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Jon Stewart is not used to finding himself at odds with fellow open-minded media personalities, but some comments he made on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert aren’t sitting well with legendary news anchor Dan Rather. Last Monday, Colbert hosted his first show in front of a live studio audience in more than a year; he welcomed his good friend and former The Daily Show boss Stewart as his guest. While it didn’t take long for the conversation to turn toward the pandemic, Stewart’s stance seemed to surprise everyone—including Colbert.

“I think we owe a great debt of gratitude to science,” Stewart said. “Science has, in many ways, helped ease the suffering of this pandemic, which was more than likely caused by science.”

Colbert, visibly taken aback, pressed further to make sure he was understanding Stewart’s comment correctly. Amazingly, he was. Though there’s no direct evidence to suggest that the COVID-19 virus was created in a lab, Stewart seems to believe in the “lab leak” theory, which suggests that the coronavirus escaped a laboratory in Wuhan, China.

While originally the theory of choice for Donald “China Virus” Trump and other leaders looking for scapegoats, the idea of a “lab leak” has been picking up steam more widely with people of all stripes. But Colbert is not one of them, and neither is Rather.

“Scientists, and the very ideals of science, are under attack on many fronts,” Rather tweeted on Sunday morning. “This is dangerous and shortsighted. So I was dismayed to hear Jon Stewart add to the ‘questioning’ when he went on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert this week.”

Rather included a link to his Steady op-ed, where he wrote nearly 1,500 words “In Defense of Science,” in which he noted that, “A year and half later, the origins of the virus remain a mystery and China has been far from forthcoming—to say the least—about what they know, and did.” But he went on to note that “[M]ost virologists do not think that the virus has the chemical fingerprints of human engineering. But that could be perhaps a possibility. We just don’t know. And we need to try to find out, letting the facts lead wherever they may.”

Rather went on to write about the attacks against scientists like Dr. Anthony Fauci who, if we had listened to from the very beginning and not watched as he was painted as the enemy, would have likely prevented many deaths. “We can expect that from the supporters of Donald Trump,” Rather wrote, “but the words of Jon Stewart and many who share his politics show that this is not an issue that cuts neatly along partisan lines.”

The last straw for Rather was Stewart’s final comment that while he loves all scientists and that “they do such good work but they are going to kill us all.” Rather’s response? “I cannot overemphasize how dangerous this line of thinking is.”

If Rather’s criticisms aren’t enough to make Stewart rethink some of what he said, maybe the fact that Ted Cruz gave him a “Hallelujah” and “Preach, brother, preach” will.

You can watch Stewart’s full interview below, and read Rather’s full response here.

Vin Diesel and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s feud has been one of the tastiest bit of Hollywood drama thanks to their oversized personalities and the unpredictable nature of who’s going to strike out at whom over Instagram, as massive titans do. But after years of petty squabbling and a side tiff over who gets custody of Tyrese, Diesel is making moves to play down the ego clash and chalk the whole thing up to… method acting?

In a new interview, Diesel claims that the tension between him and The Rock was simply the result of Diesel wanting the best possible performance from the wrestler and doing whatever it takes to make that happen, even if that included sparking a years-long feud before The Rock exited the main films and did a spinoff. Via Men’s Health:

“It was a tough character to embody, the Hobbs character. My approach at the time was a lot of tough love to assist in getting that performance where it needed to be. As a producer to say, Okay, we’re going to take Dwayne Johnson, who’s associated with wrestling, and we’re going to force this cinematic world, audience members, to regard his character as someone that they don’t know–Hobbs hits you like a ton of bricks. That’s something that I’m proud of, that aesthetic. That took a lot of work. We had to get there and sometimes, at that time, I could give a lot of tough love. Not Felliniesque, but I would do anything I’d have to do in order to get performances in anything I’m producing.”

Diesel’s attempt to patch over his dispute with The Rock could possibly be a sign that he could be returning for the tenth Fast and Furious film. Last week, director Justin Lin said that he had Johnson’s character on his mind while he was making F9. “On this one, when I came back, I was thinking a lot about Hobbs and Shaw, and all of the other characters,” he told CinemaBlend. “I never think of them as being gone, for sure.”

(Via Men’s Health)

It’s been a rough few years for Karens as the name has become shorthand for “entitled white women.” It won’t be getting any easier with the release of Karen, an upcoming thriller starring Taryn Manning (Tiffany “Pennsatucky” Doggett from Orange is the New Black) as a “racist white woman who makes it her personal mission to displace the new Black family that has just moved in next door to her.” The trailer for the film, directed by Coke Daniels, was released last week, but it’s only captured the internet’s attention now.

Within the first minute of the trailer, Manning’s Karen tells her neighbors Malik and Imani, played by Cory Hardrict and Jasmine Burke, to “keep it down” in a restaurant; threatens to tell the manager; installs security cameras around her house; and uses the word “slaving” to describe Imani making food in the kitchen. Oh, and in case it wasn’t obvious, Imani literally says, “Wait a minute, we have a white entitled neighbor named Karen.”

Roll credits.

Karen is being compared on Twitter to Get Out, but not in the way you want to be compared to one of the most iconic films — horror or otherwise — in recent memory. “Jordan Peele only has two films under his belt as a director and he already has people trying to copy his formula. Talk about impact,” @nuffsaidny tweeted, while @BlackGirlCinema added, “It seems everyone has their Jordan Peele wig on lately. What he was able to do with Get Out was interesting for the time being but we really don’t need ‘Black folks being terrorized by racist whites’ to become a horror sub genre…”

Manning said she felt a “social responsibility to take on this role. Even if I had to play the villain to affect change around the globe, then I was more than willing to step into the role.” The actress is good at playing the villain in real life, too: she backed then-president Donald Trump’s decision to teargas peaceful protestors, many of whom were Black, so he could hold a Bible upside down. “I never pop political but I want to start by saying if I was being attacked the way everyone attacks him I would hold the HOLY BIBLE too. People can feel scared right now. Donald can feel scared too,” she wrote on Instagram before descending into QAnon nonsense. That is much scarier than anything in Karen.

Back in 2019, Stephen Colbert met Lorde while visiting New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in her home country. Last night, the two reunited on The Late Show, albeit with Lorde making her appearance remotely over video. During their chat, the two touched on a number of topics, including Lorde’s revealing Solar Power album cover.

Colbert started talking about the album, noting that CBS actually wouldn’t allow him to show the image on the show due to its relatively risqué nature. He then asked Lorde about the inspiration behind the cover and Lorde explained:

“My friend just took it. It was just me jumping over a friend on a beach. For those who don’t know, it is my butt kind of from below and I’m in a bikini, so it’s like a little hardcore. But it was so joyful to me. It felt innocent and playful and a little bit feral and, I don’t know, sexy. […] You gotta do it while you got it, you know?”

She also talked about touring behind the album, saying, “It sort of doesn’t seem real, but I’m super keen. I think this album is so joyful and big and such a good thing to experience with a bunch of people, so I’m glad that the timing worked out that I can do a tour. It seems crazy.”

Speaking of performing, Lorde also teased a future appearance on The Late Show, saying, “I am actually in LA, but, Stephen, I’m coming to you and I’m bringing a lot of my friends, and we’re going to show you a little bit about what Solar Power is about, so I look forward to seeing you again.”

Watch Lorde on The Late Show above.

Solar Power is out 8/20 via Republic. Pre-order it here.

This week in the best new pop music saw some laid-back releases. Tate McRae teamed up with Khalid for a snappy track, Leon Bridges announced his upcoming project with an earnest tune, and HER dropped an anticipated LP to showcase her powerful songwriting.

Each week, Uproxx rounds up the best new pop music. Listen up.

Tate McRae, Khalid — “Working”

After serving up some mega-hit singles, rising songwriter Tate McRae teamed up with multi-platinum tastemaker Khalid for the bouncy collaboration “Working.” The track is their entry for 2021’s Song Of The Summer, featuring emboldened lyrics about cutting ties with a past flame. “I usually release a lot of songs that are pretty emotional but this one is just a straight summer bop,” McRae said about the single. “We had such a fun time creating this song.”

Leon Bridges — “Why Don’t You Touch Me”

Three years after the release of his previous album, Leon Bridges returned this week to announce his upcoming LP Gold-Diggers Sound with the soulful single “Why Don’t You Touch Me.” The slow-burning tune is a way for the Texas crooner to flex his emotive songwriting as he woefully sings of second-guessing himself in a relationship. About the forthcoming album as a whole, Bridges noted that the songwriting process also occasionally featured some overthinking. “With immense joy, greater purpose, and sometimes doubt, I labored over these eleven songs, but the record truly came together when I immersed myself in everything,” he said.

HER — “My Own”

HER released her highly-anticipated 21-track album Back Of My Mind this week, which saw features from the likes of Lil Baby and Ty Dolla Sign. But the effort also showcases her powerful solo songwriting on songs like her single “My Own.” The tune is accompanied by a loungy beat as HER gently delivers thoughtful lyrics detailing the difficulty of getting over a relationship while also acknowledging the self-growth that is born out of the pain.

Seventeen — “Ready To Love”

Prolific K-Pop group Seventeen dropped the EP Your Choice this week. The group had been teasing the release with a series of short previews, and fans were so excited that the project sold over a million copies in just a few days. The EP’s focus track “Ready To Love” encompasses the 13-member group’s vibrant sound. It features a thumping beat, catchy chorus, and feel-good lyrics about the euphoria of new love.

Griff — “Shade Of Yellow”

After earning the coveted Rising Artist award at the 2021 BRITs, buzzing UK artist Griff dropped her almost entirely self-produced project One Foot In Front Of The Other this week. The seven-track effort is a strong debut mixtape that offers listeners a taste of her cutting-edge sound. It features the snappy tune “Shade Of Yellow,” which stands as an electrifying ode to finding comfort in difficult times.

Kyd The Band — “Real Problems”

As heard on his EP’s opener “Real Problems,” Kyd The Band leaned more into his honest songwriting with his fourth EP Season 4: Series Finale. The poignant tune is the musician’s way of coming to terms with his past history of addiction as it details the importance of asking for help. “When you’re in the middle of those things it’s the last thing you ever think you’re feeling suffocated by it all you can’t see outside of it,” Kyd The Band said about the heavy themes on the song. “Being on the other side realizing there is another side, I’ve learned that asking for help is huge, that overdose probably wouldn’t happen if I did.”

Clara Mae — “Not Sad Anymore”

Swedish singer/songwriter Clara Mae makes pop music that packs a punch, and her latest track “Not Sad Anymore” exemplifies her buoyant-yet-biting sound. Over soulful keys, Mae leans on her soaring vocals to deliver a thoughtful tune about moving on. “I think that most people who have been through a tough breakup know the feeling of how everything feels hopeless, how everything in life has lost meaning and you think that you will never be able to laugh again,” she said of the track. “Then suddenly it turns, life begins to come back to normal.”

Polo & Pan — “Les Jolies Choses”

French dance duo Polo & Pan shared the opulent and breezy single “Les Joiles Choses” this week ahead of their upcoming release Cyclorama. The song, which leans on whimsical percussion and jaunty vocals, is “a nostalgic postcard of the French way of life and love” according to the group.

Jayli Wolf — “Would You Die?

With her debut EP Wild Whisper, Indigenous Canadian artist Jayli Wolf draws inspiration from leaving her Jehovah’s Witnesses faith and shedding traumatic experiences. Her breathy track “Would You Die?” represents her knack for emotive songwriting as she sings of shifting her perspective on love. “I wrote ‘Would You Die?’ after feeling true unconditional love for the first time; after that, I learned that conditions and boundaries are very different,” the singer noted about the track.

Bailey Baum — “Bad For Me”

Rising indie-pop songwriter Bailey Baum gave fans another look at her upcoming debut EP Over It with the addictive track “Bad For Me.” The sparkling tune is Baum’s version of a breakup anthem, featuring atmospheric synths and crisp percussion alongside earnest lyrics about putting herself first.

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

Last week, Billie Eilish started facing some criticism over an old video of her that resurfaced on TikTok, in which she is seen mouthing a racial slur from Tyler The Creator’s 2011 Goblin song “Fish” and allegedly mocking an Asian accent. Now, Eilish has offered an apology.

Eilish shared a statement on her Instagram Story about the video, which was filmed when she was “13 or 14.” She wrote of the slur, “I am appalled and embarrassed and want to barf that I ever mouthed along to that word. This song was the only time I’d ever heard that word as it was never used around me by anyone in my family. Regardless of my ignorance and age at the time, nothing excuses the fact is that it was hurtful. And for that I am sorry.”

She also addressed the alleged accent mocking, writing, “The other video in that edited clip is me speaking in a silly gibberish made up voice… something I started doing as a kid and have done my whole life when talking to my pets, friends, and family. It is absolute gibberish and just me goofing around, and is in NO way an imitation of anyone or any language, accent or culture in the SLIGHTEST. Anyone who knows me has seen me goofing around with voices my whole life.”

She concluded her statement, “We all need to continue having conversations, listening and learning. I hear you and I love you. Thank you for taking the time to read this.”

Read Eilish’s message in full below.

“I love you guys, and many of you have been asking me to address this. And this is something that I WANT to address because I’m being labeled something that I am not.

There’s a video edit going around of me when I was 13 or 14 where I mouthed a word from a song that at the time I didn’t know was a derogatory term and used against members of the Asian community. I am appalled and embarrassed and want to barf that I ever mouthed along to that word. This song was the only time I’d ever heard that word as it was never used around me by anyone in my family. Regardless of my ignorance and age at the time, nothing excuses the fact is that it was hurtful. And for that I am sorry.

The other video in that edited clip is me speaking in a silly gibberish made up voice… something I started doing as a kid and have done my whole life when talking to my pets, friends, and family. It is absolute gibberish and just me goofing around, and is in NO way an imitation of anyone or any language, accent or culture in the SLIGHTEST. Anyone who knows me has seen me goofing around with voices my whole life.

Regardless of how it was interpreted I did not mean for any of my actions to have caused hurt to others and it absolutely breaks my heart that it is being labeled now in a way that might cause pain to people hearing it. I not only believe in, but have always worked hard to use my platform to fight for inclusion, kindness, tolerance, equity and equality.

We all need to continue having conversations, listening and learning. I hear you and I love you. Thank you for taking the time to read this.”

Some of Conan O’Brien’s favorite guests are scheduled to appear on Conan during his final week as the host of the late-night show (this week!), including Dana Carvey on Wednesday and Jack Black on Thursday for the finale. One name notably left off the list was Paul Rudd, who has provided some of the biggest laughs in Conan history — all with a clip of an alien’s bug-eyed reaction to a boy in a wheelchair careening off a cliff.

There was hope that he was the “TBA” guest on Tuesday, but Rudd actually showed up during Monday’s episode, interrupting Conan’s interview with Bill Hader. The Barry legend was telling a story about an SNL sketch gone wrong (it involved Ed Burns, funny voices, and grilling meat) for an episode that Rudd hosted when, out of the blue, there was Rudd himself in his finest tuxedo to defend himself. “How dare you,” he told Hader, saying the reason that he didn’t want to do a sketch that his Forgetting Sarah Marshall co-star wrote was “because it was terrible.” And Rudd has the footage to prove it.

“In fact, this is true, Lorne said in his history with the show, it was the worst received sketch of all-time. We did it at dress and it didn’t get not one laugh,” Rudd said. “Thankfully, they do actually film the dress rehearsal, if you would like to see the sketch.” I think you can guess what happens next.

Watch the clip above. Then have a McDonald’s dance party.

An actor is never defined by just one role, but Kristian Nairn’s Hodor is about as close as it gets when it comes to Game of Thrones fans. Which is why Nairn’s latest acting gig back on HBO will certainly be an interesting juxtaposition from what fans mostly know of the Irish actor.

As Variety detailed, Kristian Nairn has snagged a role in the upcoming HBO Max pirate show that will feature Taika Waititi as Blackbeard as well as his work behind the camera. According to the report, Nairn will play Wee John Feeney, one of a handful of actors announced as snagging roles in the Variety piece:

Nairn (“Game of Thrones,” “The Little People”) will appear as Wee John Feeney. Foad (“Bloods”) will play Lucius. Kayo (“Truth Seekers,” “The Bubble”) will plauy Oluwande. Kinnear (“Penny Dreadful,” “The Imitation Game”) will pull double duty as Captain Nigel Badminton and Chauncey Badminton. O’Neill (“The Batman,” “Chernobyl”) will play Izzy. Ortiz (“Vida,” “American Horror Story: 1984”) will play Bonifacia.

The show, Our Flag Means Death, is loosely based on the real-life adventures of Stede Bonnet, an aristocrat who left a life of privilege to become a pirate. Rhys Darby had previously been announced as the series lead, while Waititi’s Blackbeard character will likely feature heavily as well. That’s certainly a lot of intriguing character actors in what seems to be a black comedy with some serious backing in Waititi. And for Nairn, it seems almost certain that he will have more than one line here.

[via Variety]

It has now been nearly six months since the Capitol insurrection of January 6th, and MAGA dolts are still doing their damndest to portray the violent riots of the day—which left five people dead—as a totally peaceful, Kumbaya-kind-of thing. On Monday night, Seth Meyers took a few of these harebrained conspiracy theorists to task, including Fox News host Maria Bartiromo.

This weekend, in a conversation with Wisconsin senator Ron Johnson, Bartiromo complained for the umpteenth time about Nancy Pelosi labeling the events of January 6th an “armed insurrection” then demanded to know “how many guns were actually taken up on that day, since she said it was ‘armed’?” Johnson’s response? “Not one. Not one gun was recovered either in the Capitol or on the Capitol grounds.” Which, of course, is patently untrue.

Just last week, Guy Reffitt—a Texan who reportedly threatened to kill his own family members if they turned him in for being part of the MAGA coup—was charged with unlawfully carrying a semi-automatic handgun onto the Capitol grounds. He is the fourth rioter so far to be charged with a firearms violation. But even beyond that, one doesn’t need to be carrying a gun in order to be considered “armed.” And the Capitol crowd got pretty creative when it came to what sort of weaponry they brought along. Meyers cited a CNN report from February, which claimed:

“Some of the weapons that were confiscated had been seen being used inside the US Capitol including a baseball bat, a fire extinguisher, a wooden club, a spear, crutches, a flagpole, bear spray, mace, chemical irritants, stolen police shields, a wooden beam, a hockey stick, a stun gun, and knives.

Many of these weapons were used to attack police officers who were protecting the Capitol.”

Meyers, who described Bartiromo as “one of the most unhinged conspiracy theorists on Fox” (which is saying a lot because: Tucker Carlson), seemed even more apoplectic that the Fox News anchor wrapped up her segment of lies by patting herself on the back for all her truth-telling, saying: “We have been telling every story. We’ve been on the right side of it for seven years going. I’ve been trashed every day along the way. Keep trashing me, I’ll keep telling the truth.”

Which, as Meyers astutely pointed out, sounds exactly like the sort of tagline Bartiromo might use if she was starring in the sadly fictional The Real Housewives of Bay Ridge.

You can watch the full clip above.

The 2021 Western Conference Finals began in earnest on Sunday afternoon, even if it tipped off a full three days before the NBA’s Final Four commenced in the East. In Game 1, the Phoenix Suns rode a spectacular effort from Devin Booker to a 120-114 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, taking the series lead in the process. On Tuesday, the same two teams take the floor in Phoenix, with the Clippers undoubtedly desperate to right the ship.

Unfortunately, the injury report was at the forefront of the series prior to the opener, and that is still the case in Game 2. For the Clippers, Kawhi Leonard (knee) is sidelined, and Chris Paul remains out of action due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols. While the playing field is leveled to some degree with stars out on both sides, the Suns are thought to have the better available roster, not to mention homecourt advantage. Booker was tremendous in Game 1, scoring 40 points and posting his first career triple-double, and the Suns have plenty of depth with Mikal Bridges, Deandre Ayton, Cam Johnson, Cam Payne and more.

For the Clippers, Paul George carries a heavy burden in the absence of Leonard, and he scored 34 points in Game 1. In fact, Los Angeles scored more than 1.2 points per possession in the first game, with Reggie Jackson scoring 24 points and the team converting 20-of-47 from three-point range. However, the Clippers struggled mightily to generate defensive stops, and the absence of Leonard certainly looms large on both ends of the floor.

From a betting standpoint, Game 1 went Over the total of 220 points and Phoenix covered the closing point spread of four points as a favorite.

Game 2 TV Info

Tip Time: Tuesday, June 22; 9 p.m. ET
TV Network: ESPN

Game 2 Betting Lines (via DraftKings Sportsbook)

Series Prices: Suns (-455), Clippers (+340)
Spread: Suns -5.5 (-110), Clippers +5.5 (-110)
Total: Over 224 (-113), Under 224 (-108)
Money Line: Suns (-220), Clippers (+180)

Game 2 Player Scoring Props (via DraftKings Sportsbook)

Deandre Ayton O/U 14.5 Points (Over -125/Under -103)
Mikal Bridges O/U 11.5 (-134/+105)
Jae Crowder O/U 11.5 (-107/-120)
Reggie Jackson O/U 18.5 (-120/-107)
Paul George O/U 30.5 (-134/+106)
Nicolas Batum O/U 9.5 (-120/-107)
Devin Booker O/U 30.5 (-150/+118)