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Damon Albarn Wants To Leave Gorillaz And Give The Band To Somebody Else One Day

Gorillaz’s eighth studio album Cracker Island is officially out today (February 24). As fans bask in the glory of its release and rerun previously dropped singles, “Silent Running,” “Baby Queen,” and “Skinny Ape,” the legendary group’s leader Damon Albarn is already looking towards the future (and not their derailed movie deal with Netflix).

During an interview with The Sun’s Simon Cosyns, Albarn shared that the untimely passing of past collaborators Terry Hall (of The Specials) and Dave “Trugoy” Jolicoeur (of De La Soul) has forced him to think about the future of the group.

“I’ve lost two good friends who have really inspired me,” said Albarn. Although he didn’t explicitly state that their passing was the root of his thinking, he did detail how both deaths impacted him.

“I had no idea Terry was so ill. Otherwise, I’d have gone to see him,” then adding, “What he and Dave had in common was building bridges between cultures in a very meaningful way. For my development, both were hugely important. I’m just carrying their flames.”

Albarn then shared that he is open to the idea of Gorillaz continuing without him, saying, “I’d like to pass it on to another guy who’s a cartoonist and a musician. That would be amazing.”

The musician has been such a fixture in the band that it would be hard to imagine someone else at the helm.

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

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A GOP Congressman From Alaska Has Been Censured After Claiming That Child Abuse Deaths Are ‘Actually A Benefit To Society’

By the very nature of the American political system, there are at least two sides to any one argument. And while the current Republican party has been known to seemingly support all sorts of wild shenanigans (see: January 6), you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone to stand behind David Eastman. As the Associated Press reports, the Alaska congressman was censured by his state’s House following his comments that kids who die as a result of child abuse are “actually a benefit to society.”

On Monday, Trevor Storrs — president and CEO of the Alaska Children’s Trust, an NGO that works to “ensure all Alaskan children and youth have the tools and resources necessary to grow up safe and healthy” — was testifying during a committee hearing about adverse childhood experiences when Eastman made his now-infamous statement. The congressman wanted to know Storrs thoughts on “the argument that I have heard on occasion where, in the case where child abuse is fatal, obviously it’s not good for the child, but it’s actually a benefit to society.” Because — gulp — that child would no longer require the government services they might need if they had actually survived at the hand of their abuser(s).

It took Storrs, who was visibly taken aback (as you can see in the video above), a moment to actually process the comment. So much so that he asked him to repeat the question: “Did you say, ‘a benefit for society?’”

Eastman responded:

“Talking dollars… for victims of fatal child abuse, it gets argued periodically that it’s actually a cost savings because that child is not going to need any of those government services that they might otherwise be entitled to receive and need based on growing up in this type of environment.”

On Wednesday, two days after the hearing, Alaska’s House of Representatives voted to censure Eastman in a 35-1 vote. The one member who voted against censuring the congressman? Eastman himself.

The AP reports that it’s not Eastman’s first censure rodeo. In 2017, the controversial congressman was censured following his insistence that women in Alaska were doing their darndest to get pregnant in order to take advantage of a government-funded “free to the city” for an abortion.

Sounds like Sarah Palin may have soon some competition for being Alaska’s most notorious lawmaker.

(Via Associated Press)

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The Bee’s Knees Is Our ‘Welcome To Spring’ Cocktail — Here’s The Recipe

Spring is nearly here. Yes, part of the country is covered in ice, but we’re all closer to spring break than we are to last Christmas. With that in mind, let’s shake up a great spring-has-sprung cocktail — the Bee’s Knees.

This cocktail is a throwback to the days of Prohibition. It’s also a medicinal throwback with honey and lemon in the mix as a reparative elixir with botanical gin. It feels like a sunbeam in a glass. You might actually see some leaves and flowers spring forth when drinking this delicious concoction.

The best part? It’s super easy to make. This is a basic sour shaker that has three core ingredients and takes about zero skills. If you can shake and measure, you can make this. That makes this a great cocktail to shake until the sun sets on Labor Day next September. Sound good? Let’s get shaking!

Also Read: The Top Five Cocktail Recipes of the Last Six Months

Bee’s Knees

Bee's Knees
Zach Johnston

Ingredients:

  • 2 oz. gin
  • 0.5 oz. fresh lemon juice
  • 0.5 oz. honey syrup
  • Lemon peel
  • Ice

Use good gin. That’s the key to this drink. I like the mild botanical vibes of Monkey 47. It’s a molasses-based gin with a mild array of botanicals that really play well with citrus and honey. Beyond that, you can find honey syrup at any decent liquor store and lemons at the grocery store.

Bee's Knees
Zach Johnston

What You’ll Need:

  • Coupe, cocktail glass, or Nick and Nora (prechilled)
  • Cocktail shaker
  • Cocktail strainer
  • Fine sieve strainer
  • Paring knife
  • Hand juicer
  • Jigger
Bee's Knees
Zach Johnston

Method:

  • Add the gin, honey syrup, and lemon juice to a cocktail shaker. Add a large handful of ice and then shake until very well-chilled (until the shaker is ice-cold to touch).
  • Fetch the glass from the freezer and strain the cocktail into the glass with the cocktail strainer and through a fine sieve strainer (to aerate).
  • Express the oils of the lemon peel over the cocktail and then rub the peel’s oils around the rim of the glass and stem. Discard the peel and serve.

Bottom Line:

Bee's Knees
Zach Johnston

This is like ginny lemon candy in a glass. The sweetness of the honey attaches to the sweeter edge of the gin to create that aforementioned ray of sunshine. The honey adds a creamy yet bright edge as well.

The botanical-ness of the gin is dialed back with a hint of red berries, mild bitter citrus, and a faint touch of pine coming through. All of that really works with the fresh lemon and honey — which leave you feeling lighter and brighter as you sip. This is so refreshing that you’ll be shaking up another before you know it.

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The Crying Kendall Memes Are Rolling In As Fans React To ‘Succession’ Ending With Season 4

After months of speculation, Succession creator Jesse Armstrong finally confirmed that the HBO series will end with Season 4, and let’s just say that fans were not prepared to learn that this upcoming season with the Roys would be their last. According to Armstrong, the decision was made back in November/December 2021, and no, it had nothing to do with Jeremy Strong’s method acting. At the end of the day, Armstrong just wanted to ended the series while it was still “muscular” and not drawn out by mini-seasons or just overstaying its welcome.

Via The New Yorker:

We could do a couple of short seasons, or two more seasons. Or we could go on for ages and turn the show into something rather different, and be a more rangy, freewheeling kind of fun show, where there would be good weeks and bad weeks. Or we could do something a bit more muscular and complete, and go out sort of strong. And that was definitely always my preference. I went into the writing room for Season 4 sort of saying, “I think this is what we’re doing, but let’s also keep it open.” I like operating the writing room by coming in with a sort of proposition, and then being genuinely open to alternative ways of going. And the decision to end solidified through the writing and even when we started filming: I said to the cast, “I’m not a hundred per cent sure, but I think this is it.” Because I didn’t want to bullshit them, either.

While fans will ultimately appreciate Succession going out on its own terms, that doesn’t mean they were ready to hear that Season 4 is the last ride with the wildly dysfunctional Roy family. Here are just some of the reactions pouring in:

To make things worse, a couple of fans did the math and it looks like Succession will be ending right around the same time that Ted Lasso could also be ending, and that started a whole new wave of Kendall crying reactions:

Succession Season 4 premieres March 26 on HBO.

(Via The New Yorker)

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Is Peter Jackson Involved With The New ‘Lord Of The Rings’ Movies?

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power proved that you don’t need Peter Jackson to make a successful show or movie set in Middle-Earth — but it sure helps. He directed all three films in the Oscar-winning The Lord of the Rings trilogy, as well as The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, and The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. That was also the most recent film he directed, back in 2014. Will Jackson step behind the camera again for the just-announced new Lord of the Rings movies?

The short answer: no. The longer answer: kinda?

On Thursday, Warner Bros. Discovery revealed “multiple” films based on author J.R.R. Tolkien’s books are in early development. No plot details have been made public, but in a statement, Jackson, along with his writing partners Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, said, “Warner Brothers and Embracer have kept us in the loop every step of the way. We look forward to speaking with them further to hear their vision for the franchise moving forward.”

Jackson is already more involved with the upcoming Lord of the Rings movies, whatever they end up being, than he is with The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. That’s a promising sign, but hey, if he wants to return to his splatter-horror days instead of almost needing hypnotherapy again, that works, too.

(Via Deadline)

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Adam Scott On Bringing ‘Party Down’ Back And Keeping ‘Severance’ Secrets

How do you mark the passage of a dozen years with a reboot/relaunch when part of the original’s charm is in how the characters were seemingly stuck in their nowhere jobs nursing fading aspirations while just trying to get by? That was the main question I had going into the long-awaited third season of Party Down (which returns tonight on Starz), a cult series/comedy nerd litmus test from the pre-stream era. Luckily, series creator John Enboom doesn’t make us wait too long, advancing the story immediately while also presenting the central go-nowhere cater-waiter jobs as a sort of magnet pulling those lucky enough to break free back into its orbit. But hey, misery loves company, right?

For Adam Scott, the show’s lead who went on to become part of one of TV’s most beloved pairs beside Amy Poehler on Parks And Rec before becoming a tortured office drone in Severance, it wasn’t hard to refind the unifying imposter syndrome that drove his performance as talented but burnt out Henry Pollard. It’s something we discussed when we spoke recently ahead of the show’s return, in addition to getting his thoughts on whether he ever gave up on the dream of a reunion, and why it wouldn’t have worked as the long-ago planned movie. Freed from being asked by people like me about when the show is coming back, however, we also honored the roles of TV journo and actor by gently touching on the mysterious Severance before getting the known and noted U2 pundit’s take on what hits him as the band’s most important song.

You’re not going to have people asking you about when Party Down is coming back anymore, big congratulations on that. I’m sure you’ve been asked that a thousand times.

That’s so true. Almost every interview since 2010, I get asked. And it’s great because it means people care, but you’re right. That’s so funny.

Did you ever think this wasn’t going to come back?

100%. Yeah, there was a chunk of years there where we just figured it was never going to happen because right after it ended in 2010, like 2011, 2012, we were pretty close to making the Party Down movie. And then that just ended up falling apart. And honestly, my gut feeling then was relief. Not because it wouldn’t have been cool. John (Enboom) wrote a terrific script. It was really good, really funny, and everything you would want in a Party Down movie. It just sort of occurred to us that maybe Party Down shouldn’t be a movie.

One of the great things about it is the central conceit of the show, the device of one party per episode, new circumstances, new environment, new cast of characters for our main people to deal with. That all just sort of goes out the window if it’s a movie. I mean, you could have three parties or two parties or whatever. But then it’s like, are you going to go to Casey’s apartment? Are you going to go to Henry’s place? Do you want to see their apartments? Do you want to see Kyle doing his laundry? Or do we just want to see them at the party with their pink bow ties on doing stupid stuff? So, then we were thinking maybe we’ll do some episodes. And it was pre-streaming, so it was challenging to think about how to do that. And so, then there was a period of years there where we just figured it was never going to happen, even though we all really wanted to (do it). But then we all did this Vulture reunion a few years ago. And it was just sort of magical. Being in a room together was super fun and that’s when we started seriously talking about figuring something out.

Was the urge to come back an unfinished business thing because of the way it ended (not entirely on your guys’ terms), or was it more just, it’s fun and you just wanted to keep the flame alight to work together again?

It ended prematurely, I think for all of us. I think we all felt like we would’ve kept doing it forever, I think. Every single one of us, we loved it so much. And I think part of it is that we all connected pretty directly with the circumstances that these characters were in with the idea of trying to achieve your dream in show business and success being just out of reach. I mean, we just all had our faces pressed up against the glass in 2008 when we made the show.

And we didn’t have any expectations about it being anything. We didn’t even think anyone would see it. We just loved doing it for each other, for ourselves. It was just fun. And we felt it was special. And John was writing these incredible scripts, so we all wanted to keep doing it. I think part of the need over the years to try and find a way to do it was chasing that feeling again.

Last time we spoke I asked you about when you got past that feeling of having your face pressed up against the glass and you mentioned the 2010-2012 Parks and Rec, Party Down, Step Brothers era. Now, you’re removed from that by 10 or so years, well-established. Is it hard to feel that (sense of struggle) and to still connect with this character as much?

No. And you would think it would be, but it’s really not. It’s always there right beneath the surface. No matter what, you still feel exactly the same. Just last night, I was shooting Severance. And I was in the middle of a scene just thinking, “What am I doing? I suck. This is ridiculous. When am I going to be found out?” And that just sort of never goes away. And so, it wasn’t hard to locate at all.

I think you all did a great job working around Lizzy Caplan’s absence. Can you tell me a little bit about that and bringing Jennifer Garner on?

Yeah, we were all bummed when Lizzy couldn’t do it, including her. But it just wasn’t possible schedule-wise. And this six weeks we had carved out was the only time we’d be able to make the show with everybody, with the entire cast, and didn’t know if we would get a chance again. So, when Lizzy couldn’t do it, John kind of went away for a weekend and figured out how to handle it. And I think, like you said, he came up with the perfect way to handle it, a perfect way for it to fit into the Party Down world and the ethos of the show.

And then for the character of Evie, we were always talking about someone like Jennifer Garner, like a Jennifer Garner type to play this really impressive woman, but never thinking that we would have a shot at actually getting Jennifer Garner to be on Party Down. But someone had the idea, “Let’s just try. Let’s just offer it to her.” And we just Hail Mary-ed it to her, figuring she’ll pass and then we’ll find the person to play Evie. And to all of our surprise, she actually wanted to do it, so it was great. And she just arrived on set, just ready to go and just so funny. And we all know what a great actor she is, but she is just hilarious, and if you watch some of her more comedic performances, you know how funny she is. So, it wasn’t a surprise. It was just a delight.

Shows that have a captivating central mystery to them — a Lost, Yellowjackets, and now Severance — I’m always curious if the outside voices get into the process, once they move from season one where you guys are in a vacuum to season two when it’s been out in the world. As you are all going through season two, is there any sense of that? Do you feel like anything has changed?

You mean as far as fan theories and stuff?

Fan theories and the influence of having everyone be focused on the mystery as opposed to when you guys were just creating it kind of off to the side. Is there any sense of pressure (with that much attention) now?

Yeah, of course. I think the main difference is that now everything has to be a secret, whereas before no one cared. Soon after the show came out, I remember Ben (Stiller) and I talking about how weird it is that we have to be so secretive. And people know what an innie and outie is. It’s just bizarre because like you said, we made it in a vacuum and no one cared. We were just making this weird little show. I would say that’s the main difference. I think everything else is pretty much going as planned.

Now someone’s off to the side with a blow dart in case you divulge too much, like a Marvel movie.

That’s right. That’s right.

Last time, I asked you about what the most important REM song was to you. This time I’d like to know what the most important U2 song is for you?

I think that “Miracle Drug” is still a favorite of mine (from How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb). And it was never a single or anything. It’s just, I always found it an emotionally resonant song. But it’s also catchy. It has this great hook to it.

And I really love “Red Hill Mining Town” and “In God’s Country” and “One Tree Hill” — those Joshua Tree songs. I love that run on side two, partly because it’s not as kind of worn out as the side one songs, which are also incredible, but we’ve just heard them much more.

‘Party Down’ season 3 makes its long-awaited return on Starz Friday, February 24.

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Halsey Shares The New Solo Version Of ‘Die 4 Me,’ A Scathing, Vengeful Track

The other week, Halsey announced that she would be releasing a fan-favorite demo of “Die 4 Me” that she’d been performing on tour over the summer. The song was originally a Post Malone collaboration, but this new version, officially out today (February 24), watches the singer step out on her own for the scathing track.

Her verse in the original “Die 4 Me” was ferocious, and this new version goes all-in. Her flows are impassioned and razor-sharp against the trap beat: “They say what the devil can’t do / He’s gonna send a woman to.” It’s packed with disses, frustrations, and regrets, but it’s empowering at the same time: “I sold forty million copies of our break-up note,” she gloats.

Upon the announcement of the song, Halsey made a thoughtful post. “Next Friday I’ve got a little surprise coming,” Halsey wrote on Instagram. “It’s been long known in my fanbase that there’s a demo of ‘Die For Me’ with just me on it. I performed my verse on the tour all summer long and since so many people have asked for it, I decided to put my full version out as ‘Die 4 Me.’ It’s dropping next week on 2/24 and I can’t wait for y’all to hear it. Big big thanks to @postmalone @louisbell and @future for having me on the original release and co-signing this version finally seeing daylight.”

Listen to the new version of “Die 4 Me” above.

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Evangeline Lilly Told An ‘Ant-Man’ Co-Star That She Wanted To ‘F*ck Him’ (It’s Probably Not Who You’re Thinking Of!)

Evangeline Lilly was surrounded by hunks while filming Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania: Paul Rudd (who was once literally named the Sexiest Man Alive), ripped Jonathan Majors, also ripped William Jackson Harper, a.k.a. Chidi from The Good Place. But the Lost actress had her sights set on another Marvel man.

“There was this day on set, we were doing a scene in a restaurant and we were in a waiting room, so they filmed the waiting room with extras and there were children,” Lilly said on The Jonathan Ross Show. “I turned to Michael [Douglas] and Michelle [Pfeiffer] and I said, ‘You know, you guys are real GILFs.’ Michael had no idea.” He asked what “GILF” stands for, and Lilly provided the answer. “Instead of being cool about it, in front of a room full of children I went, ‘It’s a grandpa I’d like to f*ck.’ And then immediately realized I’d told Michael Douglas I’d like to f*ck him, which is not what you should say in front of a bunch of kids. Oops!” Somewhere out there, Jennifer Coolidge is smiling.

As the New York Post points out, Pfeiffer does not appear to have grandchildren, making her an honorary GILF, but Douglas is a grandfather.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, starring two GILFs, is in theaters now.

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Rihanna’s Super Bowl Halftime Show Was Apparently Porn-Like, According To Some Of The 103 FFC Complaints It Received

Like the passage of time and Pusha T dropping a Cocaine Bear remix, FCC (Federal Communications Commission) complaints about major TV events are an inevitability. So, it turns out that some people out there didn’t particularly care for Rihanna’s Super Bowl Halftime Show earlier this month, so much so that they let the FCC know about it (as TMZ reports).

The publication notes that of the 103 FCC complaints made about the Super Bowl broadcast on February 12, “almost all of them” were about Rihanna’s performance. One viewer wrote in their complaint, “This year the halftime show was so indecent I had to turn off the TV because of the pornographic content.” Another compared it to Sam Smith and Kim Petras’ “Unholy” performance at the 2023 Grammys, writing, “I don’t care what someone worships but children shouldn’t be exposed to pornography and as an adult I don’t wish to see it. […] Where has decency gone? How about respect for others and self?”

Others made note of “overtly sexual dancing” in the performance, with one person saying Rihanna’s background dancers had moves that “were patently offensive and completely inappropriate for children.” Another person noted of Rihanna, “She spread her ass cheek at the crack. She rubbed her pants where her labia were three times.”

As TMZ notes, though, this is nothing to the infamous Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake wardrobe malfunction at the 2004 Super Bowl, which drew 540,000 complaints at the time.

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Britney Spears Resurrected A Fitting ‘Andy Griffith’ Clip To Make A Point About ‘Constant Lies From The Media’

Britney Spears has been in the news for a number of reasons lately, whether it’s due to fans calling police requesting wellness checks on her or reports of an attempted intervention. Well, Spears is tired of it, which she communicated in an Instagram post shared yesterday (February 23).

In it, she wrote, “The constant lies from the media and TMZ have felt like borderline harassment … it’s extremely disturbing, due to the fact of how incredibly important it is at this time in my life to be supported and respected !!! Also, the way the news has always spread lies about me is incredibly heartbreaking !!! I meditate over hope and excitement for my future !!! I have transformed my whole life with the elimination of my conservatorship and I deserve respect !!! It’s almost embarrassing commenting on this because of how completely outrageous what’s being said is !!! It’s my right to protect myself from the cruelty of the outside world !!!”

The post features a clip from the iconic 1960s TV series The Andy Griffith Show to help make her point. In it, Griffith’s Andy Taylor character says to Ron Howard’s Opie, “Just because somebody said something doesn’t mean it has to be printed. You don’t circulate stories that are mean and unkind about people. There are too many other stories to put in, nice stories.” Opie responds, “But pa, when we put in the nice kind of stories, nobody wanted to buy the paper,” a retort that was followed by canned laughter and a look of shock and disappointment from Taylor.