Pop Culture
Dave Chappelle Unloads on Critics Upon Winning Emmy for Best Variety Special
During the fourth and final night of the Creative Emmy Awards on Saturday, Dave Chappelle captured the prize for Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded). Despite being one of the most accomplished comedians of all time, Chappelle felt particularly vindicated by the award, as it came in honor of his divisive 2019 Netflix special Sticks & Stones. Upon the special’s release last summer, Chappelle was met with immense backlash over jokes he made about Michael Jackson and R Kelly’s alleged sexual abuse victims and the LGBTQ+ community. While Chapelle has long been known to push the envelope, the consensus among many critics was that the material featured in Sticks & Stones was stale and tone-death. “Edgy, but empty, Sticks & Stones might not break any bones, but it won’...
Rihanna Reveals Announces 2020 Savage x Fenty Show with Travis Scott, Rosalía, More
Rihanna has announced the second annual Savage X Fenty lingerie fashion show. According to a new trailer, the event will stream through Amazon Prime on October 2nd and feature performances headlined by Travis Scott and Rosalía. Founded in 2018, Rihanna envisioned Savage X Fenty as a more inclusive underwear brand, with a wide-range of fabric colors to complement all skin tones and an expanded range of sizes. The first show took place last September during New York Fashion Week, and saw appearances by Migos and Halsey, among others. This year’s lineup is even more star-studded, as in addition to Scott and Rosalía, Savage X Fenty Vol. 2 will see performances from Miguel, Bad Bunny, Mustard, Roddy Rich, and Ella Mai. That would be one hell of a concert, but of course the purpose of this event...
Jim Carrey Cast as Joe Biden on Saturday Night Live
Jim Carrey will portray Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in the upcoming 46th season of Saturday Night Live. The casting was revealed by longtime SNL boss Lorne Michaels in an interview with Vulture. Michaels also confirmed that Alec Baldwin and Maya Rudolph will be back as Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, respectively. Rudolph is up for an Emmy this year for her portrayal of the now-Democratic vice presidential nominee during the show’s 45th season. Baldwin won one for playing Trump in 2017. According to Michaels, it was actually Carrey who first broached the idea of playing Biden. “There was some interest on his part. And then we responded, obviously, positively,” Michaels said. “But it came down to discussions about what the take was. He and Colin Jost had a bunch...
The Villain of J.K. Rowling’s New Book Is a Male Serial Killer Who Wears Dresses
J.K. Rowling This week, author and transphobic bigot J.K. Rowling is set to release her new book Troubled Blood. An early review reveals a not-so-subtle plot involving a cis male serial killer who dresses as a woman to get closer to his female victims. Written under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, Troubled Blood is a 900-page mystery that drops tomorrow, September 15th. Via PinkNews, the review comes from Jake Kerridge of The Telegraph, who sums up the book’s message as “never trust a man in a dress.” He writes, “The meat of the book is the investigation into a cold case: the disappearance of GP Margot Bamborough in 1974, thought to have been a victim of Dennis Creed, a transvestite serial killer. One wonders what critics of Rowling’s stance on trans issues will make of...
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Is Going Virtual
COVID-19 has thrown a wrench at one of the biggest holiday traditions in the US: the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. This afternoon, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the beloved holiday event will go virtual this year due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. “[The parade isn’t] a live parade, but something that will really give us that warmth and that great feeling we have on Thanksgiving day,” said the mayor. “It will not be the same parade we’re used to. It will be a different kind of event. They’re reinventing the event for this moment in history, and you’ll be able to feel the spirit and the joy of that day on television, online.” The 2020 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will ditch the usual 2.5-mile-long route through Manhattan for a much smaller path. As such, there will o...
Donald Trump Wants Joe Rogan to Moderate a Four Hour Presidential Debate
Because we’re all dead and this is hell, Donald Trump would like Joe Rogan to moderate a four-hour presidential debate. Rogan himself pitched the debate format on a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast with retired MMA fighter Tim Kennedy. Kennedy asked Rogan what his approach would be, and Rogan said, “First of all, I would want nobody else in the room. Just the three of us. And I would want to stream it live so no one can edit it.” So far, so expected, but Kennedy and Rogan act as if they’ve invented something remarkable. “Why can’t we have that?” Kennedy asked. “We should have that, it’s 2020,” Rogan replied. “We have the ability to have that. We’re not talking about 1979.” Nobody pointed out they had just invented television. Afterwards, Kennedy tweeted abo...
Will Smith Lists Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Mansion on Airbnb
Now this is a story all about how you could end up staying in a nostalgia dream pad. Will Smith has listed the Los Angeles mansion used for exterior shots of his Fresh Prince of Bel-Air home for rental on Airbnb. The chance to sit on Big Willie’s throne comes as the classic sitcom celebrates its 30th anniversary — and a night’s stay will only cost you $30. That will get you a private wing of the mansion, what would have been Will’s section had the Fresh Prince actually been filmed inside. While the rest of the home will be empty, you’ll have access to a king-size bedroom, a full bathroom, the pool area, an outdoor lounge space, and a dining room. Guests will be able to play basketball in the bedroom (“you read that right — IN the bedroom,” Smith confirms on the listing), spin DJ Jazzy...
Ubisoft Announces Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game Reissue
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game — Complete Edition Ten years after its initial release, Ubisoft has announced an updated version of the beloved sidescroller Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game. The new Complete Edition will arrive sometime during the 2020 holiday season. Based on the graphic novels by Bryan Lee O’Malley, as well as the 2010 movie from Edgar Wright, this beat ’em up game follows Scott and his friends on a quest to defeat the League of Evil Exes. The Complete Edition includes the original game and all the accompanying downloadable content, which unlocks new playable characters (Knives Chau and Wallace Wells!), minigames, and PvP battles. Up to four players can join together locally or online, piloting the roles of Scott Pilgrim, Ramona Flowers, S...
Jimmy Carter Confirms Willie Nelson Smoked Out His Son on the White House Roof
It’s one of the most enduring legends in music history — and it turns out it’s all true. In his 1988 autobiography, Willie Nelson wrote that he once smoked a joint on the roof of the White House with one of President Jimmy Carter’s sons. Now, the former president himself has confirmed the country icon’s story. Carter shares the anecdote in the newly released documentary Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President. Directed and produced by Mary Wharton, the film examines how Carter embraced music alongside his politics. (Gosh, remember when that was something fun and not cause for legal action?). It highlights his friendships with the likes of Bob Dylan and Nelson, and when asked about the latter, Carter admits Nelson’s tale is true. “[Nelson] says that his companion was one of the servant...
Joe Exotic Begs for Donald Trump to Pardon Him in 257-Page Letter
Joe Exotic stated his intention to issue a formal pardon request to Donald Trump a few months ago, and Trump said he’d be willing to “take a look” at the situation. Because there aren’t enough real issues going on in the world, it looks like the Tiger King star has now compiled a 257-page letter pleading his case and is sending it off to the White House this week. According to TMZ, Joe Exotic, aka Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage, is sending a team of loyal supporters and lawyers to Washington, DC with the hope of getting the case file in front of Trump. Included among the documents is a letter from Joe to Donald Trump Jr. in which he lays out his plea for a pardon. In addition to raising health concerns stemming from his various medical issues (anemia and variable immune deficiency among th...
Trump Not Welcome in Mrs. Rogers’ Neighborhood: “He’s Just a Horrible Person”
Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood (1975) Yesterday, September 3rd, Donald Trump held a campaign rally in Fred Rogers’ hometown of Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Fred died in 2003, but his widow Joanne follows the news, and she’s made it very clear that Trump isn’t welcome in Mrs. Rogers’ neighborhood. The 92-year-old retired pianist spoke her mind in an interview with The Daily Beast, saying of Trump, “I think he’s just a horrible person.” While Joanne has served as a brand ambassador in the 17 years since her husband’s death, as her son told the New York Times last year, “She has always been her own person.” That includes more active political stances. “Fred tried to stay pretty quiet about politics, basically because his program was for children,” Joanne said. “I’m alone now. I don’t do a prog...
McDonald’s Says Fuck It, Renames Quarter Pounder Meal for Travis Scott
By its own admission, McDonald’s has been struggling to reach consumers 34 and younger. Rather than engaging with issues that young people care about — nutrition and environmental sustainability come to mind — the Golden Arches have instead tried the “How do you do, fellow kids?” approach, and partnered with Travis Scott to offer the same shit that was already on the menu. The last time that Ronald and friends linked up with a celebrity sponsor was thirty years ago with Michael Jordan. That endorsement-free era has ended, as McDonald’s announced the Travis Scott Meal in a news release earlier today. It comes with a quarter pounder with cheese (add bacon), plus french fries, barbecue sauce, and a Sprite. Growing up, we called that a #3, but for a limited time it’s the Cactus Jack speci...
