Category: News

In an alternative universe, Aubrey Plaza would have been smiling under the Ghostface mask. Speaking with Hit Radio‘s Olivia Marks, Plaza revealed that one of her early career failures was going “full method” for a Scream sequel audition as one of the killers.

“And they had told me, you’re going into an audition to play a character that you eventually find out is the killer,” Plaza said. “So I took that really literally and I kind of was thinking, alright, I’m gonna dress like the killer. I went in and I looked terrible, I was like really frumpy and my hair… ‘cause I thought, like, I’m a murderer!”

It turns out that none of her competitors for the role thought to go for the disheveled look.

“They all looked great, and I just looked insane,” Plaza added. “[The producers] were like, the whole point was that we’re not supposed to know that you were the killer, you pretty much just look like a murderer right away.”

That’s pretty solid life advice for actors and for murderers.

Plaza calls it a “Scream remake” in the interview, but, based on the timing, she’s almost certainly talking about what came to be known as Scream 4. That means (spoilers for an 11-year-old film!) that she would have been a 20-something playing a high schooler. Or that the audition was just an audition. Or the script changed a bit. You know, basically all things are possible.

What’s sadly not possible is Plaza getting to slash her way through Woodsboro. It’s a shame, because she’s the perfect so-obvious-it’s-not-obvious choice.

(via Hit Radio)

In this cold, cold world, we can all take heart in our shared love of people banning James Corden from their restaurants. That’s what happened earlier this week when Balthazar owner Keith McNally publicly excoriated Corden as a “tiny Cretin of a man” who abused his waitstaff. Corden then apologized privately, and all was forgiven, but since we’re not getting a public version of that apology, Tim Heidecker has stepped up to impersonate one for us.

The weird thing is that I can’t tell if that’s an excellent Corden impression or simply a generic London accent. Or both? The not-weird thing is that Heidecker’s public apology as Corden is less a parodic stab at Corden and more a send-up of the need for public apologies in the first place. Every time a celebrity ends up in the bad graces of The Internet, we’re treated to something like this that might as well end with an entreaty to continue consuming their work. That’s the point, right? “I’m sorry-ish, but please don’t stop buying my merch.”

Plus, Corden was right.

Gasp! But yes. Why was this a public thing to begin with? What was gained by McNally making it publicly known that Corden was banned? All the Late Late Show host did was take something private that should have been there to begin with.

If you’re currently sharing your Netflix password with friends, family members, and any random person that asks you because you’re a super kind person, be ready to pay the price. Moochers, this goes for you, too.

We’ve known for some time that Netflix was planning to quash password-sharing among users. The move was apparently prompted by their first quarter of subscriber losses earlier this year amid a landscape of powerhouse streaming service competitors gaining steam in the furious race to invent television all over again. Finally, we’re getting some clarity about what that plan looks like, and…it isn’t terrible?

According to The Verge, Netflix’s heavily-tested plan involves disincentivizing password sharing by giving users an option: lose the account or pay just a little bit more for “sub accounts.” This is a genius move because it gives password-sharers the ability to continue sharing those passwords and for those hidden subscribers to get away with a slightly discounted fee. The streamer has also created the ability to port your profile, meaning that you won’t lose your place in multiple Ryan Murphy shows once you shift accounts.

The other huge change coming November 3rd is, of course, the addition of a “Basic” tier that lets subscribers pay seven bucks a month for ad-supported streaming. We’re entering a new era of streaming, where the initial wave of innovation has led to a deflated regression to what used to work just fine for legacy television. The funniest thing is that, for everyone criticizing streaming services for charging us to watch ads, that’s exactly what cable subscriptions did for years. Nevertheless, this is still a huge gamble for Netflix as it becomes something it once helped kill. If Blockbuster helps launch thousands of real-life Blockbusters, we are truly living in a simulation.

(via The Verge)

Mdou Moctar, who has spent the majority of this year on tour, recently announced Niger EP Vol. 2, which follows the first part of the series. Today they’ve unveiled the lead single “Ibitilan” as a compelling preview.

“’Ibitlan’ is a love song,” said producer and bassist Mikey Coltun. “Mdou sings about his love for a woman, comparing her to a beautiful valley with a stream running through it, how her skin is a yellow flower and her smile is like lightning. This particular recording was done in Agadez in 2017 at a wedding. Mdou and I had played three weddings a day for about a month and a half on that trip. It was like bootcamp. I loved it. ‘Ibitlan’ is one of Mdou’s oldest songs and is covered by pretty much every Tuareg guitarist.”

Last year, Mdou Moctar released a deluxe version of their 2020 album Afrique Victime. Coltun said about it, “These are a mix of demos from Niger and some live tracks from touring around the world, when we were still working out the songs together as a band. These are fun and different early versions of the songs.”

Listen to “Ibitlan” above. Check out the EP artwork and tracklist below.

1. “Iblis Amghar”
2. “Ibitilan”
3. “Nakane Dish”
4. “Chimoumounim”
5. “Asdikte Akal”
6. “Azawad”

Niger EP Vol. 2 arrives 10/25.

Today’s GOP may be vehemently against all things Black Lives Matter, but they will always sing the praises of Martin Luther King Jr., even while blocking voting rights bills, which King fought for. Sometimes they even try to claim the civil rights leader as one of their own. On Wednesday, that’s what anti-Trump news anchor-turned-MAGA candidate Kari Lake did. Luckily, she got a smackdown from someone close to him: one of his daughters.

Lake was at a campaign event alongside former Democrat Tulsi Gabbard, who said she’d initially been drawn to the “party of Dr. Martin Luther King and by the party of JFK.” However, “that party doesn’t exist today,” she said. “It’s a very different party.”

It was then that Lake chimed in. “Actually, I think [that party] does [exist],” she said. “I’m a true believer that if MLK, Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. were alive today, if JFK were alive today, if our founding fathers were alive today, they would be America First Republicans.”

All the while, Gabbard looked on in apparent delusional agreement as Lake claimed that a progressive activist murdered by a racist would fraternize with people who regularly demonize BLM.

The claim did not go unnoticed by Bernice King, his youngest child, who was five when he was assassinated.

“What you share here is false and dismissive of Daddy’s seminal work and beliefs,” King wrote, then pointed out two such views: “Ending/preventing voter suppression” and “Treating all, including immigrants, with dignity.”

Lake, like many in the MAGA wing of the GOP, believe in making it harder to vote, perhaps suspecting that most people won’t vote for Republicans, especially those like her. Immigrants, meanwhile, are the GOP’s biggest boogeypeople. Indeed, on Tuesday, those simply trying to watch the latest Phillies playoff game were treated to a vile, xenophobic ad perpetrated in part by Trump higher-up Stephen Miller, who regularly demonizes immigrants.

But maybe apart from those voter suppression and immigrants, sure, Martin Luther King Jr. would be cool with the party all about dog-whistling. Or maybe not.

(Via The Daily Beast)

The Washington Commanders are somehow having a worse year off the field than on it, which says a lot when the team is 2-4 with both wins being in rather hideous fashion over the Jaguars and Bears.

Still, that’s a considerable upgrade to the many scandals and investigations the organization is facing for the actions of owner Dan Snyder, who has been so bad as a human being and an owner that other NFL owners are considering voting him out of the league. On top of numerous allegations of sexual harassment, workplace hostility, and financial impropriety, the Commanders also present their fans with one of the league’s worst game experiences, as FedEx Field is widely regarded as one of the worst stadiums in the league — sometimes literally spewing sewage onto fans.

Most recently, it’s been a less literal dumping on fans from the organization, with the most recent example being a 50/50 raffle winner having his $14,000 check from the team — that, of course, he had to pester the team just to get — bounce when he tried to deposit it at the bank, via WUSA9.

It feels almost impossibly on the nose for the Commanders to send a fan a bounced check for a charity raffle — and it seems like it’s probably worth following up on whether the other half of the money made it to the charitable organization. The team released a statement calling it a “bank error” and apologized, but the fan noted that they had to wait a month just to get that check in the first place.

It is the closest thing we may ever get to an actual pro team pulling a Jackie Moon in Semi-Pro, where he fakes having prize money for a 3/4 court shot.

Even in the modern age of constant social media posting, we rarely get to witness the making of great art before it becomes famous. So when there’s any sort of behind-the-scenes glimpse showing how an iconic cultural staple was created, particularly one from a bygone era, it just feels like magic.

In a now-viral clip posted to Twitter by author and screenwriter James Leighton (@JamesL1927), we get just that, as a young Elton John plays a ditty that would later become one of his greatest hits.

A ’70s-era Elton is seen at the piano, sifting through a short stack of papers with lyrics on them written by his longtime creative partner Bernie Taupin. Elton lands on a page he had worked on putting music to a few days prior, which he “fancied writing” because it was about Bernie’s girlfriend, and he figured he’d probably appreciate it.

He called it “Tiny Dancer.”

The camera cuts to a young Bernie, head full of hair, making the comment that, “Reg [Elton] has to write very fast because he hasn’t got the patience to sort of spend hours or days on something.”

Not objecting to the comment, Elton then talks through his process, explaining how the music should have an upbeat tempo until the word “ballerina,” which “you know it’s not gonna be fast, it’s gonna be gentle.” It’s pretty wild seeing musical genius caught on tape.

He then puts the words to music, and history is made.

🎤ELTON JOHN

🎵 TINY DANCER (1970)

Just days after writing it, Elton pulls out a crumpled piece of paper, and plays his new song for the very first time. pic.twitter.com/H8zP3BzG2I

— James Leighton (@JamesL1927) October 18, 2022

As Elton plays, we also get to see Maxine Feibelman, Bernie’s then girlfriend and THE Tiny Dancer herself, hear the song for the first time, clearly digging the tribute.

It’s kind of hard to imagine that “Tiny Dancer” wouldn’t find instant popularity. According to American Songwriter, a lot of the song’s signature layers were edited out to make it shorter, and therefore playable on the radio, which didn’t help it top the charts. Luckily the song would eventually be heard in its full glory and quickly became a classic rock staple.

Elton and Bernie would, of course, go on to write together for decades, producing all-time hits “Bennie and the Jets,” “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” and “I’m Still Standing.”

The ability to let people experience ultra-rare, pivotal moments in culture is undoubtedly one of the greatest things the internet has to offer.

Many kids dream they will one day grow up and share their lives with their best friends. But for most of them, this dream fades away as they become involved in romantic relationships and start families.

However, for two friends in New Zealand, the dream has become a reality and they love their new arrangement.

The New York Post reports that Samantha Best, 24, a social media influencer, split up with her partner in April 2021 so she and her son, Kaelin, 4, moved in with her friend Lauren Robinson, 26, and her daughter Haidyn, 5.

The two moved in together and now share child-rearing and financial responsibilities like a married couple. They have a shared home bank account they use for bills and groceries.

See on Instagram

“Lauren and I are inseparable. We moved into a house together in May this year after I decided to move back to Auckland for better work opportunities,” Best told the New York Post.

“It’s so much easier living with Lauren,” she continued. “We’ve been able to split our finances and we are able to help each other with childcare if one of us is busy, the other can pick them both up from school, or if either of us need to go out the other can watch the two children.”

Having two adults in the home and sharing the bills has made it so much easier for Best.

“I struggled before I moved in with Lauren. It was hard for myself and Kaelin to live on our own and live comfortably,” she added. “Auckland is very expensive and I was quite lonely and scared.”

See on Instagram

The new arrangement has also given their children something they never had before, a sibling. Plus, the two adults get to hang out together every day like best friends, watching “Love Island” and having wine nights. “I live with my best friend and we have so much fun together,” Best said.

The trend of single moms moving in together has been getting a lot of attention over the past few years as rents rise and people are expanding their notions of family. These new arrangements have been called “mommunes” and “co-housing.” Friends who have decided to spend long stretches of time in a family unit are known as “platonic life partners.”

“We’ve got some unpleasant comments but the majority are supportive saying how much of a great idea this is,” Best told Daily Mail.

The unique relationship also invites many questions about Robinson’s and Best’s relationship. “People always think we’re together in a relationship, it’s always questioned but we definitely aren’t,” Best said.

The friends often joke that if one of them meets a new partner, they will have to move in with the two of them, but they’re not actively looking for love right now. “Everything is new when you’re fresh out of a breakup so we’re taking time to work on ourselves and then we’ll eventually get back on the dating scene,” Best told Daily Mail. “You know how they say when you’re not looking, someone will come along.”

If you’ve ever battled anxiety or depression or have lived with someone who does, you know how debilitating it can be. No matter how much you want the brain to cooperate, sometimes it simply won’t, and it’s not possible to reliably predict when that’s going to happen.

I’ve spent years helping my college-aged daughter figure out how to best manage a severe anxiety disorder. She’s a bright young woman who really wants to do her best, but the anxiety monster in her brain makes that difficult. I’ve watched her knock out an impressive paper for a class in a short amount of time and I’ve watched her sit at the computer with a stack of sources struggling for hours to get her brain to put two coherent sentences together. Same person, same capabilities. It’s not that she doesn’t want to do the work or that she isn’t trying, it’s just that she’s in a constant battle with her anxiety monster, and sometimes the monster wins.

I liken it to a person who has a bum knee that gives out at random times. They may have exercises and therapies to try to keep it from going out, and some days they can walk around just fine. But they may have chronic pain people don’t see and sometimes things happen that can’t be predicted—a wonky staircase, a longer-than-anticipated trek, an icy sidewalk—that can throw things off and suddenly make them incapacitated.

No one with any sense of empathy would expect a person with an injured knee to keep walking. They’d understand that the person might need a wheelchair or walker or cane sometimes. They’d understand that it might take that person a little longer to get from point A to point B. They’d be sympathetic if the person needed to rest their leg a bit before being ready to walk again and wouldn’t bat an eye at the accommodations needed to help that person be mobile.

But unlike a visible physical injury or disability, mental health disorders aren’t always obvious. A person can seem “fine” from the outside but can be struggling in ways that make it nearly impossible to function the way they want to on the inside.

That’s why a Twitter thread from a college professor about accommodating a student struggling with depression is resonating with so many people. Cameron Mozafari, a senior lecturer at Cornell University’s College of Engineering, shared his thoughts on allowing students to turn in late work when they’re experiencing mental health struggles.

Mozafari described a student with major depression who asked if they could make up the work they’d missed after they’d disappeared for a few weeks. When he said, “Of course,” they were confused and asked him if they’d get points marked off. Mozafari said colleagues had chastised him for the leniency he shows students struggling with mental health, saying he was setting a double standard: “Everyone else has to get the work in on time, so why don’t folks in crisis?”

u201cI’ve had colleagues who have chastised my leniency with folks experiencing mental health problems. They say I am setting a double standard. Everyone else has to get the work in on time, so why don’t folks in crisis? 2/5u201d

— Cameron Mozafari (@Cameron Mozafari)
1666103331

Mozafari understands something those colleagues don’t, and he explained it perfectly:

“If my depressed student could do the work, I imagine they would. They, however, couldn’t. Because their brain blocked them from being able to do much of anything. Will they always be like this? Maybe. I don’t know. Will I still accommodate? Yes, why not?”

Bingo. If they could, they would. Trusting that students with mental health challenges really do want to do their best is such a simple but vital practice.

Mozafari also tackled the “real world” arguments that people often try to make against accommodations. College is supposed to prepare them for the “real world,” and the “real world” is a supposedly cold, unsympathetic place where expectations are always high, rules are always rigid and no one is ever given any grace.

u201cThere’s this commonplace argument that college is supposed to prepare students for the “real world,” and teaching technical and professional communication really hammers that point. But here’s the thing: this is also the real world. Student is really depressed. For real. 4/5u201d

— Cameron Mozafari (@Cameron Mozafari)
1666103331

But as Mozafari points out, this student’s life is real. Their depression is real. Their experience is real. The “real world” is full of all kinds of people with all kinds of challenges that sometimes require accommodations.

“The message we communicate to students when we don’t accommodate mental health issues is that the ‘real world’ won’t accept their mental illness,” he wrote. “Whether that’s true or not, I don’t know. But if it is true, that’s not the real world I want to usher any student into.”

The truth is that everyone’s “real world” experience is different, but no matter what defines the world we live in, empathy and kindness and understanding are always helpful, always appreciated and always on the table. Every single one of us has a role in creating the “real world”—so why did we decide that those who cling to harsh, cruel perspectives on humanity are the ones who get to make the rules?

u201cAddendum: To the folks posting “but what if they’re lying?” afraid of getting fooled, take a minute to read people’s responses here. Thousands of people who have struggled have responded with identification. If my goal is to help students in need, I think I’m doing that.u201d

— Cameron Mozafari (@Cameron Mozafari)
1666103331

The real world isn’t as awful as many people make out. My daughter has often lamented asking a professor for an extension on an assignment, but the vast majority of the time, they have been not only accommodating, but genuinely understanding. She has had professors who have opened up about their own struggles and who have sent her words of encouragement that helped counter the negative thoughts her brain throws at her.

One commenter pointed out that being given grace by a professor actually made them want to work harder—”I felt like someone believed that I was smart and capable and worth fighting for when I didn’t believe those things about myself”—and I’ve seen that reflected in my daughter as well.

u201c@amelieparent13 @world_on_a_wire Same. I turned in a paper late once. The standard was 10 points taken off per days late. I turned it in & my professor decided to waive the late points & give me a 100 because the paper was really good. She gave me time to do my best, it paid off for both of us. I was grateful.u201d

— Cameron Mozafari (@Cameron Mozafari)
1666103331

Another commenter pointed out that when people are having a mental health crisis, their work is usually one of the last things to go. So if someone is asking for accommodations, they’re in a state where they really are having a hard time functioning.

u201c@world_on_a_wire I feel like people must think that in a mental health crisis you are only ignoring your work. I can promise you that at my worst, I have let feeding myself, cleaning myself, moving my body all go before I finally let myself drop my work. “Not doing work” is never the only thing.u201d

— Cameron Mozafari (@Cameron Mozafari)
1666103331

Considering the fact that the median onset age for mental health disorders is late teens through early 20s, high school and college students need flexibility as they learn to manage their brain function. It can take time to find the right therapist and/or the right medications, and students ought to be given room for that while they’re also trying to get their education.

Extending grace and offering encouragement won’t bring the world to a screeching halt and it won’t create bad habits in people battling their own brains. Accommodating mental health struggles lets students know that they are seen and understood and that their teachers and mentors want them to succeed, which is a far more powerful and transformative message than old, tired lectures about the “real world.”

Disclaimer: While all of the products recommended here were chosen independently by our editorial staff, Uproxx may receive payment to direct readers to certain retail vendors who are offering these products for purchase.

Welcome to SNX DLX, your weekly roundup of the best sneakers to hit the internet. It’s one hell of a week for Jordan fans as our top seven this week is absolutely loaded with Air Jordans. Five of the seven spots to be exact! Being able to cop any of these Jordans would make your week, but if you’re looking for the best of the best, any of the Jordan 2s will serve you well. Despite the lack of variety and the small list of notable sneakers, this week is pretty damn strong, largely dominated by Nike with New Balance making a solid entry to close out the list.

If for some reason you get through this ranking and have a hunger for even more Jordans, be sure to catch Uproxx’s new sneaker customization show Fresh Pair, particularly the Jadakiss or TI episodes, which feature fire custom Jordans.

Without further ado, here are this week’s seven best sneaker drops!

Air Jordan 9 Boot NRG Black and Light Gum

Presenting the most militaristic Jordan 9 ever! The AJ-9 Boot NRG features tough leather and suede upper covered in a water-resistant coating with a gusseted tongue, thick heavy tread, and metal Special Field Boot influenced eyelets. It looks less like something fit for the court and more like something fit for the battlefield, which I guess for people like Jordan, was the court!

It’s aggressive, but we’re digging it.

Air Jordan 9 Boot NRG Black and Light Gum is set to drop on October 19th at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $225. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Air More Uptempo ’96 Thank You, Wilson

Dedicated to the designer who made the Uptempo possible, this iteration of the silhouette is dedicated to and inspired by the shoe’s creator, Wilson Smith III. In keeping with his futuristic design ethos, the Thank You Wilson Air More Uptempo features a space-age-inspired gradient upper with shimmering reflective graphics and a tongue that pays tribute to Smith’s first day at Nike, written in a NASA-esque font.

It might just be the best Air More Uptempo colorway we’ve ever seen.

The Air More Uptempo ’96 Thank You, Wilson is set to drop on October 21st at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $175. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Air Jordan 2 Low Shelflife

This year the Air Jordan 2 finally began to get the love the silhouette has always deserved. Designed by Peter Moore, the same person who gave us the legendary Jordan 1, the Jordan 2 brought sneakerheads luxury footwear before that was a thing they knew they wanted.

This week’s Shelflife colorway was made in partnership with South Africa’s biggest streetwear store of the same name and features a canvas upper in white and light bone with orange accents and an insole featuring signatures from the Shelflife community. This is Jordan Brand’s first collaboration with an Africa-based partner, here is to hoping the Air Jordan 2 continues going global!

The Air Jordan 2 Low Shelflife is set to drop on October 21st at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $200. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or aftermarket sites like GOAT.

Air Jordan 2 Low Two 18

See what we mean? 2022 is the year of Jordan 2s. Dropping alongside the Shelflife collaboration, the Air Jordan 2 Two 18 is another collaborative Jordan drop, this time with Detroit-based sneaker boutique Two 18. Featuring a textured suede upper with leather accents, the Two 18 sports tortoiseshell eyelets, a gradient outsole that gets icy at the tip, and an insole map of Detroit’s metro area.

The Air Jordan 2 Low Two 18 is set to drop on October 21st at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $200. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Nike Women’s Air Jordan 2 Low Titan

No, your eyes don’t deceive you, this is yet another Jordan 2. But we saved the best for last. Made in collaboration with Filipino basketball retailer, TITAN, this women’s sized AJ-2 sports a dope white, green, and orange colorway over a premium suede upper with corduroy accents, and a speckled midsole. We only wish this one dropped in a full-size run!

The Women’s Air Jordan 2 Low Titan is set to drop on October 21st at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $200. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Air Jordan 7 Vachetta Tan

At this point, we might as well rename this article series “Jordan Watch,” because here we are with yet another Jordan. The Vachetta Tan isn’t just any random colorway of the week, this mix of taxi and dark concord over a tan leather upper is actually a re-release of a coveted colorway from ’92. This fan favorite features a leather upper with embossed details and embroidered accents on the tongue.

It might be an old design but it looks fresh as ever 30 years later. That’s the power of Jordan Brand.

The Nike Air Jordan 7 Vachetta Tan is set to drop on October 22nd at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $210. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or aftermarket sites like GOAT and Flight Club.

Joe Freshgoods x New Balance MADE in USA 993 Blue With Vintage Rose

Dropping in a cool blue colorway, Joe Freshgoods latest New Balance collaboration is a must-cop. Featuring a design that combines the best of the 991 and 992 silhouette, the 993 features a mixed premium suede and mesh upper with JFG branded foxing, reflective details on the N logo, and an ABZORB midsole. As is always the case with New Balance’s big collaborations, this 993 comes out of NB’s MADE in USA imprint, meaning the quality and comfort is on point.

These are simply some of the most comfortable sneakers you can ever hope to wear.

The Joe Freshgoods x New Balance MADE in USA 993 Blue with Vintage Rose is set to drop on October 21st at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $219.99. Pick up a pair via the New Balance webstore.