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Things have definitely taken a turn for the weird in America over the past few years. So much so that I’ve had many a morning where I wake up with the John Lennon song, “Nobody Told Me” stuck in my head.

“Strange days, indeed. Most peculiar, mamma,” Lennon sang on his posthumous hit.

There’s been political unrest, ecological disasters, that weird monolith that popped up in the Utah desert and super credible-looking UFO videos.

Oh yeah, there’s also that pandemic thing that’s still going on.

The sheer absurdity of it all prompted comedian Caleb Hearon to tweet “i think cults are about to have a huge comeback” on Wednesday and a lot of people agreed with him.

i think cults are about to have a huge comeback

— caleb hearon (@caleb hearon)
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It’s been said that people often join cults to soothe their fears and anxieties. If that’s the case, then Hearon may be right. A recent study found that there was a 26% increase in anxiety worldwide in 2021 due to the pandemic.

To make things even more interesting, there are many who feel anxiety about the pandemic ending because they don’t want to go back to normal.

Hearon’s tweet kicked off a great discussion on Twitter on whether or not we’re already in the midst of a cult renaissance.

We’ve already got the clothes down.

Target has the outfits ready pic.twitter.com/rzrRm3IXDp

— Victoria West 🌈🌻🐝🐾🐶🐱 (@VictoriaEWest) January 6, 2022

the seeds are there https://t.co/5NVmFRu7sR

— ᴛ – ᴍ ᴀ ᴄ ᴛ ɪ ᴏ ɴ (@teemaction) January 6, 2022

Yeah, but if the fashion is this good, sign me up. I am not doing that prairie dress garbage even if it is in style. I want that nutso, futuristic Zardoz dancing around a glowing orb and chanting stuff.

— Heidi (@bleedingblueapp) January 6, 2022

Is the internet already a cult?

We need to bring back old school cults. I’m tryna join a sex commune not a Facebook group.

— Kori W. (@slowbonemahomes) January 6, 2022

Is it happening already?

I definitely think communes will, and yeah, many will turn into cults. I see anti-cell phone communes becoming a big thing.

— Frank Herbie The Love Bug (@EverettWa) January 6, 2022

I mean, have you ever worked at a tech company?

— Amy Isikoff Newell (@amynewell) January 6, 2022

For real I went through the new hire orientation at Tesla years back when I was desperate for work and the it was the most cultish shit I’ve ever seen in my life. I quit before I ever started working in the factory

— ✊🏿James Highsman✊🏿 (@PoorHomieMar) January 6, 2022

The cult of NFT pic.twitter.com/geh9LoCAIX

— King Sized Comforter (@Supertainment) January 6, 2022

Some folks are down already.

should we get in early? what’s the play?

— MITCH (@mitchyytweets) January 6, 2022

It would be great if there was some sort of directory so we could all pick the one that’s right for us.

— MakewiEatsSpam (@MakewiEatsSpam) January 6, 2022

Hope so, looking for a good way to offload all these velor tracksuits I’ve been holding onto…

— a.k.a your mom’s pool boy (@thewhitedread) January 6, 2022

If you in Minneapolis and in a cult, I’m available. hml

— Mo (@MoDahga) January 6, 2022

They sound relaxing and homey at this point. Quaint, even.

— Vivien Jastrzebski (@VivienJastrzeb) January 6, 2022

Ready to join

Cult leaders hit me up I’m lonely desperate and wealthy

— Zophister (@zophister) January 6, 2022

pic.twitter.com/U8NMeNWOMa

— Andy Compton (@andycompton_) January 6, 2022

What cults are we talking about?

You thinking any legacy cults mounting a comeback, or are we talking all new players?

— Christopher Heiner (@Tenaciousheiner) January 6, 2022

Like waco cults or meet in the forst at midnight during a fullmoon for ritual cult?

— Kai Ashworth (@KaiAshworth) January 6, 2022

Let’s do this.

What society needs more than anything right now is “family”. You can join mine if you’d like

— DrGodking (@DrGodking) January 6, 2022

After reading the responses it looks like Hearon wasn’t far from the truth. A lot of people raised their hands and said “I’m in” after thinking about the potential benefits that come with being in a cult.

While others claimed there are plenty of cults happening right now, it’s just that people don’t know they’re in them.

Steven Hassan, author of “Combating Cult Mind Control: The Guide to Protection, Rescue and Recovery from Destructive Cults” and a former member of the Moonies, no less, says that there are essentially four types of cults: behavior control, information control, thought control and emotional control.

He also says that just about anyone is susceptible to being the victim of a cult.

“If you think it could never happen to you, then you’re the most vulnerable. Because nobody’s impervious,” he says.

If Hearon is right, there may be some super culty stuff happening all around us in the coming months. If you’re not down for the cult lifestyle, then it’s best to keep your eyes wide open for suspicious groups gathering in unlikely places.

Elmo has been a fixture on “Sesame Street” since 1984 and is one of the most recognized and beloved characters around the world. His signature cute voice and third-person references to himself endear him to children and adults alike, but one of his ongoing bits has the people of Twitter in stitches.

Elmo’s decades-long beef with his friend Zoe’s pet rock, Rocco, occasionally goes viral, and for good reason. It’s hilarious. Rocco first appeared on “Sesame Street” in 1999, and Elmo has been exasperated by it ever since. Who can blame him, though, when Zoe constantly puts Rocco first, insists that he’s real and forces Elmo into her make-believe world?

Perhaps it feels extra relatable right now, as so many people watch friends and family descend into alternate realities, unable to convince them that what they believe isn’t real. How many of us have been in Elmo’s shoes, at the end of our wits, fruitlessly stating facts in the face of fantasy?

Watching Elmo lose it is almost as cathartic as it is funny. Over-the-edge Elmo is the best Elmo.

there are tears in my eyes yu2019all my stomach hurtingpic.twitter.com/bbkF9yDZLf

— cheye (dr.booty) (@cheye (dr.booty))
1641263826

“HOW? How is Rocco gonna eat that cookie, Zoe? TELL ELMO.”

This is how I’m going to respond to everyone who refuses to get vaccinated and refuses to wear a mask and complains about every other pandemic mitigation tool. “HOW? How are we going to get through this pandemic doing nothing, Chad? TELL ELMO.”

he said IKYFL! lmfaooopic.twitter.com/g2uZrIyIkU

— u1d0au1d0fu0274u0274u028f u1d0au1d1cu1d0bu1d07u0299u1d0fx ud83dudd79u2728 (@u1d0au1d0fu0274u0274u028f u1d0au1d1cu1d0bu1d07u0299u1d0fx ud83dudd79u2728)
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Rocco has Elmo in an existential vice grip, torn between mind-numbing annoyance and the desire to be supportive of his friend. Pretty tough spot for a perpetual preschooler.

Elmo reassures us that he and Zoe are fine, their friendship is solid and all is well.

He just doesn’t want to talk about Rocco.

Don’t worry everybody! Elmo and Zoe practiced sharing and are still best buds forever! Elmo loves you Zoe! Ha ha ha!nnElmo doesn’t want to talk about Rocco.

— Elmo (@Elmo)
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He’s also still stuck on the cookie thing.

Has anybody ever seen a rock eat a cookie? Elmo is just curious.

— Elmo (@Elmo)
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People are loving it.

in a world of zoeys, be an elmo

— Lily Mars (@Lily Mars)
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And people are loving debating the potential deeper elements of Elmo and Zoe’s Rocco fiasco.

can it rly be called gaslighting when a little kid just wants to pretend her rock is a person

— CHECK PINNED TWEET – forest kiddoud83cudf3fud83cudde6ud83cuddf2 (@CHECK PINNED TWEET – forest kiddoud83cudf3fud83cudde6ud83cuddf2)
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Even The Rock himself got into the action, responding to Elmo’s tweet about whether a rock can actually eat a cookie. Well played, Dwayne.

Yes, my friend. nThis Rock devours cookies. nAll kinds of cookies nIu2019ll introduce you to #CheatMeals and itu2019ll change your life. nTell Cookie Monster to move it over, cuz Iu2019m coming to Sesame Street to kick ass and eat cookies. nAnd Iu2019m almost all outta cookies.n~ Rock https://twitter.com/elmo/status/1478840478409756677u00a0u2026

— Dwayne Johnson (@Dwayne Johnson)
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For more Elmo vs. Rocco fun, here’s a compilation of some highlights. Enjoy.

In an unearthed 2017 interview, Jamie Foxx tells Howard Stern about his experience meeting Sidney Poitier, right before Foxx won his Oscar for portraying Ray Charles in the 2004 biopic Ray.

Foxx recalls Oprah Winfrey reaching out to him, “I get a call, and on the other end of the phone I hear, ‘Hi Jamie Foxx. This is Oprah. You’re blowing it, Jamie Foxx.’” Foxx describes an intervention that took place at Quincy Jones’ house, led by Winfrey, who was worried about his drinking and partying after the massive success of the biopic.

“There’s all these old black actors from the ‘60s and ‘70s. They just want to say good luck. They wanna say ‘don’t blow it.’ You know me, I was going hard.”

Winfrey then introduces Foxx to Hollywood titan Sidney Poitier.

“I say, ‘Hello Mr. Portior.’ I’m welling up. He says, ‘I want to give you one thing. I want to give you responsibility. When I saw your performance, it made me grow two inches.’ I breakdown. It was actually Sidney’s birthday. They made me understand the significance of it. It was groundbreaking.”

Sidney Portier, a legendary actor, became the first Black male actor to win an Oscar in 1964. He stared in monumental films such as Porgy and Bess and A Raisin In The Sun which made him one of the most successful actors of his time. He passed away this week at the age of 94.

You can watch Foxx’s interview with Howard Stern above.

There’s good news, bad news, and good/bad news about Turning Red, Pixar’s upcoming movie about a teenager who turns into a red panda when she gets emotional.

The good news: the film was scheduled to come out on March 11, and it’s still coming out on March 11. The bad news: it won’t be released in theaters. The good/bad news: much like Luca and Soul, it’s going straight to Disney+. Why is that both good and bad? A Disney+ subscription is cheaper, not to mention safer, than taking three kids to the movie theater… but it also means they can watch Turning Red whenever they want. Get ready to hear “It’s Gonna Be Me.” A lot.

Here’s more:

Disney and Pixar’s Turning Red introduces Mei Lee, a confident, dorky 13-year-old torn between staying her mother’s dutiful daughter and the chaos of adolescence. Her protective, if not slightly overbearing mother, Ming, is never far from her daughter, an unfortunate reality for the teenager. And as if changes to her interests, relationships and body weren’t enough, whenever she gets too excited (which is practically ALWAYS), she “poofs” into a giant red panda.

Turning Red features the voices of Rosalie Chiang, Sandra Oh, Ava Morse, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Hyein Park, Orion Lee, Wai Ching Ho and James Hong. It’s also the first Pixar movie to be solely directed by a woman, Domee Shi.

Looking for a Disney movie to watch this weekend? Try Encanto.

Mario Kart is in many ways the perfect balance of skill, luck, and fun, to where anyone playing it can feel like they have a chance. This is how someone who doesn’t play video games at all can say “I’ll work you in Mario Kart” and be completely genuine.

With the franchise being so popular among, it’s no surprise that they keep making these games, but it’s been quite some time since we got a new entry. The most recent, Mario Kart 8, released back in 2014 for the Wii U. The game was then re-released to the Nintendo Switch as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and featured most of the content already unlocked. Since it’s been so long, there’s been plenty of questions about when a new game could be on the way.

According to a report from GameIndustry.Biz, a teaser for an upcoming Mario Kart could be coming sooner than expected. Apparently, a new Mario Kart game is already in development and we could see a teaser as soon as this year. The last fun detail in the report is that this game may feature a “new twist” on the Mario Kart formula.

I am aware Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is still selling very well on the Nintendo Switch, but Mario Kart 9 is in active development (and comes with a new twist) and Nintendo could tease it this year.

While we’ve all been expecting news on Mario Kart to eventually happen, it was a little bit of a surprise to know a teaser could be on the way so soon. Of course, a teaser doesn’t necessarily mean the game is anywhere close to finished — Nintendo historically has been very patient when it comes to releasing their biggest IPs, so until there’s a confirmed release timeframe the most we can do is wait.

What’s going to be way more fun to speculate on is the apparent twist for this upcoming Mario Kart. Every Mario Kart game typically tries to bring its own new features, such as the partner mechanic in Double Dash and the anti gravity sections of Mario Kart 8. Of course, with the game so deep into its lifespan now we’re not sure which new features they could bring to Mario Kart 9, but it’s going to be exciting to see what they have in store.

The first video from The Weeknd‘s uptempo new album Dawn FM has arrived, bringing with it another musical mystery for fans to unravel. This time around, The Weeknd appears to be playing a new character, who is abducted by a mysterious, dancing cult and used for an eerie ritual in the woozy video for “Sacrifice.”

After being strapped to a huge circular apparatus, The Weeknd is approached by a woman cloaked in red who maybe steals his soul — it sure looks a lot like the scene with the soul-stealing dementors in Harry Potter and the Prisoner Of Azkaban. We’re only shown glimpses of the effect this has on The Weeknd between strobe-lit performance sequences, but it certainly appears to have been detrimental — I can only assume this is how he got all old and wilted on the album’s off-putting cover art.

Though it’s only been out for a few hours, Dawn FM is already stirring up fans on social media who noticed that the number on the interludes is actually real, although it doesn’t lead to any Easter eggs like the number his collaborator Tyler The Creator gave out promoting Call Me If You Get Lost. Likewise, fans have been intrigued by what sounds like confirmation of those Angelina Jolie dating rumors on “Here We Go Again…”

Anyway, you can get caught up on the latest zany serial narrative from The Weeknd in the “Sacrifice” video above and stream the album here.

January is a slower month for beer releases. The rush of the holidays (and winter beers) are behind us. It’s really not until March/spring that we get the next big rollout of craft brews just in time for Spring Break. That being said, there are still plenty of beers dropping this month (or that dropped late last month) to try this season.

Since we’re still in the middle of winter, many of the beers dropping are highly spiced winter warmers, dark ales, or big IPAs full of big hop flavors to cut through the grey days and shitty weather. In short, it’s a great time if you’re a lover of big and bold beer flavors across several styles.

Hopefully, the eight beers we’re giving love to this month will pique your interest and inspire you to explore exciting brews made near you or sold at your closest bottle shop or brewery. The picks below are regional craft beer releases from breweries that we vouch for along with seasonal bottles we’ve been looking forward to tasting again.

PACIFIC NORTHWEST DROP: Alaskan Brewing 35th Anniversary Ale

ABV: 9%

Average Price: $9, 22-oz. bottle

The Beer:

This might be our most overlooked brew of late 2021. This anniversary beer takes Alaskan’s famed and multi-award-winning smoked ale and amps it up with birch syrup. To make one gallon of that syrup, Alaskan simmers down 100 gallons of birch sap. That syrup is then cut with wildflower honey before being layered into the beer.

Tasting Notes:

While this sounds like it’d be overly sweet, it’s not even close to that. The beer has more of a tart raspberry vibe with a honeyed smoked dark chocolate counterpoint. Those notes are accented by a slight woody nature that’s closer to wet bark than anything else while mild notes of smoked plums rest in light touches of burnt espresso beans with a hint more of that smoked dark chocolate.

Bottom Line:

This is a shockingly well-balanced and delicious imperial stout. What’s exciting about this is what’ll happen if you cellar it. Three, five, hell, ten years from now this might be a mind-blowing beer experience. So, grab some now and get ready for a great ride.

SOUTHWEST DROP: Stone Xocoveza Tres Leches

ABV: 8.5%

Average Price: $10, 22-oz. bottle

The Beer:

This beer is the colliding of tres leches cake, imperial stout, and spiced hot chocolate in a can. The beer is brewed with rice and oats in the mix alongside Centennial hops. Then chocolate, coffee, Pasilla peppers, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg are added to really drive home the wintry vibes of this one.

Tasting Notes:

This bursts forth with heavy notes of cinnamon-spiked lattes with a double shot of espresso, full-fat milk, a pump on vanilla syrup, and a swirl of caramel. The espresso smoothes considerably on the palate with this softness that’s like that little bit of “crema” that forms on the top of a well-pulled espresso made on a real machine. The chocolate softens as well and feels more like milk chocolate with a touch of caramel in the center. The spice stays on the sweeter side of things while still providing a touch of warmth on the backend.

Bottom Line:

If you like big, sweet, wintry coffees from Starbucks this time of year, then this is going to be your jam.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN DROP: Upslope Oatmeal Stout

ABV: 5%

Average Price: $12, six-pack

The Beer:

This limited release from Boulder’s Upslope feels like a late holiday gift when it drops every January. The base of deeply roasted malts and oats is bolstered by a small dose of East Kent Golding hops. That gives the taste a little bump of light hops to cut through the thicker aspects of the stout.

Tasting Notes:

This really smells like a malting kiln full of chocolate roasted malts next to creamy coffee bricks. There’s a light touch of toffee sweetness that adds to the creamy vanilla and dark chocolate maltiness. The hops are there as a ghost, lurking beneath everything yet reminding you that they once existed. The overall experience is velvety and accented with a hint of earthiness on the very end.

Bottom Line:

This is a yearly favorite. Every January this drops and it’s hard not to buy it by the case. You get a real sense of the chocolate and vanilla without losing the fact that this is indeed beer.

SOUTHERN DROP: Jester King Eezy Peel

ABV: 7.2%

Average Price: $18, 750ml bottle

The Beer:

Stepping away from the dark ales, this beer is a farmhouse wheat ale that’s fermented with winter mangos. The base of the beer is made with TexMalt Llano Pilsner malt, Denton County Wheat malt, and raw wheat. That’s then slightly touched with Oregon-grown Golding hops. During the secondary fermentation, fresh and frozen mango is added to the mix at about two pounds per gallon of beer, which is quite a bit of fruit.

Tasting Notes (from the brewer):

“The result is a really dry, drinkable, quenching fruit beer, which again has been one of our go-to’s lately.”

Bottom Line:

With Jester King’s reliability, this feels like the perfect counterpoint to all the heavier/darker ales we’re seeing right now.

MIDWEST DROP: Bell’s Hopslam Ale

ABV: 10%

Average Price: $19, six-pack

The Beer:

Bell’s Hopslam just hit the shelves and we’re pretty excited. The beer is all about the hoping process. Six varietals are chosen from the Pacific Northwest to really highlight citrus and fruit in the beer. The real star of the show is Simcoe hops that are layered in during the dry-hopping process.

Tasting Notes:

The beer invites you in with a mix of grapefruit oils, peach peels, and wildflowers that’s perfectly counterpointed by a sweet, almost honey, malty base. That honey drives the palate as the grapefruit bitters move slightly towards the pith and the florals matched by a slightly dank nature with a hint of apricot and peach lurking beneath it all. The beer stays fairly dry through the finish as the honeyed malts, bright grapefruit, and stone fruits really drive home a balance.

Bottom Line:

This is an all-around delicious beer. It’s also another great counterpoint to the dark brews on the shelf right now. This is the promise of spring in a can.

NORTHEAST DROP: Brooklyn Winter IPA

ABV: 7%

Average Price: $11, six-pack

The Beer:

This winter IPA is all about building balance between spicy malts and Simcoe and Trident hops. The brew is made with medium roasted malts, bringing in a touch of a red hue to the final product along with a little spice that feels almost like a rye whiskey. Those malts are counterpointed by dank hops that add to the wintry dimension of this beer.

Tasting Notes:

You’re reminded of a stewed plum with plenty of meaty plum and dark spices next to pine resin, orange oils, and a touch of … juniper. Those spices kick up on the palate and touch on eggnog nutmeg, clove, and Red Hot cinnamon while the plum darkens towards dates and prunes. The resin stays almost fresh as the sweet and dark fruits meld with wintry spices on a lush finish.

Bottom Line:

This is winter in a bottle. It’s delicious while also holding onto a good balance between all the elements at play.

WILD CARD DROP: Modern Times Technomancer

ABV: 8.2%

Average Price: $4, 20-oz. can

The Beer:

This double IPA is all about amping up the super fruit hops. The primarily wheat brew is spiked with Bru-1, Strata, and Galaxy hops, giving the beer a classic hazy, fruit-bomb vibe.

Tasting Notes (from the brewery):

“This beer’s murky depths are replete with notes of pineapple, peach, and passion fruit that combine in an absurdly satisfying fashion. It’s a glorious, all-inclusive cruise through tropical waters, and your taste buds have VIP tickets.”

Bottom Line:

We trust Modern Times to make a great hazy IPA and there’s no reason to think this will be any different. Plus, a nice, fruity hop-bomb of a beer sounds great right now.

INT’L PICK OF THE MONTH: Fuller’s London Porter

ABV: 5.4%

Average Price: $8.50, four-pack

The Beer:

This is the porter that all others are measured by. The brew is a throwback to an early 1800s recipe that died out in the early 1900s. The beer is made at the Griffin Brewery in the Chiswick neighborhood of London, where they’ve been brewing beer since 1654. Needless to say, this beer has some serious history behind it.

Tasting Notes:

You get a clear sense of well-roasted coffee beans on the nose that’s almost sour next to rich and brittle toffee candies, a rush of vanilla extract, and dark and bitter chocolate bespeckled with roasted almonds. That nutty chocolate drives the palate along with the coffee bitterness and sour that’s damn near burnt with that vanilla and toffee creating a nice counterbalance to the whole sip. The finish is soft but not creamy and really leans into the brightness of the coffee while letting the dulcet tones of the toffee, chocolate, nuts, and vanilla create a lovely end.

Bottom Line:

While this isn’t new by any stretch, it’s the perfect beer for now. It’s also what pretty much every other porter in the world (especially American craft) is chasing when it comes to flavor, texture, and vibe.

When you book a guy who represents a movement that claims “Birds Aren’t Real,” you should probably be prepared for things to go south. And that’s exactly what happened on Chicago’s WGN Morning News when “activist” Peter McIndoe dialed in Thursday morning for a remote interview to discuss his conspiracy theory organization. As far as anchors Larry Potash and Robin Baumgarten could ascertain, Birds Are Real appears to be a satirical group that is actually highlighting the concerning abundance of conspiracy beliefs that have spread like wildfire in recent years.

However, it appears the group is interested in spoofing more than just crackpots as McIndoe proceeded to punk the newscasters by barfing up his coffee.

After McIndoe made sure his “puking” could be clearly heard on the show, the anchors gave him time to recuperate before realizing this whole thing was probably a setup. Via Mediaite:

Later in the program, Potash and Baumgarten wondered aloud if they had been “punked” by McIndoe, who is a fairly practiced hand at doing media appearances.

“I don’t think we really know for sure now. Kind of stuck in the middle there. We wish him the best,” Potash said, adding “You know, if we got punked. Shame on us. And if he’s really sick and he’s got an issue of some kind, we hope he’s okay.”

In a follow-up to his “apology” tweet for puking live on the air, McIndoe gave an update on his condition on Friday and figured out the likely source for his stomach problems: the government.

“Taking a day out in the woods to realign myself with the movement and get back on track,” McIndoe tweeted. “I’ve made mistakes. But this isn’t the past, this is the future. And I owe it to you to forge a better one. I do not want to make any claims but there was a targeted government poisoning.”

(Via Mediaite)

The Righteous Gemstones is back this Sunday (at 10 PM on HBO) with members of the megachurch made Gemstone family divided and Jesse (Danny McBride) firmly looking to upsize and let loose, playing with resorts, streaming services, and other things that typically stand out as the playthings of the elite. All that stands in his way are a few new threats, family infighting, and the need to steer clear of the claw of consequences that keeps grabbing at the whole family. No big deal, right?

According to McBride, (who we previously spoke with ahead of season one) this is “the richest world [he and his creative cohorts David Gordon Green and Jody Hill] have explored.” And though he always operates as though each season of every show will be its last (to push writers to “deliver something that feels whole”) there’s a desire to keep going with no cap on the ambition of what these characters can and will reach for. A fascinating position that feels incredibly ripe in these gluttonous times.

Ahead of this new season, we spoke with McBride and co-star Edi Patterson about that ambition, freeing John Goodman to throw some hands, the chemistry and power dynamic between the show’s central couples, Church power teams, ridiculous movie posters, and how Judy would torture her brother if she ever got to drive the family business.

Is there a cap on the ambition of the Gemstones?

Danny McBride: You know, I haven’t considered it. I feel like the Gemstones feel like the sky is the limit. You know, they feel like they have God on their side and that they can achieve whatever they want to set their minds to. And so I think it’s that boldness and that fearlessness that’s kind of weirdly noble about them, that they have this lack of self-image and they only see themselves as capable of whatever they want to put their minds to.

The production numbers, specifically when you’re singing, have been just great. What’s it like to just go all out with those?

Edi Patterson: Yeah, dude, it’s a blast because as we’re writing, we’ll sort of feel like when there should be something like that and sort of the vibe of what it should be. So sometimes it’s even from us writing the song that goes in there and then it starts to really get exciting then, or, we’ve got amazing musicians and composers that work with the show. And so sometimes it’s just like, “okay, we know Judy will do a great big gospel number here” and then we get this amazing song back. But every step of that process is really, really fun. I really like to sing and I really like to perform live. So it’s really fun for me to go on a Saturday when we aren’t filming, down to the studio and like record a thing for a bunch of hours and then come in and wear basically the outfit of an ice skater and have a bunch of girls dancing around me and like suddenly be in Vegas. I mean, it’s a blast dude.

What’s the relationship arc for BJ and Judy this season?

Edi Patterson: I think with Judy and BJ, I think we should talk about this, but I think that they’re made for each other and I think they’re, destined by God and the stars to be together. [Laughs] And I think that BJ understands Judy and knows that when she basically, fucking wilds out on him, I think he is maybe one of the only people on the earth that knows “oh, that’s not really at me. That’s just some weird stuff coming out.” So I think they get each other in a way that no one else would. And I think she probably adds some spice to his life that probably was not really there in previously. [Laughs]

Danny McBride: [Laughs] You made him hardcore.

Edi Patterson: Yeah. I made him hardcore.

Danny, the same question about Amber and Jesse and just where that relationship is right now. Power really seems to be unifying them.

Danny McBride: Yeah, you’re totally right. I mean, trust was broken last season and it was kind of up and questioned whether they were going to be able to make it. And so, coming into this season, they obviously made a choice to stay together and so what’s the first thing they do? They start being an example to other people of how perfect they are and how they’ve gotten through all this. And they’re trying to guide other people through the same shit. And it just seems so funny how people who could be so lacking in these basic things feel that they’re qualified to teach others, and that’s sort of just the glaring contradiction about the Gemstones. But the other thing that has aligned them is they found a sense of purpose in trying to kind of grab power to try to get the things that they want and the influence they want and that unites them. And I think when they work together, they actually prove to be a pretty good team together. And that’s kind of what we follow this season.

If Judy got the mantle and took power, what would she do to Jesse to exact revenge?

Edi Patterson: [Laughs] I think probably…

Danny McBride: [Laughs] C’mon, say it.

Edi Patterson: She would murder his wife. [Laughs]

Danny McBride: See, I was going to say she was going to stick something up his ass.

It could be both.

Edi Patterson: My first thought was she would do something to his ass or balls. [Laughs]

Danny, John Goodman is doing such great work this year, and we’re really getting to see an interesting bit of his backstory and see him get physical and kick some ass, breaking him out of the strictly paternal role and seeing him have a little fun. Can you talk a little bit about that?

Danny McBride: You know, my thought for Goodman was always that he had a more rough and tumble background than Amy Lee did. Amy Lee was like a child Christian singer. And so she had a more successful upbringing and I always liked the idea that Eli is new to money. Like it’s not something he’s grown up with. And so that’s part of what fuels his hunger for more and more is because he doesn’t want to be poor again. And so the idea that we get to see a little bit of that. We get to see about what he came from and it shows a nice image of where he’s landed and how different he is and how different he’s had to kind of disguise himself from what his roots are. It just felt like it was a cool playground for Goodman.

The church fitness crew idea… I don’t know if this was inflicted on you, but I have a faint memory, I may have blocked out a lot of it, but I was definitely exposed to something like that in school.

Danny McBride: Yes. [Laughs]

Like jumpsuits and everything. Is that where that came from?

Danny McBride: It did. Ripping up phone books… I saw that crew when I was a kid, and it really made an impression on me. I mean, I remember going home to my house and looking at the phone book and just being like “Jesus Christ this is very hard to rip this. These guys are so strong” and that idea was just always there about this power team. And we always played around with the idea in the first season that Kelvin sort of sees himself as this Christlike figure that, it’s really important to him to have apostles and have followers like Keith. And so it just seemed like a natural fit to put him with an army of muscular men.

The Romancing The Gemstones poster in the media room in episode two — can you break that down a little for me? Is that like a movie that was made or just a vanity poster?

Danny McBride: [Laughs] You know what’s funny is when we were scouting for the show in the pilot and we were looking at all these mansions around Charleston, South Carolina and trying to figure out the mansions for each of these characters… I went into one house and in their theater room, they had mocked up movie posters and put the faces of the families on the posters. [Laughs] And I was just like, “are you fucking kidding me? This is insane”. It seemed like such a silly thing to do, but then we had to log it into the memory bank and use it somehow.

‘Righteous Gemstones’ season two premieres Sunday on HBO at 10PM ET

After a surprise run to the Eastern Conference Finals last summer, the Atlanta Hawks’ encore season hasn’t gone as planned. Among injuries, health and safety protocols, and regression from some key contributors, they find themselves 12th in the Eastern Conference at 17-20 and a full game back of a play-in spot.

Much of the issue revolves around their 26th-ranked defense, headlined by poor perimeter stoppers and inability to slow ball-handlers off the dribble. According to Marc Stein, Atlanta could be a team to monitor as the trade deadline approaches and Ben Simmons talks potentially heat up with the Philadelphia 76ers.

“It was suggested to me this week by one league source to keep an eye on Atlanta as an emerging suitor for Philadelphia’s Simmons,” Stein wrote.

This news comes after Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk conducted a radio interview earlier this week and questioned whether he’s taken the proper steps to assemble a winning roster by opting to largely run it back after last year.

“It’s my responsibility to put a product on the floor that can win,” Schlenk said, “and right now I’m not sure I have done that.”

Offensively, Simmons appears to be a murky complement to a rim-running, non-shooting center like Clint Capela, but the defensive fit is obvious. Simmons is a two-time All-Defensive First Team honoree and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting last season. He’s arguably the NBA’s top perimeter defender. His skill-set would boost a struggling defense significantly.

Philadelphia has reportedly long sought a star like Bradley Beal or Damian Lillard if it trades Simmons. While Atlanta doesn’t have that caliber of player, Stein still sees a deal involving these clubs as a possibility.

“They have numerous enticing trade pieces to try to bring in other teams and expand the options in a theoretical multi-team trade construction,” Stein wrote. “The prospect of a Trae Young/Simmons combination, given the defense Simmons could bring to Atlanta and the devastating playmaking duo he could form with Young, would certainly intrigue me.”