Ever since Nicki Minaj popped up on rap blogs over a decade ago, she’s drawn comparisons to her predecessor Lil Kim. However, over time, she’s built her own formidable legacy, as well as a zealous fanbase of Barbz who will often go way out of their way to defend it. Combined with her much-publicized feud with Kim as Nicki came into her own and Nicki’s tendency to rewrite her own history on the fly, it’s reached the point that even the insinuation that Nicki could have been influenced or inspired by Kim draws vigorous attacks from the Barbz — even in the face of facts and evidence to the contrary.

The latest example is the Barbz’s reactions to R&B star Usher’s recent interview with Swizz Beats, the founder and the curator of the ongoing Verzuz Instagram series of “hits battles.” When Swizz asked for Usher’s impression of a fan push to feature Nicki and Kim on Verzuz, Usher seemed skeptical that it would be a fair battle, considering Kim’s impact on so much of Nicki’s music and style. “Nicki is a product of Lil Kim,” Usher said. That was all it took to spark a backlash from Nicki Minaj fans, who immediately set about comparing Nicki’s accomplishments to Kim’s — free of historical context, naturally.

Nicki fans were quick to point out Usher’s connection to Nicki over the course of the past few years, as Nicki had featured on some of Usher’s own hits. They also lashed out at Lil Kim for not having a major hit in recent years. However, some fans readily defended both Kim and Usher’s comments, pointing out the many ways Nicki has paid homage to Kim in the past, despite their differences.

One thing is for sure: If the two women ever were to agree to a hits battle, the results wouldn’t be as cut-and-dried as fans of either seem to think — and would seemingly depend most on which side of their generational gap an observer stood upon.

Check out some of the Barbz’s reactions to Usher’s comparison above.

Considering “motherf**ker” is practically his catchphrase, you’d just assume that Samuel L. Jackson would be the reigning champ when it comes to actors peppering their roles with profanity. But thanks to the very surprising results from a recent study, it turns out the Pulp Fiction star just narrowly missed the top spot after being beat by… Jonah Hill?

According to an exhaustive report from Buzz Bingo, Hill’s role in Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street is what helped him beat Jackson. The movie starring Hill and Leonardo DiCaprio as greedy stockbrokers in the 1980s boasted over 715 profanities, which made it the most profane film followed by Uncut Gems with 646 expletives, and Casino with 606.

Granted, DiCaprio dropped more swear words than Hill when the two appeared on-screen together in Wolf of Wall Street, but Hill had the most swear words per line and coupled with his past roles in films like Superbad, that was enough to put him over the top. Via Variety:

According to the study, Hill has spewed 376 swear words throughout his career, barely beating his “Wolf of Wall Street” co-star Leonardo DiCaprio, who has amassed 361 curses. The rest of the list includes Samuel L. Jackson, Sandler, Al Pacino, Denzel Washington, Billy Bob Thornton, Seth Rogen, Bradley Cooper and Danny McBride.

After hearing about his new status as the most swearing-est actor in Hollywood, Hill paid homage to Jackson in an Instagram post while mocking the study that’s only just now crediting him for his role in the Wolf of Wall Street that’s over seven years old.

“So many people to thank,” Hill wrote. “@martinscorsese_ thanks for pushing me over the edge. And of course the great @samuelljackson . Humbled . (Also “new report”? Lol what team of scientists cracked this one?). Lots of love ”

(Via Variety)

Previously on Jesus Christ, Superstars: WWF Champion Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart took a break from trying to figure out whether or not there’s ever been a right time to say goodbye to perform SLAM JAM, currently the fourth biggest song in the United Kingdom.

If you’d like to watch this week’s episode, you can do that here, and you can support the column (so we’re allowed to keep writing it) by reading previous installments on our Jesus Christ, Superstars tag page.

If you like these, and our break from the normal Best and Worst format, make sure to share it around so it gets read and drop us a comment below. As a reminder, why can’t keep writing about stuff if you don’t click on it. We’re trying to run a wrestling jokes business over here!

Here’s what you missed 28 years ago on WWF Superstars for January 2, 1993.

Jobbers Of The Week

This week’s most notable jobber (to the stars) is The Berzerker, which is what’s left after you sign a 6-foot-8 wrestler, Vince McMahon’s best idea is, “I don’t know, a Viking that wins by count-out?” and you wait a few months. If you’ve ever studied Norse warrior tradition or played The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, you know a “berzerker” are the fighters who “transformed into an animal” by putting on animal skins for battles and fighting in a wild trance. They also sometimes transform into actual bears and ruin your dinner party. This Berzerker doesn’t do any of that. He’s Bruiser Brody filtered through a 1993 WWF lens, which means he dresses like Hagar the Horrible and is largely ineffectual unless he’s trying to murder a zombie with a sword. It could be worse. He could be playing basketball.

This week The Berzerker can be seen Making Fuck with Mr. Perfect, who sends him back to Parts Unknown, Scandinavia, in about five minutes with a Perfect Plex. Fun note: In a previous life, The Berzerker teamed up with a masked man named THE GRAPPLER to form “The Breakfast Club,” a Portland wrestling tag team who’d pin you and pour milk and Cheerios on your chest. That’s a real thing! It’s like they put it together with a random gimmick generator. “A ninja teams with an abominable snowman and they call themselves FOOTLOOSE, because after they pin you they cut off your foot.”

George Anderson returns this week, sadly without his baked potato jacket, to lie down and have his rib cage flattened by Yokozuna’s murderous taint. I’m not sure we could rely on George to get through a stiff breeze without turning over and showing his belly, much less defeat a 600-pound sumo champion whose finisher is using his falling ass to turn your entire torso into roadkill.

This young Michael Bolton in a Puma jacket is Mitch Bishop, the jobber whose name 100% sounds like a Jake Peralta alias. “I’m MITCH BISHOP, a pastor who became a professional wrestler to infiltrate the business and uncover the identity of the WWF Superstar who killed his wife! I love mullets, Puma, and getting kneed in the chest.” He’s got some sweet baby blue gear under the jacket with boots that don’t match, making him the world’s worst Ric Flair. He loses to the devastating Normal Knee Drop* of Damien Demento, who is just about to comfortably sink into his plot in the early ’90s WWF character graveyard beside The Berzerker.

*I say “normal knee drop,” but as has been pointed out in the comments section a few times, the idea was that he’d “loaded” the knee pad to make it hurt more. He’d usually “load” it by turning the pad around and dropping a knee with the straps in the back, which … I don’t know if that makes more or less sense than putting a wrench or whatever between your kneecap and the pad, and still kneeing someone with the padding. This is the one part of Damien Demento that doesn’t work!

The highlight of the match is when Jerry Lawler uses “The Magistrator” — a John Madden-style telestrator that allows him to draw pictures on the screen — to reveal who is sending bad brain vibes to Demento:

Here’s a template you can use to draw your own. For example, what if the voices he hears in his head are Randy Orton? What if they’re Super Calo? I don’t know, have fun with it.

Dave Sigfrids steps into the ring without his tag team partner, Dave Roy, to get his head vertically flattened by the brah Crush. Between the hair, the compactness and the jacked physique I’d believe it if you told me he was Kenny Omega’s biological father. His biological father who is deeply disappointed in him for getting into video games instead of World War 2 movies and girls. He might also be a young Tim Storm. No amount of pressing bench can prepare you for an affable Hawaiian squeezing your brain like a stress ball, though, so he loses in short order.

Crush, however, has bigger fish to fry, brudda.

Two For Flinching Of The Week

The World Wrestling Federation is still cool with a clown randomly wandering into their arena and doing clown shit to people against their will, so here’s Doink popping in after Marty Jannetty’s victory over Tom Stone to fake him out with an empty bucket. The last time this happened Marty thought the bucket was full of confetti and got drenched, so no matter what he does, he loses.

Crush doesn’t play like that though, brah. When Doink shows up after his match to boop him in the snoot with a rubber ball on a string, Crush lets it slide … but when Doink boops a fan’s snoot, Crush full-on takes him by the arm like a mom and is like, “NO. STOP IT.” I wish this had been Doink’s last-ever appearance, with the payoff being that sometimes you can just tell someone to stop being an asshole and they’ll stop. Especially if they’re afraid you’re going to use your bare hands to deflate their brain like a whoopie cushion. Crush describes this later as a “stiff warning,” which is the kind of law you need to lay down when snoots are being egregiously booped.

New Announce Team Of The Week

Macho Man Randy Savage joins the announce team this week, much to the chagrin of Jerry Lawler, presumably to warm up before Raw airs its first episode a little over a week later. Savage on joining the team: “I LIKE IT … A NEW TYPE SITUATION, THERE’S A RUMBLIN’ GOING ON, how do you like THAT!” Sure!

Where’s Bobby Heenan, you ask? Why, preparing for the triumphant arrival of NARCISSUS.

All we know for now is that the “Narcissus” is debuting at the Royal Rumble, and Heenan’s 100% convinced that the men and women of the WWF Universe will instantaneously drop trou the second he appears Bobby Heenan has never sold anything with the ferocity of Narcissus’ beauty, which is super funny when you realize he’s talking about Lex Luger. Even at Luger’s peak, he kinda looked like the muscular version of Pepe the Frog. His body is a package in toto, though, so tune in to the 1993 Royal Rumble knowing a Sense8 orgy might break out as soon as he steps through the ropes.

Mean Gene uses his time in the Control Center to crack open a dictionary and inform us that a narcissist is, “A conceited self centered person. Thinking too highly of one’s self. And, unduly preoccupied with one’s own appearance.” Where was this kind of service when I was googling Scandinavia to talk about The Berzerker?

The Numbers Don’t Lie, And They Spell Disaster For You At Sacrifice Of The Week

In addition to that hot, adult Narcissus content, the Royal Rumble will also feature the first WWF pay-per-view match of the legendary Steiner Brothers thanks to a contract dispute with WCW’s Bill Watts. They’re going up against The Beverly Brothers, which if we were talking about the 1992 WCW Steiner Brothers would end with Beau and Blake being suplexed into paste and laid to waste with some top rope bulldoggery. I imagine wrestling the early ’90s Steiners would feel like being in a car accident, as opposed to the late ’90s Steiners, who were IN car accidents.

Scott’s still more into mullet care than lifting weights at this point (although he’s still got that Big Poppa Pump foundation of fit madness), so the most interesting thing he says in the Steiners’ little “choose me” promo is pronouncing “Beverly Brothers” as BEVERLYBLUTHERS. He has no idea what power he possesses.

Next Week Of The Week

The Royal Rumble is almost upon us, Raw lurks just ahead, and two poor chumps get completely Steinerized. See you then!

It’s a question that’s bound to show up during future pub trivia nights: name the two movies that topped the box office for at least three consecutive weeks in the first half of 2020? The first answer is easy: the Will Smith and Martin Lawrence-starring Bad Boys for Life, which remains the year’s highest-grossing movie. The other? It’s not Onward, or Sonic the Hedgehog, or any of the other wide-release titles that came out before the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s a small-budget horror movie you probably haven’t heard of.

Variety reports that IFC Films’ The Wretched was the top-grossing movie at the box office over the weekend, and three weekends in a row, leading the way with $85,000 at 21 drive-in movie theaters. “The horror movie, which premiered at the 2019 Fantasia International Film Festival, has scared up a total of $296,954 since launching on May 1 at 11 drive-ins.” Directed by Brett Pierce and Drew T. Pierce, The Wretched is about a rebellious teenage boy who makes a “chilling discovery” about his next-door neighbor.

Sunday’s box office totals were limited as IFC was the only distributor reporting. Drive-in movie theaters have quickly grown in popularity during the coronavirus pandemic with about 150 of the nation’s 306 locations now open, according to Comscore. (Via)

The totals were limited, but they are official, with The Wretched joining 2020’s other weekly box office toppers, including Swallow (one of the best movies of the year), True History of the Kelly Gang, and Phoenix, Oregon. Your move, No Time to Die.

Watch the trailer for The Wretched below. You can also rent it.

(Via Variety)

The coronavirus pandemic has brought all kinds of humans out of the woodwork, from silly dinosaur dads to kooky conspiracy theorists. A new viral video reveals how differently some people are handling our strange new reality—from a disgruntled customer who refuses to follow a supermarket’s mask-wearing policy to a delightfully unfazed employee dancing while he disinfects the grocery carts.

Shelley Lewis shared a video she filmed after she was told that all customers and employees had to wear a masks to enter a Gelson’s grocery store in Dana Point, California. Lewis—who is listed as a speaker at the 2019 Flat Earth International conference (ahem)—clearly saw herself as the hero of the story, a victim being discriminated against due to her undisclosed medical condition that precludes her from wearing a mask. But the real hero is the upbeat, unassuming grocery store employee who “absolutely and humbly” retrieved a manager for Lewis then continued dancing away while cleaning carts outside the store.

---

It’s a joy to behold, truly. The store clerk, who normally works as a bartender, is so happy to have a job. He’s happy to be of service. He happily goes about his work while wearing a mask—which none of us love, but understand is important for protecting others—and doesn’t let this woman’s antics get under his skin.

The store manager also stayed cool, calm and collected as Lewis went through her litany of complaints. When he explained the store’s mask policy, she told him she has a medical condition and couldn’t wear a mask. (If true, maybe you should do your grocery shopping online instead). When the manager offered to shop for her, she told him that she had “private things” to buy. (Ummm… you know everyone can see what you put in your grocery cart when you shop, right?). She was also incredulous about the idea of handing him her “private credit card” to take into the store to process. (Have you really never handed over your credit card through a drive-thru window, Shelley?!)

While much has been made of Lewis’s attempt at victimization—the best part of this story is how the Gelson’s employee with the shades and the unflappable sunny attitude handled this whole situation. She even asked him why he was so happy, as if everyone should be throwing a fit outside the store over having to wear a mask. He never said anything disparaging. In fact, he maintained an impressive level of respect and positivity throughout the video.

If he had read her Flat Earth International bio, he would have seen that she claims to have lupus, which is an autoimmune disease, which increases her risk of complications from COVID-19. If he had known that, he may have kindly pointed out that everyone there was wearing a mask to protect people like her.

This is what an everyday hero looks like right now—a guy enjoying his day job, doing what needs to be done to protect the public he’s serving and entertaining himself and others in the face of abject ignorance. He is the hero we all need.

Upworthy recently shared an adorable baby giggling video on our Instagram page (which you definitely want to check out if you’re starved for feel-good stories) and people expressed gratitude for the instant boost of happiness. There’s something so pure about babies expressing joy and it’s nearly impossible not to get flooded with mood-lifting endorphins when you see it.

So we thought we’d collect some of the Internet’s best baby laughs, since we can all use a little extra dopamine right now.

---

Capturing a baby’s first laugh on video is a precious gift—and this family not only captured their baby’s first laugh, but first laughing fit.

Baby’s first LOL

www.youtube.com

In addition to head bops, babies find certain sounds rip-roaringly hilarious.

Anyone remember the baby who thought that paper being torn was the funniest thing to ever happen? It never gets old. Paper rip equals baby laugh— right on cue. So freaking cute.

Baby Laughing Hysterically at Ripping Paper (Original)

www.youtube.com

Seriously, why is paper being ripped in half considered the peak of comedy routines for the wee ones? This baby couldn’t even stay upright. He found paper tearing so funny.

The Baby Laughing at paper

www.youtube.com

Pretty much any sound can make certain babies laugh. Why? Who knows. Maybe it’s the unexpected aspect of it.

I mean, this baby totally loses it at the sound of a pacifier being popped out of someone’s mouth. After the first time, just the thought of it does him in, as he keeps laughing in anticipation that she’s going to do it again. Every single time.

Baby laughing hysterically at pacifier noise

www.youtube.com

Oh, baby. If you think a pacifier is chuckle-worthy, wait until your old man starts making fart noises. Fart noises are universally funny and apparently our tendency to giggle at them is ingrained in all of us.

Dad’s Weird Noise Make Baby Laugh

www.youtube.com

But it’s not just noises. Apparently, something as simple as blowing on dandelions is next level hilarious for the baby set.

Buzz and the Dandelions

www.youtube.com

And a dog eating popcorn? Forget about it. Apparently there’s nothing funnier in the world.

Baby Girl Laughing Hysterically at Dog Eating Popcorn

www.youtube.com

How about the baby who laughs at himself every time he gets startled? (It’s impossible not to giggle at this. I’ve tried. It’s seriously not humanly possible).

Baby laughing and chuckling

www.youtube.com

If one baby laughing is a delight, why not four at once? I can’t imagine having four babies at once, but this video almost makes it look appealing, at least for a few minutes. And again, it’s just a dad making silly sounds that creates the synchronized, double-stereo baby giggles. So. Much. Fun.

Laughing Quadruplet Babies!

www.youtube.com

For the grand finale, even though this kiddo isn’t technically a baby—more like a young preschooler—his laughter is so infectious and entertaining he had to be included. How much fun would it be to have this kid in class?

Hysterical and contagious laughing boy in music class

www.youtube.com

No matter how bad things get out in the world, the delight of babies and children enjoying the simplest things in life can always bring us back to a place of joy and gratitude. Anytime you’re feeling down, pull up a baby laughing video. It does the heart good.

---

View Entire Post ›

The New York Knicks will be adding longtime Utah Jazz executive Walt Perrin as assistant general manager, reported Shams Charania of The Athletic on Monday. The report has since been confirmed by other outlets. Perrin worked in Utah’s front office for 19 years, first as the team’s director of player personnel and then vice president of player personnel.

During his tenure, the Jazz drafted Gordon Hayward, Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell — the Jazz drafted Mitchell at No. 13 the same year that the Knicks selected Frank Ntilikina with the eighth overall pick.

The move is the latest in a Knicks front office shakeup after Leon Rose was brought on as team president in March to replace Steve Mills. Since then, Rose has hired Brock Aller, formerly Cleveland Cavaliers’ senior director of basketball operations and longtime confidant of owner Dan Gilbert, and signed general manager Scott Perry to a new one-year contract.

While the 2020 NBA Draft is still scheduled for June 25, it’s likely that it gets pushed back due to the global coronavirus pandemic. Earlier this month, the league announced that the draft lottery and combine would be suspended indefinitely. In the meantime, it is expected that Perrin will provide a boost to the Knicks’ scouting staff and work on the Knicks’ draft strategy. During the NBA hiatus this year, KSL Sports reported that Perrin and the Jazz were still working on draft preparations, which looked a little bit different given that scouting and workouts remain impossible. Prior to joining the Jazz in 2001, Perrin worked as a scout for the Minnesota Timberwolves and Detroit Pistons.

It’s become epically clear that far-flung international travel isn’t going to be as common as it once was for quite some time. Four-hour wait times to get on a plane are going to be the norm, with maybe as much as twice that to get out of an airport when you arrive. That’s before you take into account that most international travel is going to require a 14-day quarantine on arrival and once you return home, as per the CDC; or consider which borders are even going to be open to tourists from the US. (For example, it’s looking more and more like Europe will only be allowing internal tourism for the rest of the year.)

With international travel pretty much off the books for the rest of 2020, it’s time to look to the highways and byways of the ol’ US of A to get your travel fix (assuming you’re lucky enough to get a couple of weeks of vacation this year and feel able to afford it). That means the Great American Road Trip is back in a big way. A chance to see our ever-changing nation in a time of massive upheaval, use your tourist dollars to support struggling communities, and get a little elbow room as quarantine winds down. A chance to stay socially distanced without going fully stir-crazy.

That being said, traveling around the U.S. isn’t going to be a cakewalk. Different states are in very different stages of the pandemic. Ultimately, it falls on you to know what is going on where to make sure you’re not exacerbating already tenuous situations. That means don’t travel (for recreation) to a place that has an active shelter-in-place or stay-at-home order. Period. Don’t travel if local communities don’t feel ready to welcome travelers, either. The age of playing the “ignorant tourist” is gone. You’ve got to be savvy, thoughtful, and attentive to the situation on the ground if you’re going to hit the road at all.

The list below offers up information to consider and supplies to have on hand for a road trip this summer. Happy (and safe) adventuring!

PART I — WHAT TO KNOW

Know Where You Can and Can’t Go

As we mentioned above, different states are in different stages of the pandemic. There’s no single answer to where you can go. Local is probably the best bet, especially if you’re already in the west — where there’s a crazy amount of BLM land at your disposal.

A big part of deciding where to head is knowing how state borders are operating. California, for instance, still has inspection checkpoints at its border for agricultural products. They’re called California Border Protection Stations and they generally are only looking for any outside fruits, vegetables, lumber, and so forth to stop diseases from spreading between ecosystems. But it’s worth noting that they have the legal authority to stop you from entering for any reason.

Comparatively, some parts of Indian Country have closed roads into and through their nations to protect them from outsiders spreading COVID-19 to their very at-risk communities. These might well be roads that cut across a state that you were planning to take. So do your research and reroute where necessary.

If you’re planning on hitting up a state or national park in your state, you’ll also need to check on the park’s website to see what’s open and what’s available before getting in the car. Recreation.gov is a good resource for planning and budgeting for a road trip.

Get Tested Before You Go And When You Get Back

This is a little more difficult, given the lack of wide-spread testing available in the US. Still, in reality, you probably shouldn’t go anywhere unless you’ve been tested for COVID-19. CVS is now offering rapid testing in some locations. And it’s essential that you not travel if showing coronavirus symptoms. It would probably also be wise to get tested when you get home.

In the same vein, you should absolutely keep a diary of every single place you stopped on your trip in case you do pick up the virus. Tracing is crucial to fighting this pandemic.

Check Into Travel and Road Insurance

Auto insurance groups like AAA offer regional-specific road-travel insurance that covers road trip-specific insurance needs. They also offer mechanics, a long list of discounts, and free travel planning. They’re basically selling peace of mind and that’s something that’s in short supply right now. In the end, they’ll help you save some cash on everything from meals to gas to attractions.

Stick To Your Household As A Crew

This is not the time to load up a crew of Merry Pranksters and drive a bus around the country. Stick to your household and significant other(s), or go solo. You’re going to need to adhere to social distancing rules on the road too. It should be obvious, but the more people traveling with you in a car means more points of contact before, during, and after the trip.

Make A Real Plan and Stick To It

While it’d be nice to pretend we can just whimsically let the road take us wherever it leads, it’s just not realistic right now. The CDC notes that you need to know where gas stations and watering holes are, be aware of road closures, and plan where you’re going to sleep.

From camping in National Parks to roadside motels, you cannot just expect any place to be open. Many parks still have pretty strict restrictions on camping and there are plenty of places where hotels are still closed or will be again as the pandemic ebbs and flows from place to place.

Know where you’re going and, maybe most importantly, have a backup plan. Also, don’t be afraid to sleep in your car in a pinch.

Make Sure You Have A Reliable Ride

Again, this should be obvious. But, yeah, just make sure you trust that your ride will actually get you where you want to go and back. Renting a car is always an option if you can afford that in your budget. Otherwise, change the oil, top up the fluids, check the air pressure in your tires, make sure you have spare, give it a wash. Being stranded is not fun in the best of times. In this scenario, it’s literally a nightmare.

PART II — SUPPLIES

Social Distancing and Cleaning Supplies

Bring along plenty of hand sanitizer. Make sure you have enough masks too, as you likely won’t be able to wash masks on the road. The efficacy of gloves has been questioned, but sanitizing wipes can be a great single-use option for gripping doors, etc.

The CDC has a list of recommended supplies to bring with you on the road, that list is as follows:

– Prepare food and water for the road. Pack non-perishables in case restaurants and stores are closed.
– Bring any medicines you may need for the duration of your trip.
– Pack a sufficient amount of alcohol-based hand sanitizer (at least 60% alcohol) and keep it in a place that is readily available.
– Book accommodations in advance if you must stay somewhere overnight.
– Plan to make as few stops as possible, but make sure you rest when you feel drowsy or sleepy.
– Bring an EPA-registered disinfectant and other personal cleaning supplies.

A Physical Road Atlas

Yes, we all have maps on our phones. Still, there are huge swaths of America’s backcountry that don’t have decent cell coverage. It’s never a bad idea to have a physical road atlas in your car somewhere. Moreover, it’s not a bad idea to get a regional map of where you’ll be, just in case.

COVID is bring ing about the new era of resilience and self-reliance — honor that and be prepared.

A Cooler & Picnic Supplies

You’re going to want to minimize how often you put others in contact with you. While tourism is highly dependent on you eating at restaurants in the places you’re going, maybe limit that to one meal a day instead of every meal on the road. In that case, stock a cooler with breakfast or lunch foods you can eat on the side of the road or at a picnic table (if a park is open).

We’d argue not to skimp here. A great cooler should last a lifetime but you have to pay for it. But, then, you never have to worry again about a good cooler either. If you want to go all-in, people lost their sh*t over Yeti. It’s tough to find a better cooler on the market these days.

As for picnic supplies, expect most of your meals to be taken to go. A little dishware, some blankets, and a pillow or two can really upgrade a roadside meal. If that’s your speed, you’ll need a little roadside washing station too. Of course, the easiest road trip play is to eat only wraps — turkey wraps, bean wraps, etc. Keep it easy and quick.

Refillable Water Bottles

Never go without water. Refillable bottles can be filled at gas stations, grocery stores, parks, and even breweries. You can also grab some beer from breweries if you have growlers.

The point is not to rely on case after case of single-use bottled water. This is a new era and a chance for all of us to travel greener.

Non-Perishable Foods

Even if you have a cooler, it’s still smart to stock up on some non-perishables. Vegan protein bars, buffalo jerky, trail mix, a pound of peanut M&M’s … you do you. It’s important to have some fast and easy energy on hand while you’re driving.

Games

A deck of cards and a cribbage board can go a long way while you take a break from driving. It’s good to play games on breaks to give your brain something else to do besides stare at the road.

Magic the Gathering more your speed? Cool. Chess? Awesome. Rummy? Go for it!

Then there are in-the-car games while you’re actually driving. 20 Questions, While You Were Sleeping, Word Association, and so on are tried-and-true ways to pass the hours on the road.

Music

Definitely make a playlist or two or three. And go deep with it. I once made a playlist of original songs sampled in ’80s and early ’90s hip-hop that was a hit on a road trip across South Dakota. Get creative and have fun. Or maybe download The Las Dance playlist. Or dive into Van Morrison. You’ll figure it out.

An Open Mind

There was a time in American culture, a few months back, when we all seemed to immediately judge one another based on perceived ideology. These days, there are far too many unknowns for anyone to make snap judgments. Instead, slow down. Ask questions. Locals in Portland are wearing masks the second they go outside. In SoCal, they’re mostly reserved for stores. Use your better judgment if that makes you more precautious than the local populace. Otherwise — at the very least — observe local precautions.

Remember, that travel is all about broadening your perspective. On a road trip, part of that means gaining understanding of how others are managing COVID-19.

Despite Hollywood coming to a standstill, things are moving very quickly for Scream 5 in the two months since it was announced. David Arquette has officially joined the project and will return to the role of Sheriff Dewey Riley, who’s been with him since 1996.

“I am thrilled to be playing Dewey again and to reunite with my Scream family, old and new,” Arquette said in a statement (via Variety). “Scream has been such a big part of my life, and for both the fans and myself, I look forward to honoring Wes Craven’s legacy.”

Variety also reports that the film is hoping to begin filming in Wilmington, N.C. this year once safety protocols can happen. Fresh off of their success with Ready or Not, the fifth installment will arrive under the direction of the horror trio Matthew Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett, and Chad Villela, better known as “Radio Silence.” When their involvement was first announced, there were very little details about the script or whether the film would continue the story or be a reboot. But while plot details are still under wraps, Arquette’s casting seemingly confirms that the film won’t be a complete undoing of the previous chapters.

Adding to this news are reports that Neve Campbell could return as Sidney Prescott. The actress has confirmed that she’s in talks with the directing team, and in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, she was impressed by their approach to honoring Wes Craven:

I got this really, really respectful letter from the directors [Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett] of the new one. They came to me with Scream 5, and these directors are incredibly talented. They wrote a letter honoring Wes in such a beautiful way, and they expressed that the reason they make horror movies is because of Wes and the Scream films… It was just beautiful… I had really thought that the only way I’d step into a new project with new directors is if they really wanted to honor him.

However, Campbell also tempered her remarks by highlighting the uncertainty around any film production due to the ongoing pandemic.

(Via Variety and THR)