Norm Macdonald was a cherished comedian and entertainer. Following his death on Tuesday at the age of 61 after a near-decade-long battle with cancer, friends and fans have been sharing stories about the former SNL star and the impact both he and his comedy had on their lives. Among the most enlightening of those tales have been the ones to come from fellow comedians and colleagues like Seth Meyers and Andy Richter. On Wednesday, Macdonald’s former SNL colleague Jon Lovitz was a guest on The Rich Eisen Show, where he told a story about the time Macdonald got banned from a casino for telling dirty jokes.
The two comedians often toured together over the years, and at one point they ended up doing a show at a casino in Biloxi, Mississippi for a crowd of comped customers. Lovitz said that while he and Macdonald weren’t alike in many ways, neither one of them liked being told what to do. “If you say to me, ‘You can’t say that or talk about a certain thing,’ I’m like: Well now I have to. It’s just sort of your instinct as a comic—to bug people.” Which is how this particular show, which Lovitz opened and Macdonald headlined, ended up going sideways.
“So he’s doing the show—and he’s very funny, but he’s dirty. So someone yells out, ‘We don’t like that kind of talk.’ So there’s about 400 people there and he goes, ‘Well how many of you don’t like that kind of talk?’ and it was practically the whole room. Then he goes, ‘Well how many of you don’t mind?’ And it was like 10 people. So he goes, ‘Well, I’d hate to disappoint those 10 people because the rest of you don’t like it.’ And then he just got dirtier. And I was just crying laughing. The audience wasn’t even laughing, but that was typical him.”
While the casino itself wasn’t named, suffice it to say they weren’t clamoring to book Macdonald for a second show.
You can listen to the full clip below (including Lovitz talking why Macdonald decided to bomb at Bob Saget’s Comedy Central Roast).
If the goal of Texas’ new abortion ban was to enrage enough people to actually increase support for abortion in America, then congratulations, Texas—you’ve done it! In what was undoubtedly an unintended consequence of Lone Star State lawmakers deciding they had the power to overturn the 1973 Supreme Court ruling on Roe v. Wade, and a woman’s federal right to health care—which, yes, includes abortion—Forbes is reporting that support for abortion being legal across America might actually be on the rise.
According to the numbers in a new Quinnipiac poll, which was conducted between September 10 and September 13 with 1,210 U.S. adults responding, a record-high 31 percent of respondents said that abortion should be legal in all cases while another 31 percent support abortion in most cases. According to Forbes, “Quinnipiac notes that’s ‘one of the highest levels of support’ for abortion since the pollster began asking the question in 2004, and marks the first time more than 30 percent [of respondents] have said it should be legal in all cases.”
While 51 percent of the people polled were ok with abortion procedures happening after a “fetal heartbeat” is detected, which is right around six weeks and part of how Texas came up with the terms of its new abortion ban (despite the fact that many women wouldn’t even realize they were pregnant at this point), a whopping 83 percent of respondents were in favor of abortion in the event that a pregnancy is the result of rape or incest, which is not something Texas’ new law cares to consider.
Perhaps even more surprising is the impact Texas’ ban, which flies in the face of federal law, has had on support for the Supreme Court. “Only 37 percent of respondents approve of the Supreme Court while 49 percent disapprove,” Forbes writes, “which Quinnipiac notes is the lowest approval rating since it started polling in 2004 and is down from a 52 percent approval rating in July 2020.”
On Tuesday evening, the Department of Justice filed an emergency motion to block Texas’ abortion ban, which makes the medical procedure illegal—no matter the circumstances—after six weeks. In their filing, according to Axios, the DOJ cites: “This relief is necessary to protect the constitutional rights of women in Texas and the sovereign interest of the United States in ensuring that its States respect the terms of the national compact. It is also necessary to protect federal agencies, employees, and contractors whose lawful actions S.B. 8 purports to prohibit.”
Even more troubling, according to the filing (which you can read in full here) is that Texas’ ban goes completely against the 14th Amendment, which reads: “No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”
Attorney general Merrick Garland also cited the 14th Amendment in his argument against the ban, claiming that the ban is “invalid under the Supremacy Clause and the 14th Amendment, is preempted by federal law, and violates the doctrine of intergovernmental immunity.”
Pascal Siakam has gone on a pretty incredible journey over the last decade, going from a relative unknown in Cameroon to an NBA champion, All-Star, and max player for the Toronto Raptors. However, with that rapid rise to stardom comes a shift in expectations, and when Siakam and the Raptors stumbled a year ago while playing a season in Tampa due to the pandemic, the discussion about Siakam changed considerably.
Rather than being about his considerable growth from when he entered the league to becoming an All-Star and one of the Raptors three best players on a title team, it became questions and doubt about whether he was capable of being “the guy” in Toronto as they clearly began looking towards the future. With Kyle Lowry gone, Siakam and Fred VanVleet are now the faces of the Raptors, and with that comes a different level of scrutiny, something Siakam admitted was difficult for him to deal with initially.
Trade rumors began picking up about Siakam last year and, while they’ve quieted recently, he admitted in an interview with Sopan Deb of the New York Times that it was a struggle, if for nothing else than it was one of the first times he’s really had to deal with negativity around him in the NBA.
Yeah. I think it is. Definitely. And I think it’s something that I’ll probably definitely struggle with. You know? And I think even just like the negativity about my name. For me, it was weird. Because I’m like, “Damn.” I’m such a positive person, the people that know me. People see my story, understand where I come from and all the things that I’ve been able to achieve so far in my career. It has always been about positivity, right? It’s always like good things. “How can you hate this person”-type of thing.
…
I think for me, just seeing the negativity and all the slanders about me, it just made me feel some type of way, obviously, to be honest. It was just kind of disappointing and just kind of like, “Man.” I really did feel like just me going through tough times, it’s not going to change everything, right? I felt like we were connected. And obviously I understand like, man, this is a sport, right? You get paid the big bucks. You get paid to perform. I get that and I understand it.
Siakam would go on to say he feels his relationship with the Raptors is getting back where it was previously and that he sees himself in Toronto long-term (and that he never felt it was a situation where Toronto wanted to get rid of him), but that some of the things said by fans really hurt, particularly comments that referenced his late father. It is an unfortunate byproduct of becoming a star in the NBA that the target on your back grows larger and a small, but vocal group of fans will cross the line with comments and attacks.
Hopefully Siakam is able to bounce back after offseason shoulder surgery in 2021-22 to prove those doubts about his abilities to be a No. 1 wrong. Doing that will require him to be able to find that same positive energy that fueled his rise, which means blocking out some of the noise around him and for fans to understand where the line is between criticism of play and personal attacks.
Week 1 of the NFL season brought plenty of surprises and the second week will give us an awful lot more information about whether those opening performances were indicative of what teams and players will look like all season, or if they were simply an early season mirage.
For fantasy players, the opening weeks can be difficult to navigate through as you try to determine what performances are for real, who will bounce back to be better, and who will fall off to be worse long term. Most of the prominent fantasy sites have weekly projections based on past performance, opponent ratings, and more, but the formulas for coming up with those ratings can vary pretty wildly, as evidenced by some very different weekly projections and ratings depending on who you look at.
Here, we’re going to combine five of those into one consensus ranking each week in an effort to blend as much information as possible into one source. We will be pulling from ESPN, NFL, CBS, FantasyPros, and FFToday weekly fantasy points projections for a standard league and averaging out the projections for our rankings.
This past summer, a number of women stepped forward to accuse Marilyn Manson of sexual assault, and while a majority of those cases are still pending, a judge delivered a ruling for one of them on Wednesday. According to Rolling Stone, Judge Gregory Keosian dismissed a lawsuit against the singer for sexual assault from a woman who was anonymously identified as Jane Doe. She claimed Manson raped her back in 2011 but Judge Keosian dismissed her case due to the statute of limitations. The ruling explained that the victim’s alleged claims of having repressed memories — known as “delayed discovery” — from the assault would not be enough to overcome the statute of limitations in court.
Despite the rule, Judge Keosian granted Jane Doe 20 days to file a new complaint with more details in order to be considered for a future case. According to Rolling Stone, this is just one of four lawsuits Manson is facing for sexual assault. In June, he was accused by model Ashley Morgan Smithline of sexual assault, sexual battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, human trafficking, unlawful imprisonment, and more. The month before that, his former assistant Ashley Walters sued him for crimes that included sexual assault, sexual battery, sexual harassment, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Prior to that, Games Of Thrones actress Esmé Blanco filed a lawsuit and claimed Manson raped and sexually battered her.
As far as whiskey sorting goes, being swayed a little award shine is a perfectly valid way to pick a new brand. But it’s also not a magic bullet. Because while there are tons of whiskies on the market, there are also tons of awards to be had.
Today, we’re combining two methods for finding new bottles that we’ve liked in the past. We asked some of our favorite bartenders to tell us the award-winning whiskies that they love best. Check their answers below and click on the prices if you’re interested in trying any of these.
Eagle Rare 10-Year-Old Bourbon
Eagle Rare
Felipe Muñoz head bartender Sweetleaf Cocktails in Long Island City, New York
I really love drinking Eagle Rare Bourbon right now. It is my drink of choice in the fall on the rocks since it has nice mocha-sweet notes with just a dash of spice. It’s nice and rich.
Award: Gold Medal; Best Age Statement Bourbon – World Whiskies Awards
My favorite award-winning whiskey is Old Forester 86 because it doesn’t have such a high proof that it knocks you out of your boots, but it still has a full body with rich caramel flavors as well as an earthiness to it.
Award: Gold – 2019 San Francisco Spirits Competition
Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series #2 Bourbon
Bardstown Bourbon
Brandon “Habi” Habenstein, beverage director at The Kitchen & Bar in Bardstown, Kentucky
Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series #2 won Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and is easily one of my favorite bourbons to drink neat. Discovery #2 was the first offering from Bardstown Bourbon Co. that embraced an earthy tobacco and leather profile which is my favorite profile of whiskey. Additionally, I crafted the blend that made it through our intense blind-tasting process that decides which blend goes to bottle! While there is certainly an argument of bias to be made here, this bourbon is outstanding.
Award: Double Gold – 2020 San Francisco Spirits Competition
Rebel Single Barrel 10-Year-Old
Rebel
Andy Printy, beverage director at Chao Baan in St. Louis
Rebel Single Barrel 10-Year-Old recently won Best Single Barrel at the World Whiskies Awards. It starts out with a nice amount of toffee and vanilla on the palate. You immediately notice that the body is unique and luscious as it finishes with dark fruits and dank lumber. This is one to savor with close friends on a chilly night.
Award: Best Kentucky Single Barrel Bourbon – 2020 World Whiskies Awards
I have quite a selection of whiskey for drinking neat, but at the moment my go-to is the Peerless Straight Rye Whiskey. I’m almost always going to reach for rye because I love the spicy notes that are frequently present, and they’re definitely there, although not overwhelmingly so in Peerless. It’s a superbly balanced rye with some caramel, brown sugar notes, and almost a citrus zest quality. It’s got the spicy bite that I want, but without being overly aggressive.
It goes down beautifully smooth.
Award: Gold – 2020 World Whiskies Awards
Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye
Catoctin Creek
Dan Marlowe, mixologist at Modena in Washington, DC
Hands down Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye Whiskey. Simply put, 100 percent rye mash bills are tricky from a distiller’s perspective. Finding one that has such a robust complexity and underlying sweet sultry notes can be a challenge, but Catoctin hits the mark every time.
Award: Double Gold – New York World Wine & Spirits Competition 2018
Reservoir Rye
Reservoir
Eric Vincent, bartender at Sparrow in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
I pick up on two main flavors of intense, spicy rye and dark, rich chocolate notes. The two balance each other nicely and the flavors linger on end while coating the entire palate.
George T. Stagg is a gem if your timing is good enough to acquire a bottle in late fall. Despite its cask strength, the sweetness from a long time in the barrel hides this fact all too well. Graham crackers, cinnamon, leather, vanilla, and elegant nutty notes make it a dream to sip on.
Award: Best North American Whiskey – 2013 World Whiskies Awards
This award-winning bourbon was aged for ten years in charred oak casks. It’s filled with hints of dried cherries, sweet caramel, sticky toffee pudding, and subtle, spicy cinnamon. It’s a great sipper on a cold, fall night.
Award: Gold for ‘Bourbon over 6 years’ – 2018 Whiskies of the World Awards
As a Drizly affiliate, Uproxx may receive a commission pursuant to certain items on this list.
Nicki Minaj has taken social media as we know it and turned it upside thanks to a string of tweets about vaccines. It began with her revealing she wasn’t vaccinated. It escalated after she claimed her cousin’s friend became “impotent” and their “testicles became swollen,” allegedly because of getting vaxxed (but probably not). Dr. Anthony Fauci and Trinidad’s health minister both refuted Minaj’s claims, but the tweets caught the full attention of Fox News’ Tucker Carlson. In the midst of it all, the rapper also claimed that she was invited to the White House.
The White House has invited me & I think it’s a step in the right direction. Yes, I’m going. I’ll be dressed in all pink like Legally Blonde so they know I mean business. I’ll ask questions on behalf of the ppl who have been made fun of for simply being human. #BallGate day 3 https://t.co/PSa3WcEjH3
“The White House has invited me & I think it’s a step in the right direction,” she wrote in a tweet. “Yes, I’m going. I’ll be dressed in all pink like Legally Blonde so they know I mean business. I’ll ask questions on behalf of the ppl who have been made fun of for simply being human. #BallGate day 3.”
However, this wasn’t exactly the case as CNN’s Don Lemon later revealed.
#2
A White House official tells @cnn’s Jeff Zeleny that “As we have with others, we offered a call with Nicki Minaj and one of our doctors to answer questions she has about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine.” https://t.co/C3eN1jK2Wa
“A source tells CNN that @NICKIMINAJ was offered a conversation with a doctor to clarify the efficacy and side effects of the vaccine not a visit to the White House,” Lemon wrote, later adding that “A White House official tells @cnn’s Jeff Zeleny that ‘As we have with others, we offered a call with Nicki Minaj and one of our doctors to answer questions she has about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine.’” In other words, she’ll get a call, not a visit, meaning no need for a pink suit.
It’s the latest turn in what’s been a chaotic three days. Minaj has also claimed that she was locked out of her account as a result of her vaccine tweets, so things could quiet down for a while.
Tucker Carlson has been having a real Mad Libs week. The Fox News host has spent multiple shows talking obsessively about Nicki Minaj’s cousin’s friend’s testicles. And on Wednesday he invited the guy who played “Goat Boy” on SNL a quarter century ago to talk about a public health crisis.
Over the weekend, Jim Breuer caught the public’s attention for the first time since leaving the longtime sketch show back in 1998. It wasn’t because of some belated comeback. It’s because he announced he was canceling some stand-up shows because the venues require proof of vaccination in the midst of a still a re-spiking pandemic.
In a lengthy, rambling video, the comedian repeatedly compared protecting from a highly transmissible disease to “segregation.” By so doing, he all but ensured that he would be a social media pariah. And, of course, appear on a show with a guy who promotes white supremacist conspiracy theories.
“I don’t want any of my fans forced to come laugh, and they gotta get a shot in them?” Breuer asked rhetorically. He said he’s mad that pointing out that unvaccinated people, who are clogging hospitals in areas that have been resistant to FDA-approved medication, are being referred to as “demons,” which is not what people are calling htem.
“You’re not going to tell me about my body. I know my body, I know my morals, I know my faith.” He then suggested one way to treat COVID is by eating fruit. He also at one point impersonated a seal.
For some, it was just another randomer-than-usual Tucker Carlson segment
Others could only focus on one thing: how far Goat Boy — the livestock-man character for which Breuer was most famous, and who simply bleated every couple seconds as he spoke — has fallen.
its no surprise tucker carlson is the highest rated show in cable news, i mean where else are you going to get valuable pandemic analysis from Nicki Minaj and Goat Boy in the same hour
Then again, at least this distracted Tucker from talking about other things.
Tucker Carlson didn’t once bring up the California recall election results tonight.
Guess he was too busy talking about Nicki Minaj’s cousin’s friend’s balls for a third straight night and interviewing Goat Boy about his anti-vax stance to find time to mention it.
Wednesday marks the third consecutive day that Nicki Minaj has made tweets ranting about vaccines. It began with the rapper revealing she skipped this year’s Met Gala because wasn’t vaxxed. She then told a bizarre story, claiming her cousin’s friend became “impotent” and their “testicles became swollen” after their dose. Her claims quickly gained traction on Twitter and various people, from Dr. Anthony Fauci to Trinidad & Tobago’s health minister, have refuted her story. However, Fox News’ Tucker Carlson is completely on board and even requested to speak to the rapper’s cousin’s friend.
Nicki Minaj
Now, Minaj’s comments have allegedly gotten her locked out of her Twitter account, as she revealed on her Instagram Story. “I’m in Twitter jail y’all,” she wrote. “They didn’t like what I was saying over there on that block, I guess [eyebrow-raising emoji] my poll was gonna be asking questions is OK,” she said, adding, “I like being fking dumb. Then boom. Can’t tweet.”
Despite her claims, a spokesperson Twitter told Vulture and Huffington Post’s Philip Lewis that they “did not take any enforcement action” towards her account.
Her post comes after she shared a video from Carlson’s show. The Fox News claimed the backlash she received was simply Democrats “bullying” her. Minaj reposted the clip from the broadcast with a dart emoji, implying that she agreed with Carlson’s statements.
Clint Eastwood is a surprising guy. He radiates tough guy conservatism, and he may never shake off that disastrous Obama empty chair bit from the 2012 RNC. But he’s lot more complicated than that. He’s more progressive, at least with social justice issues, than one may think. (Check out Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, the first major Hollywood film with not only an entirely positively portrayed trans character, but one also played by a trans person.) He also makes more nice movies than you’d imagine, like the new Cry Macho. What’s more, he recently revealed he’s a huge fan The Hangover. Hell, he even got a lot out of, of all things, Dumb and Dumber.
In a recent appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Jeff Daniels talked about Eastwood, who cast him in a plum role in his 2002 thriller Blood Work. Daniels said they met about a decade prior at a golf tournament. In the breakfast tent one morning he noticed he was being approached, with great purpose, by the onetime Dirty Harry. And he had something to tell him.
“I saw Dumb and Dumber,” he said. “The toilet scene — that happened to me.” Eastwood then started laughing and walked away, perhaps thankfully without elaborating.
The toilet scene is hands-down the most disgusting part of Dumb and Dumber. It finds Daniels’ top shelf idiot Harry Dunne, poisoned with a liberal dose of laxative by his good friend and fellow idiot Larry Christmas (Jim Carrey), having it out on the can for what feels like a good minute, probably more. To some it’s a rare moment where the film goes too far. Not for the maker of American Sniper, though.
You can watch that scene in question below, if you dare.
And you can watch Jeff Daniels’ Late Show appearance — and hear his husky Clint impersonation — in the video above.
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