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Some cooking shows are all about the stress of turning out 200 plates for food personalities, prestigious chefs, and diners like our own Vince Mancini. Others see beloved chefs enter a culinary Thunderdome to cook under high-pressure time constraints. It’s rare to get a cooking competition that’s simply about having fun.

That’s why truTV’s Fast Foodies, which airs Thursdays at 10:30 eastern (and streams on Hulu), feels like a breath of fresh air. A win isn’t going to make some upstart chef’s career or get them a corporate catering gig. The show’s highest ambition is for you to say, “That looks tasty! And everyone is having so much fun!”

Because sometimes that’s enough. Also, getting an audience to say that is a higher bar than you might think. And Fast Foodies is great at clearing it.

The show stars Top Chef alums Kristen Kish, Jeremy Ford, and Justin Sutherland. While Kish is basically the host, all three work together to keep the vibe extremely chill while also acting as competitors, recreating iconic fast food dishes. It’s all very bingeable, but in the “watch one more episode on autoplay” way, not the “Oh my god, what happens next???” way.

As for the food itself, we all pretty much know the dishes in play — KFC buckets, sausage breakfast sandwiches, hot dogs... basically the same stuff we cook in our own chef competition series. In the process of highlighting those items, the show manages to explore how fast-food has shaped the eating habits of so many Americans. Then it asks, “What can we do with those flavors that feels a little more natural, cleaner, less-rushed, more high-end, etc.?”

These questions are investigated in two parts — with a segment focused on the three chefs doing a copycat recreation and another that has them reinterpreting the featured flavors for a high-end presentation. The final results are creative, inspiring (for the ambitious home cook), and super easy to imagine. Because face it, we mostly all know what the baseline dishes taste like, providing a solid frame of reference.

Each episode is co-hosted and judged by a different celebrity guest. But it’s all very breezy. Drinks are poured, helping hands are given, the shit is shot, and a winner is crowned. No one gets their feelings hurt.

That’s not to say that there’s no deeper theme to be taken away here. Without ever seeming like it takes tremendous effort (it shouldn’t!), Fast Foodies does a great job feeling representative of our diverse nation. Everyone making the show obviously cares about unique voices and experiences, and they prove that in the simplest and most straightforward way possible: by reflecting it through the people appearing on screen.

While this sounds like a no-brainer, it’s not some happy accident. When I reached out to Michael Rucker, the Fast Foodies showrunner, he said: “We didn’t want a tired series that felt one-note but something that reflected the real world, the amazing spectrum of voices in the culinary world, and was the type of kitchen that you’d actually want to hang out in.”

That’s obviously not rocket science, but it sure has taken a long time for folks to figure the concept out. Kudos to Fast Foodies for actually doing the damn thing and making the process so much so fun to watch. As a result, the show ends up feeling “American” in the most authentic sense — not in its focus on the fried sandwiches we gorge ourselves on but in how it highlights people of different backgrounds enjoying one another while sharing a meal.

It’s laid-back-yet-engaging and welcoming to all. Not a bad recipe, by any means.

Cold Courage (AMC+) — Two Nordic women find themselves drawn together during the investigation of a series of London-set murders. The story’s based upon Finnish journalist Pekka Hiltunen’s bestselling novels and aims to unite the two aforementioned women (a psychologist who favors underdogs and a graphic artist who’s fleeing from her abusive stalker. Together, the two women want to write wrongs that are committed to the powerful, and a charismatic politicians is promising to sort-of Make Great Britain Great Again. This show is dropping three initial episodes with subsequent weekly followups.

Genera+ion: Season 1 (HBO Max) — Get ready for a dark and playful half-hour series that revolves around high school students who are finding their coming-of-age exploration of sexuality complicated by the deeply held beliefs that persist throughout their conservative community. The series stars Chase Sui Wonders, Chloe East, Haley Sanchez, Lukita Maxwell, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Nathanya Alexander, Nava Mau, Uly Schlesinger, Justice Smith, and Martha Plimpton.

The Unicorn (CBS, 9:30pm EST) — It’s colonoscopy time for Wade, Forrest and Ben, and this could either turn into one hell of a bonding experience or something that could break them. On the female side of things, Michelle’s attempting to dodge Meg’s relationship drama.

Clarice (CBS, 10:00pm EST) — The Silence of the Lambs franchise sees Clarice Starling confined by a serial killer who happens to hail from the medical expression. The protagonist will suffer from intense hallucinations, and this sounds utterly terrifying.

Cake (FX, 10:00pm & 10:30pm EST) — Season 4 begins for this assortment of bite-sized shorts, and this year, the diverse array of narratives is anchored by Nine Films About Technology from Peter Huang. Expect a loosely connected set of stories that get darkly comedic and explore human relationships in an era of (arguable) over-connectivity.

The Hustler (ABC, 10:00pm EST) — Host Craig Ferguson stands by while contestants compete for money, and “The Hustler” among them keeps doing his or her secretive and enigmatic thing.

Jimmy Kimmel Live! — Coronaversary Show? Oh boy.

The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon — Jennifer Garner, Don Lemon, Adrianne Lenker

The Late Late Show With James Corden — Eddie Murphy, Tiana Major9

Late Night With Seth Meyers — Amy Poehler, Phoebe Bridgers, John Herndon

In case you missed these recent picks:

Mr. Mercedes: Season 3 (Peacock series) — The crime-thriller series that’s based upon Stephen King’s best-selling Bill Hodges Trilogy continues from executive producer David E. Kelley and director Jack Bender. Viewers know that this series brings us a very different Holly Gibney (as portrayed by Justine Lupe) than the one we witnessed on HBO’s The Outsider (as played by Cynthia Erivo), and this season was co-written by Kelley and King. Settle in as the murder of a beloved local author (and American icon) becomes the focus of Hodges, Holly, and Jerome, who find that this case is much more complex than mere cold-blooded killing.

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run (Paramount+ movie) — Look for Keanu Reeves’ cameo in this irreverent animated adventure, which follows SpongeBob and Patrick, his starfish pal, looking to vindicate Mr. Krabs after he’s been framed for heisting King Neptune’s crown. In doing so, they must leave their Bikini Bottom refuge and make their way to Shell City in a journey that illuminates the power of friendship. In addition to the actual movie goodness, check out our “Rapid Fire” video with rapper 2KBaby as he looks to beat the buzzer in a quiz.

Persona: The Dark Truth Behind Personality Tests (HBO Max documentary) — Personality tests can be insightful, sure, but they can also reflect into doing more harm than good when they’re essentially applied out of context, despite a gut feeling that these things are the object of American obsession.

The Dallas Mavericks were thought by many to be a team in the West that would take a leap forward this season, in large part due to the expectation that third-year star Luka Doncic would vault into being an MVP frontrunner.

However, at the midway point of the season, Dallas is at 19-16, good for 8th in the West and a spot in the play-in, but below expectations for a team that had real hopes of hosting a first round series. The bad news is, a slow start put them behind the 8-ball for playoff positioning, but the good news is that the team is on a hot streak of late, going 10-2 in the last 12 games to climb firmly into the playoff picture in the West. Doncic’s shooting is starting to come back around and he’s posting sensational stat lines every night, and the supporting cast around him is finally healthy and starting to play like expected.

Still, there’s a lingering question of what the ceiling is for this team, and whether the Doncic-Kristaps Porzingis pairing is capable of competing with the very best in the West. Porzingis, who didn’t play until January due to recovery from knee surgery, had some early struggles but has recently found a bit better form and is scoring with better efficiency and contributing to winning. Even so, his name continues to swirl in trade rumors, and on Thursday, Mavs owner Mark Cuban addressed those on First Take, preaching patience and also noting that it’s hard to define much of anything about this team off of a very weird first half of the season.

This is the correct stance to take publicly, and it should always be noted that any official statements from front office personnel about trade rumors should be taken with a massive grain of salt, because almost never will they speak truthfully about trade talks in progress. Still, Cuban’s point about this season being one that, to this point, you can’t overreact to is salient. The Mavs had a COVID outbreak, Porzingis was returning from a knee injury, and very little about the first 20 games for the Mavs was telling of what they can do at full strength. That isn’t to say questioning the Porzingis-Doncic pairing long term doesn’t have some validity, but Dallas can be patient, as he says, in evaluating that pairing and not rushing to make a deal.

On the other side of the coin, should a tremendous deal come across their desk for Porzingis that would possibly raise their ceiling as a contender, they’ll have to consider it, whether they feel they’ve seen the absolute best of that pairing or not. In any case, don’t expect the Mavs to be pushing for a Kristaps trade no matter what at the deadline, but this also can’t be taken as an absolute that a deal can’t or won’t be made.

Every few years, hip-hop produces a song with a beat so compelling that it becomes virtually inescapable as one rapper after another dips into the freestyle pot to deliver their own unique (or not so unique) take on the original. In 2019, that song was Blueface’s “Thotiana,” which spawned multiple remixes, including entries with Cardi B, Nicki Minaj, Soulja Boy and Tyga, and YG. In 2021, it appears that Spotemgottem’s song “BeatBox” has become the ubiquitous juggernaut du jour, as both DaBaby and Deante’ Hitchcock posted freestyles in the past few weeks. Today, another artist threw her hat in the ring: Mulatto.

Incidentally, the 2020 XXL Freshman is the one best known for her freestyles, as her ability to rhyme about myriad topics was instrumental to her 2016 victory on the inaugural season of The Rap Game. That skill asserts itself here, as Mulatto acquits herself in a self-confident, boastful freestyle during a photoshoot covering her expeditious come-up in the wake of signing her record deal with RCA at the end of 2019.

Muatto’s made the most of her momentum coming into the new year, appearing on BRS Kash’s bounce record “Kash App,” Rich The Kid’s female-fronted posse cut “Nasty” with Flo Milli and Rubi Rose, and plans her impending name change.

Watch Mulatto’s “BeatBox” freestyle video above.

One day a few years ago I asked my husband what he thinks about when he goes running. “Depends,” he said. “I might think about work or what I’m going to do that day or just sort of empty my mind, like a meditation.”

“Do you ever think about getting raped on the running trail?” I asked. “Does it ever cross your mind?” It wasn’t a confrontational question, but a curious one.

He looked surprised for a second, then shook his head. “No. Never,” he said.

We sat in silence for a second as the obvious sunk in. When I run alone, I do think about that possibility. I think about it every time. I know every part of the trail that’s obscured from public view, the parts where I run a little faster, where my spatial awareness is heightened. When a man runs behind me or towards me, my radar goes up. It happens automatically. I don’t assume anyone is a rapist, of course, but I’m always mentally prepared for the possibility. After a million stories and a lifetime living in a woman’s body, my instinct to prepare for the worst is as natural as breathing.

My husband experiences almost none of this. The possibility of being attacked and/or raped exists for him, but the risk and the fear is nowhere near the same as it is for me. He can enjoy a solo run, or walk down the street, or leave a building alone without being on guard constantly, whereas the times that I’m able to truly free my mind when I’m moving through the world by myself are few and far between.

The recent disappearance of a woman in the U.K. has prompted women to share the mental safety checklists they go through as they go about daily life, and seeing it all laid out in writing is eye-opening. Some of these things we consciously think about, and some of simply becomes second nature by adulthood. But I don’t know any woman for whom this list doesn’t resonate.

We know that not all men are going to attack us, so there’s no need to #notallmen here. The thing is, we don’t know who might. We don’t know whether the guy walking behind us in the parking lot is a super sweet guy just heading to his car or a predator looking for an opportunity. We don’t even know for sure which men we know might turn out to be a rapist. Most sexual assault is perpetrated by people known to the victim, and we all know women who have been violated by someone they thought they could trust. So not only do we deal with wondering whether a guy on the street is a stroller or a stalker, but we also have to be on alert with the guys we’re hanging out with.

Hypervigilance is the norm for most women and it’s exhausting, even for those of us who haven’t been sexually assaulted. I’m extremely fortunate to have been surrounded by wonderful, quality men throughout most of my life, and I’m thankful for that. But I have known plenty of creeps as well, and if you were to ask me how many women I know who have been raped, the faces of my friends come flooding in fast.

If you’re a man reading this and feeling defensive, please don’t. We know it’s not all men. If you’re a man reading this and wondering what you can do to help, thank you for asking. Here are some things you can do to help women feel safer:

– If you’re walking behind a woman, crossing the street is one way to let her know you’re not purposefully following her

– If you’re walking toward a woman, moving over to the opposite side of the walkway and giving her a wide berth is helpful

– As silly as it might sound, a verbal acknowledgment of your awareness of the situation can be helpful. I’ve had men say something like, “Just want to let you know I’m walking here behind you, but I promise I’m not following you or anything creepy!” and found it comforting.

– If a woman friend asks you to escort her somewhere, don’t make her feel like she’s being silly. Also, don’t assume she’s hitting on you.

– If you see a woman who appears to be uncomfortable with a man in a public place, you can give her a potential “out” by calling to her like you know her. Something like, “Katie! Is that you?” can be enough to let her (and the potentially problematic guy) know that you’ve got your eye on the situation.

– If you’re out in public and a woman comes up and acts like you’re a friend of hers, play along. Sometimes women will do this to get away from a creepy guy.

– Speak up when other men make sexist or inappropriate comments about women. Don’t go along with the culture that allows women to be seen primarily as sexualized objects.

Let’s work on making a world where women don’t have to constantly be on high alert, where we are all free to go out for a walk or a run having our thoughts regularly disrupted by concerns for our safety.

When RX Peso performs his song “Up A Hill” on the latest episode of UPROXX Sessions, he makes sure to make his appearance unforgettable. While it’s not uncommon for performers to bring props — remember Dana Dentata’s elaborate, revenge-theme setup? — Peso posts up with a massive stack of cash, making it rain as he delivers his melodic rhymes.

After dropping a pair of Elevator-approved singles in 2019, Peso picked up his pace in 2021, putting out the 12-song project Drug Storm in January. For now, his operation appears to be fairly self-contained; the only feature on his most recent release is RX Hector, whom Peso shouts out fairly often on his Instagram in posts imploring the authorities to free Hector. Peso has had some high-profile co-signs, however; a pair of Playboi Carti songs leaked in 2019 suggest a connection, and early in his career, Peso was linked to fellow Atlantan Hoodrich Pablo Don.

Watch Peso’s money-hungry performance of “Up A Hill” above.

UPROXX Sessions is Uproxx’s performance show featuring the hottest up-and-coming acts you should keep an eye on. Featuring creative direction from LA promotion collective, Ham On Everything, and taking place on our “bathroom” set designed and painted by Julian Gross, UPROXX Sessions is a showcase of some of our favorite performers, who just might soon be yours, too.

The Weeknd has been abundantly clear and forthcoming about his displeasure with the Grammy Awards and the Recording Academy after his critical and commercial hit After Hours and its popular singles somehow earned no nominations for the 2021 awards. Now it looks like anything else The Weeknd makes won’t be up for consideration at future Grammy ceremonies either, but this time, it’s his choice: The Weeknd has declared that he is boycotting the Grammys.

In a statement made to The New York Times, The Weeknd said, “Because of the secret committees, I will no longer allow my label to submit my music to the Grammys.”

In response to The Weeknd’s statement, interim Recording Academy president/CEO Harvey Mason Jr. told the publication, “We’re all disappointed when anyone is upset. But I will say that we are constantly evolving. And this year, as in past years, we are going to take a hard look at how to improve our awards process, including the nomination review committees.”

In an email interview with the publication, The Weeknd’s manager, Wassim Slaiby, said he was unclear why his client didn’t earn any nominations and noted, “We were many weeks and dozens of calls in with the Grammy team around Abel’s performance right up to the day of nominations being announced. We were scratching our heads in confusion and wanted answers.”

He also said, “The Grammys should handle their legacy and clean it up to raise the bar to a level where everyone could be proud to hold up that award. This is Harvey’s chance to step up and have his legacy be the guy who got the Grammys finally right.”

Read the full New York Times feature here.

Tucker Carlson sure is going to town lately in post-Trump America to keep himself entertained. The Fox News host is making things up about low sperm count and weed along with claiming that Democrats created QAnon, but now, he may have messed with the wrong crowd: the military. Why would Tucker do such a thing — ridiculing women who are brave enough serve on active duty while pregnant — since service members and veterans often skew conservative? There’s no telling what his logic is, but prominent members of the military community of all political persuasions are not pleased.

“Tucker Carlson doesn’t think women can serve in the military,” Vote Vets (which is a Democratic organization) tweeted. “Pretty bold words from a frozen food heir who couldn’t be bothered to serve himself.”

Tucker seemed pretty peeved after Joe Biden announced that the military had created maternity flight suits. “So we’ve got new hairstyles and maternity flight suits,” Carlson declared on air. “Pregnant women are going to fight our wars. It’s a mockery of the US military.” He then went on a tirade about Biden, who Carlson believes isn’t viewing China as a threat: “While China’s military becomes more masculine, as it assembles the world’s largest navy, our military needs [to] as Joe Biden says become more feminine.”

CNN reports that several military officials and the Pentagon (including spokesperson John Kirby and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin) feel “revulsion” by Tucker’s attack on female service members. Kirby added that the military is working to become “more inclusive, more respectful of everyone — especially women.” In doing so, “What we absolutely won’t do is take personnel advice from a talk show host, or the Chinese military. Maybe those folks feel like they have something to prove. That’s on them.”

Very quickly, officials rallied against Tucker’s words. General Paul Funk, Marine Corps Master Gunnery Sgt. Scott H. Stalker, and Major General Patrick Donahoe pushed back hard against Tucker, and Fort Hood Deputy Commanding General John B. Richardson IV tweeted, “Mothers in uniform fight & win our nation’s wars. Fathers in uniform fight & win our nation’s wars. Soldier is not a gendered noun.”

They weren’t alone. Soon enough, veterans, service members, and civilians alike called out Carlson for not recognizing the sacrifices and badassery coming from female service members. To that point, Joe Walsh tweeted, “Every woman in the military I’ve ever met could absolutely kick Tucker Carlson’s ass.”

Lieutenant General Theodore D. Martin shared a photo of his daughter while tweeting that women “are NOT ‘making a mockery of our military’… You WISH your daughter was as AWESOME as MINE! so BACK OFF.” And the deluge continued.

Will Tucker Carlson issue an apology? People are waiting to find out.

(Via CNN & Vote Vets)

As a famous definitely-not-Yoda movie character once noted, it’s all about merchandising. Deftones are pretty strong in that department. After releasing their new album Ohms last year, they returned earlier this year with a craft beer named after the album. Now they have another alcoholic collaboration on the way: Teaming up with Abre Ojos Tequila, the band is releasing a new tequila, which will be available on March 15, to mark the 20th anniversary of the album White Pony.

Deftones shared the news on social media, writing, “Continuing our White Pony 20th year celebration, we are very excited to share that our #WhitePony tequila, in collaboration with @AbreOjosTequila, is hitting retailers this Monday, the 15th. With notes of caramel, vanilla and toasted graham cracker, only 2,880 bottles of this special ‘Anniverario’ añejo have been produced.” They go on to note that it will be available in stores in California, Tennessee, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maryland, DC, and in additional states online.

The product website notes, “The limited-edition Añejo was handcrafted in the town of Tequila, Jalisco. It is aged up to two years in American Oak used whiskey barrels creating caramel, vanilla, hazelnut, and chocolate notes. The buttery taste ends with a smoky, mature flavor. It is meant to sip and enjoy.”

Check out the trailer below.

Patrick Ewing’s Georgetown Hoyas picked up their second straight win in the Big East Tournament on Thursday when they stunned top-seeded Villanova at Madison Square Garden in a 72-71 thriller to advance to the semifinals.

The Hoyas, having crushed Marquette on Wednesday, are rolling and have to keep it going, as at 11-12, they need to win the entire tournament to make it to the NCAA Tournament as the Big East’s automatic bid. The good news is they just dispatched the top team and are in a comfortable setting, at least for their head coach, as Ewing has put in more time at MSG than just about anyone, having starred for 15 years for the New York Knicks.

After the win over Villanova, Ewing reminded everyone that MSG is indeed “my house” and that the Hoyas were going to be a tough out as they looked to stun the Big East and swipe an automatic bid.

It’s a great line and it’s cool to see Georgetown playing this well and making a tournament run. While MSG may be Ewing’s house, it has some new staffers that aren’t apparently familiar with the Knicks legend and he had a laugh after the game about how he keeps getting stopped and asked for credentials and will need to talk to Knicks and MSG owner James Dolan about that.

Hopefully when Ewing arrives on Friday for the semis, he won’t have to deal with any security issues, and maybe the Hoyas can continue their magical run in a place he called home for most of his NBA career.