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The first time I saw Syd Tha Kyd in the flesh, she had to wait patiently to jump into the crowd. It was 2011, the height of Odd Future’s pop culture influence (and infamy) and the kids of Dublin, Ireland had turned up to their show in force to chant “Kill people, burn sh*t, f*ck school” without consequence.

Perched behind the decks in her role as DJ, Syd watched on as members of the Los Angeles collective did about 12 stage dives each — only at the end of the show was she afforded the opportunity to make the awesome leap. Though the only girl in a group of unruly boys, Syd’s tight trim and muscle tops meant she blended into the crew with ease. More importantly, she bent the knee at the same N*E*R*D altar as group archdeacon Tyler The Creator, and her musicality and counsel was crucial to building the rap group into a pop culture phenom — a lot of their early stuff was, in fact, recorded at Syd’s parents’ house.

Yet Odd Future’s success didn’t make her happy. Out on the road, Syd struggled with depression and feelings of disconnect from her family and girlfriend. “I wasn’t in a good place then and so I don’t really reminisce on those moments,” she told NME earlier this year.

A decade later, Syd’s a solo star on a seemingly unbreakable upward flight path. Her most recent album, Broken Hearts Club, is one of the year’s finest and most striking pop records, an electrifying shock of retro-futurist soul and cyber-funk explorations. Nowadays, she doesn’t have to wait for anyone to take her turn.

Sydney Loren Bennett comes from musical stock. Her Jamaica-based uncle Mikey Bennett is one of the songwriters and producers behind Shabba Ranks’ still-great 1991 chart reggae classic “Mr. Loverman.” As a kid, she’d spend family vacations hanging out in the studio and observing her uncle at work. At 16, Syd’s parents let her turn their guesthouse into her own studio. The budding music-maker’s vocation became playing piano and creating beats.

Syd expressed herself by crafting instrumentals for Odd Future, but a more rounded portrayal of her proclivities was coaxed out by her band The Internet. Originally a component piece of Odd Future that Syd later took in her divorce from the group, The Internet flourished from her musical kinship with background OF member Matt Martians. The very Google-incompatible name of the project actually started out as a joke: In 2011, a journalist interviewing Odd Future asked one member, Left Brain, where he was from. “He was like: ‘I hate when people ask me that,’” Syd later remembered. “‘I’m going to start saying I’m from the internet.’”

No joke, The Internet — with Syd on vocals, backed by Martians and Odd Future touring members Patrick Paige, Christopher Smith, and Tay Walker — made serious cosmic funk odysseys and sci-fi soul tunes, with The Neptunes’ influence very palpable: “Dontcha” could be one of Chad and Pharrell’s early Justin Timberlake productions. The band’s first two albums were low-budget efforts laid down in Syd’s home studio, but after a few line-up changes that included the addition of guitarist Steve Lacy, third album Ego Death proved a breakthrough, earning a Grammy nomination and providing a hit in the slinky Kaytranada-produced single “Girl.”

Syd embarked on further explorations on her 2017 solo debut, Fin, crafting a set of foggy, state-of-the-art alt-R&B tunes — The Weeknd and Miguel-type stuff — with flair and focus. She twinned this contemporary sound with confident declarations of her impending supremacy: On the stuttering electro-slap of “Shake Em Off,” Syd accelerates away from “drowning in doubt and frustration” to announce herself a “young star in the making.”

Now, we have Broken Hearts Club, her most pop-minded album yet, the kind of record an artist seeking to reach the highest peaks of musical stardom would make. As with Fin, Syd produces or co-produces a number of tracks, with external beatmakers drafted in too. Besotted with 1980s pomp productions, throwback drum machines and mammoth synth loops complement the catchy choruses. Prince mimicry comes in the form of the obvious “Little Red Corvette” analog “Fast Car,” while “Control” shoots forward a decade to draw strength from Aaliyah’s music with Timbaland, though it is actually produced by none other than Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins. In other words, Broken Hearts Club is the future as envisioned by pop stars of yesteryear; a retro-futuristic art installation that sounds fresh and vital.

Yet it is primarily about the most rudimentary pop subject matter: a breakup. The 13 songs veer from being written before and after the dissolution of a relationship, accidentally scripting the tragedy of lost love. So you get an opener like “CYBAH,” a collaboration with Lucky Daye, the title serving as an acronym for a serious question posed throughout the song: “Could you break a heart?” Syd, no longer a Kyd (she hit the big 3-0 in the middle of the year), quizzes a potential new love interest with the kind of bluntness only possible if you’ve old traumas of the heart to bear.

Syd is no tub-thumping vocalist, instead her cool, broken-hearted voice amalgamates with the icy-heat generated from the funky, futurist machine dreams. But that coo really slithers on turn-the-lights-off slow jams like “No Way.” “Don’t know what you’ll have arranged / We’ll be gone, missing for days,” she sings, evoking the sentiment of loverman Maxwell on his classic “Til the Cops Come Knockin’.” And there’s further retro goodness with the sweetly plucked strings of “Right Track” recalling a strand of ’00s chart R&B — think Kandi Burress’s “Don’t Think I’m Not.”

The album reaches its emotional apex on the home straight. “BMHWDY” (“Break my heart, why don’t ya?”) is a desperate yearning, while the pillow-soft “Goodbye My Love” sounds like acceptance. But if those two songs feel fueled by raw emotion, closer “Missing Out” is the full relationship post-mortem. “As far as I can see, you and me could never be,” sings Syd. “‘Cause we didn’t spend the proper time tryna work it out.” Her final realization on this emotional journey is that it’s her ex-girlfriend who’s lost out in this breakup.

Having bore witness to Syd from her artistic inception, it feels like she is reaching maximum speed in what is bound to be a long race. Take it from Beyoncé, who tapped Syd to produce funky ditty “Plastic Off The Sofa,” the most romantic joint on Bey’s new album Renaissance. When you realize that it’s not a dissimilar song to “Heartfelt Freestyle,” a minor number from Broken Hearts Club, it becomes evident that Beyoncé is just as besotted with Syd’s style as her most dedicated disciples. No wonder nobody can say anything to her anymore. When asked by NME if she still seeks the validation of others, Syd shook off the question. “I don’t think I care anymore,” she said. “I know I’m a genius.”

Broken Hearts Club is now via Syd Solo/Columbia. Get it here.

Kyrie Irving played a basketball game in Cleveland on Monday night. It went pretty well for Irving and the Brooklyn Nets, as he scored 32 points in a 125-117 win over the Cavaliers. And after the game, one of Irving’s former teammates with the Cavs advocated for the franchise to lift his jersey into the rafters once his career comes to an end.

“Without a doubt. Absolutely. Right away, after his career ends,” Kevin Love said to Chris Fedor of cleveland.com about whether or not the franchise should retire Irving’s jersey. “It’s not even a question to me. He needs to be up there. He made the biggest shot in franchise history and one of the most important shots in Finals history when you consider how it all went down — what it meant for the city, what it meant for his legacy, LeBron’s legacy and everything else, including that Golden State team that became a dynasty and was historically great.”

The Cavaliers drafted Irving No. 1 overall in the 2011 NBA Draft. After looking like one of the league’s brightest young talent for his first three seasons on a struggling team, Irving was joined in Cleveland by LeBron James, who rejoined the franchise as a free agent, and Love, who the team acquired in a trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves, to create one of the most fearsome trios in all of basketball.

Prior to Irving’s trade to the Boston Celtics ahead of the 2017 season, those three players helped lead the Cavaliers to three NBA Finals appearances in a row. The high point came in 2016, when the team came back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Golden State Warriors to win the only championship in franchise history. Irving averaged 27.1 points per game in the series and hit a three in the waning moments of Game 7 to seal the title.

Back in 2019, The Witcher exceeded all expectations in its first outing, which led to massive streaming success and the swift greenlighting of a warmly received Nightmare of the Wolf animated movie and a prequel series, Blood Origin. However, it’s fair to say that the franchise lost some luster with Season 2, and news that Henry Cavill will depart after Season 3 (arriving in mid-2023) hasn’t helped matters. Liam Hemsworth will take over as Geralt of Rivia, and he’s got an uphill battle ahead of him because the fandom does love Henry.

The Christmas Day release of Blood Origin didn’t help matters. The show’s not as hard to follow as Season 1 of The Witcher, but I found it difficult to warm up to the story even though labels like “Dog Clan” and “Raven Clan” should excite me. As well, the show begins with an interlude from Joey Batey’s Jaskier, a.k.a., “The Bard,” who’s the second-most beloved character of the TV franchise. He’s not belting out a banger but visible in a hellscape while confronted by a different Jaskier, and then the story shows him in present time while Minnie Driver’s shapeshifting elf character asks him to “sing a story back to life.” Presumably, this is all meant to heal the ongoing riff between elves and the rest of the world, and then the story largely cuts to the new characters from an old world.

The show’s Twitter account posted part of this scene to celebrate the end of “Witchmas.”

This should have been a clever way for the franchise to tide us over with a connecting O.G. The Witcher thread, but the prequel isn’t aflame with accolades for the new show. As Rotten Tomatoes details, the aggregate critic score sits at 38% with the audience giving the show even less leeway with a 9% rotten rating. Viewers also seem to agree that the small bit of Jaskier was a highlight, especially how his “I’m not, not into it” declaration to his own clone may have formally canonized The Bard as queer (although I think we knew this already after “Burn Butcher Burn”).

The Witcher: Blood Origin is currently streaming on Netflix.

There were so many great TV shows streaming this year that, naturally, a few failed to receive the attention they deserved. While everyone was tweeting screencaps of Jennifer Coolidge panicking over murder-plotting yacht gays on The White Lotus or debating what constitutes familial incest in their House of the Dragon recaps, these shows were skimming just below the surface, biding their time until someone noticed how undeniably watchable they were.

Well, the wait is over. We’ve watched entirely too much TV this year and we’ll be damned if it doesn’t pay off in some way for these dramas and mystery-thrillers and chill comedies that need to be on everyone’s radar. Here are the best 2022 TV series that demand more hype and more eyes on them.

Interview with the Vampire (AMC+)

This series adaptation of Anne Rice’s peerless gothic horror novel might just be the thirstiest show on TV at the moment (pun intended). Creator Rolin Jones isn’t content to simply retrace old tropes, he revolutionizes Rice’s books, keeping a tight grip on what works about her writing while modernizing her characters and setting to become something singular on-screen. Sam Reid plays the refined and ruthless French nobleman Lestat de Lioncourt while Jacob Anderson plays Louis de Pointe du Lac, a Creole businessman in early 20th-century New Orleans who reluctantly becomes his undead lover. The series embraces the pair’s romance more than any adaptation before and adds layers of meaning and social commentary by gifting Anderson’s Louis a layered backstory that constantly surprises and challenges its source material. And all of that meat is hidden underneath opulent costumes and lush set designs and bloody threesomes, and fleshy, frightening orgies, all of which heighten its horror element and keep you on the edge of your seat.

Bad Sisters (Apple TV+)

Women banding together to kill bad men will always make for entertaining television. Sharon Horgan knows this, which is why she helped create a series about a group of Irish sisters intent on ridding their tight-knit clan of a monstrous brother-in-law they un-lovingly nickname “The Prick.” Horgan plays Eva, the most level-headed of the group who tries to keep her siblings’ bloodlust under control. Sara Greene, Eve Hewson, Anne-Marie Duff, and Eva Birthistle round out the murderous family who all employ their own methods for ridding themselves of one of TV’s more detestable villains but things devolve into a comedy of errors – one that delights in the dark and macabre while managing to infuse heart and a nuanced message on sisterhood. Come for the many failed assassination attempts, stay for the unexpected storytelling depth.

Outer Range (Amazon Prime Video)

Think Yellowstone meets The Twilight Zone and you’ll come close to grasping the sci-fi sky-country vibes of this Josh Brolin-starring series. There are the normal soap opera elements that make for juicy drama — feuding families, rival ranches, etc. — but they’re all elevated by a central mystery that incorporates some mind-bending genre tropes to great effect. Brolin plays Royal Abbott, a quiet rancher fighting to save his family after tragedy strikes. When he discovers a black void hidden in one of his pastures, he’s forced to question where he comes from and the nature of more abstract concepts like time, space, and the meaning behind it all. It’s weird, it’s eerie, and it makes for a riveting binge-watch.

The Resort (Peacock)

Speaking of weird, this little gem housed on an oft-forgot streaming platform is one of the more daring mystery comedies we’ve seen on TV in a long time. It’s a modern-day Scooby-Doo adventure deep in the jungles of the Mayan Riveria with a series of mysterious disappearances that consume a vacationing couple trying to save their marriage. William Jackson Harper and Cristin Milioti play Noah and Emma, who seem too comfortable in their routine of ignoring the problems that threaten their relationship to ever change. Their tropical getaway is supposed to help them reconnect, but when Emma becomes obsessed with solving a missing persons case from 15 years ago, they have to work together to avoid seedy cartels, research ailing geniuses and uncover mythic legends made real. It defies genre and, in doing so, sets itself apart from nearly every other show on this list.

Ramy (Hulu)

Ramy hasn’t always been an underrated show. Its first season received a fair amount of due hype. But the dramedy about a young Muslim man navigating the pitfalls of assimilating into American culture while holding onto the values of his immigrant parents has only gotten better as the years go on — and the streaming buzz around the show just hasn’t been able to keep up. In its third season, Ramy takes bigger swings and better storytelling risks, leading fans on a journey to Jerusalem, delivering sharp social commentary on the cost of the American dream, highlighting the struggles of the rest of the Hassan family, and introducing us to a fever dream known as Egyptian Shark Tank.

The Serpent Queen (Starz)

Starz has been home to some of the most polished period pieces on TV for a while now but the latest entry in their ongoing anthology universe about famous, powerful female monarchs of the past has a bit more edge than you might expect. Samantha Morton plays a cunning and cutthroat Catherine de’ Medici, the controversial 16th-century Queen of France while Liv Hill plays her younger counterpart. The show chronicles how Catherine was forced to maneuver amongst a vicious royal court, eventually gaining a foothold and becoming a frightening figure in her own right. There’s scandal and sex and political intrigue — really everything you could hope for from a show like this.

Roar (Apple TV+)

Roar is the unexpected follow-up from GLOW creators Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch that borrows a couple of stars from the Netflix wrestling comedy to tell an anthology of stories about women’s experiences. Some episodes are pure surrealist fantasy — like Merrit Weaver’s situationship with a talking duck — while others feel like the kind of dystopian futurism ripped straight from a Black Mirror script — like Issa Rae’s cautionary creative tale. It’s all good, if a little f*cked up at times.

Pachinko (Apple TV+)

Adapted from a New York Times bestseller, this moving drama chronicles the journey of one Korean-American family across four generations as each descendant tries to survive and thrive far from their homeland. Youn Yuh-jung’s Sunja is the connecting thread, a young woman living in Japanese-controlled Korea who grows to become the family’s matriarch as her sons and grandchildren branch out — some becoming successful businessmen and attending prestigious universities, others struggling to assimilate into a culture so unlike their own. It’s heartbreaking and inspiring with a surprising amount of authenticity that only adds to its worthwhile story.

Mo (Netflix)

Mo Amer was a breakout in Hulu’s Ramy so it makes sense that he’d co-create and lead a semi-autobiographical comedy series that’s too good, and too funny to miss. Helped by his collaborator Ramy Youssef, Mo follows a Palestinian refugee seeking asylum and citizenship in Houston, Texas. It’s the kind of completely unique story that feels surprisingly relatable and its pacing is so deliberately chill, you won’t see the laughs coming.

1899 (Netflix)

From the twisted minds of the creators of Dark, this period thriller has found a spot in Netflix’s Top 10 recently but really, who the hell knows what that means? The reality is that the word-of-mouth hasn’t matched the pedigree and Lindelofian conspiracy theorizing that this show deserves so it’s going on this list. The basic premise follows a group of passengers aboard a ship to America just a few months after another vessel in the company’s fleet went missing. Strange time loops and unexplained disappearances and a murder or two puts everyone on board on the suspect list, but the twists just keep on coming until the very end and they get wilder with every question answered.

After being exposed by for basically exaggerating his entire resume, recently elected New York Congressman George Santos has been attempting to explain his long lists of lies, and his latest admission is going over real well. While coming clean to the New York Post that he fabricated his education and work experience, yet still vowing to serve his two-year term in Congress, Santos made a startling revelation. Turns out, the claims on his campaign website that his mother is Jewish and her family escaped the Nazis during World War II may not have been true either.

Santos now says that he’s “clearly Catholic,” but claimed his grandmother told stories about being Jewish and later converting to Catholicism.

“I never claimed to be Jewish,” Santos said. “I am Catholic. Because I learned my maternal family had a Jewish background I said I was ‘Jew-ish.’”

After catching wind of Santos attempting to wiggle out of this latest lie, Twitter had a field day with his wild claim that he never actually told anybody that he’s Jewish, but instead said he’s “Jew-ish.” You can see the jokes pouring in below:

As for claims of working for Goldman Sachs (which he didn’t) or having a college degree (which he does not), Santos owned up to those lies better than whole Jewish thing.

“I didn’t graduate from any institution of higher learning. I’m embarrassed and sorry for having embellished my resume,” Santos told the Post. “I own up to that … We do stupid things in life.”

However, Santos’ owning up to significantly padding his resume did not do much as the Post continued to grill him on lie after lie, of which there were many. For example, Santos does not own 13 different properties. Instead, he currently lives with his sister. But despite being thoroughly exposed in the press, Santos doesn’t see why that should affect his job in Congress.

“I campaigned talking about the people’s concerns, not my resume,” he said.

(Via New York Post)

Singer Miley Cyrus proudly embraces many of the titles the public throws at her, including “nepo baby.” Cyrus also doesn’t shy away from the messy headlines she is wrapped up in. However, there is one connection the “Prisoner” singer wants to break, her professional link to the ex-Smiths frontman, Morrissey.

After a year filled with canceled shows and controversial statements, according to Variety, Morrissey revealed Cyrus went above him to his former label, Capital Records, to have her vocals used on one of his unreleased tracks to be removed. The track, titled “I Am Veronica,” was set to appear on Morrissey’s forthcoming album, Bonfire of Teenagers.

The album was slated to drop in February 2023, but with Cyrus’ backing vocals and featured verse, Morrissey is rumored to be reconsidering the project overall. Following the request by Cyrus, Morrissey announced he would be voluntarily leaving Capitol Records on his website.

He published a few posts on his website, one with the title “Miley Is a Punk Rocker,” where he revealed Cyrus’ request for removal and another titled “Roll On 2023,” where he shared his departure from the label, writing, “Morrissey has voluntarily parted company with Maverick/Quest management. Morrissey has also voluntarily withdrawn from any association with Capitol Records (Los Angeles).”

Both posts are no longer available, as his website has now been pulled from public view.

Capitol Records hasn’t addressed the matter. We wonder if Cyrus will issue a statement at her upcoming New Year’s Eve concert party.

As fans have become increasingly vocal about their issues with Ticketmaster, one country music singer is making sure his fans can enjoy his live music without paying Ticketmaster prices. This Christmas, Zach Bryan gifted fans with an album full of live performances, appropriately titled All My Homies Hate Ticketmaster.

Bryan announced the album via Instagram with a statement decrying Ticketmaster’s practices.

“Seems there is a massive issue with fair ticket prices to live shows lately,” Bryan said. “I have met kids at my shows who have paid upwards of four-hundred bucks to be there, and I’m done with it.”

Bryan also expressed that he has a strategy set in place to make his tickets as affordable as possible for fans, despite the fact that he has limited control over the prices.

“I’ve decided to play a limited number of headline shows next year to which I’ve done all I can to make prices as cheap as possible and to prove to people tickets don’t have to cost $450 to see a good and honest show,” Bryan said.

Bryan closed his note encouraging his fellow artists to follow suit and fight for affordable tickets, particularly country music artists, who often refer to the struggles of the working class in their music.

“Also, to any songwriter trying to make ‘relatable music for the working class man or woman’ should pride themself on fighting for the people who listen to the words they’re singing,” Bryan said.

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

Before 2022, the only notorious flop in Margot Robbie‘s filmography was “Flopsy Rabbit,” the character she voiced in Peter Rabbit. But then along came Amsterdam and Babylon. Both are star-studded period pieces that were expected to be major award season players — until they were greeted with mixed reviews from critics (unfairly, in the case of one of the films) and underperformed at the box office.

Amsterdam, directed by David O. Russell (who has been accused of abusive behavior and sexual assault), made $31.2 million on a $80 million budget. But once marketing is factored, it was reported that the film lost around $100 million for 20th Century Studios. Robbie’s next film, Babylon — a sprawling Hollywood epic that should be celebrated, not mocked — didn’t do much better. Damien Chazelle’s follow-up to First Man made $4.85 million during its first four days of release, lower than even the most grim predictions:

Further burying the pic’s fate were audience exits including an awful C+ CinemaScore and PostTrak of 74 percent and 47 percent definite recommend, not to mention its 3-hour and 8-minute running time. Babylon is the lowest wide release stateside opening for star Margot Robbie at $3.6 million, beating Amsterdam‘s $6.4 million, as well as Brad Pitt as a leading man, lower than the $4 million start of 1993’s True Romance.

Here’s hoping Babylon finds its audience someday. I think it rules (so does Vince Mancini in his glowing review), and I’m worried that some executive will use its poor performance at the box office as disingenuous proof that the only movies with a budget over $20 million worth making are superhero and/or franchise movies.

As for Robbie (who gave typically solid performances in Amsterdam or Babylon; she deserves an Oscar nomination for the latter), it was a 2022 to forget. But at least she has 2023 to look forward to. Next year sees the release of both Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, which looks fantastic, and Asteroid City, the new film from Wes Anderson. That should put an end to the most snakebitten (literally and figuratively) era of Robbie’s career.

(Via Deadline)

Hypothetically, if you were the child of two very successful people, it would be very easy to sit back and enjoy the associated success. But that’s not easy for everyone, specifically children of actors and musicians, so we get what we get. And sometimes, what we get is a collection of stars who may or may not have gotten into the business all by themselves with no help from their Oscar-winning parents, who also happen to have a lot of money and even more resources.

The latest person to discuss the nepotism conversation is Kate Hudson, known for her roles in Almost Famous and Kung Fu Panda 3, while also being the daughter of Oscar winner Goldie Hawn and musician Bill Hudson, then later became the stepdaughter of Kurt Russell, the Disney Prodigy. The point is here that she has a lot of family in the industry. But she doesn’t want to talk about it. “The nepotism thing, I mean… I don’t really care.” Hudson said in an interview with The Independent. At least she’s honest.

The Glass Onion actress added, “I look at my kids and we’re a storytelling family. It’s definitely in our blood,” Sure, it would be strange if she had become an accountant or teacher, but she still had all of those resources at her disposal for most of her life, which is where the nepotism conversation normally divides: many people think that more talented artists and actors are overlooked because they aren’t born into the industry.

Kate Hudson argues that there is no way to change this. “People can call it whatever they want, but it’s not going to change it.” Sure, there is no way to change it with that attitude, but surely she could encourage her three children to become carpenters if she really wanted to.

Hudson added that the conversation should be shifted to different jobs that may not require acting skills, like modeling. “I actually think there are other industries where it’s [more common]. Maybe modeling? I see it in business way more than I see it in Hollywood,” she explained. Along with acting, Hudson has a fair share of successful clothing lines. “Sometimes I’ve been in business meetings where I’m like, ‘wait, whose child is this? Like, this person knows nothing!’”

The actress concluded, “I don’t care where you come from, or what your relationship to the business is – if you work hard and you kill it, it doesn’t matter.” True, but having parents who can get your foot in the door is still a leg up on everyone else.

(Via IndieWire)

There are two types of people in this world—people who care about how the dishwasher gets loaded and those who don’t, and never the twain shall meet.

Those who do care are frequently driven bonkers by those who don’t, as well as by their fellow carers who disagree on the proper methodology. Dishwasher loading is serious business for those who care, and many a ladle has been raised in exasperation at those who load the dishwasher “wrong”—as if there were a definitive “right” way to do it.

There’s a difference between “right” and “best,” of course. Everyone thinks their way is right, but that’s a completely subjective judgment. There really are some best practices, however, based on manufacturer tips and experts who test dishwashers for consumer rankings lists.

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One caveat: There are different reasons why people load the dishwasher in certain ways due to how their kitchen is set up and for efficiency of unloading, so there may be specific practices that aren’t addressed here. For example, someone might always load their glasses on the left side of the dishwasher and their bowls on the right because the glasses cabinet is to the left of the dishwasher while the bowls cabinet is to the right of it. What’s “best” at that level of detail will differ, so defer to the resident person-who-cares in each kitchen.

One more caveat: Always check manufacturer recommendations first. Some dishwashers may have features that require loading a certain way to work the way they should.

Generally, however, these best practices apply across the board:

1. Don’t pre-rinse, just scrape off chunks of food.

Getting controversial right outta the gate here, but unless your dishwasher genuinely doesn’t work right, you don’t need to rinse food residue off dishes before loading. We had an old dishwasher that basically just sanitized the dishes but didn’t clean them, so we spent years rinsing, but that was simply a case of needing a new dishwasher. Once we got one we learned that it’s actually better to not rinse dishes first. Pre-rinsing not only wastes water and time, but it may actually make your dishwasher’s performance worse. Newer dishwashers have sensors that detect how dirty dishes are, so if you rinse too well you may fool the dishwasher into thinking the dishes aren’t really dirty.

2. Cups and bowls upside down, plates facing the center.

Loading cups and bowls face down might seem like a no-brainer for most, but there are people who don’t understand how a dishwasher washes. Water sprays upward from underneath each rack, so if you want the inside of cups and bowls to get as clean as possible, they need to be facing down. They’ll also get filled with water if they’re not upside down.

Everything should be facing or angled toward the center of the dishwasher, as water sprays from the center out. Yes, plates look more uniform when they all face the same direction, so this might be hard for the visually fastidious among us, but facing center makes for the most effective cleaning.

3. Plastics on top rack only, and only if labeled dishwasher-safe.

The top rack of the dishwasher doesn’t get as hot as the bottom, and plastics can melt. Even if there’s no visible melting, high temps can cause potentially harmful chemicals to leach out of plastic dishware and containers, so look for labels that say “dishwasher safe” and only place plastic items on the top rack. (Or wash by hand, which is recommended for plastics that aren’t labeled as BPA-free.)

4. The great silverware directional debate settled, sort of.

Some new dishwashers have a flat rack for silverware on top, which eliminates the question of what direction they should face. For the traditional vertical baskets, there are various schools of thought. Some people put all the knives together, forks together, spoons together, etc. for ease of unloading. And then there’s the handles up or handles down question.

Consumer Reports, which tests dishwashers, recommends placing spoons and forks handles down and sharp objects such as knives handles up. It also recommends mixing different types of silverware in each basket. Total chaos, I know.

The handles-up method makes for quicker and more sanitary unloading, it’s true. But placing silverware handles down allows more space between the eating ends and mixing them up prevents nesting, both of which help them get cleaned better. Just make sure whoever is unloading has clean hands when they’re grabbing the silverware by the eating ends and all will be well.

5. Don’t overload.

This may also seem like an obvious statement, but again, you’d be surprised. The key here is to visualize the sprayers and where the water is going to reach inside the dishwasher. If bowls are stacked on top of each other, even loosely, the water won’t reach inside the ones on top. One layer of dishes with a bit of space between each item—not a lot, just a little—will ensure that water can reach in and around every piece and will keep glass and ceramics from getting chipped or broken.

Give the top rack sprayer a manual spin with both racks pushed in before closing the lid as well. Stuff that’s too tall on the bottom rack will stop the sprayer from spinning, which will inhibit its ability to clean the top rack.

6. Load back to front.

This best practice is particularly important if you are loading the dishwasher gradually throughout the day. It’s easier to open the dishwasher a crack and place a glass or bowl in the front of the rack, but you’ll save yourself a lot of guesswork about how full the dishwasher is if you train your household to start at the back and move forward. You’ll also save yourself a bunch of rearranging before running.

7. Listen to people’s reasons for loading certain ways and stay open to new ideas.

Beyond the basics listed here, there are all kinds of individual preferences for loading a dishwasher, some of which are simply habit and some of which are based on logic and reason. With the exception of the vertical silverware mix-up, it makes sense to put cups or dishes that go in the same cabinet together in the dishwasher, for instance. And there are ways to place your household’s unique dishware most efficiently for space, so asking the resident person-who-cares for their recommendation isn’t a bad idea.

Having some basic ground rules for dishwasher loading is helpful to avoid kitchen conflict, but so is being open to sharing ideas and learning from one another. With a little humility, we can put the ladles down and end the dishwasher wars once and for all. (Unless someone tries to cook a steak in the dishwasher, in which case bring on the battle.)