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Is it weird that one of the sweetest little feel-good shows on television this year also featured a group of pirates pillaging and murdering their enemies and sometimes chopping each other’s limbs off? It’s probably weird. It felt weird to type, at least. But it’s all true. I didn’t even mention the thing about the mutiny or the cursed outfits or Bronson Pinchot walking the plank. Or the thing about the grizzled and gruff first mate donning makeup and belting out “La Vie En Rose” on the ship. Our Flag Means Death is a wonderful television program. Weird, sure. But also wonderful.

The first season of the show kind of came out of nowhere. There was a fancy aristocrat named Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby) who fled his wife and posh life in search of adventure on the high seas. He eventually crossed paths with Blackbeard (Taika Waititi), the legendary real-life pirate, or at least a very loosely fictionalized version of him. They fell in love. A bunch of the pirates on the ship fell in love with each other, too. Everyone was smooching and swashbuckling and having a blast until everything was torn apart in the final episodes. Stede and Blackbeard broke up. I was devastated by this. Picture trying to explain any of this to a person who never watched the show. This was my life for an entire year.

It returned for a second season this fall, finally. Things were still weird, but in a different way. Blackbeard was taking out the pain of his heartbreak by ramping up his pillaging, raiding so many ships and towns that he was ordering the crew to throw old treasure overboard to make room for new treasure. There was a minor mutiny. They ran afoul of the Pirate Queen of China (Ruibo Qian), who, because this show is committed at all times to being wild, spoke like an American millennial and blackmailed via charm. She fell in love with one of the male crew members, eventually. It was very sweet.

Stede and Blackbeard got back together, too. The specifics are too important for me to type out here beyond saying that there were sword fights and hallucinations of mermen and a deeply satisfying and adorable reunion on the beach. Again, this is a show where people get slashed through the abdomen and blasted with cannonballs pretty much every episode. Leslie Jones from SNL showed up and chopped a dude’s entire nose off. There was, briefly, a character named Steak Knife who the Pirate Queen killed in a saloon. And it was also the cutest damn thing you’ve ever seen.

This exchange has stayed with me for over a week now. It might stay with me forever. It’s weird how these things work out.

You wanna hear the wildest part of the whole thing? Yes, even wilder than “the dreaded murderous pirate Blackbeard had a hallucination while comatose where his posh estranged boyfriend appeared to him underwater with a mermaid tail and kissed him on the mouth”? I hope so because I’m going to tell you.

None of that — the forbidden romance, the Pirate Queen finding love, an actual wedding between two members of the crew — was the sweetest part of the show. That honor goes to the character arc for Blackbeard’s first mate, Izzy Hands, a raspy-voiced seafaring lifer who practices swordplay in candlelit rooms and who lost the lower part of his left after Blackbeard shot him and then amputated it to keep the infection from spreading. (It’s okay. The crew made him a prosthetic leg out of the wooden unicorn he destroyed in anger. See above, re: weird/wonderful show.) I have rarely gone from “I hate this guy and hope he dies” to “I would gladly give this man any of my limbs if he asks” faster for a television character. The list is pretty much Izzy Hands and Richie from The Bear. It’s a prestigious list. Richie would be a fun pirate.

Anyway, here is Izzy singing “La Vie En Rose” in full theatrical makeup on the deck of a pirate ship, just in case you thought I was kidding about that earlier.

All of which is why — spoilers coming in heavy here — I was so heartbroken when he died in the season two finale. Like, actually heartbroken. I’m still sad today. I did not expect to cry a little while watching the show about gay pirates doing murder, but here we are. Between this and Reservation Dogs (also produced by Waititi), all of my favorite comedies have been making me leak tears out of my face lately. I feel okay about it.

I also feel okay — or at least okay-ish — about Izzy’s death after seeing this explanation of it all from showrunner David Jenkins in Vanity Fair.

There’s a trope that I like with mentor stories, where the mentor dies in the second act. Our protagonist outlives the mentor and then they have to go on. We felt like Izzy’s story had reached its conclusion, where we put him through enough. And then there was the realization that he is kind of a mentor to Blackbeard and that he is kind of a father figure to Blackbeard. It felt nice to have him die and have Blackbeard be upset by it, because Blackbeard killed his father. But this is a father figure that he’s losing that it’s hard for him; it’s sad and he doesn’t want him to go. Izzy has such a beautiful arc in season two; he does a lot of the things, has a lot of the breakthroughs that you want that character to have. It felt like: It’s time to give him a full meal. And it’s also a pirate show, so he’s got to die.

“It’s a pirate show, so he’s got to die.” I mean… yeah. Fair.

The season ended on a heartwarming note for almost everyone else, though. Stede and Blackbeard gave up pirating to open an inn together. The crew pressed on. There was a triumphant battle waged against stuffy British aristocrats. It all could work as a series finale if this is all we get. I hope we get more, though. It really is a remarkable little show, a mish-mashing of genres and style that makes the craziest twists you’ll ever see feel plausible. Plus, I want to see more of the Pirate Queen, who was a great addition to the show and one of my favorite characters on television so far this year.

It looks like Jenkins has plans for it, too, as he explained to Entertainment Weekly.

I mean, we’ll see. We’ll see if it makes sense for them to make a third one. We have a lot of ideas for a third season, and there’s a lot more story to tell. But if it’s not in the cards, I just wanted to leave Stede and Blackbeard in a good place. Instead of seeing them get punished for following each other, I wanted to see a moment where they’re alright. And it is just a moment: I think a relationship is going to take a lot of work for them.

Three notes in conclusion:

• I love this weird little pirate show
• I really hope it gets a third season, just to see where they end up taking it
• More shows should feature a character named Steak Knife

Thank you

Reports of Ron DeSantis allegedly putting lifts in his cowboy boots has sparked a hilarious political scandal, and The View wasted no jumping in on the fun.

During Thursday morning’s episode, co-host and Florida resident Ana Navarro went to town on DeSantis after the governor denied the allegations despite convincing photographic evidence to the contrary.

“There’s no foot in that boot! He has Barbie feet!” Navarro said via Decider. “Call me petty, and I know you will… I am relishing and enjoying this story so much because honestly, he has been terrorizing my drag queen friends in Florida well over a year because he has said men in heels are a threat to society. It’s too bad he has no drag queen friends because they would have taught him how to walk in heels.”

However, co-host Sara Haines wasn’t a fan of the topic. “There is plenty to pick apart about Ron DeSantis that I don’t think it’s the right tone to pick on his height,” she said.

Navarro wasn’t having it and defended the boot discussion. “It was a complete self-own by Ron DeSantis,” Navarro argued. “Donald Trump’s words got into his head that he’s got a Napoleonic complex!”

As for fellow conservative Alyssa Farah Griffin, she thinks the boot issue won’t be a political liability for the Florida governor because he has a much bigger issue on the campaign trail that was evident in his denial.

“The reason he’s never gonna be President is not the fact that he’s likely wearing high heels, it’s his answer to that clip,” Griffin said. “The lack of charisma is astounding.”

(Via Decider)

Taylor Tomlinson has filmed two of the funniest Netflix stand-up comedy specials (Quarter-Life Crisis, Look At You) in recent years. She isn’t afraid to pepper her material with both a cheerleader smile and dark subject matter and tie it together with a pretty amazing Taylor Swift joke.

Tomlinson has also been touring nationally for years and has been doing stand-up since she was 16 years old. And now, we finally know who will be filling James Corden’s late night TV slot after he moved on to different pastures (and is hopefully now treating restaurant staff with the respect that they duly deserve). Tomlinson, for her part, is 29 years old, which means that she’s half the age of Stephen Colbert, who personally called her with news of her upcoming gig.

Tomlinson found out about this development only this week, and here’s how she reacted when Colbert delivered the news. She compared her casual Zoom appearance with this vibe: “You know when you think you’re gonna get dumped, and they propose instead?”

There will be a quick turnaround, too. Tomlinson will begin her hosting duties in early 2024, and the show will be titled After Midnight. Don’t expect any Corden-esque touches, either, for this show will pattern itself after @Midnight, the Chris Hardwick-hosted semi-game show (of rotating celebrity contestants trying to out-funny each other) from Comedy Central (also of Paramount Global like CBS).

Tomlinson actually got her start on the Christian comedy circuit, but she’s since moved on to more brazen territory. Her Netflix stand-up specials dive into her experiences with bipolar disorder and other difficult subjects with plenty of bite. Not only will she be the only female late night host currently on the air, but by far, she will be the youngest of them all.

Michael Jordan’s reign was just beginning after the Chicago Bulls picked up their first championship at the end of the 1990-1991 basketball season. At this point in his career, Jordan was already the most iconic player on earth and if he never won another NBA championship, he’d still have gone down in history as an NBA great.

But being a great player wouldn’t be enough for Jordan. He had to be the best.

The 91-92 NBA basketball season saw Jordan bring home MVP designation for the season and finals, a second consecutive NBA championship, and a gold medal from the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. And he achieved all of that while rocking the newest sneaker in the Jordan lineage, the Air Jordan VII.

The Jordan VII saw Tinker Hatfield (the sneaker’s designer) and Michael Jordan coming into their own. Gone are the familiar Nike touchstones of old — there is no Nike branding, no visible air unit, and the silhouette itself was less indebted to the past, instead being inspired by Hatfield’s own Nike Huarache, giving the sneaker a neoprene bootie design which helped it to be lightweight and flexible.

The way Nike would market this sneaker would also represent a shift. Previous sneakers had Spike Lee assisted ad campaigns with Lee taking on the role of Mars Blackmon, the world’s first hardcore Jordan head. But with the Jordan 7, MJ was becoming too big a cultural force, so Blackmon was benched and replaced with another giant cultural icon, Bugs Bunny — foreshadowing the duo’s eventual collaboration in Space Jam, which would drop four years later.

Today, with a whole lot of fondness for this classic kick, we’re naming the greatest colorways to ever grace the Jordan VII silhouette. Let’s dive in.

Jordan VII Hare, 1992

I’m convinced that the entire reason Warner Brothers and Nike collaborated in ’92 for the Bugs Bunny meets Michael Jordan ad campaign was just so they could make the pun “Hare Jordan.” To which I say… totally worth it.

One of the debut colorways of the Jordan VII, the Hare has gone down as one of the sneaker’s most coveted colorways, and it’s easy to see why. The sneaker features a classic white, red, and black Chicago colorway with a colorful tongue design inspired by West African art motifs.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Jordan VII Bordeaux, 1992

Another of the debut colorways and quite possibly the fan-favorite from the five sneaker set, the Bordeaux is one of the best Air Jordan colorways of all time.

The sneaker sports a black and grey color-blocked make-up with rich wine details on the embroidered Jumpman logo and throughout the zig-zag tongue, which also features splashes of deep blue, forest green, and yellow.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Jordan VII Raptor, 1992

The Jordan VII Raptor — which is a fan-created unofficial name — must’ve been heaven for early ‘90s Toronto Raptors fans. The sneaker allowed fans of the team to rock a super sweet pair of Jordans while still showing team spirit.

Another debut colorway, the Raptors featured a black upper with contrasting True Red and Club Purple accents. The geometric shapes along the midsole look a bit like mountains at sunset.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Jordan VII Cardinal, 1992

Of the five debut colorways, the Cardinal is the weakest in my opinion. But that opinion isn’t a popular one because this is the colorway Jordan wore when he won that second NBA championship. For that alone, it’s legendary.

The sneaker features a colorway very similar to the Hare, only with darker red tones and deeper blacks and yellow accents at the heel tab and embroidered Jumpman.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Jordan VII Olympic, 1992

The reason I find the Cardinal to be the weakest of the five debut colorways is because the Olympics exists. This sneaker borrows the same color palette used on the Cardinal but with golden accents and hints of Navy Blue for Olympic regality.

This was the pair Jordan wore when he won a gold medal alongside the Dream Team at the ’92 Olympics. The sneakers have a sort of elevated air about them that translates through the design even without knowing they were worn at the Olympics.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Jordan VII French Blue, 2002

For the first 10 years of this sneaker’s life, Jordan 7 colorways stayed unchanged until the Retro line of the sneakers dropped 10 years later and introduced the first new colorways outside of those first five.

The best of those new colorways was the Jordan 7 French Blue, which kept the base a bright white leather but added French and University Blue accents and branding, and hints of Flint Grey, resulting in a cool and muted take on the Jordan VII.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Jordan VII Charcoal, 2002

The Charcoal is pretty much the Jordan VII’s version of the legendary BRED colorway. It features a mix of muted black, dark charcoal, and red. I’m not totally sold on it.

It was one of two new colorways to launch alongside the release of the Jordan VII Retro and of the two it feels the weakest to me. Having said that, it’s still a significant colorway in the sneaker’s history so we’re including it here.

Pick up a pair at Flight Club.

Jordan VII Flint, 2006

After the debut of the Retro Jordan VII, the silhouette wouldn’t get any new colorways until 2006 which would end up being as big a year for the silhouette as the debut drop in 1992. Many Jordan VII fans’ favorite colorway is from this era and one of the finest is the Flint.

The sneaker features a mix of white leather and dark suede with purple embroidered Jumpman and Jordan logos. Nearly twenty years later — it still looks fresh!

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Jordan VII Chambray, 2006

The Chambray may just be my absolute favorite colorway of the Jordan VII. Up until its release, the VII couldn’t quite nail a dark and moody colorway, instead leaning on that white leather base. Sure, you had the Raptors and Charcoal, but in the Chambray fans of darker colorways finally got what they were looking for.

The sneaker features a deep black upper with hints of icy pale blue accents and an overall stealthy air about it. The geometric shapes at the midsole remind me of ice-capped mountains.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Jordan VII Maize, 2006

Until recently, Jordan brand didn’t have the best track record for keeping up with its WMNS shoe-size audience, but there was at least some effort back in 2006 with this exclusive colorway.

The Maize isn’t as flashy as the other drops in the ’06 set but it’s still a fan favorite thanks to its mix of white leather and contrasting black and yellow details. Many a Jordan colorway would go on to use this same distinctive color palette.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Jordan VII Pacific Blue, 2006

A Jordan VII with a distinctive West Coast vibe (even though the colors make me think of the New York Knicks), the Pacific Blue is one of the most unique colorways ever to grace this silhouette.

Built on a leather pearl white base, the Pacific Blue mixes cool tones with some contrast by way of Nike’s orange-toned Ceramic color.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Jordan VII Citrus, 2006

If you are into the dark colors of the Chambray but aren’t as into the stealthy and moody vibe, the Citrus is for you. It features a deep black upper but it is accented with bright orange and rich crimson colors that pop against its dark foundation.

For many people, this is the best Jordan colorway. I don’t think it quite reaches the heights of the Chambray but I can’t deny that this is one for the books. It’s easily in the top five colorways for this silhouette.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Jordan VII Miró, 2008

The Jordan VII Miró is conceptually a deep cut. Built off the base of the Olympic colorway, the Miró features graphics inspired by Barcelona-born artist Joan Miró’s Dona i Ocell sculpture.

Since the Olympic colorway is so closely associated with the Barcelona Olympic Games, this colorway feels like a real tribute to the Spanish city.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Jordan VII DMP 60+ Magic, 2009

Inspired by the city of Orlando and a famous game in which Jordan scored 64 points against Orlando Magic in 1993, this sneaker features a mix of white leather, and black and Varsity Blue details with elephant print midsole detailing.

The sneaker’s tongue features white pinstripes on black, a reference to the away uniform for the Magic. It’s a dope design that points to a legendary game during Jordan’s reign.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Jordan VII Orion, 2011

The Orion Jordan VII isn’t the most flashy release in the sneaker’s history, it doesn’t do anything radical with the palette or design, but we can’t fault it for that because at the end of the day, it looks great.

The sneaker features a white leather base with Orion Blue embroidered branding and Infrared accents and black details. It’s a simple but effective four-color design.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Jordan VII Golden Moments, 2012

Released in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the 92 Summer Olympic Games, the Golden Moments Jordan VII represents a victory lap for the silhouette. The sneaker features an all-black upper with shimmering gold and white accents. It looks like a trophy that you can wear on your feet!

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Jordan VII Barcelona Days, 2015

This was a tough one. 2015 brought two sneakers inspired by the Dream Team’s time in Barcelona in ’92, the Barcelona Days and Barcelona Nights. There wasn’t room for both sneakers in this list so I’m going to have to give the coveted spot to the “Days” version.

Barcelona Days features a Wolf Grey leather upper with a mix of orange, turquoise, and infrared accents and charcoal black paneling.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Jordan VII N7, 2015

Made to provide funding for sports programming in Native American and Indigenous communities, the Jordan VII N7 features a tribal-influenced graphic pattern along the sneaker’s tongue and ankle cage with a mix of turquoise and black accents over a white base with crimson branding.

I like the way the graphic pattern recalls the West African-inspired motif from the sneaker’s original drop.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Jordan VII Hare 2.0, 2020

The Jordan VII Hare 2.0 is exactly what it sounds like — it’s a design that looks like a continuation of the legendary debut Hare Jordan. The sneaker features a pony hair upper in neutral gray with a mix of pink foam and white tones, a slightly icy outsole, and that original combination of pale green and black tones.

Is it as dope as the Hare 1.0? No, but we like this idea of Jordan brand building off of past colorways. We hope it’s a trend they continue in the future.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Jordan 7 Vachetta Tan, 2022

The Vachetta Tan was released in celebration of the sneaker’s 30th anniversary. Unofficially dubbed the “Afrobeats,” this sneaker swapped out embroidered details for embossed details and featured a Vachetta tan leather upper with Dark Concord and Taxi accents.

The sneaker is also notable for featuring embroidered Nike Air branding at the heel. It’s a modern classic in the Jordan VII family.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Jordan 7 White Infrared, 2023

Jordan Brand has spent much of this year mixing and matching colorways from other classic silhouettes, which brings us to the White Infrared.

Taking its colorway from the Jordan VI White Infrared — the sneaker MJ wore during the 91 Finals — this sneaker features a bright white leather base with gentle Infrared accents at the midsole graphic and Jumpman branding, with black detailing to balance the design.

It’s this year’s finest Jordan VII colorway and we’re happy to include it in the history of this silhouette’s best colorways. Even if it still works better on the VI.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Nightcrawler, the 2014 neo-noir film starring Jake Gyllenhaal as an obsessive video journalist received great reviews when it was released and has a great reputation even now, but PinkPantheress has plenty of reason to resent it. In a new interview with i-D, the “Boy’s A Liar” singer revealed how the film made her miss out on an opportunity to record with Kendrick Lamar. Apparently, during a date to see Nightcrawler with a guy, she courteously put her phone on silent — and missed Kendrick’s text inviting her to the studio. “I can’t even think about it,” she said.

She seems to be doing alright in any case, even without featuring on a Kendrick Lamar song (or vice versa). The remix of her breakout hit with Ice Spice shot to the Billboard Hot 100 top ten, preceding even more success, including a Skims ad campaign, a placement on the Barbie soundtrack with “Angel,” and a spot on Olivia Rodrigo’s world tour as an opening act.

Now, she’s a little over a week away from the release of her debut album Heaven Knows, which features Central Cee, Kelela, Rema, and, of course, Ice Spice. Weirdly enough, though, it does not feature her collaboration with Destroy Lonely, the ironically titled “Turn Your Phone Off.”

After a decade, Billy Joel’s monthly residency at Madison Square Garden is coming to a close next year. The final performance will mark Joel’s 150th show at the venue since the residency started, and fans will be able to see him perform it on July 25, 2024.

He announced the official finale date on social media today. Tickets for Joel’s last residency performance will go on sale next Friday, November 10 at 10 a.m. local time.

Since Joel first started playing at MSG in January of 2014, he has treated fans to some of his biggest classics, including “Piano Man” and “Vienna,” along with deeper selections across his records — making each performance special.

To change things up, Joel has also surprised the audience with several guests over the years, including Bruce Springsteen for “Born To Run” in 2018, and Olivia Rodrigo to perform “Deja Vu” last summer.

The MSG residency isn’t the only time to catch Joel in concert soon either. He will be continuing his joint tour with Stevie Nicks throughout next year, as well as some dates with Sting, and a New Year’s Eve concert at UBS Arena in Long Island, New York.

For a complete list of Joel’s tour dates (including his MSG residency), and more information, visit here.

It’s been over two years since Invincible first premiered, and the animated superhero series received rave reviews and quickly became a smash hit among fans. The series, created by Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead) follows Mark Grayson as he grapples with his own superhero identity while also being the son of the infamous Omni-Man. After the events of season one, fans have been anxiously awaiting a second season to see how it plays out.

The second season of Invincible will premiere on Amazon Prime on Friday, November 3rd. Unlike season one, season two will be spread out: the first four will drop in November while the second batch of episodes will premiere in early 2024. The entire season will round out to eight episodes.

Season two will pick up after the events of season one when Omni-Man and Mark had their devastating showdown and Mark realized what type of superhero his dad really is. He’s actually…a major villain. Family is tough! Here is the official synopsis:

Still reeling from Nolan’s betrayal in Season One, Mark struggles to rebuild his life as he faces a host of new threats, all while battling his greatest fear — that he might become his father without even knowing it.

The original cast will return, including J.K. Simmons as Noah/Omni-Man and Steven Yeun as Mark/Invincible, in addition to Sandra Oh, Gillian Jacobs, Jason Mantzoukas, Seth Rogen, and Sterling K. Brown.

You can stream Invincible season one on Amazon Prime Video.

When the clock struck midnight on November 1, Mariah Carey marked the end of Halloween by posting a video of pumpkin-headed ghouls and ghosts attempting to defrost her from a block of ice. However, her unparalleled falsetto is the only way out, as she sings, “It’s tiiiiime!” Dancing to “All I Want For Christmas Is You” amidst Christmas decor and snow ensues.

Unfortunately for Carey, a lawsuit related to “All I Want For Christmas Is You” has also been metaphorically defrosted. Rolling Stone reports that Andy Stone “refiled his $20 million copyright infringement lawsuit claiming he was iced out of proper credit” in federal court in Los Angeles on November 1. Stone, whose stage name is Vince Vance and legal name is Andrew Franichevich, previously dismissed his case from New Orleans federal court last November, which Rolling Stone also reported on at the time.

The credited co-songwriters on “All I Want For Christmas Is You” are Carey and Walter Afanasieff, but Stone claims that “about 50 percent of the words” from his “All I Want For Christmas Is You” version co-written with Troy Powers, his co-plaintiff, and Carey’s perennial chart-topping version “are the same, in almost the same order,” as Stone’s lawyer, Douglas M. Schmidt, told Rolling Stone.

Carey and Afanasieff’s version was released in 1994, while Stone’s version was written in 1988. Per Rolling Stone, Stone and Powers’ song was recorded in Nashville in 1989 “and allege it received ‘extensive airplay’ in 1993.

Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” ended last year at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and began 2023 at No. 1 on the Hot 100. Even with Stone and Powers’ latest lawsuit, we have zero reason to believe the pattern won’t repeat for the end of 2023 into the start of 2024.

Dolly Parton is one of the few things that everyone — Democrats and Republicans, men and women, people who prefer Family Guy to The Simpsons, etc. — can agree on. She rules. But despite her unanimous popularity and the fact that she’s written some of the most popular English-language songs ever, Parton has never performed during the Super Bowl Halftime Show.

The NFL has reached out to Parton, presumably over Up With People, the Blues Brothers, or the Elvis impersonator Elvis Presto, but she’s turned them down. More than once.

“Oh, sure. I’ve been offered that many times,” Parton breezily told the Hollywood Reporter. “I couldn’t do it because of other things, or I just didn’t think I was big enough to do it — to do that big of a production. When you think about those shows, those are big, big productions. I’ve never done anything with that big of a production. I don’t know if I could have. I think at the time that’s what I was thinking.”

Come on, Usher. A “9 to 5” / “OMG” mashup would bring the house down.

Parton’s upcoming album, Rockstar, is packed with special guests including Stevie Nicks, John Fogerty, Miley Cyrus, Chris Stapleton, Elton John, Debbie Harry, and Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. It comes out on November 17th.

Earlier this week, a Rolling Stone report revealed that HBO CEO Casey Bloys, set up fake Twitter accounts to troll critics who negatively reviewed shows he championed at the network. With the help of an HBO staffer who’s now suing the company and alleging wrongful termination, Bloys authored and authorized a handful of insults to be sent to top critics on social media, and random dissidents in the comments section of trade publication articles. The tweets were attributed to Kelly Shepard, a “Texas mom and herbalist” that Bloys had the staffer invent for the purpose.

But now that the world knows that one of the more powerful decision-makers in Hollywood has no chill, he’s coming clean about his trolling habits and he’s blaming them on Covid times. During a recent HBO presentation, Bloys apologized to the critics he targeted, claiming he was simply too passionate about the shows he was producing at the time.

“Those of you who know me know that I am a programming executive, very, very passionate about the shows that we decide to do, and the people who do them and the people who work on them,” Bloys said via Variety. “I want the shows to be great. I want people to love them. I want you all to love them. It’s very important to me what you all think of the shows. So when you think about mindset, and then think of 2020 and 2021. I’m home working from home, spending an unhealthy amount of time scrolling through Twitter and I come up with a very, very dumb idea to vent my frustration.”

Boys has now, oddly, found a less problematic way of dealing with negative reviews: directly DM-ing critics.

“Now if I take issue with something in a review or something I see, I DM many of you,” he told the room full of reporters. “I think that is probably a much healthier way to go about this.”

(Via Variety)