GoneTrending

The Ted Lasso Power Rankings are a weekly analysis of who and/or what had the strongest performance in each episode. Most of the list will feature individual characters, although the committee does reserve the right to honor anything from animals to inanimate objects to laws of nature to general concepts. There are very few rules here.

Season 3, Episode 4 — “Big Week”

HONORABLE MENTION: Dani Rojas (I did not like seeing Dani get angry and play dirty); Shandy (she remains a firecracker but the thing about firecrackers is that sometimes they can go off in your hand); Jade from the restaurant (she’s so mean and I want her and Nate — I’m sorry, “Jason Jelly” — to have 10 babies); Higgins (sometimes I wonder what he’s up to when he’s not at work); Mae (runs a tight ship); changing your name to whatever you want (all fun and games until one of your friends changes their name to your name and then chaos descends upon your personal life); Michelle Lasso (get it together, lady); Dr. Jacob (still hate him); Rupert (I appreciate that he usually wears black to remind us that he’s evil); Trent Crimm (the thing we need to remember about this Nate business is that the thing with the sign will almost definitely end up in his book and be a public relations nightmare for a lot of people); Keeley (the Shandy thing is going to be a problem); Sassy (straight shooter)

10. (tie) Barbara the CFO (LAST WEEK: Unranked)

Barbara fascinates me. Such a strange woman. Jumps straight to “sperm donor” when Higgins told the little “my son was in a car accident”riddle. She’s kind of obsessed with Rebecca. She was maybe too into the violence of the second half when Richmond got mad and started playing dirty. I bet she would be frothing at the mouth at a UFC event. I bet she’s seen Wrestlemania in person. I feel like she might have an exotic/dangerous pet at home. A snake, a scorpion, maybe a couple of piranhas.

Again, fascinating.

10. (tie) Will Kitman (LAST WEEK: Unranked)

He’s a sweet boy.

9. Roy (LAST WEEK: 5)

Tough week for Roy, what with his on-field tactical strategy failing against Nate and his motivational tactic of showing the team the video of Nate ripping the sign… also failing. Tremendously. Just a massive miscalculation on all levels. And Keeley was kind of making googly eyes at Jamie during the Bantr videos, which is also not great given the thing where Roy clearly has feeling for her and is probably regretting the breakup on some deep dark level of his soul where he buries his feelings.

That said:

• I did enjoy watching him punch the whiteboard
• I love how seriously he is taking his role of trainer with Jamie
• I bet Jamie would pronounce googly “goo-gleh”

This last one has very little to do with Roy, admittedly, but I’ve been thinking about it since the middle of the first paragraph of this section and needed to tell someone.

8. Jack Danvers (LAST WEEK: Unranked)

Probably not the most important aspect of the whole “Keeley’s new boss showed up for a game in which the sweethearts she’s trying to build a dating app around played like a bunch of rowdy hooligans” thing but I do think I should mention that I noticed and appreciated the Apple TV+ synergy of bringing in Jodi Balfour from For All Mankind for the role, if only because it allows me to once again tell you what a good show that is.

Also, Rowdy Hooligan would be a good name for like a professional wrestler or British rapper. Something to file away.

7. Zava (LAST WEEK: 3)

Unless I misheard, and I do not think I did, Zava — who continues to just mangle inspirational quotes, as seen above — has at least four children that he let name themselves at age 7, and the names those four children chose are: Angry, Dirty, Ugly, and Smingus Dingus. He is basically raising the seven dwarves. I love him and them very much.

6. Jamie (LAST WEEK: 2)

Jamie is:

• Starting to take his training seriously after a lil puke mishap
• Possibly on the verge of being in two separate love triangles (Keeley/Roy and Keeley/Shandy)
• Not passing to Zava in games, which is something he’s going to have to get over at some point
• Still dressing kind of like a secondary member of a C-list Orlando boy band from like 1997

Please imagine how weird it would be to be strolling through a park and see one world-famous athlete puking from exercise while another world-famous athlete sits in front of him on a bench eating breakfast. You would text everyone you know.

5. Nate (LAST WEEK: Unranked)

Here’s the thing with Nate…

ON ONE HAND: Everyone saw the video of him ripping the sign in a rage a while ago, and Rupert is playing to his worst impulses, and he continues to wear black and never smile like the villain in a Disney movie, and he did that weird thing where everyone got off the elevator and it was just him and Ted left in there and he stayed in the back facing the corner like a little boy who had just gotten in trouble at school, which probably says more about his mental state right now than any line of dialogue he’s said all season.

ON THE OTHER HAND: His team did win, thanks in part to Richmond melting down but mostly to his tactical skill. He appears to be inching toward fixing his relationship with Ted, even if his boss and the world are conspiring against him a little bit. He didn’t spit at anything in a blind rage this week. This represents progress.

Good for Nate.

4. Helping out a stranger in need (LAST WEEK: Unranked)

The specific example here — Jack handing Keeley a tampon under the divider of the bathroom stall — might not apply to about 50 percent of the population, but the sentiment is the same. You can do stuff like this so easily, too. Let’s say the person in front of you in line at the coffee shop is fumbling with their wallet and looking flustered, or maybe their card got declined or isn’t swiping right. Pay for their order. Even if they get some fancy drink and a snack, the total comes to like $8. You can handle that. And it feels great. It doesn’t have to be money, either. Hold the door for someone carrying a million bags. Make a silly face at a crying kid whose mom and/or dad looks like they might heave their cell phone through a window.

Little things. It’s a good start. Do it for selfish reasons, if you want, just to feel superior to all the other jerks who don’t do it. No one else needs to know that part.

3. Rebecca (LAST WEEK: 10)

Rebecca lost to Rupert’s team and didn’t seem to be having a blast at halftime when she was shouting “HAVE FUN” at Ted with a fire in her eyes that could have set off the smoke alarms in the stadium if she hadn’t walked away in time. That… wasn’t great. In a more normal week where more people on this show have little triumphs and successes, she might not have even cracked the top ten.

But.

Everyone else was doing very bad this week and she did get the satisfaction of telling Rupert to stop screwing around with his assistant and that probably helped to drive home once and for all that she’s better off without him. I don’t know. Weird week for everyone, I guess.

2. Ted (LAST WEEK: 9)

Ted:

• Lost the big grudge match again Nate
• Watched his team flail and maim for an entire half of soccer without really doing anything about it
• Still doesn’t seem to understand the basics of the sport he is being paid handsomely to coach

Which is… bad. Like, objectively. And Sassy correctly identified, to his face, that he’s a mess right now, in a few ways. Which is… true, but also bad. So, with all of that working against him, why is he ranked all the way up here at number two? Two reasons:

• It was kind of a big step for him to confront Michelle — in the most gentle way you can possibly imagine — about the thing where she’s now dating their marriage counselor and bringing him around Henry
• He was right about not wanting to show the team the video of Nate, as we discovered shortly after Roy and Beard did

It would be funny if this is all leading up to a series finale where everything Ted has been bottling up finally explodes out of him and he becomes a supervillain who tries to blow up the moon. Let’s keep an eye on this

1. Coach Beard (LAST WEEK: 1)

I mean…

Like…

I don’t know. I can’t really defend leaving Beard at number one this week. He made zero good coaching decisions and Ted is falling to pieces and he’s not doing a great job of monitoring that. I feel like he’ll tighten it up, though. He did give Nate a good hard stare, too. That’s something, I guess. I don’t know.

I don’t know.

Snowfall will come to a close with its sixth and final season this year. For the past six years, we’ve watched the show grow into a fan-favorite as fans tuned in on a weekly basis to the dramatized take on Los Angeles’ crack epidemic in the 1980s. Through the shows’ characters like Franklin, Leon, Jerome, Teddy, Louie, and others, Snowfall has granted a view of both the contributors and victims of the crack epidemic. With the final season of Snowfall, however, it appears that these contributors will also fall victim to the powers that be.

When Does Snowfall Season 6, Episode 8 Come Out?

The latest episode of Snowfall, episode eight titled “Balled Of The Bear,” will air on Wednesday, April 5, at 10 pm EST/PST on FX. The episode will then be available the following day on Hulu at 3 pm EST/12 am PST. A (very brief) official synopsis of the episode can be found below:

Franklin and Gustavo set a plan in motion.

The latest episode airs after early reports of a Snowfall spin-off were revealed. According to Deadline, the spin-off with star Gail Bean (who currently plays Wanda) and be focused on the Los Angeles rap industry that took the nation by storm in the 1990s.

For more on Snowfall, you can revisit our recap of episode seven, here.

In an episode of Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy podcast, pop icon Christina Aguilera got “Dirrty.” During her NSFW interview, she did not hold back, especially when sharing oral sex tips.

In the raunchy conversation, Aguilera dubbed herself “a promoter of the swallow.”

“Swallowing is really a good thing. […] It’s got a lot of protein,” she said. “There is something to be said [for doing so] after you put in the hard work.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Aguilera stated that it’s important for her to have an open-minded partner, who’s willing to explore and try new things in the bedroom. She noted that in her experience, some things that worked with some partners didn’t always work for others.

“There are some guys that don’t like their balls being touched … and there are some guys that like brutal things happening to them,” she said. “There [are] a lot of different levels.”

She also revealed some of the most interesting places where she’s done the deed. Some of these places include the shower, an airplane in flight while covered with blankets, and “bent over the soundboard” in a recording studio.

While she displays confidence in her sexuality, Aguilera confessed that she didn’t make her sexual debut until later than most of her peers.

“I probably was the last person to lose my virginity,” she said. “It was something that was for me.”

Stream the latest episode of Call Her Daddy here.

The MTV Movie & TV Awards doesn’t have the prestige of the Academy Awards, but it does have the guts to let the delightful Drew Barrymore host and nominate Adam Sandler and Keke Palmer, both of whom have been egregiously snubbed by the Oscars in recent years. So I’d argue it’s the superior award show.

Another highlight from the 2023 nominations, which were announced today: the Best Villain category, where Harry Styles in Don’t Worry Darling will compete against M3GAN and the titular drug-loving bear from Cocaine Bear. M3GAN, icon that she is, deserves to win — unless Styles (who, weirdly, has been named Villain of the Year at a different ceremony) shows up and recreates his Don’t Worry Darling jig. If only there was a Best Dance category…

Here’s the complete list of nominees:

BEST MOVIE
Avatar: The Way of Water
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Elvis
Nope
Scream VI
Smile
Top Gun: Maverick

BEST SHOW
Stranger Things
The Last of Us
The White Lotus
Wednesday
Wolf Pack
Yellowstone
Yellowjackets

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A MOVIE
Austin Butler — Elvis
Florence Pugh — Don’t Worry Darling
KeKe Palmer — Nope
Michael B. Jordan — Creed III
Tom Cruise — Top Gun: Maverick

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SHOW
Aubrey Plaza — The White Lotus
Christina Ricci — Yellowjackets
Jenna Ortega — Wednesday
Riley Keough — Daisy Jones & The Six
Sadie Sink — Stranger Things
Selena Gomez — Only Murders in the Building

BEST HERO
Diego Luna — Andor
Jenna Ortega — Wednesday
Paul Rudd — Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania
Pedro Pascal — The Last Of Us
Tom Cruise — Top Gun: Maverick

BEST VILLAIN
Elizabeth Olsen — Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Harry Styles – Don’t Worry Darling
Jamie Campbell Bower — Stranger Things
M3GAN – M3GAN
The Bear — Cocaine Bear

BEST KISS
Anna Torv + Philip Prajoux – The Last Of Us
Harry Styles + David Dawson – My Policeman
Madison Bailey + Rudy Pankow – Outer Banks
Riley Keough + Sam Claflin – Daisy Jones & The Six
Selena Gomez + Cara Delevingne – Only Murders in the Building

BEST COMEDIC PERFORMANCE
Adam Sandler – Murder Mystery 2
Dylan O’Brien – Not Okay
Jennifer Coolidge – Shotgun Wedding
KeKe Palmer – Nope
Quinta Brunson – Abbott Elementary

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
Bad Bunny – Bullet Train
Bella Ramsey – The Last Of Us
Emma D’Arcy – House of the Dragon
Joseph Quinn – Stranger Things
Rachel Sennott – Bodies Bodies Bodies

BEST FIGHT
Brad Pitt (Ladybug) vs. Bad Bunny (The Wolf) – Bullet Train
Courteney Cox (Gale Weathers) vs. Ghostface – Scream VI
Jamie Campbell Bower (Vecna) vs. Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven) – Stranger Things
Keanu Reeves (John Wick) vs. Everyone – John Wick 4
Escape from Narkina 5- Andor

MOST FRIGHTENED PERFORMANCE
Jennifer Coolidge – The White Lotus
Jesse Tyler Ferguson – Cocaine Bear
Justin Long – Barbarian
Rachel Sennott – Bodies Bodies Bodies
Sosie Bacon – Smile

BEST DUO
Camila Mendes + Maya Hawke – Do Revenge
Jenna Ortega + Thing – Wednesday
Pedro Pascal + Bella Ramsey – The Last Of Us
Simona Tabasco + Beatrice Grannò – The White Lotus
Tom Cruise + Miles Teller – Top Gun: Maverick

BEST KICK-ASS CAST
Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Outer Banks
Stranger Things
Teen Wolf: The Movie

BEST SONG
Demi Lovato – Still Alive (Scream VI)
Doja Cat – Vegas (Elvis)
Lady Gaga – Hold My Hand (Top Gun: Maverick)
OneRepublic – I Ain’t Worried (Top Gun: Maverick)
Rihanna – Lift Me Up (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever)
Taylor Swift – Carolina (Where The Crawdads Sing)

BEST DOCU-REALITY SERIES
Jersey Shore Family Vacation
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
Family Reunion: Love & Hip Hop Edition
The Kardashians
Vanderpump Rules

BEST COMPETITION SERIES
All-Star Shore
Big Brother
RuPaul’s Drag Race: All-Stars
The Challenge: USA
The Traitors

BEST HOST
Drew Barrymore – The Drew Barrymore Show
Joel Madden – Ink Master
Nick Cannon – The Masked Singer
RuPaul – RuPaul’s Drag Race
Kelly Clarkson – The Kelly Clarkson Show

BEST REALITY ON-SCREEN TEAM
Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, Vinny Guadagnino, Pauly D (MVP) – Jersey Shore Family Vacation
Tori Deal and Devin Walker – The Challenge: Ride or Dies
RuPaul Charles and Michelle Visage – RuPaul’s Drag Race
Ariana Madix, Katie Maloney, Scheana Shay, LaLa Kent – Vanderpump Rules
Garcelle Beauvais and Sutton Stracke – The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

BEST MUSIC DOCUMENTARY
Halftime
Love, Lizzo
Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me
Sheryl
The Day the Music Died: The Story of Don McLean’s American Pie

Earlier this year, the children’s animation world was shaken to its core when Eddie Murphy, the voice of Donkey in the critically acclaimed theatrical franchise Shrek, dissed his on-screen companion, Puss in Boots, for having his own movie. There hasn’t been an animation drama like this since Pixar controversially changed their editing software for Cars 2. It was a dark time.

Murphy told ETalk that he was well aware that Mr. Boots has inspired his own spinoff films, and he was not too happy about it. “You know, they did Puss in Boots movies. I was like, ‘They should have did a Donkey movie. Donkey is funnier than Puss in Boots.’ I mean, I love Puss in Boots, but he ain’t funny as the Donkey,” Murphy boldly claimed. He is also correct.

Sure, maybe he was joking (comedians love to do that from time to time) but he has a point: donkeys need more representation in the media. Thanks to the success of The Banshees of Inisherin, Triangle of Sadness, and EO, it seems like Donkeys are finally getting the moment that Cats have been having since the dawn of the internet. And now it seems like Murphy is getting his wish!

Illumination founder and CEO Christoper Meledandri confirmed to Variety that Dreamworks is looking to bring Shrek back to theaters for more fun and give Donkey his moment to shine. Meledandri said he was “thrilled” when he heard that Murphy was interested in his own movie.

“It’s evidence of his strong enthusiasm for a role that he so brilliantly inhabited and really created alongside the artists at DreamWorks,” Meledandri said. “I found that comment to be very exciting.” When asked if that means we can expect Donkey as a leading man in the near future, Meledandri replied, “Without question.”

So what are some potential plot points for a Donkey spinoff? There haven’t been any details yet, but we know that Donkey loves waffles, has a bunch of dragon/donkey children, and knows how to throw a karaoke party. Maybe he will finally embark on his personal quest to become a big pop star on Far Far Away Idol. He really deserves it!

(Via Collider)

Chloe Bailey has taken more than her fair share of trash talk from fans lately. People on Twitter have negatively compared her to her sister Halle, derided her creative choices, and criticized her choice of collaborators. In a new interview, she addressed those people, pointing out the fatal flaw in one of their favorite arguments.

Appearing on her hometown radio station, Atlanta’s Majic 107.5, Chlöe broke down the negative responses after being asked about the criticism by host Ryan Cameron. “I saw somebody that said, ‘Whatever happened to Chloe X Halle?’” the host said. “Because they felt like it was a space — after Beyoncé [signed the sister duo] and all that — there was just gonna be all these things. Then, all of a sudden, all these things really happen, then it’s like, ‘Whatever happened to Chloe X Halle?’ It’s like they almost felt like… they wanted you to stay a kid!”

“The thing is,” Chlöe replied, “The same people who say that weren’t fans of Halle and [me] when we had our Ungodly Hour album out, The Kids Are Alright. So, it’s a bunch of people who are just putting in their two cents now just to really say things. Sis and I, we’ve been underground for a minute and the same people who talk weren’t around then or giving us our props then, and it’s like now they want to talk trash for some reason.”

For sure, it’s appeared that the more success the sisters have seen, the more critical the peanut gallery has become — but those people sharing their opinions now don’t even seem to know much about the girls. Take the loud contingent of racist haters who lashed out at Halle’s casting in The Little Mermaid. It seems they’ve just become the latest targets of convenience for online cranks looking for something to hate.

You can watch the full interview up top.

In 2021, Chlöe flapped her wings and flew out of her nest. This “nest” is representative of more than one thing in her life – her Chloe x Halle duo with sister Halle Bailey and the sonic landscape that made up her previous records are among them. For the first half of that year at least, Chlöe was independent of both. Halle spent the first six months of 2021 in London filming The Little Mermaid live-action film. This marked the first time that the two were apart for such a long period of time. It was during this time that Chlöe also became more experimental with her music and more comfortable with showing off her body on social media. The latter resulted in extended and unfounded criticism from people at home, and it continued for the next two years. They took swipes at everything from her music, her posts, her performances, and more in this new and continuously building era of independence for the 24-year-old singer.

For the most part, Chlöe didn’t set out to correct her detractors, mainly because they rained in before long before she could finish a body of work to present to the world. It’s like criticizing a painter on their overall canvas after a few brushstrokes. Critics of her music often pointed to her success with Chloe x Halle forgetting that the duo is also comprised of Halle Bailey who had a hand in their success with projects like Ungodly Hour, so, of course, things were different. Though it may not be her intentional goal to prove her haters wrong, she does get a kick out of accomplishing it along with other goals. “I love proving people wrong,” she said in her Uproxx cover story in August 2022. “One day, I hope people can really get to see who I truly am as a human being as opposed to this facade of a person that they think I am.” At long last, the opportunity to do so arrived with her debut album In Pieces.

There are plenty of things that In Pieces highlights in favor of Chlöe’s artistry. Through its 14 songs, we see that underneath the feisty, captivating, and bubbly young woman, lies one that is still recovering from heartbreak. Unlike most albums centered on heartbreak, Chlöe doesn’t grant us a view into the days before the pains in love on In Pieces. Rather, impulsive reactions and thoughts are at center stage to start things off. “Pray It Away” marks the first fully-composed piece of music on the album and Chlöe shows the maturity to let karma sort itself out with help from the glorious echoes of a choir. That record spills into the uptempo and bouncy “Body Do” that, sans a slightly jarring intro, succeeds in reminding us of Chlöe’s versatility. There, she decides to use an unfaithful man for the one thing they’re good for in their final days together. In both cases, Chlöe acknowledges that the first step in heartbreak is to pick up the broken pieces, but what to do with them next is the journey that unwinds on In Pieces with emotive highs and lows, confrontations with self and others, and most importantly, growth.

In Pieces succeeds in many areas just from a musical standpoint. “I Don’t Mind” tantalizes with the flavor of fluttering guitar strings as Chlöe climbs the scale with the effortless agility of a ninja warrior. She swoops low in her warm-up towards a near-whisper hook that grazes the sky to pluck at the clouds. ”Feel Me Cry” is a well-executed double entendre that dazzles with Chlöe’s cries for the emotional connection that only the comfort of physical touch, especially in the sexual sense, can provide. That along with “Make It Look Easy” are by far the best all-around composed songs on the album. The latter record is layered in such an encapsulating way that it carries a meaning applicable to more than one subject. When she sings, “Can I be honest with you?” it’s a question directed at a significant other in her life and the general world that tried to break her down into pieces over the past couple of years. The openness and honesty in this record present a woman who’s learned to leave a bad situation and not indulge in the last good pieces of it as we see on “Body Do.” Lines like “Overthinkin’ always in my head / Hate bein’ alone, there’s nowhere to run / So, I’ll pretend that I’m all good instead,” prove that while the spotlight brightens what is great, it also manages to do the same for one’s imperfections.

On Chlöe’s debut, there’s a bit more to take away about the singer’s artistic direction than about the project’s musicality. On the latter front, the project is not as captivating as one may have hoped for a singer with such a fairly incomparable and undoubtedly commanding voice that has the ability to construct a story of growth and empowerment as we see on the album. Despite this, it appears that Chlöe’s foundational goal with In Pieces was to simply break from her detractors and prove that she can fly away from what once held her down. Chlöe did just that and landed right where she needed to. It’s exhibited through the compassionate and self-serving “Looze U,” the stern and hair-flipping “Told Ya” with Missy Elliott, and the juxtaposing “Cheatback” with music’s toxic king, Future. There’s room for improvement, and being that many listeners were once 24-year-olds looking to figure it all out, Chlöe will fair just fine. For her, there’s a better chance than not that she hits a bullseye in future go-arounds. For now with In Pieces, we and Chlöe can find resolve in knowing that the pieces are now whole again.

In Pieces is out now via Columbia Records and Parkwood Entertainment. You can stream it here.

A reportedly “visibly shaken” Donald Trump was in Manhattan on Tuesday to turn himself over to the Manhattan DA’s office to be arrested, fingerprinted, and charged with a whopping 34 separate felonies. Just hours later, the former president returned to Mar-a-Lago and held a press conference/public rant session in which he complained about essentially everything that he was NOT arrested for. While even those closest to Trump, including his wife Melania, have been seemingly MIA during the hoopla, the infamously weasely Lindsey Graham went on Fox News to make it clear that he’s sticking by Trump. (At least for the moment.)

The South Carolina Senator chatted with Sean Hannity about the events of the day, but eventually turned his appearance into a Trump Telethon:

I’m sorry I’m so upset, but please help President Trump. If you can afford five or 10 bucks. If you can’t afford a dollar, fine. Just pray! Make sure you vote as early as you can in your state. Don’t risk anything anymore. Vote as soon as you can. Pray for this country, pray for this president. And if you’ve got any money to give, give it!

What was particularly striking about this speech — apart from the fact that a year ago, Graham was telling the world to “count me out” on supporting Trump — is that he prefaced it by apologizing for being “so upset” when he, in fact, did not appear upset at all. At least when compared to his bizarre appearance on Fox News last week, in which he seemed to be… crying?!

It was a mock-worthy performance that led to even more tears — albeit the laughing kind — for the Morning Joe team. Fortunately for Graham, Tuesday’s interview is now only the third most embarrassing Q&A he has been a part of in recent months.

Even if you’re not a basketball fan, it’s been hard to escape March Madness, and the women’s teams have been the talk of these internet streets. In fact, the NCAA women’s final championship game between Louisiana State University and the University of Iowa raked in 9.9 million viewers, which is more viewers than the 2021 NBA Finals. And while both teams played one heck of a game, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese caught everyone’s attention.

Reese, 20, is a forward for the women’s LSU team, and Clark, 21, is a guard for Iowa. The two women have made headlines this season for their undeniable skills on the court but also their unapologetic ability to trash talk and take criticism in stride. ESPN had an entire segment dedicated to Clark’s trash-talking skills, dubbing her the “Queen of Clapbacks.”

So when Clark waved a hand in front of her face mimicking John Cena’s “you can’t see me” wrestling taunt toward a rival team, no one thought twice about it. That is, until the final game when Reese, who was aware LSU was up by several points and bound to win the championship, took the opportunity to repeat the move, only this time toward Clark. And the internet lost its collective mind.

---

Trash talking is part of the game, and Clark is one of the best players in the women’s NCAA league, setting a record of 191 points for a single player. This breaks the record of both the men’s and women’s NCAA teams, so it’s safe to say she’s probably secure in her ability to play ball. But since Reese did the famous move in Clark’s direction, people have been jumping to the defense of Clark and expressing their outrage at Reese’s “unsportsmanlike conduct.”

u201cyeah my uncle shaq donu2019t play bout me. period.u201d

— Angel Reese (@Angel Reese)
1680554898

It seems people are weighing in across the spectrum, from athletes to political pundits. Even the First Lady chimed in a bit by not only inviting the winning team to the White House, which is customary, but also inviting Iowa. Dr. Biden has since clarified that statement.

As many people call Reese’s behavior “classless” and “unsportsmanlike,” others are asking why the two players are being treated differently. Many folks are pointing out that trash talk is part of the game and no player is immune, while it seems others are sharpening their pitchforks.

Through all of this, you may be wondering how Reese is handling this intense scrutiny over what was likely just a chance to pay Clark back for her history of clapbacks. Eh, she seems to be doing just fine, which also seems to be annoying the snot out of some people.

“When you’re a champion, you’re allowed to TYS: talk your stuff,” Shaquille O’Neal told People.

The retired NBA player has been defending Reese all over Twitter, responding with the same energy as the naysayers, profanity and all. O’Neal even personally reached out to Reese to tell her to “enjoy being a champion,” according to People.

But if Reese’s post-game interview is any indication of her ability to look out for herself, she’s going to be just fine.

“All year I was critiqued about who I was,” she said. “I don’t fit the narrative. I don’t fit in the box that you all want me to be in. I’m too hood, I’m too ghetto. You told me that all year. But when other people do it, y’all don’t say nothing.”

@angelreese10

The college baller’s response hasn’t changed much since her win. A TikTok video she posted in response has also drawn commentary from disgruntled internet users, with a professional women’s athlete calling her out in a now-deleted video. But it appears Reese remains unfazed, as does Clark.

“She should never be criticized for what she did. I’m just one that competes, and she competed…I’m a big fan of hers,” Clark told ESPN.

All of this attention has Reese trending all over the internet, garnering focus on the basketball star’s bubbly, nonchalant personality and the sport as a whole. So maybe a little friendly trash talk is just what was needed to give women’s basketball the attention it always deserved.