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Billie Eilish Told Her Younger Self To ‘Shut The F*ck Up’ In Her Sixth Annual ‘Same Interview’ With ‘Vanity Fair’

In 2017, Billie Eilish sat down for a filmed interview with Vanity Fair. At the time, she likely didn’t know how big a part of her life this would become. As fans know, once a year since then, Eilish has reunited with the magazine and answered the same set of questions, a process that highlights the changes in how she has felt about herself and the world. The 2022 installment is the sixth one in the series and it was released today (November 28).

Among the immediate quantifiable highlights is the progression of Eilish’s social media presence. In 2017, she had 257,000 followers, a number that is now up to 106 million. Beyond that, it’s always fascinating and fun to watch Eilish reflect on her wild journey through the lens of her past self… especially the moments she now cringes at or isn’t so sure about anymore, or the ones where something she previously said fills her with joy today.

Also in the video, Eilish speaks about what this series has come to mean to her, saying, “It’s just so cool to get to do this every year. I don’t know, I feel like… sometimes people are like, ‘You’re still gonna… you’re doing it… you’re gonna go back and keep doing it?’ And I just, I love… I just like it. It’s just like a really cool… ah, they mean so much to me. Every year, I watch these and I’m just like… ah, it just feels really… it makes me really happy.”

Watch the video above.

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The NFL Released A Latin ‘Por La Cultura’ Mixtape Featuring Snow Tha Product And Anthony Ramos

The NFL is celebrating its Latino fans with the Por La Cultura Mixtape: Volume 1 that was released on Friday (November 25). For new football hype jams, Latin acts like Snow Tha Product, El Alfa, and Anthony Ramos were tapped. The Black Eyed Peas’ will.i.am also got involved with the project.

Back in September, the NFL launched its Por La Cultura initiative with hit-maker Tainy’s NEON16 collective. That month, “Rómpela” was released at the first single from the mixtape. Reggaeton music courtesy of pioneer Yandel collided with dembow beats by way of rising Dominican star El Alfa. will.i.am and One Six also featured on the feel-good anthem.

“The Por La Cultura Mixtape: Volume 1 is one of many league efforts to connect more deeply with Latino fans, especially through music which is consistently shown to be a leading passion point for this community,” said Javier Farfan, Cultural Strategist at the NFL, in a statement. “NEON16 as the premier Latin music powerhouse was the perfect partner to bring this concept to life and imbue the energy, passion and overall football vibe to each track that, at its core, connects high energy and high impact sounds with youth and pop culture.”

Ramos, who starred in In the Heights last year, recorded the bilingual banger “Latino Activo.” Mexican-American rapper Snow Tha Product blended elements of Mexican banda music with trap beats in her swaggering track “Pa’ Atras.” Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Kris Floyd let his sensual flow run wild in the sultry “Ballin.” In another standout moment, Argentine rapper Trueno mixed reggaeton and hip-hop in his contribution “Quién Si No.”

Por La Cultura Mixtape: Volume 1 also features music from Aux, Jodosky, Chicocurlyhead, and Dj Cornetto.

Por La Cultura Mixtape: Volume 1 is out now via NEON16. Listen to it here.

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Our Favorite Ready-To-Drink Cocktails For Holiday Entertaining

Canned, bottled, “pre-made,” or ready-to-drink cocktails have been around for about as long as cocktails themselves have existed, though they’re certainly gaining in both market share and prestige. The popularity of pre-made cocktails has peaked and waned over centuries and right now we’re in a pretty big peak with seemingly every brand — new and old — putting out some form of ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktail in a can, bottle, or even pouch.

Cards on the table, the vast majority are pretty trash. As someone who judges these things, I can tell you that there are a lot of companies out there delivering shit products with too much sugar and too little refinement (this is often where brands hide the cheap booze they make). Still, that’s not to say there aren’t great ready-to-drink cocktails. There are… a few.

Below, we’re calling out some canned, bottled, and pre-made cocktails that don’t actually suck. These are the ones that break through the void of overly sweet, overly manufactured, and overly messed with and actually have a nice, subtle, and tasty flavor while delivering what’s promised on the label. Let’s dive in!

Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months

Stone Buenafiesta Margarita Pineapple Habanero — Zach Johnston

Stone Margarita
Stone Brewing

ABV: 12.5%

Average Price: $16 (four 12 oz. cans)

The Cocktail:

Stone Buenafiesta Tequila Margaritas are made by a beer company but actually hit the mark really well. The RTDs are made with actual tequila from Jalisco that’s blended with a touch of real habanero and pineapple in the vat when they’re making the drink.

Tasting Notes:

The tequila comes through on the nose with a sense of roasted vegetal agave next to fresh green chili pepper and a hint of grilled pineapple. That tropical fruit gets juicy and fresh on the palate with a cut of lemon oils and spicy habanero on the very end, plus a twinge of lime juice and maybe a hint of that roasted agave popping back in.

Bottom Line:

This did have a mild sweetness but that was cut by the hefty citrus and habanero spice. It has a truly nice balance of flavors and actually kind of feels like a real margarita. If you poured this over some rocks with a salt-rimmed glass, you’d be pretty satisfied.

The Gold Fashioned 2022 Blend – Steve Bramucci

The Gold Fashioned
The Gold Fashioned

ABV: 42.2%

Average Price: $152 (one 750ml bottle)

The Cocktail:

This product is a little bit of an outlier because as you can see — it’s $150 per bottle. And you can get one hell of a bourbon (or rye) for that money. So to pay that much for a bottle that is not simply “all alcohol” is going to feel… a little odd to many consumers.

With that said, this is a beautiful midcentury Don Draper bottle — a bar cart centerpiece — built around quality ingredients. The whiskey blend isn’t known but features 15-year Kentucky Straight Bourbon, 9-year Kentucky Straight Bourbon, and 6-year Indiana Straight Rye. The saffron is ethically sourced from Afghanistan, the vanilla comes from Tahiti, the cacao is from Equador, the gentian flower extract comes from France. This is a world tour in a bottle.

As a truly nice touch, the bottle comes with an “orange zest atomizer” to spritz over the glass. Def a cool look at parties.

Tasting Notes:

If you bought some big ice cubes, poured this directly into the glass, and spritzed the orange zest over the top as you delivered each glass, you would have a show-stopping opener to any party. The nose picks up the orange zest plus a nice warming whiskey and plenty of the fair trade demerara syrup. The palate has a nice whiskey warmth with some of the more exotic flavor notes — vanilla and saffron — landing near the finish. The close is sweet. And while this is a tad sweeter than I’d make an old fashioned, it’s certainly not sweeter than what the average drinker expects or what is served at the average bar.

Moreover, I don’t think you’d do much better at most whiskey bars and you’re definitely not getting 10x 75ml old fashioneds on the coast for less than $150 (especially if you tip well).

Bottom Line:

I hosted a party where I knew I couldn’t mix bespoke drinks during the arrival rush. I poured this out to the first 10 guests and it was an absolute hit.

Campari Soda — Zach Johnston

Campari Soda
Campari Group

ABV: 10%

Average Price: $10.95 (five 3.35 oz. bottles)

The Cocktail:

Created back in 1932 in Milan, this is the granddaddy of ready-to-drink cocktails. The deeply red elixir is a mix of one part Campari and two parts fizzy soda water (the good stuff from northern Italy). The balance is perfect for pouring over some ice or simply drinking from an ice-cold bottle.

Tasting Notes:

Rich botanicals and herbal notes subtly appear on the nose with a sense of almost salty mineral water and a touch of orange essence. The palate is dry and full of woody botanicals and soft citrus, especially tangerine and pomelo with a hint of chinotto bitterness.

Bottom Line:

This is a great and refreshing pre-made cocktail. It’s wonderful on its own but really shines over some rocks with a topper of prosecco, creating your own easy spritz.

Cutwater Heater Hot Buttered Rum — Steve Bramucci

Cutwater Heaters
Cutwater

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $19 (one 375ml bottle)

The Cocktail:

I picked this particular expression, but to be honest I love the entire Cutwater Heaters series. I think a big part of why is that I like hot cocktails this time of year but always make too much and they’re sort of a menace to clean and generally a hassle to prepare. Visually impressive, sure, but sort of a bear all around. Plus, while Cutwater’s canned series is pretty sugary for my palate, hot drinks are supposed to read as sugary-syrupy — which made me curious about these.

The Heaters series is made up of four pour-over RTDs — you pour hot water over a shot of the mix and you’ve got a drink. That solves the problem of making too much and also allows folks to make theirs a tad stronger or weaker, depending on personal preference.

Tasting Notes:

This reads as buttery without it tasting synthetic or chemical-y. It’s warming and holiday-ish. All wins. The mid-palate has a nice whiskey punch — 80% abv isn’t bad for an RTD (it gets proofed down by the water but mine still felt like a nice, stiff pour). The backend is sweet, there’s no avoiding that, but it’s butterscotch sweet in a way that works and doesn’t feel unbalanced and there’s enough warmth (from the hot water and the booze) to mitigate it.

Bottom Line:

Not sure I could do more than 10% better from scratch. And avoiding the cleanup is far more valuable to me than that last 10% of performance!

Jim Beam Cocktails Classic Highball — Zach Johnston

Jim Beam Highball
Beam Suntory

ABV: 5%

Average Price: $11 (four 12 oz. cans)

The Cocktail:

This canned cocktail from Kentucky blends classic Jim Beam bourbon with a touch of seltzer water and a drop of citrus oils.

Tasting Notes:

The bourbon shines through on the nose with hints of woody spice, vanilla beans, and cherry candy. The palate is full of that bourbon-y goodness while the seltzer offers a sharp fizziness accented by hints of rich orange and lemon oils.

Bottom Line:

This is shockingly good for a canned highball. It’s easy drinking and full of classic whiskey highball flavors.

Golden Rule Espresso Martini – Steve Bramucci

Golden Rule Espresso Martini
Golden Rule

ABV: 24%

Average Price: $20 (four 3.3 oz. cans)

The Cocktail:

I’ve always gotten a great response about Golden Rule. I think the reason why is 1) they taste even more potent than they are (in a good way), and 2) they are one of the few canned cocktails that aren’t overly sweet. I suppose those two things are related (as alcohol potency is typically masked with sweetness) but regardless — these little guys are tasty!

Tasting Notes:

This tastes like an espresso martini. Sorry for not being more involved but… does an espresso martini ever taste either better or worse than an espresso martini? I don’t think so, personally. I mean, unless you’re really brewing espresso in your house. Then… maybe? Not even so sure.

Does that make these tasting notes poorly written? I say “no!” It tastes like a mix of sugar, vodka, and espresso and that’s what you wanted.

Bottom Line:

Buy these. Pour them into martini glasses. Float an espresso bean or cocoa powder on top. Claim you made them from scratch. If someone notices, I’ll reimburse you.

Jack Daniel’s Apple Fizz — Zach Johnston

Jack Apple Fizz
Brown-Forman

ABV: 7%

Average Price: $12 (four 12 oz. cans)

The Cocktail:

This canned cocktail is made with Jack Daniel’s signature Jack Tennessee Apple, fizzy soda water, and a touch of citrus essence.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a clear sense of apple orchards with a hint of Granny Smith and honey lurking underneath on the nose. The palate melds honey apple crisps with light lemon zest and a twinge of orange pith for a bright and refreshing sipper.

Bottom Line:

This is a bit like Martinelli’s Apple Cider turned up a notch. The sweetness is dialed back a bit and feels like real honey, not sugar syrup. The light citrus really jives with the tart apple and creates an easy drinker.

Sagamore Spirit Rye Orange Crush — Zach Johnston

Sagamore Spirit Cocktail
Sagamore Spirit

ABV: 8%

Average Price: $16 (four 12 oz. cans)

The Cocktail:

Maryland’s Sagamore Spirit created a whole line of new RTDs with their award-winning rye whiskey. In this case, the pre-made cocktail is Sagamore Spirit rye cut with orange juice, lemon juice, lime juice, and natural orange flavor along with fizzy soda water.

Tasting Notes:

This is like a boozy orange creamsicle in a can. There’s a sweetness on the nose that’s tied to the orange. The palate has a nice and lightly spiced whiskey base with a hint of rye breadiness and burnt orange that plays well with the creamy vanilla and orange that’s the star of the show.

Bottom Line:

This is the sweetest of my picks. But it works here since this is about an “orange crush” and not a simple rye highball. It delivers what’s on the label while going deep enough to feel like something real and nostalgic, even straight out of a chilled can.

George Dickel Social Hour Harvest Whiskey Sour – Zach Johnston

Harvest Whiskey Sour
Diageo

ABV: 20%

Average Price: $28 (four 8.5 oz. cans)

The Cocktail:

This brand-new canned cocktail from George Dickel is a killer. The actual booze in the drink is 13-year-old George Dickel Tennessee Whisky, which is wildly good whiskey to put in a pre-mixed cocktail in a can. The mix is a combination of that old whiskey plus Honeycrisp apple, Meyer lemon, cinnamon, maple syrup, and cardamom with a whisper of fizziness.

Tasting Notes:

The whiskey and Meyer lemon pop on the nose with a sense of spiced apple cider (the good stuff with a murky body). The palate is bold and hits you with a light whiskey sense that’s part whiskey sour and part spicy apple cider. The dark cider, woody cinnamon, and whole cardamom pods really last on the palate with a nice citrus counterpoint. Moreover, there’s an actual finish that lasts and meanders through the woody spice and real apple cider — with a hint of cinnamon butter — back toward the feel of a good, wintry whiskey sour.

Bottom Line:

This is straight-up delicious and really feels like you’re drinking a cocktail. It’s boozy, full of real-feeling flavor notes, and doesn’t at all taste like it’s out of a can.

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Aubrey Plaza Said She ‘Psychologically Tortured’ Her ‘White Lotus’ Co-Star Because… Well, Because She Is Aubrey Plaza

Aubrey Plaza is known for her punchy sarcasm and witty one-liners, all sprinkled with a little bit of charm and a lot of creepiness, almost like a real-life Wednesday Addams or a Chucky doll with a better fashion sense. Even though she insists she’s not like that in real life, her co-stars seem to disagree.

For example, while filming The White Lotus, the cast and crew were often spending long hours in their hotel rooms and unsurprisingly became a little bored. Sure, some of them were totally fine spending the time doing vocal warmups, but not everyone was calm and collected.

“I was a suspicious character for these Italians,” Plaza said of the hotel staff. “They thought I was sketchy. Which I am.” Plaza seemed to lean into her natural gift of weirdness by pranking her co-star Adam DiMarco. The actress decided to arrange reed diffusers in a “large Blair Witch-style symbol” in DiMarco’s dressing room, as well as her own in order to feign suspicion. Or maybe she just wanted to conjure some spirits, who’s to really say?

Then, as the power slowly went to her head, Plaza started slipping notes that said “here lies…” under people’s doors, effectively creeping everyone out and wondering why they decided to be in this television show in the first place. When confronted, Plaza would basically gaslight DiMarco “over bottles of red wine” and pretend she had no idea what was going on. “Adam was so innocent, like a baby bird,” Plaza said. “It was really sick, what I was doing to him. I got him to the brink of a psychological break.”

Plaza’s stunt was foiled by the hotel’s staff, who showed him footage of Plaza and her pranks. DiMarco said that he was “definitely questioning my reality for a while there,” before Plaza’s plan was revealed. Just wait until we find out the kind of pranks she will be pulling on the set of Agatha: Coven Of Choas! Hopefully, Kathryn Hahn was warned.

(Via AV Club and GQ)

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Daphne And Her Trainer May Share A Wild Connection On ‘The White Lotus’

The majority of the The White Lotus vacationers are somehow miserable in paradise, but the viewing experience is much more pleasurable. This week’s episode contained a number of salacious revelations toward the back end, and that’s a pretty awful game with words that I’m tossing out here. There’s possible incest on the loose involving a “naughty nephew,” and then there’s another Game of Thrones-style suggestion at hand.

In particular, people now wonder whether Daphne and Cameron’s children are even his, which means that Daphne might be pulling a Rhaenyra from House of the Dragon:

Daphne certainly stirred that pot, not too long after she made a confession to Harper: Daphne is well-aware of Cameron’s wandering eye and his consummation of such. As Daphne gushed about her personal trainer with gorgeous blonde hair and massive blue eyes, Daphne passed her phone to Harper, and there was a photo of her children. Harper was like, girl, did you mean to show me this photo, and Daphne knew exactly what she was doing. It’s no wonder that actress Meghann Fahy is out there telling people not to “underestimate” her character in the wake of this episode.

Yep, it sure looks like Daphne’s been getting hers for awhile, so it’s no wonder that she really doesn’t care that Cameron cheats like he’s drinking water. As a result, social media is loving this turn of events.

HBO’s The White Lotus airs on Sunday nights.

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Will Disney Work On A Namor-Focused Film After ‘Wakanda Forever?’

As Black Panther: Wakanda Forever continues to dominate the box office, Marvel fans are no doubt curious as to what further adventures await its characters. Specifically, the blockbuster sequel debuted the live-action version of Namor, one of Marvel Comics’ oldest characters if not the oldest. He has a comic book history stretching back nearly a century, so surely, Marvel must have plans to use the aquatic character in his own series of films. Well, not so fast.

According to Wakanda Forever producer Nate Moore, Namor is still trapped in a complicated rights issue that prevents him from starring in solo films. Like the Hulk, Universal snatched up the rights to Namor back when Marvel Comics was selling off characters left and right to stave off bankruptcy in the ’90s. While Marvel Studios has been able to slowly claw back those rights thanks to Disney’s acquisition of Fox, it still has to “borrow” characters, which has had its hiccups. (See: The Great Spider-Man Debacle of 2019)

However, despite Universal’s ownership of Namor, Marvel still enjoyed free reign with the character. Via The Wrap:

“It honestly affects us more, and not to talk too much out of school, but in how we market the film than it does how we use him in the film,” Moore said. “There weren’t really things we couldn’t do from a character perspective for him, which is good because clearly, we took a ton of inspiration from the source material, but we also made some big changes to really anchor him in that world in a truth that publishing never really landed on, I would argue, in a big way.”

Of course, Namor has historically worked best when he’s bouncing off other Marvel characters, particularly the Fantastic Four and Dr. Doom. Giving him a solo film could be interesting, but for now, MCU fans will have to content themselves with Namor being a secondary character, which is often where he’s the most dynamic.

(Via The Wrap)

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Metallica Launched Their Upcoming ’72 Seasons’ Album With A Brutally Intense Lead Single, ‘Lux Æterna’

Metallica earned themselves a bunch of new fans earlier this year thanks to Stranger Things, and now it’s time to give them fresh music: Today (November 28), the band announced they have a new album, 72 Seasons, set to drop on April 14, 2023. They also unveiled “Lux Æterna,” an in-your-face rocker that shows James Hetfield and company really haven’t lost a step all these years later.

Hetfield says of the album in a statement:

“72 seasons. The first 18 years of our lives that form our true or false selves. The concept that we were told ‘who we are’ by our parents. A possible pigeonholing around what kind of personality we are. I think the most interesting part of this is the continued study of those core beliefs and how it affects our perception of the world today. Much of our adult experience is reenactment or reaction to these childhood experiences. Prisoners of childhood or breaking free of those bondages we carry.”

On top of that, the band is going on a big tour starting in 2023 and extending into 2024.

Watch the “Lux Æterna” video above. Below, find the 72 Seasons art and tracklist, as well as Metallica’s tour dates.

Metallica Lux Aeterna
Blackened Recordings

1. “72 Seasons”
2. “Shadows Follow”
3. “Screaming Suicide”
4. “Sleepwalk My Life Away”
5. “You Must Burn!”
6. “Lux Æterna”
7. “Crown Of Barbed Wire”
8. “Chasing Light”
9. “If Darkness Had A Son”
10. “Too Far Gone?”
11. “Room Of Mirrors”
12. “Inamorata”

04/27/2023 — Amsterdam NL @ Johan Cruijff Arena
04/29/2023 — Amsterdam NL @ Johan Cruijff Arena
05/17/2023 — Paris FR @ Stade de France
05/19/2023 — Paris FR @ Stade de France
05/26/2023 — Hamburg DE @ Volksparkstadion
05/28/2023 — Hamburg DE @ Volksparkstadion
06/16/2023 — Gothenburg SE @ Ullevi Stadium
06/18/2023 — Gothenburg SE @ Ullevi Stadium
08/04/2023 — East Rutherford, NJ @ MetLife Stadium
08/06/2023 — East Rutherford, NJ @ MetLife Stadium
08/11/2023 — Montreal, QC @ Stade Olympique
08/13/2023 — Montreal, QC @ Stade Olympique
08/18/2023 — Arlington, TX @ AT&T Stadium
08/20/2023 — Arlington, TX @ AT&T Stadium
08/25/2023 — Inglewood, CA @ SoFi Stadium
08/27/2023 — Inglewood, CA @ SoFi Stadium
09/01/2023 — Glendale, AZ @ State Farm Stadium
09/03/2023 — Glendale, AZ @ State Farm Stadium
11/03/2023 — St. Louis, MO @ The Dome at America’s Center
11/05/2023 — St. Louis, MO @ The Dome at America’s Center
11/10/2023 — Detroit, MI @ Ford Field
11/12/2023 — Detroit, MI @ Ford Field
05/24/2024 — Munich DE @ Olympiastadion
05/26/2024 — Munich DE @ Olympiastadion
06/07/2024 — Helsinki FI @ Olympic Stadium
06/09/2024 — Helsinki FI @ Olympic Stadium
06/14/2024 — Copenhagen DK @ Parken Stadium
06/16/2024 — Copenhagen DK @ Parken Stadium
07/05/2024 — Warsaw PL @ PGE Narodowy
07/07/2024 — Warsaw PL @ PGE Narodowy
07/12/2024 — Madrid ES @ Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano
07/14/2024 — Madrid ES @ Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano
08/02/2024 — Foxborough, MA @ Gillette Stadium
08/04/2024 — Foxborough, MA @ Gillette Stadium
08/09/2024 — Chicago, IL @ Soldier Field
08/11/2024 — Chicago, IL @ Soldier Field
08/16/2024 — Minneapolis, MN @ US Bank Stadium
08/18/2024 — Minneapolis, MN @ US Bank Stadium
08/23/2024 — Edmonton, AB @ Commonwealth Stadium
08/25/2024 — Edmonton, AB @ Commonwealth Stadium
08/30/2024 — Seattle, WA @ Lumen Field
09/01/2024 — Seattle, WA @ Lumen Field
09/20/2024 — Mexico City MX @ Foro Sol
09/22/2024 — Mexico City MX @ Foro Sol
09/27/2024 — Mexico City MX @ Foro Sol
09/29/2024 — Mexico City MX @ Foro Sol

72 Seasons is out 4/14/2023 via Blackened Recordings. Pre-order it here.

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‘Star Trek’ Actors William Shatner And George Takei Can’t Stop Feuding With Each Other

Star Trek co-stars William Shatner and George Takei haven’t worked together in over 30 years (1991’s Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country), but they can’t stop griping about each other. A few weeks ago, Shatner told the Times that the only reason his former colleagues have an issue with him is for publicity. “Sixty years after some incident they are still on that track. Don’t you think that’s a little weird? It’s like a sickness.” He specifically called out Takei, who once referred to the Captain Kirk actor as an “unfit” guinea pig. The LGBTQ icon replied to Shatner in a new interview with the Guardian.

When asked if the Star Trek cast got along with each other, Takei replied, “Yes. Yes. YES. Except for one, who was a prima donna.” Gee, I wonder who that could be. “But the rest of us shared a great camaraderie,” he continued. “One of the gifts from Star Trek was not just longevity but colleagues that became lasting friends. My colleagues were part of my wedding party in 2008. Walter Koenig [Chekov] was my best man. We asked Nichelle [Nichols] to be our matron of honor but she said: ‘I am not a matron! If Walter can be the best man, why can’t I be the best lady?’ So she became the best lady.”

Takei wasn’t done with Shatner, however. He called him a “cantankerous old man,” adding, “He enjoyed being the centre of attention. He wanted everyone to kowtow to him.” Only two members of the main Star Trek cast who starred in all three seasons are still alive: Shatner and Takei. It’s going to be a spite-off to see who can last longer.

(Via the Guardian)

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Report: Lakers Leaders Think The Team Needs ‘Only A Couple Of Players’ To Be A Title Contender

At 7-11 and 13th in the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Lakers‘ first five weeks of 2022-23 have not been the bounce-back season they hoped for following a tumultuous 2021-22. The offense is clunky and full of ineffective shooters. The defense has been solid, though not good enough to prop up the cramped offense. LeBron James has missed six games and not consistently played like his superstar self when available. In a deep and competitive Western Conference, the Lakers are already two games back of a play-in spot and three games back of a top-six seed.

However, they are providing glimmers of optimism recently, as they are 5-1 in their last six games following a 2-10 start and Anthony Davis is in superstar form again. On top of Davis’ stellar play, James played perhaps his finest game of the young season on Saturday, dropping 39 points (76.8 percent true shooting), 11 rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block. The optimism that things are trending in the right direction exists internally as well, and according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, L.A.’s top stars see this as a potential contender with the right additions.

“There is belief shared by leaders in the Lakers’ locker room, sources said, that the team is only a couple of players away from turning this group into a legitimate contender,” McMenamin wrote.

Among possible trades involving “a couple of players” is the staunchly reported Russell Westbrook-for-Buddy-Hield-and-Myles-Turner deal, which would likely require Los Angeles to ship off its 2027 and 2029 first-round picks. The Lakers are already low on first-round picks after acquiring Anthony Davis 3.5 years ago. That move, of course, did propel them to a championship in 2020. While the front office has been reportedly skeptical of there being a move that can give them a chance to contend for another ring, that belief is at least growing inside the locker room that a title run is within reach if they can bolster the rotation.

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Artist captures how strangers react to her body in public and it’s fascinating

Artist Haley Morris-Cafiero describes herself on her website as “part performer, part artist, part provocateur, part spectator.” Her recent project, titled “Wait Watchers” has elements of all her self-descriptors.

In an email to us, Morris-Cafiero explained that she set up a camera in the street and stood in front of it, doing mundane activities like looking at a map or eating gelato. While she’s standing there she sets off her camera, taking hundreds of photos.


Later, she looks through them and sees what is happening around her. Morris-Cafiero finds that people are often looking at her body, or commenting on it with their gaze or body language, at times even appearing to mock her.

“I then examine the images to see if any of the passersby had a critical or questioning element in their face or body language.”

“I consider my photographs a social experiment and I reverse the gaze back on to the stranger and place the viewer in the position of being a witness to a moment in time. The project is a performative form of street photography,” she writes.

Her work has been exhibited across the U.S. and abroad.

body shaming

She also published her book, The Watchers, which shows her photo collection and includes comments made to her about her body from passerby.

You can see that even people in positions of authority, like this police officer, feel comfortable mocking her just for being out in public.

Though she’s not looking at the people around her, Morris-Cafiero’s photographs capture a split second in time that really crystalizes how people relate to one another on the street and the judgment she receives from strangers.

In galleries, with the words beside them, the photos are even more pointed. She also includes the positive words she receives from people who have experienced discrimination for their size or any other aspect to their body that is consistently bothered by the dominant culture.

Though we all theoretically know that people, women in particular, are discriminated against for their size, seeing it captured in photographs is gut-wrenching:

The project has gone viral as people identify with Morris-Cafiero’s experience, which means a lot of people relate to being stared at and commented on by folks who should mind their own business. Does that include you? You can check out more of her incredible work here.