As the Biden Administration navigates the withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan, which has descended the region into chaos, as expected, former president Donald Trump has been increasingly chiming in with his two cents in an effort to criticize Joe Biden, who thoroughly beat Trump in the 2020 presidential election. In essence, Trump is trying to craft a narrative that he would’ve handled the Afghanistan withdrawal much better, but he keeps smacking into the problem of not having any idea what he’s talking about. (Praising the Taliban, who the Trump administration cut a disastrous withdrawal deal with, hasn’t helped his case either.)
On Thursday morning, shortly before terrorists attacked the Kabul airport, Trump made an odd boast on The Hugh Hewitt Show that he killed bigger terrorists than Osama Bin Laden during his presidency. Not only was the claim a blatant swing at the Obama Administration, which successfully took out Bin Laden, but like all things Trump, the claim was wildly inaccurate. Via Mediaite:
“Now just so you understand, Soleimani is bigger by many, many times than Osama bin Laden,” Trump said. “The founder of ISIS is bigger by many, many times, al-Baghdadi, than Osama bin Laden.”
“Osama bin Laden had one hit, and it was a bad one, in New York City, the World Trade Center. But these other two guys were monsters,” Trump said. Bin Laden ordered a number of terrorist attacks against the United States, including two attacks on the World Trade Center, the first of which occurred in 1993.
To the surprise of no one, this wasn’t Trump’s only bumbling remark in an attempt to bolster his anti-terrorist credentials. While appearing on Hannity later that evening, Trump repeatedly referred to the new offshoot of ISIS-K as ISIS-X. Considering this new iteration of ISIS formed during his administration, you’d think the man who claims to be the only one who can defeat ISIS would be aware of the new faction’s name, but clearly, not so much.
About a year ago, young drumming prodigy Nandi Bushell forged a relationship with Dave Grohl by challenging him to a virtual drum battle, a challenge that the Foo Fighters leader accepted. The pair went back and forth some more after that, and now the situation has reached a new peak: Foo Fighters brought Bushell on stage to perform with them.
The band performed at The Forum in Inglewood, California last night, and their very last song of the evening was “Everlong,” the song Bushell performed to start this whole thing. Introducing the song, Grohl spoke about Bushell and about how inspiring she was before calling her to the stage. Once there, she got behind a drum kit and joined the band for a ripping performance of “Everlong.”
Bushell shared a video of the whole thing and wrote, “It Happened!!! It was #EPIC!!! Tonight I jammed with the @foofighters live @theforum!!! Wow!!! What an INCREDIBLE night! THANK YOU @foofighters @davestruestories! Thank you @taylorhawkinsofficial thank you everyone who made this possible!!! #foofighters #davegrohl #theforum #everlong — It’s my Daddy screaming a lot and filmed this video. MORE TO COME!!!”
There’s more to come from the band as well, as they are set to receive the Global Icon Award at the 2021 MTV VMAs next month.
Despite essentially inserting himself into the Jeopardy! host selection process, which very publicly went down in flames and tainted the revered game show with scandal, Mike Richards was allowed to return to his executive producer role this week. However, after the hosting debacle, that transition is not going smoothly as Richards isn’t exactly beloved behind the scenes, and his return has been plagued with rumors that Sony Pictures Television is prepared to negotiate his exit. Via The Wall Street Journal:
Mr. Richards still has obstacles to clear. He still must win over the anti-Richards camp inside “Jeopardy!” Many longtime staffers have not taken to him since he succeeded the beloved Harry Friedman, who ended his long run as executive producer in 2020. Mr. Richards has a force-of-nature type of persona, with sharp elbows that rub many of the “Jeopardy!” veterans the wrong way, people close to the show said. Earlier this week at a staff meeting, Mr. Richards apologized to employees for his past comments and said he was committed to regaining their trust, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Richards also caused a great deal of contention by sidelining Jeopardy! champion Ken Jennings, who many fans and crew believed was Alex Trebek’s choice to be his successor. According to the WSJ report, Richards had inserted himself into the running to be host, and by the time serious deliberations began, Jennings was never under real consideration for the top hosting job. Would he have been without Richards’ manipulating the selection process? That’s an argument that’s no doubt being revisited as Jennings has emerged from this whole debacle as a top choice to be the new Jeopardy! host.
When Michael Shannon was 15 years old, he was in a band called Jehovah’s Suspects and he wrote a song about armadillos. Nothing about that sentence surprises me.
Of course 15-year-old Michael Shannon’s band would be named the Jehovah’s Suspects, and of course he would pen a musical ode to the armadillo, nature’s most ugly-cute mammal. The band mostly played Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix covers in front of “10, 15 teenagers with Dixie cups filled with some incorrect amount of alcohol, soda pop,” he said on Thursday’s episode of Late Night with Seth Meyers.
But one fateful day, Shannon debuted an original composition to the group:
I wake up, and it’s a sunny day
I shake my head, and I crawl away
My stomach growls, I have not been fed
And visions of cactus pears prick the insides of my head
And the Earth stands still as I punch through the heat
The white-hot sand, it burns the bottoms of my feet
I’m an armadillo with a hard shell
I look scared and ugly and I got a strange smell, yeah
Beautiful stuff.
“I imagined an armadillo in the desert struggling to survive, which is how I very much felt as my 15-year-old self,” Shannon explained about why he wrote a song about a smelly armadillo. “I could identify with that.” He also admitted that he had “never seen an armadillo when I wrote that song,” so it wouldn’t be until years later that he would learn armadillos have “tons of hair.” Like all great musicians, Shannon used creative license to get his message across: armadillo are hungry and ugly. Who can’t relate?
Donald Trump Jr. appears to believe that his dad could swoop in like Batman and save Afghanistan from the Taliban, but the reality of the situation is, of course, far from that claim. Over the past few days, Trump has not only praised Taliban fighting skills but also shown that he has no idea what happened with the Dunkirk evacuation, and he kept that same vibe going while visiting with Fox News’ Sean Hannity and discussing the ISIS branch that’s responsible for the deadly bombings at Kabul airport checkpoints.
Trump would not stop referring to the ISIS offshoot terror group, ISIS-K, as “ISIS-X.” First, he botched the name, and then he (as noted by Mediaite) wouldn’t admit that he made an error. The “K” is a real addition, given that the group wished to differentiate themselves by denoting the letter for the historically relevant “Khorasan” region. Trump began by messing up with the “X” and also claiming that he’d “knocked it out” (meaning the original ISIS) of Syria and Iraq, and that they’re back with the ISIS-X business.
Then things got super confusing because Trump (regarding his error) doubled back and then conceded, yes, that there is an ISIS-K, but soon, there will be an ISIS-X, alright?
“They have people, as I said, that broke away because they weren’t–because the Taliban wasn’t mean enough and vicious enough. And that’s the new ISIS-X, where they broke away — or ISIS-K. They’ll have an ISIS-X pretty soon, which is going to be worse than ISIS-K.”
“That’s the new ISIS-X, where they broke away — or ISIS-K. They’ll have an ISIS-X pretty soon, which is gonna be worse than ISIS-K” — Trump pic.twitter.com/2uwNokcMWo
CNN points out that ISIS-K first surfaced in 2015, and “In 2018 it was ranked the world’s fourth deadliest terror group, claiming more than 1,000 lives.” Although Trump was president during those years, the “ISIS-K” really didn’t seem to ring a bell with him. Regardless, there were plenty of ISIS-X jokes out there, including a “Y’All Qaeda” shoutout.
Does he think ISIS updates itself like a software?
For months now, fans have wondered just when Drake’s upcoming album, Certified Lover Boy, will be released. While Drake has periodically offered updates on the album’s expected release date, nothing had been set in stone yet… until today. This morning, viewers of ESPN’s flagship program SportsCenter were surprised by the reveal of the album’s release date, which is set for September 3.
The reveal wasn’t a grand affair, but rather, snuck in for a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment. During the show’s introduction, there were brief clips of a sign that read, “CLB September 3.” While there’s nothing here that explicitly says “Certified Lover Boy,” given Drake’s association with and love for the sports world, it seems more than likely that he worked with the worldwide leader in sports on this announcement.
It would make sense that the album would have a release date that’s not too far away, as he said recently that Certified Lover Boy is finished and on the way: “Album’s ready… album’s cooked, looking forward to delivering it to you. Certified Lover Boy on the way and that’s for anyone in the way.” It would seem Kanye West won’t be making an appearance on the album, as he and Drake have revived their feud in recent days.
Orson Welles once said that, “The notion of directing a film is the invention of critics—the whole eloquence of cinema is achieved in the editing room.” For Spike Lee, the chance to go back into the editing room with NYC Epicenters 9/11-> 2021½, his HBO docuseries that chronicles the September 11 attacks and how New York City has changed over the 20 years since that day, should also mitigate the rash of criticism he has received for devoting part of his running time to airing 9/11 truther conspiracy theories. The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that Lee has edited out the inclusion of these preposterous ideologies from the final part of his four-part series, and that “the final chapter is also now 30 minutes shorter than previously planned.”
On Monday, The New York Times published an interview with Lee in which writer Reggie Ugwu questioned the director’s decision to include interviews with members of Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth, a conspiracy theory group that believes the collapse of the Twin Towers was the result of a controlled demolition. While Lee didn’t say he agrees with that particular theory, he admitted that, “I got questions. And I hope that maybe the legacy of this documentary is that Congress holds a hearing, a congressional hearing about 9/11.” When pressed further on whether he believed the “official explanations,” Lee responded:
“The amount of heat that it takes to make steel melt, that temperature’s not reached. And then the juxtaposition of the way Building 7 fell to the ground—when you put it next to other building collapses that were demolitions, it’s like you’re looking at the same thing. But people going to make up their own mind. My approach is put the information in the movie and let people decide for themselves. I respect the intelligence of the audience.”
When Ugwu wisely responded with, “Right, but you don’t say ‘make up your own mind’ about whether or not the vaccine is poison, or ‘make up your own mind’ about whether Joe Biden was legitimately elected,” Lee concluded that, “People are going to think what they think, regardless. I’m not dancing around your question. People are going to think what they think.”
Clearly, the conversation—and the uproar surrounding it—was enough to lead Lee to think that he might be better off removing these controversial takes altogether. As The Hollywood Reporter notes:
In addition, part three also presented conspiracy theories about Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers attempted to take back control of the plane from hijackers. The theory, which wasn’t initially included alongside any expert knowledge, argues that the plane didn’t crash, but had instead been shot down. There have been no new edits to part three.
The re-cut—and shorter—part four of NYC Epicenters 9/11-> 2021½ will air on HBO on September 11.
Rudy Giuliani has been called many things: America’s Mayor. Time Person of the Year. Cousin Marrier. Trump Flunkee. FBI Person of Interest. Public Farter. Ovary-Shriveler (ok, that one’s mine). While he has happily embraced some of these monikers, one characterization that he totally disagrees with (in between hiccups) is that he’s a raging alcoholic )who was reportedly “shit-faced” while pushing Trump to do a coup). Or does he?
As Raw Story reports, Giuliani—who is rumored to be going broke as he’s drowning in legal fees as a result of trying to defend all the lies he told on behalf of former president Donald Trump—sat down with WNBC for an interview just ahead of the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. But if Rudy thought this was going to be his chance to relive his glory of being a beloved icon of New York City strength, well, he was wrong (and not for the first time).
The entire segment is four minutes of pure magic, with interviewer Melissa Russo’s narration at times seeming like a Ron Howard Arrested Development voiceover. Russo somehow managed to maintain her composure as she walked and sat down with Giuliani as random people shouted things like “I loved your work in Borat 2!” At one point (around the 3:00 mark below), the conversation turns to Rudy’s reputation as a befuddled boozehound, with Russo noting that “Giuliani says he’s as sharp as ever… And he denies claims and published reports and from colleagues that a drinking problem is to blame for the change people perceive in him.” Here’s how that went:
Russo: Have you ever struggled with alcohol?
Rudy: Never at all. Never at all.
Russo: Were you drunk during those interviews when they said you were?
Rudy: Absolutely not. I don’t think I’ve ever done an interview drunk. I have sometimes—I mean, I drink normally. I like scotch. I drink scotch.
Russo: So you do not believe you have a drinking problem?
Rudy: No, I don’t believe it—I know I’m not. I mean, I… [giggles] No, I’m not an alcoholic. I’m a functioning… I’m probably… I probably function more effectively than 90 percent of the population.
“I don’t think I’ve ever done an interview drunk” isn’t exactly a definitive no.
Over the past however many months, there have been reports about the progress of Kanye West and Kim Kardashian’s divorce. Based on information that has been made public, though, the whole thing seems quite amicable. Kardashian, for example, has showed up to West’s recent Donda listening events. She again had a presence at his Chicago event last night, although she was more involved than usual.
This time, she became part of the show. At the end of the performance, during the song “No Child Left Behind,” she took the stage in a wedding dress (a Balenciaga Couture wedding dress, as TMZ reports). She approached West, and as the show concluded, the pair left the stadium hand-in-hand.
TMZ also notes that according to their sources, while Kardashian and West aren’t getting back together, they still have familial love for each other and will continue to support each other.
Meanwhile, the Chicago event will packed with headlines aside from the Kardashian appearance. Aside from her, Marilyn Manson and DaBaby, who are both controversial figures in the music world at the moment, were also part of the proceedings. Speaking of DaBaby, fans noticed that West replaced a Jay-Z verse with one from DaBaby, and folks aren’t pleased.
We’re growing closer to the end of summer, already, before it even began, but it’s been another heck of a year so far. Fortunately, Netflix is here to help distract you from the rougher realities in life. As a result, the streaming service is offering up a tidal wave of content to keep you occupied all darn weekend. There’s an origin story for The Witcher franchise that’s full of monster-hunting adrenaline, and Adrian Grenier returns to the small screen with muchos problemos. A thriller series and a gender-swapped remake of a 1990s romantic comedy are on tap, as well as an installment of the UNTOLD docu-film-series from the director of Betty. There’s almost too much here to handle, but we’ve laid out the most bingeworthy options for you.
Here’s everything else coming to (and leaving) the streaming platform this week.
The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf (Netflix film streaming 8/23)
To tide us over until The Witcher‘s second season arrives with more grumpy Geralt of Rivia, please set your calendars accordingly for this prequel anime film. The picture will go back in time to explore the early monster-hunting years of Geralt’s mentor, Vesemir, who appears to be enjoying himself a lot more than his successor. Theo James voices the character, who will be live-action portrayed by Kim Bodnia further down the line. At least we’ll know that, although the iconic Witcher baths only recently become canon, they’ve always been there, at least retroactively. Also, zombies.
Adrian Grenier plays a loving family man who mysteriously disappears, only to surface in a viral internet video that accuses him of being a domestic abuser who will be killed after a certain number of views. No one’s sure whether this is a confession or a threat, and yikes. This promises to be (according to the synopsis) a “high stakes thriller that explores the ways in which our most dangerous and uncontrolled impulses are fueled in the age of social media,” but it sounds awfully stressful.
UNTOLD: Caitlyn Jenner (Netflix film streaming 8/24)
Crystal Moselle (Betty, The Wolfpack) directs this docu-film-series’ third installment to cover the 1970s Olympic run of Caitlyn Jenner. The decathlon is no joke in terms of the athletic feat required for the job, but for Jenner, the more difficult challenge was coming into her own identity. American superstardom is one thing, but what came afterward is what allows Jenner to reflect about past and present.
Post Mortem: No One Dies in Skarnes (Netflix series streaming 8/24)
A small Norwegian town takes center stage due to its stagnant death rate, which is causing a family-driven funeral home to suffer. One of those family members, Live Hallangen, dies and wakes up on a forensic table, and she’s dying of hunger. This leads her to quite a conundrum: will she help the family business survive by helping herself survive, and by sacrificing the lives of the town’s residents? Dark stuff.
An amnesia patient begins to recover after her family’s killed in an accident, and she bonds with those who have similarly traumatic experiences. Soon enough, things get mysterious with visions and odd dreams, and she wonders exactly where she’s receiving the treatment and whether all is really as it seems. These leads to an attempted escape, and plenty of suspense while mysteries continue to unfold.
Cobra Kai‘s Tanner Buchanan stars in this gender-swapped version of 1999’s She’s All That. He portrays an antisocial outsider, and of course, a social media influencer (played by Addison Rae) takes it upon herself to transform him into a prom king. And yeah, of course she starts to fall for the guy… is there any other way that this film would go? That’s part of the franchise’s charm.
This unscripted series follows a highly successful high-school football program in Georgia that’s known as “TitleTown.” The Wildcats team is chasing their old glory days while grappling with rivalries, romance, and other drama. The show promises unprecedented access on the field and behind the scenes in order to provide a compelling look at American football culture.
Here’s a full list of what’s been added in the last week:
Avail. 8/23 The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf
Avail. 8/24 Oggy Oggy
Untold: Caitlyn Jenner
Avail. 8/25 Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed
Clickbait
John of God: The Crimes of a Spiritual Healer
Motel Makeover
The November Man
The Old Ways
Open Your Eyes
Post Mortem: No One Dies in Skarnes
Rainbow High: Part 2
Really Love
The River Runner
Tayo the Little Bus: Season 4
The Water Man
Avail. 8/26 Edens Zero
Family Reunion: Part 4
Avail. 8/27 He’s All That
I Heart Arlo
Titletown High
And here’s what’s leaving next week, so it’s your last chance:
Leaving 8/29 Strange but True
Leaving 8/30 Casino Royale
The Eichmann Show
Full Out
Quantum of Solace
Stranger than Fiction
Leaving 8/31 Adrift
Angel Eyes
The Big Lebowski
Chinatown
The Departed
Election
The Girl Next Door
Hey Arnold! The Movie
Hot Rod
Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events
Love Actually
Love Happens
The Manchurian Candidate
Monsters vs. Aliens
The Muppets
Muppets Most Wanted
Nacho Libre
Moon Kingdom
Pootie Tang
The Prince & Me
Resident Evil: Afterlife
Resident Evil: Extinction
The Ring
Road to Perdition
The Social Network
Superbad
The Time Traveler’s Wife
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