Shōgun, which streams on Hulu, is the latest home run from FX, which has fired off several must-see beloved series in recent years, including Reservation Dogs and The Bear. The cable network can now claim a next-big-thing trophy for their adaptation of James Clavell’s best-selling 1975 novel, which counts as the first chronological part of the author’s Asian Saga.
The series gathers an ensemble acclaimed cast to tell the novel’s epic wartime story of 1600s feudal Japan, but there’s one actor in particular who looks awfully familiar to American audiences. That would be Cosmo Jarvis, the British actor who portrays English navigator John Blackthorne (based upon historical figure William Adams, who became a British samurai warrior), so where have you seen this actor before now?
Jarvis has numerous credits to his name, including 2016’s Lady Macbeth (starring Florence Pugh) 2022’s Persuasion (the version with Dakota Johnson). He’s a singer as well with his “Gay Pirates” single gaining more notoriety amid Shōgun’s release:
Additionally, Jarvis recently told The Guardian about a major source of inspiration for his character: “My old man’s a merchant seaman and I borrowed a lot from him. The confidence in his style of speech suited Blackthorne.” He also portrayed a tragic Peaky Blinders character, Barney (a PTSD-afflicted ex-Royal Marines sniper and WWII buddy of Tommy Shelby), and here’s a brief refresher clip:
With the arrival of Shōgun, Jarvis’ profile is seeing a significant boost. According to Samba TV’s figures, over 1 million viewers are catching the FX show within five days of release, and the debut scored 1.8 million viewers during that timetable.
Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign may have been spending the past week insisting there’s a conspiracy against them in the recording industry (despite still receiving enough streams for their album, Vultures 1, and its singles that they debuted at No. 1 on Billboard‘s albums chart even challenged Beyoncé for the top Hot 100 spot two weeks in a row), but that may not stop them from continuing to release new projects under the Vultures moniker. Early last week, Timbaland tweeted, “Vulture Vol 2 OTW,” prompting fans to speculate when a second installment of Vultures would be released.
So, take the March 8 release date with a grain of salt, as it’s entirely possible the album could get deleted, canceled, or otherwise delayed at the last minute, without warning. Of course, for anyone still waiting for Kanye West albums in 2024, that possibility probably won’t deter them.
On February 23, K-pop favorites TWICE released With YOU-th, their 13th mini album. While 13 is often considered to be an unlucky number, it’s actually now a big one for TWICE: With YOU-th has debuted at No. 1 on the new Billboard 200 chart (dated March 9), the first chart-topper for the group.
As Billboard notes, the project earned 95,000 equivalent album units in the US the week ending February 29 “largely from traditional album sales,” so the fact that the mini album has only six tracks (much shorter than most albums these days) didn’t significantly get in the way of its chart success. (Albums units typically come primarily from streaming, so the more songs an album has, the better.)
The album, which is sung mostly in Korean, is the 24th primarily non-English language album to ever hit No. 1, and the first to do so in 2024. As a press release also notes, this is TWICE’s fifth top-10 album, which is the most for a female K-pop act. With YOU-th also gives TWICE the most pure album sales out of all K-pop girl groups.
Meanwhile, LE SSERAFIM debuts at No. 8 this week with Easy. With the group joining TWICE on the chart, this is the first time two all-female Korean pop groups have been in the top 10 simultaneously.
If any movie released in 2024 so far needs to be seen in a theater, it’s Dune: Part Two (no offense, Madame Web). Even better if you can find an IMAX screening that isn’t sold out. But the sequel to 2021’s Dune, which is a massive box office hit, will eventually hit streaming, too. But when?
Warner Bros. Discovery head (and villain of ‘toons) David Zaslav said during a recent earnings calls that one Timothée Chalamet movie (Wonka) will “join” Max on March 8th, followed by another (Dune: Part Two) “in the spring.” You know what other movie comes out in the spring? Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. Make it a sand-filled double feature of rad action movies.
Dune: Part Two director Denis Villeneuve spoke to Uproxx about potentially turning Dune into a trilogy. “For now, I’ve had my share of sand and I would love to take a little break from Arrakis before going back, if ever I go back,” he said. “I will go back if there’s a strong screenplay on the table. It’s a work in progress right now. So, I have nothing to say about Dune Messiah, other than it could be interesting to finish. Totally finalize the poetry, this arc. But I will say that, for me, I tried to complete the story in the two first movies. And to see that, if it stopped there, there was a part of me that I knew I will have spent enough time in Arrakis.”
Jack Black and Kyle Gass (a.k.a. the melodious duo known as Tenacious D) dropped a cover of Britney Spears‘ debut hit “… Baby One More Time” on social media last week, which naturally, melted the faces of anyone who watched it. The cover was a match made in heaven, and Black is definitely ready to take things to the next level.
While walking the red carpet for Kung Panda 4, Black made it abundantly clear that the D is ready to collaborate with Britney at the drop of a hat. Just say the word, and they’re there.
“Britney, if you’re watching, I love you. I love the song,” Black told Entertainment Tonight. “I’m here! I’m ready when you are. I’m waiting by the phone. I got kicks! I don’t quite have Britney kicks, but you know, I got some moves.”
Black also hopes Britney saw the cover and liked what she saw.
“We’re very proud of it, [and] I hope you like it, too,” Black said.
The Tenacious D cover has already racked up over 3 million likes thanks to Black absolutely going for it. You can watch his madcap performance below complete with Gass pulling off his best dance moves in the background and the words “Baby” written across Black’s knuckle in this hilariously badass cover of a stone-cold classic:
Patton Oswalt didn’t let his hosting gig for the 71st Annual Golden Reels Award ceremony go to waste. During his opening monologue, the comedian took several swings at Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav following the controversial decisions to shelve Batgirl, and more recently, Coyote vs. Acme so the studio could score a tax write-off.
However, Oswalt first dropped a self-deprecating joke as he addressed the crowd full of sound editors.
“What better choice to entertain a room full of postproduction workers than a guy who is in both SAG and the WGA,” Oswald sarcastically quipped. “That’s right. I’m the asshole that forced you to take out a second mortgage on your home.”
“But despite the nightmare of last year’s basically living hell that we all went through, you guys, as always, did some amazing work. And I’m just talking about the movies that were locked in a vault for a tax break. Get it?”
The comedian went on to specifically call out Zaslav, whose company has scrapped multiple finished films amid cost-cutting measures, including Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt in 2022 and Coyote vs. Acme last year. “I joke, but it’s exciting to see our industry once again flourishing,” Oswalt said. “I hear that David Zaslav just gave a three-picture deal to H&R Block. Vive la cinéma!”
Oswalt’s remarks arrive directly on the heels of Will Forte’s open letter to the cast of crew of Coyote vs. Acme. Forte, who starred in the now-deleted film, assured everyone that they created an “incredible” movie as he voiced his frustration with it never seeing the light of day.
“This was the movie they’re not going to release?” Forte wrote. “Look, when it comes to Hollywood business stuff, I don’t know shit about shit. Even when a movie tests very well (like ours), there’s no guarantee that it’s going to be a hit. And at the end of the day, the people who paid for this movie can obviously do whatever they want with it. It doesn’t mean I have to like it (I f**king hate it). Or agree with it. And it doesn’t mean that this movie is anything less than magnificent.”
Every week, Billboard unveils the top 10 songs on the latest Hot 100 chart. The most recent rankings, for the chart dated March 9, are out now, so let’s run down who had this week’s biggest hits.
It’s been a big past few days for SZA: Aside from her Hot 100 success (beyond this song, even, as you’ll see in a minute), she visited Sesame Street and won a BRIT.
8. Tate McRae — “Greedy”
McRae’s not getting greedy, but her hit did just move up a spot from last week on the Hot 100.
As “I Remember Everything” holds onto its top-10 status, it continues to crush on other charts. Specifically, it’s No. 1 for the 27th week on both the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and Hot Rock Songs charts.
6. SZA — “Saturn”
SZA has the week’s biggest debut with “Saturn” (the song she teased with a Grammys ad). The track is SZA’s milestone 10th top-10 song on the Hot 100. It also makes her the only artist this week with multiple top-10 songs.
5. Teddy Swims — “Lose Control”
Two breakout hits round out this week’s top 5, starting with Swims’ “Lose Control,” which previously peaked at No. 2.
4. Benson Boone — “Beautiful Things”
Then there’s Boone’s “Beautiful Things,” which rises a spot this week to re-approach its previous high at No. 3.
3. Jack Harlow — “Lovin On Me”
After spending six non-consecutive weeks at No. 1, Harlow’s “Lovin On Me” continues to float around near the top of the chart.
2. Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign — “Carnival” Feat. Rich The Kid and Playboi Carti
“Carnival” had a major surge this week, after debuting at No. 3 and then falling to No. 4 last week. The boost wasn’t quite enough to dethrone this week’s No. 1, though.
1. Beyoncé — “Texas Hold ‘Em”
This is the second week at No. 1 for “Texas Hold ‘Em.” Meanwhile, Beyoncé’s hit is also No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart for a third week, after making history as the first song by a Black woman to ever top that chart.
This week’s #Hot100 top 10 (chart dated March 9, 2024)
It’s about time we acknowledge that the WWE 2K series is back to churning out consistent hits. After the debacle that was WWE 2K20, developers went back to the drawing board and committed to getting things right.
The 2K22 iteration was a clear rededication to improving the system, building a strong foundation, and making it easier than ever to play. The following year was about incremental updates to making the gameplay better with enough shiny, new objects to appease both returning and new players, like the insane WarGames match type. This year, WWE 2K24 does what a great video game series does once they’ve found their groove — make incremental updates to gameplay, presentation, and roll out a few new modes that cause a stir.
The gameplay additions aren’t necessarily groundbreaking. For me, they’re enough to move the needle as someone who appreciates refining things that work and making them even better. Changing the camera angle to allow to view the side angle of the ring and down the ramp is such a small tweak that brings an old school feel and somehow freshens the game at the same time.
After playing the full release of the game — which releases with the Deluxe and 40 Years of WrestleMania Editions on March 5 and Standard edition on March 8 — the new Exchanging Blows mini-game remains far and away my absolute favorite new addition. The realism of two opponents on their absolute last legs putting everything they have into each shot is something I didn’t realize I wanted in a game until it arrived. You can’t just toss shots endlessly, and depending on your character, stamina can go pretty quickly. Add that with the ability to make tag matches more intuitive by providing tag team partner instructions, and matches are significantly affected by these very small additions.
The presentation of the actual wrestlers even feels like it was elevated in this year’s iteration. Character models give off the larger-than-life presence often associated with their real-life counterparts.
After making a huge leap forward with the WarGames match addition last year, 2K24 added a few more gems in the shape of Casket, Ambulance, and Gauntlet match variations, as well as a revised Backstage Brawl. Those matches don’t quite move the needle the way WarGames did, but they serve their purpose – they’re fun gimmick options that feel best played in moderation, similar to what you’d expect from the traditional onscreen product.
Each match type has its benefits, but the return of the Special Guest Referee match feels like the most significant addition to the new offerings. As a referee, players can switch between actively refereeing the match and attack mode, meaning you won’t accidentally strike an opponent in the match when you’re in referee mode and you can cause as much chaos as you’d like in attack mode. Customizations are even down to what your referee is wearing, from an official’s shirt to their ring gear or even creating your own official.
The game modes are really where the bulk of my time playing came in. Showcase remains far and away my favorite mode. The Slingshot Tech takes fans from gameplay to real footage and back again as you accomplish tasks to unlock items. Traveling through 40 years of WrestleMania was the perfect tribute to one of wrestling’s most iconic events. And utilizing characters who were likely already going to be in the game felt like a great blend of the past and present.
In the past, playing one-off matches with friends or traveling through the Universe mode was where I spent most of time. The Universe sandbox remains strong with enough new additions to keep the game fresh and storytelling options aplenty through added cut scenes, double title matches, and a Loser Leaves Town stipulation.
This year, however, I found myself unable to put the control down once I got into MyGM mode. New features include allowing users to trade superstars and utilize talent scouts, which makes it one of the more robust iterations of the series. There’s still some functionality lacking, like setting up a match directly after a promo or certain match types missing, but the game mode gives just enough to keep fans satisfied.
Overall, the series is a solid next step in WWE 2K24’s growing empire. Combined with a star-studded DLC crew headlined by CM Punk and new and compelling MyRise stories, WWE 2K has raised the bar yet again on what fans should come to expect from the yearly pro wrestling series.
Regarding household names in the IPA world, it’s tough to beat the name recognition of Ballast Point Sculpin IPA. Always one of the top-rated West Coast IPAs, Sculpin IPA is named for (and adorned with an image of) the Sculpin fish, which is well-known for its sting — a reference to the bitter, hoppy bite of this beer.
The best part of this brew? It’s available everywhere, much to the excitement of IPA-loving beer drinkers.
So… assuming you’re a big fan of Ballast Point Sculpin IPA but want to continually try other beers with a similar flavor profile, which IPAs should you drink? Good news! There are countless high-quality, hoppy, dank, piney, perfectly bitter IPAs on the market just waiting to be discovered. And you don’t have to spend too long in the walk-in fridge at your local beer store and risk hypothermia looking for them, we did the work for you.
Below, you’ll find eight of the best IPAs for lovers of Ballast Point Sculpin IPA, ranked. Keep scrolling to see all the hoppy, resinous, citrus-filled goodness.
One of the most well-known West Coast IPAs ever made, Bear Republic Racer 5 is brewed with malted barley, wheat, and crystal malts. This popular, award-winning IPA gets its hoppy aroma and flavor from the use of Cascade and Columbus hops.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is filled with caramel malts, citrus peels, and floral, dank pine needles. The palate is filled with freshly baked bread, caramel malts, lemon peels, grapefruit, tangerine, and pine tar. The finish is filled with dank pine and lingers long after your last sip.
Bottom Line:
This is the epitome of a West Coast IPA. It has everything fans of the style look for. Especially fans of the Sculpin IPA.
If you’re a fan of Ballast Point Sculpin and you’ve never tried Melvin IPA, what are you waiting for? The Wyoming-based IPA has won multiple awards over the years because of its balanced, piney, dank flavor profile. This popular beer is brewed with 2-row base malt, C-40, and Carapils malt. It’s hopped with Citra, Simcoe, and Centennial hops.
Tasting Notes:
Before your first sip, you’ll be met with a nose of lemon peels, mandarin orange, grapefruit, bready malts, caramel, and floral, dank, pine needle aroma. There’s more of the same in the best way possible with freshly baked bread, toffee, candied orange peels, lemongrass, grapefruit, hay, and dank, resinous pine. The finish is dry, lightly bitter, and lingering.
Bottom Line:
Like Ballast Point Sculpin, Melvin IPA has a nice mix of malts, citrus peels, and dank, resinous, lingering pine.
Brewed with 2-row, Crisp Pale, and C-60 malts, this beloved, bitter IPA is hopped with Magnum, Simcoe, Centennial, and Santiam hops and dry-hopped with Amarillo hops. It’s known for its flavors of citrus, resinous pine, and bitter hops.
Tasting Notes:
A lot is going on with this beer’s nose. There are notes of caramelized pineapple, grapefruit, tangerine, grass, bready malts, and fur tips. Sipping it reveals notes of candied orange peel, grapefruit, toffee, freshly baked bread, lemon zest, and dank pine resin. The finish is loaded with citrus and lingering, bitter hops.
Bottom Line:
While this IPA does have the lingering bitter presence West Coast drinkers love, it also has a nice balance of malts and memorable citrus flavors.
If you’re a “hophead” you’re likely already a fan of Fat Head’s Head Hunter. If not, you need to add this beer to your IPA rotation. Brewed with Simcoe, Centennial, Mosaic, Citra, and Chinook hops, it gets its malt backbone from pale, C-15, Carapils, and Carahell malt.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is a mix of tangerine, pineapple, grapefruit, lime, caramel malts, grass clippings, honeydew melon, and a ton of resinous, dank pine. While this IPA begins with a nice, sweet, malty backbone, it’s all about the hops. The palate is loaded with grapefruit, tangerine, lemongrass, hay, and a ridiculous piney hop presence. The finish is bitter, hoppy, and highly memorable.
Bottom Line:
You’ll like this beer if you’re a fan of Ballast Point Sculpin. But you’ll love this beer if you can’t ever get enough hop aroma and flavor.
With a name like Flower Power, you should have a pretty good idea about what you’re getting into when you crack open one of these bad boys. Often rated as the best IPA in New York State, this timeless beer is brewed with 2-row pale and honey malts and gets its hop aroma and flavor from the addition of Simcoe, Cascade, Centennial, and Ahtanum hops in the kettle. To add to that, it’s dry-hopped with Chinook, Simcoe, and Amarillo hops.
Tasting Notes:
Unsurprisingly the nose is very floral. There are also scents of caramel malts, clover honey, lemons, tangerines, grapefruit, and resinous pine. The palate continues this trend with orange peels, stone fruits, honeycomb, hay, wet grass, fresh flowers, and more pine. It ends with a lingering, dank, bitter finish that leaves you craving more.
Bottom Line:
This is a popular beer for a good reason. It’s balanced and flavorful. This is one for the fans of floral hops.
Upslope might not be located on the West Coast, but that didn’t stop the brewers from creating one of the best examples of the West Coast IPA and one that will appeal to fans of the Ballast Point Sculpin IPA. This year-round brew is well-known for its mix of tropical and citrus fruits, dank pine, and lasting bitterness.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is fruity with grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, and some light tropical aromas sneaking through. This is followed by a light malt aroma and a nice kick of resinous pine. Sipping it brings forth notes of lemon, pineapple, grapefruit, orange peel, caramel malt, and more dank, sticky pine needles. It’s hoppy, with just enough hop bite to keep drinkers satisfied.
Bottom Line:
If you enjoy Sculpin, but you wish it was a little fruitier and had the bitterness turned down a notch or two, this is your jam.
This is an extremely aptly named beer. This year-round brew from the folks at Sixpoint is brewed with a wallop of Chinook and Centennial hops. It’s well-known for its massive hop aroma and dank, sticky, resinous flavor. This is one for real hop lovers.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is extremely dank and resinous with a ton of pine. But there are also notes of citrus, tropical fruits, and light caramel malts to back the hop flavors up. The palate continues this trend. There’s a surprisingly sweet malt backbone surrounded by dank, sticky, weed-like hops, pine, grapefruit, and mandarin orange. The finish is super dank and perfectly bitter.
Bottom Line:
This beer leans heavily into the dank pine, but there’s enough fruity flavor and malt background so it doesn’t seem one-dimensional.
When it comes to San Diego (and all breweries in the US), Green Flash is a big name in the IPA game. Its classic West Coast IPA is a great choice for fans of Sculpin. One of the most popular, pioneering IPAs available, it’s brewed with a mix of five different hops as well as British Crystal malt. The result is a mix of sweet malt, tropical fruits, citrus, and dank pine.
Tasting Notes:
Complex aromas of ripe raspberries, pineapple, guava, mango, caramel, and floral, piney hops greet you before your first sip. Drinking it reveals notes of grapefruit, berries, honeydew melon, freshly baked bread, caramel, pineapple, and resinous, floral, herbal pine. The finish is dry, pleasantly bitter, and lingering.
Bottom Line:
If you only try one beer on this list, make it this one. This is a classic West Coast IPA. It ticks all the IPA boxes and should appeal to you if you enjoy Sculpin IPA.
It’s not uncommon for parents to puzzle over their kids’ homework.
Sometimes, it’s just been too long since they’ve done long division for them to be of any help. Or teaching methods have just changed too dramatically since they were in school.
And other times, kids bring home something truly inexplicable.
Trameka Brown-Berry was looking over her 4th-grade son Jerome’s homework when her jaw hit the floor.
“Give 3 ‘good’ reasons for slavery and 3 bad reasons,” the prompt began.
You read that right. Good reasons … FOR SLAVERY.
Lest anyone think there’s no way a school would actually give an assignment like this, Brown-Berry posted photo proof to Facebook.
In the section reserved for “good reasons,” (again, for slavery), Jerome wrote, “I feel there is no good reason for slavery thats why I did not write.”
Yep. That about covers it.
The school assignment was intended to spark debate and discussion — but isn’t that part of the problem?
The assignment was real. In the year 2018. Unbelievable.
The shockingly offensive assignment deserved to be thrown in the trash. But young Jerome dutifully filled it out anyway.
His response was pretty much perfect.
We’re a country founded on freedom of speech and debating ideas, which often leads us into situations where “both sides” are represented. But it can only go so far.
There’s no meaningful dialogue to be had about the perceived merits of stripping human beings of their basic living rights. No one is required to make an effort to “understand the other side,” when the other side is bigoted and hateful.
In a follow-up post, Brown-Berry writes that the school has since apologized for the assignment and committed to offering better diversity and sensitivity training for its teachers.
But what’s done is done, and the incident illuminates the remarkable racial inequalities that still exist in our country. After all, Brown-Berry told the Chicago Tribune, “You wouldn’t ask someone to list three good reasons for rape or three good reasons for the Holocaust.”
At the very end of the assignment, Jerome brought it home with a bang: “I am proud to be black because we are strong and brave … “
Good for Jerome for shutting down the thoughtless assignment with strength and amazing eloquence.
This article originally appeared on 01.12.18
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