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The Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions is in full swing this week, with some of the show’s best ever players vying for bragging rights in one of the biggest tournaments in show history. If you’ve been paying attention to the show at all over the last year, you’re probably very aware of three big contenders for the top prize: Matt Amodio, Amy Schneider, and Mattea Roach.

All three players broke records and went on long winning streaks during Season 38 of the show. Which is why they returned with a special advantage in the tournament: a direct pass to the semifinals. The three also participated in a special exhibition game on election day Tuesday, which also coincided with the second anniversary of late host Alex Trebek’s death.

But that game wasn’t the only way the heavyweights got ready for the tournament, of course. In fact, both Amodio and Schneider admitted they actually browsed the Jeopardy! Reddit for some feedback on their initial performances. Though they weren’t always as excited about what they found as you may think.

In an interview with Vulture, the two said they did check out some criticism — and praise — of their betting strategies.

“The difference for the tournament was, well, I was on Reddit seeing people’s commentary about me my first time around, and they felt I was suboptimal in certain ways,” Schneider said. “Most of the comments didn’t seem worth it to me, but the one thing I did realize was I needed to pay more attention to looking for Daily Doubles, keeping an eye on where they had been and where they were likely to show up again. That was one thing I changed.”

Amodio agreed that, while he didn’t always love what he saw on the and did dismiss some of the criticism outright, he was happy to see some people agreed with the way he attacked the game.

“I was pretty happy about my Daily Double hunting strategy being the best anyone could think of. I didn’t think about anything else other than the question ahead. I totally understand Amy’s perspective there,” Amodio said. “I worked really hard to get to a place where I was comfortable before stepping onstage. I was proud of how it played out. There are Redditors giving feedback, but for the most part, I said, No, I think I did it right, thanks, though.”

The two also talked to USA Today and described how they approached researching answers for the game itself. While Amodio said his natural curiosity helped build his base of knowledge in general, he “didn’t focus on preparation so much as just imagining what kind of thing am I running into that they might ask about?”

Schneider, meanwhile, did much of the same research as her first appearance. Roach did as well, though she did credit the vast J! Archive online for helping create some game prep materials that lots of contestants use ahead of their appearances.

“I started taking it a bit more seriously six weeks in advance, which was twice as long (as my first “Jeopardy!” run). I mostly did a lot of the same things in terms of just reviewing old games on the J! Archive,” Roach said in an interview with USA Today. “People have set up really ingenious ways of doing online practice games, and so I figured I might as well do some of those.”

All of this is to say the best of the best are definitely ready for their time back behind the contestant podiums. And, if we’re lucky, they’ll put on a show if they manage to play each other again in the real tournament.

(Via Vulture & USA Today)

It’s natural for successful musicians to capitalize on their brand by branching out into other business areas. For some, part of that play is perfume. For example, Britney Spears and Ariana Grande both her their own perfume lines, and while they’re technically rivals in the space, they actually both have love for each other’s products.

In an Instagram post shared last night (November 10), Spears wrote, “Again it’s all about the breathing !!! And good God I can breathe better and I’m definitely that meditation b*tch !!! I know I shouldn’t say this because I have my own line of perfume … but I’m obsessed with @ArianaGrande’s fragrance line … I have the spray and two bottles from it !!! I guess I’m sharing this now that I can breathe better and it smells so good !!!”

Grande saw the message and responded in kind, writing in the comments, “i love yours as well! always have and will. sending you so much love, queen [heart emoji].”

Meanwhile, Grande is currently gearing up for her role in the Wicked musical. That means Grande’s been putting a pause on new music, as she said earlier this year, “The truth is, I have not begun an album. I know, I hear through the grapevine that you have a lot of theories and expectations in that department. But after Positions, was not ready to start another album yet, so I have not begun another album. […] So my hands are quite full with a lot of other thrillifying work at the moment, and [Wicked] being a part of it. REM Beauty is really fun and we work really hard on that as well. But yeah, I am spending all of my time with Glinda.”

50 Cent has a lot of experience with talk shows: his IMDb page shows he’s been on pretty much all of them at some point. Now, though, he’s going to have his own for a short while: Drew Barrymore is sick, so she’s tapped 50 to fill in for her on The Drew Barrymore Show.

Barrymore made the announcement with a selfie of her and her cat in bed, writing on Instagram yesterday (November 10), “I’ve got covid and lucky the cat! Im good and will be back soon. In the meantime [co-host Ross Mathews] and @50cent are taking over. So only good news to report!!!!! Maybe some other special surprises too!”

The set should at least feel familiar to 50: He was on the show once in 2021 and again back in February.

Not much has been said about the 50 takeover beyond Barrymore’s post, so it remains to be seen if 50 will bring his own guests to the program, if there’s already a scheduled slate of visitors that he’s going to stick to, when his first episode will air, or what. Whatever the case, it seems unlikely he’d have Madonna on the program. He’s been posting not-so-kind things about her on Instagram here and there over the past year, most notably a few months ago when he likened her to an alien.

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

Sometimes, you just know when something is a fit. Legend will have it (and that legend is true) that Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan wrote Tulsa King‘s first draft script in less than 24 hours while specifically gunning for Sylvester Stallone to play the lead role. Paramount, for obvious reasons, ran with Sheridan’s judgment and this project because people cannot get enough of those darn-fangled Yellowstone shows he created (there are two already and another few on the way). Granted, I simply cannot sit down and enjoy that franchise despite a few attempts, yet it’s impossible to deny that Sheridan’s one of the few souls who have cracked the TV code when there are a billion competing shows vying for eyeballs.

Tulsa King will undoubtedly capitalize upon debuting on the same night as the Kevin Costner flagship series’ fifth season return, but Stallone’s show feels entirely different. Boardwalk Empire creator Terence Winter directs this joint with Sly pulling out all the stops as a mafia boss who did decades of hard time and expects some payback. What does he receive? Let’s just say that Tulsa’s a nice little city, and it sure would be a shame if something… you catch the drift. Sheridan initially did write this little ditty with a Kansas City setting, but the move to Tulsa works out well for the mob to come in and newly bust chops. It’s unexpected and funny and also landing on the heels of some kind of cultural emergence for the former Oil Capitol of the World.

It’s fitting, really. Not too long ago, Damon Lindelof decided that Watchmen‘s Doctor Manhattan should hide out in Tulsa (perfect because who would suspect?), and Sterlin Harjo chose the surrounding area to allow Reservation Dogs to dole out a worthy Indigenous perspective (although those characters would love to leave the place). As well, characters do tend to be unwillingly sent to Tulsa. This happened to shifty Gary on Justified and Chandler on Friends. Now, Sly’s Dwight “The General” Manfredi finds himself with the run of the city, and he’s not thrilled but is working with it. Stallone, on the other hand, is having far too much fun with this role.

It is glamourous stuff, y’all.

Also, we know this is a “fish out of water” story because this tough-talking New York mafioso can’t ditch those tiny cups, even in a honky-tonk world.

More than that, we’ve got a big icon in a small pond, so to speak. Because even though Stallone has done plenty of projects (including voicing King Shark in The Suicide Squad) that don’t involve playing Rocky Balboa or John Rambo, he’s still synonymous with those roles. Even when he pushes back at where the Rocky franchise is going, he can’t fully separate himself from that looming physicality. So, it’s easy to forget that Stallone can do much more.

One must recall a certain Rambo scene, if you will, when the PTSD came pouring out near the end of a movie where Stallone remained mostly wordless. He can turn on a dime like that, and I was pleasantly struck (during an Episode 2 moment) by an emotional outpouring. I did not expect any of Dwight Manfredi’s exploits to hit me in the feels, but it happened. And there’s something really magical about watching Sly Stallone stretch outside the action box in a way that works (as opposed to those projects that didn’t work), so don’t forget those comedy chops.

Real talk time: Tulsa King‘s draft script may have been written almost off the cuff by Taylor Sheridan, but it’s somehow the role that Stallone has been building up to portray. He’s also as good at those one-liners as his contemporary, Arnold Schwarzenegger, although Sly didn’t receive as much of an opportunity to show it off back in the day. Yet Dwight is a layered kind of guy, and Stallone recently declared that he’s “never worked so hard in my life.” Although I’ve only watched the few episodes provided for critics thus far, I will agree that he ain’t joking. As well, it’s amusing to see Stallone interacting with a cast of Okie characters, two of whom are portrayed by Andrea Savage and Garrett Hedlund. He is doing the most with his look…

Yet the first episodes mainly serve to introduce Dwight. Sly can still throw a punch, and he’s down to trash marijuana dispensaries to rustle up some “protection” cash. It’s a very amplified, 2022 version of Bobby De Niro’s Vito Corleone that Sheridan drops into view. Ultimately, however, Dwight is a pretty “good” dude for a mafioso. He’s getting to know the feel of a woman after two decades behind bars, and he’s attempting to rekindle an old connection that ends up being, well, complicated.

Throughout, the show lays ground for making Tulsa an actual character that stands on its own. The series was truly shot within Oklahoma (and not on some Atlanta soundstage), OKC as well as Tulsa, where local landmarks rear their head. I don’t want to spoil one key attraction that showcases a pivotal (and emotional) moment for Dwight, so we’ll probably talk about that later. However, there are plenty of local sights like the famed Golden Driller (which is exactly what it sounds like) and smatterings of Route 66 on display. Tulsa happens to be an odd breed of city, where skyscrapers somehow provide the backdrop for livestock wandering out into city streets. It happens!

In other words, Tulsa is the perfect contradictory setting for a show like Tulsa King, where Sly is playing a character who’s trying to comprehend new social mores and the Internet and simple things like taking an Uber. You can tell he’s enjoying the hell out of this gig, and it’s always palpable and wonderful to see someone doing what they love for a living. Stallone’s still beefing with a Rocky producer, but I can tell that he’s forged a genuine partnership with Winter and Sheridan. They contribute their own sensibilities, obviously with Winter’s tried-and-true ways with mob-related subject matter and Sheridan’s prolific knack for writing. He’s transformed the Western on TV, and he’s brought Stallone to the small screen. Not too shabby for the “good cop” from Sons Of Anarchy, right?

RIP to Deputy Hale, but long live Paramount+’s Tulsa King, which premieres on November 13.

On his newest single, “1 On 3,” drill rapper Fivio Foreign teams up with Latin music producer Rvssian to deliver scorching bars over a drill beat with elements of Latin horns.

The song clocks in at under two minutes, but Fivio does not miss a beat on Rvssian‘s invigorating track.

“That tough sh*t not gon’ fly / We all know you not like me / Boy, you gon’ run into him, run into him / Run into him, ‘fore you run into me,” raps Fivio on the song’s chorus.

In the video, Fivio is seen in New York City, with a group of people in a parking garage, as well as the Brooklyn Bridge, and various parts of New York, posted up, reminding us that he’s not one to play with.

In a recent interview with Complex, Fivio explained that he hopes he can continue to use his platform to bring more attention to Brooklyn drill rappers and help lay the foundation for long careers.

“If I do what I’ve got to do, [Brooklyn drill] is going to stick around,” he said. “People are going to start to realize we can do it all. Once it’s widened up a little bit more, people will get it. Drill rappers are the pop stars.”

Check out “1 On 3” above.

Megan Thee Stallion is getting support from the Southern Black Girls and Women’s Consortium and others in a new open letter that condemns violence against women. They address it to Megan in light of recent events of Drake’s “Circo Loco” line that accuses her of lying about being shot by rapper Tory Lanez in 2020.

Several key public figures have signed the letter, including “Ethel Cain, congresswoman Maxine Waters, MeToo founder Tarana Burke, Planned Parenthood CEO Alexis McGill Johnson, congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and more,” according to Rolling Stone.

“While so many of us celebrate you for your strength and perseverance, it must be said that you have been treated in ways that no young woman – no person at all – should be treated,” the letter says. “It must be said that our culture has failed you, one of its most brightly shining daughters.”

“You may be a boss, the ‘hot girl coach,’ and a bonafide superstar, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t experience pain,” it adds “No one is too ‘bad,’ too famous, too powerful to feel hurt. You’ve had to navigate this deeply difficult experience in the public eye, and while you’ve managed to stand strong and to keep showing up to work in spite of it all, it can’t be understated how unfair it is that you’re in this position to begin with.”

Read the full open letter to Megan Thee Stallion here.

Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

After making a triumphant return this summer with “Beat The Odds,” which he dropped just two months after being shot seven times in a botched robbery, Lil Tjay has another heater on his hands. On his latest single, “Give You What You Want,” Tjay channels his inner romantic, as he attempts to woo a new flame.

He opens the song, softly rap-singing, “I’ll do whatever to spoil you / Trippin’ ’bout you like I’m runnin’ on oil / You a queen, your whole demeanor is royal / just wanna caress, rough sex, break you down, and adore you.”

Back in August, Tjay shared a video on Instagram, in which he is seen recovering in a hospital bed. He appeared to be in good spirits as he teased new music, the first piece of which was “Beat The Odds.”

I just wanna say, thanks for the love, thanks for the support,” said TJay in the video. “I been looking at the DMs, comments and everything else and I feel love. Seven shots, it was tough, you know. Most people don’t survive it. But I’m here, here for a reason. New music coming soon.”

Check out “Give You What You Want” above and the tour dates below.

12/11 — Los Angeles @ The Novo
12/14 — Toronto @ Rebel
12/16 — Montreal @ Place Bell
12/17 — Boston @ House Of Blues
12/29 — New Jersey @ Wellmont Theater

Khalid and Joe Jonas released their new collaboration, “Not Alone,” today. The somber piano ballad opens with Jonas on the first verse as Khalid tackles the second. Still, their voices perfectly complement one another to create a hauntingly emotional song. By the end, they introduce an electronic instrumental element that really drives the powerful message home. “You are not alone,” the duo sings together.

The song, which was co-written by Ryan Tedder and Harv, is set to appear on the soundtrack for the upcoming film, Devotion, as it plays in the end credits. Jonas is also acting in the war movie as the supporting character of Marty Goode. It hits theaters on November 23.

Along with their duet, Jonas and Khalid will be debuting the “Not Alone” music video later this afternoon.

“Khalid came on and finished it up,” Jonas told Popsugar. “It’s a beautiful, tragic song about being away from those that you really care about and always being there for them if you can’t physically be there for them.”

“It’s spiritual — I’d say it’s a little spiritual in some senses,” he added. “I am really proud of the work we did, and I think it’s one of my favorite songs I’ve ever written.”

Listen to Joe Jonas and Khalid’s new song “Not Alone” above.

Yes. That’s the stuff.

Fresh off a dynamite run with Girl on the Third Floor and Jakob’s Wife, writer/director Travis Stevens has returned with a strange trip into haunting art and the most dangerous game. A Wounded Fawn earned solid praise during runs at Tribeca and Fantastic Fest, delivering a giallo-loving riff on serial killer shenanigans and trippy high art visuals.

The movie focuses on said serial killer, an effete culture hound called Bruce (Josh Ruben), bringing abusive relationship survivor Meredith (Sarah Lind) to his swanky cabin in the woods with the intention of killing her like all the rest. As it turns out, even though he has a hallucinated blood red owl on his side, the task is harder than he planned. What results is a cat-and-also-cat sprint headlong through surreal tricks of the mind and a slew of classic horror homage. Just for good measure, it includes some riffs on Greek mythology and whatever that creepy masked thing with the yellow snake is up to.

It looks like Beyond the Black Rainbow got shoved into a cabin at Camp Crystal Lake, and it drips maddeningly onto Shudder on December 1st to watch with a loved one or blind date.

Kim Petras has returned with her long-awaited new song, “If Jesus Was A Rockstar.” Backed by a guitar melody, she ushers in what is speculated to be her debut album era with a lead single that is prime for major pop radio appeal. The chorus is incredibly catchy, and the production is a slight departure from what fans might expect, considering her past hyper-pop releases. It also has an emotional backstory that ties into Petras’ personal life.

“I just had to dig really deep for this,” Petras told Billboard last month.

“For me, religion and spirituality is such an intense topic, because I grew up trans, not fitting into any religion. All of my friends were pretty religious, and I kind of just wanted to write this song about how I wish religion would include me — and how it doesn’t, and how a lot of my friends in the LGBTQ community are forced to feel this way.”

“That’s why I always looked for spirituality elsewhere,” she continued. “That’s why I loved music, because it gave me a similar sort of sensation, and gave me a place I belonged. So yeah, the song kinda says maybe if religion was cooler, then I would wanna be a part of it. So, if Jesus was a rockstar, maybe I’d want to be just like him.”

Before Petras’ newest song, her “Unholy” collaboration with Sam Smith reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The achievement marked the first chart-topping hit for either artist.

Watch the lyric video for Kim Petras’ “If Jesus Was A Rockstar” above.