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Last month Vivek Ramaswamy went from semi-obscure new Republican presidential candidate to a possible new face of the GOP. The pharma bro even pissed off Chris Christie, who said he “sounds like ChatGPT.” Now another public figure has an arguably even funnier description of the youngish candidate.

As per Mediaite, Sean Penn — fresh off a wild Variety interview in which he said he would have killed “everyone” involved in the September 11 attacks had he been president then, as well as said he’d like to violate AI versions of studio execs’ daughters (!!) — sat down with CNN’s Jim Acosta, who asked him about Ramaswamy vowing to cut off U.S. aid to Ukraine amidst the Russian invasion. Penn’s response was enjoyably nutty.

“I don’t find him very interesting,” Penn said, “because he’s just like a high school student who’s impressive because he got an ‘A’ in something he’ll never apply in life.”

Penn, of course, has been a champion of Ukraine from the start, even spending the early days of the invasion on the ground, to the point where he was told to “get the f*ck out” of there for his own well-being. At one point he swore he would “smelt” one or both of his acting Oscars in protest of the war. It appears he did not follow through on that threat, but he did gift one of them to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.

(Via Mediaite)

How are you doing these days? However you are, there’s a good chance you’re faring better than Rudy Giuliani. Over the last three years, the former NYC mayor has suffered one indignity after another, all because he threw his lot in with former president Donald Trump. Now, on top of everything else — on top of pricey lawsuits, money issues, accusations, and endless embarrassments — he’s suffering another humiliation: a mean if accurate nickname.

As per HuffPost, Joe Scarborough and co-host Willie Geist devoted part of Friday’s Morning Joe to discussing how far Giuliani has fallen.

“I don’t know if he faces prison, if he faces bankruptcy, if he faces additional charges,” Scarborough said. “It’s just from from all directions. And this is the cost, of course, when you turn your life over to Donald Trump.”

Geist pointed out that it seems Giuliani can’t pay his ever-mounting legal bills, prompting Scarborough to say, “It was all fun and games until the indictments started coming down.” He added, “And now, like for so many of the people around Donald Trump, the bill is coming due.”

Scarborough then bestowed upon him a new nickname: “From America’s Mayor to America’s Deadbeat.”

He stressed how unfortunate it is for anyone to team up with the former president, saying, “Following Donald Trump can get you thrown in jail or ruin you financially.”

Of course, Trump could always roar back into office after next year’s election. Perhaps that’s why some continue to take his side, throwing the dice on whether or not the big guy gets a belated second term. Of course, if the bet fails then there’s a stiff penalty for all. Besides, judging from how little help Trump has given Giuliani, it’s not clear if he’ll help out anyone if he’s back in power.

(Via HuffPost)

With the Super Bowl coming to Las Vegas for the first time ever this February, there figured to be plenty of interest from musical artists in performing this year’s halftime show. The annual rumors of a possible Taylor Swift performance came and went, and the NFL’s dream of getting the pop icon will continue on for another year.

Still, there are a ton of artists with ties to Vegas through residencies, and the league (and partner Roc Nation) had to decide what direction they wanted to go in for the show. Ultimately they landed Usher, who has a residency in Vegas coming to a close later this year, as the legendary R&B artist will perform a compilation of his biggest hits at Allegiant Stadium on February 11, 2024.

The NFL announced the news by getting Kim Kardashian and Marshawn Lynch involved to film a video where they hop on the other line of a phone call from an Usher music video.

As always there are debates about who should’ve been the selection and fan theories that ended up being incorrect, but Usher is hard to argue against as he has a deep history of hits to dig into, is an incredible live performer, and can absolutely carry a solo halftime performance. He also just so happens to have his next album, “Coming Home” releasing on…February 11, 2024.

Donald Trump may be doing pretty well for himself these days — long as you ignore those 91 criminal charges against him — but the party he leads is in disarray. There’s a ton of in-fighting right now, especially among the House GOP, who are scrambling to either avert a government shutdown or put the blame for same on someone who’s not them. Speaking of, Matt Gaetz recently made the mistake of saying nice things about Trump rival Ron DeSantis. That got him called out by one of the party’s more sinister agents.

Per Newsweek, Gaetz put a silver lining on the Florida governor’s rapidly fading presidential aspirations. “DeSantis will return to Florida as a popular, successful governor with two years of runway to cement a legacy of accomplishment in America’s third largest (and best) state,” he wrote.

Roger Stone, the GOP’s notorious longtime fixer, wasn’t having that one. Calling him “wrong,” Stone said, “You created this monster who has proven to be a backstabbing weasel and ingrate .He’s done and if you keep kissing his ass, so are you.”

Definitely not ominous mafia stuff! It’s sad because Gaetz and Stone go way back. In 2019, as Stone was awaiting sentencing for obstruction in the Robert Mueller Russia investigation, Gaetz told him, over a hot mic, that Trump won’t let him “go down for this.”

For those keeping track at home, Gaetz is now feuding with not only Roger Stone but also Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, whom he’s so desperate to oust that he may have left a motion to unseat him in a bathroom.

(Via Newsweek)

Every single week, our TV and film experts will list the most important ten streaming selections for you to pop into your queues. We’re not strictly operating upon reviews or accrued streaming clicks (although yes, we’ve scoured the streaming site charts) but, instead, upon those selections that are really worth noticing amid the churning sea of content. There’s a lot out there, after all, and your time is valuable.

TIE: 10. Love At First Sight (Netflix film)

If you’re jonesing for more of Haley Lu Richardson after the The White Lotus, she dives into romcom territory here with a much less shady prospect than Portia’s judgment would reflect. Here, she stars alongside Ben Hardy as one of two strangers who cross paths on a cross-Atlantic flight and then expend their energy attempting to cross paths again for a longer haul. Jameela Jamil co-stars in this feature that is about as predictable as you’d expect, but the chemistry of the leading pair means that you won’t care much.

TIE: 10. Talk To Me (Maslow entertainment film streaming on VOD and Amazon Prime)

This film has been credited as churning out the “scariest A24 trailer ever, hands down.” As it turns out (and this is no surprise because it’s A24), the film itself lives up to that reputation and follows an especially macabre version of an ouija board. That is, an embalmed hand helps a group of judgment-lacking friends conjure spirits, and they reap more than than gambled for. Directors Danny and Michael Philippou came by their horror roots honestly, rose up through YouTube, and are ready to prevent you from sleeping at night.

9. One Piece (Netflix series)

Netflix did the thing after some anime-to-live action misses (Cowboy Bebop and Death Note), but fans of Monkey D. Luffy are thrilled with this adaptation of a a beloved anime/manga. Season 2 of the hopeful pirate king’s adventures has already been greenlit, and while they settle in for the wait, viewers can hop on the Japanese dub for a bonus from the voice cast of the anime series.

8. The Morning Show (Apple TV+ series)

Apple TV+ launched with this mainstay that keeps delivering numbers due to the combined power of Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston, and this season, Jon Hamm is crushing it in a sauna with Billy Crudup, who remains the Kermit The Frog of the show. Jon Hamm as a tech bro after portraying one of the masters of pulling wool over the public’s eyes in the 1960s? Yes, please.

7. The Wheel Of Time (Amazon Prime series)

Thus far, this series is one of the most popular Amazon Originals to stream in the past handful of years, and the show might eventually be considered the Game of Thrones counterpart that Jeff Bezos always wanted while bringing Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power to the small screen. Rosamund Pike departs from her usual completely terrifying characters to dive into more morally grey territory as Moraine of the Aes Sedai organization. She’s one of the only women (and people) who is able to wield magic, and she’s watching over the fruition of a prophecy that could either save humanity or destroy it. Fantasy lit is having more than a moment on TV right now.

6. American Horror Story (FX series streaming on Hulu)

Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk are currently churning through Season 12 of their anthology series that still stars Emma Roberts. She portrays an up-and-coming actress going through discouraging IVF rounds when she realizes that she’s being targeted, and her pursuit of fertility has everything to do with this. This season takes inspiration from Danielle Valentine’s book, Delicate Condition, and Kim Kardashian’s introductory line in this franchise is a doozy.

5. No Hard Feelings (Sony Pictures movie on VOD and Amazon Prime)

Jennifer Lawrence finally took a break from drama and action to be funny as hell. Here, she stars as a fail-hard character, Maddie, who decides to make some easy money by answering a Craigslist ad from two helicopter parents who would really like their 19-year-old awkward son to get boinked. JLaw throws herself full force into the raunchy resurrection that we’ve been missing in the movies these days, and the supposedly easy assignment turns out to be a greater challenge than expected.

4. The Continental (Peacock series)

Sadly, this three-part series will not feature a Keanu Reeves cameo as suggested years ago. This story takes place in the 1970s, long before Wick’s most pivotal pup was even born. As such, this spinoff will focus on the earlier days of the franchise’s assassin-welcoming hotel, where Colin Woodell portrays Winston, who’s attempting to do his day job and also navigate the hellish underbelly of the era’s New York City. If you’re not into the Mel Gibson aspect of this prequel, then perhaps Katie McGrath can sway you to watch as The Adjudicator.

3. Barbie (Warner Bros. movie on VOD and Amazon Prime)

This film is still rotating through theaters after pulling in over a billion dollars in box-office sales. Also, it’s not streaming “free” yet as part of a platform package, but you can rent or purchase it at home. So, enjoy the Barbies and Kens and only one Allan and marvel at how Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie, and Ryan Gosling pulled off a critically acclaimed crowd pleaser for the ages. Sure, there will be many more toy movies now, but this one matters and will go down in the pop-cultural history books as such.

2. No One Will Save You (20th Century Studios streaming on Hulu)

Kaitlyn Dever of Justified fame stars in a genuinely scary movie that you can stream while getting into the spooky spirit. The story puts an extraterrestrial twist on home-invasion horrors for a young woman who finds herself alienated in more ways than one. Come for the jump scares and stay for the novelty of a seat-gripping adventure that somehow communicates loud and clear with hardly any dialogue to be found, which only adds to the suspense.

1. The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon (AMC series streaming on AMC+)

Norman Reedus’ unwashed boo is now a washed boo, and that’s only the beginning of his new adventure. The leading man had one major condition for signing onto the only solo spinoff of the franchise (so far), and Daryl finally gets a “vacation.” Of course, this is not exactly a relaxing journey, but this franchise gives us moments of happiness for him, along with ass-kicking nuns and Paris at the beginning of the apocalypse. As a whole, this season reinvigorates the entire The Walking Dead legacy while beginning to slide puzzle pieces together for a bigger picture.

Notre Dame came painfully close to beating Ohio State on Saturday night in South Bend, as the Irish saw Ohio State punch the ball in from the 1-yard line with one second on the clock for a 17-14 Buckeyes win.

Getting to that point was an adventure, as neither offense could do much of anything until the fourth quarter when both squads drove the length of the field for touchdowns on their last two drives. Ohio State’s was set up by a 3rd and 19 completion to the 1, as Kyle McCord somehow found Emeka Egbuka on a seam to get a first down and stop the clock long enough to spike the ball and get two shots at the end zone.Notre Dame called a timeout to set up their defense for the final plays of the game, which was an incompletion followed by a DeaMonte Trayanum run off the left tackle, just barely breaking the plane of the goal line with one second to play.

It was a back-breaking moment for the Irish, who were so close to the big win they have been craving for some time, but it was made even worse when folks began taking a look at the replay and realized Notre Dame was out there with only 10 men on the biggest play of the game — with the guy they were missing being a lineman on the side Ohio State ran it in. On the full width video you can clearly count just 10 guys out there, with two in man coverage down bottom and eight in the box, with just three on the line and a big ol’ gap where Ohio State punched it in.

Not only did the Irish have 10 men on the final play, but it was also on the play following the timeout that resulted in an incompletion.

That kind of mistake in that moment is inexcusable from Marcus Freeman and the coaching staff, particularly out of a timeout, and the Irish will have to wonder what could’ve been if they’d just put their full unit out there.

Donald Trump loves to project strength…while safely ensconced in the bubble of rallies or interviews he can mostly control. But not everyone is buying his bull. One Trump turncoat is Chris Christie, who has made the primary focus of his presidential campaign to slam the former president early and often. He’s already made it clear he thinks Trump is a big coward for skipping the GOP debates (and in general). But he thinks there’s another reason the big guy won’t throw down with the likes of Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy and, of course, him.

As per HuffPost, Christie went on CNN, where he told Wolf Blitzer it made sense that Trump wouldn’t mount the debate stage. “If I had his record, I wouldn’t want to debate either,” he argued.

He elaborated on what he means by his record:

“He said he was going to balance the budget in four years, as a business man. He added $7 trillion to the national debt. Said he was going to build a ‘big, beautiful wall’ across the entire border of Mexico. He built 52 miles of new wall in four years. And he said Mexico was gonna pay for it. They never did. He said he was gonna repeal and replace Obamacare. He had a Republican Congress, he couldn’t get it done. Look, that’s not a record to be proud of.”

His poor lone term in office isn’t the only reason he’s hiding out. “He doesn’t want to face me,” Christie explained. “I prepared him for the debates in 2016. I prepared him for the debates in 2020. He knows what that’s like. He doesn’t want the American people to see it. I do.”

Still, Christie dares Trump to debate his fellow candidates. “And by the way, if he had any guts, he’d get on the debate stage,” Christie charged. “And he’s got things to say about me? Stop hiding behind your social media site, your failed social media site, Donald, and start taking me on directly. Show up. Stop being a coward.”

(Via HuffPost)

The game of football is pretty easy. For a few seconds, a ball is in play. You have to win that seconds-long battle of wills. And then, it ends, and you have to do that, over and over again, with the hopes that your team is going to be able to win enough of these battles of wills. And sometimes, you see an offensive lineman do a cartwheel in the middle of a play, for no reason.

That exact thing happened on Saturday afternoon when Louisville played host to Boston College in an ACC showdown. The Cardinals faced a second-and-7 right near midfield, and in a pretty normal sequence of events, the team’s quarterback, Jack Plummer, opted to run the ball because he didn’t like any of his options down the field. But pay attention to the slot on the near side of the screen, where … this happened.

As you can see, Willie Tyler was lined up in the slot. Tyler is a 6’6, 320 pound offensive lineman who was eligible as a receiver, and after jumping straight up after the ball was snapped, he decided to do a cartwheel.

Why did he do this? Who knows, but more importantly, who cares? I am glad that the big fella enjoyed himself.

One of the many ranked matchups during Week 4 of the college football calendar saw the Colorado Buffaloes take on their biggest test of the year, as the team had to travel to Autzen Stadium to take on the Oregon Ducks. With Travis Hunter sidelined and Oregon built to take advantage of Colorado’s struggles in the trenches, Deion Sanders’ squad had quite the uphill battle ahead of them.

Things started off very poorly for them, as the Ducks went up, 13-0. While the Buffaloes were able to get something going on their drive immediately after Oregon’s second score, things stalled out and Sanders opted to punt from the Ducks’ 38. It looked like the decision was gonna work out for them, as their defense was able to make a stand and force a fourth-and-4, to which Dan Lanning sent out his punt team on his own 17.

But instead of booting it, Lanning called for a fake, with the ball going to the 6’5, 305 Casey Rogers, who is listed as a defensive lineman. Rogers got the snap, had a lane, and ran 18 yards for a first down.

Oregon would continue to march down the field, and eventually, Bo Nix was able to connect with Troy Franklin for their third touchdown of the day.

No one has ever gone to Michael Bay movies for logic or easy-to-follow filmmaking, to say nothing of science. But you probably wouldn’t be surprised to learn that actual physicists don’t think much about his most science-heavy movie, Armageddon. (Safe to assume that The Island, about clones, doesn’t know what it’s talking about either.) Still, at least it’s no longer the most physics-illiterate movie out there, thanks to a newish usurper of the title.

As per Deadline, everyone’s favorite movie ruining scientist (and sometime Steak-umm sparring partner), Neil deGrasse Tyson, went on SiriusXM’s The Jess Cagle Show, where he and his host talked about popular movies he can’t watch because they’re too bad at science. Cagle pointed out that his guests once said something to the effect that Armageddon “violates more laws of physics per minute than any other film ever made.”

“That’s what I thought until I saw Moonfall,” deGrasse Tyson replied, referring to the most recent ridiculous blockbuster from Independence Day’s Roland Emmerich. “It was a pandemic film that came out, you know, Halle Berry, and the moon is approaching Earth, and they learned that it’s hollow and there’s a moon being made out of rocks living inside of it and the Apollo missions were really to visit, to feed the moon being, and I just couldn’t, so I said, ‘Alright, I thought Armageddon had a secure hold on this crown, but apparently not.’”

DeGrasse Tyson went on to deconstruct a film that actually has even more ludicrous plot developments than the moon threatening to destroy the Earth:

“All you gotta do is just nudge it, and if you do that early enough, if you nudge it like one centimeter per second to the right, in space, there’s no friction, so it’ll just keep drifting to the right. If you do that early enough, then you can have the asteroid pass in front of the earth rather than hit the earth, or you can slow it down so that it’ll pass behind the earth. Two ways you can adjust it. So, yeah. You know what it’s like? It’s like The Terminator thing where I want to kill your parents so that you’re never born. Really? All you have to do is prevent your parents from meeting each other or have them have sex 20 minutes later than the other one. That will create a different zygote and you won’t be born, so the movies go, in some cases, they get hyperbolic on their solutions to problems.”

DeGrasse Tyson is famous for tearing apart the logic of cheerfully stupid movies that most moviegoers don’t watch because they want things to make sense. That said, his deconstruction of Barbie was actually pretty civil.

(Via Deadline)