TV

Conservatives Are Predictably Losing It Over The Super Bowl Halftime Show (And Calling It ‘Sexual Anarchy’)

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Oh boy. Where to start? The lead up to the Super Bowl included reports that Eminem was told not to kneel during the Halftime show. Well, Marshall Mathers did, in fact, kneel as a gesture of solidarity toward Colin Kaepernick. Surely, you’ve seen the moment by now, but just in case you haven’t, it goes down here (shortly after the 11:00 mark), and this was obviously too much for conservatives to handle. The same goes for the entirety of the Halftime show that included Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Bilge, Snoop, and an upside down 50 Cent.

None of this would stand for conservatives, including activist Charlie Kirk, whose tweet genuinely looked like parody (but it wasn’t). “The NFL is now the league of sexual anarchy,” Kirk wrote. “This halftime show should not be allowed on television.”

AOC (who once called conservatives “creepy weirdos” for their apparent fixation on her looks) had a swift response: “Like I said, weirdos.”

And from there, “sexual anarchy” inspired a ton of comebacks.

Yep, the far-right also seemed steamed about Eminem’s presence in general.

And as lawyer Ron Filipkowski joked, “MAGA is upset that the NFL didn’t bring out more ‘wholesome’ entertainment like Kid Rock and Ted Nugent.”

Is it a joke, though, if MAGA people really want this to happen?

And from there, the Kid Rock-related comebacks poured in because, as one person pointed out, “The distance between Eminem and Kid Rock as white rappers from Michigan could not be greater.”

A whole lot of pearls will meet their maker over this one. Is it time for the next Super Bowl yet? Asking, uh, for a friend who enjoys chaos.

What Songs Were In ‘Euphoria’ S2E6?

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(SPOILERS for this week’s Euphoria will be found below.)

This week on Euphoria, Rue Bennett returns home where she continues to deal with her withdrawal symptoms. After fighting it initially, Rue has committed to the idea of returning to rehab to overcome her addiction. She also apologizes to Ali for her hurtful comments towards him in the fourth episode. Elsewhere in this week’s episode, we follow Maddy as she expresses her hurt and anger towards Cassie (her best friend) and Nate (her ex-boyfriend) after she discovers that they’ve been seeing each other for some time.

Just like last week’s episode, which featured songs by Labrinth, Sharon Cash, and more, this week on of Euphoria also featured a great selection of songs. The aforementioned events in this week’s episode are soundtracked by carefully curated songs that help to accentuate the emotions behind each scene.

What Songs Were In ‘Euphoria’ S2E6?

The standout songs on this week’s episode are Ben E. King’s classic record, “Stand By Me,” and Method Man and Mary J. Blige’s “I’ll Be There For You/You’re All I Need To Get By.” The former track appears during a slightly intimate moment between Fez and Lexi as they discuss the 1986 film Stand by Me. As for Method Man and Mary J. Blige’s record, that appears after Nate goes to extreme lengths to retrieve the CD with Cal and Jules’ sex tape on it from Maddy.

The soundtrack for this week’s episode also includes Bill Evans’ “Peace Piece,” Mazzy Star’s “Quiet, The Winter Harbor,” and En Vogue’s “My Lovin’ You’re Never Gonna Get It.”

HBO’s ‘Euphoria’ airs on Sundays at 9:00pm EST.

Are Dominic Fike And Hunter Schafer From ‘Euphoria’ Dating?

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(SPOILERS for this week’s Euphoria will be found below.)

This season of Euphoria has brought forth the start of new romances and the end of old ones. Things between Rue and Jules are a bit rocky after the latter sparked a tense and emotional intervention with help from Elliot and Rue’s family. Things have been heating up between Elliot and Jules and it remains to be seen where that goes in future episodes. Cassie is head over heels for Nate, who is the ex-boyfriend of her best friend Maddy, which sparks a love triangle that practically imploded last week on Euphoria. With that being said, there is one romance that has seemingly taken shape in the real world.

Are Dominic Fike And Hunter Schafer From Euphoria Dating?

All signs point to the answer being yes. Last month, the two Euphoria actors, who play Elliot and Jules respectively, were seen holding hands after they left The Nice Guy in West Hollywood. At the time, neither confirmed if things were more than platonic between them, but thanks to a new post from Fike, it’s clear that love is in the air. Last week, Fike shared a picture of him kissing Shafer to his Instagram Story. He captioned the picture, “Happy birthday happy birthday,” despite both of their birthdays being in December.

You can view the picture of Fike and Schafer below.

Halsey Uses A ‘Euphoria’ Scene To Joke About Dominic Fike’s Age Difference Mix-Up

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Dominic Fike is at an important point of his career, as he’s in the midst of his first major acting role as a cast member of hit HBO series Euphoria. He’s doing well in music, too, of course, and he’s rubbed shoulders with some major figures in the industry, including Halsey; Fike featured on “Dominic’s Interlude” from Manic. Now, Halsey has used a clip from Euphoria to share a story about the first time they met.

Halsey tweeted a clip from the show, in which Zendaya’s character hits Fike’s character in the head and says, “He’s a liar and a f*cking snake. F*ck you!” Halsey wrote alongside that, “me and dominic fike when we first met and he told me he thought i was 35 even though im only one year older than him.”

Indeed, Halsey is 27 years old and was born on September 29, 1994, while Fike is 26 and was born just over a year later on December 30, 1995.

Halsey added in another tweet, “ive been doin this so damn long every one is tryna put me in the grave today. y’all better be careful! im 27 the universe might be listening [skull emoji].” Some of their followers apparently weren’t too keen on Halsey’s reference to the infamous “27 Club,” which features a group of famous celebrities who died at 27 years old, as they followed up, “too early in the day for dark humor i see. im sorry im kidding ily!!!”

Hours later, she added, “‘why would u share this’ because it’s funny as hell. i have a kid and i’ve been making music for 10 years i don’t blame anyone who is surprised by my age [crying emoji] y’all suck the fun outta everything.”

Lil Dicky Announces His Super Bowl ‘Quartertime Show’ With Help From Cardi B

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Last week, Lil Dicky teased some sort of endeavor seemingly connected with the upcoming Super Bowl, tweeting, “I’ve always wanted to perform at the halftime show. This year, I’ll be taking matters into my own hands.” Now, we know what Dicky’s cooking up: He’s teaming up with delivery company Gopuff for the “Quartertime Show.”

He made the reveal with a video today, in which he introduces the idea and explains, “It’s a show that exists between the first and second quarter. Interesting, innovative, I know! I know. Now, there’s not the same amount of time in between the first and second quarter as there is at halftime, so I’m going to have to put on the fastest show anyone’s ever put on.”

He then teased another celebrity joining him in this endeavor and hopped on a video call with Cardi B, who was dispensing some of her vodka-infused Whipshots into her hand. Dicky asked if she’d perform with him and she surprised him by shooting down the idea with a laugh.

The “Quartertime Show” is set to go down on February 13 early on during the Super Bowl and will be broadcast on Dicky’s Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook profiles.

Cardi B is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The Estates Of Robin Williams And George Carlin Are Both Suing Pandora For Unpaid Streaming Royalties

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Robin Williams and George Carlin are two of the most prolific, ubiquitous, and downright hilarious comedians of all time. Sadly, Williams has been dead since 2014 and Carlin since 2008. But that still hasn’t stopped streaming service giants Pandora from profiting off of their stand-up comedy recordings without paying royalties to their respective estates. At least that’s what copyright infringements lawsuits filed by both Williams’ and Carlin’s estates are claiming.

According to filings of these lawsuits obtained by Rolling Stone, Williams’ estate is seeking to get $4.1 million in damages, while Carlin’s camp is suing for $8.4 million. The lawsuits claim that Pandora knew that they were streaming the recordings, even though they didn’t have the proper licensing right to do it. Furthermore, they haven’t paid any money to the estates that preside over the comedians’ posthumous earnings.

The claims state that Pandora “gained listeners, subscribers and market share with full knowledge it did not have licenses.” In 2018, Pandora was sold to SiriusXM for a whopping $3.5 billion and recordings from comedy titans like Williams and Carlin were (and still are) a part of the service’s offerings.

The filing from Carlin’s estate cheekily states, “While Carlin would have been thrilled for his works to live on through valid licenses and payments, he would have seven dirty words to say about Pandora’s actions and willful copyright infringement, no doubt.”

For what it’s worth, Pandora also received complaints from comedians Andrew Dice Clay, Ron White, and Bill Engvall. It sounds like they need to legitimize this portion of their operation in regards to comedy recordings, or the names on that list are going to grow even bigger.

What Songs Were In ‘Euphoria’ S2E5?

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Zendaya Rue Euphoria S2E5
HBO

(SPOILERS for this week’s Euphoria will be found below.)

Rue Bennett’s relapse and drug addiction are the focus of this week’s episode on Euphoria. After orchestrating a deal that grants her a suitcase filled with drugs to sell, her drug use takes a huge spike. However, all of it comes to a screeching halt when Rue’s mom finds out about the suitcase and disposes of it, causing Rue to go a painful bout with withdrawal. The latest episode of Euphoria also expands on the love triangle between Nate, Maddy, and Cassie.

Just like last week’s episode, which featured songs by Sinead O’Conner, Baby Keem, Montell Jordan, Faith Evans, and more, this week on of Euphoria also featured a great selection of songs. The aforementioned events in this week’s episode are soundtracked by carefully curated songs that help to accentuate the emotions behind each scene.

What Songs Were In ‘Euphoria’ S2E5?

The standout songs on this week’s episode were Labrinth’s “Understand Me” and Sharon Cash’s “Fever.” The former was used during a pair of scenes where someone was in pursuit of Rue. The first is when Rue jumps out of her mom’s car and runs across traffic in order to avoid a trip back to rehab. The second time came in the second half of the episode when Rue is running away from a crew of police officers after she robbed a house for jewelry and cash. The robbery itself was soundtracked by Sharon Cash’s “Fever.”

The soundtrack for this week’s episode also includes Labrinth’s “We All Knew” and Albert Hammond’s “It Never Rains In Southern California.” This week’s episode also comes with the great news that Euphoria has been renewed for a third season.

HBO’s ‘Euphoria’ airs on Sundays at 9:00pm EST.

People Had More Criticism For Awkwafina After She Apologized For Her ‘Blaccent’ In Films

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Awkwafina has long been criticized for her use of a stereotypical Black voice, something that’s been referred to as a “blaccent,” in movies like Crazy Rich Asians and Ocean’s 8. Last fall, the actor and rapper even struggled to answer a question about it. Years after those movies were released, Awkwafina hopped on Twitter to address the matter and apologize for using the “blaccent.”

“I stand by the fact that I will always listen and work tirelessly to understand the history and context of AAVE [African American Vernacular English], what is deemed appropriate or backwards toward the progress of ANY and EVERY marginalized group,” she wrote. “But I must emphasize: To mock, belittle, or to be unkind in any way possible at the expense of others is: Simply. Not. My. Nature. It never has, and it never was.”

She also revealed her plans to quit Twitter thanks to a recommendation from her therapist. “I am retiring from the ingrown toenail that is Twitter,” she said. “Not retiring from anything else, even if I wanted to, and I didn’t drunkenly hit someone with a shoehorn and now escaping as a fugitive.”

As for her apology, well, it didn’t get the best reception on Twitter. In fact, her post earned her even more criticism. “All these words and not one apology,” one person wrote. “Awkwafina could have just said: ‘You were right. I did use a blaccent to make a name for myself and that was wrong. I wholeheartedly apologize, and I’ll do better from now on.’”

You can view additional responses to her apology below.

Awkwafina Addressed The Controversy Over Her ‘Blaccent’ In Films Before Retiring From Twitter

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Last fall, the usually very articulate Awkwafina struggled to answer a question about perhaps the only controversial thing about her: her use of what’s been dubbed a “blaccent.” In movies like Crazy Rich Asians and Ocean’s 8, the actress and rapper partook in the sketchy tradition wherein non-Black people adopt a stereotypical Black voice. Now, a handful of years later, she’s finally addressing it.

In a lengthy statement dropped on her Twitter feed Saturday morning, Awkwafina began by addressing the “historical context of the African American community in this country.” She wrote about how “a group that is disproportionately affected by institutionalized policies and law enforcement policies – all the while having historically and routinely seen their culture stolen, exploited and appropriated by the *dominant* culture for monetary gain without acknowledgment nor respect for where those roots come from.”

Awkwafina then tried to clarify her position in all this. “But as a non-Black POC, I stand by the fact that I will always listen and work tirelessly to understand the history and context of AAVE [African American Vernacular English], what is deemed appropriate or backwards toward the progress of ANY and EVERY marginalized group,” she wrote. “But I must emphasize: To mock, belittle, or to be unkind in any way possible at the expense of others is: Simply. Not. My. Nature. It never has, and it never was.”

She continued:

“My immigrant background allowed me to carve an American identity off the movies and TV shows I watched, the children I went to public school with, and my undying love and respect for hip hop. I think as a group, Asian Americans are still trying to figure out what that journey means for them – what is correct and where they don’t belong. And though I’m still learning and doing that personal work, I know for sure that I want to spend the rest of my career doing nothing but uplifting our communities. We do this first by failing, learning, acknowledging, hearing and empathizing… And I will continue, tirelessly, to do just that,”

A couple hours later, Awkwafina returned with another announcement. “”Well, I’ll see you in a few years, Twitter – per my therapist,” she wrote. “To my fans, thank you for continuing to love and support someone who wishes they could be a better person for you. I apologize if I ever fell short, in anything I did. You’re in my heart always.”

She then clarified that she was not retiring from the entertainment industry, just from the “ingrown toenail that is Twitter,” and that she will “avail” herself “on all other socials that don’t tell you to kill yourself!”

So we’ll be hearing from Awkwafina again, and we don’t mean a postcard.

(Via People)

Rudy Giuliani Improbably Popped Up On ‘The Masked Singer,’ Causing Judges Ken Jeong And Robin Thicke To Storm Off In Protest

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Warning: This post contains spoilers for Wednesday night’s episode of The Masked Singer.

If you ever find yourself working directly for a disgraced leader who’s been accused of corruption and fascism and are worried about your future, fret not! You can always find a second life on some trash game show. Sean Spicer, who bullied and lied to journalists as Donald Trump’s first White House press secretary, improbably wound up on Dancing with the Stars. Sarah Palin, recently seen jeopardizing the health of New Yorkers by dining out after testing positive for COVID, was among the unmasked (in more ways than one) on The Masked Singer.

Speaking of, as per Deadline, on Wednesday’s episode of the singing-themed reality show, the big reveal was so shocking it reportedly prompted two of the judges to storm off in protest. Who could be that polarizing? Why, it’s Trump’s cash-strapped, legally doomed, accident-prone personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani.

When one of the masked singers was revealed to be one of the key players in Trump’s failed attempts to overturn democracy, judges Ken Jeong and Robin Thicke furiously fled the scene. The other two judges, Nicole Scherzinger and Jenny McCarthy, who was anti-vaxx before everyone else, remained and engaged in some banter with the guy responsible for such classics as “Four Seasons Total Landscaping” and “Mystery Black Goo Pouring Down Head.” Jeong and Thicke eventually returned.

In any case, it’s probably a bit too early to be normalizing alleged crooks who have yet to have been punished. But then, Rudy probably needs the dough.

(Via Deadline)