Category: Worldwide

By now, most of us know better than to get our hopes up about our favorite celebrities. We’ve watched too many beloved household names fall from grace, and even those who seem delightful in their personas have been outed as kinda terrible people in private. (We’ll always have Mister Rogers. And I’m still holding out hope for Tom Hanks, all kooky conspiracy theories aside.)

But a Twitter thread that largely flew under the radar this week has highlighted the apparently universal kindness of comedian and late night talk show host Seth Meyers.

Sara Benincasa wrote:

“When certain pals battered & bruised by an otherwise abusive industry mention Seth Meyers, they go into an enchanted fugue state and talk like they got to work with the love child of Glinda the Good Witch and some benevolent supergenius golden retriever, IDK, he sounds nice!”

Lauren Flans corroborated the claim, saying, “He is the LOVELIEST man! Treats absolutely everyone with the same kindness and interest, and when I saw him at the Boom reunion in Amsterdam last summer, he literally talked to me about a tweet of mine he remembered from SEVERAL YEARS BACK WUT.”

And actress Kristen Schaal, a fellow comedian, agreed. “Sooooo true! He has always been kind to me, even in social situations where I felt out of place.”

Awww. Nice.

Benincasa said she had heard that praise of him—that he really notices people and brings them in. “Such a kind thing and a real skill too!”

Someone who interned for Meyers added her two cents, which just reinforced what others were saying:

“Interned for him in college and it was my favorite internship I’ve had. He was the only one who sat down with us at the end of the semester and answered questions/talked with us for while. He said hi if you passed him in the hall. And we were paid, which is great.”

Others pointed out that he regularly brings his writers on his show, reallys showcasing their talents. He also uses his platforms to uplift the voices of the smart, funny women on his team.

Alex Miller wrote, “I had the opportunity to sit in for a monologue rehearsal (he does this every day). His writing staff was having absolute blast watching from the seats, and after 45 minutes of rehearsing, Seth comes into the seats and does a Q&A with the audience. Again, he does this every day.”

Judd Winick confirmed Meyers’ awesomeness “from personal experience as well as professional.”

Meyers’ brother Josh even chimed in…with some stereotypical brotherly humor.

Not that an absence of criticism proves anything, but the fact that his conversation took place on Twitter and only stories of positive interactions with him came up is pretty telling. Someone once said, “Live your life in such a way that if someone spoke badly about you no one would believe it.” Seth Meyers may actually be living that advice.

People might take issue with this brand of humor, his political stances, or his making fun of the world’s most easy-to-make-fun-of president. But it appears that those who have interacted with him and worked with him have glowing things to say.

How refreshing in this day and age.

Another thing people pointed out was his delightfully genuine family, which might explain why he is how he is. Each year, he has his parents and brother come on the show, and it’s nothing but pure family fun. Enjoy:

The Meyers Family Tells a Traumatic Story Involving Seth’s Orthodontic Headgear

www.youtube.com

If nothing below suits your sensibilities, check out our guide to What You Should Watch On Streaming Right Now.

Pan y Circo (Amazon Prime series) — Diego Luna (in what feels like an answer to Jon Favreau’s Dinner For Five) hosts dinner conversations (with what looks to be a lot of wine) that tackle divisive, beyond-entertainment issues while enjoying super-fancy meals prepared by Mexico’s most renowned chefs.

An American Pickle (HBO Max) — Seth Rogen‘s dual roles have arrived, and the end product is both touching and hilarious to witness. Rogen plays a 1920s Jewish immigrant who falls into a vat of pickle juice and is perfectly “brined” for 100 years, so suspend your disbelief and enjoy the surprising amount of nuance here. It’s both an interesting match-up and a truly inspired Jewish version of Encino Man.

The Rain: Season 3 (Netflix series) — This sleeper apocalyptic series comes to an end with a deluge of hope, years after deadly rain decimated Scandinavia’s population. Simone and Rasmus are at odds on how to put the virus to bed, and now, there are amped-up special affects and superpowers on the table. This show might feel too timely (in 2020) if you’re starting from the beginning, but if you’re been watching all along, you’ll find a wonderful end to a series that transcends most apocalyptic fiction today.

Hitmen (Peacock series) — It’s a workplace comedy about assassins, starring English comedy duo Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins as longtime pals who kill for dollars.

Star Trek: Lower Decks (CBS All Access series) — This offshoot series drives the franchise into animated territory. Creator Mike McMahan (Rick & Morty, Solar Opposites) takes viewers on a voyage with the very non-prestigious USS Cerritos.

Slay The Dragon (Hulu documentary) — Our current voting system (and all the Republican gerrymandering inherent within) gets put on blast with this eye-opening documentary that reveals some sinister truths.

Immigration Nation (Netflix series) — This six-part docuseries (which comes after the similarly-themed Stateless) aims to give viewers an inside look at some of the most vulnerable communities in the U.S. while detained immigrants fight for citizenship.

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

Room 104 (Friday, HBO 10:00 p.m.) — The fourth season of the Duplass’ Brothers bizarre playground continues with Dave Bautista as retired pro wrestler Raw Dog Avalanche, who seeks an assist from therapeutic dolls. Cue some epic repressed memories.

Sharkfest (Sunday, National Geographic) — Sharkfest episodes continue to air with a 7:00 p.m. episode called “Sharks vs. Dolphins: Blood Battle” and an after-dark installment at 10:00 p.m. called “50 Shades of Sharks.” Oh boy.

P-Valley (Sunday, Starz 8:00 p.m.) — Foes get trapped together over a weekend while Keyshawn ascends to new heights and Lil’ Murda glows up.

Perry Mason (Sunday, HBO 9:00 p.m.) — The Season 1 finale has led to unvarnished critique as Mason grows increasingly stubborn, and the sensational trial concludes.

The Chi (Sunday, Showtime 9:00 p.m.) — Kiesha’s personal nightmare isolates her from the rest of the fretting group, and Ronnie’s working to fix his past trangressions.

NOS4A2 (Sunday, AMC & BBC America 10:00 p.m.) — The Shorter Way leads to a junkyard visit, and tempers are high while Vic and company attempt to hatch a plan to take down Charlie Manx for good.

We Hunt Together (Sunday, Showtime 10:00 p.m.) — The pilot episode of this fresh series involves a deadly duo — a former child soldier named Baba and Freddie — who are drawn together (to commit murder) by their dark pasts. Two detectives are hot on the trail in an attempt to keep the pair from striking again.

When Jessy Lanza released “Face” back in April, her latest effort All The Time jumped to the upper levels of my list of anticipated records for 2020. Released in late July, it would turn out that the single set the stage well for the full-length, a collection of numbers that will surely get you up out of your chair to dance along. With the world on fire around us, it feels nice to have an album that encourages us to let loose and forget. All The Time urges you to do just that, and also gives you a soundtrack to persevere.

To celebrate the new album, Lanza sat down to talk sleeping in a renovated military canteen, Janet Jackson, and more in the latest Indie Mixtape 20 Q&A.

What are four words you would use to describe your music?

Sad squirty synth songs.

It’s 2050 and the world hasn’t ended and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?

As a person that made you feel comfortable.

What’s your favorite city in the world to perform?

I love performing in Phoenix, Arizona.

Who’s the person who has most inspired your work, and why?

Jeremy Greenspan is a mentor and my most frequent collaborator. He’s inspired my work the most. Him and Janet Jackson.

Where did you eat the best meal of your life?

Ding Tai Fung in Markham, Ontario, Canada.

What album do you know every word to?

Janet Jackson’s album Janet.

What was the best concert you’ve ever attended?

Haruomi Hosono’s show last year at Gramercy Theater.

What is the best outfit for performing and why?

Pants with a little give and a top with short sleeves.

Who’s your favorite person to follow on Twitter and/or Instagram?

Movie Promotional Merch Unlimited @NightPromoting on Twitter and @motem on Instagram because he always brings positivity.

What’s your most frequently played song in the van on tour?

“Say You’ll Say So” by Geoffrey Landers.

What’s the last thing you Googled?

Best Xiaolongbao in the Bay Area?

What album makes for the perfect gift?

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark.

Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever crashed while on tour?

Whenever I play in St Gallen the venue there, called Palace, has us stay at a renovated military canteen. It’s not weird but it’s very nice.

What’s the story behind your first or favorite tattoo?

Would rather not share the story behind my lower back tattoo.

What artists keep you from flipping the channel on the radio?

If I hear Christine McVie’s voice the song stays on.

What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?

My family for putting up with my bs.

What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?

Break up with him.

What’s the last show you went to?

TEKLIFE feat. DJ Spinn, TRAXMAN, DJ Manny and Tripletrain in NYC.

What movie can you not resist watching when it’s on TV?

Goodfellas

What would you cook if Kanye were coming to your house for dinner?

I’d bbq some veggies.

All The Time is out now. Listen here.

What constitutes a “sleeper record”? Here at Indie Mixtape HQ, we determine a record to be a “sleeper” if we think it could be really popular… if more people just knew about it. On the second episode of Indiecast, Steven Hyden and Ian Cohen dig in on the 2020 albums they think are accessible and easy-to-like, but might not have the big promo push that other records from big-name artists might get.

These are albums that thrive on Bandcamp and in the underground. With their podcast, Hyden and Cohen seek to right this wrong by sharing their best finds from this year. Perhaps no album deserves mention more than Wares’ Survival, which was released in April and recently declared by Hyden to be “one of the year’s most emotionally overpowering and melodically satisfying rock records” in his review. Hyden also brings listeners’ attention to releases from 2nd Grade, Peel Dream Magazine, and more.

Cohen, on the other hand, is spreading the gospel of Viewing, the new album from Stay Inside, which he called for Pitchfork “one of the most confidently executed emo debuts of recent vintage, a bracing fusion of brutality and elegance.” He also praises recent releases from Ben Seretan, I’m Glad It’s You, and more.

New episodes of Indiecast drop every Friday. Listen to Episode 2 above and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts here. Stay up to date and follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

First it was banana bread and draft-day memories, then it was an honest interview with Kevin Durant. The new podcast from A’ja Wilson and Napheesa Collier, Tea with A & Phee, has already shown it can be silly, brutally honest, and juicy. While Wilson and Collier, the last two WNBA Rookies of the Year, have a plan for what they want the show to be, they also want to create a comfortable atmosphere for themselves to give fans an inside look into their lives, careers, and time in the WNBA’s bubble this summer.

The WNBA is full of legends, and even as the media environment around the league has grown, a lot of the coverage is still geared toward veterans like Maya Moore, Sue Bird, and Nneka Ogwumike. Rarely is attention turned toward the young stars who will soon take the mantle. That’s the hole the pair — who both already are All-Stars in their own right as well — hope to fill.

“We kind of get over-shadowed in a way, because of course we’re surrounded by so many great women that are so good at basketball,” Wilson told Dime over the phone. “For Phee and I, we’re fairly new in this league, so it’s like we’re trying to speed up the process to be talked about. This is a perfect exposure for the younger generation in the bubble.”

Wilson and Collier met in 2015 when they played on the USA Basketball U19 women’s team under head coach Dawn Staley, who would go on to recruit Wilson to South Carolina. Fans have already taken to the easy chemistry between the two, who are both repped by Octagon, but they didn’t have much of a relationship before starting the show.

In just two episodes, they’ve already bonded over the shared pressure they felt as young players — Wilson as the leader of a budding dynasty at South Carolina, Collier upholding the longstanding tradition of dominance at UConn — and the challenges of acclimating to the WNBA.

Collier admitted to believing she should have been the first overall pick in 2019, when she went sixth, and the pride she felt being vindicated with the Rookie of the Year trophy after an All-Star campaign and playoff berth with the Minnesota Lynx. While Wilson is a more heralded and well-known name in the hoops world, getting a SLAM magazine cover in her second season as she’s put Las Vegas on the WNBA map with the Aces, she bonded with Collier over also feeling self-doubt on draft night, up until the moment her name was called, a feeling athletes are not often free to share.

“People like to see behind the scenes for whoever it may be,” Collier told Dime. “Whether it’s athletes or actors or whatever it might be, people really like to see what goes on when we’re not watching them in their element or on TV. I like to see that too, so diving behind the scenes and talking about what goes on in our personal lives and not just on the court, we both thought it would be a really cool idea.”

Yet even as more athlete-driven media has popped up, few of these endeavors center women. Athletes from J.J. Redick, to Vince Carter, to Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson have made news on their own podcasts, and created an environment in which fans get an unfiltered perspective. Collier’s boyfriend’s, basketball trainer Alex Bazzell, had the idea for Wilson and Collier to specifically try out a podcast, and the pair has taken to the format instantly.

They’ve also gone viral as listeners have realized no one is off limits on the show. The duo went viral for a hilarious moment comparing Kendrick Perkins’ scoring to a solid GPA…

…and for comparing Aces coach Bill Laimbeer’s quarantine haircut to Johnny Lawrence’s look from The Karate Kid.

As opponents on the court, they also appreciate the chance to have fun with listeners’ expectations, even down to the idea that they would even pair up for the show in the first place.

“These are two people that you probably never thought would come together because we’re not teammates and it’s a nice point of view that you normally wouldn’t see,” Wilson says. “You’re opening up another channel for our fans, for our platforms and everything, so I think that’s the beauty of our podcast is we don’t feel that pressure because we talk freely.”

“Even if a reporter had asked me now how I felt (about the draft and rookie season), I probably wouldn’t have said what I said on the podcast,” Collier adds. “It definitely gives us the freedom to give that inside look and just be our unfiltered self, which is what I love about the podcast.”

With record ratings and constant headlines about WNBA players’ work on and off the court this summer, the moment is ripe for more voices. The hosts aren’t sure if the social justice movement will come up on the show, or how much they will dive into politics and social issues versus just providing fans fun, insightful basketball conversation, but they want the podcast to highlight their true selves.

In 2020, that means a lot of things for two Black female athletes.

“It’s hard out here being a Black girl, and people can connect to us on that level,” says Wilson, who recently made waves for an article in The Players’ Tribune about growing up in suburban South Carolina.

The history of WNBA activism connects squarely with Collier as well, who came to the three-time champion Lynx the same season legends like Maya Moore, Rebekkah Brunson, and Lindsay Whalen left the team. But just as Collier filled those shoes capably, she and Wilson believe the WNBA’s youngest players are ready to start bridging the gap with their voices, too.

“With everything — social justice, pride, everything — I think our generation has grown up in a world where it’s OK to push the boundaries on those things and to go after what you think is right,” Collier says.

The WNBA has consistently proven that discourse can capture many things at once. Just as they got Durant to discuss the challenges of playing out of position as a rookie and spill the “tea” on his laid-back form of romance, the pair also expect the podcast to highlight the persona of the 20-somethings in the WNBA who are already filling up All-Star rosters and highlight reels.

Wilson and Collier already notice a generation demonstrating confidence on and off the court. While we spoke, Atlanta Dream rookie Chennedy Carter was piling in 35 points on the championship favorite Seattle Storm, a testament to the “swagger” Collier sees developing on players’ online presence and their hardwood style.

“We’re very outspoken, and we’re going to say whatever’s on our mind,” Wilson says. “But at the same time, we can get buckets.”

And if that’s not the fun of basketball, what is? Now, the WNBA has a podcast that can bring both together, with two unflappable personalities who are on their way to dominating the league.

Toronto-bred singer Kai has been writing songs since she picked up her first acoustic guitar at the age of 16 even earned a Grammy nomination for her Flume collaboration “Never Be Like You.” Now, the singer making a name for herself with her shimmering debut solo single, “In The Now.”

The hypnotic “In The Now” features lush production and a showcase of Kai’s room-filling vocals. “I wanna be in the now with you,” she croons over a slow-burning beat. The single’s accompanying video sees the singer exploring her sensual fantasies and looks as though it’s straight out of a glitter-soaked scene from HBO’s Euphoria.

“‘In The Now’ is about self-sabotage and the fear of intimacy,” Kai explained in a statement. “It’s about the desire to be truly present with someone, instead of fearing the end and wondering, ‘What if I hurt you?’ or ‘What if you hurt me?’” Of her sound in general, Kai said she sticks to what “feels good” to her in the present moment: “I follow what feels good to me and because of that, the music is a greater source of joy than it has ever been before. I’m finally making music I’m extremely proud of and truly want to share.”

Watch Kai’s “In The Now” video above.

Back in January, Under Armour had Joel Embiid come down to Baltimore to announce his upcoming signature sneaker, unveiling it to a select group of media with no photos or videos allowed to come out. Embiid, understandably, was excited for his first signature shoe, and harped on his desire to create a shoe that wasn’t just for big men but was something that could be worn by anyone.

The result is the UA Embiid 1, a midtop sneaker with a lightweight mesh upper and a combination of Under Armour’s two most advanced cushioning elements — HOVR in the heel and MicroG in the forefoot — to offer a balance of comfort and reactive performance. On Friday, Embiid debuted the sneaker officially in the NBA bubble, posting the first official images of it to his Twitter account.

The first colorway will be this black, gray, and fiery red/orange/yellow look, which will release on Sept. 18. As Embiid noted back in January, his goal was to create a shoe as versatile as he was, with stability for a 7-footer, but light enough and mobile enough to be worn by perimeter players too.

There are also details in the story-telling, with a cutout of the African continent on the heel of the outsole, with the red, yellow, and green (only visible in bits on the bottom of the shoe) representing his Cameroonian heritage. More colorways are set to come, and knowing Embiid some will surely be quite colorful, and those will be announced in coming weeks.

Jamie Foxx’s long-in-the-works Mike Tyson biopic is finally happening, and the Oscar winner has the ripped physique to prove it. Getting in shape to portray the legendary boxer isn’t the thing he’s most dedicated in getting right, however. When asked about his preparation to play Tyson, Foxx told CinemaBlend, “Obviously, the training is different. We’re doing weighted pull ups to sort of make the back look the right way, and make the arm look a certain way. But it is, to me, I guarantee you, it’s the most dedicated I’ve been to making sure that this story gets told, and gets told in the right way.”

Foxx wants to be so believable, in fact, that he hopes to fool Tyson’s own kids:

“And I joke with Mike. I said, ‘When I get dressed up as you, I’m going to walk into your house, and your kids are going to say daddy’s home.’”

Maybe they mean they want to watch Daddy’s Home on DVD?

Either way, the biopic will show the “different lives” of the iconic boxer (Tyson was convicted of rape in 1992 and served three years in prison), according to Foxx. “We want to show everybody evolves. I think when we lay the layer of Mike Tyson in this story, I think everybody from young and old will be able to understand this man’s journey.”

(Via CinemaBlend)

Selena Gomez established herself as a public figure of note with her starring role in the Disney Channel series Wizards Of Waverly Place, and the show was the last time Gomez had a regular acting role on TV. The program ended in 2012, and now, almost a decade later, Gomez is returning to television. It was announced today that she is starring alongside comedy legends Steve Martin and Martin Short in Only Murders In The Building, a new comedy series from Hulu.

Deadline notes the show was co-created and written by Martin and John Hoffman based on an idea from Martin, and that the show “follows three strangers (Martin, Short, and Gomez) who share an obsession with true crime and suddenly find themselves wrapped up in one.”

Craig Erwich, Hulu’s head of originals, is enthusiastic about the show, as he told Deadline, “I heard the pitch on Wednesday, and it was the best hour I had all week. It’s really special, surprisingly emotional. It’s really modern and self-referential about podcasts and murders, it’s got some great surprises. When they pull this off, it’s going to be really special.”

Although this is Gomez’s first TV gig in a while, she hasn’t shied away from acting completely. She has a voice role in the Hotel Transylvania franchise, and she has starred in films like Spring Breakers and 2019’s A Rainy Day In New York. She also has a cooking show on the way, Selena + Chef.

When DC FanDome dropped its massive list of stars that will be attending the virtual event at the end of August, you’d think it’d be hard to pick just one name that stood out above the rest. But apparently DC Comics fans are flocking to social media to go absolutely wild about one name and one name only: Val Kilmer.

Kilmer’s presence at the fan event is surprising for a variety of reasons. The actor has never spoken fondly of his time making Batman Forever, which saw him play the Caped Crusader just once before being replaced by George Clooney. There’s also the small issue of director Joel Schumacher repeatedly referring to Kilmer as “psychotic” and vowing never to work with the actor again.

However, Kilmer recently waxed philosophical about his short time as Batman during a recent interview with The New York Times. While recounting a set visit from Warren Buffet and his grandchildren, the actor noticed that the kids didn’t care about meeting Batman, they wanted to try on the Batsuit and sit in the Batmobile. The revelation caused Kilmer to realize that Batman is meant to be “so anonymous” that anyone can see themselves as the hero. “That’s why it’s so easy to have five or six Batmans,” Kilmer told the Times. “It’s not about Batman. There is no Batman.”

There’s also the matter of Schumacher’s death. The director passed away in early June, not long after Kilmer’s interview with the Times, and with his death came rumors of a “Schumacher Cut” of Batman Forever that Warner Bros. might be sitting on. With Kilmer now added to the DC FanDome roster, it didn’t take long for fans to start raising their eyebrows.

As Twitter is going to do, it didn’t take long for a hashtag to start forming:

And then there this was interesting theory that suggests maybe Michael Keaton passed on The Flash, or he won’t be the only Batman to show up…

Whatever Kilmer’s reason for attending DC FanDome might be, if this anecdote is anything go by, it should be an interesting experience: