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During a fiery new interview, Zack Snyder blasted “fakers” who have been calling the decision to release his director’s cut of Justice League (a.k.a. The Snyder Cut) as a “win for toxic fandom,” along with those who have questioned to question whether the cut even existed before HBO Max announced it was dropping at least $30 million on restoring the original film. According to Snyder, he’s been advised not to engage with any of his critics, but if he did, he promises it would not be pretty. Via CinemaBlend:

“Those are people that I’ve been held back from confronting, by wiser people in the room. Because I’d love to get at some of these characters. Some direct conversation would be nice. Just to say, one, you don’t know sh*t about what you’re talking about. And we can break down everything they’ve ever [said]. I can make a list. There’s a few of these guys where I could just get a list of everything they’ve ever said, that they thought was right, and [I could tell them] every single thing they’ve said is wrong.”

As for claims that his fans are “toxic” and that releasing the Justice League cut was a “win” for their allegedly abusive behavior, Snyder was having none of it and cited his fanbase’s recent work raising money for suicide prevention. “How is that toxic fandom?” Snyder asked. “They’ve probably achieved more than any other fan base, [and done more] good than any other group.”

Concerns that giving in to the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut campaign would “set a bad precedent” were raised immediately after Snyder announced the news in May 2020. Not even two weeks later, HBO Max chief Tony Goncalves had to address the issue during an interview with The Verge, to which he downplayed concerns. “Consumers have never had more choice, and they’ve never had more of a voice,” Gonvales said. “But that doesn’t mean that we will go and invest our dollars in every single fandom that exists.”

(Via CinemaBlend)

With all due respect to the second and third generation casts, the Skins first generation cast just hits differently, y’know?

The British teen series launched the careers of a few of Hollywood’s most talented stars, three of whom were nominated for a Golden Globe this morning: Nicholas Hoult (Tony) for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy for The Great; Daniel Kaluuya (Posh Kenneth) for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture for Judas and the Black Messiah; and Dev Patel (Anwar) for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for The Personal History of David Copperfield. Those three have been killing it for years — Hoult in Mad Max: Fury Road; Kaluuya in Get Out and Widows; and Patel in Slumdog Millionaire — but there are other non-Globes nominated cast members with strong careers, as well.

Joe Dempsie (Chris) and Hannah Murray (Cassie) were in Game of Thrones as Gendry and Gilly, respectively, while Aimee-Ffion Edwards (Sketch) has appeared in episodes of Luther, Peaky Blinders, and Detectorists. April Pearson (Michelle) is an independent filmmaker, Kaya Scodelario (Effy, the second generation lead) was in The Maze Runner movies and scored the main role in the upcoming Resident Evil reboot, and the Wikipedia for Mike Bailey (Sid) notes that he “still wears glasses,” which is cool. Also, The Crown great Olivia Colman, nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama, was in a third-gen cast episode, so she kinda counts, too.

But for now, let’s celebrate the Skins trio and their Globes nominations.

The Golden Globes air on NBC on February 28.

Research shows that Instagram can have a terrible influence on users’ self-image, especially young girls. Spending hours a day scrolling through pictures of people who look great and are living what appears to be a perfect life can lead to “a lot of self-doubt, self-hate, body image issues.”

This comparison trap leads to feelings of inadequacy which, in turn, can cause depression and anxiety. Some researchers attribute the massive increase in teen suicides over the past decade to social media sites such as Instagram.

The terrible thing is that most of these influencer images have been altered by Photoshop and filters. So the beauty standards presented in the photos are nearly impossible to attain. And, most of the time, the lives the influencers appear to be living are little more than an illusion paid for by a makeup company.

Lawmakers in the UK have taken a big step towards making it harder for people to fall into the comparison trap by banning the use of beauty filters in posts that promote skincare products or cosmetics.

That’s a huge move being that cosmetic companies spend millions on Instagram advertising every year. According to Forbes, Maybelline spends 60% of its social media ad dollars on Instagram with Sephora spending 43%, and Estee Lauder, 46%.

The decision was made by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and it applies to all brands, influencers, and celebrities based in the UK.

“An ongoing focus of our work in this area continues to be on raising awareness of the rules and supporting influencers with the guidance and tools they need to help get their ads right,” an ASA spokesperson said.

“We’re also working closely with the social media platforms who can and will enforce our rulings where an advertiser is unwilling or able to work with us,” the spokesperson continued.

The decision not only encourages marketers on the platform to present more realistic images of beauty, but it also prevents people from purchasing products that don’t work. Using a special effect to show how the efficacy of a product is false advertising.

So now, UK consumers won’t be fooled by seeing flawless, unrealistic-looking skin. Instead, they can see how the product actually works on people who have skin like themselves.

The ban was inspired by the work of makeup artist Sasha Pallari, who started the #FilterDrop campaign in the hope of seeing “more real skin” on Instagram.

“I feel like the detrimental effect this is having on social media users has finally been taken seriously and this is a huge step in the right direction for how filters are used and the way cosmetics are advertised online,” she told the BBC.

“I can now help make a difference to how these women view themselves in the mirror and that’s amazing,” she continued.

All eyes were on Tierra Whack after she released her groundbreaking debut 2018 project Whack World, which boasted fifteen tracks all clocking in at exactly one minute. Whack was shortly thereafter inducted into the 2019 XXL Freshman Class and fans began hoping for a full-length follow up. Instead, Whack has spent the last year releasing stand-alone singles, parodying Planet Fitness gym instructors, and blessing her followers with the occasional freestyle. Whack has now returned to once again showcase her lyrical abilities with yet another hard-hitting freestyle.

On Wednesday, Whack posted a clip of her reworking Ludacris’ 2003 track “Stand Up” to Instagram. Positioning herself as a clever wordsmith over the bass-heavy beat, Whack rapped: “Ain’t no checking me / Unless you got a check for me / I ain’t for longevity / You just better be doing better than me / Especially because you boast the negativity regularly.”

After posting the impressive clip, Whack received praise from her musical contemporaries in the comments. Artists like Jessie Reyez, Flying Lotus, Tessa Violet, and many more all commended the artist for her breath control, creativity, and animated delivery.

The last we heard from Tierra Whack was last November when the rapper released the single “Feel Good.” Whack said the song was born out of reflecting on her success and telling herself that she needs to practice being more present.

Watch Whack freestyle over Ludacris’ “Stand Up” above.

Morgan Wallen has become a crossover country star in recent months, with his latest release, Dangerous: The Double Album, spending multiple weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 (a spot it holds on the current chart). His ascent hasn’t been without controversy, though. First, there was the maskless party that got him booted from Saturday Night Live (although he appeared on the show weeks later). Now, he’s in even hotter water after he was filmed using the N-word. Wallen offered an apology, but that wasn’t enough to stop his label, Big Loud, from suspending his recording contract.

Now, some of Wallen’s country music peers have spoken out against him. Maren Morris offered a tweet that was a response to country fans who insist that Wallen’s behavior isn’t representative of Nashville, as she wrote, “It actually IS representative of our town because this isn’t his first ‘scuffle’ and he just demolished a huge streaming record last month regardless. We all know it wasn’t his first time using that word. We keep them rich and protected at all costs with no recourse.”

She also responded to a tweet from songwriter/producer Bonnie J. Baker, which read, “if a female artist did 5% of the sh*t he has pulled she would be dropped immediately by everyone.” Morris added, “yup. we’d be dropped, endorsements lost, social pariahs to music row…” Morris’ tweets, by the way, were posted before Wallen’s label revealed the contract suspension.

Jason Isbell was asked for his thoughts about Wallen and he didn’t mince words with his tweeted response: “Wallen’s behavior is disgusting and horrifying. I think this is an opportunity for the country music industry to give that spot to somebody who deserves it, and there are lots of black artists who deserve it.”

Kelsea Ballerini also weighed in on the situation, with her initial reaction being a tweet that reads, “The news out of Nashville tonight does not represent country music.” Another user replied, “This might not be YOU. It may not be country artists YOU associate with. But not acknowledging that this DOES exists, in spades in the genre, allows people to wash their hands of trying to get it fixed.” Ballerini responded with gratitude by acknowledging the person’s point: “I hear you, and absolutely acknowledge this…thank you.”

Find some tweets about the Wallen situation from other country artists below.

UK musician Nilüfer Yanya made a big splash with her debut album Miss Universe, which landed on Uproxx’s Best Albums Of 2019 list. Yanya has since gone on to play festivals, tour the world, and secure a spot on NPR’s Tiny Desk series. In 2020, Yanya followed up her album’s release with a three track EP, which she now showcases with a performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

Backed by a full band, Yanya gives a playful rendition of her Feeling Lucky? track “Crash.” Yanya took center stage positioned in front of colorful blocks and mood lighting to deliver the revved-up anthem.

Ahead of her EP’s release, Yanya described the inspiration behind her project. “One of the songs had the theme of luck in it as a concept, but then I realized they all do,” she said. “That got me thinking about luck in general; good and bad. Things out of our control and things in control of us, how often we put acts and happenings down to the fortune of good luck or bad luck when things exceed our expectations or don’t go according to plan.”

Watch Yanya perform “Crash” on Fallon above.

Feeling Lucky? is out now via ATO records. Get it here.

For the past few years, we’ve watched the Proud Boys show up at rallies and protests to declare—sometimes violently—the supremacy of Western civilization, their pride in having a penis, and a glaringly apparent inferiority complex.

Today the Canadian government officially declared the Proud Boys a “terrorist entity,” adding the group to a list that includes notorious terrorist groups such as ISIS and al-Qaeda. The move comes after the Canadian Parliament unanimously passed a motion last month for the federal government to make the designation.

The Proud Boys is a men’s club whose members identify themselves as “Western Chauvinists.” The group was formed in 2016 by Canadian Gavin McInnes, who has since cut ties with the group (apparently to help some members who were facing assault and riot charges in 2018). According to the AP, McInnes has claimed that the group is not a far-right extremist group that espouses racist ideology, however, he has acknowledged that there is overlap between the Proud Boys and white nationalist groups.

The group was reportedly part of the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6—a detail noted by government officials. Though the Capitol attack was not the “driving” factor for the designation, they said that it did put a lot of information into the public domain, which went into the intelligence reports.

“Their intent and their escalation toward violence became quite clear,” Canadian Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said in a briefing.

Blair said that they’ve seen this escalation toward violence since 2018, and that group members espouse misogynistic, Islamophobic, anti-Semitic, anti-immigrant, and white supremacist ideologies.

“The group and its members have openly encouraged, planned, and conducted violent activities against those they perceive to be opposed to their ideology and political beliefs,” the Canadian government explained in briefing materials, adding that the group “regularly attends Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests as counter-protesters, often engaging in violence targeting BLM supporters. On January 6, 2021, the Proud Boys played a pivotal role in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.”

According to the Washington Post, a terrorist designation means the police can seize group or group members’ property and banks can seize their assets. People can be prosecuted for giving the group money or paraphernalia, and group members can be denied entry to Canada.

Canada is the first country to designate the Proud Boys a terrorist group. However, some anti-hate and civil liberties groups in Canada have been unsure about the wisdom of such a designation.

The Canadian Anti-Hate Network wrote on Twitter, “We have previously expressed concern that the definition of a terrorist entity would have to change, or the bar be lowered, to list the Proud Boys—on the basis that a loosened definition could be exploited to target BIPOC or anti-racist groups in the future.” However, they added, Minister Blair had contacted them to address the concern, telling them that based on the information the government has, the Proud Boys “more than meet the criteria to be designated a terrorist entity.”

When asked in today’s press briefing whether the U.S. would consider a similar declaration, White House press secretary Jen Psaki responded, “We, of course, have a review underway—a domestic violence extremism review…I expect we will wait for that review to conclude before making any determinations.”

While it’s understandable that investigations have to happen as they did in Canada, this designation is merely acknowledging what we’ve all seen with our own eyes. We’ve already had the FBI warn us that white supremacists are our biggest domestic terror threat and Congress has also acknowledged that “white supremacists and other far-right-wing extremists are the most significant domestic terrorism threat facing the United States.” In addition, on January 30, prosecutors announced conspiracy charges against the Proud Boys for their role in the Capitol riot.

It’s not a stretch to see that the Proud Boys, who engage in political violence and who closely fraternize with white supremacists even if they deny espousing those views as a group, pose a clear and present threat to the safety and security of our nation.

Nikola Jokic is among the early frontrunners for this season’s MVP award, as the Nuggets big man is off to a sensational start, averaging 26.8 points, 11.8 rebounds, 8.6 assists, and 1.8 steals per game on ridiculous efficiency, shooting 57.4 percent from the field and 38.4 percent from three-point range.

The other top contenders right now seem to be Joel Embiid and LeBron James, the latter of whom Jokic and the Nuggets will face on Thursday night in a marquee matchup of two of the West’s best teams. Jokic’s passing ability and court vision is among the best in the league, regardless of position, and that attribute has drawn comparisons to the likes of LeBron, who is likewise a preternatural passer of the ball. On Wednesday, Jokic was asked about the similarities in his game to that of James’, which was clearly meant to be about his passing and floor generalship, but Nikola used as an opportunity to have some fun.

It’s a hysterical retort, as Jokic never misses an opportunity to have some fun in his press conferences. Jokic, of course, is not exactly known for being fleet of foot, but I do think it’s fair to say his athletic abilities are underrated at this point. He’s certainly not LeBron James, but he can get up and down the floor and, on occasion, will throw down a big dunk just to remind folks he can. Still, his game is known for being floor-bound, using cunning, guile, and immense skill and touch to do his damage, not through sheer physical force of will.

There aren’t many public hangout spots that are as open as they used to be pre-pandemic, but Rhye (aka Michael Milosh) has offered a bit of a reminder of what life used to be like with his Jimmy Kimmel Live! performance of “Black Rain.”

On last night’s episode, Milosh and his band took to a roller rink to perform as they were orbited by roller skaters. The performance aligns with what Milosh previously said of the song: “It has this ’80s version of disco, like the way Quincy Jones was interpreting disco.”

Milosh also previously said the song took on a new meaning for him in light of the California wildfires: “It was really strange: I didn’t really understand, myself, why I was singing this whole ‘Black Rain’ thing. And then very soon after, we get these wildfires, and we were literally seeing soot falling from the sky and landing on the driveway, and it was all over the windshield of our car, and it’s on the roof of our house. That’s actually a really terrifying feeling. […] These forest fires are really, really, real — they’re not just some distant mountain where you don’t know where it is.”

Watch Rhye perform “Black Rain” above.

Home is out now via Loma Vista Recordings. Pre-order it here.

Alongside her work as a prolific songwriter and vocalist for Big Thief, Adrianne Lenker has also released solo music for years. In 2020, Lenker retreated to an isolated cabin to quarantine and found herself inspired by the surrounding nature, which led her to release the delicate album Songs (and the accompanying Instrumentals). Now, Lenker follows up her LP with a dreamy video accompanying her Songs track “Forwards Beckon Rebound.”

For the visual, Lenker brought producer V Haddad and cinematographer Adam Gundersheimer to the Wild Heart Ranch in Joshua Tree. During sunset, she executed a beautifully-choreographed dance against the desert’s picturesque landscape.

Ahead of the visual’s release, Lenker was named as the musician that Phoebe Bridgers would want to join Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus, and herself in their indie powerhouse supergroup Boygenius. Bridgers recently sat down for an interview on Radio.com’s New Arrivals show with Bryce Segall, who compared Boygenius to the veteran group Crosby, Stills & Nash. Following the comparison, Segall asked who Boygenius’ Neil Young would be and Bridgers replied: “It’s Adrianne Lenker. She’s out there doing her own thing. I feel like we would go on tour and every five years Adrianne would join.”

Watch Lenker’s “Forwards Beckon Rebound” video above.

Songs and Instrumentals are out now via 4AD. Get them here.