Month: October 2020

Last month, the streetwear and skate world lost an icon when HUF founder Keith Hufnagel lost his two-year battle to brain cancer. In celebration of the life and brand Hufnagel built, long-time friend and fellow San Francisco-based streetwear label head Benny Gold will be raffling off his personal collection of HUF clothing — with all of the proceeds going to fund cancer research in the late icon’s name.

“My biggest memory of Keith is just that he was really generous… I want to do something with the collection that is meaningful. This collection of HUF clothing is from the early, early first years of HUF…” said Gold in a video posted to his Instagram announcing the raffle and showing off pieces from the collection.

“All of these pieces in this collection were produced in extremely limited quantities,” Gold adds, “and available exclusively at the first HUF location in SF.”

The collection features over 150 t-shirts, sweatshirts, and hats and will be given to a single raffle winner, with tickets costing $50 per entry with no ticket limits. 100% of the proceeds will go to fund brain cancer research in Hufnagel’s name. To enter the contest, Venmo Benny-Gold at 4691 or make a Paypal donation as “FRIENDS & FAMILY” at contact@bennygold.com.

Check out Keith Hufnagel’s final video interview in the latest episode of Uproxx’s The Masters above.

Of the many outrageous things that actually exist in a world where Donald Trump is president, the concept of a fake Melania Trump is one of the few that actually don’t have much evidence out there to confirm it. Despite many instances of viral claims that the White House employs a body double for the First Lady, there isn’t any real proof of that being the case.

Like hypothetical multiple mascots at a sporting event, both have yet to appear in the seating bowl at the same time as each other. Let’s put it another way: there is no smoking Spider Man Pointing At Spider Man meme that has confirmed much of anything. USA Today, for example, has fact checked this as recently as this week and came up with a “false” rating on the rumors, as did Snopes.

Perhaps too many people have seen Death of Stalin since it hit Netflix, or they’re just willing to believe anything after the year we’ve had. But footage of Donald Trump kissing his wife on Friday made a lot of people bring back the extremely strange conspiracy theory that there is another Melania Trump out there.

Melania has gone viral for a number of things over the years, but one of was not, until Friday, about showing any interest in the president. They just haven’t been all that affectionate over the last four years, which is why footage of Trump and Melania kissing multiple times at a rally on Friday got people talking. Mainly, about who that was suddenly kissing the president.

A number of people made the same joke about The Prestige.

For even the most skeptical it seemed Friday’s video seemed to change something in their minds.

Still, as both USA Today and Snopes noted, distorted images, weird lighting and images captured from TV broadcasts seem to be what makes this happen and get people questioning her appearance. And as harmless a conspiracy theory it may be, these sorts of baseless theories about much more harmful things get serious legs online these days and are part of a disturbing trend of misinformation on the internet.

It’s also worth noting that the examination of body language and interpreting its meaning as fact was once a very silly thing Fox News used to get made fun of for airing. There’s no hard evidence of multiple Melanias, nor anything to strongly indicate this is anything other than a harmless conspiracy theory to add to the list of weirdness that is life in 2020. But some people seem extremely convinced this is real, which is just kind of what life online is like these days.

The tiniest state with the longest name may soon just be the tiniest state after November 3. Rhode Island is voting on whether to change its official name from “The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations” to “The State of Rhode Island.”

Lawmakers in the state would like to shorten the name because the term “plantations” has a historical connection to slavery in the United States.

This isn’t the first time the state has attempted to remove “plantations” from its name. Rhode Island attempted the change ten years ago and 78% of voters opposed the idea.

A “Yes” vote supports amending the Rhode Island Constitution to remove “Providence Plantations” from the official state name in the Preamble, Article III (Oath of Officers), and Article IX (Commissions).

“I’ve never had anyone ask me where I’m from and I say, ‘The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations,'” Bill Lynch, the chairman of Rhode Island United, told WPRI. “We’ve seen in other parts of the country some really bad things happen to show that we may have made progress, but not enough on race relations, generally speaking.”

The move comes in the wake of an executive order from Governor Gina Raimondo in June to remove “plantations” from government documents.

“Many of the State’s residents find it painful that a word so closely associated with slavery should appear in the official name of the State,” Raimondo said.

“The pain that this association causes to some of our residents should be of concern to all Rhode Islanders and we should do everything in our power to ensure that all communities can take pride in our State,” she continued.

Opponents of the bill claim the term “plantation” had no connection to slavery when Roger Williams settled Providence in 1636.

In fact, Williams was an abolitionist theologian and it’s believed included “Providence Plantations” to refer to a new settlement, not an estate cultivated by slaves.

via Jimmy Emerson / Flickr

However, Rhode Island does have an ugly past when it comes to slavery. In the mid-18h century, it was a vital part of the slave trade and had a higher slave population than any other Northern colony.

Even though it was the smallest state in the colonies, the vast majority of slave ships came from Rhode Island ports.

Slavery began on small farms which then grew to Plantation-like size. “Eventually, these farms grew to be plantations comparable to those in America’s southern colonies,” wrote Salve Regina University adjunct professor Fred Zilian, “and with these plantations, a class of Narragansett planters emerged.”

Slavery was phased out in the state after the passing of the Gradual Emancipation Act of March 1, 1784.

Although it appears as though the original intent of the state’s name had nothing to do with slavery, it’s hard to separate the historical meaning of the world with how it’s interpreted in 2020. Especially at a time when Americans are taking a deep look at its racist history.

“This isn’t going to solve the race relations problem in the country, but it sends a message in Rhode Island that we care,” Lynch said.

Want to land yourself on a no-fly list? Refuse to wear a mask on an airplane. Delta is actually having to ban people from flights for not wearing masks. “As of this week, we’ve added 460 people to our no-fly list for refusing to comply with our mask requirement,” Delta CEO Ed Bastian said in a message to employees per CNN. The number is up from 270 people in August. It’s kinda nuts that people are so against covering their nose and mouth that they’re actually willing to get kicked off an airline, but here we are.

We’re a good seven months in to the pandemic, so having to wear some kind of protective covering isn’t new anymore. Delta flights have been requiring face masks on flights since May 4^th, and has been barring rule breakers from traveling since June. Delta is also one of two major U.S. airlines that keeps the middle seat open (at least until the end of 2020).

The memo also described a couple of the incidents that have led to passenger bans. Like the time someone delayed a flight from Detroit to Las Vegas for 90 full minutes because they wouldn’t put on a mask. Or the time when a flight from Detroit to Atlanta had to return back to the gate because two customers who refused to wear masks got into it while the plane was taxiing. Is not wearing a mask really worth being the jerk who literally turns the flight around? And why do people still think they can get away with not wearing a mask, especially since the rule has been in place for almost half a year?

All major airlines now require face coverings to fly, and they’ve been banning passengers for not complying since June. However, airlines don’t share their no-fly lists with each other, so someone can theoretically get kicked off of a Delta flight, then turn around and fly on American. Or United. Or whatever airline is cool with letting your runny nose go commando-slash-putting other passengers at risk.

Wearing a face covering while flying protects you, protects others, and makes other people feel comfortable. At the bare minimum, that flash of fabric can put otherwise nervous flyers at ease. On top of that, the CDC says it’s a good idea. Earlier this month, the CDC updated their guidelines on the virus, acknowledging that COVID, like airplanes, can travel through air. According to the CDC, travel, “increases your chances of getting and spreading” coronavirus. “CDC strongly recommends appropriate masks be worn by all passengers and by all personnel operating the conveyance while on public conveyances,” the CDC says, per CNN.

Yes, face masks can be uncomfortable, and yes, sitting on a five-hour flight with fabric scratching at your upper lip is nobody’s idea of a good time. However, wearing a face mask is the least that’s being asked of us during the pandemic, and the temporary discomfort of a face mask is nowhere near the discomfort of COVID.

Ever wonder what happened to the real people who appeared in a fake documentary? They don’t always have to cope with the aftermath of public humilation.

Jeanise Jones was told she would be participating in a documentary about child brides and women’s rights. What she actually ended up appearing in was “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” the sequel to 2006’s Borat. Now, a GoFundMe for the Oklahoma grandmother set up by her pastor has raised over $130,000 after Jones told Variety she was only paid $3,600 for her appearance.

If you don’t remember Jones, she was the woman tasked with babysitting Borat’s daughter, Tutar, while Borat (played by Sacha Baron Cohen) attempted to make money for his daughter’s plastic surgery.

“I can’t say it was fair because they knew it was going to be a movie, and I didn’t. I just thought I was doing a documentary about how we do things in America. But I blame myself for not reading when I signed those papers,” Jones told Variety. The GoFundMe was set up after Jones lost her job of 32 years due to the pandemic.

It’s not surprising so many people donated to Jones after her revelation. Her advice to the 15-year-old Tutar (played by the 24-year-old Bulgarian actress Maria Bakalova) made Jones the voice of reason, shutting down the sexism in a no-nonsense manner. At one point, Jones told Tutar to “‘use your brain, because your daddy is a liar.” Even though Jones doesn’t remember saying it, but stands by it. “He was a liar. It was a lie when he said that women can’t do this, girls can’t do that. He said women and girl’s brain size are no bigger than a squirrel’s,” Jones told Variety.

Jones said she was just trying to do the right thing. “My patience comes from God. I used to not have any patience at all. But in that kind of situation, you can’t help but have patience because you’re trying to help somebody — at least, that’s what I thought. I was trying to give the best advice I know. And as a young lady, you don’t need all the features that she said her dad wanted her to do. There was nothing wrong with her. I was trying to let her know that she was pretty,” Jones told Variety.

Jones admitted she was worried about Tutar for a year, but now she’s glad she doesn’t have to worry. “As far as her, I would give her a hug,” Jones told Varity when asked what she would say to Bakalova. “I’m glad to know she’s not really in that situation. I hate to hear of anyone in that situation.”

Jones found out about her appearance in October when a friend told her about it. She said she hasn’t seen the movie yet, but plans to.

While Borat, and much of Baron Cohen’s humor is cringe-worthy, Jones was kind of a nice reminder that not everyone in this world is bonkers.

With the holiday season nearing, several musicians are trying their hand at spreading cheer through Christmas music. This week, Carly Rae Jepsen released a jolly tune and now, Tegan And Sara are taking on Christmas with their own ode to the holidays.

Tegan And Sara’s synth-heavy ballad “Make You Mine This Season” arrives on the soundtrack to the upcoming Hulu film Happiest Season. Directed and written by Clea DuVall, the film stars Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis as a happy couple. Stewart plans to propose to Davis at her annual family Christmas dinner, until she realizes that Davis has yet to come out to her family.

In a statement about the film’s music, soundtrack producer Justin Tranter said: “For all types of families, music matters more during the holidays than any other time of year. To be given the honor to help create a holiday soundtrack that everyone can enjoy but celebrates LGBTQ talent is an actual dream come true for me! There are LGBTQ artists and/or songwriters on every original song. The soundtrack’s focus is on LBTQ women to pay tribute to the brilliant queer woman who co-wrote and directed the movie, I hope we did you proud Clea!”

Along with Tegan And Sara, the Happiest Season soundtrack features other recognizable names. Music by Bebe Rexha, Sia, Anne-Marie, Carlie Hanson, and more will be featured in the film.

Listen to “Make You Mine This Season” above.

The Happiest Season soundtrack is out 11/6 via Warner Music. Pre-order it here.

Tegan And Sara are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Perfume Genius released his acclaimed record Set My Heart On Fire Immediately back in March. While he can’t tour behind the effort, the singer has still managed to give breathtaking performances of his music on late-night television. Now for his set on Jimmy Kimmel Live, the singer took his music to the dusty Joshua Tree desert to sing “Jason” and “Nothing At All.”

Backed by a full band, which included Meg Duffy of Hand Habits on guitar, Perfume Genius made use of the outdoor stage during his performances. Like in much of his videos, the singer moved his body fluidly between his band and reflected his music’s heart-tugging emotions through earnest facial expressions.

Speaking to Uproxx upon his album’s release, Perfume Genius described the immediacy behind both his album title and its sound:

“It’s almost like a greediness for fuller feelings. The record is maybe a little more patient or more mature about that idea than I am as a person. That’s how writing is a lot, but there’s an immediacy to all of the songs. And that’s how I want my life to be right now. I want to know what’s going on. I want to feel and understand what I’m feeling. Or, be okay with neither of those things happening. I’m sick of reaching towards something or reaching towards a feeling or projecting. I just want it all soon. Or immediately.”

Watch Perfume Genius sing “Jason” and “Nothing At All” on Jimmy Kimmel Live above.

Set My Heart On Fire Immediately is out now via Matador. Get it here.

2020 has definitely, for sure, without a doubt, been the strangest year we as a society have collectively lived through. And it’s not even close. Remember when we all thought 2016 was a doozy? How adorable were we then?

We’ve all worked on ways to cope through the upheaval of a global pandemic, the intensity of social unrest, the chaos of political insanity, and the uncertainty of what comes next. Some of us are dealing with the loss of loved ones, unemployment and financial stress, helping our kids navigate virtual schooling, and the mental health toll all of this is taking.

Considering all of that, most of us can use all the help we can get in the coping department.

Perhaps that’s why the “Keep Going Song” from The Bengsons—a husband-wife musical duo—is resonating with so many people. The song, which they says is “meant as a gesture of love, a try, a fail, a blessing, way to be gentle,” is quirky, funny, alternatingly silly and profound, and overall just thoroughly delightful. In between the catchy “Keep going on song” choruses, Abigail Bengson speaks and sings a seemingly spontaneous narrative while Shaun Bengson plays a simple guitar riff in the background, and it all works in a weird and wonderful way.

In the beginning it seems like it’s just going to be a goofy song as Abigail describes how they ended up living with Shaun’s parents’ house with their 3-year-old, but when she suddenly shifts into describing the universal truths of what we’re all going through, there comes this unexpected emotional unveiling effect. Maybe it’s the compassion in the lyrics or the sincerity in her unique voice. Maybe it’s when she asks, “Are you okay? Are you alright? Are you okay? Are you alright?” or when she sings, “I hope you have enough good company or enough good memory to last you a long time,” but it’s hard not to feel understood and comforted by her.

The Keep Going Song (title track)

www.youtube.com

By the time you get to the end, you feel almost like you’ve just had a heartwarming call with an old friend. And it’s clear from the more than 2200 comments on Facebook that people found something in the song that hit a soft spot in people around the world.

“Thank you so much. I sent this to all my expat friends here in France and we all felt cared for. You are the proof that there are beautiful beautiful people all over the world…love,” wrote one commenter.

Another wrote, “This is beautiful and raw and true and inspiring and so so healing and currently rippling around my little universe of Irish family and friends who are rippling it even further. Word.”

Others added their gratitude as well:

“Somehow you seem to know my heart in both its joy and its sorrow. Thank you for sharing your prayers of hope and positivity. I will carry them with me tomorrow as I mourn my sister on her birthday.”

“Thank you so much for this song. It’s the first work of art that has come out from this time that resonates so deeply. Can’t help but cry every time I play it (and it’s been a whole lot). And sharing. We need this blessing so much. May it bring many good things to you.”

“I’ll just echo what everyone else is saying here – this is what I hadn’t realized I needed since “the shit hit.” I felt like I was being hugged by an old friend the entire time I listened. Thank you. All the love to you and your family.”

“You have moved me and all the friends and family with whom I’ve shared this to tears. You went straight to the heart of this moment, fully inhabited all the feelings, and beautifully reached out to hold and be held by us all. This is a powerful gift that we didn’t quite appreciate how much we needed until we received it. May you feel a little less alone, too. Thank you for making this Monday morning feel more possible to face now.”

Some commenters asked if the couple had a Venmo or Cashapp or something where they could donate a little to say thank you, and The Bensons responded with this:

“Oh this is so kind! Thank you so much! We have the album for sale on iTunes and Apple Music and the money from that would wind its way to us. Or you could send those dollars to your favorite initiative! Here’s one doing amazing (non-partisan) work for helping disenfranchised voters, Reclaim Our Vote: bit.ly/rov2020donate“

So yeah, they’re as good a people as they seem in their video.

Thank you, Bengsons, for sharing your joy and rage and grief with us in a way that we all feel heard and understood.

Halloween is this weekend, which means the domination of Christmas music is right around the corner. While Mariah Carey is still crowned the Queen of Christmas, Carly Rae Jepsen is giving her a run for her money by sharing the Christmas letdown anthem “It’s Not Christmas Till Somebody Cries.”

Over the snappy beat, Jepsen sings of all the things that could go wrong during the jolly season: her family feeds her vegan boyfriend fish, her uncle spews politics, and her grandpa accidentally at an edible.

Explaining the meaning behind the track in a statement, Jepsen said that while Christmas is her favorite holiday, it can also serve as a major stressor:

“I love the old-fashioned movies and the family traditions and the excitement of gifting presents and decorating the tree and and and… my list is endless. But each year the pressure to have the perfect Christmas always ends in tears. I call it ‘Christmas versus expectation.’ […] Christmas holiday is my favorite time of year. I love it. But so often emotions run high and expectation versus reality is something I’d like to shed some light on and hopefully some laughs too in the process. So if you are lucky enough to get to be with the ones that matter most to you this year- embrace it! And if things go south just remember, ‘the secret is to sing a little song to survive… that it’s not Christmas till somebody cries!’”

Further celebrating the release of “It’s Not Christmas Till Somebody Cries,” Jepsen shared an adorable holiday throwback of her with a homemade snowman. “Let’s have a chat about that Mr. Frosty the Triangle Snowman,” she wrote.

Listen to “It’s Not Christmas Till Somebody Cries” above.

Nav already racked up a pair of back-to-back No. 1 albums in the past year but it looks like he’s been productive during the lockdown. The Canadian production star put his fans on red alert today with a new trailer announcing the impending arrival of his next mixtape, Emergency Tsunami, next Friday, November 6. The cheeky trailer is made up of scenes cherry-picked from the 2009 Korean disaster film Haeundae (renamed Tidal Wave for its North American release) which sees beachgoers chased by a towering wave as the result of an underwater earthquake.

According to a press release, Emergency Tsunami will be completely produced by Tennesseean beatmaker Wheezy, who last worked with Nav on his Good Intentions single “Turks” featuring Gunna and Travis Scott. The record helped propel Nav to his second No. 1 debut after 2019’s Bad Habits also topped the Billboard albums chart behind the success of the Weeknd-featuring single “Price On My Head” and “Tap” featuring Meek Mill. While neither album received great reviews, fans couldn’t get enough of Nav’s hypnotic delivery and production. With Emergency Tsunami already handling the latter thanks to Wheezy’s presence, it’ll be up to Nav to fulfill their thirst and give his latest mixtape as big a splash as its title.

Emergency Tsunami is due 11/6 via XO Records.