Category: Worldwide

The Raiders and Seahawks went back-and-forth on Sunday, trading leads and big plays, with both defenses struggling to get stops in a game that went to overtime tied at 34-34.

Seattle held a seven-point lead late, but Derek Carr found Foster Moreau in the back corner of the end zone on 3rd-and-goal to tie things up with just under two minutes to play.

The Seahawks would be go three and out and be forced to punt on the ensuing possession, which nearly won them the game when the Raiders muffed the return but managed to jump on the loose ball inside their own 15. After running out the clock despite having two timeouts, Vegas won the toss in overtime and marched across midfield before stalling, missing a 56-yard field goal on 4th and 2. The defense would again show up in a big way when they needed it the most, forcing yet another three-and-out and a punt that pinned them on their own 14.

On the first play of their second drive in OT, they would lean on Josh Jacobs for his 33rd carry of the afternoon, which he’d break off for an 86-yard walkoff touchdown to give Vegas a 40-34 win, as he went untouched up the middle for six.

It’s a beautifully blocked play up front and once Jacobs is able to outrun an overly aggressive angle from the safety, there was no one between him and the goal line. Jacobs finished the day with 229 yards rushing and two touchdowns (as well as 74 receiving yards on six catches) as he was just about everything for the Raiders offense in Seattle, and capped off a career-best game in style with this exclamation point in overtime.

Thanksgiving weekend has traditionally been a big one for Hollywood, with families looking to find some way to spend time together. This year was a bit of a mixed bag. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, in its third weekend, added another small fortune to its already sizable box office haul. Newcomers weren’t so lucky. The Koeran War aerial pic Devotion underperformed while Disney had a big bomb with the under-advertised Strange World. But there was one big success story, and it just happens to be a film that wasn’t playing that many theaters and will be yanked after only a week.

That film was Glass Onion, the first sequel to 2019’s murder mystery sensation. Last year, Netflix forked over a money bin for two more romps with Daniel Craig’s amateur sleuth Benoit Blanc and writer-director Rian Johnson. It was originally supposed to be a streaming-only affair, but Netflix agreed to let it play actual movie theaters — for one week only, before it drops online for the holidays. And though it only played about 700 theaters (for contrast, Strange World opened in over 4,000), a lot of those screenings must have sold out because it had the best per-screen average in the box office top 10, by far.

As per Deadline, by end-of-day Sunday, Glass Onion is expected to have amassed $13.3 million since opening last Wednesday, giving it a $13,505 per screen average. By the end of its one-week run, it will likely get to at least $15 million. It even opened in third place, not far behind Strange World (which opened to $18 million, with a measly $2,850 per screen average.

What does that suggest? That people really, really wanted to see a Knives Out sequel. The sequel is getting some of the best reviews of the year, and it’s not hard to find buzz on social media about how fun it is to watch with an audience. It also suggests Netflix, which has fallen on hard financial times of late, is probably leaving money on the table — a lot of money. (Now’s the time to point out the first Knives Out stayed in domestic theaters for 17 weeks, at which point it had made $165 million. Also worth noting is that Netflix has at least one more sequel, giving them the chance for a Mulligan.)

Glass Onion still has a couple days in theaters, leaving after Tuesday’s showings. It will be on Netflix on December 23, at which point those who couldn’t see it during its brief theatrical run can finally see what people are talking about. After all, it appears people legitimately want to see it.

(Via Deadline)

The Washington Commanders are, improbably, 7-5 on the season and on the fringe of a playoff spot in the NFC after beating the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

It’s been quite a year for the football team in the nation’s capital, as Dan Snyder prepares to sell the team amid various investigations into the organization, but on the field they’ve been remarkably resilient. The defense is the headliner for the Commanders, with arguably the best defensive line in the NFL, but offensively they’ve followed the lead of Taylor Heinicke, who just keeps winning since stepping in for Carson Wentz, and leaned on a rushing attack spearheaded by rookie Brian Robinson.

Robinson missed the start of the season after being shot twice in the leg in an attempted carjacking, and his return has been nothing short of incredible as he entered Sunday with 362 yards and two touchdowns on the ground before cracking the 100-yard mark for the first time in beating the Falcons. However, after the game his 105-yard performance was secondary to his postgame outfit in which he wore a gigantic baseball hat, telling reporters his friend makes them and “if you want a big hat, let me know.”

Look at that hat. It’s huge. It’s great. The hat plays.

I have some logistical questions about how the Big Hat works, but I also cannot resist the allure of the Big Hat and would now like one, Brian.

Taylor Swift‘s music is the gift that keeps on giving this season. For the fourth non-consecutive week, her 10th studio album, Midnights is sitting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Over the past week, Midnights pulled in 177,000 album unit equivalents, according to Billboard‘s independent data source, Luminate. Drake and 21 Savage’s Her Loss, which pulled in 119,000 equivalent album units this past week, is sitting at No. 2 for the second week in a row. Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti and Lil Baby’s It’s Only Me came in at No. 3 and 4 on the chart, respectively.

Making a remarkable re-entry into the top 10 is Michael Jackson’s Thriller, which jumped from No. 115 to No. 7 this past week, upon the album’s 40th anniversary. Last week, Jackson’s estate put out a special 40th-anniversary edition of the album containing additional demos and remixed recordings.

Debuting on the chart is Rod Wave’s eight-track album, Jupiter’s Diary: 7 Day Theory, which hit No. 9. At No. 10 is Michael Buble’s Christmas, which was first released in 2011. Buble’s Christmas album has placed in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 charts at least once every year since its release.

Some of the artists mentioned are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The Denver Broncos have been one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL this season. After trading two first round picks for Russell Wilson and then giving him a massive $245 million contract extension, the Broncos offense sits near the bottom of the NFL in most every category.

Sunday provided a rare opportunity for a win for Denver, as they traveled to Carolina to face the lowly Panthers in a battle of 3-win teams. Once again, the Broncos offense no-showed, falling behind 23-3 before scoring their first touchdown in the fourth quarter with the game already decided. Prior to that scoring drive, the Broncos defense had some frustrations with the offense boil over as defensive tackle Mike Purcell walked off the field and couldn’t help but give Russell Wilson a few choice words as he screamed at the star QB briefly before heading to the bench.

As the Fox crew notes, it’s not clear if Wilson said something that got Purcell’s attention or if he just decided in that moment he needed to give a piece of his mind to Wilson, but either way it’s unsurprising to see given how this season has gone. Denver’s defense has allowed 23 or fewer points in 10 of their 11 games this season, but will somehow fall to 3-8 with another loss to the Panthers. Also, the best drive of the day by the Broncos came after this, so maybe the defense needs to yell at the offense more and they’d turn things around.

Lizzo and Harry Styles’ friendship is goals. Styles brought Lizzo out during his headlining Coachella set in April, which surprised Lizzo, and he surprised her again in July by sending her a congratulatory flower arrangement after “About Damn Time” surpassed “As It Was” for the No. 1 spot on Billboard‘s Hot 100.

Styles’ “As It Was” has dominated 2022, but his 2019 Fine Line track “Falling” especially resonates with Lizzo. She was asked by Entertainment Weekly in a newly published, wide-ranging interview about the ballad’s placement in her Love, Lizzo HBO Max documentary.

“Harry… that was a huge moment because on one end I’m having this really bad emotional day, and on the other end you see the power of music. You really do. And how music has this visceral effect on me,” Lizzo told the publication. “And the funny part in the end where I was like, ‘Music is so powerful,’ and my makeup artist Alex was like, ‘You should really go to a Lizzo show.’ [Laughs] And I just think that that’s like such a real moment, you know? And it’s like, I can’t — I can never experience a Lizzo show, but just showing how much music is transformative and how the fans may feel about my music is how I felt about that Harry Styles song. I feel it too. I go there too.”

Lizzo also evaded a question about whether her house is on property formerly owned by Styles. “No comment,” she said, laughing and eating a cookie. When pressed, she added, “Harry’s House is a great album.”

Those who can fully experience a Lizzo show seem to have overwhelmingly approved of her Special Tour, which wrapped its first North American leg last weekend. “Lizzo has the BEST show on earth,” SZA tweeted after making a surprise on-stage appearance at the Special stop at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California, on November 19. “I cried. Pls go to a Lizzo concert for your own mental health.”

More people will have that opportunity in 2023. Lizzo will kick off her European and UK Special Tour dates in February, and then she will return stateside for a second North American leg dubbed the Special 2our.

Read Lizzo’s EW interview here, and watch her Love, Lizzo trailer below.

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

This article originally appeared on 03.31.15

This is a man named Michael Hughes.

Why is he in a women’s restroom?

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Michael is protesting a series of bills across the U.S. and Canada that, if passed, would ban men like him from using men’s restrooms and leave him no choice but to use the women’s room.

Bizarrely, these laws have been proposed as a way to protect the privacy and safety of women.(I know. It doesn’t make sense, but hang with me.)

Michael is a transgender man, meaning that when he was born, the doctor looked at him and labeled him a girl.

As Michael can tell you, he’s not a girl and he’s not a woman.

Inspired by a woman from Canada, Michael has been snapping selfies in women’s restrooms to show people just how out of place he looks.

If these types of bills become law, people like Michael and other trans men would be forced to use women’s restrooms.

Is this the type of guy you want in your restrooms and locker rooms, ladies?

Several states have proposed laws legalizing discrimination against transgender people this year alone.

The main focus of these bills has been whether trans people should be allowed to use public restrooms, though they’re often part of a larger effort to deny rights to trans people.

Texas’ bill would have denied trans people entrance to public restrooms, showers, or changing rooms.

The penalty for using a restroom that doesn’t match the gender “established by the individual’s chromosomes” is up to a year in prison and a fine up to $4,000.

Even worse, the bill stated that an “operator, manager, superintendent, or other person with authority over a building” who willfully allows a trans person to use restrooms that match their actual gender will be charged with a felony and could serve a minimum of 180 days in prison and be fined up to $10,000.

The bill remains in committee awaiting action.

Florida’s language would have established gender as one’s “biological sex, either male or female, at birth.”

The bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Frank Artiles, brushed off backlash by arguing that going to the bathroom is a choice.

The punishment for a trans person who uses the correct bathroom in Florida would have been up to a year in prison and a fine up to $1,000. The bill died in committee, and did not become law.

Kentucky’s bill would have denied trans students the ability to use the correct restroom.

The bill came in response to a Louisville school’s decision to allow a trans student to use the restroom that matches their gender.

While the bill didn’t specify punishment for using the “incorrect” restroom, it did put what some are calling a “bounty” on catching trans students in the “wrong” restroom. The bill did not become law.

The groups pushing to deny trans people the ability to use restrooms simply spread misinformation.

Opponents of trans-inclusive environments argue that allowing trans people to use restrooms that match their gender invites and allows men into women’s restrooms to leer and assault women at will.

Their arguments aren’t based in reality.

(Still with me? The laws are pretty ridiculous, but now you know why they’re being proposed.)

It’s just as ridiculous for a trans woman to have to use the men’s restroom as it is for Michael to have to use the women’s restroom.

Trans women are not men, and Michael is not a woman.

When it comes down to it, trans people just need to pee. That’s all.

Watch Michael Hughes’ appearance on MSNBC’s “Out There” with Thomas Roberts below:

Drake is stepping into the shoe game. For his latest venture, the “Jimmy Cooks” rapper is partnering with Nike to drop his Certified Lover Boy Nike Air Force 1s.

He took to Instagram yesterday (November 26) to share a preview of the sneakers. In his post, he revealed that the shoes were largely inspired by his mother.

“Love You Forever AF1 dedicated to my incredible mother and our favorite book,” read the post’s caption, referring to Robert Munsch’s children’s book, Love You Forever. In the book, a mother sings a lullaby to her son at various stages of his life. “I love you forever, I’ll love you for always, as long as I’m living my baby you’ll be,” sings the mom in the book.

This particular Air Force 1 pair comes in white, and contains an etching reading “Love you forever” toward the heel, and three bejeweled hearts hovering above the message.

In the post, Drake also shared a note written to his mom, which read, “For my mother, Your perennial care and nurturing is never lost on me. This book is the time capsule of our love. I long for the days when it was this simple. — Aubrey.”

According to Sole Collector, Drake’s Air Force 1s are set to hit shelves on December 2.

Sunday marked 15 years since Sean Taylor was tragically killed when he was shot in the leg by intruders at his Miami home in 2007. At the time Taylor was in his fourth season in Washington, a young star safety who had made the Pro Bowl a year prior.

Prior to hosting the Falcons on Sunday, the Commanders unveiled a new memorial to Taylor at FedEx Field, with much of Taylor’s family on hand for the unveiling, and what was revealed left many fans upset by what felt like a hastily thrown together tribute to Taylor, with his uniform on a wire mannequin.

Considering the various issues facing the franchise currently, headlined by Dan Snyder selling the team amid a number of legal probes into allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment, as well as financial improprieties, there were plenty who called out the Taylor memorial’s unveiling as a PR stunt aimed at deflecting from that negative news. On top of that, it wasn’t even a well put together memorial, as there was an opportunity to honor a beloved player who was tragically killed and the best they could seemingly do was put his uniform on a mannequin in a glass case.

Both Commanders fans and fans from around the NFL in general lambasted the organization for the memorial that could’ve been something so much more, as the best part was a mural created by his fiancee’s uncle, Vic Garcia, that he worked on all the weekend while the team came up with a uniform on some wire.

Film history is riddled with name actors who turned down key roles. Tom Selleck didn’t want to play Indiana Jones. Eddie Murphy didn’t want to play Eddie Valiant in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Halle Berry wasn’t feeling what became the Sandra Bullock part in Speed. John Travolta didn’t say yes to American Gigolo and Forrest Gump. Then there’s Matthew Modine, who’s kind of the Zelig of missed film roles. He recently talked about three (3) iconic parts to which he said no, though for at least one he had an excellent reason.

During a recent appearance on The Jonathan Ross Show, Modine was game when his host brought up some of the big roles he turned down. Perhaps the biggest one: He could have been Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in Top Gun (and presumably its even more money-gobbling sequel). But he didn’t want to do a film that glamorized the nation’s war machine.

“I grew up with the war, watching the Vietnam War on television. And then my oldest brothers and my sister participated in the war,” Modine explained. “There’s nothing sexy or romantic about war. So the idea of making a movie like Top Gun, that would make it look fun and glamorize it? Yeah, I just didn’t want to participate in that kind of storytelling.”

If his excuse sounds familiar, that’s because it’s also the reason why the film’s ultimate star, Tom Cruise, was adamantly against doing a sequel — at least for three-and-a-half decades. (One could argue that the belated sequel is considerably less jingoistic, less about patriotism and more about the greatness of Tom Cruise.)

So Modine had a good excuse for turning down Top Gun. But what about Back to the Future? After the production fired original star Eric Stoltz, he was one of the actors they approached to replace him. Modine fumbled around to excuse why he turned that down, saying that “when you see Michael J. Fox, you see why I turned it down.” (Not even Ross was buying that one.) He also says he didn’t know who director Robert Zemeckis was, though he had just had a big hit with Romancing the Stone.

As for turning down the lead role in Big, Modine admits “that was really stupid.” That role, of course, went to another Tom, Tom Hanks, who scored his first Oscar nomination as a kid whose wish to become an adult is granted, with funny/heartwarming results. Still, Modine has had a good career. He even wound up doing another film about war, albeit a very different one from Top Gun: Full Metal Jacket, Stanley Kubrick’s grim depiction of the Vietnam War, and an instant classic of the genre.

(Via Digg)