A mini air fryer, adorable gel mani kit, upgraded cat food, and other products we (the BuzzFeed Shopping team) truly adore.

---

View Entire Post ›

You are what you eat!

---

View Entire Post ›

This is a look.

---

View Entire Post ›

Over the weekend, a clip went viral featuring actress Megan Fox. It was from 2009, when she was a major movie star; indeed, she was on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to talk about Transformers: Rise of the Fallen. In it, she talks about being sexualized by director Michael Bay on another movie, 2004’s Bad Boys II, back when she was 15. At the time her story was treated as a joke. But in 2020, the response has been, well, quite a bit different.

“I was wearing a stars and stripes bikini and a red cowboy hat and six-inch heels, and he approved it,” Megan recalled. “They said, you know, Michael, she’s 15, so you can’t sit her at the bar and she can’t have a drink in her hands. So his solution to that problem was to then have me dancing underneath the waterfall, getting soaking wet.”

At this point the audience didn’t gasp in horror; they laughed and applauded. Fox then clarified what they found amusing. “I’m 15, I was in 10th grade,” she reiterated. “That’s sort of a microcosm of how Bay’s mind works.”

Over the last several years, Kimmel has made considerable strides in reinventing himself from co-host of The Man Show with Adam Carolla to one of late night’s wokest hosts. But in 2009, The Man Show was still a large part of his DNA. He responded by joking, “Yeah, well, that’s really a microcosm of how all our minds work — but some of us have the decency to repress those thoughts and pretend that they don’t exist.”

That was in 2009. Later that year Fox was fired from the Transformers franchise, after speaking out against Bay, calling him a “nightmare to work for” and comparing him to Hitler. Some crew members trash-talked Fox, calling her “trailer trash” and a “porn star. Her career, which seemed to be exploding, has never quite recovered. An epic thread details her abuses at the hands of Bay and others.

Fox has been talking about being sexualized and used by Hollywood men for a while; back in 2018, she revealed her sobering reason for not speaking out about her own #MeToo movement. But after this viral clip, it seems people are ready to belatedly admit we collectively failed her by not taking her seriously.

Eventually people came for Kimmel, too.

Some came to his defense, sort of.

(Via BuzzFeed)

Monday’s race at Talladega was an emotional one, as it came less than 24 hours after NASCAR launched an investigation into a noose found in the garage stall of Bubba Wallace, the lone Black driver on the circuit.

Wallace has been outspoken in recent weeks about the Black Lives Matter movement and pushing NASCAR to become more inclusive and welcoming, leading a successful charge for the sport to ban the confederate flag at races. There was pushback from fans, but with only 5,000 fans allowed inside the race this weekend and none of those being in the infield, whoever placed the noose in his garage as a threat was someone from within the sport.

Prior to the race, NASCAR’s drivers and teams all helped push Wallace’s car to the front of the grid on pit road, offering a show of solidarity in the face of the racist threat he received. The incident showed how much work NASCAR still has to do with regards to racism in the sport, but the public support of Wallace by NASCAR leadership and the drivers is a step in the right direction.

The race itself was a wild one, with Wallace taking the outright lead briefly in the final stage of the race and spending much of it in the top 5.

Unfortunately for Wallace he, like many other drivers, was short on fuel to reach the end of the race under green and a caution didn’t arrive until he’d already begun to lose position when Jimmie Johnson spun. That led to a green-white-checker overtime finish, which is always wild, especially at Talladega, and the finish lived up to the billing.

After getting through the first lap of the overtime clean — a minor miracle — the back half of the pack wrecked, but NASCAR kept things green for the leaders to fight it out. That resulted in a crazy finish, with a few cars wrecking as Ryan Blaney edged out a win by a nose and Aric Almirola finished third going backwards.

Wallace would finish 14th, a strong performance that wasn’t quite indicative of how competitive he and his 43 Chevrolet were on the day. Afterwards, the spotlight was on Wallace still, as he went to greet some of the fans that had come on a Monday afternoon to support him, many of whom were wearing Black Lives Matter t-shirts and were first time visitors to a track. Wallace noted that in his post-race interview in front of those fans, saying the sport is changing no matter what folks try, and sent a message to the person that put the noose in his garage that they can’t take away his smile.

That moment was arguably more important than the show of solidarity earlier because it shows how quickly Wallace has been able to bring more people into the sport. The pressure on Wallace to perform well on Monday was tremendous, and that he was as close as he was to a top-10 despite the fuel issues and that he led some laps and was in the mix was a spectacular showing.

We’re living through a potentially historic moment, when a lot of issues that have never led to much actual change appear like they may actually change. The Black Lives Matter protests that have taken over the country, and elsewhere around the globe, in the wake of the killing of George Floyd have already inspired numerous advances, from the (temporary) removal of Gone with the Wind from HBO Max to management shifts at places like Bon Appetit. And now it looks like depictions of blackface in TV and movie are next on the docket.

This comes from Vulture, who learned that at four episodes from 30 Rock have been pulled from streaming services and reruns. Why? Because they feature blackface. Four episodes seems like a lot for a beloved show known for its progressive laurels.

Two of the pulled episodes involve Jane Krakowski’s Jenna Maroney, one from Season Three, in which she swaps identities with Tracy Morgan’s Tracy Jordan, and the other in Season Five, when she attends a party dressed up as Pittsburgh Steelers star Lynn Swann. The other two are the East Coast version of Season 5’s live episode (the West Coast one did not feature the offending bit) and Season 6’s live episode, with Jon Hamm in crude blackface.

The decision was made by 30 Rock creators Tina Fey (who, of course, also starred) and Robert Carlock. “As we strive to do the work and do better in regards to race in America, we believe that these episodes featuring actors in race-changing makeup are best taken out of circulation,” Fey wrote in a letter to platforms that stream her show. “I understand now that ‘intent’ is not a free pass for white people to use these images. I apologize for pain they have caused. Going forward, no comedy-loving kid needs to stumble on these tropes and be stung by their ugliness. I thank NBCUniversal for honoring this request.”

30 Rock currently streams on Hulu and Amazon Prime and is also available for rent or purchase on iTunes and Google Play, and those streamers will now no longer carry those episodes. Meanwhile, Amazon is still weighing whether to edit or pull episodes of The Dukes of Hazzard, which prominently feature the Confederate flag.

(Via Vulture)

Perhaps the best thing about the changing of the seasons is the seasonal cocktails. Sure, you can enjoy a gin and tonic any time of the year, but there’s no better time for them than the summer. This perfect combination of gin, tonic, and lime offers refreshing, clean, and crisp relief on a hot, sunny, summer day. But as simple and fresh as this drink is, it’s also easy to ruin with the wrong ingredients.

“If you’re going to enjoy a gin and tonic you’re probably looking to enjoy those distinct herbal and botanical characteristics gins are known for,” says Piero Procida, bartender at The London West Hollywood in Los Angeles. “You’re looking for a gin with character. You probably want to stick with an English gin, because let’s face it, the English have the gin recipe down.”

While we agree that the English know how to make a great gin, we aren’t going to forget about the expressions made elsewhere around the globe. There are amazing, herbaceous, floral gins from distilleries from Scotland to Japan and all points in between. To find the best ones to mix into your seasonal G&Ts, we asked a handful of bartenders to tell us their favorite bottles.

Bluecoat American Dry Gin

Jared Ridgeway, bartender at R&D in Philadelphia

Bluecoat American Dry is my favorite. Deliciously refreshing and bright with beautiful floral notes. We’re lucky to have such a great gin representing Philly. FYI, during these difficult times, they make it easy to purchase at the distillery and even deliver to your door.

St. George Terroir Gin

Hay Culham, beverage manager at Bonsai at Hilton Pensacola Beach in Pensacola, Florida

My go-to for gin cocktail is a gin & tonic made with St. George gin. It has enough flavor and citrus to help you wind down after a long day or just sit on the beach and take in the view.

Hendrick’s Gin

Vance Henderson, ambassador at Hendrick’s Gin

For me, a gin & tonic is light, crisp, flavorful, and rounded. Hendrick’s is my favorite because its combination of botanicals and peculiar inclusion of rose & cucumber essence yields a smooth balanced gin with a unique flavor profile that I dare say makes a Gin & Tonic more unusually-delicious and oddly-interesting.

Right Gin

Natasha Bahrami, owner of The Gin Room in St. Louis

There is something about Right Gin that spices up a gin tonic just right. Cardamom, lemon, and Bergamont, these warm spice notes work in every season. Try an upgraded tonic pairing such as Fentimans Tonic or East Imperial Burma Tonic with a slice of orange or clementine wheel for garnish.

Gray Whale Gin

Jessie Smyth, bar director at Genever in Los Angeles

I love the versatility that Gray Whale offers to a gin and tonic. Depending on the tonic and garnish that you use, you can draw out the different botanicals and go from floral and citrusy (try using Q Elderflower tonic and a twist of lime) to more piney and bitter (using Q Indian Tonic and rosemary sprigs) to even tasting the notes of salt and ocean (Q Tonic and olives).

Silent Pool Gin

Piero Procida, bartender at The London West Hollywood in Los Angeles

As an English themed hotel, we have experimented with plenty of gins, so this time I was looking for something beyond the “same old’s” you see everywhere. I was looking for something modern, yet still traditional, flavorful yet not overly botanical and then, Silent Pool Gin showed up. I found that Silent Pool was not just incredibly delicious but very versatile for a variety of cocktails. It is very smooth yet strong enough not to let its array of flavors be drowned out by the tonic in a gin & tonic. In fact, the tonic complements these flavors even more. The balance of the botanicals is what makes this gin so special, there is not a pronounced flavor of just one botanical, like Juniper which is so typical in gins, rather it is more subdued here to allow for other flavors to come through. It has the highest reviews and it is not all that expensive. To add, the bottle is just gorgeous.

Fords Gin

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

Fords is a versatile gin, especially for a gin and tonic. It has a great botanical blend on its own but not so much to overpower your smaller batch tonics that can really play well with a crisp spirit.

Writer’s Pick:

Tanqueray No. 10 Gin

If you’re making a classic gin & tonic, you have to use a high-quality gin. Even though the drink is made with tonic and a twist of lime, gin is the star of the show. That’s why I love Tanqueray No. 10 with its flavors of fresh citrus zest and it’s juniper-forward botanicals.

Imagine the gall it takes to sit in a meeting where community members are sharing their personal stories of racism and scroll through an online store on your computer. Now imagine the gall it takes to not just be in that meeting, but to be one of the people running it and decide your new clothing needs are more important that the concerns of Black community members.

Gary Chambers, Jr. caught East Baton Rouge Parish School Board member Connie Bernard on camera shopping online during a hearing on changing the name of Lee High School—as in Robert E. Lee— on June 18. As community members shared their feelings about having a school named for the general of the confederate army—the one who fought for the South’s “right” to enslave Black people—Bernard appeared to be pondering what color dress she was going to buy.

When Chambers’ turn came up to speak, he said he had intended to get up and talk about how racist Robert E. Lee was, but instead was going to talk about Connie Bernard, “sitting over there shopping while we’re talking about Robert E. Lee.” Holding up his phone, he said, “This is a picture of you shopping, while we’re talking about racism and history in this country.”

---

Chambers pointed out that it was only white members of the board got up from their tables while people in the community—which Chambers says is 81% Black—were talking. “Because you don’t give a damn, it’s clear,” he said.

He did explain how racist Robert E. Lee was: “Not only did he whoop the slaves, he said, ‘Lay it on ’em hard.’ And after he said, ‘Lay it on ’em hard,’ he said ‘Put brine on ’em so it’ll burn ’em.'”

“And you sit you arrogant self in here,” he said, addressing Bernard again, “and sit on there shopping, while the pain and the hurt of the people of this community is on display. Because you don’t give a damn, and you should resign.”

The entire video is gold, with Chambers explaining how Bernard should have resigned two years ago when she was caught on video choking a student, and how she should now walk out and resign, “because you are the example of racism in this community.”

The mic drop moment at the end brought the point home: “We built this joint for free,” Chambers said. “And we’re done begging you to do what’s right.”

When Chambers mentioned Bernard “talking foolishness” on TV the week before, he was presumably referring to a June 10th interview with WVLA-33 in which Bernard said that people who didn’t like the name of the school needed to brush up on their history.

“I would hope that they would learn a little bit more about General Lee,” she said, “because General Lee inherited a large plantation and he was tasked with the job of doing something with those people who lived in bondage to that plantation, the slaves, and he freed them.”

After understandable backlash, Bernard issued an apology in a written statement:

“My comments last week about the naming of Lee High School were insensitive, have caused pain for others, and have led people to believe I am an enemy of people of color, and I am deeply sorry. I condemn racial injustice in any form. I promise to be part of the solution and to listen to the concerns of all members of our community. I stand with you, in love and respect.”

However, she also told The Advocate that what looked like her shopping was just a popup ad that she hadn’t closed out. “I wasn’t shopping,” she said. “I was actually taking notes, paying attention, reading online comments.”

But Chambers wasn’t having that nonsense either—he had receipts in the form of a 20-second video of her scrolling through a full screen of clothing while one of her fellow board members—a Black woman—was speaking.

Another attendee at the meeting, Arthur Pania of Baton Rouge, corroborated Chambers’ account on Facebook, “I personally watched her for about eight minutes, attempting to decide between a beige and red dress,” he wrote. “The only thing I had issue determining from my sight was if it was a short dress or nightware.”

People with this much blatant racism in their bones and a willingness to blatantly lie in an attempt to cover up that racism has no business making decisions for anyone, much less school children in a community of mostly Black families. As Chambers wrote on Instagram, “Our children deserve better, our community deserves better. If she remains it gives permission for others to do the same.”

---

View Entire Post ›

The 2020 WNBA season is set to begin in late July and run into October with all teams being housed at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Floriday, but as the deadline for players to opt in or out of playing, there is a growing number of players choosing the latter option.

Renee Montgomery of the Atlanta Dream was among the first to opt out, citing her desire to continue working for social justice reform, and on Monday, Connecticut Sun star Jonquel Jones announced she would be sitting out the season due to health concerns and the unknowns regarding the long-term impacts of contracting COVID-19 on the body. Later Monday evening, the Washington Mystics announced two starters from last year’s championship team, Natasha Cloud and LaToya Sanders, have both chosen to opt out of this upcoming season.

Cloud averaged 9 points and 5.6 assists per game a year ago for the WNBA champion Mystics, including a playoff run where she averaged 13.1 points and 6.2 assists. Sanders averaged 6.1 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.

For Cloud, the decision was based on a number of reasons, but chiefly her desire to continue working towards social justice.

“This has been one of the toughest decisions of my career but I will be foregoing the 2020 WNBA season,” stated Cloud. “There are a lot of factors that led to this decision, but the biggest one is that I am more than an athlete. I have a responsibility to myself, to my community and to my future children to fight for something that is much bigger than myself and the game of basketball. I will instead continue the fight for social reform, because until Black lives matter, all lives can’t matter.”

Sanders cited health concerns as her reason for foregoing on the 2020 season.

“This was not an easy choice to make, but after much thought and conversation I do believe it is what’s best for my health and family,” said Sanders. “I wish my teammates and the entire Mystics family the best this season and I will continue to watch and support them.”

As the deadline to announce intention of playing or not approaches, it will be interesting to see how many more top level players decide to sit out, both on the WNBA side and the NBA side, where Davis Bertans and Trevor Ariza are the first two to make their decision to opt out known. Whatever the reason — family, health, or activism — any player that chooses to pass on this season is more than justified in their decision.