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Stephen King’s The Stand is widely regarded as one of the greatest post-apocalyptic works of fiction of all time. It’s so beloved that, twelve years after the book’s original 1978 release, Doubleday (which previously asked King to trim) allowed the English muffin-fueled King to tack on 400 or so pages for a Complete and Uncut Edition that weighed in at 1,152 pages. The story didn’t markedly change with the additions, and yet, this was a rare instance of a work benefiting from some extra padding. (Weird, right? And I’m generally of the “vomit a bunch of words up, and start trimming, and then trim some more” camp of writing.) King, who anticipated some pushback, even wrote in his forward that the extra pages weren’t merely an “indulgence” but, rather, an effort to make the book greater than the sum of its parts. He added shading and flavor and more of that weird-ass King humor, and the Uncut edition stood in place of the original, much more so than some overwrought “director’s cuts” of movies that end up surfacing.

In that way, King’s The Stand broke the rules, and for the better. It’s been a good decade since I last reread the book, and I wasn’t quite insane enough to attempt to reread the entire shebang again in a year like this. I also didn’t revisit the 1990s miniseries because I recall that project to be lacking the spirit of the book. So, a compromise was in order. I downloaded the Audible book and, over the course of three months, I listened while driving and working out and such. It’s not something that normal people would listen to in 2020 (and it’s 47 hours long), but I believe that it helped me get through this year because The Stand does include some sneaky optimism. It also set me up to be disappointed in CBS All Access’ reboot, which didn’t happen. This is not a perfect adaptation, but it more than justifies its existence. It also, fortunately, does not feel like an “indulgence” like many reboots do, but like an update for our times. And it gives me some hope that our current situation will eventually lead to healing.

I believe that this reboot (to borrow King’s terminology) will satisfy his Constant Readers, who appreciate that this is not really a “pandemic” story. Yes, the Captain Trips superflu is a catalyst, but the story’s much more about what happens after the fact. It’s about humanity’s choice for whether to (as banally simplistic as this sounds) rally for good or for evil. Tellingly, the book also arrived at a point in King’s writing career where he moved past simply scaring the sh*t out of people, and here, he wrote about the rebuilding of society. It’s an expansive instance of storytelling and one that truly deserves to be described as “epic,” but one must wade through hundreds of pages about the superflu to really get to the good stuff. And then there’s the 2020 reality: there’s no way to convince an audience to hang for 3-4 episodes of misery in a 9-episode limited series, to get to some sort of payoff.

Fortunately, the powers that be (creator/showrunner Benjamin Cavill and director Josh Boone, along with a writing team that includes King’s son, Owen, and King himself) realized — long before our current global crisis arose — that a linear telling wasn’t the way to go. They couldn’t possibly have anticipated the pandemic back when this reboot was announced as a CBS All Access limited series. They did, however, recognize that we’ve seen more than enough pandemic-involved movies over the past few decades. Like, watching anything that vaguely resembles Contagion is so not what I need, now or ever. Nor is it what the public at large wants. And we don’t need to see a retelling that feels derivative of stories that were unmistakably influenced by King’s seminal work.

What does this mean for The Stand reboot? The show bypasses a lot of King’s pandemic backdrop. It’s still there, sure, mostly in the debut episode. There’s vomiting and coughing from the virus that wiped out 99% of the world’s population. It’s not pleasant, but this doesn’t last long. If viewers can make it past that stuff, then they’ll be rewarded with a fresh treatment on this cast of characters, who jump ahead several months after the devastation. The updated format also allows Boone (a Constant Reader) to get down with exposing the heart of the story and start building momentum for the all-important showdown that will happen within less time than a standard season. The structure works because it’s damn comforting to see people (quickly) coming together in a constructive and meaningful way. It’s the right approach for a modern retelling of King’s story.

So mercifully, there’s less road-tripping as survivors answer to dreams — from either Mother Abagail (Whoopi Goldberg) or Randall Flagg (Alexander Skarsgård) — and slowly make their way to either Boulder, Colorado or Las Vegas, respectively. Parts of these pilgrimages happen in flashbacks, largely from the perspective of Stu Redman, an east Texan embodied by James Mardsen. (Boy, I bet Mardsen was thrilled to play a cowboy-ish character who’s actually one of the only dudes who lives, so he doesn’t have to die, over and over again in Westworld fashion.)

Next to Stu in this photo, you’ll notice Larry Underwood (Jovan Adepo). His backstory (that of a drugged-out singer who’s about to finally make it big as the virus hits) receives a lot of face time in flashbacks, but that story’s also lacking in dimension and “Baby Do You Dig Your Man” jokes. Larry, as a character, got the shaft, man. As did Frannie Goldsmith (Odessa Young), the pregnant young woman who’s poised to provide a lot of clues on whether humanity can survive, long-term, but who’s treated as an object of the male gaze. Both Larry and Frannie suffer from a lack of depth in this reboot. They go through the motions of their backstories, but that action doesn’t show us what’s going on inside of them beyond the obvious grieving-factor associated with losing loved ones. It’s odd, because the rest of the main players are drawn with such dimension.

The Stand reboot — at least in the first half of the season screened for critics — serves as a fine rendering of realistically flawed characters who maneuver toward an ultimate reckoning for mankind. The polar opposites are represented well by performances from Goldberg and Skarsgård. Her role is a necessarily restrained one, full of wisdom, whereas he gets to have a damn good time. And it’s fun to watch. His take on Randall Flagg combines his True Blood vamp charisma and Hold The Dark menacing vibes, all laced with shades of his very bad man from Big Little Lies. And these days, really, one can’t seem to adapt a King yarn without a Skarsgård leering up from the sewer and whatnot. Bill Skarsgård scared the bejesus out of everyone as Pennywise and did the Castle Rock thing; and Alexander is here, giving it his all, as Flagg.

Put a Skarsgård in every King project, I say. Throw Gustaf into The Eyes of the Dragon as a wizard-y version of Flagg. Put Stellan into a remake of Needful Things as the shopkeeper. It’s like Mad-Libs but more chilling, and I’m being completely silly now, but really, Alexander Skarsgård is fantastic as Flagg, as the The Man In Black, and as The Walkin’ Dude. He commands every scene he’s got, and his interactions with Amber Heard, who portrays the doomed Nadine Cross, are otherworldly. (And finally, this series gives Heard a role with depth, and I’m here for it.) Much of the cast brings it, including Owen Teague (from the IT movies), who delivers a different Harold Lauder spin than I saw coming. Goodbye, greasy dude who’s in love with Payday candy bars, and hello, unsettling hybrid of The Joker/Tom Cruise Jumping On A Couch.

There’s a lot to like here, which is something I did not expect from a reboot that’s been so long in the making that it could have fizzled upon arrival. Hell, even Ben Affleck was working on a The Stand movie for awhile. Fortunately, this project landed in Josh Boone’s hands. He’s crawled inside of this story, dug into all the guts, and emerged with the soul within his grasp. He and Ben Cavill have constructed a reflective, rather than exploitative, take on what happens when society collapses due to a set of grievous human mistakes and some supernatural shenanigans afoot, too. And what a cast, man. Lots of familiar faces in smaller roles, like Heather Graham (as Rita Blakemoor) and Greg Kinnear (as Prof. Glen Bateman). Hell, even J.K. Simmons is here, doing his thing where he smacks you upside the head in a seemingly small role that burrows into the fabric of reality. He’s great. The Stand reboot is pretty great, too, if only people will ignore the “pandemic” stuff enough to give it a chance.

‘The Stand’ premieres December 17th (on CBS All Access) with new episodes premiering weekly.

Wednesday, December 16, was the worst day of the pandemic in America, with a reported 247,357 new COVID-19 infections and 3,656 new virus-related deaths. But Tucker Carlson, in all his wisdom, focused on an equally important topic during last night’s Tucker Carlson Tonight: the “Dr.” in “Dr. Jill Biden.” Carlson is one of many conservatives who have recently been obsessed with the soon-to-be First Lady’s doctorate, spurned on by a misogynistic and roundly criticized op-ed in the Wall Street Journal — this week alone, the Fox News anchor said, “Jill Biden is not a doctor, no. Maybe in the same sense Dr. Pepper is,” and on Wednesday, he attacked her again.

“We read her dissertation this week,” Carlson said. “Dr. Jill needs reading glasses, either that, or she’s borderline illiterate. There are typos everywhere, including in the first graph of the introduction. Dr. Jill can’t write, she can’t really think clearly, either.” He continued, “Part of the dissertation seems to be written in a foreign language using English words. They’re essentially pure nonsense like pig Latin or dogs barking. The whole thing is incredibly embarrassing. And not simply to poor illiterate Jill Biden, but to the college that considered this scholarship.” Carlson also came equipped with a “I’m not sexist, I’m just telling it like it is” defense, which usually (100 percent of the time) means you’re saying something sexist. “We call Dr. Jill’s husband dumb all the time,” he explained, with a sh*t-eating grin. “In fact, we’re going to go full feminist here and admit that Dr. Jill is a lot smarter than the man she married… So it’s not a sexism thing.”

Here’s the rant, if you dare.

It is a sexism thing, as Carlson has repeatedly referred to Sebastian Gorka — who is not a medical doctor, which Carlson (and Ben Shapiro, not a person you ever want to be aligned with) apparently thinks is the only kind of doctor — as Dr. Gorka.

Phoebe Bridgers has been one of the more creative remote performers during the pandemic, and she brought some of that magic to The Late Late Show last night for her performance of “Kyoto.”

The video begins with her laying in bed before she grabs a microphone and launches into the song. After checking her phone, she gets out of bed and somehow finds herself in Carnegie Hall. Bridgers explained the performance in a chat with Corden ahead of it, saying, “Well, I’m technically right here, but I’m green-screening into Carnegie Hall, which was strangely… I played a benefit concert for Tibet House and Carnegie Hall was the last place I played for human beings in a room. So I’m green-screening into Carnegie Hall with my very close friend Rob Moose. […] So he’s green-screening from New York and I’m in LA.”

Elsewhere during their conversation, Bridgers revealed that her mother often takes to Twitter to defend her against Twitter haters, saying, “If an anonymous account hates you for saying something negative about me, it’s a 95-percent chance it’s my mother.” She also talked about the origins of her friendship with Phoebe Waller-Bridge, which stemmed from the similarity between their names.

Watch Bridgers perform “Kyoto” on The Late Late Show above.

Last Updated: December 16th

When it comes to Christmas classics, Disney’s got the market cornered and now that they’ve opened the vault with their streaming platform, Disney+, it’s time to take advantage of their holiday film library. From Tim Allen comedies to Muppets, animated favorites, and a modern take on the story of Old Saint Nick, these movies make up some of the best seasonal watches you’ll find so get into the Christmas spirit with our guide to the best holiday films streaming on Disney+ right now.

The Santa Clause (1994)

Run Time: 97 min | IMDb: 6.4/10

Tim Allen stars in this Christmas classic about an ad executive and absentee father, who accidentally knocks Kris Kringle off his roof one Christmas Eve and becomes the new Jolly Old in the red suit. Allen plays Scott Calvin, a divorced dad trying his best to co-parent his young son Charlie with his ex and her new husband, a psychologist. When Charlie and Scott have a holiday adventure that brings them to the North Pole where Scott is forced to don the Christmas get-up and deliver toys, he faces down more than just a weight gain and some graying hairs. It’s an original premise and Allen is in his element as the comedic relief of this one.

Home Alone 2: Lost In New York (1992)

Run Time: 120 min | IMDb: 6.7/10

Rarely does a sequel surpass an original, but that’s what happened in the early ’90s when little Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) took a solo trip to the Big Apple for Christmas. Just one year after his truly neglectful parents left him home by himself for the holidays, Kevin boards the wrong flight in an airport melee and winds up stranded in NYC. He makes the most of it, staying at The Plaza, racking up room service bills on his father’s credit card, and befriending a bird lady in Central Park, but he must also fight off his former foes, who come looking for him once they’re out from behind bars.

Noelle (2019)

Run Time: 100 min | IMDb: 6.3/10

Anna Kendrick and Bill Hader star in this Disney+ original holiday flick that puts a modern spin on the story of Old Saint Nick. Kendrick plays Noelle, the daughter of Kris Kringle who’s full of Christmas cheer but isn’t destined to wear the red suit. That honor goes to her older brother, Nick (Hader) who would rather lead yoga retreats in Arizona that fly a sled and deliver toys to children. When Nick goes missing before Christmas, Noelle must find him and most of the comedy comes with the journey, as she tries to integrate into normal society, making friends with a divorced detective and his young son as she hunts down her brother and tries to save the holiday.

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Run Time: 76 min | IMDb: 8/10

Tim Burton’s stop-motion animated flick is part musical, part dark-fantasy, part Christmas-mixed-with-Halloween. In other words, it’s got something for everyone. The story follows Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town. Jack’s fed up with constantly celebrating Halloween and decides to take over Santa Claus’ Christmas duties one year instead. He bungles the job and nearly gets Santa killed before setting things right.

The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

Run Time: 85 min | IMDb: 7.7/10

The Muppets liven up Charles Dickens’ usually dreary tale of grumpiness, regret, and holiday season renewal in an instant holiday classic that casts Michael Caine opposite the likes of Kermit, Gonzo, Miss Piggy, and all the rest. The first Muppet film created after the passing of Jim Henson, son Brian Henson does a more than capable job in the director’s chair, rallying the usual band of behind the scenes talents to inject some familiar heart and soul into this beloved band of characters in a truly memorable effort.

Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

Run Time: 96 min | IMDb: 7.9/10

Sure, we wish the ’90s remake with Matilda and Richard Attenborough was also available on Disney+, but you’ve got to pay tribute to the classics, especially at Christmas, and this movie is still one of the best holiday films out there. The plot follows an elderly man named Kris Kringle (Edmund Gewnn) who claims to be Santa Claus. While one little girl believes him, he begins to threaten a department store’s holiday sales and is institutionalized while a young lawyer does his best to prove he is the real deal.

Frozen (2013)

Run Time: 102 min | IMDb: 7.5/10

Sure, technically this movie isn’t about Christmas, but it’s got snow. Lots of it. So it’s still a good winter watch. Disney switched up its formulaic princess model with this icy musical about two orphaned sisters who must work together to protect their kingdom from evil forces. Kristen Bell plays Anna, the perky protagonist and younger sibling to Queen Elsa (Idina Menzel), a young woman with extraordinary abilities who must hide her powers from the world. The songs are terrific, the animation is superb, and you can’t tell us that you don’t love Josh Gad as a talking snowman.

Home Alone (1990)

Run Time: 103 min | IMDb: 7.6/10

Even though we’ve taken a clear side in the war over which Home Alone slaps hardest (see above) the original film is still a worthy holiday binge. It stars Macaulay Culkin as Kevin, a young boy left at home over the holidays when his family wakes up late, rushes to the airport, and forgets to bring him along. While they’re losing their minds, he’s enjoying his freedom but a couple of bumbling robbers put a damper on those plans.

Babes In Toyland (1960)

Run Time: 106 min | IMDb: 6.3/10

Okay, so this isn’t the Drew Barrymore version, and it’s definitely lacking enough Keanu Reeves, but this classic is one of the better iterations of this Victor Herbert operetta. The story follows Mary Contrary and Tom Piper, who are set to be wed before Mary is kidnapped by a villain named Barnaby who wants her for himself. Tom must race to find her and that chase is what fuels the action, as he navigates hilarious mishaps through the magical world of toys.

I’ll Be Home For Christmas (1998)

Run Time: 86 min | IMDb: 5.5/10

The original ’90s heartthrob, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, stars in this holiday film about a college kid named Jake struggling to get home before Christmas. When he’s left stranded in the desert with no money, he’s got to improvise to travel the few thousand miles back to his hometown. It’s light and fun and full of nostalgia if you were a ’90s kid who had a poster of JTT on their bedroom wall.

Accessibility in the whiskey world is a pie with three very different shaped pieces. The first and biggest section — the one that most of us know best — is made up of the easy (and reasonably easy) to find bottles of scotch, bourbon, rye, Irish, and other assorted whisk(e)y styles. Bottles that are available at every liquor store, grocer, and bottle shop in the country. The second section represents the expressions that are a little harder to find, but definitely not impossible — available in limited quantities, at specialty shops, and (often) released on seasonal schedules. The last slice is the smallest. The hard-to-find bottles that you either have luck into finding, pay extra for, or get the chance to purchase because you know the owner of the place selling them.

These rarer bottles are often dubbed “unicorn bottles” when discovered in the wild (liquor stores). In some cases, you need to win a lottery just to be given the right to purchase them. If you miss out, you’re looking at serious markups on the aftermarket. But even with their frustrating levels of scarcity, these bottles are often deemed worth lusting for by aficinados.

Why? Because they’re just that good.

We ask 12 bartenders to tell us their favorite hard-to-find bottles of whiskey on the market. Some picked expressions they’ve tried and others called out bottles they’re still chasing — proof that even the folks slinging the stuff can’t get their mitts on some of this juice.

Weller Full Proof

Gavin Humes, bartender at Scratch|Bar & Kitchen in Encino, California

There are a ton that fit this question, but for now, I’m trying to get my hands on a Weller Full Proof Bourbon. It’s a nice wheated bourbon, which is something I’ve been looking to add to my collection. Weller has historically made whiskey that’s been among the best, and this “full proof” bourbon is just right for sipping on one large rock.

It’s got the classic characteristics of a wheated bourbon — where the sweetness and almost nutty quality emphasize the vanilla and caramel with a touch of dried fruits.

Red Spot

Samantha Casuga, head bartender of The Dead Rabbit in New York City

Red Spot. I have a natural affinity towards Irish whiskeys (obviously) and have always loved single pot stills. When Red Spot came to our bar, we were so excited to try it. This is a 15-year-old Irish pot still whiskey finished in a combination of American bourbon casks, Spanish oloroso sherry butts, and marsala wine barrels.

Many complex flavors and just a great reminder of the power Irish whiskey has.

Yamazaki 12

Deena Sayers, bartender at Common Ground in New York City

Yamazaki is hands down my favorite whiskey producer as well as the hardest to find. The signature 12 Year is in high demand due to its incredible number of layers that all blend into one beautiful masterpiece. From butter, honey, and vanilla, that transform into an orange and cranberry sweetness, with a crisp clean finish and subtle smoke that will keep you wanting more.

Angel’s Envy Finished in Japanese Mizunara Oak

Gabe Urrutia, USBG bartender in Miami

Right now, I am chasing Angel’s Envy Kentucky Straight Bourbon finished in Japanese Mizunara Oak casks. It was created in celebration of their Founder’s Day on August 19th, the 10th anniversary of the first port barrel filled by Angel’s Envy, so they’ve decided to release this beauty. It has some crazy tropical notes as well as mocha and wood. It’s quite complex because of the blend of 4 and 9-year-old whiskies.

Only 1,200 bottles will be released with a first release at the distillery, then at select retailers in Kentucky. Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s making its way out of bourbon country.

Red Breast 27

Jane Danger, beverage director at Mother of Pearl in New York City

Red Breast 27 is luxury in a glass. Aged in a few of my favorite ex-barrels, bourbon, and sherry, for 26 years. Then finished for the last year in Ruby Port barrels. If the deep garnet color isn’t a dead giveaway for the flavor you are in for the aromas of walnuts, deep berry, thyme, and toffee. Once you get a sip the holiday cheer surrounds you — sweet red wine, sugar plum, vanilla, custard — instead of a burn from alcohol there is white pepper and chili spice. In the end, there is Irish wood spice to remind you this is a whiskey.

I would never mix this, but a slice of blue cheese or Irish cheddar on the side would be sublime.

Glenfiddich Winter Storm

Sebastien Derbomez, brand advocacy manager at William Grant & Sons

Try to get your hands on Glenfiddich Winter Storm Icewine Cask finish 21 Year Old. It’s wonderful on the nose and has soft sweet notes of candied fruit and Turkish delight. Pair this single malt whisky with your favorite cheesecake! You’ll thank me later.

Elmer T. Lee

Jonathan Stanyard, bartender at Feast in Kirkland, Washington

It may not be the absolute hardest to find, but for what it is worth, the Elmer T. Lee bourbon from Buffalo Trace is epic. This juice is everything a bourbon should be. Oak, caramel, grain, and spice fill your nose and transfer to the palate as you savor it.

Evan Williams 23

Hayden Miller, head bartender at Bodega Taqueria y Tequila in Miami

Evan Williams 23. A bourbon past the age statement generally sought out for my palate, this is just fantastic to sip. Rich age flavors of smoke and wood are complemented by a sweeter finish that is accentuated by the higher proof and subtle heat.

Pappy Van Winkle

Brooks Cloud, founder and managing partner of Proof Old Fashioned Cocktail Syrup in Decatur, Georgia

The unicorn of whiskey has to be the Pappy Van Winkle. It’s probably my favorite liquid in the world — next to Proof, of course.

William Larue Weller

Stefan Huebner, co-owner and head mixologist at Dot Dot Dot in Charlotte, North Carolina

William Larue Weller. It’s an amazing bottle of whiskey, part of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. It’s a once-a-year release with very low availability. It has big vanilla, oak, and robust leather/tobacco flavors, making it the perfect whiskey to sip while you’re sitting by the fireplace.

Blanton’s

Robert Gleim, managing partner at Bamboo Willie’s Beachside Bar in Pensacola, Florida

Blanton’s is hard to find. When you see it at your favorite place, order a glass. Its depth of citrus, rich flavors, and warming spices make it an awesome tasting bourbon. Put it in your collection at home.

Weller 12

Jon Bacon, bartender at FireLake Grill House and Cocktail Bar in Bloomington, Minnesota

It’s annoying how Weller 12 Year Kentucky Bourbon has become a poorly kept secret. For years I was able to pick up a bottle in October for around $30, now it doesn’t even hit shelves, but goes right to the secondary markets for around $350.

It’s incredibly smooth and well-balanced… from what I remember.

As much as Juicy J is known for his work, both as a solo artist and with his Three 6 Mafia collective, the Memphis native is also a phenomenal producer, which plenty of classic records to his name. One of those is UGK and Outkast’s “Int’l Players Anthem,” and in a recent interview with HipHopDX, Juicy J revealed that Three 6 Mafia was supposed to appear on the classic record. The Stay Trippy rapper talked about being replaced on the song, saying, “I was like, ‘Man, God dang,’ because, see, what was crazy, me and Paul did a verse on it at first.” He then detailed how and why the label blocked Three 6 Mafia’s original verse.

“The label had denied the clearance. I was like, ‘What the f*ck? Why you all didn’t let me know?’ Man I was ready to go up there and f*cking cause hell at that label,” he said. “Who the hell authorized that? I was like, ‘Who would authorize something dumb like that?’” He added, “But anyway, so then they put Outkast on it and I didn’t even know.” After hearing the news, Juicy J approached UGK about getting Three 6 Mafia back on the song, but, of course, the attempt failed.

“I was like, ‘What happened to our verses?’ [UGK] were like, ‘Man, they didn’t clear y’all, man. So we put Outkast on it.’ I was like, ‘F*ck! Put our verses back on it,” Juicy J said. “André 3000 and muthaf*cking Big Boi, like legendary — I was like ‘Man,’ I called that label — I ain’t even going to tell you all the sh*t I said. I was so f*cking mad.”

Juicy J concluded that the reason Three 6 Mafia was blocked from the track was due to a combination of the industry, “politics,” and the Memphis group’s success at the time. Despite his frustrations, Juicy J made sure to show love to Outkast.

“Don’t get me wrong. You know, me and Paul produced the beat. So I ain’t tripping, but I wanted to have my verse on that song,” he said. “You know what I’m saying? But yeah, it’s definitely one of the all-time favorite — all-time greats. Look, man, we’ve done a lot, though. We done change the game, man.” He added, “A lot of stuff just sound like our stuff now, man, which I love but I ain’t going to lie. It’s cool, man.”

(via HipHopDX)

Outgoing president Donald Trump clearly doesn’t want to go anywhere. He’s spent the last six weeks desperately contesting the election he clearly lost to Joe Biden, filling the courts and his once-easily hacked Twitter feed with baseless claims of voter fraud. None of it has worked, and a new report from CNN paints a chaotic picture of the about-to-be-reshuffled White House, with sources claiming the former reality star has even floated the idea of just not leaving.

Mind you, the report claims that, when he speaks about refusing to vacate 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., he’s been “walked down from that ledge.” How often this happens and how permanently he’s been “walked down” go unmentioned. One adviser seems to be cautiously optimistic. “He’s throwing a f*cking temper tantrum,” they said. “He’s going to leave. He’s just lashing out.”

Of course, after four years it’s abundantly clear that Trump doesn’t joke, that he hates losing, and that he will try anything to get his way, including eroding faith in the electoral process. (A staggering number of Republicans still believe the 2020 election was rigged, despite the repeated and repeated lack of evidence.) He’s also possibly going to come under a lot of financial and legal duress once he’s no longer shielded by the office of the presidency.

In other words, there’s a chance Trump could bolt himself to his tiny desk on January 20 and not leave. Thing is, him being forcibly dragged out of the White House is something a number of his critics would love to see.

Many said the Secret Service — who he’s repeatedly put in harm’s way, sometimes for nothing more than a drive-by photo op — would gladly do it, too.

Others wonedered if it could be televised.

Trump has shown no public signs of conceding, and in fact has raised a jaw-dropping amount of money from supporters for his efforts to challenge the election — a tiny fraction of which has actually gone to, well, challenging the election. (Again, he owes a ton of money once he’s no longer President of the United States.) Still, maybe that TV channel will wind up being the thing that belatedly gets him to hand over the reins. Clearly, though, many would prefer a spectacle.

(Via CNN)

Mulatto is one of the names on a long list of female rappers — among them Chika and Flo Milli — who’ve made a big splash this year. The Atlanta native made her mainstream entrance with “Muwop,” her collaboration with Gucci Mane. Her rise continued with Queen Of Da Souf, her official debut album. She added another accomplishment to a prolific year, recording a verse on YFN Lucci’s “Wet,” which now has a video.

It finds YFN Lucci and Mulatto in a pool, with Lucci leading the way with a verse of his own. After spending a few intimate moments with a woman in a sauna, he hands the mic off to Mulatto, who brings things inside to a massage room, rapping her verse as she gets a few knots loosened in her back. In addition to YFN Lucci and Mulatto’s appearance in the video, comedian Desi Banks also shows up, appearing alongside a group of women for what looks like a meditation session before he joining Mulatto to get his own massage.

You can watch the “Wet” remix video above.

Queen of Da Souf (Extended Version) is out now via Streamcut/RCA. Get it here.

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

On Wednesday, actor Leonard Roberts penned a lengthy and disturbing article on Variety, in which he detailed alleged friction while acting in the mid-aughts superhero show Heroes, resulting in his role being greatly reduced and his character unceremoniously killed off. Among those who made his experiences unpleasant, he said, was co-star Ali Larter, who played his character’s wife and who, he claimed, treated him differently than she did other screen partners. Mere hours later, Larter has responded, saying Roberts’ account left her “heartbroken.”

Roberts wrote that Larter was distant and cold with him, and that she made dramatic changes in what was supposed to be an intimate scene between their characters. He later learned that she had no such concerns with such scenes with another actor, who’s white, leading him to wonder if race had been a factor. He implied that she was partly responsible for his character being written off the show in the beginning of Season 2.

Larter began trending soon after the Variety article went live, and she soon issued a statement to TVLine, expressing horror at what Roberts had gone through though claiming that none of what she is accused of doing was intentional:

“I am deeply saddened to hear about Leonard Roberts’ experience on Heroes and I am heartbroken reading his perception of our relationship, which absolutely doesn’t match my memory nor experience on the show. I respect Leonard as an artist and I applaud him or anyone using their voice and platform. I am truly sorry for any role I may have played in his painful experience during that time and I wish him and his family the very best.”

Roberts’ Variety piece was corroborated by 10 other people either involved with Heroes or who had knowledge of the experiences in question. Larter had also been contacted, but she wouldn’t make any on-the-record statements. Heroes ran for four seasons starting in 2006, and its creator, Tim Kring, said his goal was to “cast the most diverse show on television.”

(Via TVLine)

It’s been a particularly tough year for small businesses. Because of the ongoing pandemic, local businesses around the country are struggling to make ends meet, and thousands have been forced to shut their doors for good. But with the COVID-19 vaccine now entering wide distribution, the hope is that life will get back to normal in the coming year and boost an economy that has suffered major setbacks.

The NBA and its players, of course, have been active as usual in supporting local causes in their hometowns and elsewhere through the NBA Cares program, as well as individual efforts from players who donate their time and money to help boost business in their community via various outreach programs and initiatives.

Cavs center Larry Nance Jr., who is as committed as anyone to using his platform for positive change, is helping prop up Cleveland-area businesses through a creative new idea to spotlight their goods and services by wearing their apparel to home games this season and giving them a shout-out on social media.

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— Larry Nance Jr (@Larrydn22) December 16, 2020

Nance is asking fans to send him clothing from local businesses that he will wear to games and then donate to local homeless shelters. He will also auction off his game-worn jersey and match the sale price, with the proceeds going to local businesses. It’s an innovative way to get fans involved and keep money funneling into local restaurants, retailers, and manufacturers, particularly during when it’s become so much more convenient to rely on big-box stores for so many of our everyday needs.