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There’s a lot of fun to be had when you get people out of their comfort zones for in-depth interviews — just check out Hot Ones, where Sean Evans’ invincible tongue allows him to get meme-worthy responses out of guests as they attempt to down the spiciest wings while answering even spicier questions (sorry, it’s such a good tagline). A new show coming out next week will attempt to do something similar. Chillin Island, which will air on HBO on December 17, will see rappers and other musicians leaving behind the hustle and bustle of their urban origins for the peace and quiet of nature.

Of course, the other key to getting good responses is making folks feel comfortable while they’re way out of their comfort zones, so to that end, Chillin Island is pairing these rappers with members of their own fraternity: New York rappers Despot, Lakutis, and former Das Racist member Dap (aka Dapwell). They’ll trek to deserts, swamps, and other havens to commune with nature and get in touch with human nature.

Their guests will include a truly fascinating array of artists including Coi Leray, Gunna, Killer Mike, Lil Tecca, Lil Yachty, Rosalía, Ski Mask the Slump God, Young Thug, and Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koening.

You can watch Chillin Island on HBO on 12/17 at 10:30 pm and stream on HBO Max. Check out the trailer above.

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

The Utah Jazz demolished the Minnesota Timberwolves earlier this week, picking up a 136-104 road win. In the aftermath, a pair of Timberwolves players — Anthony Edwards and Patrick Beverley — talked about three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, only they did not strike a reverential tone. Beverley called him out for not guarding the other team’s best player, while Edwards said Gobert doesn’t scare him, instead naming Dallas Mavericks big man Kristaps Porzingis the best rim protector in the NBA.

The quotes were eyebrow-raising, in large part because they came after the Timberwolves lost at home by 32 points. Unsurprisingly, they caught the attention of the Jazz, and after the team picked up a 118-96 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night, players and coaches had Gobert’s back. This included Joe Ingles saying that he thinks Edwards, Beverley, and co. do not watch enough basketball.

Gobert was also asked about the comments, saying, “I wouldn’t say it impacted me. It’s not the first time. People take shots at me for no reason. I come here every single night to help my team win and be the best Rudy I can be.”

“I never take shots at anyone. I receive a lot of shots, I don’t take any shots,” he went on to say, according to Ryan Miller of KSL.com. “I just focus on myself. When you’re the best in the world at something, people become insecure and try to discredit what you do; it’s gonna happen. It’s not the first time, it’s not the last time. I just keep being Rudy, keep being myself and keep getting better every single night.”

The Jazz have won their last six games in a row and will take on the Washington Wizards on Saturday evening. Their next game against the Timberwolves is on Dec. 23.

This week brought a chilling reminder that Trump’s election fraud claims weren’t just hot air — they had serious, harmful effects on real people. 62-year-old Georgia poll worker Ruby Freeman reportedly had to move out of her home of 20 years when an online conspiracy theory brought threatening calls and letters and vigilantes menacing her neighbors. As it turns out, one of those who traveled to her home to harass her over the fake voter fraud was on the staff of rapper Kanye West, who himself had just ended an ill-fated, slapdash Presidential campaign, which some believed was a ploy to siphon Black voters away from Joe Biden.

Reuters reports that Trevian Kutti, a publicist for Kanye, went to Freeman’s home, telling Ruby that she worked for an unidentified “high-profile individual” and telling her that she had 48 hours to confess to voter fraud or she would be arrested and sent to jail. Freeman says she called 911, requesting a police officer to come and keep an eye on things. By this time, she’d been harassed for weeks after Trump accused her publicly of what amounted to ballot stuffing, although authorities quickly refuted his unfounded claims.

Kutti and her companion, a male who called himself a “crisis manager,” told Freeman she was “in danger,” prompting them to move the conversation to the police station. On an officer’s body cam video, Kutti could reportedly be heard telling Freeman, “You are a loose end for a party that needs to tidy up.” After Kutti called an unknown person she said had “authoritative powers to get you protection,” Freeman said the two tried to get her to implicate herself.

Eventually, Freeman turned Kutti away and later looked her up, finding out that she was a Trump supporter. Prior to working with Kanye, which was confirmed by media reports and Kutti’s own website, she’d worked for R. Kelly. The next day after the visit, Freeman was advised by the FBI to vacate her home. On January 6, Freeman says, a mob of Trump supporters surrounded the home, shouting through bullhorns.

Kanye hadn’t responded to Reuters’ request for comment as of press time.

No one enjoyed with Marlon Brando on the set of 1978’s Superman. Director Richard Donner was “really upset” by how much the Jor-El actor earned for only 13 days of work (he was paid $3.7 million and 11.75 percent of the picture’s backend, totaling $19 million), while star Christopher Reeves admitted, “I don’t say this to be vicious, but I don’t worship at the altar of Marlon Brando. Because I feel he’s copped out in a certain way.” He added, “I had a wonderful time but the man didn’t care, I’m sorry.”

The only thing Brando did care about was getting paid — and fed.

In an interview with the Telegraph, actor Cary Elwes revealed that he had a pre-The Princess Bride gig on the superhero film. “My job was to get Marlon out of his trailer,” he said. “Marlon had no incentive to be on time, because his agent had struck the most amazing deal for him. Every day that the picture went over, he got another million dollars. So he drove poor [Richard] Donner up the wall, because he just strolled in whenever he felt like it. Sometimes before lunch, sometimes… not before lunch.”

Elwes said that once Brando was fed, “he was in a much better mood. So I tried to find delicacies that appealed to him… He mainly wanted desserts,” which, same.

Brando would become even more insufferable on 1996’s The Island of Dr. Moreau, where he would only open his trailer door “when the pizza man came,” according to screenwriter Ron Hutchinson. “This was the best news that the pizza-makers of Cairns, this small town, had ever had because Brando was consuming industrial quantities of pizza while ruminating on what the hell he was going to do when he had to face the cameras. I think there might have been an existential terror there.”

Elwes and Dr. Moreau star Val Kilmer should exchange numbers and share Brando stories. That would be more entertaining than any Godfather film.

(Via the Telegraph)

Since Alex Trebek passed away in 2020, Jeopardy! has gone through an unprecedented period of messiness. Executive producer Mike Richards essentially anointed himself as host of the long-running game show before fall-out over resurfaced comments led to his dismissal; there’s still no single permanent host, although Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik have done a capable job of filling in. It hasn’t all been bad — Matt Amodio went on a historic run, and transgender champion Amy Schneider is using her platform for good — but the post-Trebek era has been rocky, to say the least.

Michael Davies wants to change that.

The new Jeopardy! executive producer published a letter to viewers this week, saying he hopes to put the show back on track. “I have been so fortunate to have developed and produced several long-running and successful shows during my 30-plus-year career. But I have experienced nothing like Jeopardy!. It is built on the shoulders of giants like Merv and Julann Griffin, Alex Trebek, Harry Friedman, and Johnny Gilbert. They are our Time Lords. And what they created and built will outlast all of us,” he wrote.

The key passage comes at the end of the note, when Davies asks for feedback from fans (you can do so here). “This is the first of many initiatives to bring you more access to the show we all love,” he said. “And as with everything else on Jeopardy!, we want to get it right. And in time, with your help, I know we will.” Replacing one Michael with another Michael as Jeopardy! executive producer maybe wasn’t the best optics, but this is a good start.

You can read the entire letter here.

(Via Jeopardy!)

WARNING: Spoilers for the series premiere of And Just Like That… below.

After a ten year absence, Sex and the City returned to HBO this week with the new revival series And Just Like That…, which wasted no time killing off a major character in the premiere and Peloton‘s stock price in the process. After working out on one of the company’s exercise machines, Chris Noth’s Mr. Big drops dead from a heart attack. Understandably, there’s been some concern from Peloton, which no doubt continued Friday morning as the exercise equipment company’s stock price continued to drop following the episode’s release.

Via Variety:

Shares of Peloton, the fitness equipment company, fell 11.3% Thursday — tumbling to a 19-month low — after a key character in HBO Max’s “Sex and the City” revival, “And Just Like That,” was shown dying of a heart attack after a 45-minute workout on one of the company’s exercise bikes.

The stock continued its slide Friday, down more than 5% in midmorning trading.

Peloton reportedly approved the use of its exercise bike in the series. However, it was not aware that it would be featured prominently in the death of a major character. Following the premiere, Pelton quickly scrambled to put the blame on Mr. Big’s lifestyle, and the fact that he had already experienced a prior heart attack during Sex and the City‘s initial run.

“Mr. Big lived what many would call an extravagant lifestyle — including cocktails, cigars, and big steaks — and was at serious risk as he had a previous cardiac event in Season 6,” the company said in a statement to US Weekly. “These lifestyle choices and perhaps even his family history, which often is a significant factor, were the likely cause of his death. Riding his Peloton bike may have even helped delay his cardiac event.”

(Via Variety)

2022 is about to be a massive year for Jack White. A month ago, he announced that he has a pair of new albums, Fear Of The Dawn and Entering Heaven Alive, dropping in April and July, respectively. He’s also popped up on some festival lineups, so all signs were pointing to White heading out on tour. Now, that has been confirmed, as he announced The Supply Chain Issues Tour today.

The trek kicks off with a couple of April 2022 performances at Detroit’s Masonic Temple Theatre before hitting other major North American markets between then and mid-June. After a short break, he’ll then head to Europe and the UK in June and July. Then, after a few weeks off, he’ll return to North America for some more shows in August.

Check out the full list of tour dates below.

04/08/2022 — Detroit, MI @ Masonic Temple Theatre
04/09/2022 — Detroit, MI @ Masonic Temple Theatre
04/10/2022 — Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena
04/12/2022 — Chicago, IL @ Credit Union 1 Arena
04/13/2022 — Cincinnati, OH @ The Andrew J Brady ICON Music Center
04/14/2022 — Pittsburgh, PA @ Petersen Events Center
04/16/2022 — Laval, QC @ Place Bell
04/17/2022 — Boston, MA @ Agganis Arena
04/19/2022 — Washington, DC @ The Anthem
04/21/2022 — Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center
04/23/2022 — Portsmouth, VA @ Atlantic Union Bank Pavilion
04/24/2022 — North Charleston, SC @ High Water Festival
04/26/2022 — Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle
04/27/2022 — Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle
04/28/2022 — Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle
04/30/2022 — Nashville, TN @ Ascend Amphitheater
05/01/2022 — Nashville, TN @ Ascend Amphitheater
05/23/2022 — Irving, TX @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
05/24/2022 — Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center
05/25/2022 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center
05/27/2022 — El Paso, TX @ El Paso County Coliseum
05/28/2022 — Phoenix, AZ @ Arizona Federal Theatre
05/29/2022 — Las Vegas, NV @ The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan
05/31/2022 — Los Angeles, CA @ YouTube Theater
06/01/2022 — Los Angeles, CA @ YouTube Theater
06/03/2022 — Reno, NV @ Reno Events Center
06/04/2022 — Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
06/06/2022 — Portland, OR @ Moda Center
06/07/2022 — Vancouver, BC @ Pacific Coliseum
06/08/2022 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
06/10/2022 — Salt Lake City, UT @ USANA Amphitheatre
06/11/2022 — Broomfield, CO @ 1STBANK Center
06/27/2022 — London, UK @ Eventim Apollo
06/28/2022 — London, UK @ Eventim Apollo
06/30/2022 — Cologne, Germany @ Palladium
07/01/2022 — Amsterdam, Netherlands @ AFAS Live
07/02/2022 — Leipzig, Germany @ Haus Auensee
07/04/2022 — Berlin, Germany @ Verti Music Hall
07/07/2022 — Lyon, France @ Le Radiant
07/10/2022 — Madrid, Spain @ Mad Cool Festival
07/14/2022 — Zurich, Switzerland @ Samsung Hall
07/15/2022 — Frankfurt, Germany @ Jahrhunderthalle
07/16/2022 — Brussels, Belgium @ Forest National
07/18/2022 — Paris, France @ L’Olympia
07/19/2022 — Paris, France @ L’Olympia
07/20/2022 — Paris, France @ L’Olympia
08/13/2022 — Minneapolis, MN @ Armory
08/16/2022 — Milwaukee, WI @ UWM Panther Arena
08/17/2022 — Indianapolis, IN @ TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park
08/19/2022 — Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage
08/21/2022 — Lewiston, NY @ Artpark
08/23/2022 — Portland, ME @ Cross Insurance Arena
08/24/2022 — Baltimore, MD @ Pier Six Pavilion
08/25/2022 — Charlotte, NC @ Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre
08/27/2022 — Huntsville, AL @ Orion Amphitheater
08/28/2022 — St. Louis, MO @ Saint Louis Music Park
08/29/2022 — Kansas City, MO @ Starlight Theatre

Netflix’s The Witcher did the overperforming thing in Season One. It genuinely had no right to be as good as it turned out to be, what with Henry Cavill in a Fabio-esque wig and the grunting and the monster hunting, all of which could have careened off a cliff of campiness. Yet no, the show played its card seriously (for the most part) and churned out a mutant-powered loner — powered by Cavill’s honest-to-god video game cred — who’s worthy of more respect than he receives on The Continent where he resides. Sure, the show could have simply given us a bathtub-dwelling beefcake hero fueled by swashbuckling sequences from stuntmen, but that’s not how things went down.

Cavill threw himself into the game, and he did all the stunts and brought authenticity and (dare I say) gravitas to Geralt of Rivia. In the aftermath, we found out that showrunner Lauren Schmidt-Hissrich made Henry wait forever for the role. She explored hundreds of prospective Geralts and circled back to him, realizing that he’s The One and apologizing for the slight, and the dude who didn’t really need this role took it because he wanted it. He’s no mere hired gun, and that’s one of the biggest reasons why he convincingly embodies this underappreciated hero, who does his thankless duty without complaint.

Hat tip to ol’ Jaskier for previously coaxing an unspoken admission from Geralt to let us know that there was more under the surface (so it’s not such a surprise this season, when he does less grunting and more talking). Speaking of the humble bard, I will not spoil his new look or location, but everyone knew he’d pen a new anthem for this season. That was obligatory, and I’m here to tell you that it’s a banger (oh boy, this guy is a salty one). I already can’t get the song out of my head. I loathe and love it.

Alright, so The Witcher‘s first season launched a Netflix franchise. Atop the already existing book series (by Andrzej Sapkowski) and video games, there’s a prequel TV show (Blood Origins) in the works. Heck, an animated prequel movie already happened, and everything is coming up Witcher with (let’s face it) the pressure for a second season to be as fan-satisfying as the first one. It does so in numerous ways:

(1) By cutting out those confusing timelines. The only real complaint that I ever heard about The Witcher is that it was difficult to figure out the “when” of it all. And that’s true. Geralt was in the present and the past and seemed to be wearing the same damn wig, and that added some unnecessary work on the audience’s behalf, just to stay “with” the show. At times, figuring out what the hell was happening was more work than it should have been. That requirement, fortunately, is no longer a thing. The timelines unite, and it’s straightforward, and the three main characters (Geralt, Ciri, and Yennifer) are all embracing their destiny and moving into the future. Whew.

(2) The time has now come for us to really get to know Geralt of Rivia. And that’s a delicate prospect, given that the close-to-the-sleeve version of this guy was such a hit and so understatedly funny. For this switch to happen, changes needed to happen to keep things fresh while also retaining, at its core, his vibe from the first season. His demeanor needed to shift in a believable way, so the show switches up the context. Geralt’s no longer confined to traveling to different towns to take out monsters. Instead, he spends a great deal of time at Kaer Morhen, a witcher winter refuge of sorts. We get to see him interact with other witchers, to whom he’s much more forthcoming. As well, he’s now a father figure to Ciri, and boy, that could have backfired, but the writing’s done so well that we’re not seeing a The Punisher situation here (I still can’t get over that). Geralt is not softer; he’s still Geralt but with a few more layers. It works.

(3) Some familiar faces portray key additions. As forecast, we get to know Geralt’s mentor, Vesemir. In the animated prequel, he was much more of a swaggering dude than a grumpy Geralt-type witcher. For this live-action season, he’s obviously been through some sh*t over the decades and is played by Kim Bodnia. If you watch Killing Eve, then you know how much of a twinkle in his eye this guy can communicate. Bodnia uses that ability to delightful effect here, but he’s not the only treat in this season. Kristofer Hivju (Game Of Thrones‘ Tormund Giantsbane) portrays Nivellen, an old friend (with a great laugh) who Geralt barely recognizes at first, and I’ll leave it at that.

(4) Princess Ciri turns into a badass, and Yennifer stays one. This show loves to hammer home the concept of “destiny,” and that doesn’t change. These two young women and Geralt are tied together in ways that we were not aware of when the show began. Especially in the case of Ciri, her true purpose in life unfolds in a way that one would never have imagined during her sheltered original life. It’s not a spoiler to say that Ciri has some serious powers that are going to go somewhere major, and when all is said and done, she might even be more fearless than Geralt. Let’s just say that what she does is vital to the very fabric of The Continent, and Freya Allan must have had to train like hell ahead of Season 2. Likewise, Yennifer shifts into a different gear. Rather than being an all-powerful sorceress, she’s lost much of what’s important to her. Things did not end well for her at the Battle of Sodden, and there are a lot of obstacles in her way. Anya Chalotra adds a sweetness to Yen this season, too.

(5) Mightier monsters. For a show about monster hunters, it feels awfully strange to say that the monsters in this show come secondary to the human and elf characters. Like, the show is compelling enough without showing off these vile and deadly creatures. And I do think that even if the producers decided to save some dough and not show all of the monsters, people would be good with this. Yet The Witcher is committed to giving us those monster-money shots. Lemme tell you, the monsters this time around are more frightening and elaborately rendered, and I don’t even want to know the CGI budget on these episodes. They spent a ton of dough, and the effects are nuts.

Yep, this show does not take shortcuts, and again, Lauren Schmidt-Hissrich and company didn’t need to pull out the stops. A few corners could have been cut with such a pandemic-interrupted season. Fans really would have understood if the episodes were less “epic,” yet somehow, that feeling still comes across even without a ton of group battle scenes. Toss a coin to this season of The Witcher, it’s a banger and a rager.

‘The Witcher’ returns to Netflix on December 17.

As someone who grew up occasionally taking the trip to my local Casa Bonita “eatertainment” venue, I remember the food being pretty terrible but the experience (of dining near fake waterfalls and volcanoes and arcade games) still being so much fun. Unlimited sopapillas were pretty rad, too. That’s why it’s been an enjoyable experience (from afar) to see how the South Park guys, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, are making one of their childhood dreams come true by purchasing the last remaining Casa Bonita restaurant (from a chain originally founded in Oklahoma City) in in Lakewood, Colorado, a suburb of Denver.

This is no mere nostalgia trip, either. The duo made it clear that they’re serious about resurrecting the monolith. In the interest of a full-on revamp with more than edible food, they hired a renowned chef who will develop a new menu, meaning that the culinary part of the experience will go much further than deciding whether you want to eat beef or chicken. Now, Axios is reporting that Parker has purchased some nearby property, which suggests he might be an on-hands co-owner.

Also, his new address? South Park Ave in Morrison, Colorado, which puts him within a quick drive to the restaurant. From Axios, it’s happening:

The property sits at the intersection of Canon Street and South Park Avenue — a coincidence, we think not — and is currently zoned for a personal residence.

It’s also less than a 20-minute drive to Casa Bonita.

Meanwhile, Parker and Stone remain busy on a plethora of South Park specials that will eventually release on Paramount+. Recently, the duo really killed Kenny, so god only knows where Kyle and Stan (oh, and Cartman) will go next. Parker, however, is literally going to South Park.

(Via Axios)

This weekend is going to be a big one for Billie Eilish, as she is set to be both the host and be the musical guest on Saturday Night Live tomorrow. This is especially big for a couple reasons: It’s not every day that an SNL guest pulls double duty, and Eilish will be the first person born in the 2000s to host the show. Now, she has partaken in the time-honored tradition of teaming up with a cast member to film a promo for the episode.

The video starts with Eilish noting that her 20th birthday is coming up this month (on the 18th), which got McKinnon excited, as she noted that this means Eilish is about to learn “the big secret about the world that’s been passed down from generation to generation.” Eilish asked if she could just know it now, so McKinnon whispered it in her ear, which left her dejected enough to respond, “That’s horrible.” McKinnon replied, “I know! Happy birthday, Billie Eilish! Welcome to the world!”

Fans may have also noticed that this promo is one of Eilish’s first public appearances with her new black hair. She unveiled the look on Instagram earlier this month, and as posts about Eilish’s hair tend to do, it blew up and the pic currently has over 13 million likes.

Watch the SNL promo above.