GoneTrending

Chris Rock wasn’t the only casualty of Will Smith’s rage at Sunday night’s Oscars ceremony. Sure, it was Rock’s face that absorbed the power of Smith’s smack after the comedian made a joke about the King Richard star’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. But the confusion that ensued in the moments following the unexpected skirmish left many viewers trying to piece together what they had just seen, as the American broadcast cut the live feed in order to censor Smith’s language and some of what had happened. Had it all been a skit?

As viewers feverishly texted friends and checked Twitter to see what exactly they had missed, one person seemed to get lost in the shuffle: Questlove, the Philly-born musician who first rose to fame as the frontman for The Roots, and who has racked up credits as a songwriter, record producer, author, actor, film producer, and director (when he’s not heading up the house band for The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon).

It was Questlove, a.k.a. Ahmir Thompson, who ended up inching one step closer to an EGOT when he won the Oscar for Best Documentary for Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), an outstanding reminder of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, a celebration of Black music and culture, which was largely overshadowed by Woodstock, as the two events partly overlapped.

Fortunately, legendary comedian/actor George Wallace made sure to call out Questlove’s achievement, and assure Quest—who directed and executive produced the doc—that “We saw that sh*t, Quest!”

Questlove appreciated, and felt, the love.

Meanwhile, Smith has officially issued an apology to Rock for how things went down at last night’s ceremony, saying that he is “a work in progress.” Maybe an “I’m sorry” to Questlove will come next.

Pancakes doused in maple syrup are a morning tradition. But a cold glass of fizzy soda — Pepsi or otherwise — probably wasn’t the drink you washed it down with. Sugar on sugar on sugar is … a lot.

And yet… IHOP and Pepsi decided to put these two things together (at last?) in a can of soda. Seriously. Welcome to 2022, the future is grand!

In this era of corporate synergy, the folks at Pepsi recently partnered with IHOP to launch a limited-edition soda called Pepsi Maple Syrup Cola that literally tastes like the aforementioned combination of maple syrup pancakes and cola in one easy-to-guzzle can. Not that IHOP is much of an expert on real maple syrup.

“There is truly nothing quite like the indulgent taste of Pepsi Maple Syrup Cola.” Todd Kaplan, Chief Marketing Officer at Pepsi said in a press release. “We can’t wait to celebrate those who have an unapologetic love of pancakes by giving the limited-edition cans to 2,000 fans who #ShowUsYourStack online.”

Ah, there are only 2,000 cans of this “soda” for people who love pop with their pancakes, which is apparently a group of people that actually exists. More power to you if you do dig that combo. And a huge shout out to your dentist.

Okay, let’s see what’s actually in this can.

Average Price: Online giveaway

The Soda:

Pepsi Maple Syrup Cola isn’t the first time in recent memory the brand has dropped an over-the-top flavor. There was Pepsi Fire, a cola that tasted like it had red hot candies in it. Pepsi x Peeps had a marshmallow flavor. Pepsi Apple Pie was pretty self-explanatory. Pepsi x Cracker Jack tasted like you submerged a box of Cracker Jacks in a Pepsi and then drank the leftover liquid. Let’s not forget the recently released Nitro Pepsi.

This limited-edition soda is, like the others, available in 12-ounce cans. Sadly, you can’t go to the store to get your maple fix though. From now until March 29, Pepsi fans get a can of Pepsi Maple Syrup Cola by posting a video or photo of a stack of pancakes with the hashtags #ShowUsYourStack, #PepsiSweepstakes, and @IHOP.

They’re only giving out cans to 2,000 people. So good luck… we guess.

Tasting Notes:

It smells like maple candy that you let dissolve in overly sugary soda. There’s maybe a little vanilla and caramel as well. Mostly, it’s lots of sugar. It smells like something a five-year-old or an adult with a nostalgia problem might cook up. It tastes… exactly as you’d imagine (sorry for all the ellipses but this one sort of puts a person in that baffled mindset). It’s similar to Pepsi X Cracker Jack from a few months ago with heavy caramel. But it’s like someone took that one and poured maple syrup flavoring into it, not real maple syrup. It feels like the overly synthetic, mystery bargain syrup that can’t legally have the word “maple” on its label.

For someone who doesn’t normally drink soda, it seems ridiculously sugary and has a little spicy kick that I couldn’t place.

Bottom Line:

All in all, this was less maple-filled than I thought it would be and would probably make a pretty good mixer with rye or bourbon and tons of ice. The cloyingly sweet flavor needs to be cut with something. Anything. Please.

Ranking:

70/100 — This is for drinkers who enjoy sipping on a fizzy sugary soda that tastes like a mixture of melted caramel corn and synthetic maple syrup. Everyone else? Stick to your seltzer (hard or otherwise) and stay away from this teeth-achingly and cloyingly sweet cavity creator.

We’re living in a world where Russia and Ukraine are at war and a pandemic that has been going on for more than two years has so far killed more than 6.1 million people. Yet the only thing people seem to be able to talk about since last night’s Oscars ceremony is the surprising moment when Will Smith took a swing at Chris Rock live, for all the world to see.

While reports have confirmed that Rock refused to press charges against Smith, both parties have remained relatively silent on the matter—save for the comments Smith made while accepting the Best Actor Oscar shortly after the slugfest went down, in which he apologized to the Academy and his fellow attendees, but not Rock.

Now, as Variety reports, the King Richard star has issued a formal apology to Rock via Instagram, in which the newly-minted Oscar winner admits to being “embarrassed” by his actions and calls himself “a work in progress.” The statement reads as follows:

Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable. Jokes at my expense are part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally.

I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.

I would also like to apologize to the Academy, the producers of the show, all the attendees and everyone watching around the world. I would like to apologize to the Williams Family and my King Richard Family. I deeply regret that my behavior has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us.

I am a work in progress.

As of this posting, Rock has yet to respond. Read Smith’s full Instagram post below.

(Via Variety)

Festival season continues…and now it’s making its way overseas. SXM Festival recently held its annual event on the beautiful Caribbean island of Saint Martin from March 9 through March 13. Because why go to a music festival when you can go to a music festival and embark on an epic tropical getaway at the same time?

The event included five full days of pool parties, a curated selection of legendary performers and emerging acts, dancing in the sizzling Caribbean sun, and bold fashion statements — all happening at the peak of Saint Martin’s highest mountain with breathtaking 360-degree sunset views.

The jam-packed lineup was chock-full of renowned artists in the underground techno and house scene. Some of the most notable names from SXM Festival included Apache, Audiofly, Awly, Baham, Gab Rhome, Innellea, Jimi Jules, Konstantin Sibold, Layla Benitez, Maga, Alexi Delano, Âme, Amine K, Animal Trainer, Behrouz, Blond:ish, Carlita, Chaim, Chloé Caillet, and Danny Tenaglia (and that’s only a handful of the performers throughout the week).

If you could use an influx of serotonin combined with a bit of wanderlust, you’ll get a kick out of the sights and styles from SXM Festival. The photos below are sure to boost your mood (and inspire you to purchase your next festival ticket).

ALSO READ:

• These Photos From Nite Rinse’s Three-Year Anniversary Event Will Put You In The Mood To Party
• These Photos From Desert Air Will Make You Want To Get Up And Dance
• These Photos From Seismic Dance Event Will Help Cure Your Winter Blues
• Photos From DAY.MVS That’ll Leave You Hyped For Your Next Festival
• These Outfits From CRSSD Fest Will Get You Hyped For Festival Season

Paul George last took the floor for the L.A. Clippers on Dec. 22, with news breaking on Christmas Day that the superstar wing would miss considerable time with a torn ligament in his elbow. In recent days, however, buzz has increased that George could be nearing a return to game action and, on Monday evening, the Clippers provided more optimism with an official injury update. L.A. hosts the Utah Jazz on Tuesday and, in advance of the game, George was upgraded to “questionable” on the injury report.

Beyond the notable upgrade in official distinction, Law Murray of The Athletic reports that George’s family will be in attendance, perhaps providing another positive inkling. George has missed 43 games and, in that sample, the Clippers are just 19-24. Given that Kawhi Leonard is also sidelined, L.A.’s performance has been quite respectable but, on the eve of the postseason, having George in the middle of the Clippers’ lineup could make a considerable difference.

In 26 games before sustaining the injury, George averaged 24.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game, operating as the No. 1 shot creator for the Clippers. He is also a high-end defender and, because the Clippers have been able to hold the line in George’s absence, L.A. projects as the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference with a multi-game cushion ahead of the Pelicans and Lakers to earn at least two cracks at playing their way into the playoffs.

There is no guarantee that George returns on Tuesday. Still, his uptick in work and this upgrade on paper likely signal an imminent return, and the Western Conference just got even deeper.

Will Packer knows all about Hollywood drama. Over the past two decades, the producer has racked up more than 70 credits, including his most recent gig as the producer of the 2022 Oscars. Yes, the one where Will Smith and Chris Rock got into a physical altercation on stage and all hell broke loose.

About an hour after the ceremony had ended, Packer took to Twitter to offer a very short statement on the matter:

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Packer’s somewhat comical tone didn’t sit well with everyone. The producer was criticized for seeming flippant or unfazed by a physical assault that took place on his watch. On Monday morning he took time to address the situation, and the backlash to his tweet. “Black people have a defiant spirit of laughter when it comes to dealing with pain because there has been so much of it,” Packer said, while admitting, “This was a very painful moment for me. On many levels.”

Many viewers questioned why Smith—who shortly after the incident won the Oscar for Best Actor for his role in King Richard—was not escorted out of the event. The Academy addressed these concerns with a short tweet, which seemed to side-step the entire question:

Packer previously told The Hollywood Reporter that his main goal for the Oscars telecast, which has been steadily losing viewers in recent years, was to make it a memorable, much-watch event for everyone. “You need something other than just a chance to see stars,” he said in early March. “We have to make a show that is entertaining and appeals to a broad swath of the viewing public.”

Mission accomplished.

(Via The Hollywood Reporter)

A sea of raucous clapping—and silent, yet enthusiastic sign language applause—rushed through the crowd as the movie “CODA” made multiple wins during the Oscars. That included Best Adapted Screenplay (Sian Heder), Best Supporting Actor (Troy Kotsur) and Best Picture.

You could say that “CODA” was, to all intents and purposes, a sweet and simple family drama. Not Oscar bait.

It’s a story about children of deaf adults, hence the name, and it follows a hearing teenager with a love of music who works with her deaf parents and brother at a fishing harbor. Besides former Oscar winner Marlee Matlin (who won in 1987 for her role in “Children of a Lesser God”), “CODA” had zero “big names.” It also only had a $10 million budget, and was released on a streaming service.

But still, it swept. It’s history-making victories like these that reflect what the Oscars essentially are at its very best—a celebration of art that truly moves us. And the biggest win of the night rightly went to the deaf community.

---

Following in the footsteps of his co-star Marlee Matlin, Troy Kotsur became the first deaf man to win an Oscar.

See on Instagram

During his acceptance speech, Kotsur thanked all the “wonderful deaf theater stages where [he] was allowed and given the opportunity to develop [his] craft as an actor.” He also shared a touching story about his “hero” dad, who became the best singer in his family until a car accident had paralyzed him from the neck down.

And to the CODA and disabled community, his message was simple: “this is our time.”

(Also a special nod to the ASL interpreter, who clearly got choked up but kept going.)

Sian Heder praises ASL as a “beautiful cinematic language.”

See on Instagram

As Heder accepted her award for Best Adapted Screenplay, she called the experience “truly life changing as an artistic and a human being” and thanked the deaf community for being her collaborators and teachers.

In a previous interview with Movie Maker, Heder commented that “so often disability is portrayed in such a precious, earnest way where characters that are deaf or have a disability are portrayed as being either incredibly noble, or objects of pity. And in fact, you know, the only difference with a deaf person is that they can’t hear.” So the ultimate goal was to depict an honest, authentic version of deaf families. Bawdiness and all.

CODA winning best picture shows that recognition can be healing.

See on Instagram

“CODA” not only shines a light on deaf culture. It celebrates it. And its success most likely will pave the way for other films that give continued visibility to the disabled community. Just look at what Parasite’s Best Picture win. After that, Korean cinema blew up, particularly on streaming platforms (looking at you, Squid Game). We have already seen inklings of this trend with inclusion of deaf characters into mainstream movies like Marvel, and with movies like “Sound of Metal” starring a deaf lead. But this kind of widespread global acclaim takes it a step further.

The Oscars might have been a whirlwind of less-than-classy headlines this year, but that doesn’t take away from the positive force for good that is “CODA”’s awards. May all walks of life find their time in the spotlight.

North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn has been in office for less than 15 months, but he’s already seen behind the curtain of what makes Washington, D.C. tick—and it apparently looks a lot like Studio 54 in its heyday.

While being interviewed for the “Warrior Poet” podcast, Mediaite reports that host John Lovell asked the 26-year-old—whose own constituents attempted to block him for running for re-election—whether the life of a politician was anything like what audiences saw on House of Cards. As far as Cawthorn is concerned, the Netflix series might as well have been a docuseries.

“A former president that we had in the ‘90s was asked a question about this, and he gave an answer that I thought was so true,” Cawthorn replied. “He said that the only thing not accurate in that show [is] that you could never get a piece of legislation about education passed that quickly.” But Cawthorn, who maybe kinda sorta might have married a Russian spy (they met at a CrossFit competition that didn’t exist, which a Russian casino scammed him into attending, and should have been his first clue), didn’t stop there. Cawthorn went on to claim that:

“The sexual perversion that goes on in Washington, I mean, being kind of a young guy in Washington, the average age is probably 60 or 70. I look at a lot of these people, a lot of them that I’ve looked up to through my life—I’ve always paid attention to politics—then all of a sudden you get invited to, ‘Oh hey we’re going to have a sexual get-together at one of our homes, you should come.’

‘What did you just ask me to come to?’ And then you realize they’re asking you to come to an orgy.”

Leave it to a Republican to describe an orgy as a “sexual get-together.”

Cawthorn also said that blow runs rampant through the halls of our nation’s capitol. “Some of the people leading on the movement to try and remove addiction in our country, and then you watch them do a key bump of cocaine right in front of you,” he said. “And it’s like, this is wild.”

“Wild” is one way to describe it. “Likely total BS” is another, though it’s interesting that the phrase “key bump” is a part of Cawthorn’s vernacular. CNN’s Edward-Isaac Dovere did the math and thinks that something is up with Cawthorn’s story.

Matthew Yglesias, who has lived in D.C. for 20 years, was also taken aback by Cawthorn’s accusations, although he pointed out that “I guess I don’t hang out with as many Republicans as Cawthorn does.”

You can watch the full clip above.

(Via Mediaite)

As Coi Leray’s latest single, the Nicki Minaj-featuring “Blick Blick,” picks up steam on the charts, the New Jersey rapper is striking while the iron’s hot. Today, she shared the cover and release date of her forthcoming debut album, Trendsetter. Due in just two weeks, on April 8, the album has a playful cover that has the XXL Freshman bent over double and clutching her cheeks like the poster for Home Alone surrounded by cartoonish illustrations of planets orbiting around her.

“I just want to finally let y’all bxtchs know, ain’t nobody fw me in that booth,” she wrote in the caption. “This will be one of the biggest female artist albums in the world and I put my life on it. It’s not a race, it’s a Trendsetter Marathon.”

The path to Leray’s debut was occasionally a bumpy one. Before her 2020 single “No More Parties” caught fire in early 2021 thanks to a Lil Durk remix, Coi said she was close to giving up on rap entirely. However, once Durk expressed his belief in her, she continued to grind, even despite a less-than-warm reception for her XXL Freshman cypher verse. She also took abuse from fans over her physique, a perceived resemblance to Dej Loaf, and anxiety, prompting her to release “Anxiety” as a single. Even her new single “Blick Blick” was almost derailed by her overzealous father Benzino.

But she’s persevered, “Blick Blick” has become her biggest hit to date, and now, she’s got the chance to prove that she’s no fluke.

Trendsetter is due 4/8 on Republic Records.

A slew of unsuspecting Brazilians in São Paulo thought they were getting the chance of a lifetime to meet Rihanna this past weekend. Selfies were snapped, hugs were given, and one lady even kissed her pregnant belly. Trouble is, this was not Rihanna at all, but rather a very devoted fake Rihanna, who along with sporting the Fenty Beauty empresario’s baby bump, also had a full-on security detail.

In footage captured of the fake Rihanna’s parade through some of the busiest shopping districts and a bus station in São Paulo, the actress stops to talk to a reporter in pretty good Portuguese (this was the dead giveaway). She tells her that she’s been polishing her Portuguese and that she’s here “to buy things for my baby,” as she gently clutches her big fake belly. “I’m so emotional because I’m her #1 fan,” one hysterical fan says to the reporter. The security detail are in full character as well, never breaking their stone faces. Considering husband ASAP Rocky was in São Paulo to play at Lollapalooza Brazil this past weekend, the fake Rihanna had a pretty good alibi for being there.

But alas, this was actually a gag from a TV show called Cidade Alerta on the major Brazilian network, “TV Record.” The actress, is presumably Priscilla Beatrice, who’s is devoted Rihanna impersonator. Her TikTok has over 2 million followers and she does her very best to look the part.

So while these celebrity-crazed Brazilian fans didn’t actually get to meet the pride of Barbados, at least they got to feel some joy for a bit. That’s worth some Instagram likes right?

Watch the clip of the fake Rihanna from “TV Record” above.