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Crop circles, rolling black-outs, grand theft auto, and the collapse of civilization as a whole all make an appearance in latest footage for Apple TV’s upcoming sci-fi series Invasion — and it all looks every bit as compelling as it is terrifying. Earlier today, Apple shared the first official trailer for the series ahead of its premiere on October 22, revealing a better look at the show’s plot and cast. While just what will happen to all the show’s colorful characters is yet to be determined, based on the show’s description it should be a pretty interesting watch.

Apple TV’s Invasion tells the stories of people from all across the globe as they experience a hostile alien invasion. In America, we follow John Bell Tyson (Sam Neill), a well-respected sheriff who is mere moments away from retirement when he is called back to duty to protect his town from the aliens seeking to destroy it. Across the Atlantic, Golshifteh Farahani stars as Aneesha Malik — a first-generation Syrian immigrant — who, alongside her husband Ahmed (Firas Nassar), is trying her best to simply escape the catastrophe and stay alive. In Afghanistan, we watch as Travante Ward (Shamier Anderson) readies up to take down the aliens as a soldier sent to war, and lastly, Mitsuki (Shioli Kutsuna) adds the perspective of mission control staffer who oversees Japan’s galactic endeavors to put an end to the invasion.

The series is created by Simon Kinberg (Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Sherlock Holmes, the X-Men series) and David Weil (Solos, Hunters), with Jakob Verbruggen serving as executive producer and director and Katie O’Connell Marsh as executive producer for Boat Rocker Studios. Invasion premieres with its first three episodes on October 22, 2021 exclusively on Apple TV+, followed by a new episode every Friday for the next four weeks.

If it’s not Lauren Boebert acting up these days for right-wing Congress, it’s Ted Cruz. The much maligned senator from Texas has received swift smackdowns from both Patton Oswalt and Ellen Barkin, but he’s still kicking, likely feeling emboldened by Texas lawmakers’ recent victory for an insane abortion ban. This week, though, Ted is reverting to being all fired up about the U.S.-Mexico border, and he also took some time to defend what he insists is not a “racist” voter ID law in Texas.

Cruz appears to be in denial of how Texas’ voter ID law, which is arguably the nation’s strictest example (requiring only certain forms of identification at the polls for most citizens), was declared by a federal appeals court to violate the Voting Rights Act. Via Mediaite, however, Ted decided to trap himself in a circular pattern while asking the following question — “Are voter I.D. laws racist?” — during a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Oh boy.

Granted, Cruz knew that he was in enemy territory, given that he was speaking to Democratic witnesses, including law professor Franita Tolson, along with Asian Americans Advancing Justice President John Yang and Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund President Thomas Saenz. Cruz first asked Tolson, “In your judgment, are voter ID laws racist?” However, he wasn’t thrilled to wait for even two seconds for an answer (after she thanked him for the question) before interrupting her: “I want to move quickly. So it depends’ is your answer.” He added, “So what voter ID laws are racist?” Tolson responded, “Apologies, Mr. Cruz. Your state of Texas, perhaps.”

The Not-Zodiac Killer was not pleased. He moved onto Yang and Saenz and still didn’t receive a satisfactory answer while interrupting all of them. With Tolson, however, Cruz seemed particularly offended: “So you think the entire state of Texas is racist? What about requiring an ID to vote is racist?” Tolson maintained her cool to cite the federal case “that first resolved the constitutionality of Texas’ voter ID law.” Cruz, the interruption king, didn’t wouldn’t accept that he couldn’t receive his desired answer, but social media noticed.

When it comes to heartfelt coming-of-age comedies, no one is doing it quite like Mindy Kaling. Since 2012, former The Office star and writer has gone on to co-create five television series, and the latest one to join this long list already looks like quite the romp. Earlier today, HBO revealed the first trailer for The Sex Lives of College Girls, the next venture for Kaling and her co-creator Justin Noble, and the first collaboration between the star and HBO. In addition, HBO also announced the first two episodes of the series will be available sooner than you might have anticipated: November 18.

According to Variety, The Sex Lives of College Girls follows “four young women who are thrown together as college roommates when they arrive for their freshman year at New England’s prestigious Essex College. While they come from different backgrounds and are described as being ‘a bundle of contradictions and hormones,’ they will bond as they navigate their new, free lives on campus, in classes and of course with relationships (or hookups).” The series stars Pauline Chalamet, Amrit Kaur, Reneé Rapp, and Alyah Chanelle Scott as the four roommates, with Midori Francis, Gavin Leatherwood, Chris Meyer, Ilia Isorelýs Paulino, Lauren Spencer, and Renika Williams all set to make appearances. Kaling says that while the show is not autobiographical, it is inspired by both her and Noble’s experiences at college. Noble then joked:

“If I wrote from my experience, the show would be called ‘The Nonexistent Sex Life of a College Closeted Gay Boy Who’s Only Friends With Girls.’ And that’s just a little more niche.”

The first two episodes of The Sex Lives of College Girls are scheduled to hit HBO on November 18, followed by three more on November 25 and December 2 and a two-part finale on December 9.

Just when you thought Saweetie had one of her manicured hands in everything, it turns out she’s already found her next endeavor — and it might not be anything you would have expected. Vulture reports the Bay Area rapper/aspiring media mogul is set to host a new comedy special on Netflix titled Sex: Unzipped featuring sex experts, actors, stand-up mainstays, and “horny puppets.” From the description, it sounds a little bit like the Guy Code/Girl Code shows that used to air on MTV2 all the time, with higher-profile funny people and a few more actual experts (okay, fine — any).

The guests mentioned include Pose star Dominique Jackson, Late Late Show writer Ian Karmel, British comedian London Hughes, Always Be My Maybe scene-stealer Michelle Buteau, Netflix comedy regular Nikki Glaser, and HBO show host Sam Jay, among others. For more factual/researched information, the show’s recruited Alexander Cheves, Emily Morse, Oloni, and Stella Anna Sonnenbaum to round out its panel of experts. The show is set to stream on Netflix starting on October 26.

One release date we still have yet to receive from the ranch dressing enthusiast/McDonald’s collaborator is the one for her debut album, Pretty B*tch Music, which she pushed back in order to add some Cher-inspired oomph. However, she recently hinted that “things will unfold” around the holidays, so perhaps that release date is coming soon.

Nipsey Hussle (born born Ermias Asghedom) was shot and killed in March 2019 — over two years ago — outside his Marathon clothing store in South LA. But the man who is accused of murdering the beloved LA rap icon, Eric R. Holder Jr. has yet to stand trial. That is reportedly going to change in just a few months, according to a new report from Rolling Stone. The publication shared today that a Los Angeles County judge officially set the jury trial date for January 5th, 2022. “He’s nervous, but he knows it’s time to get the case moving to trial,” said Aaron Jansen, a deputy public defender who is Holder’s most recent lawyer. Jansen also told Rolling Stone he will argue that Holder was “off his medication” the day of the shooting and experiencing “a substantial mental health issue.”

Holder’s trial was delayed repeatedly by one of his former lawyers getting elevated to judgeship, and another judge’s retirement, along with pandemic-related delays. Surveillance videos reportedly show Holder firing at least ten rounds at Nipsey using both a black semiautomatic handgun in one hand and a smaller silver revolver in the other. The video also reportedly shows Holder kicking Nipsey in the head after the shooting, before fleeing the scene.

After hearings back in May 2019, a grand jury indicted Holder on one count of murder for Nipsey’s death, two counts of attempted murder for the bullets that struck bystanders Kerry Lathan and Shermi Villanueva, two counts of assault with a firearm, and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. If convicted for these crimes he could face up to life in prison.

With its 47th season premiering in October, Saturday Night Live has revealed its first set of superstar hosts. Coming out of the gate are Owen Wilson with musical guest Kacey Musgraves, Kim Kardashian West with musical guest Halsey, Rami Malek with musical guest Young Thug, and SNL alum Jason Sudeikis with musical guest Brandi Carlile.

This season will mark a significant change for SNL as new episodes will now be live-streamed on the same night they air on Peacock. According to Variety, it’s part of a broader initiative to get the show in front of younger audiences who are no longer watching it through a regular cable subscription. However, despite questions about the sketch show’s relevance in recent years, it appears to be doing better than ever:

“SNL” has long been one of NBC’s most-scrutinized entities. But in recent seasons, it has become something even more important to the Comcast-backed broadcast network. In the 2020-2021 season, the show was the most-watched entertainment program on TV among viewers between 18 and 49, the demographic most preferred by advertisers.

As for the hosts, Wilson is coming in hot from his work on Marvel’s Loki, Sudeikis is riding high thanks to Ted Lasso, Malek stars in the newest Bond movie, No Time To Die, and Kim Kardashian is a businesswoman, reality star, and the daughter of one of O.J. Simpson’s lawyers.

Saturday Night Live returns October 2 on NBC and Peacock.

(Via Variety)

Dear White People: Volume 4 (Netflix series) — Enjoy this version of a post-pandemic future while the characters take on senior year look back on their most pivotal year yet. This season’s a 90s-inspired musical event that’s also Afro-futuristic in its bent, all to prove that moving forward often involves the all-important act of looking towards the past.

The Wonder Years (FX, 8:30pm) — At the very least, it’s worth tuning into this reimagining to see whether the different perspective (from the Fred Savage-starring original show) will be a successful one or, well, not so much. Savage is executive producing and (sometimes) directing here, and the focus here is on an African-American family and their home base in 1960s Montgomery, Alabama. Don Cheadle narrates as the adult version of Dean (played as a 12-year-old by Elisha “EJ” Williams), who’s not only going through the usual tween ordeals but also the experience of being part of a Southern Black family that’s, of course, navigating vastly different circumstances than the franchise’s white O.G. family.

Marvel’s Spidey and His Amazing Friends: Season 1 (Disney+ series) — Spidey completists will dig this collection of stories about Miles Morales and Ghost-Spider, who team up with Spidey to form the Spidey Team. So much Spidey! Also, enjoy Trace the Spider-Bot.

Crime Stories: India Detectives!: (Netflix series) — An unexpected true-crime entry follows the Bengaluru City Police through every phase of the police process. Crimes will span murder and kidnap and extortion, all the way through what’s known as India’s Silicon Valley. It’s a journey like no other when it comes to law enforcement TV, and expect some truly shocking and compelling developments.

Archer (FXX, 10:00pm) — Archer’s past comes back to bite him in the profane butt while Lana’s getting tripped up with rookie mistakes.

Riverdale (CW, 8:00pm) — Jughead and Betty must help Tabitha as they all try to track down a missing friend, all while Penelope’s manipulating Kevin.

American Horror Story: Double Feature (FX, 10:00pm) — A most sinister plan form Ursula coincides with the final act of the Gardners.

Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens (Comedy Central, 10:00pm) — Awkwafina’s semi-autobiographical series returns for a second season, in which she gazes into the future with starry eyes. In the present, however, Nora and Doug and Wally are swapping embarrassing tales, including bad drug trips and sexual mishaps, as they endure a power outage.

What If…? (Disney+ series) — We’re in the multiverse, baby. The MCU’s officially launching headfirst into that realm after Loki‘s season finale, and this show’s Twitter account clarified official participation as well. Enjoy this show full of alternate realities that stand separate from the existing canon (thus far), including Agent Carter taking the super-soldier serum, T’Challa materializing as Star Lord, Doctor Strange feeling some real pain, and Black Widow and Nick Fury taking on a murder mystery while Tony Stark eats a donut. Will Tony Stark die again? Knowing this show, probably so.

The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon — Steve Martin, Martin Short, Margaret Qualley, Dr. Jane Goodall, Cynthia Erivo

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert — Shawn Mendes

Late Night With Seth Meyers — Climate Night, Sec. John Kerry, Jim Gaffigan, Ande

In case you missed these streaming picks from last Wednesday:

Wu-Tang: An American Saga: Season 2 (Hulu series) — The Clan is back, although they’re feeling disillusioned by their current lives in the projects, all while Bobby dreams of musical-industry success that will change everything. However, infighting within the group threatens success, even in the face of their undeniable talent. Real life always gets in the way, right? Fortunately, Bobby’s fight for authenticity can prevail and help overcome music-business challenges, if only the Clan can choose to prevail.

Saturday Night Live is set to return on October 2, and as always, the show’s Twitter account has announced its musical guests for the month ahead with its usual Post-It note corkboard photo. The guest for the season premiere will be singer-songwriter Kacey Musgraves, fresh off the release of her new album Star-Crossed and a fiery MTV VMAs performance of the album’s soaring title track. October looks to have a little bit of a theme, as Musgraves will be followed by Halsey and Brandi Carlile, although Young Thug’s October 16 appearance throws that theme off by more than a hair.

Upon its release, Star-Crossed peaked at No.1 on Billboard‘s US Top Country Albums and No. 3 on the Billboard 200. It was preceded by three singles, “Star-Crossed,” “Justified,” and “Simple Times,” and accompanied by a short film also titled Star-Crossed that doubled as the music video for the album’s title track. Also ahead of the album’s release, Musgrave announced her first slate of 2022 tour dates which begin on January 19 and will continue through February 20 at Staples Center in LA.

Meanwhile, earlier this month, SNL announced its return date alongside a Deadline report that the cast for the upcoming season still hadn’t been set. One thing we do know, though, is that Owen Wilson of Disney+’s Marvel Cinematic Universe spin-off Loki will host.

With Meghan McCain out of the picture, The View has been a relatively calm viewing experience punctuated with spirited debate. However, the daytime talk show ventured into contentious waters as members of the panel drew lines in the sand over a very surprising topic: Monica Lewinsky.

While discussing Impeachment: American Crime Story and HBO’s latest documentary on cancel culture, The View co-hosts Sara Haines and Sunny Hostin battled it over whether or not Lewinsky was a victim of cancel culture after her affair with President Bill Clinton became a nationwide scandal.

Despite Hostin stating that she agrees Clinton abused his power during the affair, as he did with Paula Jones, Hostin refused to see Lewinsky as a victim and even labeled her as part of the one percent. Via Mediaite:

Hostin later disputed that Lewinsky was ever canceled by the internet, pointing to the “consequences” one would face for “having an affair with the married president of the United States.”

The host pointed to Lewinsky’s past handbag line and her gig as host of reality dating show Mr. Personality.

“Now she is a producer of movies based on this affair — her life. I think her net worth is in the millions of dollars, she is part of the one percent!” Hostin added.

Haines pushed back and spelled out the case for why she believes Lewinsky was a victim and Clinton basically walked away scot-free even with the impeachment proceedings.

“You have a grown man, who is married, took vows, has loyalties and fidelities to a wife. He chose to be a dog, which we have forgiven for years,” Haines argued. “She was a girl who didn’t have a string of these types of things. She didn’t have a history of potential assaults or abuse of power — she was 22.”

Just to emphasize how intense the conversation over Lewinsky got, the ladies went commercial and then came back and still fought about it after the break. Although, as much as they disagreed, nobody called anyone a bitch or shouted the name of their father, so all around, a drastic improvement over The View arguments of yore.

You can see the entire segment-consuming Lewinsky debate below:

(Via Mediaite)

This article originally appeared on 04.24.15

Actresses often get asked dumb questions. Repeatedly.

Mind you, sometimes they get lucky and a reporter changes it up a bit. Like this reporter from Cosmo, who decided to turn the whole idea on its head and ask Mark all the questions Scarlett usually gets.

Mark was up to the challenge.

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He handled each dumb question like actresses do regularly. With professionalism in the face of dumbness.

When she asked him if he had any special poses for the red carpet, the absurdity of the entire thing shined through:

And when the reporter asked him if he had any special makeup tricks to help keep his complexion all shiny and classy, Scarlett asked him if he had to be painted green for any Hulk scenes.

He confessed to having to deal with something else entirely:

The best part though? Scarlett getting to answer the kinds of questions Mark usually gets.

You know, like questions about her character, Black Widow, and why she likes playing her.

And questions about the stunts she gets to do, which gave her an opportunity to shout-out another hardworking woman in show business.

Actresses get asked these kinds of questions ALL the time.

It’s only when the script gets flipped and male actors have to answer them too that we see how absurd they truly are.

And that, in and of itself, is absurd if you ask me. Doesn’t mean it’s not fun to watch, though.

Well played, Cosmo. Well played, Scarlett and Mark.

Learn more beauty tricks and red carpet secrets for the celebrity man in your life with Cosmo’s excellent script-flipping video:

If any entertainment journalists are reading this, if you were wondering how to make it better, I highly recommend not asking dumb questions. And maybe asking some smart ones? Bold idea, I know, but just try it. Please? For all of our sakes.