It’s hard to believe that Steve Lacy hasn’t released a new track in over three years, because he’s been firmly entrenched in mainstream consciousness ever since he put out Apollo XXI in 2019. Earlier this year, Lacy jumped on “Skin Tight,” off of Ravyn Lenae’s debut LP, Hypnos (which he co-produced much of). He also appeared on Foushee’s “Double Standard” and is slated to be on Brent Faiyaz’s new album. These are all examples of Lacy lending his master-touch to help elevate other artists’ games; It’s what made him stand out as an integral member of The Internet to begin with.
However, the mystique of his solo work is even more intriguing than his work as a right-hand player. It’s what garnered Apollo XXI a Grammy nomination and what helps build the anticipation for his sophomore album. Gemini Rights is the name of his upcoming drop, due out this summer, and now “Mercury” represents its lead single.
The song opens with a cowbell-inflected bossa nova groove, as Lacy softly sings in his velvet coo. His signature guitar riffs are at every turn, but he’s playing with complex rhythms. It builds up into an explosive conclusion and Lacy explained to Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1 that a lot of the output from Gemini Rights will follow this pattern: “All of the singles, they all have a dual side, they all switch up, so like “Mercury’s” the first half and then the second half is something else, and then the singles do the same thing.”
Watch the video for “Mercury” above.
Some of the artists mentioned here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Enemies and critics of Vladimir Putin have been known to end up dead, but even as a Russian, Mikhail Baryshnikov isn’t afraid.
What a thing to behold. Back in the mid 1980s, Baryshnikov starred in White Nights as a ballet dancer singled out as a Russian defective who must plot his way to freedom. Fast forward a few decades, and the one-time Sex And The City actor is reflecting (during a CBS Sunday Morning interview) upon how Russians are inherently pressured to not criticize their government. Of course, protests show that this still happens, although authorities are known to still round up protesters, and if one is a political opponent to Putin, like opposition leader Alexei Nalvany, then there’s ongoing imprisonment as a part of the prescription of punishment.
And that’s not to mention the mysterious poisoning deaths of journalists (this also happened to Nalvany) and ex-KGB agents who dare to criticize the Kremlin. Well, Baryshnikov isn’t going to keep sitting down, and he feels that, at this point, he’s got nothing to lose at age 75 by speaking his mind regarding Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. “I couldn’t stay silent this time,” Baryshnikov declared to CBS News. “I was born in Soviet — at that time Soviet Latvia — in a family of a military officer.”
Notably, Baryshnikov recently cofounded a charity (True Russia) for Ukrainian refugees, and the organization’s website quickly found itself banned in Russia. Here’s part of the CBS News transcript where Baryshnikov tells Anthony Mason that Putin’s silencing attempts are “disgusting,” and then comes the discussion of giving no f*cks:
MASON: Do you think of this as Russia’s war? Or Putin’s war?
BARYSHNIKOV: It is Putin’s war. … He’s trying to create a new history of Russia. … He does not care about people at all … although how it’s possible, he has kids himself, you know? How it’s possible?
MASON: Russians who speak out against him have a way of kind of disappearing.
BARYSHNIKOV: Listen, I will be 75 years old. What have I to lose?
Baryshnikov’s refusal to be silent will bring attention to not only displaced Ukrainians but also the thousands upon thousands of Ukrainians have lost their lives in the conflict thus far. And it appears that the fed-up wives of Russian soldiers are pointing toward a great number of casualties on their end as well, in addition to the top Russian commander who got whacked by a sniper as the war cranks past 100 days.
This CBS interview will air on June 19 and can also be streamed on Paramount+.
Each week our staff of film and TV experts surveys the entertainment landscape to select the ten best new/newish shows available for you to stream at home. We put a lot of thought into our selections, and our debates on what to include and what not to include can sometimes get a little heated and feelings may get hurt, but so be it, this is an important service for you, our readers. With that said, here are our selections for this week.
The original true-crime docuseries (originally on Sundance TV) captivated enough people on Netflix that HBO Max decided to dramatize the story, and lo and behold, it works. Colin Firth plays Michael Peterson, who served prison time after the death of his wife, Kathleen (portrayed by Toni Collette) under mysterious circumstances. Sophie Turner and Parker Posey are on hand, and there’s a (SPOILER ALERT) certain theory that won’t be overlooked. This shall be an eight-part adaptation that explores the nature of fact and fiction and goes to some unexpected places. Watch it on HBO Max.
Two important things are worth noting here. The first is that this show, a fun dramedy starring Rose Byrne that takes a spandex-tight look at the 1980s aerobics era and the types of people who made it a whole thing, is returning for a second season. The second thing is that this new season adds Murray Bartlett to the cast, which, as anyone who watched him devolve into an amphetamine-snorting lunatic on The White Lotus can attest, is a wonderful development. Good news all around. Watch it on Apple TV Plus.
David Letterman continues to recreate his old late-night show in pieces. First, it was the talk show portion with My Next Guest Needs No Introduction and now it’s the stand-up comedy showcase side of things with his newest Netflix show, That’s My Time, where he blesses newish comics by inviting them to his stage (at Netflix’s recent comedy fest) to do their act and have a quick chat. This comes after news that Letterman was teaming with Sarah Silverman to turn his old Stupid Pet Tricks bit into a show. Think about it, get paid for one show with 5 or 6 pieces or 5 or 6 shows? The man is as good at money as he is at beard growing. Watch it on Netflix.
What we have here is an alternate history situation, one where the space race of the 1960s didn’t end, thanks in large part to Russia beating America to a handful of important achievements. The show is now in season three, so there’s plenty for you to dive into if you want, which you probably should, in part due to a bunch of space cowboys doing cool space cowboy things, and in part because all your television-obsessed friends won’t stop talking about it. Win-win. Watch it on Apple TV Plus.
Remember American Vandal? Man, it would be great if you did. That show was incredible, both in its zeitgeist-capturing first season and in its less-viral second season. Go back and watch both of them again some time. You deserve it. Or, maybe, watch Players, the new series from the American Vandal team that was scooped up by Paramount. This one focuses on gamers and gaming and esports and the teams and competitions that have turned into big-money enterprises. You deserve this, too. Watch it on Paramount Plus.
The notorious Jeffs are getting it done, first with Jeff Daniels portraying a complicated lawman in Showtime’s American Rust and now with Jeff Bridges portraying an ex-CIA operative (Dan Chase, what a name) who’s forced into (wait for it) one last job in this adaptation of Thomas Perry’s bestselling thriller novel. John Lithgow plays the impetus, a government agent, who’s really pissing off Bridges’ character, and it’s on. All of Dan’s skills are back, so watch out, naysayers. Watch it on FX/Hulu.
5. Obi-Wan Kenobi (Disney Plus)
DISNEY
If Obi-Wan is a name you’ve not heard in a long time (long time), you’re in luck. Ewan McGregor reprises his role as Not-So-Old Ben in Disney+’s Obi-Wan Kenobi, a six-episode limited series set a decade after the events of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. Also back: Hayden Christensen as Darth Vader. Should you watch Obi-Wan Kenobi? Yesssssssssssss. Watch it on Disney Plus.
This show brings us the perfect actress, Iman Vallani, for the leading gig of portraying Kamala Khan. She takes us on a fun-filled revamp of her character’s comic character, and this show is a roaring ball of glee that will help to set up The Marvels, which will not only include Kamala and Carol but also Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Paris) from WandaVision. The MCU’s lightening up again, and we love to see it. Watch it on Disney Plus.
The long-awaited fourth season of Stranger Things is, in a word, epic. And that’s not because of its cinematic run times. Well, not entirely. It’s true you’ll essentially be watching seven movies, not episodes, but those are packed with all of the 80s nostalgia, Dungeons and Dragons references, demonic possessions, prison breaks, rink parties, and secret government experiments you could ask for. Hawkins is in more danger than ever and with Eleven powerless, there’s no superhero in sight — unless you count Erica Sinclair, which obviously you should. But the joy of this season is watching the rest of these weirdos and misfits band together to save each other … and themselves. Watch it on Netflix.
Finally, The Boys. Are. Back. And so is Homelander, although he is most decidedly not okay after the events of the Season 2 finale, so plenty more increasingly sadistic behavior will soon arrive on that end. He’s got competition in the “hero of heroes” department, though, because Jensen Ackles climbs aboard as Soldier Boy (a profane Captain America knockoff), who’s definitely all up in the “Herogasm” episode, which you should sit down before watching. And expect the show to actually transcend those exploding heads, the whale collision, and Homelander’s self-pleasuring scene atop a skyscraper. In other words, clear you calendar for these weekly decadent delights. Watch it on Amazon Prime.
By order of the Peaky fookin’ Blinders, we demand you watch the final season of Netflix’s historical crime drama. Why? Because Cillian Murphy has never been better. Because we’re building up to a second World War. Because there are Fascists with tiny mustaches and Prohibition’s over and familial blood feuds are wreaking havoc across two continents and gypsy curses are being broken and Tom Hardy is back (doing his unintelligible mumbling thing while writing an original opera) and … well, you get it right? Watch it on Netflix.
Each week our staff of film and TV experts surveys the entertainment landscape to select the ten best new/newish movies available for you to stream at home. We put a lot of thought into our selections, and our debates on what to include and what not to include can sometimes get a little heated and feelings may get hurt, but so be it, this is an important service for you, our readers. With that said, here are our selections for this week.
What we have on our hands with this is a collection of new stunts and some behind-the-scenes of old stunts all featuring the sweet and chaotic boys from Jackass. You love that stuff. Don’t you dare overthink it. Turn your brain off and let the madness wash over you. Watch it on Netflix.
10. (tie) On the Count of Three (VOD)
ANNAPURNA
Jerrod Carmichael is having a moment, garnering all the praise for his revealing and powerful HBO special (Rothaniel, watch it again!), a great turn as SNL host, and now, for the release of his festival fave narrative directorial debut, On The Count Of Three. But, of course, you knew Carmichael was a force from his previous specials and The Carmichael Show. You’re just happy to see everyone else catch up and, with this film, get the chance to see Carmichael flex his dramatic muscles opposite Christopher Abbott as two friends trying to get the most out of the last moments before they execute each other as a part of a suicide pact. Track it down on your VOD service of choice.
What if Seven but with way more leather and punching? In a lot of ways, that could serve as a very simple synopsis of what Matt Reeves has done with the crown jewel of DC Comics lore, placing his take beside The Joker on the highest shelf (both in terms of artistry, societal commentary, and other adult themes) in the DCEU film library. Does it work? In some ways, absolutely, providing a grim but intriguing vision of the Batman as a detective with the mother of all chips on his shoulder as he wrestles with his thirst for vengeance and a vicious villain in Paul Dano’s Riddler, who is always seemingly one step ahead of him and Jeffrey Wright’s Jim Gordon (a buddy cop pairing that is as awkward as it is rewarding). Throw in Zoe Kravitz’s tremendous turn as Selina Kyle/Catwoman (who also connects so well with Robert Pattinson’s Batman that you wish Reeves would have allowed for even more of their on-screen back and forth) and Gotham City’s usual mix of criminal underworld string-pulling and civic corruption and you’ve got a very full meal. Overfull? Too mature? Let’s just say The Batman can seem so grown up and dense at times that you may forget that it’s a superhero movie, for better or worse. Watch it on HBO Max.
No one knows who really asked for this reboot starring Andy Garcia in Steve Martin’s shoes. Does this movie somehow involved literal shoes, as in the first movie? You’ll need to tune in and find out as Garcia’s character yanks everyone’s chain like he’s the real Bridezilla. If anyone can get him under control, it’s Gloria Estefan’s matriarch, and this is good, wholesome fun, people. Watch it on HBO Max.
Look elsewhere for a meditative self-exploration of a comic inching toward the end of his life. Norm Macdonald just wants to tell jokes, delivering a very Norm set in a very non-Norm setting (recorded at home with no audience due to COVID) with urgency. David Letterman puts it perfectly in the loose conversation that follows with him, Conan O’Brien, Dave Chappelle, Adam Sandler, Molly Shannon, and David Spade, saying it’s not stand up, but something different. But it’s still something worth seeing for Norm’s swan song and also the aforementioned conversation, which brings a level of closure to fans who get to hear a few great Norm stories and some thoughts on what made him so unique. Watch it on Netflix.
Ambulance has everything you could want in an action movie: frenetic pacing, adrenaline-soaked chase scenes, Michael Bay doing everything at once, hot explosive nonsense, Jake Gyllenhaal as a villainous psychopath with crazy eyes, an ambulance, etc. It’s basically perfect, if this is the type of thing you’re looking for, which you probably are on a Friday or Saturday night. Make some popcorn or order a pizza and get in there. Watch it on Peacock.
Friends and colleagues of the late comedian and Full House star get together for one last tribute, this one probably full of sweet memories and filthy jokes. Which feels right. Watch it on Netflix.
Everybody clap your hands for Cha Cha Real Smooth, the second feature from writer and director Cooper Raiff. He also stars in the comedy-drama as a recent college graduate with an aimless life until he finds a job (bar/bat mitzvah “party starter”) and friends (a suburban mom played by Dakota Johnson and her autistic teenage daughter). It sounds like Indie Movie Trope Overload, but Cha Cha Real Smooth is a real charmer, with a heartfelt performance from Johnson. Watch it on Apple TV Plus.
Bowen Yang may be the best talent to emerge from Saturday Night Live in years – a fact underscored by the recent departure of comedy greats like Kate McKinnon and Aidy Bryant – but he’s not the only reason this sweet and silly gay romcom works. A BIG reason, sure, but not the only one. There’s also Margaret Cho playing a loopy lesbian house mom, a setting that allows a group of Queer misfits to find a sense of belonging amidst MDMA hazes and pulse-pounding raves, and a central love story that borrows from the period romance wellspring of one Jane Austen. It’s a booze-infused Pride & Prejudice in short swim trunks for the gays and the theys, but the fact that it works so damn well is also proof that the romcom genre should be welcoming more Queer and minority romantic leads into its ranks. Watch it on Hulu.
Adam Sandler plays a scout for the Philadelphia 76ers who discovers a raw but promising player in Spain. Hijinks ensue. Kind of. It’s more of a dramedy than, say, Jack & Jill, but it’s still Sandler doing his thing. Basketball fans will no doubt be just as interested in the action as they will be picking out all the cameos by NBA stars. It looks like a good time. Watch it on Netflix.
1. Jerry and Marge Go Large (Paramount Plus)
PARAMOUNT PLUS
Bryan Cranston and Annette Bening play a married couple who discover a loophole in the state lottery and use it to win millions and millions of dollars. There should be more movies like this. Hundreds of them, probably. But this is a good start. Watch it on Paramount Plus.
Vodka remains one of the biggest-selling spirits in the world. The neutral spirit is often dismissed as a shooter or mixer with little value beyond getting you lit. But while the clear sauce is often very neutral, there area lot of nuances at play — as with any spirit made with sugars, yeast, and water. To find those nuances, I decided to run a blind taste test of eight bottles from my shelf.
The litmus for this blind tasting is pretty easy, which of these eight random bottles actually tastes good? What’s in these vodkas besides just mineral water and “neutrality” when it comes to a flavor profile? Are any of them actually worth sipping? Valid questions for a spirit that tends to be very affordable these days — the most expensive bottle in this blind tasting is $45.
The lineup today is:
Russian Standard Platinum
Skyy Vodka
Green Mark Vodka
Ketel One Vodka
Ciroc Vodka
Highway Vodka With Hemp Seed
Crystal Head
Absolut Elyx
Let’s dive in and see which of these bottles pop on the palate!
Also Read: The Top Vodka Posts On UPROXX From The Last Six Months
A hint of Graham Cracker mingles with a soft mineral water clarity on the nose. The palate has a wet grain vibe that’s ever-so-slightly bitter with a hint of orange zest. That orange zest pops on the finish with a hint of cardamom and more of that super soft mineral water.
This is a pretty nice place to start, there’s nuance and a complex flavor profile. It’s also super smooth.
Taste 2
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
This is super light and watery with a hint of peppercorn on the nose. The palate is all about the soft mineral water with a faint whisper of dried mint and chewing gum with a tiny echo of that pepper from the nose. Ultimately, it’s pretty watery.
“Meh” was my reaction to this one. Not sure where it’ll land in the ranking, but I can’t imagine it’ll be too high.
Taste 3
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
This is seriously interesting with hints of soft and wet sweetgrass, rye bread crusts, and almond shells on the nose. The palate is lush with a hint of soft mineral water (the kind that comes in a glass bottle) next to that soft sweetgrass. The end is slightly nutty with a very minor note of citrus.
This is good. This feels like the pour to beat.
Taste 4
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
This has a strong nose with hints of lemon oils and dry grains with a hint of spice that leans toward cumin but not quite. The taste lets the lemon shine on the palate as fresh green herbs and a hint of olive oil arrive. The end is very soft but kind of washed out in a tap water feel.
This is promising but kind of lacks a big finish.
Taste 5
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Ugh. This is like an overly sweet and very cheap lemon soda out of a plastic bottle on the nose. The palate is the same but it’s like hot and flat lemon soda that was nowhere near a lemon in its entire existence. It feels like fake sugar meets fake lemon meets flat and hot soda pop.
Fail.
Taste 6
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
This has a creamy nose with a hint of leather, whole oats, and maybe a hint of orange oil. The palate holds onto that full-bodied creaminess with a light touch of Graham Cracker next to a whisper of wet green grass. The end washes out and is mostly water.
This was interesting up until the end.
Taste 7
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Cornbread and vanilla frosting dominate the nose. The palate is a little subtler, more like a vanilla sugar cookie with a hint of dry corn husk in the background. The finish is balanced with a hint of black licorice, sea salt, and a sweet hint of citrus.
This was a departure but still pretty deep for a vodka.
Taste 8
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with soft mineral water that leans into a wheat field after a rainstorm with a hint of vanilla lurking in the background. The palate holds onto that rain-soaked wheat as moist black soil and lemon meringue lead back that hint of vanilla pod. The end marries the lemon and vanilla with softness from the rainwater that’s well balanced.
This French vodka is made with 100 percent Ugni Blanc grapes. It’s then distilled five times in a bespoke copper still. Finally, the spirit is cut with local water and bottled.
Bottom Line:
It’s ridiculous to even rank this as a vodka. It’s so out there that it just doesn’t feel right. Plus, it’s hot garbage.
SKYY Vodka has become a classic American vodka over the last nearly 30 years. The vodka is a grain spirit that’s cut with triple-filtered spring water. Though, starting next month, this will be the “classic” SKYY as a new version is coming out with mineral-enriched water at its core.
Bottom Line:
This very much felt like a vodka for adding alcohol to something with flavors. That’s it.
This Dutch vodka is made with European wheat. The mash is then distilled in a column still and an old coal-fired pot still. The two vodkas are then vatted and cut down with local water.
Bottom Line:
This was fine. It lost a little luster on the end, which basically means that this is good for mixing cocktails, or a vodka soda with plenty of lime.
This Texas vodka is made with, yep, hemp seeds along with locally-grown Texas yellow corn and water from an artesian aquifer. The spirit is then distilled six times before it’s proofed and bottled.
Bottom Line:
This was a good middle-of-the-road pour today. It didn’t pop but it was perfectly fine. I’d probably use it in a vodka soda.
Dan Akroyd’s vodka is as Canadian as the comedian. The vodka is made from peaches and cream corn in Newfoundland. The distillate is filtered through a crystal known as a Herkimer diamond. The vodka is then cut with glacial water from Newfoundland and is bottled in a bespoke crystal head.
Bottom Line:
This had a nice corn vibe but really felt like it was made for mixing rather than sipping. Still, this did have complexity and depth. It just wasn’t something that grabbed my attention today.
This classic Russian vodka from St. Petersburg is made with locally grown winter wheat. The spirit is then filtered through silver before it’s cut with local well water and bottled.
Bottom Line:
This was pretty damn good. It was initially very neutral but built a nice flavor profile. I could see sipping this over a rock with a twist of lime and enjoying it.
This 100 percent winter wheat vodka from Russia feels like a throwback classic. The spirit is cut with local spring water and then bottled in an old-school bottle with a pop cap.
Bottom Line:
This has a serious flavor profile and felt like a good sipper overall. You don’t even need a lime twist to open it up, it’s ready as-is.
Elyx (pronounced “ee-lix”) is a single-estate vodka made from winter wheat grown only at Råbelöf Castle near Åhus in Sweden. The vodka is mashed and distilled on antique copper gear and is then cut with local well water.
Bottom Line:
This was the most complex and easy drinking by far. You can sip this and find new flavors with each new sip. That’s saying something for a very neutral spirit. It’s also a good workhorse if you’re mixing bespoke, high end cocktails.
Part 3: Final Thoughts
Zach Johnston
There’s a lot going on in vodka if you just give it a chance. Look at it this way, nearly half of the flavor profile of your favorite whiskey or brandy or rum comes from the sugar, yeast, and water during fermentation. That’s 100 percent true of vodka too. The difference is that a lot of those flavors can get distilled and washed out to create a “neutral” spirit.
This blind taste shows that there are flavor notes in these vodkas. You just have to look for them. And while there are some clunkers on this list, the top four or five are all pretty solid, with the top two really hitting something special when it comes to having a real depth of flavor.
It’s often been said that riding a bicycle is a skill that, once learned, you never forget. If that is true, then Greta Van Susteren is proof that hosting a cable news show is nothing like riding a bicycle. The lawyer-turned-TV personality returned to the airwaves this week after a five-year absence to debut her latest show, The Record with Greta van Susteren, on (gulp!) Newsmax. To say it was an utter sh*tshow would be an insult to sh*tshows everywhere. Or, as The Daily Beast described it: “pure cringe.”
Newsmax’s new primetime lineup had an…awkward start – “If you’re still trying to interview me, I can’t make out what you’re saying” pic.twitter.com/wBUelbDSz0
Case in point: Her interview with Chuck Grassley, which turned out to be more hard-of-hearing than hard-hitting when the senator just kept smiling at the camera and telling a prattling-on Greta that her audio sucked. “It sounds like you’re talking in a cave,” the 88-year-old—who is old enough to have possibly been born in a cave—told her. “I just can’t hear anything you’ve asked me.”
Van Susteren said she understood and explained it was their first night on air and that they must have had some “gremlins in the system,” which we can only assume was a reference to her new colleague Greg Kelly—as it’s not like it was Newsmax’s first time running a broadcast.
Yet Van Susteren persisted, somehow assuming that it was the length or complexity of her original question that was giving Grassley trouble. So she lobbed a softball his way: “Do you have any sort of thought on food prices? I know you’re from a farm state.” Grassley spoke for everyone watching from between their fingers when he flatly replied: “If you’re still trying to interview me, I can’t make out what you’re saying.”
Rutheford Falls season two is almost here, which is pretty exciting if you’re from the Rez or, you know, just like good TV. The show, which is a single-camera sitcom, is more than just a 20-minute comedy. Yes, it’s escapist as the laughs come fast and hard. But it’s also unprecedented in sitcom history thanks to having a writer’s room comprised of Indigenous writers with an Indigenous showrunner, Sierra Teller Ornelas, at the helm.
Ornelas has a long history of writing on some of the best sitcoms of the last decade. Superstore, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Happy Endings are the tip of the iceberg from her credits on IMDb. So, when Parks and Rec co-creator Mike Schur and Ed Helms started working on Rutherford Falls, it was a no-brainer to bring on Ornelas to help develop and then run the whole show.
As someone who grew up just off the Rez in the Pacific Northwest and on 80s sitcoms and films, I felt this show in my bones from the first episode as references that sounded like they were uttered by my cousins or elders showed up on a mainstream sitcom on Peacock. So getting the chance to speak with Ornelas about the show, her cultural touchstones, and how she’s putting it all together was something I couldn’t pass up. We jumped on a call and really went deep into artistic creation before nerding out on 70s and 80s movies, Rez life, and how it all makes it into Rutherford Falls.
Can you walk us through how your past connects you with what you’re creating on Rutherford Falls?
Yeah, definitely. Obviously, indigenous people are the first storytellers and I come from a long line of storytellers. So my great-great-grandfather was interned at Bosque Redondo during the Long Walk, which is the Navajo version of the Trail of Tears. That’s where they were all being interned and were given Christian names and census numbers. And so they asked him what his job was and he said he was the storyteller and that he’s the keeper of the stories of his people. And so that’s why my mom’s maiden name is “Teller.” And so I always say my ability to tell a story began over 100 years ago. And while that was a story that was told in my family, I feel like my family was just filled with a lot of great storytellers.
I didn’t grow up on my reservation. But I would go home a lot and whenever we’d go home, it was so fun to just sit around this kitchen table that my grandma had and listen to my family stories. A lot of them were solely in Navajo and so I’d have to use facial expressions and mimicking and context clues to figure out what was going on. And I would harangue my mom on the drive home and ask her, “What did they say? What did they say?” And even now, we’ll share some of these stories with cousins or people who know how my great grandparents met or the crazy arranged marriage that my actual grandparents had. And these stories just became like a set list that you would go down and tell people to entertain them.
A good story goes a long way around the kitchen table.
It was always fun watching how entertaining these stories could be and how you could really shift the energy of a room with a story. And so then as I got older, it became about doing that in my own life, finding stories for my own life that I could share with my family to stay at the table and stay entertained.
My mom is a fifth-generation Navajo tapestry weaver. She’s a master Navajo weaver. But it’s a very sedentary art. She doesn’t have any coworkers. She was always weaving alone unless she was doing a project with her sister. And so when I came home from school, she would be, “What happened to you today?” What she was saying was “Entertain me.” It was me or the TV. So I had to craft stories of my day and say, “Oh my God, I saw the craziest thing.” And it was almost like Johnny Carson Couch Chat or something. And it helped my mom stay awake. Sometimes she’d say, “Keep me up, tell me a story, tell me anything.” And I would just start talking.
How did that shift from at-home storytelling to the wider world?
When we went on the road and we were selling her tapestries. There’s a real inclination to not see Native art as “art.” It’s seen as a craft or as a curio. It’s really frustrating to live with a Native artist and see the work that they’ve put into this and the vision that goes into it and then to go to a market and have it be filled with derision when people talk about it.
So I started taking art history classes in high school. I went to a college prep and I started using comparisons of classical artists and different things. I’d point out that the same way they built a Parthenon, it’s very similar to how my mom did this rug. Actually explaining that it’s not 100 percent symmetrical, but it’s actually a visual illusion if you look at it this way and people finally got it. It was interesting to watch people appreciate what she did on a level that I felt like she always should have just been appreciated without the argument. And so throughout my life, I really had a lot of moments where the act of storytelling changed our lives.
My mom and her sister wove this giant piece in 1987 and it changed a lot. It was the first time a textile had ever won Indian Market’s Best of Show in the history of the market. And we were on CNN and we got to travel to all these different places. And it really was interesting to watch how the story of that rug changed Navajo weaving and the prices went up for a lot of artists and things like that.
Peacock
Your mom was also a big movie fan, right?
Throughout her career, she had this deep love of movies. So we would rent all the new releases every weekend. My Aunt Rose ran one of the only video stores and she would get all these foreign films. Back then, they’d give video stores these free previews and she would get them all. And so I remember watching a diverse assortment of films. My parents were good — because I think they were artists — at explaining the story structure and especially explaining comedy. My dad wanted to be a standup comedian and so if anything made him laugh, I’d always want to know why.
And I know you’re never supposed to explain the joke in a comedy room. But when you’re a kid, there’s nothing better than explaining why something is funny. And then I would try it out and use it at school or use it when we were selling my mom’s work. And so there was a real deep love of storytelling, of film and television specifically, and then of Native art. And growing up in that creative environment, I feel very privileged to have that space to really explore and create, in that way.
I feel like Indians just love movies. I think the relationship between cinema and Native people is very complicated because one of the first Thomas Edison films was of Native Americans. And I think we have a weird relationship with cinema in that it has treated us so poorly and yet a lot of us really do love it. And I think it comes from that inherent ability to tell stories.
Absolutely.
We tap and bond into it. I have cousins from all walks of life and they’ll still talk about film in a way that would put a film comment section to shame. I think we think about it on a level that’s a little different.
Yeah, I totally agree. My dad loved Outlaw Josey Wales, which is a hugely flawed movie for a million reasons, but he saw his grandfather’s face in Chief Dan George for the first time on the screen.
Totally.
For me, Dance Me Outside was this movie that hit right at the right time when I was in my early teenage years. I know people talk about representation now but it’s always been so important, especially when you’re coming from a place where representation has been perverted and skewed for so long.
We have so little that we made so much out of. We used every part of the representation, do you know what I mean? I remember Darlene Hughes in Outlaw Josey Wales. Just watching her and she doesn’t speak English, but she’s just electric in that movie. I loved watching her and she reminded me of my mom and my mom loved her.
And now she plays Rayanne on our show and it was such a crazy moment to have her come on set. It took her, I think, a minute to realize I was the show runner and there was a Native woman in charge of the show and she just couldn’t believe it. And she was, “You’re really doing something here.” And I was like, “Yeah, man, it’s crazy, right?” And I told everyone before she arrived, “She’s Navajo royalty. We have to treat her like freaking Brad Pitt,” because to us, she is.
Absolutely, then I think of Gary Farmer and Powwow Highway.
I was just going to say that movie! That was one of mine for sure.
I think I wore that tape out.
A hundred percent. He’s so good in it. I remember he came and spoke to my class and he talked about how he had studied the art of being a clown. He had taken actual classes in France and had really studied the physicality of it. You watch that movie and some of his physical comedy in that movie is so funny and so heartbreaking at the same time. It was also such an honor to have him on our show as well. And he’s just such a kind person. But I just love him and I love that movie. I remember the one bummer for me, though, is the women get nothing to do.
Very true.
The Native woman is quite literally a prop. And I remember thinking, “All right, I’m just going to be the woman version of Gary Farmer.” I’m just going to glimmer onto this character. But it was such a bummer. I think that’s why, not to keep bringing up my show, but having Jana [Schmieding] starring on the show, she is the daughter of those characters we grew up on. Her physical comedy is amazing.
Peacock
There’s always stewardship whenever you’re dealing with Indigenous art, culture, food, or just Indigenous life or whatever you want to put up after that word. Do you feel the weight of that stewardship or are you operating in the sense of, ‘I’m just telling stories and I just want to get those out there. Whatever else comes along, comes along.’
I think it’s a mixture. I feel a responsibility, but I don’t feel hindered by it. The Navajo Nation is matrilineal. I come from a lot of very strong women, a lot of the strong Native women artists who made it clear from the jump that these patterns and these designs did not come from us. They came from Spider-Woman. They came from our ancestors. We are progressing an art form that began before us and is going to go long after we are gone. And our job is to carry that stewardship for the time that we’re here.
And not to get too deep on it, I think that’s me. I feel like when it comes to television, I feel there were people doing this way before me, who were amazing and should have gotten more recognition. There are kids on TikTok that are doing such great work that I can’t wait to see what they make. And my job is just to try to make their job easier while I’m here. And make stuff that feels right to me and tell stories that I’m excited by and to tell the stories that I dreamed of telling when I was sitting by my mom’s loom watching When Harry Met Sally. And so it’s a mixture. I’m dying to tell my stories and I also feel very compelled to continue this tradition of storytelling. But I don’t feel hindered by it beyond anyone else’s artistic experience. I think all artists carry with them a compulsion and a responsibility and the process is duking it out with those two entities.
You have a season behind you with Rutherford Falls, so there’s some foundation there that you can build upon. In which ways do you feel that you’re going to expand upon the culture of the show in its own universe that you’re excited about?
I’m really proud of season two. I think it’s a very strong season of television. I’ve only made a few season two’s of television. It’s been great to just see the actors really come into their own and really know what they’re really good at and explore ways to create that. I think there’s a lightness to this season. We talked about a lot of heavy stuff and we talk about heavy stuff in season two, but I feel we put in the work of setting this groundwork in season one and that this is the fruits of our labor, getting to watch these actors and these characters interact with each other. They’re all carving out their own legacies this season.
With COVID and everything, things have been so rough, I think the ability to just sit and laugh and be in on the joke is such a gift in a lot of ways. At least I hope it is. And so that’s what we were chasing this year. “What do we never get? What are the things you never get to see us do?” We really leaned into romance this year. So there’s a huge rom-com storyline between Jana’s character and Dallas Goldtooth. And then Nathan, Ed Helms’ character, tries to ingratiate himself into it. He finds himself in a little bit of romance and I’m just so proud of both Jana and Ed. I think they’re the actors of my rom-com dreams.
I’m so excited. We do a Halloween episode. We are a bunch of nerds in this writer’s room who all grew up loving television. I think we have a little bit of emotional currency this year in terms of exploring the stuff that we find funny and the stories that excite us. And then there are also stories about land issues and things that the Native writers were experiencing during the break that we wanted to talk about. And so, we do both and there’s a real warmth to this season, and I love watching these episodes and I can’t wait for people to check it out.
You can stream all eight episodes of season two of Rutherford Falls on Peacock on June 16th.
While the third season of HBO’s neo-western, dystopian sci-fi series Westworld went quietly under the radar, thanks to it airing in March 2020 and making very little sense, the upcoming fourth season seems a little more promising.
The new season will expand the Westworld universe into the real-world universe, as the line between reality and simulations continues to bleed. But new (and old but still new!) faces are slated to make appearances in the season, which premieres June 26th on HBO.
Though her original character Dolores is long gone (supposedly), Evan Rachel Wood has returned as a mysterious new character, as has Thandiwe Newton, Ed Harris, Tessa Thompson, Jeffrey Wright, and season three breakout Aaron Paul. Also returning is fan-favorite James Marsden, who was absent from the third season, but how exactly his character will play out is still unclear, and probably will be until the end of the season knowing how this show operates. Newcomer Aurora Perrineau also stars.
The trailer teases that “maybe it’s time you questioned the nature of your own reality.” Haven’t they been doing that since season one, anyway? As always, there are some poetic lines read over futuristic imagery and some major violence. So overall, a pretty typical Westworld trailer, but now with more New York City shots!
“I’m like, ‘Kelsey, as my best friend, why would you meet up with the person you saw shoot your best friend?’” she explained. “She said, ‘Megan, y’all wasn’t answering my calls. My back was against the wall. I didn’t know what to do.’ What the f*ck do you mean, ‘Your back is against the wall? You’re the only person in this situation that would clear this up for me.’”
Harris has now come out with a statement on social media, writing, “When people can’t control you, they try to control how people view you,” She posted a video afterwards, saying, “If y’all not catching onto the social media games by now […] then I don’t know what to tell y’all. I knew this was going to happen. This is just the beginning y’all. I know y’all want me to talk. So, like, when it’s my turn. Just know. I’m going to break everything the f*ck down and we going to see who really look bad in the end.”
Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Paul has been picking fights with Fauci since the pandemic began, questioning vaccine mandates, masking policies, and the efficacy of booster shots. He continued to press Fauci on that last talking point in a Senate hearing on Thursday in which Fauci — who recently contracted COVID — participated virtually. The president’s chief medical advisor tested positive for the virus on Wednesday and has been quarantining in his home with mild symptoms.
But Paul didn’t let Fauci’s current health crisis stop him from badgering the infectious disease expert with questions he apparently didn’t want the answers to. First, the Republican senator quizzed Fauci on why booster shots are being recommended for children claiming that there was no evidence they helped defend against COVID any more than an initial two-dose vaccine regimen.
“There are no studies — and Americans should all know this — there are no studies on children showing a reduction in hospitalization or death with taking a booster,” Paul interrupted Fauci, who was trying to explain the assumption scientists have made by studying the effects of the vaccine on children when recommending a booster protocol. “The only studies that were permitted, the only studies that were presented, were antibody studies.”
Paul went on to hypothesize about children receiving up to 10 booster shots — a figure Fauci labeled as “absurd” — before getting to the real bone he’d been wanting to pick about whether scientists were receiving royalties from vaccine manufacturers.
“Here’s what I want to know, it’s not just about you, everybody on the vaccine committee. Have any of them ever received money from the people who make vaccines?” Paul asked as Fauci tried to answer his initial question by disclosing his own meager earnings in royalties over the last five years.
Paul kept interrupting Fauci as he tried to explain the laws in place that protect scientists from having to disclose those financial matters until Fauci, clearly fed-up with the grandstanding, bit back.
“Sound bite No. 1 — are you going to let me answer a question?” Fauci forcefully interrupted Rand’s ranting. Things eventually got so tense between the two that the hearing’s presiding officer had to throw down the gavel, informing Paul he’d gone over his time even after being given an additional couple of minutes and telling everyone it was time to move on.
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