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For one reason or another, it seems the Recording Academy is always facing some sort of criticism, especially over the past few Grammy years. The motivating factor behind the hate for the 2021 ceremony was the snubs in the nominations, most notably those of The Weeknd. Artists have spoken out against the Academy and the awards this year, and now so too has Lil Wayne, who revealed that he wasn’t invited to the 2021 ceremony.

Taking to Twitter over the weekend, he openly wondered why he wasn’t invited to this year’s ceremony and why he didn’t receive any nominations (although art director Kyle Goen’s work on Wayne’s album Funeral is up for Best Recording Package), writing, “As an artist, when I see da Grammys coming up & I’m not involved nor invited; I wonder. Is it me , my musik, or just another technicality? I look around w respect & wonder competitively am I not worthy?! Then I look around & see 5 Grammys looking bak at me & I go to the studio.”

The flow of criticism directed at the Grammys has been fairly consistent since the 2021 nominees were announced a month ago. Most recently, Fiona Apple expressed her dismay at Dr. Luke earning nominations this year and suggested she might smash a Grammy on stage if she wins one.

After a recording was published of Tom Cruise tearing into Mission: Impossible 7 crew members for not following COVID rules, the actor has been praised by pandemic-weary people, who were happy to hear someone saying what they’ve been thinking, and with a whole lot of F-bombs. However, not everyone is quick to laud Cruise as a public health hero.

In a lengthy open letter, Leah Remini has accused Cruise of staging the whole thing for publicity. Her reasoning? As a former, high-ranking member of the Church of Scientology, Remini has been inside the belly of a beast, including having close contact with Cruise, and she’s seen this before. Via The Underground Bunker:

Tom does not care about the families of his crew; this is all for publicity. Tom does not believe in family values. I mean, how anyone is falling for this is just mindblowing. I would bet that Tom had this rant written for him and had his Scientology assistant record and release it. Hearing a rich actor with enormous power address his crew in this way is a sign of weakness and a deeply troubled person. This is not just a rant of another asshole actor. Tom Cruise pretending that he cares is why a few have called him out. They know this is a publicity stunt, they know what Tom really is and what Tom really believes.

Remini finds Cruise’s rant especially disingenuous because Scientology leader David Miscaviage has stated in internal documents that the pandemic is a hoax. On top of that, the church preaches that illness is a result of being in contact with a suppressive person, and therefore, they don’t subscribe to germ theory.

“When you are sick in Scientology, you are sent to the Ethics Department. You are in fact in trouble for being sick,” Remini writes. “If you have anything from a cold to cancer in Scientology it means you must be connected to an SP. You are immediately interrogated to see if you have read or seen anything that exposes Scientology, you are interrogated to see if you are connected to anyone or anything that is anti-Scientology.”

Remini wraps up her letter by saying this stunt is just more proof of Cruise’s allegedly abusive behavior, which she’s witnessed several times before, including a rant over chocolate chip cookies. “So, my short answer to how I feel about yet another one of Tom’s psychotic rants being exposed? I am getting ‘small dick energy’ from Tom and men like him.”

(Via The Underground Bunker)

The NBA season is set to begin this week, and for Russell Westbrook it’s a second straight season trying to get acclimated to a new team. For the second consecutive offseason Westbrook was dealt in a star guard swap, first for Chris Paul and most recently for John Wall, landing him with the Wizards where he’s reunited with former coach Scott Brooks.

Westbrook’s offseason filled with a trade request and subsequent move to the nation’s capital may have been hectic, but he seems happy in Washington and, off the court, he continues to push forward as one of the NBA’s most prominent figures in the fashion space. Westbrook has his own clothing line to go along with his sneaker and apparel deal with Jordan Brand, which is set to launch his “Why Not” Zer0.4, the fourth edition of his signature sneaker line with the brand.

As part of the sneaker’s release, Jordan also announced a collaboration with Japanese fashion brand FACETASM for both a colorway that will be among the first to release and an apparel collection.

The biggest performance update to the Zer0.4 is the inclusion of a “double-stacked Zoom air bag” in the midsole to provide added cushioning, and appears to be more of a low top than a mid. The line will release on January 14, 2021, with more information to come on pricing.

Music fans have been looking forward to Peter Jackson’s documentary The Beatles: Get Back since it was announced in early 2019. The film was originally expected to be released by now, but those plans had to be changed in light of the pandemic and the current release date is set for August 27, 2021. Ahead of then, Jackson has offered fans a treat, as he has shared a five-minute video featuring previously unseen footage.

In his introduction of the footage, Jackson was careful to note that the video isn’t a trailer or even an excerpt from the film, but instead a brief compilation of some footage from the 56 hours of source material (which was originally shot for the 1970 film Let It Be) the movie is based on. The video starts with a clip of the band having a jam based on a newspaper headline about George Harrison facing assault charges, then transitions into a clip of Paul McCartney and John Lennon singing “Two Of Us” through clenched teeth. That’s the vibe of the rest of the clips, which show the band having fun together while making music.

Jackson introduced the footage from his editing room and offered a progress report on how the film is coming along, saying, “This film was due to be finished around about now, but like the rest of the world, it’s been affected by the COVID pandemic. The only good thing, really, is that we’re editing the movie in New Zealand. Now that our country has largely stamped out the virus, we are able to come back in the editing room and carry on with the editing that we’re doing. […] I would say we’re about halfway through the edit now.”

Watch the video above.

It’s the one thing everyone — Democrats and Republicans, atheists and churchgoers, The Last Jedi defenders and The Last Jedi haters — can agree on: 2020 was bad. Like, “future-grandkids are going to ask us what it was like to live through 2020” bad.

As a farewell to this miserable year, Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker is saying Death to 2020. The comedy special is a “comedic look at the year we all want to end through the eyes of the worst-informed commentators you’ll ever meet,” according to Netflix. What does that mean? I’m not sure, but it does involve Supermarket Sweep host (one good that’s happened this year) Leslie Jones wanting to describe 2020 as a train-wreck and a sh*t-show, but “that would be unfair to trains and sh*t,” so I’m interested.

Death to 2020 also features Samuel L. Jackson, Hugh Grant, Lisa Kudrow, Cristin Milioti, Joe Keery, Kumail Nanjiani, Tracey Ullman, and Samson Kayo, all in character as different commentators and experts discussing this year. (I’m gonna guess Jackson’s review of 2020 involves the word “f*ck” at least 25 times.) Here’s more:

“2020: A year so [insert adjective of choice here], even the creators of Black Mirror couldn’t make it up… but that doesn’t mean they don’t have a little something to add. Death to 2020 is a comedy event that tells the story of the dreadful year that was — and perhaps still is? This landmark documentary-style special weaves together some of the world’s most (fictitious) renowned voices with real-life archival footage spanning the past 12 months.”

Death to 2020 premieres on Netflix on December 27.

Not too long ago, John Oliver took a swing at Tucker Carlson after he attacked Elmo. Goodness, it’s been a long year, but really, that happened. In June, Oliver defended the furry red icon after Carlson threw a raging fit over Sesame Street taking a stance against police brutality and in favor of the Black Lives Matter movement. Given that these two share a common enemy, it’s nice to see Oliver and Elmo unite for a common cause, which is to spread joy to children who are enduring the COVID-19 pandemic while adults mess up the the entire response.

Alright, so I elaborated a little bit with that last point, but for real, Oliver found a mini-me in Elmo, and I’m not sure who looks like the sharper-dressed man in their suit and glasses. More to the point, though, this video recognizes Sesame Street — which helped provide educational resources (and entertainment) to children in lockdown — for winning the Global Citizen Prize for Culture and Education. Global Citizen, of course, is the organization that aims to eliminate poverty by 2030, and here’s how the org describes the importance of how this award was celebrated through song:

It was a moving moment that underscored exactly what Global Citizen Prize is all about: celebrating communities around the world that have everything in common simply by virtue of being a human being — or, well, a muppet.

Alessia Cara first sang “So Much Alike” with the cast of Sesame Street in 2016. As she reunited with Elmo, Cookie Monster, and all their global pals in 2020, the song took on a new power, reflecting on all the different ways the world has lived through the same hardship.

Bless John Oliver for recognizing that there’s one thing that he’s not good at: singing. And thank goodness for Elmo highlighting the importance of both meditation and virtual playdates. Sesame Street and John Oliver may very well save humanity, no joke.

(Via GlobalCitizen.org)

In his first public statement since coming out as trans, actor Elliot Page thanked his fans for all the support he’s received. “From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Your love and support has been the greatest gift. Stay safe. Be there for each other,” he wrote. “If you are able, support @transanta and @translifeline. See you in 2021. Xoxo Elliot.”

TranSanta, co-founded by Pose star Indya Moore, gives holiday presents to trans youth, while Trans Lifeline is a “non-profit organization offering direct emotional and financial support to trans people in crisis – for the trans community, by the trans community.”

Page also shared a selfie.

The Umbrella Academy star made the announcement about his gender identity earlier this month, writing, “I want to share with you that I am trans, my pronouns are he/they and my name is Elliot. I feel lucky to be writing this. To be here. To have arrived at this place in my life. I feel overwhelming gratitude for the incredible people who have supported me along this journey. I can’t begin to express how remarkable it feels to finally love who I am enough to pursue my authentic self.” He added, “I love that I am trans. And I love that I am queer. And the more I hold myself close and fully embrace who I am, the more I dream, the more my heart grows and the more I thrive. To all the trans people who deal with harassment, self-loathing, abuse, and the threat of violence every day: I see you, I love you, and I will do everything I can to change this world for the better.”

Almost exactly a year ago, Ed Sheeran told the world that he is taking a break from music. Indeed, he has kept his word, as his life as a public figure has been pretty much on pause since then. Before 2020 wraps up, though, Sheeran decided to treat his fans to a new song, “Afterglow.”

The romantic song is a pretty DIY effort, as he made the splatter paint single art himself and shared a one-shot performance video for the track. The song features some poetic writing from Sheeran, as he sings on the opening verse, “Stop the clocks, it’s amazing / You should see the way the light dances off your head / A million colors of hazel, golden and red / Saturday morning is fading / The sun’s reflected by the coffee in your hand / My eyes are caught in your gaze all over again.”

Sheeran shared a statement about the track, in which he suggested this isn’t the start of a big comeback and new album cycle for him. He wrote, “Hey guys. Afterglow is a song I wrote last year that I wanted to release for you. It’s not the first single from the next album, it’s just a song I love, and hope you love too. Enjoy ! Have a safe and happy festive break and New Year’s. Back to dad land for me now, ciao x.”

Watch the Afterglow video above and listen to the song below.

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

The most unholy thing that 2020 seemed to be lacking — a fantastical update about Martin “Pharma Bro” Shkreli’s continuing shenanigans behind bars — finally materialized on Sunday. Oh boy, did this story hit the spot. A reporter for an esteemed publication confessed to throwing away her marriage and her job and her dignity for a shot at love with Shkreli (who is serving a 7-year prison sentence for security fraud). And then Christie Smythe, formerly of Bloomberg, told Elle all about this hot mess in lurid detail. Really, if you’ve ever felt bad about a relationship decision in your life, you will probably feel a little better knowing that at least you didn’t have your first kiss with a convicted white collar criminal in a room that smelled of chicken wings.

Actually, I hope that neither of those two variables (kissing a convicted felon/professional troll or the chicken-wing romance thing) never, ever happens to you. Smythe apparently experienced both things before she agreed to freeze her eggs for the dude who had to forfeit his $2 million Wu-Tang album as part of an asset seizure, and damn, she didn’t even get to listen to the thing. Would that be worth throwing away a marriage? Probably not, but it’s time to get silly because Smythe allegedly sold the movie rights to her story. Never mind that she hasn’t even published the book that’s supposed to be the basis of this movie because, my god, we’ve got some dreamcasting to do.

Well, first, it’s pretty important to note (as this Twitter user did) that Smythe’s institution-bound love story with Pharma Bro is “almost precisely Harley Quinn’s origin story.” In other words, I’m catching some serious Jared Leto-Joker vibes now regarding Skhreli the master manipulator.

Really though, who should portray Smythe and Shkreli if their story does get the cinematic treatment? Kristen Bell and Kieran Culkin and Vincent Karthaiser and Betty Gilpin all got mentions, among others (like Ben Shapiro, should he choose to make his Hallmark movie debut).

Heck, let’s give it to this dude. He’s throwing himself on the grenade.

And wait a minute, why stop at a movie? This could be a miniseries.

Thank goodness 2020 can still bring some laughs, right?

Remember Martin Shkreli? The “pharma bro” who jacked up the price of a drug by 5,000 percent overnight? Who paid $2 million for a Wu-Tang record and then made them hate him by taunting them online? Who is currently serving a seven year jail sentence for securities fraud? His strange and inexplicable life has taken a new twist. Elle sat down with former Bloomberg journalist Christie Smythe, who had her own surreal story: She quit her job and divorced her husband so she could be “life partners” with the most hated thirtysomething who’s not part of the Trump administration.

It all began, Christie told Elle, when she began the first journalist to seriously report on Shkreli’s dodgy deeds. She was the one who broke the story of his arrest on fraud charges in December of 2015. Rather than butt heads, the two became closer. A little too close. She soon found herself feeling sorry for him, even making taking his defense. She claimed he “trolls because he’s anxious,” and because he “really, really wants to be somebody.” Even though she admitted to some that was “manipulative” to reporters, she couldn’t help but admit he’d “drawn her in.” After he was transferred to a prison in Pennsylvania, the New York-based reporter got a license so she could see him, even though she “used to get panic attacks when driving.”

The Shkreli business slowly got to Smythe’s husband, and the two eventually divorced. It got to her Bloomberg bosses, too, and she quit that as well. Her defenses “totally eroded,” she decided to go for it:

In the visitors’ room, “I told Martin I loved him,” Smythe says. “And he told me he loved me, too.” She asked if she could kiss him, and he said yes. The room smelled of chicken wings, she remembers.

At the time she had no regrets:

“It’s hard to think of a time when I felt happier,” Smythe says. “At first he’s like, ‘Can I call you my girlfriend?’ ” she says, and “this led very naturally into thinking about a future together.” Soon they were discussing their kids’ names and prenups. After Smythe worried about being too old to have children when Shkreli got out of prison, he suggested she freeze her eggs. She did so last spring.

There’s just one catch: When Shkreli found out she had been telling all of this to Elle, he abruptly severed all ties. When reached for comment, he gave the publication an ice cold response: “Mr. Shkreli wishes Ms. Smythe the best of luck in her future endeavors.” Smythe, meanwhile, sold the movie rights to a book she wrote about Shkreli, which itself has not, incidentally, been picked up by a publisher. She now works for a journalism start-up.

When the news broke, some — including fellow reporters — did not take Smythe’s side.

One person dug up an old Smythe tweet in which she either betrayed or joked about ulterior motives.

Some felt bad for Smythe’s ex-husband.

Others were not happy that they suddenly had to remember the name Martin Shkreli.

You can read the full Elle piece right here.