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Following the tragic death of Aaron Carter, Hilary Duff has taken to Instagram to honor the singer, actor, and child star. Back in 2001, Carter made a special guest appearance as himself on a Christmas episode of Duff’s breakthrough Disney Channel show, Lizzie McGuire. The two were later romantically linked for a short time throughout the 2000s.

In her post, Duff shared her condolences, while also remembering Carter fondly.

“I’m deeply sorry that life was so hard for you and that life was so hard for you and that you had to struggle in front of the whole world,” she said. “You had a charm that was absolutely effervescent … boy did my teenage self love you deeply. Sending love to your family at this time.”

Carter was outspoken on his love for Duff, despite being in a very public love triangle between her and Lohan when they were teenagers. In a 2014 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Carter revealed that he regretted losing Duff, and very much wanted to make things right with her.

“I don’t know who she is today, she doesn’t know who I am today, but I would sweep her off her feet if I ever got a chance to again and fix what I did wrong,”

Kyrie Irving is currently serving a suspension handed down by the Brooklyn Nets for his repeated refusal to disavow antisemitism and an antisemitic documentary that he previously shared on his Twitter account — the team’s exact wording was that “he is currently unfit to be associated with the Brooklyn Nets.” While Irving is guaranteed to miss five games, there is no exact date for when he can return.

It begs the question: What would the Nets want to see out of Irving before he is able to get back onto the floor? According to multiple media reports — first by Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports and then by Shams Charania of The Athletic — the team presented Irving with a collection of actions he needs to complete, which includes an apology where he condemns the movie, donating money, and going through a number of courses and meetings, which includes a sit-down with Nets owner Joe Tsai.

As Goodwill noted, Irving would need to show at the meeting that “this type of behavior will not occur again this season.” After he was suspended, Irving offered up an attempt at an apology on his Instagram, but it is worth noting that he said there were parts of the documentary that he agreed with in his statement. Prior to the, the Nets announced that Irving would donate money to the Anti-Defamation League, but in the aftermath of the suspension, the ADL announced it would not accept his money.

Post Malone’s “Twelve Carat” tour hasn’t been a smooth ride. Over the course of the past few months, the “Cooped Up” rapper fell through a hole on stage at a venue in St. Louis. Shortly after, he was hospitalized after having a hard time breathing. He also twisted his ankle during an Atlanta show.

To quite literally add insult to injury, Post Malone had to deal with hecklers as he was meeting fans in a video shared online today.

In a video, Post is seen meeting with a large group of fans. While they are elated to see him, and vice-versa, a couple of kids couldn’t help but hurl insults his way.

“Post Malone,” says one kid in the clip. “You a b*tch.”

Post is then seen, visibly shocked and dismayed by the kid’s words.

“You suck,” the person recording the video continues.

Post then says, “that’s rude.”

Relentlessly, the kid continues, saying, “You a b*tch, you a b*tch, Post Malone sucks.”

Since the video has been shared, fans have shared their support for Malone.

“Bruh he genuinely seems like one of the nicest ppl ever u need to leave this man alone,” said one Twitter user.

“he’s literally one of the sweetest and unproblematic rappers and yet people still do sh*ts like this to him look at his face wtf get behind me posty,” said another.

You can see the video above.

The Phoenix Suns may be without their newest starter for a spell. Cam Johnson, who got elevated from his role on the bench at the start of this season, left Friday night’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers after five minutes with an apparent leg injury. It was unclear exactly what happened, but Johnson looked like he got hurt after planting his foot the wrong way.

It’s always a concern when this happens to someone, and apparently, the Suns believe something serious happened. Shams Charania of The Athletic brings word that the team is worried that Johnson suffered a torn meniscus, although they are going to continue to evaluate his knee.

Johnson, who the team took 11th overall in the 2019 NBA Draft, has turned into a tough wing defender and dead-eye shooter whose ability to space the floor is of major importance for Phoenix’s offense. His ascension into the starting lineup has come in the place of veteran forward Jae Crowder, who has stayed home this season while the team has looked to trade him. Further complicating matters for Johnson is that he is slated to become a restricted free agent next summer. Johnson has averaged 13 pints per game so far this season.

The death of former child star and pop singer Aaron Carter has taken the world by surprise. Following the announcement of his passing, fans and fellow musicians have taken to social media to express their sadness and share fond memories of Carter.
New Kids On The Block wrote on their Twitter account to share condolences, saying, “We are shocked and saddened about the sudden passing of Aaron Carter. Sending prayers to the Carter family. Rest in peace, Aaron.”

Songwriter Diane Warren expressed her sorrows and lamented over the long-term trauma of childhood fame.

“Fame at a young age is often more a curse than a blessing and Surviving it is not easy,” said Warren. “RIP Aaron Carter.”

Singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist Tyler Hilton recalled pleasant memories of Carter. On Twitter, Hilton said, “No…. This @aaroncarter news is heartbreaking… this kid had such a spark. Known him for years and always really liked him, he was warm and really funny. Loved putting on a show and he was good at it.”

Parson James, known for his song “Stole The Show,” said he was “bummed to hear the news about Aaron,” said James. “The few interactions I had with him were extremely sweet but most definitely sad. media and our culture can be so vicious.”

Even Stevens actress Christy Carlson Romano sent love to those close her fellow child star, saying, “Incredibly sad about the passing of Aaron Carter. My thoughts and prayers go out to his friends and family.”

Aaron Carter was 34 at the time of his death, and was reportedly found unconscious in his bathtub.

The Sacramento Kings and the Orlando Magic kicked off Saturday’s NBA slate with one of the best games of the season. The two teams needed overtime to determine a winner, and thanks to a buzzer-beater from halfcourt by De’Aaron Fox, the Kings were able to pick up a thrilling 126-123 road victory.

It looked like the two teams would need a second overtime to determine a winner. Orlando trapped Malik Monk in the corner and forced him to throw a terrible pass, which landed in the hands of Chuma Okeke. The crowd in Orlando exploded as Okeke threw it in, but the Kings were not deterred. Fox got the ball and pushed it up the court, but instead of putting his head down and using his game-changing speed to attack the rim with only five seconds left, Fox was a little more careful.

This ended up being a good decision, as Jalen Suggs looked like he was expecting Fox to blow by him and gave him space. As a result, Fox was able to get a pretty clean look from midcourt, so he pulled up, let it fly, and got to play the hero in a game he dominated.

Fox had 37 points, five rebounds, three assists, and a steal in 40 minutes of work. With the win, Sacramento moves to 3-5 on the season.

Major League Soccer crowned a champion on Saturday afternoon, and they needed a whole heck of a lot of time to determine who would wear the crown. Los Angeles Football Club played host to the Philadelphia Union in a battle of 1-seeds, and by the time the dust settled, Los Angeles could call themselves champions via a penalty shootout in the greatest game that MLS has ever seen.

The two sides were level after 90 minutes, with Kellyn Acosta and Jesús Merillo finding the back of the net for Los Angeles and Dániel Gazdag and Jack Elliott scoring for the Union. Somehow, someway, things got even crazier than you could ever expect after that. A red card was given to LAFC goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau in the 116th minute with the game still level, but because of how late in the game it occurred, it was going to take something unforeseen for a winner to be decided in regulation.

Elliott seemed like he did that exact thing. In the fourth minutes of an added nine in injury time, the Union leaned on the tried and true method of pumping the ball into the box over and over with the hopes that something good would happen. And after a lengthy spell of chaos, Elliott made that special thing happen.

But cometh the hour, cometh the man, and LAFC has one hell of a man to call on in these moments. Legendary Welsh forward Gareth Bale went up and got his head to a ball played in by Diego Palacios, which managed to sneak just past the outstretched arm of Andre Blake.

Blake, the captain for Philadelphia, was able to respond on the first penalty, stonewalling a poor effort by Cristian Tello. But the Union were unable to capitalize, as Gazdag’s foot slipped and he skied his attempt.

LAFC’s Denis Bouanga stepped up and converted his, and then, John McCarthy came up big, stopping an effort by José Martínez. Ryan Hollingshead converted his effort, putting the heat on Philly. McCarthy stopped yet another penalty, this time from Kai Wagner, to put Ilie Sánchez in a position to win the Cup for Los Angeles. Blake guessed right, but Sánchez was able to just tuck the ball into the corner for the winner.

The victory marks the first time in LAFC’s brief history that they can call themselves MLS Cup winners.

The queen of Christmas has lots of treats up her sleeve this season. This past Friday, Mariah Carey paid a visit to The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon to spill some tea on her upcoming holiday projects. On top of the annual resurgence of her 28-year-old holiday classic single, “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” Carey has a loft of gifts for the Lamb-ily this holiday season, including a series of shows in Toronto and New York City, as well as a new children’s book called The Christmas Princess.

Elusive as she is, Carey also teased an upcoming collaboration with Stranger Things actress, Millie Bobby Brown.

Brown first teased a collaboration with Mimi back in October on The Tonight Show, where she revealed that she and Carey “have sung together… like in her studio sung together.”

Fallon asked Carey about the potential collaboration, to which she responded, “Maybe it’s not just musical. I don’t know. I can’t say what it is.”

Perhaps Brown may appear in a yet-to-be-announced Christmas special, as Carey has hosted on Apple TV+ the past two years?

Find out more in the interview above.

You cam also stream Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” here. You know you want to.

This article originally appeared on 03.03.20

Actor Mark Wahlberg recently attended a daddy-daughter dance with his 10-year-old, Grace. Sadly, Grace had no interest in seeing her father strutting his stuff on the dance floor.

“I didn’t get one dance,” Wahlberg told Ellen DeGeneres. “And I told her we were going to do the whole big circle and I was going to go off. And she said, ‘Dad, if you embarrass me, I will never talk to you again.’ But what she did do is she hung out with me.”

No matter who your dad is, especially if you’re a 10-year-old-girl, you have zero desire to see him dance in front of your friends.

But the parents at the dance probably would have had a blast seeing Wahlberg bust out some of his old-school ’90s Marky Mark moves.

However, Wahlberg couldn’t help but leave his mark on the music being played at the dance.

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Let’s not forget, he didn’t get famous for his acting but for showing off his abs in the “Good Vibrations” video.

Being that Wahlberg’s time as a pop star was three decades ago, he couldn’t believe it when he heard the music being played at the dance.

“[Grace] sat there on the edge of the stage, by the DJ. And then I’m sitting there with one other dad and I’m like, ‘This is not an edited version of this song. There are explicit lyrics being played at a school dance for girls and I’m like no good,'” he said.

“I told the DJ and he’s like, ‘Oh, I thought it was.’ I said, ‘What are you doing?’ I’m hearing F-bombs and this and that’s not okay,” Wahlberg said.

He’s right. There’s no place for music with explicit lyrics at a dance for 10-year-old children.

Wahlberg says the DJ didn’t know he wasn’t playing the edited version, but it’s probably more likely that he didn’t even realize the song was a problem. Pop music these days is filled with a numbing amount of violent and misogynistic lyrics.

A recent study from the University of Missouri found that nearly one-third of pop songs contain lyrics that degrade or demean women by portraying them as submissive or sexually objectified.

Currently, three of the top five songs on the Billboard Top 40 contain the word “bitch.” One of them is sung in Korean.

It’s odd that Americans have become more sensitive to misogyny in pop culture in films, television, and comedy, but still have a huge cultural blind-spot when it comes to music.

That’s not a good thing, especially when pop music is marketed to teenagers.

“We know that music has a strong impact on young people and how they view their role in society,” said Cynthia Frisby, a professor in the Missouri School of Journalism.

“Unlike rap or hip-hop, pop music tends to have a bubbly, uplifting sound that is meant to draw listeners in,” Frisby continued. “But that can be problematic if the lyrics beneath the sound are promoting violence and misogynistic behavior.”

Let’s face it, pop stars are role models. Their examples show young people what to wear and how to behave. That’s not to say that kids will blindly follow someone just because they like their music. But it has an undeniable effect.

Wahlberg, and any parent who monitors what their kids are listening to, deserve credit for protecting the minds and hearts of their kids.

Frisby has some great advice for parents concerned about negative imagery in pop music.

“Ask your daughters and sons what songs they like to listen to and have conversations about how the songs might impact their identity,” Frisby said.

“For example, many songs might make young girls feel like they have to look and act provocative in order to get a boy to like them, when that isn’t necessarily the case. If children and teens understand that what they are hearing isn’t healthy behavior, then they might be more likely to challenge what they hear on the radio.”

He’s right. There’s no place for music with explicit lyrics at a dance for 10-year-old children.

Wahlberg says the DJ didn’t know he wasn’t playing the edited version, but it’s probably more likely that he didn’t even realize the song was a problem. Pop music these days is filled with a numbing amount of violent and misogynistic lyrics.

A recent study from the University of Missouri found that nearly one-third of pop songs contain lyrics that degrade or demean women by portraying them as submissive or sexually objectified.

Currently, three of the top five songs on the Billboard Top 40 contain the word “bitch.” One of them is sung in Korean.

It’s odd that Americans have become more sensitive to misogyny in pop culture in films, television, and comedy, but still have a huge cultural blind-spot when it comes to music.

That’s not a good thing, especially when pop music is marketed to teenagers.

“We know that music has a strong impact on young people and how they view their role in society,” said Cynthia Frisby, a professor in the Missouri School of Journalism.

“Unlike rap or hip-hop, pop music tends to have a bubbly, uplifting sound that is meant to draw listeners in,” Frisby continued. “But that can be problematic if the lyrics beneath the sound are promoting violence and misogynistic behavior.”

Let’s face it, pop stars are role models. Their examples show young people what to wear and how to behave. That’s not to say that kids will blindly follow someone just because they like their music. But it has an undeniable effect.

Wahlberg, and any parent who monitors what their kids are listening to, deserve credit for protecting the minds and hearts of their kids.

Frisby has some great advice for parents concerned about negative imagery in pop music.

“Ask your daughters and sons what songs they like to listen to and have conversations about how the songs might impact their identity,” Frisby said.

“For example, many songs might make young girls feel like they have to look and act provocative in order to get a boy to like them, when that isn’t necessarily the case. If children and teens understand that what they are hearing isn’t healthy behavior, then they might be more likely to challenge what they hear on the radio.”

This article originally appeared on 03.02.20

Though we’re all part of the same species living on the same planet, our experience as humans walking through this world can differ widely. Children see things through a different lens than adults. Women and men have different perspectives on certain issues. And because racism has long been an active element in our society, people with varying amounts of melanin in their skin face specific challenges that others don’t.

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As a white American, I don’t instinctively know what it’s like to walk in a black person’s shoes. I can tell you about the legacy of white supremacy laced throughout our country’s history. I can explain the far-reaching effects of slavery, lynch mobs, Jim Crow laws, redlining, mass incarceration, and more. I can intellectually break down the psychological and sociological impact of centuries of race-based oppression.

But I can’t tell you what it feels like to walk through this world, right now, as a black person—which is why it’s so important to listen to the voices of people who can.

David Summers shared a story on Facebook that reflects the experience of many black Americans—one that can help us non-black folks see through a lens we simply do not and cannot have. Perhaps that’s why it’s been shared more than 20,000 times. From the fear that any object he carries might be mistaken as a gun to figuring out how to smile at a stranger just right so he won’t be considered a threat, the “black thoughts” Summers describes during his walk through a beautiful, white neighborhood—presumably a neighborhood most of us would consider “safe”—are heartbreaking.

He wrote:

“I took a black walk this morning. I took a black walk through a white neighborhood. When I take black walks, I think black thoughts. I am conscious of where I’ve placed my gun, my gun, and my gun. I mean, my phone, my wallet, and my keys. Because Peace Officers have a hard time telling the difference. I rehearse what I’ll say if a concerned resident, or a law enforcement employee has questions about why my black body is walking through their white space. And I remind myself to make sure the law enforcement employee has his body camera recording. Sometimes it helps if there is video evidence to accompany the hashtag.

There is no way to be stealthy when you take a black walk. White neighborhoods are blanketed by a sophisticated security system comprised of nosy neighbors, Ring doorbell cameras, and white women walking their dogs. So, I’ve learned to notice the white world through my periphery. To be aware of the dangers without acknowledging them. There is an art to making white people feel safe. To say ‘Good Morning’ and flash a smile that shows confidence and deference at the same time. To being polite because your life depends on it.

I felt the squad car behind me before I saw it.

It moved deliberately. Not like the other cars mindlessly whizzing past. Its tires inched. Crept. Stalked their way toward me.

I kept walking.

“Don’t take your hands out of your pockets,” I thought. Or wait, maybe I should? Maybe it’s better if my hands are clearly empty. But it’s cold outside…maybe it’s nothing. Keep walking.

The car rolled past me and made a slow right turn. I glanced quickly but didn’t stare. The air is still. My ears tuned out everything but the slight scuff of my sneakers on the sidewalk and the fading sound of those stalking tires.

Almost there.

Suddenly the squad car re-emerged. It was a block ahead of me. It made a quick right turn, continued to the end of the street, and then waited. No more stalking. This was a show of force. This was a roar. This was a reminder that I was trespassing.

I kept walking.

“Don’t take your hands out of your pockets,” I thought. Or wait, maybe I should? Maybe it’s better if my hands are clearly empty. But it’s cold outside…maybe it’s nothing. Keep walking.

The car rolled past me and made a slow right turn. I glanced quickly but didn’t stare. The air is still. My ears tuned out everything but the slight scuff of my sneakers on the sidewalk and the fading sound of those stalking tires.

Almost there.

Suddenly the squad car re-emerged. It was a block ahead of me. It made a quick right turn, continued to the end of the street, and then waited. No more stalking. This was a show of force. This was a roar. This was a reminder that I was trespassing.

I kept walking.

As I approached the corner, the front window began to roll down. The occupant didn’t speak. Didn’t smile. Just stared. I was being warned.

I crossed the street and the lion trotted off. He had effectively marked his territory. The brave protector had done his job.

I however, couldn’t help but wonder what I’d missed during my black walk. It’s hard to hear the birds chirping, or to smile at the squirrels playfully darting along the branches when you’re on a black walk. It’s easy to miss the promise of a light blue sky, or appreciate the audacity of the red, yellow, and purple daisies declaring their independence from the green grass when your mind is preoccupied with black thoughts.

I took a walk through a beautiful neighborhood this morning. But I missed the whole thing.”

Thank you, Mr. Summers, for sharing your “black walk” experience. Hopefully, it will prompt us all to ask ourselves whether our words and actions serve to reinforce or remedy what you’ve described.​