GoneTrending

For the sixth year in a row, Last Week Tonight won Outstanding Variety Talk Series at the Emmys. The HBO program also won Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series… also for the sixth year in a row. There was not much drama there, but a Last Week Tonight writer used the opportunity to reignite the show’s long-running obsession with Adam Driver.

“We would like to dedicate this award to Adam Driver. He knows what he did, and we know what we’d like him to do.” The imagination runs wild.

Oliver has referred to the Star Wars actor as a “f*ckable redwood” while begging the “brooding mountain,” “pensive bison,” “nasty shed,” and “irredeemable steer” to “step on my throat.” Driver even appeared on Last Week Tonight to confront the host’s thirsty comments. “Do you realize over this past year what you’ve asked me to do to you?” Driver said. “Collapse on your chest. Tie your fingers in a square knot. Step on your throat. Shatter your knees. Pull your heart out through your ear. What’s wrong with you? You realize we’re strangers, right? I don’t know you. And now, random people on the internet stan us, claiming that you thirsting over me is a mood.”

Speaking of people on the internet stanning them:

Michael K. Williams passed away on September 6, after the end of Emmys voting, and none of that should have had any bearing on whether or not he won the Emmy for his Lovecraft Country performance. With that said, Michael K. Williams probably should have won that Emmy for his portrayal of Montrose Freeman.

The iconic The Wire and Boardwalk Empire actor put his all into that performance, even delivering the monologue of the season. He took the most powerful journey of the entire series. Through his performance, Williams tackled intergenerational trauma, alcoholism, and sexuality, all while bearing witness (again) to the Tulsa Race Massacre. He crushed the whole show, and yet, he got swept up in a The Crown sweep with Tobias Menzies taking home the award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.

Fortunately, Kerry Washington did pay tribute to Williams (who she praised as a “brilliantly talented actor and a generous human being”) before announcing the winner. “Michael, I know you’re here because you wouldn’t miss this,” she declared. “Your excellence, your artistry will endure. We love you.”

Williams’ fans love him, too.

The Emmys had to do things a bit differently last year. The pandemic was in full swing, vaccines were still a ways away, and everyone had to stay home, accepting awards in their basements while wearing jammies (or kimonos). The show was back to in-person this year, and right away things seemed….weird. Few could have expected, for instance, to ever see Rita Wilson rapping.

The show kicked off with a group musical number, in which they effectively reflected on how much television everyone watched in lockdown. Led by host Cedric the Entertainer and a dancer wearing a TV for a head, members of the crowd stood up to rap about loving their television sets over the beat to “Just a Friend,” the classic song by the late rapper Biz Markie. LL Cool J did a verse. So did Dave’s Lil Dicky. As did, improbably, for some reason, Rita Wilson.

It was an absurdly Mad Libs-y moment, and to some, it seemed like a bad omen.

It left others scratching their heads.

Some were worried that rap might not survive it.

A lot of people made jokes about Chet Hanks, her son, and an actual (well, kind of) rapper.

There were assorted jokes.

But Wilson actually rapped earlier, on the red carpet.

Alas, Rita Wilson rapping to Biz Markie wasn’t the only surreal at the Emmys.

Ahead of the 2021 Emmys, Cedric the Entertainer discussed the difficulty of hosting the award show. “It’s not bad if you’re the news for a couple of days, but you don’t want to be the guy that ruins the night or someone’s moment. At the same time, you’ve got to be yourself,” he told the Hollywood Reporter. “As comedians, we’re up on a tightrope trying to make sure people are entertained. But, again, we’re living in a hypersensitive society. You don’t know where that line is sometimes. It moves from day to day.”

Instead of a traditional monologue with jokes, the Emmys ignored the “line” and went with a parody of the late Biz Markie’s “Just a Friend” about “all the things we love about television.” But mostly, it was an excuse to get Rita Wilson to rap on live TV.

Following the opening, Seth Rogen came out on stage to react to whatever just happened (“That was truly insane, I was not expecting that”) before acknowledging the elephant in the room. “Let me start by saying there’s way too many of us in this little room. What are we doing? They said this was outdoors — it’s not! They lied to us,” he said, adding, “We’re in a hermetically-sealed tent right now. I would not have come to this. Why is there a roof? It’s more important that we have three chandeliers than that we make sure we don’t kill Eugene Levy tonight. That is what has been decided.”

He wasn’t finished: “This is insane. I went from wiping my groceries to having Paul Bettany sneeze in my face—so, that’s a big week! If anyone’s gonna sneeze in my face, Paul, I want it to be you.” People agreed with him.

You can find the full list of winners here.

Gus Johnson hasn’t been on the call for an NFL game in some time as his focus has been on college football in the falls as Fox’s lead play-by-play man on Saturdays. However, Johnson (who used to call games for CBS) made his return to the pro football booth on Sunday with Aqib Talib and the man known best for his incredible enthusiasm was fittingly greeted with the craziest game of the day in the NFL.

The Cardinals played host to the Vikings and the two teams traded big plays, big mistakes, and in the end, it came down to a game-winning field goal attempt from Minnesota kicker Greg Joseph. Now, a 37-yard field goal attempt doesn’t normally produce incredible commentary, but when Joseph pushed the kick wide to gift Arizona a 34-33 win, Gus Johnson went wild.

There are some that find Johnson’s schtick a bit grating, but I can’t get enough of it. I love that he still loves calling big plays and big moments and can get this excited despite how long he’s been doing this. For him to bring this kind of energy to a Week 2 NFL game is part of what makes him so good, because he treated that missed field goal like it was a win-or-go home situation in the playoffs.

However, Gus’ call wasn’t as funny (for non-Vikings fans) as the Minnesota radio call in which the announcer initially freaked out yelling “IT’S GOOD” before being informed it was, in fact, not good.

Whoops!

During tonight’s 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards, anything could truly happen on the CBS broadcast. It does feel unbelievable that we’re actually in the midst of the second “socially distanced” Emmys, because humanity hasn’t kicked this pandemic yet. Here we are, still in the bizarre time that several-time Emmy winner John Oliver has been calling a “white void.” Will Oliver win again, and will wear a fancy hoodie to accept a sixth consecutive Best Variety Talk Series? We’ll find out the answer to that question very soon.

The even itself will be largely virtual with a limited in-person attendance. We should expect Apple TV+’s Ted Lasso to fare well in multiple categories, and despite some recent backlash, the show’s never been needed more than during our current times. Netflix’s The Crown and The Queen’s Gambit will also certainly scoop up awards, along with HBO’s Kate Winslet-starring Mare of Easttown, for which Jean Smart is nominated for one of two awards tonight (shout out to Hacks). Host Cedric the Entertainer is ready to roll, and let’s hope that he, you know, entertains us.

Below, you can find the full list of winners in order of announcement, with the winner listed first in bold. So sit back and enjoy.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Hannah Waddingham, Ted Lasso
Aidy Bryant, Saturday Night Live
Hannah Einbinder, Hacks
Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live
Rosie Perez, The Flight Attendant
Cecily Strong, Saturday Night Live
Juno Temple, Ted Lasso

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Brett Goldstein, Ted Lasso
Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Hacks
Brendan Hunt, Ted Lasso
Nick Mohammed, Ted Lasso
Paul Reiser, The Kominsky Method
Jeremy Swift, Ted Lasso
Kenan Thompson, Saturday Night Live
Bowen Yang, Saturday Night Live

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Julianne Nicholson, Mare of Easttown
Renée Elise Goldsberry, Hamilton
Kathryn Hahn, WandaVision
Moses Ingram, The Queen’s Gambit
Jean Smart, Mare of Easttown
Phillipa Soo, Hamilton

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Thomas Brodie-Sangster, The Queen’s Gambit
Daveed Diggs, Hamilton
Paapa Essiedu, I May Destroy You
Jonathan Groff, Hamilton
Evan Peters, Mare of Easttown
Anthony Ramos, Hamilton

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
The Crown (“War”), Peter Morgan
The Boys (“What I Know”), Rebecca Sonnenshine
The Handmaid’s Tale (“Home”), Yahlin Chang
Lovecraft Country (“Sundown”), Misha Green
The Mandalorian (“Chapter 13: The Jedi”), Dave Filoni
The Mandalorian (“Chapter 16: The Rescue”), Jon Favreau

Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
The Crown (“War”), Directed by Jessica Hobbs
Bridgerton (“Diamond of the First Water”), Directed by Julie Anne Robinson
The Crown (“Fairytale”), Directed by Benjamin Caron
The Handmaid’s Tale (“The Wilderness”), Directed by Liz Garbus
The Mandalorian (“Chapter 9: The Marshal”), Directed by Jon Favreau
Pose (“Series Finale”), Directed by Steven Canals

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Gillian Anderson, The Crown
Helena Bonham Carter, The Crown
Emerald Fennell, The Crown
Ann Dowd, The Handmaid’s Tale
Yvonne Strahovski, The Handmaid’s Tale
Samira Wiley, The Handmaid’s Tale
Madeline Brewer, The Handmaid’s Tale
Aunjanue Ellis, Lovecraft Country

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Tobias Menzies, The Crown
Michael K. Williams, Lovecraft Country
Bradley Whitford, The Handmaid’s Tale
Max Minghella, The Handmaid’s Tale
O-T Fagbenle, The Handmaid’s Tale
John Lithgow, Perry Mason
Giancarlo Esposito, The Mandalorian
Chris Sullivan, This Is Us
—–
Outstanding Limited Series
WandaVision
Mare of Easttown
I May Destroy You
The Underground Railroad
The Queen’s Gambit

Outstanding Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie
Paul Bettany, WandaVision
Hugh Grant, The Undoing
Ewan McGregor, Halston
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
Leslie Odom Jr., Hamilton

Outstanding Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie
Kate Winslet, Mare of Easttown
Michaela Coel, I May Destroy You
Anya Taylor-Joy, The Queen’s Gambit
Elizabeth Olsen, WandaVision
Cynthia Erivo, Genius: Aretha

Drama Series
The Boys
Bridgerton
The Crown
The Handmaid’s Tale
Lovecraft Country
The Mandalorian
Pose
This Is Us

Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series
Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us
Jonathan Majors, Lovecraft Country
Josh O’Connor, The Crown
Regé-Jean Page, Bridgerton
Billy Porter, Pose
Matthew Rhys, Perry Mason

Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series
Uzo Aduba, In Treatment
Olivia Colman, The Crown
Emma Corrin, The Crown
Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid’s Tale
Mj Rodriguez, Pose
Jurnee Smollett, Lovecraft Country

Outstanding Comedy Series
Black-ish
Cobra Kai
Emily in Paris
Hacks
The Flight Attendant
The Kominsky Method
Pen15
Ted Lasso

Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Anderson, Black-ish
William H. Macy, Shameless
Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method
Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso
Kenan Thompson, Kenan

Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series
Jean Smart, Hacks
Kaley Cuoco, The Flight Attendant
Tracee Ellis Ross, Black-ish
Aidy Bryant, Shrill
Allison Janney, Mom

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
Courtney B. Vance, Lovecraft Country
Charles Dance, The Crown
Don Cheadle, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
Timothy Olyphant, The Mandalorian
Carl Weathers, The Mandalorian

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
Alexis Bledel, The Handmaid’s Tale
Mckenna Grace, The Handmaid’s Tale
Claire Foy, The Crown
Phylicia Rashad, This Is Us
Sophie Okonedo, Ratched

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
Chris Rock, Saturday Night Live
Dave Chappelle, Saturday Night Live
Daniel Kaluuya, Saturday Night Live
Dan Levy, Saturday Night Live
Morgan Freeman, The Kominsky Method

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
Maya Rudolph, Saturday Night Live
Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live
Issa Rae, A Black Lady Sketch Show
Jane Adams, Hacks
Bernadette Peters, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist
Yvette Nicole Brown, A Black Lady Sketch Show

Variety Talk Series
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
Conan
The Daily Show With Trevor Noah
Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Reality-Competition Series
The Amazing Race
Nailed It!
RuPaul’s Drag Race
Top Chef
The Voice

Variety Special (Live)
Celebrating America – An Inauguration Night Special
The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards
The Oscars
The Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show Starring The Weeknd
Stephen Colbert’s Election Night 2020: Democracy’s Last Stand Building Back America Great Again Better 2020

Variety Special (Pre-Recorded)
Bo Burnham: Inside
David Byrne’s American Utopia
8:46 – Dave Chappelle
Friends: The Reunion
Hamilton
A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote

The WNBA reached the final day of the regular season on Sunday, with three teams still holding out hope for the eighth and final spot in the playoffs. The Mystics were the first to play, needing a win over the Minnesota Lynx to lock up the 8-seed, but Minnesota had something to play for themselves, as a win gave them the 3-seed and moved Seattle to the four spot.

Despite a fourth quarter rally by Washington, the Lynx held on to win 83-77 to lock up the 3-seed and knock Washington out of the postseason. With the Mystics losing, the Sparks would have an opportunity to play their way into the 8-seed, as they had to beat 7-seed Dallas on the road, or else the Liberty would get in by virtue of the tiebreaker after beating Washington on Friday night. The Sparks and Wings battled in a tight game throughout, but Dallas was able to edge out a win behind 20 points from Arike Ogunbowale to leave the Sparks out of the playoffs and send the Liberty, one year removed from a 2-20 season, to the postseason.

It’s an incredible turnaround for the Liberty, led by Betnijah Laney, Natasha Howard, and Sabrina Ionescu, and their reward will be a matchup with Phoenix Mercury in a single-elimination game. The rest of the final WNBA standings look as such:

1. Connecticut Sun
2. Las Vegas Aces
3. Minnesota Lynx
4. Seattle Storm
5. Phoenix Mercury
6. Chicago Sky
7. Dallas Wings
8. New York Liberty

The first round games will be Mercury-Liberty and Sky-Wings, with the winners advancing to the second round for another single-elimination showdown with the Lynx and Storm, while the Sun and Aces get a double bye and will host a 5-game series in the WNBA semifinals. Teams are re-seeded after each round, so the Lynx will face the lowest-seeded first round winner and the Sun will face the lowest-seeded second round winner.

In unsurprising fashion, Drake’s Certified Lover Boy posted a huge debut last week. After delays that stretched out over eight months, the rapper released the album, which came with a stacked lineup of features: Jay-Z, Travis Scott, Future, Young Thug, Kid Cudi, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, 21 Savage, Ty Dolla Sign, and more all appeared on the project. It wound up giving Drake his tenth No. 1 album on the Billboard 200, making him one of only eight artists to do so. Now, for its second week on the chart, Certified Lover Boy maintains its position at the top.

Certified Lover Boy held on to the top spot on the Billboard 200 thanks to 236,000 album units for the chart dated September 25. This number is comprised of 227,000 streaming equivalent album units thanks to 305.43 million on-demand streams of the album’s 21 tracks. The album also scored 6,500 pure album sales. It’s only the fourth akbum of his career to spend multiple weeks at No. 1, joining Views, More Life, and Scorpion.

Other highlights on this week’s chart include Kanye West’s Donda at No. 2, Kacey Musgraves’ new album Star-Crossed at No. 3, and Baby Keem’s The Melodic Blue at No. 5.

Certified Lover Boy is out now via OVO Sound/Republic. Get it here.

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

Halsey has a lot going on. The singer just released her fourth album, If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power. Prior to that, she gave birth to a son, Ender Riley. While she has the right to take a break and enjoy life, she’s already sharing plans for her next move as an artist. She recently took to Twitter to reveal her newest idea.

“One day I wanna press vinyls that are songs from my catalogue based on mood and vibe no matter what LP they were a part of,” she wrote in a tweet before revealing examples of what the vinyls could look like. “Like: “gasoline,” “nightmare,” “killing boys,” “easier than lying,” “the lighthouse,” “EOM,” etc on one.” Another example listed the following songs for another vinyl: “Darling,” “929,” “100 letters,” “forever is a long time,” “finally / beautiful stranger,” and “is there somewhere.”

Halsey went further and gave one last example of the mood-based vinyl. She named “Girl is a gun,” “bad at love,” “honey,” “alanis,” “I hate everybody,” “colors,” and “graveyard” as records that would appear on the collective project. Seemingly excited by the idea, Halsey concluded her message by writing, “Think of the MATERIAL.”

You can view Halsey’s tweets above.

Call of Duty: Vanguard had an open beta for players to get a taste of the multiplayer recently. These beta periods serve a lot of purpose for developers, because they can not only get some immediate feedback on the game but do some stress tests with actual players. Unfortunately, these are also an opportunity for players to expose flaws in the game and one flaw, in particular, has been a continuous problem for the developers of CoD.

Hackers are once again invading a Call of Duty game. Players of Warzone are well aware of the hackers that have been prevalent throughout the game’s history. As developers try to ban and come up with new ways to combat the hacks, ways to get around those safeguards always seem to be popping up. Unfortunately for the developers of Vanguard, it looks like they’ve found a way around whatever safeguards they had for the Beta because hackers have already been spotted throughout the weekend.

Obviously, the players who are caught hacking are going to be banned but this is a part of a much larger issue for Call of Duty and, generally, anyone who plays online shooters. Cheating is more prevalent than ever with the technology surrounding hacking becoming just as, if not more, advanced than most anti-cheat software that is being installed in the game. It leaves developers with two options. Either constantly try to work to stay ahead of these cheaters, which is a challenge in itself, or use anti-cheat devices that while effective are controversial and invade player privacy. Hacking has become such a problem in games like Apex Legends and Titanfall 2 that it has led to players protesting the game and uninstalling it in fear of hacks more malicious than cheating.

For players who aren’t on PC don’t think that this issue doesn’t impact you as well. As more games move towards allowing crossplay these cheaters are now gaining access to lobbies full of console players as well as PC players. This means that nobody is safe from the wave of cheating that is currently taking place in video games. It might not be a crisis right now, but it’s only getting more prevalent and it feels like fewer companies are aware of how to do much more than slow it down. This is a problem that isn’t going away anytime soon. If anything it’s about to get worse.