Twenty-some years ago, Anne Hathaway became a star thanks to The Princess Diaries. She was quick to shed that wholesome Disney image, though she did return for a sequel, in 2004. Ever since then she’s held her own as an accomplished, Oscar-winning thespian. Could she return for the long-threatened round three? Probably not, but everyone will find out one way or another now that Disney is working on a new film in the franchise.
Will it be a threequel? A reboot? Could they lure Julie Andrews back as well? As per The Hollywood Reporter, all of this is unknown. But sources claim that Hathaway — who can be seen playing a disapproving Queens mom opposite Jeremy Strong in the new period drama Armageddon Time — isn’t contractually obligated to appear. But she has already expressed support, very recently, for the film, so maybe she’ll return, in some capacity.
The original Princess Diaries, from 2001 and directed by the late Garry Marshall, starred Hathaway as an American teenager who learns she’s heir to the throne of a fictional European nation called Genovia. Andrews made a rare screen appearance as her grandmother, who is also the country’s queen. Hathaway went on to a diverse and accomplished career, one that sees her doing both challenging fare and singing Kelly Clarkson songs to Kelly Clarkson.
25 years after Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield’s legendary heavyweight rematch, aka the “bite fight,” the two heavyweights are jumping in the ring together once again (the cannabis ring, not the boxing ring) for what has got to be the coolest team-up ever. Tyson’s premium cannabis brand, TYSON 2.0, is set to drop a new co-branded product beginning today via the new TYSON 2.0 global online marketplace called Holy Ears — a new THC and Delta 8 THC-infused all-natural, vegan, and gluten-free variety of ear-shaped edibles.
“It’s a privilege to reunite with my former opponent and now long-time friend and turn years of fights and knockouts into a partnership that can make a positive impact and heal people,” says Tyson in a press release announcing the partnership.
“Back then we didn’t realize that even as power athletes, we were in a lot of pain… now nearly 20 years later, we have the opportunity to share the medicine we really needed throughout our careers,” adds Holyfield.
TYSON 2.0
TYSON 2.0 already has an ear-shaped cannabis-infused gummy called Mike Bites — and they’re actually pretty tasty — and it appears that the new Holy Ears will be a simple expansion of that collection, with the first flavor set to be Cherry Pie Punch. Carma Holdings, the larger brand house that TYSON 2.0 lives under, will also launch Holyfield’s own cannabis line sometime in 2023.
In addition to the TYSON 2.0 online marketplace, Holy Ears will be available in November at select retailers in Arizona, Illinois, Nevada, and New Jersey. The idea of eating gummi ears is less than pleasant, but trust us, these cannabis-infused gummies pack quite an, um, punch. A delicious punch! Plus it’s good to see that both Tyson and Holyfield have a good sense of humor over what was no doubt a traumatizing experience.
Now that the 65th Grammy Awards nominations have been announced, a lot of artists have made Grammy history by reaching new unprecedented milestones. Beyoncé claimed nine nominations bringing her total to 88 and placing her in a tie with her husband Jay-Z for the most all-time Grammy Nominations. Kendrick Lamar’s Album Of The Year nomination for Mr. Morale and The Big Steppers, marks the first time that an artist has had four straight releases nominated for Album Of The Year. But BTS have achieved perhaps the most significant feat in terms of breaking Grammy cultural barriers.
The Bangtan Boys received two nominations for the 2023 Grammy Awards. One for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for their “My Universe” collaboration with Coldplay’s Chris Martin and then one for their song “Yet To Come,” which received a nomination for Best Music Video. With the nomination for “Yet To Come,” BTS officially claimed the first ever nomination for a Korean language song. For what it’s worth, “My Universe” is sung half in Korean and half in English, so really both of these nominations marked a first for songs in the Korean language at the Grammys. It’s a credit to the influence of BTS on fans around the world.
The 65th Grammy Awards will take place on Saturday, February 5 in Los Angeles, CA. Check out the complete list of 2023 Grammy nominations here.
It’s been a minute since we’ve gotten new food from Wendy’s. The latest additions to the menu were the very delicious summertime Strawberry Frosty and the disappointing breakfast French Toast Sticks. But now Wendy’s is back with four new menu options, and we’re pretty psyched about each of them. Beginning today, Wendy’s will be dropping a new peppermint-flavored Frosty, taking the place of the Strawberry Frosty, an Italian Mozzarella Chicken Sandwich and Italian Mozzarella Burger, both complete with a giant piece of fried mozzarella cheese inside (genius), and Garlic Fries at all Wendy’s locations nationwide.
That’s a lot to digest and truthfully each one sounds like it could be a major winner, so we ordered all four to determine which are the most essential. Certainly, that burger sounds least essential, but Wendy’s burgers, from the Pretzel Pub to the Bourbon Bacon, are always interesting and wonderfully decadent and flavorful — so maybe this one will be the same.
Let’s dive into all the new food from Wendy’s starting with the Peppermint Frosty!
Peppermint Frosty
Dane Rivera
Tasting Notes:
While I was excited by the idea of a peppermint Frosty, I have to admit I was a little cautious as to if this would really work. A strawberry-flavored Frosty makes sense, it’s one of the three classic milkshake flavors and has an overall refreshing vibe that’s perfect for the summer. But a milkshake in the fall and winter seasons? That’s a little strange. Luckily, this totally works. Unlike most peppermint-flavored seasonal beverages, this milkshake doesn’t hit you over the head with minty flavors, instead, it starts with a luxurious creamy vanilla forward flavor with the slightest cool minty aftertaste.
For whatever reason, Wendy’s is only equipped to offer two Frosty flavors at a time, the vanilla was dropped back in the summer in favor of strawberry which was such a success that Wendy’s decided to experiment with this peppermint flavor. We’re all for experimentation, but if Wendy’s was really brave they would’ve made a Peppermint Chocolate Frosty over this vanilla-based flavor. It’s not that big of a problem because the Peppermint Frosty is delicious but I can’t help but think about what could’ve been.
The Bottom Line:
You might be skeptical about a frozen Peppermint treat during the coldest months of the year, but the Peppermint Frosty is definitely worthy of a pickup. Ask for a mix of peppermint and chocolate for a double win!
Garlic Fries
Dane Rivera
Tasting Notes:
Garlic Fries are a dish that I think has a lot of potential but rarely delivers. The combination of spicy earthy garlic and hot buttery potato makes a lot of sense on paper but garlic fries typically tend to be too heavy on the garlic and powdered parmesan. That’s not a problem here — Wendy’s new Garlic Fries are well-balanced and delicious.
The garlic chunks are diced very small here, so no single bite is ever too overwhelming, and the small hint of parsley adds a fresh earthy pepperiness that balances out the spicy and nutty notes of the garlic. There is no parmesan here which feels like a missed opportunity but maybe that’s what makes these fries really work. The dish is never doing too much and in its simplicity, it really elevates the flavor of Wendy’s fries from good to great.
The Bottom Line:
I’m not sure that I would call an order of Garlic Fries essential, but if you’re looking for a quick way to elevate your order of fries this is a smart play.
Italian Mozzarella Sandwiches
Dane Rivera
Tasting Notes:
And now to the main event. Both Italian Mozzarella sandwiches are built upon a thick garlic knot bun smeared with marinara sauce, a slice of mozzarella cheese, and a giant fried disk of mozzarella. My instincts led me to believe the Italian Mozzarella Chicken sandwich would taste better than the Italian Mozzarella Burger, but now that I’ve had both, I’m not so sure. Let’s talk about the sandwich first.
I chose Wendy’s spicy chicken filet for my build and the cayenne-forward flavor played well with the bright and spicy marinara sauce. In anticipation of this sandwich I really built up the fried mozzarella patty in my mind and unfortunately, I came away from it a little bit disappointed. If you’re expecting a gooey cheese trail to pull from the sandwich with each bite, this doesn’t really deliver that, thogh the fried mozzarella patty itself does deliver on the flavor. The mozzarella cheese is creamy and slightly sweet and tastes great, Wendy’s should seriously consider adding mozzarella cheese sticks to the menu or at the very least, offering these patties as a side order. I wish the cheese was gooey and stretchy, but we’ll give it a pass for providing such a great flavor.
The garlic knot bun is buttery and slightly sweet, with bits of Italian herbs adding a fresh and earthy lift on each bite. Still, as good as each part of this sandwich was, it never really felt like it came together for me. Despite the generous slathering of marinara sauce, it came across as a bit too dry for my liking. I’m not sure how Wendy’s could remedy that — a double dose of sauce on each bun maybe?
Dane Rivera
The burger is another story. That dryness isn’t really a problem here, Wendy’s beef patties are satisfyingly savory and juicy and the meat manages to practically melt in the mouth, which is exactly what you need in this sandwich, considering the giant fried mozzarella patty is dense and crunchy. The double dose of mozzarella is sweet and creamy with the meat providing a salty flavor and the marinara wrapping it all together with its bright burst of tomato and herbs.
Everything comes together beautifully in this sandwich.
The burger is offered in both single, double, and triple forms, I chose the single because the fried mozzarella patty is similar in width to the burger patty, I honestly can’t imagine having an additional patty of meat on this thing, but hey, I’d be willing to take on the challenge.
The Bottom Line:
If you have to choose one, ignore your instincts — the Italian Mozzarella Burger works way better than the Italian Mozzarella Chicken Sandwich. It’s juicy, creamy, savory, salty, and bursting with flavors that ping-pong around the tastebuds in the most satisfying way. At the end of the day though, you can’t go wrong with either, so if you feel like hitting up Wendy’s twice in one week be sure to test them both.
A week has passed since the Republican Party’s “red wave” failed to materialize during the midterm elections. Many in the GOP — and many not in the GOP — have put the blame at Trump’s feet. Has that deterred him from announcing his third presidential campaign? Of course. But hours before he was expected to do just that, someone decided to troll him but good.
As per Mediaite, New York Times journalist Michael C. Bender posted a picture on Twitter of a plane soaring above Mar-a-Lago, where Trump is likely to reveal his announcement. The plane dragged a banner through the air bearing the following words: “You lost again, Donald! #DeSantis2024.”
It’s not clear who paid for the banner, nor if Trump saw it and threw one of his patented hissy fits. Even if he did, it probably won’t throw him off course from his announcement, which he vowed he would make while campaigning for J.D. Vance, one of the only MAGA candidates who did well in the midterms. Indeed, rather than listen to his own party — including his own cohorts — and stay put in the resort in which he now lives, he’s vowed to put up a fight.
Could Trump finally take the Republican Party down with him? Does he care? Or will he finally have to face the consequences of his dodgy actions? Until we know, we can probably predict he would have been more mad looking up at the pro-DeSantis banner than he was looking into the solar eclipse that easily could have left him blind.
Flavored whiskeys are very hit-and-miss. As someone who tastes, judges, and writes about whiskey for a living, I can tell you it usually goes one of three ways in flavored whiskey. Either you’re going to get a super sweet sugar bomb that maybe has a hint of what’s promised on the label flavorwise; or it’ll be sort of blank and pointless (maybe too sweet or not sweet at all); or the bottlers will absolutely nail what’s promised on the label in a way that truly represents the flavor they’re chasing.
Frankly, more often than not you’ll end up with a bottle that’s overly sweet and little else. That sucks.
To help you avoid the shit out there, I’m pulling in eight bottles of flavored whiskey and blind tasting them. This is a very straightforward tasting. I’m looking at the level of sweetness and whether or not it’s crystal clear from the jump what “flavor” the whiskey is. Basically, I’m looking for which bottle delivers something distinct and doesn’t overdo the sweetness.
There’s a clear sense of dark and woody winter spices — clove, anise, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg — on the nose with a black cherry soda syrup vibe. The palate is largely the same with a clear woody spice tied to dark cherry that leads to flat root beer on the end.
This started off strong and sweet then veered off into flat soda territory pretty quickly.
Taste 2
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Coffee grounds, orange peels, and cherry dominate the nose. The palate really leans into the orange and spice before hitting a soft drip coffee vibe at the end.
Overall, this was pretty good, distinct, and not too sweet.
Taste 3
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Sweet peanuts come through strongly on the nose with a hint of dried cacao powder. The palate is amazingly sweet and hits on a Reese’s Peanut Cup vibe and that’s about it.
This was shockingly sweet but did deliver a crystal clear sense of peanut butter and chocolate.
Taste 4
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
This is very light on the nose, I maybe get some apple and cinnamon but that’s about it. The palate has a spicy essence that’s tied to a bit of dried fruit and maybe some allspice and chocolate but that’s about it.
This was very blank. It wasn’t overly whiskey-like or sweet at all.
Taste 5
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Woah! This is dank AF with a citrus-forward hoppiness on the nose that’s undeniable. That darkness carries through on the palate with a bit of tart red berries and light pine resin next to a dash of holiday baking spices and maybe some vanilla.
This was … interesting. It wasn’t too sweet but felt like it wasn’t too much of anything — a whiskey, flavored whiskey, dank IPA, or otherwise.
Taste 6
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
This is clearly salted caramel on the nose with a mild sweetness and a hint of vanilla and spice. The palate is buttery and, well, full of salted caramel. The end is very sweet but that sweetness stays attached to that caramel all the way.
This was very sweet but that sweetness made sense because it was attached to caramel (you know, melted butter, sugar, and cream). This pour has made the most sense so far.
Taste 7
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
SoCo! There you are! This is so distinctly Southern Comfort with a light fruity nose that leans toward apple and raisin with a cinnamon candy vibe. The palate veers a little toward black licorice and cherry candy with a winter spice edge.
Shit. This wasn’t bad. It certainly wasn’t overly sweet (on this panel anyway).
Taste 8
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Orange, orange, orange! The nose is a bridge between fresh orange rinds and marmalade with a hint of vanilla cake and maybe some soft winter spices. The palate is so orange and overly sweet that it feels like you’re drinking orange bar syrup straight from the bottle.
This is clearly orange but so sickly sweet that it barely matters.
Arcane is known for making full-on craft beer and then distilling that hopped beer into whiskey. In this case, they did that with a triple IPA and then added some hops to the barrels for extra hoppiness.
Bottom Line:
This was 100% hopped like a ridiculous IPA. It was fine overall but really didn’t balance on the palate as well as it could have. Plus, I can’t see what I’d ever use this in.
This whiskey comes out of Old Elk Distillery in Colorado. Beyond that, not much else is known about the fidelity of what’s in the bottle.
Bottom Line:
This was clearly orange and nearly great but then got so goddamn sweet on the palate that all was lost. I could see watering this down with some bubbly water and plenty of ice though. So it’s not a total loss.
Southern Comfort is made from whiskeys sourced from Sazerac Company’s many distilleries. Those barrels are spiked with fruit and spices during maturation and then bottled with plenty of proofing water.
Bottom Line:
This was (shockingly) not as bad as I remembered. There was a sense of balance, fruit, and spice, and it wasn’t too sweet. Don’t get me wrong, it was still very sweet. But I could see drinking this with some fizzy water and an orange slice.
This is whiskey blended with “all-natural” chocolate and peanut butter “flavors.”
Bottom Line:
This delivered a clear and concise nose and palate. It was very sweet but hit the nail on the head with a peanut butter chocolate whiskey. All of that said, I’d probably use this to make pancake syrup or in cookies maybe.
This is a blend of straight rye whiskey, Intelligentsia Coffee, raw honey, demerara sugar, Angostura Bitters, and orange peel, creating a black-as-night whiskey in the bottle.
Bottom Line:
Again, this delivered a very clear profile. Also, it wasn’t overly sweet. I don’t think I’d ever drink it (I’m not a coffee drinker) but I respect it.
This starts with a blend of 100 percent corn whiskeys with a couple of two-year-old bourbons. That juice is mixed with “natural flavors” of salted caramel to create the final product.
Bottom Line:
This was the clearest of the flavored whiskeys, and the sweetness made 100% sense here. This was concise and tasted really nostalgic. I don’t for the life of me know when I’d ever reach for this outside of baking, but I do know it’s a quality product that delivers exactly what it promises.
Part 3: Final Thoughts
Zach Johnston
I was sort of surprised by the quality of most of these (well, the top five anyway). And I get it, these are for folks looking for a soft landing in a whiskey with a familiar flavor profile as a shooter or mixer. That’s totally cool.
In the end, I think there’s value in this sector. And while I would never reach for these (even the “not that sweet” ones are too sweet for me), I can see using them for baking or mixing into heavy batched winter cocktails.
Netflix has fallen on hard times. Earlier this year it started bleeding subscribers, prompting much internal panic and belt-tightening. Gone (probably) are the days where they fork over a fortune for some blockbuster that doesn’t even get released in theaters. (At the same time, they’re only granting Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery a one measly week in the nation’s multiplexes.) There’s even a watered-down, ad-supported version now. They’ve also tried to crack down on password-sharing, without much success. Now they’re trying something else to save the ship.
As per Variety, on Tuesday the streamer unveiled a new, exciting feature. It’s called “Manage Access and Devices,” and it allows users to identify all the devices they’re currently signed into and sign out of any they’re no longer using. It’s really helpful for anyone who signed into their account while traveling then forgot to sign out. That’s the angle Netflix is taking when pitching the new feature.
“With the busy holiday season just around the corner, many of our members will be on the move and watching Netflix wherever they are traveling to see family and friends,” boasted product manager Charles Wartemberg in a blog post. “Logging in to your account while at a hotel or even your friend’s house is easy and intuitive, but lots of people then forget to log out.”
Read between the lines, though, and you can see another, more pressing issue for Netflix. The company has estimated that there are over 100 million non-paying households worldwide signed into Netflix, i.e., streaming off of a password that’s been shared with them. There are more than 30 million such users in North America alone.
There is another reason for the feature’s existence: It will help subscribers feel more confident that their accounts are secure — that someone piggybacking off of their subscription isn’t maxing out their stream limit (if they have such a plan) or making unwanted changes. But in the end, it might prove more beneficial for the big streamer itself.
It’s been about a decade since The Walkmen called it quits and went on an “extreme hiatus.” The band members stayed active on their own, with singer Hamilton Leithauser notably putting out four excellent albums in the years since and Bauer releasing his latest album, Flowers, earlier this year. Now the band has announced that they’re getting back together with Leithauser sharing a statement that said they were inspired to return after watching a clip of one of their 2003 performances. “So, we’ve decided we’d like to play together again,” Leithauser said.
The Walkmen have already announced a pair of comeback concerts at New York City’s Webster Hall on April 26 and 27 of 2003. Check out Leithauser’s full statement on the band’s comeback below.
Back in 2013, an unnamed Walkmen band member (Peter Bauer) announced to the Washington Post that we were going on an ‘extreme hiatus.’ I assumed that meant there would be a lot of monster energy drinks and maybe that red-headed snowboarder guy would be hanging around a lot…but none of that actually happened. Instead, in the ensuing years we’ve all worked on a ton of different projects in a ton of different places. Recently, someone sent us a clip of us playing at Irving Plaza from 2003, and it just looked very exciting. So, we’ve decided we’d like to play together again. Right now, we are very thrilled to announce that we will be playing at Webster Hall on April 26 & 27. See you soon.
The ticketing presale begins Wednesday 11/16 at 10 am EST and continues through the 17th at 10 pm EST. Register here. General on-sale begins Friday, November 18th at 11 am EST.
Rolling Loud is returning to Los Angeles for the first time since 2019 after being canceled in 2020 and held in San Bernardino in 2021. The roaming festival has a new home at Hollywood Park in Inglewood (the home of SoFi Stadium) and is set for March 3-5, 2023. The lineup was announced today, headlined by Future, Playboi Carti, and Travis Scott. It’ll be Travis’ first headlining performance in the US since Astroworld.
Rolling Loud came roaring back with a vengeance in general in 2022, bringing events to Portugal, Miami, New York, and Toronto (all, funnily enough, featuring Future as headliner/unofficial mascot). It was an eventful year, to be sure, as the Miami event saw Travis Scott’s return to the stage after the Astroworld disaster, and Kid Cudi’s early departure from it after being pelted with objects by the crowd.
Meanwhile, the New York Rolling Loud was marred by the NYPD’s ongoing war against drill music, as well as ASAP Rocky’s meme-spawning mosh pit mishap. LA fans still have plenty to look forward to, though, as the last iterations of the festival in city of angels brought memorable performances and viral moments that still have an impact on hip-hop to this day (Cardi took back Offset, after all).
You can see the full lineup below and get more information here.
Warning: Spoilers for Black Panther: Wakanda Foreverahead.
There has yet to be a Marvel movie that has secured an acting nomination at The Oscars, but after Angela Bassett’s performance in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, many fans are campaigning for her to get the coveted Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of Queen Ramonda.
While her role as Wakanda’s fierce ruler was a stand-out of the already dazzling movie, Bassett was not too keen to return to the Black Panther universe after the death of Chadwick Boseman. Director Ryan Coogler told her that Queen Ramonda would have to be the emotional support for Shuri, the pressure was on. “It was scary,” Bassett admitted to IndieWire.
When the actress learned that the Queen would ultimately die towards the end of the film, Bassett was rightfully angry. “I objected,” Bassett continued. “Yeah, I was like, ‘Ryan, what are you doing? Why? You will rue the day! You will rue the demise of [Ramonda]. People are gonna be so upset.’”
Coolger also had to explain the rules of the Multiverse, and the fact that her character could likely come back at any point in the future, or in another Marvel movie, for that matter. She continued, “[Ryan] was like, ‘Angela, I know, I know, but look, to die is not really to die in this world. It doesn’t really have to mean that.’” Imagine her popping up alongside Paul Rudd in Ant-Man! How fun would that be?!
“All kinds of crazy things happen,” Bassett added. Yes, Marvel is notorious for putting crazy things in their movies, so bringing people back from the dead or even from another film franchise actually isn’t that off-brand.
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