highest In The Room” and The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights.” But now that Paris has started to reopen, the singer can expand her music beyond the confines of her apartment.

For her recent performance on The Late Late Show With James Corden, Christine brought her La Vita Nuova song “People, I’ve Been Sad” to the Museum of Fine Arts in Paris. Amid picturesque statues, the singer delicately delivered a rendition of the track.

Speaking about the song with Corden ahead of her performance, Christine said she wrote “People, I’ve Been Sad” shortly after her mother passed away:

“The song caught me by surprise. Almost every day I write and it’s like flexing a muscle to me. But that song really caught me by surprise. You can’t really overthink when you write and you really spill your guts. It was a difficult time in my life when I wrote that song, it was in April 2019. I had just lost my mom and I was going through a really rough patch and I thought I was coping. And then I sat down to write and the first words I wrote were, ‘It’s true that people, I’ve been sad.’ And then you just have to be brutally honest, and the song is just amending it. I think it’s really humbling because it commands honesty and it started the whole process of the EP, which is very cathartic for an EP. It was a bit like it addresses pain but with theatricality.”

Watch Christine And The Queens on The Late Late Show With James Corden above.

La Vita Nuova is out now via Because. Get it here.

As of this writing, polls in many states have been closed in the 2020 presidential election for three days. Despite this, the COVID-19 pandemic and a flood of mail-in votes, along with the razor tight margins in a number of states, have meant that we do not know if Republican president Donald Trump will get a second term or Democratic nominee Joe Biden will ascend to the presidency.

While Biden leads in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, and Pennsylvania — the latter of which on its own would give him the White House — prognosticators at every major outlet (with the exception of the AP and Fox News calling Arizona for Biden on election night) have left all of those uncalled. Votes are still being counted in every state, and many are frustrated that the call has not been made.

On Friday night, CNN’s Jake Tapper called on his beloved NBA team, the Philadelphia 76ers, to explain what’s going on. Tapper used a slogan that has been used by Sixers fans for years to preach patience as votes are counted.

Tapper was raised in Philly and considers “attending Dr. J’s last home Sixers game” as one of his favorite memories from his childhood. For why it’s taking so long to count votes in Pennsylvania, Republican lawmakers in the state resisted efforts to allow votes to be counted early, as is the case in other states. As for why it’s taking so long to bring an NBA championship to Pennsylvania, those who say “trust the process” will frequently point to the resignation of former general manager Sam Hinkie in 2016. It is unclear if Tapper is one such Sixers fan — Jake, if you read this, please, let us know.

Following her global breakout thanks to her major hit “Supalonely,” Benee is just a week away from releasing her debut record Hey U, X. Last week, the singer took aim at a jealous ex with her exciting Lily Allen and Flo Milli collaboration “Plain.” Now, Benee follows up the single by exploring some more personal topics on “Happen To Me.”

On the new single, a watery guitar’s downcast chords ripple as Benee sings of her anxiety and depression manifesting in different ways. Sometimes, Benee feels worried that she’ll prematurely pass in a plane crash and other times, she can’t shake the feeling that she’ll get caught in a spontaneous fire. “I think about these things too much / My mind likes to wind itself up / And I don’t get a lot of sleep / ’Cause what if they happen to me?” she sings.

The song speaks about Benee’s mental health journey, which is a territory the singer has held back directly discussing in her previous EPs. Benee spoke to this conscious decision in a recent interview with Uproxx about her upcoming debut album. “I think with this album, I haven’t really held back on experimenting with genres and even lyrics,” Benee said. “Maybe I would have been more hesitant to do some of the things that I’ve done on this album in my previous bodies of work.”

Listen to “Happen To Me” above.

Hey U, X is out 11/13 via Republic. Get it here.

King Von, an up-and-coming rapper from Chicago, passed away on Friday morning in Atlanta. According to reporting out of Georgia, Von’s death came a few days after he was critically injured in an altercation at a lounge that led to gunshots. Two others were fatally shot.

Tributes from across the world of music have come in throughout the day in memory of Von, who was viewed as a promising up-and-comer and an individual who Lil Durk viewed as his “twin.” A little later in the day, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James decided to join in with the chorus in paying tribute to Von, tweeting that the 26-year-old rapper’s music was a way that he was able to bond with his sons, Bronny and Bryce. James was also the latest person to lament that the passing came before Von was able to break through and do great things.

Earlier this year, Von dropped an album which paid tribute to the reigning NBA Finals MVP with its name and album artwork. Titled Levon James, the release featured an image of Von doing James’ signature chalk toss pregame routine while wearing a purple and gold jersey. His latest studio album, Welcome to O’Block, dropped at the end of October.

After news of rising Chicago rapper King Von’s death Friday, many musicians like YG, Chance The Rapper, Dreezy, and more offered their condolences. Lil Durk, who was very close to the rapper, didn’t hear the news until Friday afternoon and shortly thereafter took to social media to express his grief.

Durk shared a tribute to Von on his Instagram page following news of his passing. “MY TWIN GONE,” he wrote in the caption. “I LOVE YOU BABY BRO – D ROY.”

Durk had become close with Von, whose real name was Dayvon Bennett, after Durk signed the rapper to his Only The Family record label. At the time of Von’s death, both the rappers were awaiting trial for a February 2019 incident where the two were accused of robbing and shooting a man in Atlanta.

According to several reports, Von died after sustaining gunshot wounds following an altercation in an Atlanta nightclub. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the incident left three dead and three injured. Following news of his death, rumors circulated which claimed Von had been shot by a police officer, but TMZ recently reported those claims to be false, saying the shooting happened before officers were able to arrive on the scene.

See Lil Durk’s reaction above.

With mail-in ballots still being counted, Americans are waiting on the edge of their seats to see if Joe Biden can successfully unseat Donald Trump as president. Snoop Dogg decided to let off some steam and distract from the stress of the election by playfully trolling Trump and his supporters.

In a message posted to Instagram Friday, Snoop laid out an argument that at first made it seem like he was siding with Trump. “I get it, you hated him 4 years ago and you still hate him now,” the message began. “I’ve seen a lot of hate thrown his way, but this guy is a consistent winner and an overachiever. Call it jealously, call it envy, some people just can’t handle how successful he is and how much money he has, could even be jealous that’s got a hot foreign model as his wife.”

In the post’s very last sentence, it becomes clear that the message not actually about Trump: “I know its possibly going to get worse over the next several days, but like him or not, Tom Brady is turning things around in Tampa Bay.”

Fans who feel for Snoop’s antics were confused at first because the rapper has been very vocal about his contempt for the president. Back in September, the rapper slammed Trump as a “racist” and listed off all the various groups of people has has “disrespected.” “Seems like he disrespecting every color in the world and everything that ain’t what he is, which, is a racist,” Snoops said. “So, with that being said, people that voted for him got exactly what they wanted. He gave them what he said he was going to give them.”

Check out Snoop Dogg’s social media fake out above.

Tekashi 69 has long been a problematic pain in the ass, but rap fans are calling foul on his latest stunt, as it’s even more disrespectful than usual. Under a post about King Von’s death, Tekashi commented with a crying laughing emoji, mocking Von’s friend and mentor Lil Durk as he apparently discovered the news from commenters on his Instagram Live stream.

69’s animosity toward Lil Durk goes back a long-ish way, stemming back from 69’s initial rise in 2018 when he seemingly instigated beef with just about every Chicago rapper. Earlier this year, after Tekashi was released, Durk alleged that Tekashi’s new management tried to pay him to participate in a troll war with the rainbow-haired troublemaker as a form of promotion. While he claims he turned the money down, the troll war ensued anyway, with Tekashi trolling Durk at every opportunity and Durk more than happy to return the favor, clowning Tekashi’s disappointing album sales total.

As King Von was signed to Lil Durk’s label, Only The Family Entertainment, apparently Tekashi found amusement in the way Lil Durk learned that King Von had been shot in Atlanta. As Durk and his crew turned up in their car, a screen capture shows fans posting about the shooting to try and get his attention. It takes him a while to notice the comments and a look of concern shoots across his face as he cuts the stream. Surely, Durk is in some distress by now, as his artist and friend was gunned down. Tekashi reveling in his pain has hip-hop fans up in arms as they deplore his ugly behavior.

See responses from fans above. Meanwhile, many of hip-hop’s more respectable representatives have suitably responded to Von’s death. You can see their reactions here.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Special — (Saturday, HBO 8:00 p.m.) Settle in for a virtual ceremony — hosted by genuine nice guy and rock god Dave Grohl — to honor this year’s inductees: Whitney Houston, The Notorious B.I.G., Depeche Mode, The Doobie Brothers, Nine Inch Nails, T-Rex, and Ahmet Ertegun. Special guests will include Luke Bryan, Diddy, Miley Cyrus, Don Henley, Billy Idol, Iggy Pop, Alicia Keys, Chris Martin, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Bruce Springsteen, St. Vincent, Ringo Starr, Gwen Stefani, Charlize Theron, and Nancy Wilson.

The Mandalorian: Chapter 10 (Disney+ series) — The Baby Yoda star vehicle puts the cutest little guy in genuine peril this week after last week’s turn from Timothy Olyphant as the coolest marshal in the galaxy. Rewatch the Olyphant episode, too. Go for it.

Saturday Night Live (Saturday, NBC 11:29 p.m.) — Host Dave Chappelle keeps with tradition, along with musical guest Foo Fighters, in hosting the post-election episode.

El Presidente (Amazon Prime series) — Here comes the English dub of the Chilean web drama series about Sergia Jadue, a small-town soccer club director who finds himself thrust into the big leagues of the Chilean soccer association. Naturally, he goes mad with power and serves at the behest of “soccer godfather” Julia Gondona, and the FBI’s digging hard on an inherent corruption scheme

Country Ever After: Season 1 (Netflix series) — As a reality series with heart, country singer Coffey Anderson and his hip-hop dancer wife, Criscilla, seek to maneuver through their country vs. city perspectives of life and parenting. They’re in Los Angeles, so it’ll be a trip to see which side wins.

Ferro (Amazon Prime series) — This series tells the unknown story of one of the most beloved Italian singers, who’s looking toward a new chapter in life while hitting age 40. The journey whirls through Milan, Los Angeles, and more locations to (at least) virtually satisfy your wanderlust.

Operation Christmas Drop — (Netflix film) Another holiday rom-com’s coming your way, this time starring Vikings star Alexander Ludwig and Kat Graham. She portrays a congressional aide, and he’s a tropical U.S. Air Force captain, and service members are rallying to remain open in the face of semi-nefarious forces.

Here’s the rest of this weekend’s notable programming:

How To With John Wilson (Friday, HBO 11:00 p.m.) — This week, the comedy docuseries explores humans’ ability (and inabilities) to tap into memories. Wilson also spoke with us about capturing the intimacy and absurdity of life in New York.

Supermarket Sweep (Sunday, ABC 8:00 p.m.) — Leslie Jones and every bit of her enthusiasm will host contestants in this revival of the grocery-shopping game show.

Good Lord Bird (Sunday, Showtime 9:00 p.m.) — Ethan Hawke stars as violent abolitionist John Brown in this series that takes place in the Kansas territory in 1856. This week, John Brown puts his ultimate plan into action, and his success is not only threatened by his own impulsiveness but Onion’s crucial mistake.

The Undoing (Sunday, HBO 9:00 p.m.) — Hugh Grant’s fascinating turn as a possibly shady dude (and it’s about time) returns with Jonathan back on the scene and doing (or at least attempting) some explaining.

Fear The Walking Dead (Sunday, AMC 9:00 p.m.) — Morgan stands in the way (as he very well should in all matters) of Dwight and Sherry and their desired goal.

Fargo (Sunday, FX 10:00 p.m.) — Deafy’s closing in on his target while Josto’s heart is having a mood, and Loy’s playing with fire.

The Walking Dead: World Beyond (Sunday, AMC 10:00 p.m.) — The next spinoff in this universe continues to feel itself out with a newcomer that will shake up the group. Is the tire fire still going? No doubt.