Verzuz livestream battles are the best thing going — AKA they’re the only thing going. Timbaland and Swizz Beats parlayed the hysteria around their March beat battle into a Verzuz series where a who’s who of hip-hop and R&B are going track for track in front of hundreds of thousands of people on Instagram Live.
Matchups like RZA vs. DJ Premier, Scott Storch vs. Mannie Fresh, and T-Pain vs. Lil Jon have piqued quarantined fans’ interests and stirred debate about future matchups. What are the rap matchups that we’d most like to see as a hip-hop community?
A couple qualifiers: this is (for the most part) a practical list. Kanye is still on his secular music boycott and likely won’t be participating. Legends like Jay-Z, Eminem, Lil Wayne, Nas, LL Cool J and others are too reclusive to get down and dirty. There are also a couple of tricky artists: for instance, Snoop Dogg has too much of a catalog for anyone other than artists who won’t participate, while Rick Ross’ Justice League work would shellshock any of his trap peers.
So here’s the unscientific, variably realistic list. Let us know what other battles you’d like to see below:
Havoc vs Alchemist
The late Prodigy, a brother to both men, suggested this battle several years ago. Now that beat battles are more in-demand than ever, it seems like the two should fulfill his wish and go at it with their lengthy catalog of head-nodding bangers and enticing soul samples. The two are known for sinister production ripe for spitters but they have their fair share of mainstream bangers like the Alchemist-produced “We Gon Make It” and Mobb Deep’s “The Learning (Burn).” It would also be fun to see them go off on a run of Prodigy vs. Prodigy to celebrate their fallen comrade.
Who Wins: Havoc. It’s gonna be hard for ALC to compete with the weight of The Infamous tracks.
Jeezy vs 2 Chainz
2 Chainz has expressed interest in wanting to do a beat battle. He challenged Meek Mill last week, but Meek declined. 2 Chainz also declined a battle with Fabolous because F-A-B-O has too many “girl records.” But there’s another charismatic hitmaker artist who’s just as trap-focused as 2 Chainz : Jeezy. The Snowman hasn’t been releasing his best music of late, but this quarantine period is all about celebrating history. And when it comes to trap music, Jeezy’s catalog is integral to the canon. A lot of people need to learn or be reminded of an era when his catalog was so infectious that Kanye West admitted in 2008 that “every time I write a chorus or any type of hook, I say like, ‘What would [Young] Jeezy do?’”
Who Wins: 2 Chainz’ feature work helps him take the edge.
T.I. vs 50 Cent
Aside from being two of the most captivating personalities in the game, 50 Cent and T.I. are both the embodiment of the 2000’s archetypal hitmaker: they could get play in the club, be as grimy as they wanted, but also had swooning women fanbases who they appeased with catchy singles. These days, they’re so entrenched as hip-hop multi-taskers (for whom rap isn’t the primary vehicle) that it would be good to see both of them celebrated for how dominant they were in the ‘00s — and not old beef. Despite representing different regions, their catalog is so similarly balanced thematically and stylistically that neither one would be able to swerve on the other in the way that Timbaland and Scott Storch did their opponents. And if nothing else, this battle would also be an A1 sh*t-talking contest.
Who Wins: T.I. has a little bit more in the tank hit-wise.
Metro Boomin vs Zaytoven
This is the matchup of two out-of-towners who helped shape Atlanta’s sound. They’re both known for their synergy with a pair of iconic acts (Future and Gucci Mane respectively), but have plenty of bangers with other Atlanta based acts, including each other’s go-to artist. It would be fun to intriguing to see “mixtape Gucci” tracks go up against four-peat era Future, as well as Migos hits like the Zaytoven-produced “Versace” vs. Metro Boomin’s “Bad And Boujee.” They’ve both worked with so many of the same artists, so this could be a song for song fight to see who got the most out of any given artist.
Who Wins: Metro for most people, though it will likely be a streets vs. charts preference battle.
Young Thug and Drip Harder vs Migos
This is probably way too ambitious to ever happen, but it would be a fun celebration of “the New Atlanta.” It wouldn’t be fair for any solo act to go against Migos, as their solo work and features (Quavo and Offset especially) would make that kind of battle feel like a handicap match. But seeing Thug get some help from his young labelmate Gunna and Lil Baby (who he put on) makes sense. It would also help certain artists involved further confirm that whatever fight they say didn’t happen didn’t actually happen, and even if it did it doesn’t stop the movement. We could call this one the Gucci Mane battle royale.
Who Wins: Migos outlast the tag team round-for-round.
DJ Khaled vs Mike Will Made-It
This would be a fun matchup of two of the 2010s’ biggest hitmakers who both approached their artistry differently. DJ Khaled is the world’s most relentless pitchman, while Mike Will is damn near anonymous beyond his producer tag despite producing hits for the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Future, Gucci Mane, and more. Both men have kept the functions plenty fed with tracks like Khaled’s “Wild Thoughts,” “All I Do Is Win,” and “We Takin Over” and Mike Will’s “Same Damn Time,” “No Flex Zone,” and of course “Black Beatles.”
Who Wins: Mike Will wins out round-for-round.
Missy Elliott vs. Nicki Minaj
It’s corny to pit the two women on this list against each other, but no cishet male artist would take on either artist because of fragility. The only people who are beating out Nicki or Missy are fellow certified legends, many of whom won’t be participating in beat battles. Nicki could frankly use the good press, while Missy could give the younger generation another reminder of her lasting greatness. In many ways, Nicki Minaj followed after Missy as a charismatic, genre-bending, aesthetically imaginative artist. Why not go hit-for-hit and see who did it better?
Who Wins: Missy and Timbaland are a cheat code.
Pharell vs Drake
This matchup could be a reach, but I feel like T-Pain vs. Lil Jon opened the door for this kind of matchup. T-Pain played several tracks against producer Lil Jon where he didn’t craft the beat but did the hook. It wasn’t a beat for beat battle between two producers. It was two artists hurling anything they’ve had their fingerprints on at each other. As a producer, Pharell would have the enviable advantage of Snoop Dogg, Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z records at his disposal, but Drake has 19 No. 1 singles on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and 15 No. 1 singles on the US Hot Rap Songs. With over 200 Billboard charting songs, he’d do just fine finding 20 or so smashes for a battle that shouldn’t be taken deathly serious anyway.
The ideal match for both men would probably be Kanye West, but he’s currently doing gospel music and building futuristic contraptions in the Great Plains. It only makes sense for them to face off against each other.
Both men are among the most iconic acts of the past vicennium (thanks Kanye). They’re often referenced as solitary creators but have had varying amounts of help crafting their catalog. Both artists are as versatile as it gets, with Pharell’s iconic genre-bending with N.E.R.D. and Drake’s forays into so-called Afrobeats. The amount of left-field turns this battle could take would be fascinating. Both artists have way too many vibes in the chamber for other prospective (practical) competitors, so why not battle each other?
Who Wins: Realistically, we all win. But Pharell being able to use Jay-Z records to go against Drake’s rap records could be a difference-maker.
Diddy vs Dre
This is the one. Diddy has rightfully clarified that his catalog is “not regular,” but neither is Dr. Dre’s. The Compton icon has been the lynchpin behind so many movements and cultural moments that he could wash most producers with his 88-93 or 98-03 output alone. But opening the totality of his 30+ year catalog is the best antidote for Diddy’s massive resume. While Diddy isn’t a beatmaker, he’s had his fingerprints on so many songs, remixes, and guest appearances that this battle could easily go 30 for 30 with bangers to spare. Not to mention that few people would be as engaging on a live stream as Diddy.
Who Wins: Diddy’s R&B work turns the tide in this one.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Tyler The Creator puts his own, mellow spin on a remix of La Roux’s Supervision single, “Automatic Driver,” once again showing off his versatility as a producer. Turning the upbeat bop into a more laid-back tune, Tyler gives La Roux’s dance floor anthem more of a hazy, kick-back-on-the-couch feel, slowing down everything from the tempo to La Roux’s voice. It’s not quite chopped-and-screwed; the beat is reminiscent of mid-2000s Pharrell and La Roux doesn’t sound like she’s singing through mud. If the original sounds like a sunny day, the remix is that day’s relaxing twilight.
The remix may seem like it comes from out of the blue, but the two artists have actually previously collaborated on Tyler’s Grammy-winning album, Igor, on the song “Gone, Gone / Thank You.” La Roux sings background vocals on the track, which also features CeeLo Green and a spoken outro from comedian Jerrod Carmichael. La Roux released Supervision in February of this year. Check out the original version of “Automatic Driver” below.
Tyler also showed off his production chops on another weekend release, Westside Gunn’s Pray For Paris. Tyler produced the beat for “Party Wit Pop Smoke” and also contributes a verse to “327” alongside Joey Badass.
Listen to Tyler The Creator’s remix of La Roux’s “Automatic Driver” above.
Ticketmaster caused a stir earlier this week with a quiet update to their refund policy. The page previously indicated that “refunds are available if your event is postponed, rescheduled or canceled, with the only exception reserved for MLB games and US Open events.” However, the update changed it so postponed and rescheduled shows were no longer eligible for refunds. This came after Live Nation, which owns Ticketmaster, postponed all upcoming tours back in March.
Now, Live Nation and AEG, the two biggest players in the live entertainment space, have updated how they are handling all the rescheduled shows. Ticketholders can now get refunds, but there is a catch: The shows have to have been rescheduled with new dates announced (as The New York Times notes). This means that fans with tickets to shows that have been postponed indefinitely are not eligible for refunds.
AEG will offer refunds under those conditions, and buyers will have a 30-day window to request their money back, beginning on May 1 or on whenever the new dates are announced. Live Nation’s timeline is less clear, as they note, “Live Nation’s plan is to continue offering an opportunity for refunds on all of its rescheduled shows as new dates are set. We anticipate those windows will begin to open up on an event by event basis in the next few weeks.”
Ticketmaster previously offered a statement about their new policies, saying, “In the past, with a routine volume of event interruptions, we and our event organizers have been able to consistently offer more flexibility with refunds for postponed and rescheduled events. However, considering the currently unprecedented volume of affected events, we are focused on supporting organizers as they work to determine venue availability, new dates and refund policies, while rescheduling thousands of events in what continues to be an evolving situation.”
The Tiger King documentary series proved to be a raging success for Netflix while claiming the streaming giant’s “Most Popular” list spot for weeks, and for solid reason. The project piled on heaping helpings of insanity within seven episodes — not only from the big-cat trading standpoint but through wild mullets, extreme polygamy, drug use, faux country music, and exhausting rivalries — while shining the light on frontman Joseph Maldonado-Passage, also known as “Joe Exotic.”
The streaming crowd couldn’t get enough of Mr. Exotic, who arguably tapped into the zeitgeist with his showman’s flair, and although Netflix also aired an aftershow episode, the thirst for guilty documentary pleasures shall not be quenched. Tiger King followup projects continue to simmer while Exotic languishes behind bars (that murder-for-hire business sealed the deal), but the streaming world is here to give the people what they want. Here are similarly bonkers TV docuseries and documentary films that you can watch right now.
Finders Keepers
Run Time: 102 minutes | IMDb: 6.8/10
There’s retroactive Tiger King flavor in this story of two North Carolina men who duked it out over a mummified foot, which happened to rightfully belong to one of men, yet he initially lost it in a small plane crash. I can’t believe that I just typed those words, and it gets even stranger as this documentary traces the steps where this foot went amiss, somehow got basted-mummified, tucked into a storage space, and then put up for auction. The purchaser discovered the foot (what a day that was) and marketed his discovery into a tourist attraction, and that’s only the beginning of the madness. Yet this story isn’t simply an oddity-filled circus. Nope, filmmakers Bryan Carberry and Clay Tweel manage to stir up some genuine emotion in this story, which ends up being slightly heartwarming despite all the voyeurism and grossness on display.
McMillion$
1 season, 6 episodes | IMDb: 7.3/10
Mark Wahlberg executive produced his addictive and twisty saga of fast-food fraud — which transpired through the innocent-enough looking 1990s McDonald’s Monopoly promotional game — that spanned a decade. Mafia dons were in on this thing, the FBI got big-time involved, and Agent Doug had the time of his life in a story that’s so strange, it must be true. Before all was said and done, this scam produced $24 million worth of stolen, black-marketed winning tickets and corresponding dirty deeds until an anonymous tipster set things in motion for the whole scam to come crumbling down. There’s blackmail, intrigue, duped players, and an honest-to-god sting operation with insane “undercover” tactics, all to nab the scoundrels and bring them to justice. It’s great.
Sour Grapes
Run Time: 85 minutes | IMDb: 7.3/10
The greatest conman among wine connoisseurs, Rudy Kurniawan, gets the spotlight here for his elaborate schemes carried out upon members of the ultra-swanky community of serious wine tasters and collectors. His high-stakes game involved infiltrating a massive market while pocketing millions from CEOs who believed his charade. It’s difficult to feel too sorry for some of Kurniawan’s targets, including a Koch brother who dropped several million on falsified vintage wine. And while Kurniawan is undoubtedly a smooth operator, he’s still the Joe Exotic of wine snobs, so this conman’s maneuvers (and his swagger) are truly engrossing to behold.
Cold Case Hammarskjöld
Run Time: 128 minutes | IMDb: 7.6/10
Conspiracy theories abound in this film from Danish filmmaker Mads Brügger, who digs into the 1961 plane crash that killed Swedish diplomat and former United Nations Secretary General Dag Hammarskjöld. The cause of the crash serves as the jumping-off point for one bonkers theory, but somehow, another conspiracy theory about white supremacists and HIV/AIDS surfaces, and then there’s an explosion of shadowy mercenary organizations. One gets the sense that Brügger (who shoots this project with a vaguely theatrical flair at times) is unreliably presenting this tale because it feels like a mockumentary. In the end, perhaps he got in far deeper than he ever planned with this project, and it’s difficult to know what to believe, but that’s part of the fascination factor.
Abducted in Plain Sight
Run Time: 91 minutes | IMDb: 6.8/10
At first, this doc presents what seems like a straightforward enough situation — a 12-year-old girl in 1970s Idaho is seduced and kidnapped by a neighbor, but this is no cut-and-dried story. There are no easy answers here, given that this neighbor excelled as a conman and somehow managed to fool the girl’s family away from believing the truth. Manipulation and coverups abound, along with a critique on suburbia and the blind spots that can arrive with religion. It’s a confounding story that will cause viewers to gasp at the screen in disgust and disbelief, all while unable to stop staring at the increasing outlandishness that continues to unfold. It’s grim stuff but nonetheless transfixing.
Don’t F**k With Cats
1 season, 3 episodes | IMDb: 8.1/10
If you’ve spent much time online over the past year — and let’s face it, you know the truth here — you’ve at least heard about this series (which carries a subtitle, Hunting An Internet Killer). This truly absurd documentary found its roots in an animal rights-focused Facebook group, which included members that tracked down the person responsible for viral animal cruelty videos. Two members of the Facebook group followed painstaking clues and obvious giveaways from the cat-killer, and after one serious snafu, they ended up tracking down Luke Magnotta, who (of course) graduated from murdering animals to killing people. Magnotta’s thirst for attention and notoriety not only got him busted, but his acts turn this doc into a disturbing sociological study for the Internet age.
Three Identical Strangers
Run Time: 96 minutes | IMDb: 7.7/10
This project digs deeper into the relatively well-covered 1980s media circus surrounding three triplets, David Kellman, Eddy Galland, and Bobby Shafran, who were separated and adopted out to different families, only to encounter each other around college age. Archival footage and interviews follow the reunion stories of these three charismatic, Jewish-American young men, yet the media whirlwind and celebratory times gradually give way to a slightly darker side of the story. There, we see an examination of family and ethics by director Tim Wardle, who found himself intrigued by Laurence Wright’s coverage of the trio in the New Yorker. However, even the more serious aspects of the story are outshined by plenty of humor and heart in this documentary.
The Pharmacist
1 season, 4 episodes | IMDb: 7.8/10
The opioid epidemic gets personal in this Netflix documentary series about a small-town pharmacist, Dan Schneider, whose pursuit of justice for his son’s killer came back to haunt him on the job. Doctors who become dealers come under harsh scrutiny here as Schneider becomes an unlikely hero while helping to expose the river of alarmingly powerful OxyContin prescriptions coming his way from seemingly healthy patients. This leads him back down the tragic path that led to his son’s addiction and demise, and Schneider makes it his mission to prevent other families from suffering the same fate. Big Pharma never faced down such a formidable foe, and this documentary is for anyone who needs to be convinced that one voice can make a world of difference.
Blackfish
Run Time: 83 minutes | IMDb: 8.1/10
Tiger King exposed the downright appalling behavior of the big-cat-people culture, but 2013’s Blackfish laid the animal-abuse illuminating blueprint for at least one of the Netflix documentary’s subjects. Carole Baskin straight-up claimed that she was convinced to participate in Tiger King by directors who promised to shine the same light on the big-cat trade that Blackfish did while exposing SeaWorld for its shameful captivity practices. Baskin’s expectations didn’t exactly work out for her, but Blackfish is nonetheless worth revisiting for the eye-opening story within this activist project, which made the case that the aggressive behavior of so-called killer whales is actually a product of SeaWorld practices. The documentary isn’t an easy watch and argues that Tilikum the orca had no chance at a normal demeanor, given the unethical and reckless manner in which he was raised, and the film acts as a cautionary tale to all of mankind.
Evil Genius
1 season, 4 episodes | IMDb: 7.6/10
The full title of this true-crime documentary series is Evil Genius: The True Story of America’s Most Diabolical Bank Heist, and that’s not an overstatement. Known as the “pizza bomber case,” this series follows the tragic 2003 results of an elaborate robbery scheme (in Erie, Pennsylvania) that ended with the death of a pizza delivery man, Brian Wells. He appeared to have been forced to walk into the bank to demand money while believing that this act would spare him after an elaborate scavenger hunt. However, the neck-collar bomb around Wells’ neck exploded, and the series attempts to unravel the bizarre path that led him to participate in this heist. The project ultimately delivers insight into the various parties involved, but it’s still a somewhat frustrating exercise to witness, along with being an unpredictable and unsettling ride.
The Wolfpack
Run Time: 90 minutes | IMDb: 7.0/10
It’s always refreshing to highlight a documentary that isn’t tragic, although that easily could have been the case. Filmmaker Crystal Moselle (the Skate Kitchen director who will soon bring the follow-up Betty series to HBO) introduced the world to the six Angulo brothers, an extremely sheltered set of siblings who were essentially raised on Reservoir Dogs, The Dark Knight, and The Nightmare Before Christmas, among other badass movie selections. Their tastes seem atypical at best, given that the siblings were mostly confined to their small NYC apartment by a mentally-ill father and homeschooled by their mother. The boys eventually take to the streets in this doc, though, and they are a sharp-dressed vision to behold, given their penchant for costume-and-prop crafting and cinematic flair. It’s somehow an uplifting tale, even though story edges into exploring childhood abuse, and there are unsettling moments and suggestions of trouble brewing behind the brothers’ smiles. However, it’s clear that the group has become as well-adjusted (and personable) as possible by not only leaning on each other but on their favorite films while making the most of an extraordinary situation.
Movie productions will eventually resume. It’s true. The Directors Guild Of America has even appointed Steven Soderbergh to help get the ball rolling again, which means that Taika Waititi will get to do his offbeat thing with Thor: Love And Thunder after no one realistically (at least, not after The Dark World) expected a fourth Thor movie to materialize. Thanks to Taiki’s masterminding of Ragnarok, though, and added fuel from Chris Hemsworth’s jolly Thor in Avengers: Endgame, nerds are very excited to more of the God of Thunder, even if he’s no longer the King of New Asgard. Will Thor shed his “Fat Thor”/”Bro Thor” physique, though? That’s been a major question, especially while knowing that Natalie Portman’s Mighty Thor will pick up the hammer.
Do the powers that be want Thor to go back to being buff, or not? Tony Stark’s “Lebowski” comment hit the mark on the character’s Endgame vibe, but Taika Waititi doesn’t sound like he wants to continue with the Thor incarnation that launched so many Halloween costumes. When Waititi hosted an Instagram live viewing of Ragnarok earlier this week, he made it sound like Thor got on a Peleton kick. Via Comic Book Resource:
During a recent Instagram Live watch of Thor: Ragnarok, Waititi said the Marvel Cinematic Universe is done with “Fat Thor” and Hemsworth probably won’t put on a padded suit for Love and Thunder. “We haven’t figured that out, but I feel like that’s done,” Waititi said.
As much joy as Lebowski/Bro Thor brought to audiences, it makes sense to put that phase to sleep. “Fat Thor,” as he was initially dubbed, was a byproduct of the depression that consumed the Avengers in the first five years of Endgame‘s timeline. Even though Cap kept shaving, Black Widow let her red hair roots grow absurdly long, while Thor hit the bread bowl and beer. So yeah, he turned into an Asgardian Lebowski, but times have changed. Thanos went down, and Thor’s glee from that victory (and watching Cap swing the hammer) lifted his gloomy mood, even with Loki’s fate still ambiguous. Thor’s probably gonna get ripped again, and that’s definitely not the worst news in the world today. It’s be just fine.
Thor: Love And Thunder‘s new release date is February 28, 2022.
(Via CBR)
The coronavirus pandemic continues to be an issue worldwide, and artists are doing their best to help through music. Some have even released new songs to benefit relevant causes, like Bon Iver with “PDLIF” and Death Cab For Cutie’s Ben Gibbard with “Life In Quarantine.” Now Florence And The Machine have thrown their hat into that ring with a tune called “Light Of Love.” The anthemic ballad comes from the same sessions that yielded the 2018 album High As Hope.
Welch said on Instagram of the song, “‘Light of Love’ is an unreleased song from High as Hope, it never made it to the record, but I thought I would release it at midnight tonight, as a little token of my love. And to raise awareness for the Intensive Care Society, […] which provides care and support for the incredible doctors, nurses, and healthcare professionals on the front line of this crisis. I will be donating all of my income from this song to the Intensive Care Society. I love and miss you all so much. With you in spirit from South London lockdown.”
Listen to “Light Of Love” above.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
This week’s episode of Better Call Saul was intense. The episode sees Jimmy return from the desert, barely clinging to life after having survived dehydration by drinking on his own urine. He takes the $7 million he managed to haul across the desert after sharp-shooting Mike Ehrmantraut killed a gang of rivals, turns it over to the city to pay his client Lalo’s bail, and returns back home to convalesce.
Lalo, however, catches wind that not everything was as he was told. In the desert, Lalo’s curiousity is piqued when he spots Jimmy’s abandoned car full of bullet holes. Lalo returns to Kim and Jimmy’s apartment to question Jimmy about his story, and this is where the episode goes from heart-thumping to heart attack. Lalo has a gun; Jimmy is delivering the same story over and over while Lalo tries to catch him in a lie; Mike, on the roof of a nearby building, has his rifle trained on Lalo in case he decides to pull his gun, but Kim is standing between Mike and Lalo.
The situation does not look good, and it feels all but certain that someone in this scenario is not going to make it out alive. But it’s not just because there are two guns and a tense stand-off in the sequence. It’s also because of a scene earlier in the episode that teases a potential death.
But let’s back up for a moment. Remember Ted Beneke? The man, who Skyler White was sleeping with in Breaking Bad, that tripped and hurt himself so badly that he had to be hospitalized?
Note that those oranges are a reference to Godfather, because oranges in The Godfather appear whenever death is in the air. This callback has been made numerous times in other TV shows and movies, including Mad Men and The Wire. That’s exactly how they are used in Breaking Bad, as well. Remember Carol, the woman who dropped oranges out of her grocery bag?
In other words, The Godfather and Breaking Bad have primed us for what to expect when we see oranges. And what did we see in this episode? Oranges basically being murdered. Early in the episode, Kim spends a few minutes making orange juice, which is not only triggering Jimmy’s PTSD, but the orange juice sprays all over Kim’s shirt.
I don’t mean to frighten anyone, but orange juice spraying like blood is not a good omen here.
That is either some very scary foreshadowing, or a remarkable piece of trolling by director Thomas Schnauz. Combine that with this particular shot of Kim staring through a bullet hole in Jimmy’s mug, and I would be very worried for someone in the season finale, although not necessarily Kim.
The oranges mean that death is in the air, but it doesn’t have to mean that Kim is going to die. We know that Jimmy and Mike will make it, but we don’t know what happens to Lalo or Nacho (or Nacho’s father). What we do know, however, is that as far as Jimmy knows, Lalo and Nacho are still alive during the events of Breaking Bad. He does not, however, even mention Kim during Breaking Bad, so we don’t even have a clue at the moment as to her ultimate fate.
Next week’s season finale is going to be insane.
Being in a quarantine is a big adjustment for most people, but not Seth Rogen.
As host Jimmy Kimmel put it during Thursday’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the number-one fan of Cats is “a person who was actually cut out for this stay-at-home thing. I mean, your hair, your beard, just the kind of stuff you’re into.” Rogen did not disagree. “We are not all in this together,” he joked, “because this has not been that bad for me.” He’s gotten into pottery, and speaking of words that begin with the letters p-o-t, he’s been smoking an “ungodly” amount of pot. Thankfully, weed dispensaries are essential.
Kimmel also asked Rogen (who, I should note, was wearing an Alanis Morissette sweatshirt during the interview) about his live-tweeting of Cats. He knew nothing about Cats, either the musical or the movie, before watching the box office bomb, but was “shocked” to see how “crazy” and “appalling” it is. “It long supports a theory I have that when something is live, you have a much lower tolerance for how good or bad it is. Cats is the perfect example,” he continued. “That survived on Broadway for like 40 years. It sucks! As soon as you commit it to film, you see how it makes no sense.”
I’m guessing, unlike Hugh Jackman, Rogen wasn’t asked to be in Cats.