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Stan Van Gundy is back in the broadcast booth. After spending one year as the head coach of the New Orleans Pelicans, Van Gundy is back with Turner, where he calls games for TNT and generally does a pretty good job breaking down the stuff that we see happen in a basketball game. Really, no complaints here, Stan, keep it up, my guy.

Moving on: Let’s talk mayonnaise. Van Gundy went onto The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz on Thursday and was asked about mayo. More specifically, he was asked whether or not he finds it disgusting, and SVG made clear that he’s a huge fan of the stuff.

“Oh no no no no no,” Van Gundy said. “No, no. That is the number one condiment. Like, if you can only have one condiment, and all the others are gonna disappear from earth, and there will be no other condiments, you gotta go with mayonnaise.”

I’ll be honest: I disagree, more of a honey mustard fan myself, but I respect the passion Van Gundy has for the subject. He went on to give another mayo-based take that involves one of his favorite mayo applications.

“Here’s the thing, little known,” Van Gundy said. “Now I will, by choice, put mustard on a hot dog. But, but, mayonnaise works on a hot dog, too.”

Candidly, never heard of this one, although I do suppose I have had hot dogs with mayo-based cole slaw on them and they were good, so at least there’s that. Anyway Stan, if you are reading this and you ever want a place where you can rattle off some food takes, get in touch. (This offer also applies to Jeff.)

It’s pretty well known that Stephen Colbert is a huge nerd who absolutely loves the Lord Of The Rings film trilogy but not as well known is the apparent fact that so is renowned Atlanta rapper Killer Mike.

Wait, what?

Yep, that’s right. Killer Mike joined Stephen Colbert on last night’s episode of The Late Show to celebrate the film series’ 20th anniversary with an elf-laden rap video in which Colbert, dressed hilariously in an old-school hip-hop get-up that LL Cool J would have loved back in the ’80s, Late Show bandleader Jon Batiste, and Mike rampage through a Blockbuster-like video store set, putting down other film trilogies like Star Wars and The Godfather as vastly inferior.

Then the hobbits themselves show up. Yes, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, and Sean Astin show up as raptified versions of their mischievous film characters to continue the song along with Elijah Wood, who poses in front of a Benz with “Baggins” on the license plate. The music video even gets meta, as Wood disses the Pitch Perfect trilogy, prompting a quick interlude of that series’ star Anna Kendrick looking very confused and kind of disgusted.

Method Man shows up to replace Gandalf actor Ian McKellan, Killer Mike slates Back To The Future, Indiana Jones, The Mighty Ducks, Twilight (another Kendrick cameo!), and The Dark Knight trilogy. Andy Serkis — aka Gollum — plays the flute as Hugo Weaving raps in freaking Elvish. This video has everything. You should really check it out.

Following an awkward Vanity Fair interview where Jeff Garlin fluctuated between confirming and denying multiple allegations of misconduct on the set of The Goldbergs, the actor is leaving the series after being the subject of several HR investigations. Despite denying rumors that he was fired from the show, Garlin did tell Vanity Fair‘s Maureen Ryan that it was a possibility that he could exit the ABC sitcom if that’s what Sony Pictures Television wants. Via Deadline:

According to sources, a mutual agreement was reached today that Garlin will not be returning to the show. His exit is effective immediately. Reps for Sony Pictures Television, which produces the comedy, had no comment.

Garlin was believed to have had one more day of shooting left from the original 18-episode Season 9 order after his schedule had been reduced. No decision has been made yet on a potential 10th season of The Goldbergs, which remains one of ABC’s strongest comedy series.

Despite agreeing to the Vanity Fair interview against the advice of his representation, Garlin refused to get into the specifics of the misconduct allegations against him, which he acknowledged existed, but chalked them up to his “process” that involves being “silly” on set. However, Deadline was able to speak to sources on the set who elaborated on Garlin’s alleged behavior:

According to a source on the show, a camera assistant made a complaint to her department head about Garlin’s use of the word. After the actor found out, he reportedly put his hands around her and kept saying “vagina” in her face over and over again. Overall, Garlin’s go-to jokes that a number of people on the show found offensive were talking about grandma’s vagina, balls and brassier, a co-worker said. Additionally, he would not address some longtime female crew members by name, using instead nicknames that some also considered offensive.

Garlin is also accused of being “extremely verbally and emotionally abusive” during the few days he’s on set. He acknowledged an incident with his double, which he again categorized as “silly,” but according to sources, Garlin reportedly swore at the man’s wife, who also works on the show, which sparked the most recent HR investigation that led to Garlin’s exit.

(Via Deadline)

Urban Meyer’s time as an NFL coach came to an end in the early hours of Thursday morning. While anything can theoretically happen, it seems safe to assume Meyer won’t get an NFL redemption story, as his time as the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars was an unsavory mix of terrible play on the field and a bevy of stories/incidents that made Meyer look completely in over his head off of it.

From the moment he was hired, there were waves of skepticism about how Meyer — a lifelong college coach who was known for being so obsessed with winning that he’d visibly struggle with losses and ruling with an iron fist — would translate to the pro game, and that skepticism ended up being warranted. Before he even coached a game, Meyer made personnel decisions that drew waves of scrutiny, which included his decision to give Tim Tebow a roster spot at tight end despite him never playing the position.

In response to Meyer’s firing, ESPN’s Keyshawn, JWill, and Max turned to Birdman classic “What Happened to That Boy” on the introduction for Thursday’s show while a bunch of clips of Meyer played.

This is hardly the only group of folks that got jokes off in the face of Meyer’s ouster, as football fans took to Twitter to make fun of the former Bowling Green, Utah, Florida, and Ohio State coach’s firing.

In a new feature on Jack Harlow for Billboard, the Louisvillian rapper explained why he consistently turned down pop crossover bids until working with Lil Nas X on “Industry Baby.” In addition to not wanting to be seen as a “novelty act,” he also said that he feels a “certain responsibility” to respect rap as a genre and hip-hop as a culture.

“There is a certain reality that I am white, and I think there will always be something attached to that,” he said. “No matter how embraced I am, there will never be a day that I’m Black. With that being said, there’s a certain responsibility that comes with being a white man in a Black genre, and there’s certain things that have me regarded differently. But there is something exciting about skipping over any barriers that might be there and creating unity.”

In addition, the features also reveals that Harlow was the one who approached Lil Nas X to work, according to Take A Daytrip’s Denzel Baptiste. “What impressed me the most about Jack’s verse was that before we did it, he reached out directly and let Nas know he wanted to work,” he said. “When we got the verse back, it was this super-long idea. It wouldn’t normally fit a pop-song structure, but there were so many amazing moments in it. We produced around it in a way that made it a huge focal point of the song.”

It was clearly a wise move for everyone involved. “Industry Baby” — one of Uproxx’s Best Songs of 2021 — reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 and achieved a level of pop-culture ubiquity that most artists can only dream of. For the “What’s Poppin” rapper and his collaborator, though, it was just one more step in their quest to be the biggest stars ever.

How will you spend your Sunday nights now that Succession is over? By counting down the days until The Righteous Gemstones is back for season two, of course. HBO’s religious comedy returns next month, and you can watch the full-length trailer above.

The Gemstones / Succession comparison is apt considering the trailer begins with oldest son Jesse (Danny McBride) worried that his dad Eli’s (John Goodman) faculties are “waning” and that the only logical solution is for him and his wife Amber to take over the business. “Y’all are not the only married people in the family,” Judy (Edi Patterson), the Shiv of the family, chimes in. “Me and BJ are also strongly betrothed.” When Jesse says they’re not a real family because they don’t have kids, Judy replies, “I don’t got time for kids ’cause I’m trying to keep this fresh physique fine.” Judy better watch out for BJ.

The trailer also introduces Eric Andre as a megachurch pastor, Eric Roberts as a figure in Eli’s past, and Jason Schwartzman as a reporter investigating the Gemstones; and season one scene-stealer brings back “Baby” Billy Freeman, played by the great Walton Goggins. Here’s his message for everyone who doesn’t watch Righteous Gemstones:

The Righteous Gemstones season two premieres on January 9.

QAnon cult members have been waiting since November 2 for JFK Jr. to show up on the Grassy Knoll in Dallas, where they believe that he’ll declare himself the VP candidate for a 2024 Trump ticket. If you thought that the onset of brisk winter temperatures in northern Texas would deter this crowd, well, you’d be wrong. Despite their initial disappointment at him not showing up on the initially believed date, they’ve been hanging around and singing “We Are The World” because they’re keeping the faith.

The Dallas Observer checked in with the crowd, who held a Tuesday rally this week, and the end product of this visit was a collection of utterances called, “Things Overheard at the QAnon Rally for the Return of JFK Jr.” As expected, the virtual smell of delusion feels palpable and includes, “COVID-19 (cough) was a (cough, cough) hoax created by the government (cough cough cough) to undermine Donald (cough, hacking of phlegm) Trump’s presidency (cough, wheeze)!” As if that wasn’t visceral enough, one attendee tied his entire belief (that JFK Jr. will appear) to Trump’s cameo appearance in Home Alone 2: Lost In New York. The guy also seems to believe that JFL Jr. got shot, rather than his father, but logic might be beside the point when it comes to this mess of words:

“It all makes sense. Where was JFK Jr. shot? Dealey PLAZA. Where will he reappear? Discovery PLAZA. Where did Kevin McAlister stay in Home Alone 2? The PLAZA Hotel. And who did he see when he first went there? DONALD TRUMP. There’s your proof.”

That’s wild stuff and yet, it’s easy to believe that these words would spring from a crowd where someone else declared, “I wouldn’t say that I do my research. It’s more of a gut feeling I have. You know, where all the crap is stored.” And it’s all even stranger considering revelations that Trump actually (according to director Chris Columbus) bullied his way into the sequel. As Columbus’ retelling went, he wanted to shoot inside The Plaza, and Trump took the money but also demanded to appear in the film. And in 2014, Trump’s cameo mysteriously disappeared from airings by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Somehow, none of the QAnon cultists have mentioned this yet or tied the removal to JFK Jr., but surely, it’s only a matter of time.

(Via Dallas Observer)

Megan Thee Stallion has signed an exclusive first-look production deal with streaming platform Netflix, according to Variety. The Houston rapper previously told Vogue that she was writing a horror movie (her favorite is Evil Dead) and later told Marie Claire that she wanted to bring Get Out director Jordan Peele in as a collaborator. Her new deal with Netflix just might help make that dream a reality as she creates and executive produces new content for the streamer, including possible a television series and other projects.

Netflix’s head of comedy, Tracey Pakosta, said, “Megan is a multi-talented creative force who has consistently made her mark on culture. She’s always growing and evolving as an artist, and we’re thrilled that she’s making a home at Netflix for this next chapter in her journey.” Megan herself seemed pretty amped about the announcement as well, saying, “I’ve always had a passion for telling creative and entertaining stories, so I’m thrilled about this partnership with Netflix. Venturing into production is the next step in my journey as an entrepreneur and I can’t wait to bring all my ideas to life and for my Hotties to watch.”

Considering Megan’s love for all things anime and nerdy, let’s hope she gets to do some animation as well, so we can potentially see this iconic moment brought to life for real. If I can’t have a Saweetie TV show — there’s still time, Netflix! — at least give me that much.

This article was first published on 12.09.19.

What’s better than a heartwarming story of holiday cheer? How about a heartwarming story that turns out to be a hilarious moment of holiday embarrassment?

When Mary Katherine Backstrom of Fort Myers, Florida, decided to do a good deed for a stranger in a gas station convenience store, she had no idea that her most embarrassing moment would result in a viral story viewed by millions.

It all started when the writer and mother of two was killing time at the Wawa, a local gas station and convenience store, before picking up her kids from school. She had just been reading a story on Facebook about how everyone is so generous over the holidays and how the spirit of giving lifts everyone’s mood, so she decided to pass along some of that spirit to someone else. The woman behind her in line was just buying a ginger ale, so Backstrom offered to pay for it. It was a simple but lovely act of kindness, the woman was moved, and holiday magic was made.

Backstrom left the store to go back to her car, still full of the Christmas spirit, and found a man cleaning her windshield. Blown away by the magic of the holidays and the reverberating kindness of strangers, Backstrom walked up to the man, gave him a huge hug, and told him how much she loved humanity and the magic of Christmas.

Only one problem—it wasn’t her car, it was his. Oh. My. Word. The awkwardness of it all.

You have to hear her tell it, complete with infectious laughter, and don’t be surprised if you feel compelled to watch it over and over again. When Christmas cheer meets abject embarrassment, holiday hilarity is born.

The Facebook Live video has been viewed more than 23 million times in just a few days, and has already been shared nearly 100,000 times. Clearly people are loving it.

Backstrom told Upworthy, “I think the reason it is resonating is that the holidays can be a very hard time for adults, and we forget about the levity of holiday magic, and crave it in these times.” She admits she was highly caffeinated and a little sleep deprived—as most mothers of young children are—when she hugged and gushed all over an unsuspecting stranger, but she hopes to continue to live her life “with reckless joy.”

“This one moment has returned so much laughter and encouragement to my life that I have to think there is something to this,” she says. “Humans miss warm interactions, even if they are a little…erm…bizarre.”

Here’s to the bizarre, awkward, recklessly joyful human moments that bring us all together.

On Wednesday night, Red Bull’s SoundClash returned in Chicago with Detroit rapper Danny Brown and DMV punk Rico Nasty, and the results were apparently quite entertaining, with both artists bringing surprises and nostalgic shenanigans to the stage during one of the event’s curveball rounds. The cover round found them challenged to cover other artists’ songs, with both going to a pair of the defining hits of their respective generations.

While Rico played Chief Keef’s seminal, floor-destroying hit “Faneto” — a Gen-Z fave that helped make Chief Keef one of his cohort’s anchor artists (I defy you to find a rapper under 25 who doesn’t have a least a little of Keef in their music) and an appropriate selection for the equally rage-ridden Rico — Danny Brown flipped the script with the millennial nu-metal headbanger “Freak On A Leash” by genre-mashing thrash band Korn. The scatting part at the end of the song is performed by someone who looks a lot like the band’s frontman Jonathan Davis, which turns the energy in the venue up to a whole new level.

The moment was a perfect example of Brown’s wide-ranging tastes and talents, which he previously showcased when he performed his first-ever standup comedy set opening for Hannibal Buress in September. Perhaps we’ll hear him do a little more singing on his upcoming album, 40, as well. Meanwhile, it was also great seeing Rico performing once again for appreciative crowds after she dealt with a negative response on the Playboi Carti tour.