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For the past several weeks, Kanye West has been a lightning rod for controversy. Beginning with his Paris Fashion Week YZY Supply show and its featured “White Lives Matter” t-shirts, each time West has made a public statement, he’s expressed some reprehinsible views. While it seems as though he started off trolling for attention, it appears that some of these views are ones he actually earnestly holds, and some entertainment industry leaders are now calling on their peers to boycott Kanye West.

According to Billboard, United Talent Agency CEO Jeremy Zimmer released a company-wide memo to UTA’s staff encouraging them to support the boycott and providing some compelling reasons for his sense of urgency. He wrote, “I’m saddened to write that once again we’re seeing a surge in anti-Semitism in our communities, fueled by Kanye’s comments and a resulting in an incident in Los Angeles yesterday where hateful banners were placed over the 405 freeway.”

Later in the memo, he highlighted how West’s celebrity helps to supercharge the hateful rhetoric he’s been sharing, and how it impacts the younger members of the rapper’s fanbase. “But throughout history some have used their public platform to spew the plague out loud and spread the contagion to dangerous effect. Kanye is the latest to do so, and we’re seeing how his words embolden others to amplify their vile beliefs…. Powerful voices spewing hatred have frequently driven people to do hateful things. Let’s not be lulled into thinking this time it’s different.”

West was recently booted from Twitter for tweeting that he was going to go “Death Con 3 on Jewish people” — a malapropism that might have been funny in a different context — and when he was invited on various interview shows, he continued to share antisemitic views. West was also sued by the family of George Floyd for $250 million for sharing disinformation about Floyd’s death.

Sit back and relax, because a few people are going to die on vacation. “They’re gonna have to drag you out of here,” Daphne, played by The Bold Type’s Meghann Fahy says to new guests at The White Lotus – Sicily in the opening scene of the second season of The White Lotus. Satisfied with her description of the resort to strangers, Daphne goes into the ocean for a swim where she stumbles upon something in the water, which turns out to be one of “a few” dead bodies.

The bright and stylish second season of The White Lotus (five episodes were given to press to review) is not the same as the staggering first season. It’s an improvement on itself: a deeply erotic, deeply human, and deeply funny but thought-provoking exploration of human desire that is also an incredibly good time.

Season one’s frantic energy, thriller-like pace, and visual style reminiscent of horror suggested that at any moment, anything could happen. Rather than build up to the worst, season two gets its mystery out of the way immediately. With the whole “people are going to die” thing out of the way, the series starts off fresh and can relax a little bit. Guests at The White Lotus – Sicily are more likely to venture off the resort grounds for a day, making the tone of the show and its characters less claustrophobic, and more relaxed. Even the theme song, a more upbeat version of the show’s whistling tune that might inspire you to get off your ass and dance like no one’s watching, establishes that this is something different.

Without the need to make the audience feel edgy — because we already are after seeing Murray Bartlett’s Armond take a sh*t in a suitcase and subsequently get stabbed in the Pineapple Suite — series creator, Survivor finalist, and absolute genius Mike White has more room to sit with his characters. In season two, the characters — all new with the exception of Jennifer Coolidge’s Tanya and Jon Gries’ Greg — feel more lived in, more authentic, rather than representations of generations or classes. The characters from season one were infuriating by design, whereas the characters in season two are endearing despite their glaring flaws.

Every actor in season two of The White Lotus — from Michael Imperioli to Aubrey Plaza to Theo James — gives career-best work, but the standouts include F. Murray Abraham as the gross but delightful Bert, and Italian actors Beatrice Grannó and Simona Tabasco. As local Sicilians Mia and Lucia, they provide a majority of the show’s laugh-out-loud moments, all while being the emotional heart of the cast.

Season two of HBO’s The White Lotus wasn’t supposed to exist, yet it feels more essential and intentional than anything else on television this year. The excellent, biting first season was a sharp, uncomfortable by-design analysis of class dynamics in America. Rather than doing the same thing twice, White took his perfect formula and made something new with it. Season two is still about class, but within that, it is also about relationships both professional, familial, platonic, and romantic. But more than anything it is a study of the human impulse.

In season one of The White Lotus, anyone could die. In season two, people will die, but anyone could f**k.

Season two of ‘The White Lotus’ kicks off on Sunday, October 30th via HBO and HBO Max.

Muna conquered the late-night circuit, from The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to Jimmy Kimmel Live to The Late Late Show With James Corden. So, the Saddest Factory Records signees took over morning television this weekend, bringing three singles from their self-titled third album to CBS Saturday Morning‘s “Saturday Sessions.”

It doesn’t matter the environment or stage, Muna always seems to feel right at home. That sentiment was bolstered by seamless performances of “Kind Of Girl,” “Silk Chiffon” (their charting single featuring Phoebe Bridgers), and “Solid.” Their infectious uninhibited demeanor displayed on “Saturday Sessions” (and everywhere they go) is hard-earned and miles away from how Katie Gavin, Josette Maskin, and Naomi McPherson felt after RCA dropped them two-plus years ago.

“I think signing with Saddest has just been really nice, because it was a fresh start,” Maskin told Uproxx this June upon Muna’s album release — their first since signing with Bridgers and Saddest Factory. “Also, it’s nice to work with Phoebe, someone who is also of a marginalized gender. She just gets us. Not that our A&R at RCA didn’t get us and wasn’t wonderful, but it’s been a nice experience working with Saddest.”

Watch Muna’s mesmerizing “Saturday Sessions” performances above and below.

In an effort to support the Houston Astros in its League Champion Series game, Ted Cruz arrived at Yankee Stadium on Sunday night where he was given a warm New York City welcome by fans. And by warm welcome, we mean fans flipped him off, called him racist, and reminded him of the time that Donald Trump called his wife ugly. There were also chants of “Go back to Cancun,” so really just a whole menagerie of Cruz’s greatest blunders being thrown in his face amongst a sea of boos.

You can see the crowd turn on Cruz in the video below and pay close attention to the eyes of the dude behind him. Either that’s a random baseball fan just trying to get the heck out of Dodge or a Secret Service agent who didn’t sign up to fight an entire stadium full of people from the Bronx.

Despite Cruz getting roasted by Yankee fans, the Astros surprisingly pulled off a win. Maybe their home senator getting publicly humiliated is the team’s lucky charm? Who’s to say? But they should probably make sure it happens every game now. Just strap Cruz to the bus.

In the meantime, you can check out Twitter absolutely loving Cruz’s Yankee Stadium welcome below. It’s not every day you get to see an entire stadium drag a United States senator and publicly scream his greatest failures at him. Baseball truly is America’s sport.

(Via Wu-Tang is for the Children on Twitter)

When We Were Young Fest canceled its first day because Las Vegas was under High Wind Warning. Fans were not happy, but the unexpected free time seems to have given Hayley Williams time to reminisce before Paramore took the festival’s Pink stage to headline Sunday (October 23).

The iconic Paramore lead vocalist posted a handwritten letter to her Instagram Story, reflecting on the challenges she and the band have overcome to arrive in a place where they could authentically co-headline When We Were Young. Williams explained how “this scene” was “not a simple thing” to grow up in, but Paramore “fell in love with this subset of post-punk and hardcore likely because nothing else moved us,” adding, “We didn’t fit in other places.”

Williams detailed how long it took to feel a sense of belonging. “It’s taken a lot of unlearning,” she wrote. She later noted, “Tonight, while we’re running through the lengths of our discography and I’m refraining from singing the word, ‘wh*re,’ know that, inside, I’m celebrating the fact that, as a scene, we’re come a long way.”

Paramore began performing “Misery Business” for the first time since September 2018 during their current North American fall tour ahead of their February 2023 comeback album, This Is Why. The “Misery Business” lyrics — “Once a wh*re, you’re nothing more,” especially — have been a sore subject for Williams, dating back to a 2015 Tumblr post that explored her feminism.

When We Were Young will conclude next Saturday (October 29), and the festival has already unveiled its 2023 lineup.

Read Williams’s full letter below.

“To grow up in this scene was not a simple thing. To be celebrating it (and to be celebrated by it) is not a simple thing. Nothing about this life — for you, me, or anyone — is simple. We fell in love with this subset of post-punk & hardcore likely because nothing else moved us. We didn’t fit in other places. To be a young girl in love with this scene was to have the hope that I might find my own way to belong. It took years to find that belonging. It’s taken a lot of unlearning. A lot of untangling knots I didn’t even know were there. What I did know was that for every, ‘TAKE OFF YOUR TOP!,’ or snarky Punkzine review .. for every dramatic headline pinned on my name, or any season of self-doubt… No one was going to define Paramore but Paramore.

“Nearly 20 years later, we find ourselves a pillar of the very scene that threatened to reject us. And me. I do my best to stay humble. What good is a bloated ego? But beyond the intense devotion of Paramore fans around the world, the reason we made it this far is us. What I really mean to say is — we never banked on trends. Or nostalgia. Or even me, alone. We only did exactly what we knew was real for us. (And sure, I leaned into spite as needed.) Tonight, while we’re running through the lengths of our discography and I’m refraining from singing the word, ‘wh*re,’ know that, inside, I’m celebrating the fact that, as a scene, we’ve come a long way. With much further to go. F*ck the ones who doubted! Hugs to the ones who watched on and even sort of believed. Young girls, queer kids, and anybody of any color … we have shifted this scene together. Messily, angrily, heartbroken, and determined.

“Tonight, for me at least, is about celebrating all the facets of what punk music actually represents. All the things it wasn’t allowed to be when we were young. Can’t wait to see everyone tonight.”

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Rhaenyra Targaryen had a no good, very bad day(s) during House of the Dragon’s season one finale.

Not only did the heir to the Iron Throne lose both her father and her unborn child in quick succession, but her half-brother Aegon usurped her crown, and her son Lucerys became a midnight snack for the biggest dragon in Westeros. So, yeah, The Realm’s Delight is not having a f*cking delightful time of things right now.

And sure, Emma D’Arcy more than earned their Emmy nomination in this episode with those loaded looks to camera and the powerful figure they cut, portraying the Black Queen as both a benevolent ruler trying to achieve peace for her people and a grieving mother ready to burn it all down if it means the Hightowers will also be amongst the ashes, but if you ask HOTD fans, they’d prefer she focus on the latter.

After the chaos and heartbreak of the season one finale, Twitter is firmly in Rhaenyra’s corner — even if that means committing a few war crimes to ensure a certain One-Eyed Prince and his overbearing mother get what’s coming to them.

In conclusion, Rhaenyra Targaryen has never done anything wrong in her life — but if she does do something wrong, HOTD fans will support that too.

Margot Robbie isn’t in the market for Negan’s bat. She has one of her own.

In an “Ask Me Anything” interview with Elle, the Australian actress, along with her Amsterdam co-stars Rami Malek and John David Washington, was asked what’s the favorite prop she’s taken from a set. “I’ve got my Harley Quinn baseball bat,” Robbie replied. “Next to my bed. Just in case anyone makes the mistake of breaking into my house. They’ll really regret that.” She also said that she has a “really comfy pair of cashmere track pants from The Wolf of Wall Street that weren’t actually on camera ever,” but that’s less intimating than the Harley bat.

Robbie and Christian Bale (who was told to “shut up” and let Taylor Swift sing) have been a delight on the Amsterdam press tour, but the movie itself is a big ol’ bomb. The latest film from director David O. Russell, who has a long timeline of abuse and assault allegations, is expected to lose around $100 million.

As for Harley Quinn, Robbie is likely to portray the character for a fourth time, following Suicide Squad, Birds of Prey, and The Suicide Squad, but the next time the character will appear on-screen, she’ll be played by Lady Gaga in Joker 2. There’s no professional jealously there, however. “I think she’ll do something incredible with it,” she said.

You can watch the Elle interview above.

House of the Dragon’s season one finale delivered on its promise of Civil War and reminded everyone that Team Black has the advantage — at least when it comes to how many dragons are at their disposal.

In episode 10’s “The Black Queen,” once Rhaenyra Targaryen is crowned, her husband Daemon Targaryen gives her war council the rundown on the biggest weapon in their arsenal — their firepower. Though Rhaenyra is reluctant to turn Westeros into a kingdom of bone and ash, she has the means, as a bloodthirsty Daemon so generously reminds her. While Team Green has just four dragons (three adults and one baby) to Team Black’s seven adult dragons. But Daemon is also set on making use of the unclaimed and wild dragons nesting in the volcano near Dragonstone. If Rhaenyra’s side could claim those beasts, Team Black would have 13 dragons, a fairly intimidating number that could win her the war without having to waste time amassing allies and playing at politics.

So, naturally, Daemon takes it upon himself to venture deep into the caverns of the mountain to find some of these sleeping nuclear weapons. Carrying a torch and singing a Valyrian lullaby, the Rogue Prince approaches one beast who initially threatens him with a guttural growl and a spray of fire but Daemon is undeterred and, by the end of their introduction, it seems the dragon has accepted the prince as a friend of some sort.

But exactly which dragon is Daemon courting in episode 10?

It could be a wild one like the Cannibal or Sheepstealer, but our money is on it being Vermithor, the former mount of King Jaehaerys I Targaryen. Described as a bronze male dragon with great tan wings, Vermithor is second only to Vhagar in size and is nearly 100 years old by the time the Dance of Dragons begins. The dragon clearly responds to Daemon’s song and presence, which likely means he’s not wild, and he’s too big (and colored too distinctly) to be Silverwing, the other dragon Daemon says is sleeping at Dragonstone.

Despite having coaxed Vermithor from his dragon nap, Team Black still needs to find the beast a rider and that hunt might come into play in season two as Daemon makes it his mission to ensure his wife has as many dragons as possible in her fight to reclaim the throne.

(Via Polygon)

https://www.polygon.com/23419263/house-dragon-daemon-singing-vermithor

(House of the Dragon spoilers will be found below.)

The first House of the Dragon season arrived and flew by with ten intense episodes that, in a way, made up for the misfired Game of Thrones final season. The soap operatics flew like Targaryen/Velaryon wigs being hurled across sets. And although it was sad to say goodbye to miserable King Viserys, his death paved the way for fallout from a (literal) grave misunderstanding that put Aegon II on the Iron Throne. This, of course, has led to civil war after Rhaenyra [who had the worst day(s) in Westeros] determined to avoid more bloodshed.

That dream fell by the wayside after Aemond f*cked up and couldn’t control his dragon, who made an appetizer out of poor Arrax and Luke. This has spurred a lot of debate and followed Aemond taunting Luke, so it’s not like Vhagar didn’t see her rider as an active participant in villainy, but Vhagar refused to be reeled in at a pivotal moment, and although Luke had issues controlling Arrax, too, at least we can acknowledge that both Luke and Arrax were inexperienced in battle and probably didn’t know better. Here, we see that Aemond had no business claiming Vhagar when he can’t control her.

Yet is Vhagar equally to blame? It’s hard to say whether this was more the case of a rebellious dragon or a sh*tty rider. Maybe both? Regardless, people sure are thinking of a comparative scene where (in Game of Thrones) Daenerys officially went mad and burned King’s Landing to embers. One Twitter user had a ball recaptioning the scene to make it look like Dany had tried to stop a dragon out of control.

This tweet is a joke, obviously, and it’s having fun with how Aemond’s intent is different than in GRRM’s source material, and in the show, this was framed as an accident. This adds some nuance that’s actually quite delicious, so that Aemond doesn’t look like a straight-up cartoon villain laying his victim on the train tracks.

Aemond screwed up, plain and simple, and the comparison between himself and Dany isn’t to be taken too seriously, even if it’s fun to indulge. Yes, Drogon grew a little rebellious as a “teen” dragon (and Dany had to chain her other two dragons), but Vhagar was wizened and had flown with multiple riders, and Aemond couldn’t handle her. Regardless, people are enjoying the act of toying with reframing Dany, too.

Oh, and we did see an actual Dany callback. Watch out Greens. Rhaenyra’s coming for you next season.

HBO’s House of the Dragon is currently streaming Season 1 on HBO Max.

We’re approaching the end of the year, which means we’re about to start seeing a lot more of Mariah Carey. She routinely dominates the season, especially recently, as “All I Want For Christmas Is You” went No. 1 during each of the last three holiday seasons and is the first song to ever be No. 1 in four separate years (2019 to 2022). This year, Carey’s not even waiting for Halloween to come and go before announcing her end-of-year plans.

This morning, she announced a pair of Christmas shows: One in Toronto on December 11 and another at New York’s Madison Square Garden on December 13. Tickets for both shows are set to go on sale on October 28.

Meanwhile, back in January announced a new children’s book, The Christmas Princess. She wrote at the time, “The Christmas Princess is a fairytale for holiday lovers of all ages! Little Mariah represents my inner child believing in her own vision, she represents all children, especially those who feel like outsiders or ‘others,’ striving to believe in themselves. It was empowering to transform my childhood turmoil into a modern classic fairytale full of wonder and boundless hope.”

Earlier this month, she revealed the book is out on November 1 and available for pre-order now.