There aren’t many things that are universally considered “the best.” It’s awfully rare to get everyone on the same page like that, so while it happens, it takes something really special to reach a consensus. In the world of college football highlight videos, for example, there’s one that sticks out above the rest: The nearly 10-minute video of former West Virginia wide receiver Tavon Austin. If you know, you know. If you don’t, watch:
More than 23 million people have watched the decade-old video, which shows Austin — who stood 5’8 but was impossible to bring down and an all-time nightmare in the open field — embarrassing defenses during his time in Morgantown. If you say “the Tavon Austin video” to the right person, they will know exactly what you are talking about. And in a wonderful clip that made its way around social media this week, Austin got the chance to show this to someone who never saw him during his college days, his daughter, Ayva.
Tavon Austin showing his daughter his college mixtape for the first time is so wholesome (via anakar1a_/TT) pic.twitter.com/o3NBK1JsIq
The moment that she realizes that her dad was on the screen is just wonderful, and the amazed look on her face is pretty par for the course when someone watches this video for the first time. Now, dear reader, we would like to challenge you to let someone else feel this sense of wonder and show the Tavon Austin highlight video to a football fan who has never seen it before.
Jaafar posted the B&W photo to Instagram, where he recreated Michael’s signature fedora pose, as he does the dance move as well. “The journey starts Monday,” he captioned, seemingly referring to the production start date.
The Michael biopic will be directed by Antoine Fuqua (known for The Equalizer franchise) and written by John Logan (Gladiator), per the outlet. Graham King, who worked on the Freddie Mercury biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody, is also part of this film’s production team.
“The film presents his triumphs and tragedies on an epic, cinematic scale — from his human side and personal struggles to his undeniable creative genius, exemplified by his most iconic performances,” the movie’s description stated. “As never before, audiences will experience an inside look into one of the most influential, trailblazing artists the world has ever known.”
The world of sports media has seen a number of institutions get kneecapped in recent years, and on Friday, the longtime gold standard for many in the profession saw its staff get pummeled. Sports Illustrated staffers were informed via the following email that mass layoffs are coming to the publication in the aftermath of the Arena Group, which operates and publishes SI, missing a payment to Authentic Brands Group, which owns it.
The missed payment meant that Authentic Brands Group terminated its licensing agreement with Arena Group, the latest in what has been a tumultuous period since Authentic Brands Group purchased SI in 2017 for $110 million. Now, there are numerous questions about what the future holds for the publication, but amid those questions are a seemingly endless cascade of well-wishes for the writers whose livelihoods are negatively impacted by corporate greed and near-universal criticism for the individuals that played a role in things getting to this point.
This included Pablo Torre, who used 30 seconds on Around the Horn to address the situation. After winning Friday’s episode, Torre devoted Face Time to discuss the situation at “my former employer, a childhood artifact, an icon to so many of us.”
Pablo Torre on SI: “What The Arena Group and The Authentic Brands Group have done…running it into the ground without any conscience, using fake writers and also laying off everybody today, is not just a nightmare, but also something that they should never get to forget.” pic.twitter.com/nbrLlWw11y
In a statement released on Friday, the Sports Illustrated Union said “This is another difficult day in what has been a difficult four years for Sports Illustrated under Arena Group (previously The Maven) stewardship. We are calling on ABG to ensure the continued publication of SI and allow it to serve our audience in the way it has for nearly 70 years.”
Hozier, Vampire Weekend, and Noah Kahan have been unveiled as the headliners for Iowa’s Hinterland Festival, which is set to take place at the Avenue of the Saints Amphitheater in St. Charles on August 2-4.
Some other acts not to miss on this year’s lineup include Orville Peck, Chappell Roan, Lizzy McAlpine, Blondshell, The Last Dinner Party, The Japanese House, Palehound, Katy Kirby, Mt. Joy, Hippo Campus, Charley Crockett, Ethel Cain, Madison Cunningham, Flipturn, and many more.
Those interested in attending can purchase tickets to Hinterland right now, as the festival recently opened up presale tickets. They are also offering several different types of passes.
The 3-Day General Admission, GA+, VIP, and SAINTS tickets are all currently sold out. However, there are still other types available. One-day General Admission passes are $145, and could be a possible option for someone still looking to go, except for Sunday which is sold out.
Tickets in the higher tiers also have single-day options available. Although GA+ single-day passes are sold out, VIP ones are still available for Saturday, August 3.
The SAINTS tier still has all the single-day tickets, as of right now. These would start at $750 per day.
For more information about Hinterland Festival 2024, visit their official website.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Months after Harmony Korine’s AGGRO DR1FT movie, featuring Travis Scott, ran on the festival circuit, it seems more fans will finally get to see it — and in a very unique, but fitting location. The film, which was shot in infrared, centers around an assassin in Miami who is pursuing a final boss target of sorts. However, he is also torn between his career versus his family.
Scott’s character appears along the way of his journey.
Here’s what to know about when the movie will be available.
When Does Travis Scott & Harmony Korine’s ‘AGGRO DR1FT’ Come Out?
According to Variety, the design collective EDGLRD will be touring and allowing people to experience AGGRO DR1FT in different venues. The first stop will be at the Los Angeles strip club, Crazy Girls, on February 7 and 8.
There will also reportedly be live DJ sets, including performances from Korine and the movie’s composer, Araabmuzik. More performers are set to be announced later, so Scott very well could pop up too.
“The distribution of AGGRO DR1FT goes beyond the limitations of the outdated moviegoing experience,” EDGLRD’s head of film strategy and development, Eric Kohn, told the outlet in a statement. “You don’t just watch AGGRO DR1FT — you step into a new world, and these events will allow audiences to immerse themselves in it.”
Additional information about the dates and venues for other AGGRO DR1FT screenings should be revealed soon.
Earlier today, Lupe Fiasco caused chaos after reacting to an interview that Kid Cudi recently did for Apple Music. In it, Cudi described hiding from Fiasco (and all other rappers) who came into his job in 2008 while working at a Bape store. His reasoning? He didn’t want it to be used for any diss tracks — and pointed out that Fiasco “hates me ’til this day.”
“Kid Cudi is a b*tch,” Fiasco posted on Twitter/X. “And continues to be a b*tch. Ain’t nobody finna bring up he used to work at the Bape Store to diss his b*tch ass for having a regular job before he was a famous b*tch with a cool job.”
Kid Cudi is a bitch. And continues to be a bitch. Ain’t nobody finna bring up he used to work at the Bape Store to diss his bitch ass for having a regular job before he was a famous bitch with a cool job.
However, instead of fighting back, Cudi appeared to extend an olive branch to Fiasco on social media. “Love u g,” he wrote, tagging the fellow musician directly, along with a prayer emoji. “Im sorry if i hurt u man. Life is too short. Hope u can find it in ur heart to get past this.”
“Lupe love me yall dont get it twisted,” Cudi added in a now-deleted tweet. “He just hurt. He beefin w himself at this point. Holdin that much hate in ur heart for someone for so long holds u back in life bro. Thats the devil using u. Hope he finds some peace man. Now its just sad.”
Fiasco himself has since responded and seemingly forgiven Cudi for the matter. “All I needed…” he quoted of Cudi’s post.
Check out Kid Cudi and Lupe Fiasco’s tweets below.
Love u g. Im sorry if i hurt u man. Life is too short. Hope u can find it in ur heart to get past this @LupeFiasco
It’s been almost 25 years since “Seinfeld” premiered, marking the beginning of a nine-season run that would result in 68 Emmy nominations, 10 Emmy wins and dozens of other television awards.
No one had ever really seen a show like “Seinfeld,” with its bizarrely iconic characters, scenarios and one-liners that became instant classics in American culture. “No soup for you!” would be a meaningless phrase if it weren’t for the silly sitcom. Who can do the best Elaine dance is still a favorite competition at parties. The tongue-in-cheek “show about nothing” was really something, and the writing and those characters are still etched in the collective conscience.
That’s why Joel Mulinaro’s TikTok skit of a fake “Seinfeld” scene about the Stanley cup craze has gotten over 750,000 views in one day. His Jerry, George and Kramer impressions are impressive, especially considering the fact that he looks nothing like any of the actors who play them. But the writing is where the skit really shines—you might swear the skit was written by Larry David himself.
The video begins with the instantly recognizable Seinfeld bumper music and image of an apartment building before transitioning into Jerry in the kitchen saying, “I don’t get it. It’s a cup.”
“No, Jerry. It’s a Stanley cup,” responds George.
And from there, the banter takes a distinctly Seinfeldian path, from George’s self-deprecation to Jerry’s “I can see you as a Stanley,” to Kramer’s neurotically energetic body language, complete with a laugh track.
“I vote you make 30 minute episodes of Modern Seinfeld,” wrote one person.
“I truly forgot for a second that I wasn’t actually watching Seinfeld,” wrote another.
“Perfection. Now we just need a part two where Elaine comes in bragging about her new Stanley,” shared another.
This is not Mulinaro’s first impersonation of a former television show with a modern twist. He did a skit from “The Office” involving the Wordle game in 2022 and again, it’s like it was written by the original writers. His Jim impression could not be more perfect, and as soon as he opens his mouth as Toby, you know exactly who it is.
Pole dancing might have previously been thought of as exclusively adult entertainment, but over the years it has evolved into a veritable fitness regimen, an empowering form of self expression and even a sport worthy of the Olympics. In many ways, the more modern perspective has brought pole dancing back to its original, ancient roots of circus performers pulling off acrobatic tricks.
But it might be safe to say that the mainstream still views the dance style as more risqué, and therefore, not appropriate for kids. And this is why a pole-dancing school in Atlanta offering a “Mommy & Me” pole-dancing workshop is sparking a debate online among parents.
In a now-viral post shared on the class’s Instagram account, we see young boys and girls and their mothers learning spinning tricks as “Take Me There” from the 1998 animated movie “Rugrats” plays in the background.
The class was labeled by many as “insane” and inappropriate, arguing that the inherent context of the art form sexualized young kids. Many were even more concerned that the kids were being recorded doing certain moves and that footage was shared online.
“I think it’s very irresponsible of that mommy and me pole dancing studio to record and upload videos featuring kids in their workshops,” one person said on X, adding “it’s even more irresponsible for the mothers to allow their children to be filmed and uploaded on the internet as well.”
Another argued that people who counter that pole is “just like gymnastics’ know dang well that weirdos also watch child gymnastics videos online.”
However, Pink Poles Studio owner, Tiajuanna “Tia” Harris, maintains her stance that there’s nothing wrong with the “Mommy and Me” workshops, and that the backlash is unwarranted.
“These kids aren’t twerking — nothing inappropriate, nothing sexual is going on here,” Harris explained to TODAY.com, recalling how much it “warmed her heart” to receive a call from a mom saying “I wanted to tell you how much my son enjoyed the class. He said he felt like Spiderman.”
Harris further pushed back against critics on the Pink Poles Studios website, assuring that the “Mommy and Me” workshop provides a healthy, fun, phone-free activity.
“Back in the day, before iPads became babysitters, we relished carefree moments—swinging, hanging upside down from the monkey bars, climbing, and sliding down pole climbs and parallel bars at the playground,” she wrote.
“Fast forward to 2024 at Pink Poles Studios: these children are doing the exact same thing! Having carefree fun and staying physically active without electronics — except now, they’re swinging, sliding and flipping on a pole, under the guidance of a trained children’s gymnast instructor (as a bunch of moms and peers cheer them on in the background!)” Harris even stressed that the kids “wear age-appropriate gym wear, and adult students are fully clothed too.”
On the one hand, the dance world, whether involving a pole or not, has been guilty of sexualizing young kids, and parents rightfully want to protect their children from exploitation. On the other hand, seeing pole solely as a sexually implicit activity—given its history and the way it’s expressed worldwide—might be a bit narrow minded and we could benefit from expanding that viewpoint. After all, many report having increased flexibility, core strength, confidence and stress relief from repeated classes.
Either way, Harris has stood firm that her “Mommy and Me” workshops aren’t going anywhere, and that she hopes to “break stigmas and set the bar” by doing so.
With the NBA trade deadline approaching in a few weeks, teams around the league are looking for deals to position themselves for the remainder of the season. Without a clear-cut favorite to win the title, it’s plausible that we see more buyers at the deadline than usual, specifically in the Eastern Conference, where there is a chasm between the top teams and the remainder of the conference.
The Atlanta Hawks have underperformed this season, and currently sit in tenth place with a 17-23 record. The partnership with Trae Young and Dejounte Murray has not flourished under new head coach Quin Snyder, and reports have indicated Atlanta may be open to trading Murray at the deadline. The Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs have been linked to Murray in trade rumors this season, but Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes has brought word that the Milwaukee Bucks are also throwing their hat into the Murray sweepstakes.
The Bucks are currently second in the Eastern Conference with a 28-13 record after making a blockbuster deal for Damian Lillard this past summer. Milwaukee has struggled on the defensive end this season after swapping out Jrue Holiday for Lillard, while Jae Crowder is only just now returning from an injury. Murray would be an enormous addition to their point of attack defense and provide a playmaking boost to their offense. While Murray is an ideal player to help Milwaukee in its efforts to win a championship, it’s fair to question if the Bucks have enough to make this trade happen.
After the Lillard trade, Milwaukee does not have any first-round picks or pick swaps that can be moved right now. They have two second-round picks that could be traded, while Andre Jackson and MarJon Beauchamp are young players who could draw some interest in a trade. It’s difficult to see how Milwaukee could cobble together an offer that would intrigue Atlanta, which acquired Murray in 2022 for three first-round picks. Regardless, their intention for Murray will only draw more intrigue to what should be a fascinating trade deadline.
Hanson of Sonoma/Smirnoff/Crop/Absolut/istock/Uproxx
Anyone who tells you that vodka doesn’t have any flavor is just wrong. Maybe they just haven’t taken the time to sip it neat and notice the nuanced flavors or perhaps they just have preconceived notions of the spirit that are difficult to shake. Sure, the spirit is distilled and filtered to be a smooth, easily mixable neutral spirit. But it does carry flavors from its base ingredient of choice.
Rye gives it a lightly spicy, peppery flavor. Potato adds a creamy element. Wheat adds softness and a mellow flavor.
Still, even though there are light, sometimes hard-to-pinpoint flavors, many distillers also add flavors to their vodkas. Popular flavors include berries, cucumber, and even jalapenos and habaneros. But, if you ask me, the best flavor to pair with vodka is citrus. Grapefruit, lime, lemon, tangerine, I love them all. Not only do citrus fruits pair best with most underlying vodka flavors, but they also mix well into cocktails like the vodka soda, vodka gimlet, sea breeze, or screwdriver.
As with all flavored spirits, not all citrus vodkas are created equal. That’s why I decided to blindly nose, taste, and rank citrus-flavored vodkas to find the best. Keep scrolling to see how it all turned out. Did your favorite citrus-based flavored vodka make the cut?
Today’s Lineup:
Absolut Citron
Crop Organic Meyer Lemon
St. George California Citrus
SKYY Infusions Citrus
Grey Goose Le Citron
Ketel One Citroen
Smirnoff Citrus
Hanson Of Sonoma Meyer Lemon
Part 1: Citrus Flavored Vodka Blind Tasting
Taste 1
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
A nose of Mandarin orange, lemon zest, tangerines, and light spices make for a very welcoming beginning to this vodka. Lemon is center stage on the palate. Real, fresh lemon. Behind that is more mandarin orange, clementines, and other light citrus flavors. It has a nice combination of sweetness and tart citrus flavor with a crisp, lightly dry finish.
Taste 2
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
There’s an herbal quality to this vodka’s nose that draws you in for more. Maybe some pepper and botanical aromas. Also, there is a major, fresh lemon aroma on the nose that mingles perfectly with the other scents. There’s more of the same on the palate with fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, peppercorns, licorice, honey, and gentle spices making for a memorable, vodka, to say the least.
This is a very fresh-tasting citrus-centric vodka.
Taste 3
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
This is a massively citrus-filled vodka on the nose. Fresh lemons, tangerines, and grapefruits fill your nostrils before your first sip. On the palate, you’ll find lime zest, mandarin orange, lemon peels, honey, vanilla, and light spices. The finish is tart, dry, and gently sweet.
This is as perfect as a citrus-flavored vodkas come.
Taste 4
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
The nose is heavy on the synthetic, generic orange aroma. It smells like orange candy, There’s also a little bit of lemons reminiscent of Lemon Heads candy. There’s an odd aroma to it as well. Luckily, the palate is a little more muted.
There’s orange, lime, and lemon, and not much else. It’s fairly light on flavor and not very memorable.
Taste 5
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
The nose has a subtle sweetness and a nice kick of aromatic, fresh lemon and other citrus scents. It smells like freshly squeezed lemon juice. Nothing generic about this vodka. Drinking it reveals a zesty, tart, lemon-filled palate that holds a ton of tangerine, honey, and light spices.
It’s very fresh and well-suited for mixing.
Taste 6
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
A lot is going on with this vodkas nose. There’s a ton of fresh, ripe orange, tangerine, and other citrus flavors. It smells like a fresh-squeezed glass of orange juice mixed with vodka. Maybe like a well-made screwdriver. The palate is dry, warming, and loaded with tangerine and orange flavor. There’s also a hint of bergamot. It’s tart, lightly sweet, and well-suited for mixing into your favorite cocktails.
This is a special vodka and one that would range fans among all citrus lovers.
Taste 7
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
Nosing this vodka brings forth scents of orange zest, fresh lemons, and lime. It’s a trus-filled start. The palate has more of the same, but some tartness, bitterness, and acidity. It’s appropriate for the flavor, but it might not be for everyone. The finish is dry, and warming, and ends with more citrus zest.
Taste 8
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
On the nose, I noticed a lot of lemon zest aroma, but nothing else. I assume this is only a lemon-flavored vodka because there were no other discernable citrus fruits on the nose. It did smell like real lemon though. That’s a plus. The palate has more lemon flavor as well as some vanilla and honey. But I had to reach to find them.
Smirnoff Citrus is as simple as flavored vodka gets. It begins as a smooth, triple-distilled vodka that’s then infused with citrus flavors. It was created as a base for your favorite citrus-centric cocktail. It’s no frills and inexpensive.
Bottom Line:
This is one of the cheapest vodkas on this list. It shouldn’t be surprising that it has a rather generic, synthetic aroma and flavor.
We all know Ketel One for its high quality and surprisingly low price. Well, this flavored vodka begins with that same vodka and infuses it with not only four different types of lemons but two types of lime. That’s an awful lot of citrus flavor.
Bottom Line:
This vodka is listed as having other citrus fruits besides lemon, but that’s ould smell or taste.
Skyy Vodka is well-known for its bargain price and this bottle will only set you back about $14 as well. Skyy Infusions Citrus is known for its mix of lemon flavor, light bitterness, and acidity. All are well-suited for a Cosmopolitan or other vodka-based cocktail.
Bottom Line:
The acidity and tart flavor is what you expect when you squeeze a lemon into a glass. This vodka, however, could do with a little more sweetness.
When it comes to vodka, there are few names bigger than Grey Goose. So, it shouldn’t be surprising that the brand has a popular citrus-based expression. But like with all of its vodkas, it doesn’t cut any corners. This flavored vodka is with essential oils from various lemons, including some from the Menton region in France.
Bottom Line:
This vodka tastes like they somehow squeezed lemon and orange juice into a spirit and then somehow removed most of the acidity, tartness, and bitterness.
While some of the flavored vodkas on this list are made with flavoring or citrus oils, Hanson of Sonoma sourced locally-grown Meyer lemons from an area farm, peels them by hand, and then macerates them in their organic original vodka. This gives this vodka tart, fresh lemon flavor.
Bottom Line:
The herbal, fruity, citrus aroma and flavor of this vodka make it unique. That’s enough to make this a bottle that belongs in your home bar.
St. George is one of those distilleries where you can’t go wrong with whatever you buy. Vodka, gin, and other spirits, everything they make is quality. St. George California Citrus is no different. It gets its outstanding aroma and flavor from the use of California-grown Valencia oranges, Seville oranges, and bergamot from the nearby Lindcove Ranch.
Bottom Line:
While many of the vodkas on this list lean in the lemon range, this is one for the orange fans. Multiple different, fresh oranges tend to do that.
The second Meyer lemon-based vodka on this list, Crop Organic Meyer Lemon is known for its bright, tart, memorable flavor. This award-winning, highly-rated vodka was created to be used as the base for a cosmopolitan, gimlet, or other vodka-based cocktail that calls for a nice kick of lemon.
Bottom Line:
This vodka might seem simple with only a few notable aromas and flavors. But what it lacks in quantity, it makes up for in quality. This is one of the most balanced, flavored vodkas I’ve ever tried.
Absolut is a big name in the vodka world. This Swedish-made vodka is one of the most popular in the world for a reason. Not only is its original, soft, mellow, highly mixable vodka great, but so aree its flavored options. Specifically, Absolut Citron. First launched in 1988, this citrus vodka’s release led to the creation of the now iconic Cosmopolitan.
Bottom Line:
Absolut Citron is one of the most popular flavored vodkas on the market for a reason. It’s balanced, complex, and loaded with citrus aromas and flavors.
Part 3: Final Thoughts
When it comes to blindly nosing, tasting, and eventually ranking these citrus flavors vodkas, it’s clear that fresh, real citrus is key. Generic, synthetic, and simply fake-smelling and tasting citrus vodkas just didn’t cut it. It was also clear that the cheaper vodkas just didn’t fair as well.
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(via anakar1a_/TT) pic.twitter.com/o3NBK1JsIq
