Pop Culture
Did Melania Trump Buy Her Own NFT?
Melania Trump auctioned off an NFT last month for about $170,000, but as Vice reports, the funds for the winning bid came from the same crypto wallet that created the NFT. So did the former First Lady buy her own NFT? And if not, what happened? Trump first got into selling NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, last year. Her latest auction involved the “Head of State Collection, 2022”, which included an NFT, a water color, and a white broad-brimmed hat that she wore for a visit from French President Emmanuel Macron in 2018 (pictured above). The sale took place three weeks ago on the Solana blockchain for 1,800 SOL (about $182,000 today, but closer to $170,000 last month). As The New York Times reported at the time, this was significantly below the $250,000 that Trump had been seekin...
Brazilian Podcaster’s Nazi Comments Show How Joe Rogan’s Model Is Going Global
Three years ago, video game streamer Bruno Aiub decided to start a new podcast, Flow, modeled on The Joe Rogan Experience. “I said, ‘Man, it would be really cool if I did that here in Brazil, since nobody else is,’” he told The New York Times. He interviewed comedians, academics, government officials, and ufologists, drinking alcohol and smoking weed in episodes that lasted several hours. Aiub, who goes by the moniker Monark, quickly became one of the country’s most popular podcasters. His meteoric rise is due in no small part to the model developed by his hero, but as he learned last week, aping Rogan comes with risk. In a February 7th conversation with two members of the Brazilian congress, Aiub argued that Brazil should embrace free speech absolutism, including legalizing...
Bob Saget Died From Brain Trauma
Bob Saget died from brain trauma, which he reportedly sustained after accidentally hitting the back of his head on an object. The injury caused internal brain bleeding, and while Saget was apparently unaware of its severity, it caused him to pass away in his sleep. Saget’s cause of death was shared by his family in a statement released on Wednesday (February 9th). “Now that we have the final conclusions from the authorities’ investigation, we felt it only proper that the fans hear those conclusions directly from us,” the family said. “The authorities have determined that Bob passed from head trauma. They have concluded that he accidentally hit the back of his head on something, thought nothing of it and went to sleep. No drugs or alcohol were involved.” Advertisement Related Video “As we c...
“Cherry Picking Data”: How Joe Rogan’s Infamous Interview with Robert Malone Spread Misinformation
Neil Young may have lit the match that sparked an exodus from Spotify, but Joe Rogan poured the gas himself with a now-infamous interview with Dr. Robert Malone. That episode of The Joe Rogan Experience prompted hundreds of scientists and healthcare professionals to chastise Spotify for hosting “mass-misinformation events,” and seemingly served as the immediate inspiration for Young’s decision to leave the platform. Now, the fact-checking podcast Science Vs has interviewed some of the scientists doing research that Malone cited in the interview, going back to the source to demonstrate that he “cherry picked the data” to spread misinformation to millions. Malone has claimed to be an expert on the COVID-19 vaccines, and he did perform some of the foundational experiments ...
Spotify Sticking with Joe Rogan Despite Past Use of N-Word
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek called Joe Rogan’s past use of racial slurs “incredibly hurtful,” but doubled downed on keeping Rogan’s podcast on the streaming service. In a letter sent to Spotify staff on Sunday (via The Hollywood Reporter), Ek said he does “not believe that silencing Joe is the answer. We should have clear lines around content and take action when they are crossed, but canceling voices is a slippery slope.” Last week, amid a controversy surrounding Rogan’s penchant for spreading misinformation about COVID-19, the singer India.Arie shared a video highlighting 24 instances in which Rogan used the N-word during episodes of his podcast. Advertisement Related Video Spotify quietly removed 70 episodes of The Joe Rogan Experience — at Rogan’s request, according to Ek. Rogan also issued ...
Dwayne Johnson Walks Back Support for Joe Rogan Following N-Word Controversy
Taking it back: Dwayne Johnson rescinded his previous support for Joe Rogan on Friday following a video of the podcast host’s frequent use of the n-word going viral. Amid the controversy surrounding Rogan’s penchant for spreading misinformation about COVID-19 on his podcast, which has prompted Neil Young and numerous other artists to pull their music from Spotify, Johnson had initially landed on the side of The Joe Rogan Experience host. The actor previously left a comment of encouragement on Rogan’s Instagram, writing, “Great stuff here brother. Perfectly articulated. Look forward to coming on one day and breaking out the tequila with you.” Advertisement Related Video However, all that changed after he became aware of the former Fear Factor host’s frequent habit of using the racial s...
Study Finds 19% of Spotify Users Have Unsubscribed or Plan To Following Joe Rogan Backlash
Just as a growing list of artists including Joni Mitchell, Graham Nash, and David Crosby have followed Neil Young’s lead by removing their music from Spotify, it turns out a significant number of the streamer’s customers are taking their listening elsewhere, too. According to a new consumer poll by Forrester Research (via Variety), 19 percent of Spotify users have canceled their subscription — or plan to in the near future — in response to the controversy surrounding podcast host Joe Rogan. As a refresher, Rogan — whose The Joe Rogan Experience is the most-streamed Spotify exclusive podcast — has become a hotbed of misinformation about COVID-19, among other nonsense. Spotify CEO Daniel EK has doubled down on his decision to keep ties with Rogan, prompting Young and other ar...
Joe Rogan Apologizes for Past Use of N-Word: “I Clearly Have Fucked Up”
Joe Rogan has apologized for his past use of the N-word, saying in an Instagram video that it was “the most regretful and shameful thing that I’ve ever had to talk about publicly.” The host of The Joe Rogan Experience posted the video apology hours after Spotify took down 70 of his show’s episodes. The removal of at least some of these episodes was apparently due Rogan’s use of racist or other derogatory language. Earlier on Friday, the Grammy Award-winning singer India.Arie highlighted 24 instances in which Rogan used the N-word during episodes of his podcast. While arguing that Arie’s video was “made of clips taken out of context of me of … 12 years of conversations on my podcast, and it’s all smushed together,” Rogan nonetheless admitted that “it looks fuckin’ horrible, even to me.” Adv...
Spotify Remove Episodes of Joe Rogan’s Podcast Featuring Racial Slurs
Spotify reportedly removed 70 episodes of The Joe Rogan Experience on Friday evening, according to CNET. The episodes in question all pre-date 2019 and are unrelated to Rogan’s ongoing controversy over COVID-19 misinformation. Rather, the removal of at least some of these episodes was apparently due to racist or other derogatory language. Earlier on Friday, the Grammy Award-winning singer India.Arie highlighted 24 instances in which Rogan used the N-word during episodes of his podcast. Advertisement Related Video “He shouldn’t even be uttering the word. Don’t even say it, under any context. Don’t say it. That’s where I stand. I have always stood there,” said Arie, who earlier in the week pulled her music from Spotify, citing Rogan’s “language around race.” According to the official subredd...
The New York Times Buys Wordle for $_ _ _ _ _ _ _
Wordle, the viral word game which offers players six chances to puzzle out a five-letter word, has been purchased by The New York Times to bolster their ever-expanding collection of brain-teasing games. The New York Times Company left a blank space in place of the actual price, though they did say the purchase involved a number “in the low seven figures.” The invention of Brooklyn engineer Josh Wardle, Wordle (yup, it’s a pun) rolled out last October. It had less than 100 users per day on November 1st, but by the middle of the month that number had ballooned to over 300,000. Advertisement Related Video Today it’s played by millions, with many choosing to post their results online using colored boxes to indicate the progression of their guesses — black or grey for misses, yel...
Janet Jackson Absolves Justin Timberlake of Super Bowl Wardrobe Malfunction
Janet Jackson may have experienced the wardrobe malfunction seen round the world, but nearly twenty years later, she’s not blaming Justin Timberlake. During the fourth and final part of her eponymous new documentary, the superstar addressed the scandal-making 2004 Super Bowl Halftime Show performance, saying, “Honestly, this whole thing was blown way out of proportion.” “And, of course, it was an accident that should not have happened,” she said of the moment the former boy bander ripped off the bustier of her costume, exposing her breast and nipple for a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it second, “but everyone is looking for someone to blame and that’s got to stop.” Advertisement Related Video In fact, Jackson insists that, despite the way her career suffered while Timberlake got away largely unsca...
Supreme Taking Over Tower Records’ Old L.A. Flagship Store
As the saying goes: as one supreme rises, the one before it fades. That certainly feels like the case Tower Records’ old West Hollywood location, which is now poised to become the next Supreme shop. Set to open in Summer 2022, the new retail operation will serve as the ultra-fashionable streetwear brand’s second location in Los Angeles, following the existing store on North Fairfax Avenue. However, some residents of West Hollywood are already up in arms over the coming storefront, particularly with its habit of hyping exclusive drops that cause long lines of hip teenagers waiting for all hours to cop the latest piece of Supreme merchandise. Advertisement Related Video “Camping and altercations would be a negative side to having a chain like this, especially with a lot of residential space,...
