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The Miami Heat picked up a 108-107 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night in a tense, back-and-forth game that saw a wide open Cam Reddish three at the buzzer rim out after he received a pass from LeBron James.

James has, rather famously, always been willing to make the right read and right pass to teammates for better or worse throughout his career. For years, he got ripped for doing that in his first stint in Cleveland, as people questioned whether he had the “clutch gene” and if he deferred too much, often comparing him to Kobe Bryant who always hunted for the last shot (to varying results). However, there is one moment in James’ career where he was never going to pass the ball, and that was last year against the Thunder in L.A. when he was set to break the NBA’s all-time scoring record.

On James’ record-breaking shot, the photos from the opposite baseline (like the one above) show Thomas Bryant sealing off Shai Gilgeous-Alexander under the rim and calling for the ball as James rises up to set the NBA scoring record. Given the situation, it’s extremely funny to see Bryant calling for the ball, and as he got set to face the Lakers on Monday with his new team in Miami, the Heat broadcast asked him to walk them through why he was calling for the ball in that moment and he had a reasonably (but still funny) explanation.

Bryant was just trying to do what LeBron always asked him to do in that situation, which is duck in, get a seal, and get ready for a pass when he got a mismatch. The problem was, Bryant did his math wrong and thought LeBron was still six points from the record, not two, so there he is, calling for the ball in a landmark moment in NBA history and wondering why everyone has their phones out.

Just a few days before its release, the final trailer for The Marvels has arrived with a surprisingly different and game-changing look at the Captain Marvel sequel. More notably, the film drops another X-Men tease that heavily suggests the mighty mutants could make an appearance.

While previous trailers played up the more comedic elements of The Marvels and made it seem like the trio of Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau/Photon, and Ms. Marvel would have to team up to stop a generic alien invasion as their powers go haywire, the final trailer adds a whole new epic twist.

After strangely invoking Thanos, the trailer reveals that Zawe Ashton’s Dar-Benn is tearing a hole in time and space, causing another reality to bleed into the MCU thus continuing the ongoing Multiverse Saga. Marvel fans are heavily speculating that reality is the universe containing the live-action version of the X-Men from the Fox films.

That speculation kicked into overdrive with a random promo from last week that leaned into the letter X. With the final trailer, the X-Men logo can be clearly spotted in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment.

You can see a screengrab below:

The moment occurs as Teyonah Parris’ Monica watches a mysterious costumed figure walk by as Nick Fury warns “They’re here.” While some Marvel fans think the figure is Halle Berry’s Storm, the character is most likely Binary.

In the comics, Binary is an extremely powerful energy-based version of Captain Marvel with a strong connection to, you guessed it, the X-Men. Carol operated under the name while helping out the mutants during a mission in space.

Whether Binary in The Marvels will be an alternate reality version of Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers or someone else entirely, remains to be seen. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness already introduced a Captain Marvel that was Monica’s mother Maria, so anything is on the table.

The Marvels changes everything on November 10.

Tierra Whack has another hit on her hands. Today (November 7), the Philly rapper has shared her new single and video for “Chanel Pit.”

The song is a dedication to Whack‘s fans, who have gone hard for her over the years. She alludes to the mosh pits at her shows in the song’s chorus, as she sings “mosh pit smell like Chanel / Yes, Microsoft, I’ma Excel / nine, ten, eleven, f*ck 12,”

Whack is specifically alluding to the Chanel Gabrielle fragrance, which she has been wearing for years. In an interview with Apple Music 1’s Zane Lowe, Whack said the perfume has become her “signature scent.”

“I think I was at an event, a show, a concert or something, and [my friend] pulled up and he said he knew that I was there because he knows my scent,” said Whack. “I don’t know if it was an Earl Sweatshirt concert or something. It was something. But everybody’s like, moshing going crazy. And he was like, I was walking, he was like, ‘I smell Whack. She’s here.’ Then he made his way backstage and he found me, and he was like, ‘Yo.’ That always just stuck in my head.”

In the song’s accompanying music video, Whack is seen rapping, as she rotates through an automatic car wash, setting the stage for a new era.

Elsewhere in her aforementioned interview, Whack revealed that her new album will arrive early next year.

“I promise. It’s done. It’s finished,” said Whack. “We’re just making it all make sense, putting the pieces together, and we’re giving it to you.”

You can see the video for “Chanel Pit” above.

Stock photos of any job are usually delightful cringey. Sure, sometimes they sort of get the essence of a job, but a lot of the time the interpretation is downright cartoonish. One glance and it becomes abundantly clear that for some careers, we have no freakin’ clue what it is that people do.

Dr. Kit Chapman, an award-winning science journalist and academic at Falmouth University in the U.K., recently held an impromptu contest on Twitter where viewers could vote on which photos were the best of the worst when it came to jobs in scientific fields.

According to Chapman’s entries, a day in the life of a scientist includes poking syringes into chickens, wearing a lab coat (unless you’re a “sexy” scientist, then you wear lingerie) and holding vials of colored liquid. Lots and lots of vials.

Of course, where each image is 100% inaccurate, they are 100% giggle inducing. Take a look below at some of the contenders.

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Chapman’s unofficial photo competition received nearly 500,000 votes cast throughout four rounds. The grand prize winner was a photo of a female scientist holding a soldering iron (very much not in the right way) as she is “working” on some kind of electrical board.

It’s titled, “Hold My Soldering Iron.”

Time to vote for the worst science stock photos ever!

1. Hold My Soldering Iron. pic.twitter.com/fc76jz8Bs4

— Dr Kit Chapman (@ChemistryKit) October 12, 2022

“I mean there’s the obvious thing that she’ll burn her hand, but nobody ever talks about how she’s ‘soldering’ the wrong side of the board,” one person quipped.

Of course, “Talk to Us, Dr. Chicken” was also popular.

2. Talk To Us, Dr Chicken. pic.twitter.com/IMh0LsmGcg

— Dr Kit Chapman (@ChemistryKit) October 12, 2022

Clearly using the scientific method to figure out why exactly Dr. Chicken crossed the road.

But not as popular as “Syringe Chicken,” where, for some reason, a scientist covered in a mask and safety goggles inspects a raw, syringe-filled chicken with his teeny tiny magnifying glass. For science!

2. I, too, store half-used syringes inside an uncooked chicken. pic.twitter.com/noEBQKqbO3

— Dr Kit Chapman (@ChemistryKit) October 12, 2022

This one was the winner of the second-to-last batch.

Ever wonder where space is? Don’t worry, leave it to the professionals to point the way.

3. TO SPACE!!!! pic.twitter.com/ae1XzzQSKE

— Dr Kit Chapman (@ChemistryKit) October 12, 2022

“To space!” Chapman captioned.

Speaking of professionals, everyone dresses for research this way, right?

3. Science: It’s a Girl Thing. pic.twitter.com/ogIOrKHWe1

— Dr Kit Chapman (@ChemistryKit) October 12, 2022

Chapman titled this “Science: It’s a Girl Thing.”

People were quick to chime in with their own contributions, including:

“Woman Brain Surgeon”

My personal favorite https://t.co/MPbQCO5qSF

— MAJ Moe MD 🏝 (@donaldmoe) October 13, 2022

Otherwise known as a jello mechanic.

And some kind of … corn scientist? From the future?

I think you’re missing the best of them all pic.twitter.com/MBgEO4fByk

— autoproclamada generala da URSAL (@generaladaursal) October 12, 2022

Why does this seem like it belongs in an Annie Lennox music video?

As well as a group of scientists that belong in a Marvel movie for their ability to manipulate atoms.

Do not forget manipulating atoms by handhttps://t.co/FTRzyUJp7m

— Katie 🎃Boo👻-mah (@nuclearkatie) October 12, 2022

While these are certainly not an accurate depiction of the vast and wondrous world of scientific research, it did cause many a scientist to share a giggle. So no harm, no foul. Not even to chickens.

This article originally appeared on 10.27.22

Kids, man. I’m not sure of the scientific way audacity is distributed, but kids have a lot of it and somehow make it cute. That audacity overload is especially interesting when you’re the default parent—you know, the parent kids go to for literally everything as if there’s not another fully capable adult in the house. Chances are if your children haven’t sought you out while you were taking a shower so you could open up a pack of fruit snacks, then you’re not the default parental unit.

One parent captured exactly what it’s like to be the default parent and shared it to TikTok, where the video has over 4 million views. Toniann Marchese went on a quick grocery run and *gasp* did not inform her children. Don’t you fret, they’re modern kids who know how to use modern means to get much-needed answers when mom is nowhere to be found. They went outside and rang the doorbell.

Back when we were children, this would’ve done nothing but make the dogs bark, but for Marchese’s kids, who are 3 and 6 years old, it’s as good as a phone call.

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You may be questioning why this mom left her two young children home alone. She didn’t. Their father was home, likely wondering why the children were playing so quietly. But. He. Was. Right. There. And the kids still bypassed him to talk to their mom through the Ring doorbell camera. It was pressing business, after all.

“My tablet is dead,” the 3-year-old said.

The kids ignored Marchese’s questions about where their dad was and continued to complain about their tablets. The entire situation is enough to make any default parent chuckle and maybe sob a little.

Watch the urgent doorbell call below:

@tinyann22

Moms can never get a minute of peace lol #momsoftiktok #momlife #ring #camera #kidsoftiktok

And if you’re skeptical that dad was within shouting distance, the mom of two uploaded a part two where dad comes into the frame.

@tinyann22

Replying to @iustmerlp part 2… daddy was found! Lol #kidsoftiktok #momsoftiktok #parentsoftiktok #fyp #ring #prioritiesfirst

This article originally appeared on 3.22.23

The expectation to put on an air of happy, fun, pleasant nonconfrontation through baring teeth, otherwise known as smiling, is something many, if not most, women know very well. What’s more, this pressure is often introduced to women at a very early age.

And obviously, while there’s nothing inherently wrong with naturally being a happy, smiling person, issues arise when kids are taught that being themselves, just as they are, isn’t acceptable.

That’s why people are so impressed with North Carolina-based photographer Brooke Light’s (@bdlighted on TikTok) hands-off approach when it comes to taking pictures of young girls.

Her philosophy is simple, but oh so poignant: Allow girls to show up, take up space, and perhaps most importantly, not smile if they don’t want to.

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Light posted a video showing some of her recent portraits, and truly, the work speaks for itself. Each of the girls’ distinct, unique personalities shine in these black-and-white images. Plus the lighting is moody and artsy and cool as hell. So much better than a forced, cheesy, smiling pic.

Take a look:

@bdlighted never underestimate the power of a photoshoot for your kids confidence #moodymini #kidsphotographer #childrensphotography #portraitphotographer #confidenceboost #kidsconfidence #familyphotoshootideas #familyphotoshoots #studiophotography #blackandwhitephoto #girlpower #girlempowerment #donttellmetosmile #momsofgirls #girlmom #greenscreen ♬ Little Girl Gone – CHINCHILLA

Comments began flooding in commending Light for how she authentically portrayed the girls as individuals, rather than producing cookie-cutter images of them.

“I love how they are not trying to be anything ‘extra’ just their own raw and savage selves,” one person wrote.

Another added, “I can feel their power through my phone.”

Light redirected the praise toward her clients, saying, “They are even more amazing in person! Like that vibe you feel is ALL THEM. I’m just there capturing it.”

For many women who had their own memories of being told to smile for photos, seeing the images had a profound effect.

“CHILLS! This healed something in me. Thank you.” one person commented.

“The Sears family photo trauma was REAL” wrote another.

And for the record, Light doesn’t make boys smile either. Here’s the proof in her follow-up video:

@bdlighted these mom’s got me blushing in my DMs 🫣📸 I’ve never had my creativity or my photography validated so much in my life. thank you for the outpouring of love on these photos this week. it’s meant more than you can ever know. #boymom #boymoms #moodymini #familyphotoshoots #familyphotoshootideas #portraitphotographer #studiophotography #kidsphotographer #kidsconfidence #childrensphotography #greenscreen ♬ Area Codes – Kali

In the post, Light shared how touched she was by the overwhelmingly positive response.

“I’ve never had my creativity or my photography validated so much in my life. Thank you for the outpouring of love on these photos this week. It’s meant more than you can ever know,” she wrote.

Imagine that…celebrating others for their authentic selves, then being celebrated yourself. Now that’s something worth smiling for.

This article originally appeared on 6.2.23

Uproxx cover stars aespa’s work ethic is unmatched. From their historic festival appearances and tour stops this year, members Winter, Giselle, Karina, and Ningning have refused to slow down even for a slight second. On Sunday, November 5, the group began sharing to roll out their next musical project, Drama.

The series of eerie, haunting, and outright creepy visuals, each recording artist put their acting skills on full display. The four trailers serve as one larger story being told for the upcoming mini-album due out on Friday, November 10. In a note about the forthcoming release, Drama is described as: “A showcases aespa’s vocal growth with a variety of genres including charismatic hip-hop, lovely bright dance music, and sweet acoustic pop. With this album, aespa brings a new chapter to their SMCU lore by writing stories on their own way through unique music and visuals – now breaking out from the trauma caused by a series of events with Season 1’s ‘SYNK OUT’ and ‘Hallucination Quest,’ and also the unknown anomalies in Season 2.”

A total of seven songs will appear on aespa’s forthcoming mini-album, including lead single “Better Things,” “Trick Or Trick,” “Don’t Blink,” “Hot Air Balloon,” “Yolo,” “You,” and the title track. Watch aespa’s mini-album trailers for Drama below.

Drama is out 11/10 via SM Entertainment/Warner. Find more information here.

aespa is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Elon Musk is at it again, but this time instead of turning Twitter/X into a “dating app,” he’s creating his own AI model named Grok. But, in true Musk fashion, Grok is not like other forms of technology: it has “a little humor in its responses.” What does that mean to Musk? See below:

The chatbot is currently in “early beta” but will be available to X Premium+ Subscribers, who surely exist out there somewhere. Musk notes that Grok has a “massive advantage” over AI bots because of its real-time access to X. It also seems to have a bit of an attitude problem.

Musk responded to a user with enthusiasm, “We worked hard to ensure Grok was funny. If AI is going to take over, please let it at least make us laugh.” Surely someone out there is laughing at this. According to the official site:

Grok is an AI modeled after the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, so intended to answer almost anything and, far harder, even suggest what questions to ask!

Grok is designed to answer questions with a bit of wit and has a rebellious streak, so please don’t use it if you hate humor!

A unique and fundamental advantage of Grok is that it has real-time knowledge of the world via the X platform. It will also answer spicy questions that are rejected by most other AI systems.

Grok is still a very early beta product – the best we could do with 2 months of training – so expect it to improve rapidly with each passing week with your help.

The site adds that Grok is intended to be used as a “powerful research assistant” that can be used to access data and will rival the likes of ChatGPT. There is no current release date, but you can sign up to be on the waitlist here. If this goes as well as Musk’s latest business endeavors then……we might never hear of it again. Or it will ruin everything!

(Via Business Insider)

Garth Brooks is one of the biggest names in country music — however, you may be hard-pressed to come across his music. For years, Brooks has expressed his disdain toward digital music platforms, like iTunes, Spotify, and Apple Music. Part of this reasoning is to show support for his fellow songwriters, he explained in an interview with the Country Radio Seminar in Nashville earlier this year.

“I stick up for the songwriters because I’m freakin’ one of them,” he said. “Everything I do for the songwriters, I do for myself.”

With his position against these platforms considered, fans are wondering how they can get their hands on a copy of Brooks’ new album, Time Traveler.

Time Traveler arrived today via Brooks’ Pearl Records imprint. However, according to Good Housekeeping, the album is only available to purchase at Bass Pro Shops sporting goods stores. Time Traveler will be included in a seven-disc box set called The Limited Series, which also features the previously released albums, Man Against Machine, Gunslinger, Fun, and the three-disc Triple Live. Brooks previously released The Limited Series once in 1998, and then again in 2005. According to Good Housekeeping, this will be the final time he releases The Limited Series.

Country music lovers won’t be left out of the outdoor programming festivities next year. In September, Goldenvoice announced that Stagecoach 2024 had some heavy hitters on the expected lineup, and they were right. So, when is Stagecoach 2024?

The multi-day event is set to take place from April 26 to 28, 2024. The genre’s biggest names and several notable crossover artists would descend upon the Empire Polo Grounds (yes, the home of Coachella) in Indigo, California, for the event. Headliners for Stagecoach 2024 include Eric Church (Friday, April 26, 2024), Miranda Lambert (Saturday, April 27, 2024), and Morgan Wallen (Sunday, April 28).

Other notable talent slated to appear is recent Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame 2023 inductee and living legend Willie Nelson, “Circles” musician Post Malone, Jelly Roll, Elle King, Leon Bridges, Hardy, and Bailey Zimmerman. To view the full lineup, take a look at the official flyer inserted below.

Stagecoach 2024 is set to take place from April 26 to 28, 2024. According to the event’s official website, there are no more tickets available. Passes, including general and VIP packages, are completely sold out. However, there is a wishlist in case more tickets become available closer to the event’s date. Find more information here.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.