I grew up black in a very white neighborhood in a very white city in a very white state.
As such, I am a lot of people’s only black friend.
Being the only black friend is a gift and a curse. I am black and I love having friends. But I am also, at any given moment, expected to be a translator, an ambassador, a history teacher, and/or a walking, talking invitation into “I am not racist” territory. It’s a lot to handle. See what I mean about that curse?
So when I saw the animated short-film “Your Black Friend,” I felt so seen. Clearly, I am not alone.
The film, which was written, designed, and narrated by Ben Passmore and is based on his mini-comic of the same name, is a brilliant, refreshing way to examine whiteness and racism. The comic and animated short are an open-letter from “your black friend” to you, their well-meaning white friend, about bias, alienation, and what it means to be a good ally and friend.
It’s funny, honest, and heartbreaking in equal measure. And speaking from personal experience, it captures the experience of being a black friend to white people pretty much perfectly.
So if you’re a “woke” friend and ally, here are some things your black friend wants you to know.
1. You’re going to have to get uncomfortable.
It could be something as obvious and upsetting as a racist joke. Or something as “benign” as your aunt suggesting you cross the street when she sees a group of black kids walking by. But either way, if you want to be a good friend and a real ally, you’re going to have to speak up. You’re going to have to have those tough conversations with people you care about.
It’s not easy to confront strangers or people you love, but if you don’t do it, you are part of the problem. Sitting out isn’t an option. No one said being an ally is easy.
2. “Your black friend would like to say something to the racist lady, but doesn’t want to appear to be that ‘angry black man.'”
“He knows this type of person expects that from him, and he will lose before he begins,” Passmore says.
Black people can’t always react or respond the way we want to. When I am followed in a department store, pulled over for no reason, or stared at while picking up dinner at the fancy grocery store, I can’t stop what I’m doing and yell, “YES, I AM BLACK. NO, I AM NOT A CRIMINAL YOU SMALL-MINDED, BIASED ASSHOLES.” Trust me, I want to. But especially when police are involved, I have to be calm, respectful, and obedient.
That’s where you come in. You, white friend, need to speak up and say something when I can’t. If you are not at risk, nor considered a threat, you have a certain amount of privilege in these situations. Use it to demand answers, speak to supervisors, or if things really get dicey, pull out your phone and hit record.
3. We are constantly monitoring our surroundings and adjusting our clothes, hair, speed, and speech to maintain white comfort.
When I am in a parking garage and walking behind a white woman, I intentionally cough or walk a little louder so she turns and notices me.
Why? Because when I don’t, that same white woman will often clutch her purse and occasionally let out an audible gasp as I pass her. This is something my white friends likely don’t realize I have to do. Some of them may even be the pearl-clutchers in the parking lot.
But to maintain white comfort and to avoid having the cops called on us, we often have to tamp down clothes, modify our speech and volume, even do our hair differently. We have to have “the talk” with our kids about how the world sees them, and how act in order to make sure they come home alive.
No, it’s not fair. No, we don’t like it. But so long as this country and its institutions are built on a solid foundation of white supremacy, it’s a grim reality. You need to know that, and take it up with your fellow white people about how to dismantle it.
4. “Your black friend wishes you’d play more than Beyoncé. There are more black performers than Beyoncé.”
“Lemonade” was awesome. There is no denying it. And yes, I love seeing her iconic looks on Instagram too. But there is more to black music and black art than Beyoncé. Dip a toe outside your comfort zone and try new new artists and genres you may not be familiar with. Go listen, see it, and experience it for yourself.
And while we’re here, you can’t say the n-word when you sing along. Nope. You just can’t.
5. Speaking of which, performative blackness is really uncomfortable.
When you wear that braided wig on Halloween, or use your “blaccent” when you’re around me or other black people, it hurts. It’s not cute or charming, and it definitely doesn’t make you seem cool.
Our culture and heritage are not costumes you can slide on and off at your convenience. We don’t get to be black only when it suits us. Neither do you.
6. “Your black friend feels like a man without a country.”
Having white friends and seeming to “fit in” with the majority can feel really alienating. You can feel too “white” for black people, and too “black” for white people when all you want to do is find people to eat pizza with. As Passmore wrote, “He is lost in this contradiction, and held responsible for it.”
7. We would love it if we could stop talking about our anxiety and frustrations regarding racism. But right now, that’s impossible.
We can’t be expected to dismantle white supremacy on our own.
Our white friends and allies need to step up and gather their people. Have the tough conversations. Speak up when you see racism, discrimination, and microaggressions. The time to talk about it is done. Be about it, or find yourself a new black friend.
Around 1 a.m. on April 24, semi-truck drivers in the Oak Park area of Michigan received a distress call from area police: An unidentified man was standing on the edge of a local bridge, apparently ready to jump onto the freeway below.
Those drivers then did something amazing. They raced to the scene to help — and lined up their trucks under the bridge, providing a relatively safe landing space should the man jump.
Fortunately, he didn’t.
The impressive line-up wasn’t a coincidence — the drivers were prepared for exactly this sort of situation.
Sgt. Jason Brockdorff of the Huntington Woods Police Department told The Detroit News that the response was something local police and truck drivers had actually trained for. But what was unusual was the sheer number of drivers who responded to the call.
“That’s a practice we use if we have a jumper,” Brockdorff said. “We try to do it every time, to lessen the distance someone would travel if they were to jump. Fortunately, that didn’t happen.”
The incident lasted nearly four hours, into the early morning. However, once the trucks were in place, the police were able to more comfortably negotiate with the unidentified man.
Eventually, the man walked off the bridge on his own and is currently receiving medical help.
In a pair of tweets, the local police department called attention to the incident to remind people in similar situations of the importance of seeking mental health services (emphasis mine):
This photo does show the work troopers and local officers do to serve the public. But also in that photo is a man struggling with the decision to take his own life. Please remember help is available through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
You can also call a loved one, member of the clergy or 911. There are so many people that can help you make the choice to get help and live! It is our hope to never see another photo like this again.
Working together, the police and everyday strangers saved a life.
Ordinary people heeded the call of service to help a fellow person who was struggling. It’s a powerful image that’s impossible to ignore, and a reminder of humanity at its best.
Jack Harlow dipped his toe into K-pop with Jung Kook on “3D.”
And Lil Durk and Kid Cudi made for an unlikely combo on “Guitar In My Room.”
Here is the best of hip-hop this week ending September 29, 2023.
Albums/EPs/Mixtapes
CMG The Label — Gangsta Art 2
CMG
The Collective Music Group clique reunites for their second label compilation, continuing to highlight the talents of Yo Gotti signees EST Gee, GloRilla, Moneybagg Yo, Mozzy, and the incarcerated 42 Dugg. The group also makes room to invite some of the hottest street rappers to the party, including Sexyy Red, Big30, Fivio Foreign, and Glo’s ratchet-ass friends, Gloss Up, Slimeroni, and K Carbon. The project constitutes a solid enough intro until GloRilla’s solo debut and a decent placeholder while fans wait out 42 Dugg’s return.
Lil Wayne — Tha Fix Before Tha VI
Lil Wayne
For those of you who grew up long after schools stopped teaching Roman numerals, Lil Wayne’s sixth edition of his signature album series, Tha Carter, is due sometime in the near future. But, being Lil Wayne, the incorrigible studio rat that he is, he couldn’t just throw away his throwaways. And being Lil Wayne, the best rapper alive since the best rapper retired (does this still stand? Jay came back and has remained semi out of the game since then), the quality of even the editing room clippings is up there.
Maxo — Debbie’s Son
Maxo
You gotta love a good mom dedication record. Maxo is a fun listen for fans of heady, esoteric rappers like Earl Sweatshirt, MIKE, and their ilk, but a little grounded relatability always balances their dense wordplay and makes them all more accessible for those who aren’t necessarily accustomed to dusty crate digging.
Rome Streetz — Noise Kandy 5
Rome Streetz
On the flip side of that equation is the rugged, street-bred, Mobb Deep-influenced version of underground rap being kept alive by Rome Streetz and his compatriots in the Griselda family tree. If you like stone-faced narratives of shoot outs at dice games and shady drug plugs, give this a spin.
Tyga & YG — Hit Me When U Leave The Klub
YG Tyga
My most anticipated project of the week for obvious reasons, Hit Me When U Leave The Klub offers 14 tracks of all killer no filler. My fellow Hub City natives have remained impressively consistent for what is truly a dog’s age in rap years, but what’s even more awesome is how much sharper each rapper’s pen game has become in recent years (since they both actually, y’know… started writing down their raps). Not too deep, and not particularly thought-provoking, but it doesn’t promise anything it doesn’t deliver and it never outstays its welcome. Truly, a professional rap album from a pair of vets who deserve a lot more credit for their longevity.
TBH, I had no idea the Spillage Village affiliate even had new music on the way (blame the sheer volume of new stuff dropping every week). Fortunately, Tidal’s algorithms are well-attuned to exactly the lane of soulful, middlebrow hip-hop that gets my attention. This played right after “FMF” and I knew I had to include it.
Diamond Pistols — “FMF” Feat. GoldLink & Audrey Mika
GOLDLINK IS BACK. It was probably only a matter of time before the Maryland rapper shook off whatever maudlin mood had him dissing Mac Miller and making truly miserable tunes under the guise of art rap, but it sure is a relief to hear him actually sounding loose and carefree again. Credit electronic producer Diamond Pistols, who offers up a dancefloor burner perfect for GoldLink’s slickest flows, which return just as the zeitgeist has gotten really into hip-house again.
Lady London & Dreezy — “Yea Yea”
If you were to ask who my favorite rapper was seven years ago, I’d have told you Dreezy. If you ask me today, depending on my mood, the time of day, and the alignment of the planets and stars (joking), I’d probably still say “Dreezy.” She never misses, even if her beat selection over the past few years hasn’t done her many favors. Here, she and another great rap writer, Lady London, split the difference between lyrical wizardry and the relatable relationship raps of their peers. I hope this resonates with a lot of listeners and finally brings both the attention they deserve.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
After a long offseason following a disappointing year, the Dallas Mavericks are back for media day — both the Mavericks and the Minnesota Timberwolves started camp early due to their matchup in Abu Dhabi next week. With so many new faces on the roster, the Mavericks media day felt like the first day of school. Dallas drafted two rookies in the first round, Dereck Lively and Olivier-Maxence Prosper, that could play major minutes and possibly even start, according to Jason Kidd.
The Mavs also acquired several veteran players to surround Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving and bolster their defense. New Maverick Grant Williams batted first during the media day press conference, and the former Boston Celtic couldn’t stop flexing during his 10-minute presser.
Both Josh Green and Doncic poked fun at Williams in their media day pressers about how much he’s talked in training camp so far, and the Mavs will certainly hope that his gift of gab will be beneficial on the court this year.
Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour is wrapping up this weekend with one final show in Kansas City (at least, for now). So, now is good time to see just how successful the tour actually was. Both Billboard and the New York Times recently posted breakdowns of the tour’s earnings, which are recapped below.
How Much Did Beyoncé Make On The ‘Renaissance Tour?’
So, according to Billboard, in her 11 July shows alone, Beyoncé grossed $127.6 million — the largest one-month sum for any artist since the Boxscore archives began in the mid-1980s. She followed up in August with $179.3 million over 14 shows. She had the leading tour in sales three months in a row, with only Bad Bunny and Elton John leading more consecutive months (she’s in a tie with Ed Sheeran, the Rolling Stones, and Trans-Siberian Orchestra).
Meanwhile, the Times’ Jenna Wortham notes that the Renaissance Tour has been an economy unto itself, generating as much for the US as the 2008 Olympics did for Beijing — nearly $4.5 billion (a lot of that had to be just in silver clothing alone).
With nine shows in September and one in October, she’s already got the highest-grossing tour by a woman in the Boxscore archives with $461.3 million (passing Madonna’s 2008-9 Sweet & Sticky Tour). Although the remaining shows have yet to be tallied, Billboard projects they’ll bring the overall total to well over half-a-billion bucks at $560 million. Beyoncé would officially be the only woman, only Black artist, and only American solo act among the top ten highest grossing tours ever. A queen, indeed.
Disney World in Florida is being sued after a Typhoon Lagoon water slide reportedly gave a woman a “painful wedgie” during her visit in 2019. While that initially sounds humorous, the details are anything but. We’ll take the rogue bear over what happened here any day.
According to the suit filed by Emma and Edward McGuinness, the former was violently injured after going down the Humunga Kowabunga water slide while celebrating her 30th birthday. At 214 feet, the slide propels guests up to 40 mph before they hit the water below. However, Emma claims she was not told by staff members that guest instructions to cross their legs and ankles is a necessary safety precaution. She would soon find out in terrifying fashion.
“The impact of The Slide and [Emma’s] impact into the standing water at the bottom of The Slide caused Ms.McGuinness’ clothing to be painfully forced between her legs and for water to be violently forced inside her,” the suit reads, adding that Emma was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment and later had to undergo surgery to repair gynecologic injuries after “she experienced immediate and severe pain internally and, as she stood up, blood began rushing from between her legs.”
The McGuinness’ suit categorizes the experience as a “painful wedgie,” and alleges that she “suffered severe and permanent bodily injury including severe vaginal lacerations, a full thickness laceration causing Plaintiff’s bowel to protrude through her abdominal wall, and damage to her internal organs.”
The couple are reportedly suing the park for $50,000 in damages stemming from Emma’s injuries. Representatives for Disney World did not respond to EW‘s request for comment.
I know what you’re thinking: there is a very large elephant in the room and we have to address this. Saw Xtakes place between Saw and Saw II, but over the last two decades, the saw traps have gotten so complex, how on earth will the latest film make an adequate saw trap without utilizing 2010s technology? This is really what keeps people up at night. Along with the idea that you might wake up in an underground subway system with your tongue stuck in a metal contraption. Luckily, the people behind the movie knew what to do.
For Saw X, the producers wanted to bring it back to the basics that helped Saw become the iconic gruesome series that spawned 10 sequels. “We knew we wanted to make the traps less complicated,” executive producer Mark Burg recently told IndieWire. Surely anything will be less complicated than the Saw timeline.
Burg added, “We wanted to make traps that you could basically put together from Home Depot. At some point our traps got bigger and more complex, and we wanted to bring it back down.” That means no more laser traps, even though those looked pretty cool. Does Home Depot even sell lasers? What aisle were these guys looking in?
Since Saw X takes place sometime in 2004, the original Jigsaw was making these traps, and he wasn’t totally a professional yet. “As far as the traps were concerned, our main objective was to make sure that everybody believes that John Kramer made these traps,” Production designer Anthony Stabley said. “We wanted to make sure that it reflects the early Saw films.” That means MORE creepy clown doll on a tricycle and LESS Chris Rock! It seems like they have delivered.
Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour has been a spectacle from day one — from the over-the-top looks that have since become internet legend to Megan Thee Stallion practically bursting with excitement to perform their hit song “Savage” at their Houston hometown show. With just one dates remaining after Wednesday night’s concert in New Orleans (Sunday at Kansas City will be the final stop), it looks like the Renaissance World Tour is all wrapped up… or is it?
It wouldn’t be a WORLD tour if it just did Europe and North America, now would it? Eagle-eyed Beyhive fans spotted a social media post that suggests that the next region due for a Beyoncé takeover is South America.
Is Beyoncé’s ‘Renaissance Tour’ Going To South America Soon?
According to a screenshot from Beyoncé fan account Ticketmaster’s Chile Instagram profile posted a cryptic image of a MacOS document folder titled “Eventos Ticketmaster 2024_Final” with a very purposefully chosen music tag: Beyoncé’s “America Has A Problem” remix with Kendrick Lamar. The song has since been removed but the post remains. Its caption reads, “Let’s start planning for 2024 If you knew the names this folder has ! What would you give to open this file ?”
It’s hard to tell if the fan account’s screenshot is 100 percent legit, but let’s say that it is; it wouldn’t be surprising for Beyoncé to have a couple of stops planned in places like Brazil, where her fanbase is as fervent as anywhere else. Meanwhile, we’re sure the Beyhive would love to get a look inside that folder for confirmation their fave is headed to South America. For now, we’ll just have to speculate while waiting for an official announcement — but I’d be willing to bet one is coming sooner rather than later.
The Rundown is a weekly column that highlights some of the biggest, weirdest, and most notable events of the week in entertainment. The number of items could vary, as could the subject matter. It will not always make a ton of sense. Some items might not even be about entertainment, to be honest, or from this week. The important thing is that it’s Friday, and we are here to have some fun.
ITEM NUMBER ONE – GIMME
The new season of Fargo premieres on November 21, which is nice because it’s been a long time since the wonderfully weird show has been on our televisions and it’s nice to have a firm date for its return, but it’s also terrible because that is like two months away and I WANT IT NOW. It looks so good. That’s not really a big surprise because every season of Fargo has been good and just littered with perfect casting and hilarious character names, which is all I have ever asked for out of a television show, but still. This season looks extra good.
Check out the first teaser that dropped last week:
What we have here:
Ted Lasso star Juno Temple doing an incredible Midwestern accent
Brandishing a gun that was hidden in her kitchen
Holding a baseball bat with nails pounded through and sticking out of the barrel
This is good stuff. As is this, from a conversation with the producer about how excited he is about working with her and the character she is playing.
Temple, known for her comedic turns in Ted Lasso as well as her grit in The Offer, quickly emerged as the obvious choice for Dot, a seemingly innocent woman whose past comes back to haunt her after she gets in trouble with local authorities.
Sounds great. And I was already excited about it even before, well, this…
What we have here:
Jon Hamm as a sheriff
Stealing bacon off of someone’s plate
Wearing a belt buckle that says “A Hard Man For Hard Times”
I have talked about some of this before. A lot, actually. I get really excited about Jon Hamm. As I do when I see stuff like this from that same piece about the upcoming season.
“Jon Hamm is Jon Hamm. Every actor should have a resume like that. I mean, remarkable,” Littlefield says. “Dot needs a great adversary to tell this story and we felt that Jon could really sing from that hymnal, that he could be that North Dakota sheriff who really, really bought into an entire world philosophy, a rigidity, and he has an ax to grind and so he is such a critical pillar in Dot’s story, the reveal of who she is, what is her past.”
And it all has me just really, really pumped for all of it. More pumped than I am for the new season of True Detective, which also dropped a new trailer this week. Fargo has always been just so good and weird in ways that no other show has been. It’s unique in a time where that’s been harder to do, just given the massive amount of stuff out there. And it has Joe Keery from Stranger Things as a character named Gator Tillman. That counts for something, too.
Fargo is coming back. This is good news. Let’s get jacked up.
ITEM NUMBER TWO – Let’s throw a party at Shrek’s house
Dreamworks
Okay, facts first, quickly, via bullet point, because I refuse to risk ruining our fun with too much actual information:
All you would have to pay for is the transportation to and from
This has nothing to do with the offer but it feels like a good time to remind you that someone stole a giant Shrek statue earlier this year
Let’s all put our names in here and throw a huge party in Shrek’s swamp
Details via Airbnb:
Located in the hills of the Scottish Highlands, Shrek’s Swamp is a stumpy, secluded haven fit for a solitude-seeking ogre… and for the first time ever, a handful of his biggest fans, thanks to yours truly. I’m swamp-sitting while Shrek’s away this Halloween, and I’m absolutely delighted to invite you in for a fairytale stay. Oh, and never mind the “BEWARE” signs. They’re probably for decoration.
God yes.
Let’s throw an absolute rager in the swamp.
Think about how fun this would be to explain to people for the rest of your life.
And it gets better…
Once you arrive and check-in, our on-site concierge will ensure a comfortable stay for you and your pals – including showing you around and arranging meals. Please note that toilet, sink and shower facilities will be located off-site, approximately 20 meters away from Shrek’s Swamp.
Two things are true here:
NUMBER ONE: This kind of deal should be offered for all popular movie characters, where you can stay in their house for a weekend, and yes I am already planning a barbecue at Dominic Toretto’s house
NUMBER TWO: The bathroom being “20 meters from Shrek’s Swamp” is hilarious and pretty much guarantees that someone is peeing in a corner of the living room.
Just a lovely series of developments here.
ITEM NUMBER THREE – I need you to get a real good mental image of this
TRISTAR
People Magazine has a little interview with Arnold Schwarzenegger to promote his new motivational self-help book, which is already a hilarious collection of words, and you are welcome to go read it all, but I need to direct your attention to this specific exception from the whole thing about the time he punished his son — Patrick, star of the new The Boys spinoff, Gen V — by heaving his entire mattress out the window.
“I opened up the door to the balcony, picked up the mattress and threw it down with the bedsheets, the pillows, everything. I said, don’t ever make someone come in and clean your room, clean your shower or make your bed,” he shares. “I said, ‘Because I taught you how to make the bed.’ “
I’ve been thinking about this a lot since I read it earlier in the week and I think this is my biggest takeaway…
Imagine being Arnold Schwarzenegger’s neighbor and you’re stumbling outside in your robe all groggy one morning to grab the newspaper from your driveway, and suddenly you hear loud yelling — in Arnold’s voice, with his accent — and you glance over toward his house and see him shoving an entire mattress out of a second-story window. Think about how you would begin to process that. Really crank away on it in your brain for a while.
And then, when you get a good mental image of all that, sprinkle this in, too…
He also recalls contention with Patrick over his long, hot showers, telling his son, “It’s over, no more showers. Five minutes, one shower, and then that’s it and we’re turning it off.”
I honestly do not know if I’ll ever stop hearing the phrase “It’s over, no more showers” in my head in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s voice. You’re probably hearing it right now, too. It’s really delightful. “IT’S OVUH. NUH MOAH SHOWUHS.” That should have been the title of his motivational book. Or a ringtone you can buy for like 99 cents. Or both. Just tossing out some options here.
ITEM NUMBER FOUR – Let’s check in with Yellowstone…
Paramount
CBS starting airing reruns of Yellowstone this month, mostly because hopefully now over writers’ strike left them in a bit of a pickle when it came to new shows to plop into the fall schedule, and two important developments have popped up. Important to me, at least. Which is all we are really focused on in this column. So… let’s get to them.
Turns out the show might be headed toward some trouble with the FCC over how often Kelly Reilly’s character, Beth Dutton, lights up a cigarette, which is not a problem on a cable network like Paramount but could be one on network television. Via Decider:
According to the FCC’s website, “stations are prohibited from broadcasting material that promotes certain lotteries,” including advertising the use of cigarettes. This standard is aligned with the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act, which “prohibits any advertising of cigarettes and little cigars on radio, television, or other media regulated by the [FCC].” This targets major networks, such as CBS.
Which is honestly a little hilarious. As is this, from a report in Variety about Peacock attempting to use the Yellowstone re-airings to siphon off some viewers for themselves.
CBS sold national ad time during the program to rival NBCUniversal, which ran a spot highlighting the availability of the Western-themed drama series on its Peacock streaming hub. “Peacock has all episodes of ‘Yellowstone,’” the commercial says via graphics that appear over scenes from the program. “Stream every season now.” Peacock has streaming rights to the program, even though it’s produced by CBS parent Paramount Global, which first airs the series on its TV networks. “This is a declaration of war,” says one “Yellowstone” character at the end of the spot.
As Variety went on to note, this isn’t so much a VIEWERSHIP HEIST as it is a calculated decision by both parties, but still.
Running Peacock’s “Yellowstone” spots might augment Paramount’s revenue. If more people watch the series on the NBC property, executives there might want to extend their rights to the program. And since the CBS episodes are repeats, Paramount executives may have bet the show’s core audience has already watched them — and may be out there streaming something else.
And it appears to be working, too, as a follow-up report revealed both the viewership numbers for CBS and Peacock are through the roof. So there’s really no bad news here. Unless Beth Dutton and her smoke breaks don’t also lead to a spike in tobacco sales. Although, I mean, there would be something funny about that, too.
Lots to consider here.
ITEM NUMBER FIVE – Okay, yes, I’m in
Some notes:
This is the trailer for the upcoming film Argylle, from the director of the Kingsman movies, Matthew Vaughn
It looks weird and fun as hell
It features the song “Suspicious Minds” by Elvis Presley, which rules and should be in most, if not all, movie trailers
The trailer offers more clues as to the plot of Argylle. We learn that Argylle is a fictional super spy dreamed up by introverted writer Elly Conway, whose life is turned upside down when her new book is a little too close to the truth for some real-life spies who begin to hunt her down. Oh, and her cat is along for the ride.
And look at this cast.
Argylle‘s all-star cast includes Henry Cavill, Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Rockwell, Bryan Cranston, Catherine O’Hara, John Cena, Dua Lipa, Ariana DeBose, Samuel L. Jackson and Dua Lipa. The film is Brit music superstar Lipa’s second feature, after she made her debut, alongside Cena, in Barbie.
And look at what Dua Lipa says in the trailer.
APPLE
Yup, I’m in. I’m not a complicated person.
READER MAIL
If you have questions about television, movies, food, local news, weather, or whatever you want, shoot them to me on Twitter or at [email protected] (put “RUNDOWN” in the subject line). I am the first writer to ever answer reader mail in a column. Do not look up this last part.
From KW:
Out of all the crazy local news stories I’m sure you get sent every week, I mean I’ve sent you several over the years, what does it take to end up in THE RUNDOWN? Is there a criteria to be included? Thank you for your time I’ll hang up and listen.
I wish I could tell you there is a science to this. It’s more of a feel thing. You know I love a good heist story, so there’s always that. But, in the absence of theft or something silly or notable, good factors to consider are:
A Philadelphia Phillies fan and his emotional support alligator, Wally, were denied entry into Wednesday’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Hmm. Yes. This will do nicely. Especially considering we also have a picture of Wally wearing a harness and a leash.
Are you kidding me. A #Phillies fan tried to come into game tonight with what they said was a “service animal.” An Alligator! Yes an Alligator. Thing’s I’ve never seen. This is it. @SportsRadioWIP pic.twitter.com/H7A0FM0IYC
There is more background here, as I discovered by googling all of this and finding a story about Wally and his owner from a few years ago.
A man who answered an e-mail from a reporter about Wally from the website Service Dog Registration of America said, “Our therapist would never approve a client to have an alligator as an emotional support animal. ”
Henney’s doctor did.
“My doctor wanted to put me on depression medicine, and I hate taking medicine. I had Wally, and when I came home and was around him, it was all OK,” he said. “My doctor knew about Wally and figured it works, so why not?”
I have two conflicting thoughts here:
THOUGHT ONE: As someone who also has a disability (spinal cord injury, power wheelchair, the whole deal), it bums me out a little to see the kind of stories where a real and useful thing like support animals can be seen as silly and frivolous
THOUGHT TWO: If this guy and his alligator are happy, good for them.
I dunno, man.
The stadium’s policy on support animals on the Phillies official website states: “Certified service dogs or service dogs in training for guests with special needs are welcome. All other animals are prohibited.”
This is what I mean. It is all very confusing. I would not like to pay for a ticket to a baseball game and be seated next to a man with an alligator. But I did like seeing that picture of an alligator on a leash, though. Lots of difficult issues to process in this story.
Michael Oher just scored a significant victory in his legal battle with Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy. The Memphis couple’s adoption of the now-former NFL star was the subject of The Blind Side, a best-selling book by Michael Lewis that became a smash when it was adapted into a film starring Sandra Bullock.
However, Oher recently revealed that the he was never actually adopted by the Tuohys, but instead, entered into a questionable conservatorship that he claims allowed them to profit off his story and enrich themselves along with their biological children. Oher has since taken the Tuohys to court where Probate Court Judge Kathleen Gomes not only terminated the conservatorship, but openly questioned how it even existed in the first place.
Gomes said she was disturbed that such an agreement was ever reached. She said she had never seen in her 43-year career a conservatorship agreement reached with someone who was not disabled.
“I cannot believe it got done,” she said.
Oher and Tuohys listened in by video conference call but did not speak. Lawyers for both parties had agreed that the agreement should end, but the case will continue to address Oher’s claims. Gomes said it should have ended long ago.
The Tuohys have denied Oher’s claims that they “enriched themselves at this expense” and have referred to his accusations as a “shakedown.” The couple also claims that Oher knew about the conservatorship, and that it was only used to get him into University of Mississippi by making him part of the Tuohy family “in some fashion.”
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