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With Oscar Isaac set to bring the latest Marvel live-action hero, Moon Knight, to Disney+, MCU fans who aren’t familiar with the character are curious what kind of powers and skills he brings to the table. As seen in trailers and previews, Moon Knight attacks his foes with a brutal efficiency reminiscent of Batman — he even throws moon-shaped boomerangs — but there’s also a mystical touch to his movements and actions, which ties into his origin story.

Before he became Moon Knight, Marc Spector was a mercenary who was left for dead during a desert mission. After being revived by the Egyptian moon god, Khonshu, Spector became the white-clad vigilante whose already fierce fighting abilities are enhanced by other-worldly powers, according to his official Marvel Comics bio:

Over his years as Moon Knight, Spector has also exhibited periodic demonstrations of supernatural powers such as enhanced strength during nights with full moons, prophetic visions and dreams, and the ability to drain another person’s life energies through physical contact.

Naturally, the live-action version of Moon Knight will make its own tweak to the character as seen in the featurette on his skills below. Not only are his impressive fighting techniques on full display, but his cape seems to have mystical qualities as its shown warding off a hail of gunfire. Moon Knight’s suit also seems to have the ability to magically appear — either at will, or unpredictably — which is way more convenient than having to fit regular clothes over that thing. Seriously, how would you hide that cape?

Moon Knight starts streaming March 30 on Disney+.

Everyone is still talking about what went down at The Oscars. Actually, they’re not talking about the awards but about how Will Smith smacked Chris Rock onstage, which follows a 2016 occurrence that adds some context but doesn’t do anything to ease the mess. But there’s another situation that brewed over the weekend, one that shouldn’t spark any divisive opinions: Jason Momoa, who presented at the Oscars on Sunday evening, had hernia surgery on Saturday. And he still showed up and did the thing.

For sure, the French braid-sporting Momoa seemed much less boisterous than usual while he presented alongside Josh Brolin, and they joked about not winning awards themselves. He also endured an awkward Covid-19 “patdown” bit, all while it was apparent that Momoa otherwise wasn’t feeling 100%. He looked stiff, to say the very least, and sure enough, ET Online reports that Momoa opened up about his procedure on the red carpet:

“I had hernia surgery yesterday so I’m a little like…” Momoa, who is a presenter at this year’s ceremony, revealed as he adjusted his black tuxedo jacket. “I’ve got to present eight amazing awards.”

Backstage was a different kind of night for him as well. In an Instagram story, Momoa revealed his BTS belly-button icing regimen while everyone enjoyed the show.

He did, however, find the energy for posing next to Zendaya and Shirtless Chalamet, as one does. Rock on, Momoa and pals.

(Via ET Online)

While this year’s Oscars may be known for the already infamous moment of Will Smith smacking Chris Rock, there was a more wholesome exchange onstage between Lady Gaga and Liza Minnelli that caught people’s attention. The pair presented the night’s biggest award together, and Gaga proved to be supportive of the 76-year-old actress who was in a wheelchair. While the audience gave a standing ovation, Gaga held her hand and said, “You see that? The public, they love you.”

When Minnelli expressed confusion over her cue hards, Gaga assured her: “I got you.” She then turned to the crowd and said of Minnelli, “You know how I love working with legends, and I’m honored to present the final award of the evening with a true show business legend.” The heartwarming energy between the two of them was palpable, and provided the Oscars with some good vibes. Watch the interaction and see fan reactions below.

Meanwhile it was just recently reported that Chris Rock declined to file a police report against Will Smith for the slap. Diddy made a statement about the situation, claiming, “That’s not a problem. That’s over. I can confirm that. It’s all love. They’re brothers.” He also confirmed that the two had “agreed to make amends later in the evening.”

NORE’s Drink Champs podcast has become a pretty reliable source of eyebrow-raising quotes in recent months. After sparking the disagreement between Kanye West and Big Sean, and drawing out The Game’s questionable soundbite comparing West’s contributions to his career to Dr. Dre’s, it could very well be the source of the next rap beef — especially if Remy Ma has anything to say about it. This week’s guest had a lot to say about both her past conflict with Nicki Minaj and the most recent classes of female rappers — minus Doja Cat, who she thinks doesn’t fit the criteria for that classification.

“They be putting her in the rapper category,” Remy offered when asked her thoughts about Doja. “I don’t think she’s a rapper. But she makes dope records, and I think she’s dope.”

Of course, fans were quick to offer their opinions on Remy’s assessment, questioning whether Remy gave Doja the backhanded compliment out of ignorance or due to her association with Nicki Minaj, with whom Remy traded diss tracks in the past. While some agreed, others posted examples of the young star showing off her rap skills, both in the form of mashups of verses from her hit singles and freestyles with the likes of LA underground rap veteran Dumbfoundead, who she knew from her days performing at Verbz’s monthly residency Bananas.

Meanwhile, Doja may well disprove Remy’s theory in due course. Last year, she said during an Instagram Live stream she wanted to release a full-on hip-hop album produced by 9th Wonder, and she’s more than proven her hip-hop head credentials, name-checking Little Brother and rapping along to one of their songs during another stream. And although Doja’s proven herself to be versatile and resistant to definition, one thing she’s always been able to do well is rap.

Watch Remy Ma’s full interview with the Drink Champs podcast crew above.

Earlier this month, Pete Davidson’s girlfriend, also known as Kim Kardashian, was basically torn apart on social media after giving some questionable advice to “women in business.” The entertainment mogul originally said “I have the best advice for women in business: get your f*cking ass up and work. It seems like nobody wants to work these days.” This did not go over well, as many social media users criticized the mogul, as she was pretty much born a millionaire.

Now, the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star is saying her comments were taken out of context. “That statement that I said was without questions and conversation around it, and it became a soundbite really with no context,” she told Good Morning America.

“In that soundbite, I came off of the notion in the question right before, which was, ‘After 20 years of being in the business, you’re famous for being famous.’ And my whole tone and attitude changed with the previous question that went into that question about, ‘What advice would you give to women.’”

She continued, “You have to really work hard to get there even if it might seem like it’s easy, and you can build a really successful business off of social media,” she said. “And you can, if you put in a lot of hard work. And it wasn’t a blanket statement towards women or to feel like I don’t respect the work or think that they don’t work hard. I know that they do. That was taken out of context but I’m really sorry if it was received that way.” Well, Kim, you did tell a bunch of people to “get off your f***ing ass” so it’s safe to say some people received it in a negative way.

As both a Hollywood actor and stand-up comedian, Whoopi Goldberg understands both sides of the equation when it comes to the now-infamous moment at the Oscars when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock over a joke he told about Jada Pinkett-Smith. During Monday morning’s episode of The View, Goldberg offered her perspective on the situation, and basically, she feels that Smith “overreacted.” That said, she understands why Smith felt irritated in light of Rock also making jokes about Will and Jada’s marriage at the 2016 Oscars.

“I would’ve been a little annoyed,” Goldberg said. “I think he had one of those moments where it was just like G-D it. Just stop.”

The View co-host also noted that “all of the pressure” on Smith to maintain his composure with a potential Best Actor win on the line didn’t help the situation. Goldberg also praised Rock for not feeding into the moment. Via IndieWire:

“I get it. Not everybody acts the way we would like them to under pressure. Some people just snap. He snapped. What I do want to say was that it was remarkable, wonderful, that Chris Rock did not take it to that other place it could’ve gone. I don’t know if they spoke or apologized or not. All I know is sometimes you get to a point where you behave badly. I myself have behaved badly on occasion.”

Despite having a sympathetic view of the situation and completely writing off talk of rescinding Smith’s nomination, Goldberg does feel that the Academy will take some sort of action. “There will be consequences for sure.”

(Via IndieWire)

The Boston Celtics are the hottest team in the Eastern Conference and have vaulted their way from a play-in battle in January to the 1-seed after dominating the Timberwolves on Sunday night.

However, that win also came at a price as center Robert Williams exited the game with a knee injury and on Monday had an MRI to determine the severity. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, that MRI revealed a torn meniscus that figures to keep the star out for “several weeks.”

How much time Williams misses will likely be determined by whether he has to have surgery to repair the tear or not, as that typically brings with it a 4-6 week timetable from the surgery date. With the NBA Playoffs beginning on April 16, the Celtics will likely have to prepare to play at least their first round series without Williams and possibly later rounds as well, which makes their quest to emerge from the East all the more difficult. A first round series for the top teams in the East isn’t guaranteed to be an easy one, as the Brooklyn Nets lurk in the play-in and figure to land either the 7- or 8-seed.

Williams’ presence as a shot blocker and rebounder is critical to the Celtics being at their best on the defensive end, and on offense he is terrific at extending possessions on the glass and finishing them as an elite lob threat in the pick-and-roll. An extended absence from Williams will shift more responsibility onto veteran Al Horford, as well as pushing Daniel Theis into a larger bench role.

The 45th McDonald’s All-American Game will take place on Tuesday, March 29 in Chicago, as 48 of the best boy’s and girl’s high school basketball players in the country gather for the annual showcase.

Those players will follow in the footsteps of some of the greatest players the basketball world has seen, and to celebrate 45 years of the game, McDonald’s released some rare archived photos of some of those legends who have participated in the All-American Game festivities. From LeBron James to Candace Parker, Carmelo Anthony to Maya Moore, some of the biggest names in basketball have graced the McDonald’s All-American court as part of their first steps towards superstardom.

Dime was provided 11 rare photos of in-game and pre-game action involving some of these legends, shot by McDonald’s All-American photographer Brian Spurlock over the past 20 years, to take a trip down memory lane ahead of this year’s edition.

LeBron James

An 18-year old LeBron James gets his portrait taken after a pre-game shoot around at the 2003 McDonald’s All American Games in Cleveland. Future NBA players including Chris Paul and Charlie Villanueva await their turn nearby.

Candace Parker

Candace Parker becomes the first woman to win the slam dunk contest at the POWERADE® Jam Fest during the 2004 McDonald’s All American Games in Oklahoma City.

Trae Young and Michael Porter Jr.

Trae Young and Michael Porter Jr. show off their formal wear swag at the player’s banquet and ring ceremony during the 2017 McDonald’s All American Games. Porter Jr. went on to be named MVP of the 2017 Games.

Maya Moore

Maya Moore drives to the lane during the 2007 McDonald’s All American Girls Game. That same year, Moore went on to win her third state high school championship, starting a impressive career that would eventually include winning multiple championships at the college and pro level.

Bam Adebayo

Bam Adebayo travels back to the hotel after a special visit with families at the Ronald McDonald House during the 2016 McDonald’s All American Games in Chicago. Future pro-stars Jayson Tatum and Malik Monk look on from the seats behind him.

Elena Delle Donne

Elena Delle Donne takes a shot over Nneka Ogwumike in the 2008 McDonald’s All American Game at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee. That same year, Delle Donne was also named the Morgan Wootten Player of the Year.

Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo Anthony dunks in the 2002 McDonald’s All American Game at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Anthony later spent six seasons playing in MSG as a small forward for the New York Knicks.

Tre Jones, RJ Barrett, Cam Reddish, and Zion Williamson

Former Duke stars pose before the 2018 McDonald’s All American Games in Atlanta, Georgia.

Arike Ogunbowale

Arike Ogunbowale shows off a soccer-style “header” during a shoot around at the 2015 McDonald’s All American Games at the United Center in Chicago.

DeMar DeRozan

A young DeMar DeRozan poses for his official player photo during the 2008 McDonald’s All American Games in Milwaukee. DeRozan went on to play college ball at USC and currently is the starting small forward for the Chicago Bulls.

Robin and Brook Lopez

Twin brothers Brook and Robin Lopez pose for a photo taken at the 2006 McDonald’s All American Games in San Diego. The California natives went on to play college ball together at Stanford before being drafted into the NBA in 2008.

NYU’s Clive David Institute have been proving their relevance in pop culture lately. Powerhouse producer and Bleachers frontman Jack Antonoff was announced as their artist in residence last year, following 100 Gecs. During Antonoff’s residence, a Taylor Swift course was integrated into the curriculum; the description explained that it delves “into analyses of the culture and politics of teen girlhood in pop music, fandom, media studies, whiteness and power as it relates to her image and the images of those who have both preceded and succeeded her.”

At the time, a representative for NYU told Variety that they’d invited Swift to join the class as a guest speaker. While that never happened, NYU has announced that they will be awarding Swift an honorary doctorate of fine arts and she will be speaking at commencement at Yankee Stadium on May 18. Students graduating this year, as well as students who graduated last year and weren’t able to have a ceremony because of the pandemic, will be in the audience.

It’s likely that Antonoff’s residence at NYU had to do with this; the pair have worked together constantly as of late, including on the ten-minute version of “All Too Well,” and they always have great things to say about each other.

While devoting the latest episode of Last Week Tonight to the positive impacts of harm reduction strategies to prevent deaths from drug overdoses, host John Oliver called out police departments for continuing to push the lie that their officers are in danger just by being near the highly-addictive opioid, fentanyl. After showing a clip of an officer who claimed to have “nearly died” after finding the substance in a vehicle, and not even touching it, Oliver broke down how such claims are “completely absurd” and more importantly, “impossible.”

Via HuffPost:

“What those officers were much more likely experiencing were panic attacks,” Oliver said. “Which makes sense, because they’d just been exposed to something they’ve repeatedly heard is deadly to be anywhere near.”

It’s even become a trope in TV shows, including the hit CBS cop program “Blue Bloods.”

“That is complete horse shit,” Oliver declared. “It is deeply irresponsible of police to keep perpetuating a medical impossibility and for media outlets to keep amplifying it,” he added.

As Oliver elaborates, creating a nationwide panic over fentanyl is only worsening the opioid crisis as cops and others are now afraid to approach someone having an overdose, which in turn will delay the mental attention they need when time is a crucial factor. On top of that, Oliver says the freakout over fentanyl’s potency is also hampering the uptake of harm reduction strategies, which have been shown to work. Instead, treating fentanyl like a bogeyman that can kill you just by looking at it (it can’t, you’d have to be in a literal tornado of it) is ignoring the real issue at work.

(Via HuffPost)