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As society continues to become increasingly progressive as the years go on, previously acceptable language and depictions have become objectively less appropriate to use in modern times. Tons of companies, publications, and people have all had to formally apologize and retract racially offensive comments made in the past that they assumed would never catch up to them. It seems like Dr. Seuss’ camp is taking some concrete steps to formally mend his use of anti-Semitic and racist depictions in six of his children’s books, discontinuing their publication. 

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According to Dr. Seuss Enterprises, the business responsible with preserving the late author’s legacy, says six of his books, including “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street,” and “If I Ran The Zoo,” “portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong.”

They added they made the decision to cease the production on these books, which also includes “Scrambled Eggs Super!” “McElligot’s Pool,” “On Beyond Zebra!” and “The Cat’s Quizzer,” after meeting with educators and reviewing the full catalog of Seuss books. 

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The announcement was made on the iconic author’s birthday today, Tuesday, March 2, although the decision had been made last year. The move follows as President Biden chose not to mention Dr. Seuss on Read Across America Day, which is held annually on his birthday.  

The author, born Theodor Seuss Geisel, has come under fire in recent years as his history of racist and anti-Semitic work was uncovered. A study of 50 of his books found 43 of 45 characters had qualities aligning with “Orientalism” and 2 “African” characters exhibited anti-Black qualities. 

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Of the six books pulled from shelves, “The Cat’s Quizzer” and “If I Ran the Zoo” were specifically noted as examples of Orientalism and white supremacy. 

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Some would argue that America’s had its fair share of celebrities entering political office while others might not. Trump still seems to be readying to launch another campaign to run for president in 2024 while Kanye West could possibly get ready to do the same. Demands for Oprah’s run for president have echoed for years and more recently, Dwayne Johnson said that he has plans to leap into politics in about a decade. It seems that we might be able to count on Will Smith to join him, as well.

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During a recent visit to Crooked Media’s “Pod Save America,” Will Smith reflected on the possibilities of running for office. It doesn’t seem like it’s something he’ll be diving into immediately, saying, “I think for now I’ll let that office get cleaned up a little bit.” However, he didn’t rule out running for office down the line. “I absolutely have an opinion, I’m optimistic, I’m hopeful, I believe in understanding between people and I believe in the possibility of harmony. I will certainly do my part, whether it remains artistic or, at some point, ventures into the political arena,” he said.

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Will Smith’s previously flirted with the idea of running for president over the course of his career but it seems like he’s gotten more serious about his political aspirations in recent years. The actor spoke about running for president in 2015 during Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. “If people keep saying all the crazy kinds of stuff they’ve been saying on the news lately about walls and Muslims, they’re going to force me into the political arena,” he told CBS Sunday Morning. 

Would you vote for Will Smith? Sound off in the comment section below.  

Clout is one hell of a drug… We’ve witnessed people do some pretty wild, and sometimes despicable, things for the sake of a few likes on social media. Lil Pump has taken videos of himself urinating on his money, before being forced to pick up the cash and put it back in his wallet. A woman was also recently given national media attention for spraying Gorilla Glue on her hair. In Spain, clout is still making people do crazy things, with the most recent case coming out of Zaragoza.

According to The Scottish Sun, Spanish rapper Aaron Beltran is accused of cutting off his roommate’s penis for a video posted on the internet. The victim, identified solely as English teacher Andrew B, reportedly offered Beltran a deal determining the final payment rate based on how many likes the video got online. State prosecutors are currently investigating and want to see Beltran jailed for four and a half years if he is found guilty.

The disgusting amputation was reportedly carried out in March 2019. Beltran and his alleged victim reportedly drank four bottles of white wine and took Valium to muster up the courage to complete the act. The teacher was found bleeding profusely, which prompted cops to search their apartment, finding his severed organ inside of a plastic bag. The man’s penis was surgically re-attached on the same day and is reportedly fully functional. 

In terms of how much Beltran paid, the minimum payment was reported to be £173 and the maximum was £2,164. The rapper’s alleged victim has not pressed charges. Beltran’s lawyer is expected to claim that the man is not responsible for the amputation and that the procedure was “consensual.”

The video of the act has been removed from the internet.

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It’s hard to argue that Pooh Shiesty isn’t one of the game’s most prominent young rappers, with the 21-year old 1017 signee having captivated the masses through singles like “Back In Blood” and “Guard Up.” Not long after securing his first Top 40 hit with the Lil Durk assisted “Back In Blood,” Shiesty has come through with an impressive performance for Vevo’s CTRL series, where he brought the aforementioned pair tracks to life in a new light. 

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Under a cinematic light, the focus lies entirely on Shiesty. The cold detachment heard throughout the track is apparent here, though it doesn’t necessarily translate to the most compelling presence on stage. Not that it needs to, as much of the potency comes from the lyrics themselves. Still, it might have been interesting to hear him bring a little bit more energy to the live version, especially with concerts set to loom on the horizon. 

While “Back In Blood” highlights a more menacing side of his persona, “Guard Up” is a little more laid back. It lends itself well to Shiesty’s laid-back performance style, as he effortlessly fires off his laid-back bars. Certainly effective under the CTRL parameters, it leaves us wondering as to how his live concerts will end up sounding. Perhaps the sound of cheering fans will hype him up a little more, though only time will tell. In the meantime, check out Pooh Shiesty’s two CTRL videos below and sound off — do you think he’ll be a compelling performer when concerts are once again the norm?

For more from Pooh Shiesty, peep our exclusive Rise & Grind interview with the 1017 rapper right here. 

After previous reports that a letter penned by former NYPD officer Raymond Wood on his deathbed included a confession to being involved in a ploy from the police department and the FBI to assassinate Malcolm X, the daughter of the officer is claiming the letter is a hoax. Kelly Wood came forward to debunk the authenticity of the letter in an interview with NY1 on Friday (February 26). 

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The children of the late civil rights leader teamed up with the cousin of the officer, coming forward last week at the scene of the murder in Harlem to make the letter public. In the letter, Wood alleges that he was tasked with luring members of Malcolm X’s security into committing crimes so he could arrest them, making him an easy target for the gunmen. Wood’s daughter is saying the letter was forged by her father’s cousin to gain publicity for himself. 

“I know that my father did not write this letter,” Wood told the news station. “I know that is not his signature and I know the envelope they’re using to somehow justify that the letter was mailed is also a fake.” She also disputed the claim that he only publicized the letter after his death to avoid facing consequences. 

“My father is not a coward. He would have never, ever asked anyone to speak on his behalf after his passing. If he had something to say, he would have said it when he was alive,” she told NY1. She added the signature on the letter did not belong to her father. 

Three members of the Nation of Islam were arrested for the assassination, but many have long doubted they were actually behind the murder. Manhattan DA Cy Vance said last year that his office would reopen the case to investigate if they were wrongly prosecuted and in wake of the letter noted its “review of this matter is active and ongoing.”

The NYPD told the Post they were cooperating completely with the investigation. We’ll keep you updated on further developments. 

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Big Sean is one of the most established rappers on the planet, but even he struggles with mental health on a daily basis. He has gone through periods where he’s suffered in a deep state of depression. Other times, he’s opened up about his battle with anxiety. The 32-year-old celebrity has become an important voice in the fight to raise awareness for mental health, and he’s detailing his struggle with suicidal thoughts on a new episode of One Question, One Mike with Dr. Michael Eric Dyson.

Asking Big Sean about his experience dealing with mental health, the rapper spoke about how he had thought at length about killing himself, even going so far as to say he’s held a gun in his hand and calculated finances to see how much money his loved ones would receive if he ever died.

“I for sure contemplated suicide a lot of times,” said Sean. “Having guns in my hands and really just… feeling it, for real. Not even trying to be dramatic. Even planning it out to the point where, hey, if I do kill myself, at least my family will get this amount of money. I’d have done this already. All these things. Because I just was stressed out and not happy and I realized that I need to stop everything I’m doing and figure this out or I’ma self-destruct.”

Sean says that he took the necessary time off, went to therapy, canceled his tour, pushed back his album, and connected more with his religious beliefs. Thankfully, he didn’t do anything to permanently harm himself. 

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If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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