Pop Culture
Barcelona Opera House Reopens with Concert for Over 2,000 Houseplants
There’s lots of talk in opera these days about organically growing the audience, and now Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu has found a new and (literally) fresh approach. As CNN reports, the Spanish opera house reopened after months of coronavirus lockdowns with a performance for 2,292 houseplants. Conceptual artist Eugenio Ampudia created the event, featuring music provided by UceLi string quartet. The ensemble played the Puccini elegy, “Crisantemi”, which translates to “chrysanthemums”, a fitting piece for the unique crowd in attendance Monday evening. Hailing from nearby nurseries, the “audience” of plants — verdant trees, ferns, and grasses — carpeted the orchestra section as well as the balconies above. At the conclusion of “Crisantemi”, the gorgeous flora was made to applaud. Th...
Apple Announces iOS 14, Updates to AirPods, Messages, and Maps
Apple is ready to change things up on you again. Earlier today, the tech monolith announced its newest software, iOS 14, for iPhones, iPads, Macs, Apple TV, and Apple Watch during the Worldwide Developers Conference. A lot of ground was covered, so we’ve cherry-picked the biggest takeaways to help save you time. First thing’s first: iOS 14 will change things up for the iPhone starting with a brand new iOS home screen. The new look allows users to set default email and browser apps for the first time, pin widgets with updating information, and go beyond the previous limitations of apps-only visuals on the home screen. From there, Apple revealed some helpful tweaks to the Messages app. Users can now mention one another within a text (similarly to tagging), rock updated Memoji looks like a fa...
The Karate Kid Spinoff Series Cobra Kai Moves to Netflix
Ralph Macchio and William Zabka of Cobra Kai at C2E2 2019, photo by Heather Kaplan Wax on, wax off: Cobra Kai has left YouTube for Netflix. According to The Hollywood Reporter, The Karate Kid spinoff series, starring Ralph Macchio and William Zabka, has found a new home with the streaming giant for its third season. “The appeal of The Karate Kid saga is timeless, and Cobra Kai picks up right where it left off without missing a beat,” said Brian Wright, Netflix vp originals. “The rivalry between Daniel and Johnny is one for the ages, and the show has a ton of heart and is a lot of fun. We can’t wait to introduce a new generation of fans to Cobra Kai and are thrilled to be its new home around the world.” The series debuted on YouTube in May 2018, back when it wa...
AMC Theatres to Reopen in July, Won’t Require Face Masks to Avoid “Political Controversy”
Update – June 19th: AMC has reversed course and will require movie-goers to wear face masks. Bankruptcy be damned: Like Cinemark and Regal Cinemas earlier this week, AMC Theatres has now announced that they, too, will begin reopening their theaters across America beginning in July. Face mask, anyone? According to The Hollywood Reporter, the world’s largest theater chain will open 450 of its US locations on July 15th followed by the remaining 150 on July 24th, all in anticipation of Disney’s Mulan and Warner Bros.’ Tenet. “After a painful almost four-month hiatus due to the coronavirus, we are delighted to announce that movies are coming back to the big screen at AMC. Our next 100 years of making smiles happen officially begin at approximately 450 theaters across the Uni...
D.L. Hughley Tests Positive For Coronavirus After Collapsing On Stage
D.L. Hughley, photo via Getty Comedian D.L. Hughley says he has tested positive for COVID-19 after collapsing during a show in Nashville on Friday night. Hughley, 57, was performing at Zanies Comedy Club when he suddenly fainted. His manager and several other people carried him off the stage, and he was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital where he was treated for exhaustion and dehydration. Doctors also conducted a battery of tests and determined that he had contracted coronavirus. In a video posted to social media, Hughley said he didn’t have any symptoms related to COVID-19, and it’s unclear whether the virus contributed to him collapsing. He was released from the hospital on Saturday and will spend the next 14 days in self-isolation. Below, you can watch Hughley’s aforementione...
AMC Theatres Reverses Decision, Will Require Moviegoers to Wear Masks
AMC Theatres has reversed a previous policy decision and will now require customer to wear masks in their cinemas upon reopening. (We may have some suggestions for that.) In plans revealed on Thursday, AMC announced it would open 450 of its US locations on July 15th, with the remaining 150 following on July 24th. While there were a number of precautions addressed to help reduce the spread of coronavirus — reducing capacities to 30%, increasing sanitation procedures, and limiting concessions — masks were only made a requirement for “theatre associates.” Speaking with Variety about the reopening rollout, AMC CEO Adam Aron said the company felt “it might be counterproductive if we forced mask wearing on those people who believe strongly that it is no necessary.” He added that he expected “the...
Trump Voters Are Burning Their Face Masks to Protest COVID-19 Orders
In what appears to be a new challenge-turned-fail, a number of Donald Trump voters are burning their face masks to try to own the libs. According to a report by Vice, MAGA fans have posted videos of themselves lighting the fabric on fire to Facebook, allegedly to protest their respective cities and states enforcing new COVID-19 protection orders. It all began when Raleigh, North Carolina Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin announced that face coverings will be mandatory in public, at supermarkets, inside businesses, on sidewalks, on public transportation, and in parking lots starting this Friday. Numerous other cities and states have implemented similar rules — a fact-driven, science-backed decision to stop the spread of COVID-19 and the number of coronavirus-related deaths. The members of Facebook gro...
Into the Wild Bus Removed From Alaska Wilderness Due to Safety Concerns
Authorities in Alaska have removed the abandoned bus made famous by the book Into the Wild and movie of the same name. According to The Associated Press, Alaska Natural Resources Commissioner Corri Feige cited safety concerns as the reason for the bus’ removal. At least two people have died attempting to reach the bus, while scores of others needed to be rescued by the Coast Guard. The 1940s-era bus had been used by a construction company to house employees during work on an access road in the area and was abandoned when the work was finished in 1961, The Associated Press explains. It later become a natural monument of sorts in the wake of Christopher McCandless’ tragic death in 1992. McCandless, a 24-year-old native of Virginia, sought refuge in the bus after becoming stranded on the...
Howard Stern Responds to Donald Trump Jr. Bringing Up Old Blackface Sketch
Howard Stern and Donald Trump Jr. Howard Stern used to be close buds with Donald Trump, having him and members of his family as guests on his show numerous times over the years. His alliances have clearly changed, as he’s called Trump’s initial campaign for president a publicity stunt while also encouraging his supporters to drink bleach. That turn of opinion has raised the ire of Donald Trump Jr., who called Stern out over the weekend for an old bit he did in which he wore blackface and used the n-word repeatedly. Now, the shock jock has responded on his SiriusXM morning show. For context, the 1993 sketch in question aired during a New Year’s Eve pay-per-view special. Stern was lampooning Ted Danson, who had worn blackface to a Friar’s Club roast with his then-girlfrie...
The Cast of Ghostbusters Reunite for Josh Gad’s YouTube Show: Watch
Since the start of lockdown, Josh Gad’s YouTube series Reunited Apart has digitally brought together casts of classic cinema like Goonies and Back to the Future. On the latest episode, the team behind Ghostbusters were the ones to answer the Zoom call. Besides the ever-resistant Rick Moranis, all the films’ surviving stars were present: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, and Annie Potts. Director Ivan Reitman was also present, as was his son, Jason Reitman, who is helming the upcoming sequel to the original franchise, Ghostbusters: Afterlife. There were also a number of surprise guests, including William Atherton (Walter Peck), and actors with bit parts like Steven Tash and Jennifer Runyon (the students Murray’s Peter Venk...
Jon Stewart Discusses Police Brutality and FOX News in New Interview
With all that’s going on in the world, there’s no better time for the return of Jon Stewart. The former Daily Show host is back making the media rounds for his new movie, Irresistible, coming to PVOD on June 26th. Given the political nature of the film and the socio-political landscape it’s being released into, it’s no surprise Stewart has a lot to say about the current state of things. In a new interview with The New York Times, he touched on everything from Trump to police brutality to FOX News, all with his usual intelligence and nuance. Some might wish Stewart would return to the televised political comedy and commentary scene, but even if he were to return (he’s certainly not eager to) it wouldn’t be like The Daily Show. He praised the show’s current host, Trevor Noah, ...
Penny Lane from The Beatles Song “in Danger of Being Renamed” over Possible Slavery Ties
As the Black Lives Matter movement continues to surge worldwide, citizens and governments alike are being forced to reconsider monuments to heritages of racism. In America, everyone from GWAR to Taylor Swift is calling for the removal of confederate statues, with one petition proposing they be replaced with ones of Dolly Parton. Meanwhile, over in Liverpool, England, folks are seeking to rename the famed Penny Lane — immortalized in the classic song by The Beatles — over its purported connection to the slave trade. It seems many believe the road was named for James Penny, a slave merchant who spoke against abolition in Parliament. Last week, as protests over racial injustice and inequality gripped the country, signs for the street were defaced and graffitied, with “racist” being sprayed ab...
