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SZA Asked Fans To Submit Clips For Her ‘Good Days’ Video And They Literally Filled Her Inbox

SZA wrapped up her 2020 by dropping “Good Days,” and now she wants to kick off 2021 by making a video for the single. She wants her fans help making the visual, and the response she got was overwhelming.

She shared a video and image of a piece of notebook paper that reads, “Y’all asked and it’s coming!! I’m shooting ‘Good Days’ BUT I NEED YOUR HELP! I decided that this is ALL OUR SONG AND I HAVE TO HAVE YOU IN IT!! SEND ME STUFF! I WANNA SEE your happiest, saddest, YOU UGLIEST moments!! I wanna see what’s been keeping you alive! What does Good days mean to YOU! Whether you’re crying dancing screaming or sleeping IDCCC SEND IT TO ME!!! I WANNA SEE ITTT!! This is about us as a collective. LETS GO. I love you -Lana.” She also included an email address to send footage to, [email protected].

She shared some guidelines for her fans to share the videos, writing, “RULES: for best quality DOWNLOAD ALL VIDEOS TO YOUR COMPUTER TRY NOT TO TEXT THEM . Upload files to Dropbox or another hi res link and send that. HORIZONTAL orientation is best !!! DEADLINE IS SATURDAY @ MIDNIGHT.”

After about three hours, the inbox of that email address she set up was apparently full. SZA shared a screenshot of a text from somebody that reads, “Whew chile. Right under 2500 submissions. The Gmail account is full I can add more space.”

Elsewhere, she noted that the video won’t be made up entirely of fan-submitted footage, writing, “it’s PART of the video .. jus part.”

All in all, this initiative lines up with the New Year’s resolution she made before the end of 2020 as it relates to her fans, when she wrote that she wants “better friendships 2021 so imma be a better friend.”

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Netflix’s Super-Stressful ‘Red Dot’ Trailer Will Make You Think Twice About Going Camping

“You’ve got red on you” has a whole new meaning.

Netflix’s Red Dot has a simple but stressful simple: a couple goes on a camping trip in the middle of nowhere, only for a mysterious red dot, looking like something from a video game gun, appears on their tent — and continues to follow them through the night. Not ideal. The Swedish movie, from director Alain Darborg, stars Anastasios Soulis and Nanna Blondell as Nadja and David, the couple who must escape from the red dot in the snowy wilderness, or else. If you like Open Water or Buried or Phone Booth, all thrillers/horror movies that largely take place in a single location, you will probably like Red Dot. (Red Dot technically isn’t contained to a single location, as Nadja and David leave the tent, but 1) I’m distracting myself from thinking about what happens to the cute dog in the trailer above, and 2) I wanted to mention Phone Booth, because it rules.)

Here’s the official plot synopsis.

When a red laser dot appears in Nadja and David’s tent, the once romantic trip now becomes a fight for their lives. During this sadistic hunt, the couple’s past comes back to haunt them.

Red Dot premieres on Netflix on February 11, just in time for Valentine’s Day.

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Captain America Creator Jack Kirby’s Son Has Denounced The ‘Disgusting’ MAGA Rioters Who Wore The Superhero’s Symbols

Quite like how Marvel’s The Punisher keeps being co-opted by those who (including the U.S. Capitol rioters) don’t understand the character, Captain America has also been pulled into the failed MAGA coup. Steve Rogers, of course, stood against fascism and white supremacy, but that didn’t stop last week’s insurrectionists from seizing upon the character for their own twisted ends. Some were photographed while brandishing a Cap shield (adorned with Pepe the Frog) and even wearing specially made “Civil War” sweatshirts with a Marvel-esque font and a “release date” of January 6, 2021.

In response to the insurrection, Cap actor Chris Evans condemned the failed (and deadly) coup as it unfolded, and now, the son of Captain America creator Jack Kirby is speaking out to wholeheartedly denounce the rioters who are calling themselves “patriots” and using the Cap symbols to do so. In a statement to CNN’s Jake Tapper, Neal Kirby explained the sense of horror he felt while watching events unfold:

“While watching one of the horrific videos of the storming of the Capitol, I thought I noticed someone in a Trump/Capt. America t-shirt! I was appalled and mortified. I believe I even caught a quick glance of someone with a Captain America shield. A quick Google search turned up Trump as Captain America on T-shirts, posters, even a flag! These images are disgusting and disgraceful. Captain America is the absolute antithesis of Donald Trump. Where Captain America is selfless, Trump is self-serving. Where Captain America fights for our country and democracy, Trump fights for personal power and autocracy. Where Captain America stands with the common man, Trump stands with the powerful and privileged. Where Captain America is courageous, Trump is a coward. Captain America and Trump couldn’t be more different.”

Neal further explained why his father would be completely horrified. “My father, Jack Kirby, along with his partner Joe Simon, created Captain America in 1941. Perhaps the most iconic symbol of patriotism since the ‘Spirit of 1776,’ Captain America has stood as a symbol and protector of our democracy and the rule of law for the past 79 years,” Neal wrote. “He was created by two Jewish guys from New York who hated Nazis and hated bullies. Captain America stood up for the underdog, and, as the story as written, even before he gained his strength and process from Army scientists, always stood for what was righteous, and never backed down.”

You can read Neal Kirby’s full statement here, and he drives the point home by pointing out that he’s 72 years old, and he’s observed political upheaval since the 1950s Castro revolution, and yet, “the events that transpired at our nations’ Capitol on Jan. 6, an insurrection inspired and fomented by our own president, will be the event that haunts me forever.” He added that his father “would be absolutely sickened” to see his creation co-opted in this way. “If Donald Trump had the qualities and character of Captain America, the White House would be a shining symbol of truth and integrity, not a festering cesspool of lies and hypocrisy,” Neal wrote. “Several of our presidents held the same values as Captain America. Donald Trump is not one of them.”

(Via Jake Tapper on Twitter)

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A Look At All Of The Former NBA MVPs To Be Traded During A Season

After weeks of speculation and bad optics, the Houston Rockets finally traded James Harden to the Nets on Wednesday, closing the book on one of the most complicated eras in the organization’s history. It was the culmination of a number of factors that have sent the organization into something of a tailspin the past few months and now offers a clean slate to start moving forward.

The blockbuster deal that sent Harden to Brooklyn — which involved four teams, multiple players, and countless assets — is a rarity in the NBA these days. Former MVPs who are still in their prime simply don’t get traded that often. Which got us thinking: how many former MVPs have been part of midseason trades?

It turns out the list is a small but distinguished one. And as you’ll discover below, it’s a mixed bag, but it’s important to keep in mind that not all were still in their prime at the time of their trade. Regardless, it’s fascinating to see some of the deals teams have finagled in the middle of a season to try and improve their roster for a title run or simply build toward the future.

In no particular order, these are the former MVPs who have been at the center of midseason trades.

Bob McAdoo

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Younger fans might not be familiar, but Bob McAdoo was a force of nature in his day. During his 14-year NBA career, McAdoo was a five-time All-Star and won the regular-season MVP award in 1975 as a member of the Buffalo Braves. McAdoo was actually traded several times during the regular season after that, first to the Knicks the following year, then to the Celtics in 1979.

But it was a midseason trade by the Nets that sent him to the Lakers in 1981 that would help cement his legacy. McAdoo would go on to win two championships with the Showtime Lakers in 1982 and 1985, ensuring his rightful place in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Wilt Chamberlain

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One of the most dominant athletes in any sport, the Big Dipper logged the type of career numbers that players today couldn’t even dream of. Granted, the competition wasn’t exactly on par with the elite athletes you see today, but his accomplishments are no less impressive.

Wilt was a four-time MVP winner (1960, 1966, 1967, 1968), and at the All-Star break in 1965, the then-lowly Warriors opted to send him to the 76ers, in no small part because of financial reasons. Two years later, Wilt would win his first NBA championship with Philly. The team they beat? The Warriors.

Shaquille O’Neal

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The big fella was the subject of all sorts of trade rumors during his tumultuous tenure with Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles, and though he eventually got his wish and ended up in Miami alongside Dwyane Wade, he was never actually traded midseason while still in his prime.

As far as MVPs, it’s crazy to think that Shaq just has the one (2000), and if you were to ask him…well, you don’t even have to ask, he’s fond of telling anyone who’ll listen that Steve Nash stole at least one that he believes is rightfully his. In any case, after winning a title with the Heat — putting himself one ring ahead of Kobe for a brief period — Pat Riley traded him to Phoenix during the 2008 season where he would become the Big Shaqtus and join forces with trophy thief Nash.

Despite efforts in Cleveland and Boston, Shaq wouldn’t go on to win anymore titles or Finals MVPs, and in general, the less said about those last few stops the better.

Kevin Garnett

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During the early 2000s, Garnett had established himself as a dominant force in Minnesota, which culminated in his lone regular-season MVP award in 2004 and a run to the Western Conference Finals, where they would fall to the Lakers in six games. His journey would eventually take him to a championship with the Celtics in 2008 alongside Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, followed by an ill-fated stint in Brooklyn.

Midway through the 2015 season, however, Garnett agreed to waive his no-trade clause so that he could return to the Timberwolves, where he would finish out his career with the organization where he spent some of the best years of prime, mentoring young talent like Karl-Anthony Towns.

Allen Iverson

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Iverson is the only player on this list that has the dubious distinction of being at the center of two separate midseason trades, one right after another. The Answer had been named league MVP during the 2001 season and had led the Sixers to a Finals appearance against the eventual champs, the Lakers, but that would end up being the pinnacle of his complicated career.

Ongoing issues with coaches and management eventually led to the Sixers ending their rocky relationship in December of 2006 when they traded him to the Nuggets. Together with Carmelo Anthony, they were the No. 1 and 2 scorers in the NBA at the time, but their partnership never quite found its footing, and the Nuggets would go on to trade Iverson to the Pistons in November of 2008.

He continued on a steep decline from there, but in the years since, both his image and his legacy has recovered as he has once again become beloved among fans and players who hold dear his Hall-of-Fame career.

Derrick Rose

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Derrick Rose will likely go down as one of the NBA’s biggest what-ifs. As the youngest MVP in league history, Rose took home the award in 2011 when he was just 22 years old. As with Iverson, that lone MVP season would end up being the apex of what appeared to be a legendary career in the making.

Multiple injuries and surgeries derailed things from there. Rose made stops in New York and Cleveland after his Bulls stint came to an end, and prior to the trade deadline in February of 2018, the Cavs unceremoniously traded him to the Jazz, who promptly released him. Rose, however, would go on to have a resurgence in Minnesota and has continued to prove that he can still be a contributing member on an NBA roster with his current team in Detroit.

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Lady Gaga Will Sing The National Anthem At Joe Biden’s Inauguration

It was revealed yesterday that people like Justin Timberlake and Demi Lovato will perform during a Joe Biden inauguration TV special. As for the inauguration itself, there’s going to be some musical talent there, too: Lady Gaga has been tapped to sing the National Anthem. Gaga famously sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Super Bowl 50 in 2016. Meanwhile, Jennifer Lopez is also set to deliver a musical performance at the ceremony.

Gaga is not a surprising pick, as she gave Biden’s presidential campaign her enthusiastic support. She performed at a pre-election rally of his in November and gave a speech that concluded, “To all the women, and all the men with daughters, and sisters, and mothers, everybody, no matter how you identify, now is your chance to vote against Donald Trump, a man who believes his fame gives him the right to grab one of your daughters, or sisters, or mothers, or wives by any part of their bodies. Vote for Joe, he’s a good person. Thank you.” She has also pushed for Trump to be impeached, tweeting recently, “I hope we focus to impeach Trump so Congress has the constitutional authority to possibly disqualify him from future election–the #25thAmendment doesn’t disqualify him. He incited domestic terror–how much more violence needs to happen? This is terrorism.”

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Tomi Lahren Is Being Ridiculed For Her Theory On The ‘Primary Reason’ Democrats Voted To Impeach Trump

On Wednesday, 222 Democrats and 10 Republicans voted to impeach Donald Trump, making him the first president in the history of the United States to be impeached twice. He couldn’t have done it with the haters and losers. “We cannot escape history. We know that the president of the United States incited this insurrection, this armed rebellion,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said. “He must go. He is a clear and present danger to the nation that we all love. The president must be impeached.”

Trump wasn’t done making history: it was the first time that a party unanimously voted to impeach a president. Tomi Lahren has an, um, interesting theory for why that is.

“The primary reason they are going down this path is because they are terrified of Trump, not because of what happened last week. No, they are terrified of Donald Trump because Donald Trump still has millions and millions of supporters who want to see him run again,” the conservative pundit tweeted. It wasn’t the failed insurrection, or incompetent response to the pandemic, or thousands of other reasons – the Democrats voted to impeach Trump because they’re “terrified” of him. There are reasons to be terrified of Trump, but this ain’t one of them. Lahren’s followers quickly corrected her.

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When ‘It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia’ Returns For Season 15, It Will Be ‘All About This Bullsh*t’

Last year, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia co-creator, Rob McElhenney, said that they would continue to do to the show forever, or as long as FX would allow them to. Last month, FX gave them as close to “forever” as one can get in this industry by renewing the series for another four seasons, through Season 18, which is way more seasons than needed to make it the longest-running live-action comedy in TV history.

Most recently, McElhenney has been working on shooting the second season of Apple TV+’s Mythic Quest, where he’s run into some COVID-19 issues, but he’s still looking ahead to the next season of Sunny. Earlier this week, McEllhenney was asked if there are any updates on Season 15, and he very succinctly responded that they were doing it and that it would be “all about this bullsh*t.”

It’s not immediately clear to what “bulls**t” McElhenney is referring, because there is so much of it? The COVID-19 pandemic? The election bullsh*t? The Capitol insurrection? The absurdity of much of it seems tailor-made for not just an episode, but an entire season of It’s Always Sunny, a season that would absolutely have to include Charlie working behind the scenes of Four Seasons Total Landscaping. I’m sure there’s an amazing alt-history where The Gang is partially responsible for Rudy Guiliani booking that particular Philly venue.

The possibilities are endless, and given the topical nature of the next season, I think it’s finally their year to bring home a statue.

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Foo Fighters Celebrate Dave Grohl’s Birthday With A New Single, ‘Waiting On A War’

Today, Dave Grohl turns 52 years old. Foo Fighters have marked the occasion with “Waiting On A War,” a new single from the forthcoming Medicine At Midnight. The track is an acoustic rocker that ramps up in tempo and intensity during its last minute to explode into a sprawling catharsis.

Grohl shared a message explaining the song’s origins, writing:

“As a child growing up in the suburbs of Washington DC, I was always afraid of war. I had nightmares of missiles in the sky and soldiers in my backyard, most likely brought upon by the political tension of the early 1980’s and my proximity to the Nation’s Capitol. My youth was spent under the dark cloud of a hopeless future.

Last fall, as I was driving my 11 year old daughter to school, she turned to me and asked, ‘Daddy, is there going to be a war?’ My heart sank in my chest as I looked into her innocent eyes, because I realized that she was now living under that same dark cloud of a hopeless future that I had felt 40 years ago.

I wrote ‘Waiting On a War’ that day.

Everyday waiting for the sky to fall. Is there more to this than that? Is there more to this than just waiting on a war? Because I need more. We all do.

This song was written for my daughter, Harper, who deserves a future, just as every child does.

Dave.”

Listen to “Waiting On A War” above.

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Trump Reportedly Won’t Pay Rudy Giuliani’s Legal Fees Because He’s Big Mad About Being Impeached (Again)

As member of Trump’s so-called “Legal Strike Force,” no one can deny that Rudy Giuliani worked hard, even if he kept on screwing everything up, and he was totally grifting because there was never a chance for him to overturn Biden’s win in the first place. Between the Total Landscaping farce, the goo-oozing, the passing gas in public, and the COVID-19 spreading, well, the guy worked it, even if he was entirely inept and probably corrupt. Surprise, none of that overturned the election, and Trump reacted by inciting a failed MAGA coup upon the U.S. Capitol, which obviously backfired (in a lethal way); and now, Trump’s looking for someone to blame for his misery and place in history as the only U.S. president to be impeached twice.

That person would be Rudy Giuliani. And since Trump can’t even tweet now, he’s reportedly sticking it to Rudy in the only way possible: by telling his aides not to cough up the former NYC mayor’s reported $20,000 per day. Actually, if you go back to that fee report, Rudy previously denied that number to the New York Times while insisting that there’s no formal agreement for him to be paid, only “to work it out in the end.” Well, the Washington Post reports that Trump is now so “isolated and angry,” that Rudy’s getting the shaft and won’t be getting paid, despite even co-starring in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm as part of his role in Trump’s inner circle.

Rude, right? It’s also not surprising. Trump is apparently steamed that Rudy hasn’t publicly defended him over the U.S. Capitol riot. The New York Times has also confirmed WaPo‘s reporting and added that the outgoing president won’t even take Rudy’s calls anymore. So basically, Rudy (who is formally Trump’s personal attorney) is getting Geraldo’d, and one imagines that we might hear his perspective on this at some point on cable news. Fingers crossed for that to happen because when Rudy’s involved in anything, you know it’ll eventually get even messier.

(Via Washington Post & New York Times)

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Saweetie Hid Her Relationship With Quavo Because Hip-Hop ‘Credits A Man For A Woman’s Success’

Saweetie and Quavo have been one of hip-hop’s favorite pair of lovebirds since they began dating back in 2018. Outside a few attempts to ruin their relationship this past fall, things have been going well for the rappers. Despite the current success in their relationship, Saweetie admits she opted to keep things private between her and Quavo in the early stages. She spoke about it during a recent appearance on The Real and revealed why she did not share who she was seeing when she first came on the show nearly three years ago.

“I do admit in the beginning it was difficult because as a woman, especially a woman in hip-hop, they’re always trying to credit a man for a woman’s success, which is why I kind of tip-toed around the relationship,” Saweetie said. “That’s why I gave y’all the answer I gave back in the day. Now, I’m just continuing to persevere with success and just consistency. The relationship it just is what it is now.” She later added, “We love each other. We support each other. We give each other advice. So, it’s nice… It’s cute and it’s relationship-y.”

Her comments came after Quavo gifted her a Bentley that was a subtle nod to their viral Instagram DM conversation. The luxury car came in a powder blue color and features the word “icy” embroidered on the its seats. The Bentley’s exterior also sports a snowflake decal, which is Saweetie’s favorite emoji and once Quavo used to slide in her DMs.

You can listen to Saweetie’s comments on The Real above.

Saweetie is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.