If oil companies are gonna jump into the Twitter participation game, they should prepare to be dragged by young politicians who are infinitely more social-media savvy than they are.
That’s what happened to Shell after its official handle posted a poll, quizzing fans on the steps they plan to take to reduce climate-harming emissions as part of a larger energy debate the brand hosted on the social media platform today. Now, we know what you’re thinking — Who would follow a gas company on Twitter? Well, a lot of people, apparently, including House Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Of course, as a proponent of the Green New Deal and an eco-minded activist dedicated to solving climate change, it’s AOC’s job to keep an eye on all the sewage from these billion-dollar oil companies. It’s also her job to call them out on it, like she did today, clapping back at Shell by accusing them of lying about their knowledge of fossil fuels contributing to global warming and challenging them to own up to their role in the climate change catastrophe.
I’m willing to hold you accountable for lying about climate change for 30 years when you secretly knew the entire time that fossil fuels emissions would destroy our planet https://t.co/ekj1Va1Cp0
AOC also used Shell’s attempt at stirring up some positive PR to address a larger issue of oil companies putting the responsibility of solving climate change on the shoulders of the consumer — as if one person buying a Tesla could somehow fix decades’ worth of massive oil conglomerates mining the Earth for fossil fuels.
The audacity of Shell asking YOU what YOU’RE willing to do to reduce emissions.
They’re showing you RIGHT HERE how the suggestion that indiv choices – not systems – are a main driver of climate change is a fossil fuel talking point.
It’s just bad optics all-around for Shell, especially during the middle of a presidential election in which the threat of climate change has been a big talking point. We’re assuming they’ve learned their lesson the hard way, but this is a good teaching moment for anyone else — companies and politicians alike — who thinks they can wield social media to their advantage: You better hope a saucy AOC doesn’t stumble across your Tweet.
Little did we know at the time, but this year’s Grammys was one of the last awards shows to be held in person for a while. The night saw countless memorable moments, like when Billie Eilish became the youngest artist to win a Grammy in all four major categories. The ceremony also featured some captivating performances as well. Tyler The Creator was joined by Boyz II Men, Charlie Wilson, and an army of clones for a rendition of Igor tracks “Earfquake” and “New Magic Wand.” Now, offering insight into the set, Tyler has revealed that his original performance plan was more complex.
Tyler stumbled upon his lofty mock-up for his performance and shared it with his fans today. The rapper had sketched out his vision down to the second, and it involved a moving car and custom-made zoot suits. Apparently, Tyler had wanted to pull up on top of a moving vehicle to face the evil head of the imaginary Igor Corp. The rapper would have still summoned his look-alikes to aid in the performance and engage in a scuffle behind his car while he performed
Boyz II Men and Charlie Wilson didn’t end up wearing full-on zoot suits in Tyler’s performance. However, they did still take some inspiration from the rapper’s original vision and sport bright red suits.
Check out Tyler’s original plan above and revisit his actual Grammys performance here.
Black cats. For centuries, they’ve been the target of conflicting reputations. Some say they’re bad luck. Others—sailors and actors, most notably—wouldn’t dream of launching a ship or a theater production without at least one dark-furred kitty along for the ride.
Superstition aside, Leah Lyman–owner of Jagger’s Journey Cat Rescue in Oregon—simply finds them beautiful. She devotes her life to fostering and finding permanent homes for abandoned black cats and kittens. “I rescue them all, but black cats are my top priority,” she says. “Some people are still ignorant about them. The phobia’s out there.”
In early October, I didn’t need another cat. I had two indoor kitties, plus a barn cat outdoors. But I walked into Petsmart in Springfield, Oregon with my 13-year-old daughter and stopped in front of three cages of black kittens and cats on a table. Lyman stood beside them wearing a tee that read “Rich people have brand logos on their shirts. Happy people have cat hair on their shirts.” I introduced myself, trying not to look at the silky four-month old kitten next to me—a carbon copy of my late lamented Alger Hiss.
Over 17 years, first as a volunteer with other rescue organizations and then as founder of her own non-profit, Lyman has pulled wet filthy kittens from canals, rescued flea-infested dehydrated felines, and set her alarm to bottle-feed orphans every four hours around the clock. Last year, she found a cat suffering from a broken jaw, with glue smeared in its eyes and nostrils. “He was nearly dead, but I rushed him to the vet who repaired his jaw and used mineral oil to remove the glue,” Lyman recalls. She syringe-fed the cat, whom she named Damien, and found him a loving permanent home with an elderly woman and her grandson.
She traces her passion for helping abused animals back to a Southern California childhood spent with an alcoholic father who abused her mother and their pets. The family moved often. “We always had a bunch of animals that I was attached to and we always had to get rid of them or leave them behind,” she explains. “I developed a strong bond with them, regardless.”
After high school, she worked as a show girl in Las Vegas before returning to California. Seventeen years ago, she was volunteering at a Gurrs and Purrs adoption event in Rosemead when someone walked in with a black kitten locked a birdcage. “They’d been keeping him on their front lawn,” she says. “He had a bad respiratory infection, and he was covered in ear mites. We picked off all the mites, and he followed me everywhere. He was the best little cat I’d ever met.”
The cat, Jagger, moved to Oregon with her and an older black kitty 13 years ago, and became the inspiration for her rescue organization. “I saved up all my bartending tips for four years to hire a non-profit lawyer,” she says. “Now I’ve got a circle of people I trust—foster parents, adoption event staff, and an amazing trapper who works with feral cats and kittens. Cats are my world.”
Jagger’s Journey is one of a handful of organizations across the country that specializes in black cat rescue and adoption. There’s also Black Cat Rescue in Boston, and Black Cat Holistic Rescue in Los Angeles. The women behind each agree that cats can be difficult to place in permanent homes. They don’t always show to advantage in adoption pictures, unless they’re photographed in natural light or brightly lit indoors. And superstition–as Lyman points out–persists. “Black cats are less likely to be adopted than other cats,” she says, “though when the movie Black Panther came out, everyone wanted them for a while.”
But that trend has slowed. And so, every Saturday, her cadre of foster parents bring cages of rescued black kittens and cats to an Oregon PetSmart, and she displays them on tables for shoppers to consider adopting. She’s there to answer questions and help potential cat-parents through the application process.
She answers all of my daughter’s questions about the silky black kitten, and then—when I allow that we probably have room in our home and our hearts for another cat—she interviews me extensively about our current pets and our veterinarian and my plans for the kitten if I unexpectedly ascend to that great litterbox in the sky.
“People are starting to consider the underdog,” she says as she approves my completed application and congratulates my daughter on the acquisition of a new friend. “This a lot of work,” she says, “but on the flip side, I see more and more people opening their hearts to black cats.”
2020 has been a difficult and trying year for many, as the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted millions and millions of lives. In the United States, more than 230,000 people have died due to the coronavirus and complications from it, meaning millions have seen the direct impact of losing someone in their family or a close friend.
Among those is Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns, who lost his mother, Jacqueline, to COVID-19 back in April. Towns spoke about his mother’s battle with the virus, which put her in a medically-induced coma prior to her passing, in a video in late March offering a plea for people to take the pandemic seriously and calling for support for medical facilities which were, at the time, facing shortages of PPE, ventilators, and other much-needed equipment.
Since then, Towns has been active in the fight for social justice, marching with citizens in Minnesota after the death of George Floyd, all the while dealing with the devastation of losing his mother, with whom he was extremely close. On Monday night, Towns posted a video to his YouTube channel titled “The Toughest Year Of My Life” in which he sat down for an interview to talk about the weeks that his mother was sick and in the hospital and how he’s tried to deal and cope with the emotions of losing her.
It is a raw account of the most difficult period of his life, as he opened up about everything from making incredibly difficult decisions about how to proceed after she had a stroke to having to call his grandmother to tell her that her daughter had passed. It is something that Towns didn’t have to do publicly, but showing that emotion and explaining how difficult all of it was and still is — he says he simply has to take things day-by-day because how he feels still changes dramatically — is something that can help others that have been dealing with the same things.
There are millions who have lost family members and seeing Towns open up about his grief and how he’s trying to proceed by carrying his mother’s legacy forward is an incredibly powerful thing that can help others recognize they aren’t alone in this and that everyone, even an elite athlete, struggles with the same things on a daily basis and that it’s OK to do so.
Musicians have been tremendously active in the lead-up to this election, more so than any year in recent memory. No matter which way the election goes, it will have a broad impact on the country, and artists have recognized the importance of today. Lizzo has often spoken politically in recent months, and now, on election day, she stripped down to share a powerful message about voting.
She posted a photo of herself in which she wears an American flag jumpsuit that only covers the right half of her body and features flowing arms and legs. In the post’s caption, she writes about her beliefs about the US and its people before ending with a thank-you to people who have voted and will vote today.
Read Lizzo’s full message below.
“When I think of this country I don’t think of its laws I think of its people.
I think about how we were raised to be patriotic of violence, propaganda & war.
I think about how this country is owned by the oppressor and how the oppressed are locked in a valley of capitalism.
But I also think of the young people who refuse to be spoon fed mistruths. I think of the elders who bucked against hateful prejudices even when it felt impossible….
Because of you, I’m still hopeful.
I believe in a country that teaches the true history so we can better understand where we live and how we can do better.
I believe in a country that listens to the cries of the protester and doesn’t politicize death.
I believe in restoration of this beautiful land and respecting the communities of people who owned America before colonizers renamed it.
I believe in fairness, equality, a complete removal of religion in places where it does not belong. Let religion live in the churches and places of worship… the quiet prayer rooms, the joyful congregations.. and out of Congress.
I believe in so much, and if I believe it one day I can see it. It may not be tomorrow it may not be today, but it will be one day if we stay activated.
We the people, ALL the people, deserve it.
Today’s the last day to vote. Stay in line, stay determined and thank YOU for voting.”
Lizzo is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Election Day 2020 was always going to be a weird one, but I don’t think anyone could have predicted “Star Trek actor scolds former-SportsCenter host for comparing the reality show president to a character in a 1977 TV mini-series.” But if you did, please tell me how tonight goes. I would rather watch the nice chess show, thank you very much.
On Tuesday morning, Keith Olbermann tweeted a clip from Donald Trump’s tired-sounding interview on Fox & Friends, in which the president complained about Fox News being unfair to him. “Yes @realDonaldTrump has always been, will always be, and on the day of his bid for re-election, still is: a whiny little Kunta Kinte,” he wrote.
The comparison between Kunta Kinte, the protagonist of Alex Haley’s novel-turned-miniseries about slavery, and Trump was lost on everyone but Olbermann (and Dennis Miller, probably), who deleted the tweet. “Just logged back in: I apologize for my previous subtweet of this,” he later tweeted. “I was using an old 70’s-80’s technique for calling somebody a c*** without writing/saying c***, just using a sound-alike to call Trump a c***. Deleting previous, largely because this one clarifies the c*** part.” (If you’re going to make a big deal out of saying the c-word, say the c-word. Or better yet, and this would be my suggestion, use another word! Also maybe don’t be a white guy comparing another white guy to a Black slave.) Twitter collectively agreed “nope” to Olbermann’s confusing tweet, but it’s Roots star LeVar Burton who had the best response.
The Star Trek: The Next Generation actor added, “Dear @KeithOlbermann, #Kunta is pronounced with a long “u” as in unity, not a short “u” as in cup. Try again! Love, Kunta.”
Dear @KeithOlbermann, #Kunta is pronounced with a long “u” as in unity, not a short “u” as in cup.
Before he landed his breakout role as Jax Teller on Sons of Anarchy, Charlie Hunnam starred on the Fox comedy Undeclared, which was Judd Apatow‘s follow-up to his cult classic series Freaks and Geeks. Thanks to his role on the college comedy, Hunnam became good friends with the Apatow crew, and he became particularly close to Jason Segel, who went on to write Forgetting Sarah Marshall. What people might not know is that the two friends were so tight that Segel originally wrote the part of British rocker Aldous Snow for Hunnam. Yet Russell Brand ended up playing the role in the film and its spinoff, Get Him to the Greek.
As for what happened to Hunnam, the actor has revealed for the first time why he passed on Forgetting Sarah Marshall, which might also explain why he hasn’t appeared in any Apatow projects despite initially being part of that inner circle. Via Collider:
“I was in a dark night of the soul in my career, at that point, and felt as though I needed to seize the trajectory and that just wasn’t really aligning with, at that period of my life and career, what I wanted to be doing. Jason was one of my best friends [the pair had worked together on ‘Undeclared’], which is why he wrote the film for me, but I had to tell him, ‘I’m so sorry, I’m not gonna do this.’ It was one of those things where that wasn’t very well received by the inner circle of that production. I had to stand my ground and say, ‘Listen, it’s nothing personal. I’m just following my North star. I’m just in a weird spot and I’m trying to define for myself what the path forward is.’”
Hunnam also has nothing but praise for Brand’s performance as Aldous Snow, which made him feel like he made the right decision for everyone involved. “Obviously, that’s the dude who should have been playing that role,” Hunnam said. “Clearly, I just needed to step out of the way of the universe manifesting itself, the way that it was supposed to.”
Indie music has grown to include so much. It’s not just music that is released on independent labels, but speaks to an aesthetic that deviates from the norm and follows its own weirdo heart. It can come in the form of rock music, pop, or folk. In a sense, it says as much about the people that are drawn to it as it does about the people that make it.
Oneohtrix Point Never – Magic Oneohtrix Point Never
The latest from Daniel Lopatin comes after he spent much of the 2010s edging closer to the mainstream, thanks to his work on two acclaimed Safdie Brothers films, Good Time and Uncut Gems. With impressive electronic arrangements and a feature from The Weeknd, Magic Oneohtrix Point Never could be the turning point that gets Lopatin’s name on the mind of the masses.
Salem – Fires In Heaven
After nearly ten years of silence, the Michigan group has returned as a duo after losing original vocalist Heather Marlatt. Fires In Heaven marks a welcome return for the notorious group, an eleven-track effort that puts on a display a more focused and refined version of the duo than ever before.
Nothing – The Great Dismal
Four years after forcing everyone to pay attention with their 2016 LP Tired Of Tomorrow, Philadelphia shoegaze outfit Nothing is back with another noisy monster. For The Great Dismal, the quartet teamed up once again with prolific producer Will Yip (Panic! At The Disco, Title Fight, Turnstile) for a record that is as melodic as it is loud, boasting massive percussion and soaring guitars.
Jim-E Stack – Ephemera
On his new album Ephemera, Jim-E Stack recruited the likes of Bon Iver, Dijon, and Empress Of to help him bring his tracks to life, with a focus more on melody than lyrics. Clocking in at just 21 minutes, the album still manages to come off as one of the most impressive releases of 2020, both with its pure star power and the uniquely modern combination of synthesizers and guitars.
Miloe – Greenhouse
With only five tracks, Miloe’s Greenhouse is an incredibly exciting taste of what this 19 year-old Minneapolis artist by way of The Democratic Republic of Congo has to offer from a forthcoming full-length release. Tracks like “Winona” and “Change Your Mind” show an almost effortless knack for melodies that make the project as a whole undeniable.
Shelly – Shelly
Shelly is like the Infinity Gauntlet of lo-fi indie, bringing together Clairo and fellow rising star Claud, who just recently announced their signing to Phoebe Bridgers’ new label Saddest Factory. The two-track single was recorded entirely in quarantine, but the lo-fi nature of the songs only adds to their instant charm.
Covey – Tour To Nobody
When the pandemic set in and the entire touring plan for Tom Freeman’s Covey project was wiped out, instead of accepting defeat, he decided to embark on the Tour To Nobody. In one of the most innovative production processes of the modern quarantine era, Freeman hit the road to film and record performances in off-the-wall tourist destinations across the northeastern United States. The result is an album bursting with inspiration and vitality, with each of the twelve tracks recorded live in different locations around the country.
Rhye – “Back Rain”
After taking substantial time off between albums, Rhye (aka Michael Milosh) is feeling more inspiration than ever, releasing Spirit just last year and now gearing up for another full-length album, Home. The new album is previewed by “Black Rain,” a track that Derrick Rossignol says for Uproxx boasts an “undercurrent [of] funky disco.”
Kevin Morby – “US Mail”
Just a few weeks after releasing his new album Sundowner, Kevin Morby has shared another new standalone single. “US Mail” was originally debuted during a livestream as an ode to support the post office, and it tells the story of a mother and daughter communicating via the USPS from within an inpatient rehab facility.
For her debut album, Australian singer-songwriter Indigo Sparke enlisted Big Thief’s Adrianne Lenker as producer. Sparse and powerful, “Baby” is the first taste from the album, featuring backing vocals from Lenker as well as contributions from her other Big Thief bandmates. Sonically, the track swells with emotion as Sparke’s vocals float atop ethereal guitars.
On his latest single “San Francisco,” 23-year-old singer songwriter Bevan longs for a vacation (don’t we all). Although it was written during a bleak British winter, the sun-soaked track would make for the perfect soundtrack for a carefree drive to the beach in the height of summer.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
With the election Tuesday, several late-night talk shows used their platform to make one last political push before the polls close. For his musical guest, Jimmy Fallon tapped Big Boi and Sleepy Brown to perform the remix of their collaborative track “We The Ones” with Killer Mike and Big Rube on The Tonight Show.
Big Boi and Sleepy Brown first appeared on the stage. The rappers sported Outkast merch, remembering the influence of Big Boi and Andre 3000’s project on the 20th anniversary of their groundbreaking album Stankonia. Later joined by Killer Mike and Big Rube, the four artists detailed the importance of resilience in the powerful anthem.
Ahead of the performance, Killer Mike has been very vocal about his political stance. Most recently, the rapper sat down with Bernie Sanders to discuss the election and the impact of the progressive movement. “I have to say, although I have not talked to Biden, I have had a couple conversations with senator [Kamala] Harris,” Mike said. “I’m very encouraged by her statements in terms of what she plans to do, and help this country do in terms of policy. I’m very encouraged that, as a former prosecutor, that she wishes to steer us in a more restorative justice place.”
Watch Big Boi, Killer Mike, Sleepy Brown, And Big Rube perform “We The One” on The Tonight Show above.
In a new interview with NME, Nas addresses the controversy that followed him name-checking Doja Cat on his comeback single, “Ultra Black.” He previously spoke on the line itself, claiming that he didn’t feel it was a diss during an interview with Power 106, but during this new interview, he talks about being caught off-guard by the controversy and how out-of-touch he feels with modern social media.
“Well, I’ve been away, so, of course, I mention someone’s name that’s popular and people are gonna talk about it,” he replies. “I hear people do it all the time but no one makes a big deal of it. Maybe it’s because I don’t put out records a lot, so they’re like, ‘Whoa!’ I don’t really know the world that these stars live in anymore. I’m rapping the same way I did when I was on the block, but now there’s a new world and what I say can take off with social media and I can’t do anything about it.”
“Ultra Black” drew a backlash from fans due to its line referencing Doja Cat’s recent chat room scandal. “We going ultra-Black, the opposite of Doja Cat,” he rhymes. Fans interpreted this as a derogatory comment toward the “Say So” singer, who had just been accused of participating in a white supremacist chat room at the same time as an old track of hers titled “Dindu” — a slur against Black people — resurfaced online. Doja apologized for the song but also defended her chat friends from accusations of racism.
Doja Cat herself responded to Nas’ line a couple of times since. Initially, she sarcastically told fans during a live stream “I am so offended and upset about this song” before noting that her anticipated single “N****s Ain’t Sh*t” is an unintentional acronym for “Nas.” Ultimately, she said that she will never beef with Nas — however, I propose as a counterpoint: “N****s Ain’t Sh*t” remix, featuring Nas. Think about it, guys.
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https://t.co/ekj1Va1Cp0
Leah Lyman and Jagger, photo courtesy of 
