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One of the weirder trends that has developed online in the past few months has been an unofficial “pregnancy watch” of sorts focusing on singer-actress Halle Bailey and her boyfriend, rapper-YouTuber DDG. While Bailey’s been on promo tour for her new film The Color Purple, fans have had a field day speculating about pregnancy rumors, deciding on Christmas that this mystery child had finally been born thanks to a livestream in which Halle wore form-fitting pajamas revealing no baby bump.

DDG decided to address those fans, showing them the alleged baby via Snapchat. The only catch: the “baby” he posed with was a doll — his way of trolling people for caring too much about celebrities’ lives. During the stream, he vented, “I don’t know why people is so invested in what I got going on or what we got going on. Mind your business. Touch some grass. Go do a cartwheel in the backyard or something. It’s weird. I genuinely don’t be understanding. Why do y’all be so invested in people that don’t know you? Whatever is going on in my life or her life is not going to change yours. Let’s focus on ourselves [in] 2024. Let’s try to lock in ourselves, not other people. Please, mind your business.”

Green Day has received a lot of attention following their New Year’s Rockin’ Eve performance, as they changed a lyric in their 2004 song, “American Idiot.”

Why Did Green Day Change The “American Idiot” Lyric?

Instead of the usual “I’m not a part of a redneck agenda” line, lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong swapped it for “I’m not a part of the MAGA agenda,” as a diss towards Donald Trump.

This has since received pushback on conservative news outlets, who feel that politics shouldn’t have a role in rock music. This remark also had Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello chiming in.

Back in 2019, the band had changed the lyric in the same way during their iHeartRadio Music Festival set — so it really isn’t anything new. Armstrong had also expressed his thoughts about Trump on stage before that.

During an interview with Kerrang tied to their last album cycle, Armstrong expanded about his thoughts when it came to Trump. “I mean, I draw no inspiration from the President of the United States, because he’s just…” he said. “There’s nothing. Trump gives me diarrhea [laughs], you know? I don’t want to write a song about it!”

Recently, Green Day also released merch that featured Trump’s mugshot. The shirts’ proceeds benefitted the Greater Good Music Charity.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

HBO‘s mutually beneficial adoration with George R.R. Martin bears much fruit as time wears forth. House of the Dragon will soon make its triumphant way back to the premium cable channel (and WBD streaming service, Max) for a new season full of dragon fire and brimstone-drama. As viewers are already aware, the primary conflict in this series is between family members, who will take each other almost completely out before the events of Game of Thrones.

The show’s debut season began about 300 years prior to its TV predecessor, and those episodes ended with the death of Luc Targaryen. Within seconds of learning the news, Rhaenyra Targaryen put her game face on during the season finale, and now, it’s time for revenge.

The show might, at some point, run concurrently with A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight, which will follow HotD in the Westeros timeline and will also take place immediately prior to Game of Thrones. As well, it’s important to note that GRRM acknowledged that HotD will likely run for four seasons, the third of which has already reportedly begun pre-production work. Let’s start to fill in the blanks of what to expect before Dunk & Egg surface.

Plot

The Targaryen clan was nearly extinct when Game of Thrones began, so we already know that House of the Dragon was meant to end with the clan’s demise. Sadly, they ended up murdering each other, as Martin’s Fire and Blood book chronicles in fairly fact-based detail. Fortunately, the HBO series adds narrative texture, lush visuals and plenty of drama to the war between the Black (Targaryen) and Green (Hightower) side of the family. Westeros would never be the same, and Season 2 shall launch the so-called “Dance of the Dragons.”

That’s a fancy name bestowed by the civilians, who will hunker down as representatives from Team Rhaenyra and Team Aegon II begin to claim various towns, villages, and castles throughout the realm. We should see a chess board largely dominated by Daemon near the beginning of the war, but many dragons will fall. With them will be nearly half of Westeros when all is said and done, and we will watch Queen Alicent and Otto Hightower begin to feel the effects of their long-game coup. However, many mistakes were made by King Viserys before his death, and his heir(s) will go the same route.

We will meet some new dragons as they are claimed by Targaryen riders and even a few civilians. Hopefully, a little Cannibal, Sheepstealer, and Grey Ghost will come our way. Plenty of aerial battle scenes will occur, and the season’s trailer even appears to indicate a departure from the book by showing Rhaenyra in apparent battle mode, rather than remaining on Dragonstone while consumed in long-term grief.

Martin already revealed that HotD would extend the book’s material for those four seasons, so the show will pace accordingly, so that the entire war doesn’t go down in one massive, raining reign of fire. That is to say, we might not see Season 2 fully display the rivalry between Aemond and Daemon figured prominently into this war, and Season 1 set up that vibe well. When it finally comes to life onscreen during strategy sessions and actual battle, however, that should be one of the most fun parts of this show.

Cast

The first-generation cast members shall not return this season, although the door isn’t necessarily closed to having them in flashbacks in the future. Also, Paddy Considine has been officially relieved of his duties as the long suffering King Viserys.

Who shall return? Emma D’Arcy (Rhaenyra Targaryen), Matt Smith (Daemon Targaryen), Olivia Cooke (Alicent Hightower), Eve Best (Rhaenys Targaryen), Steve Toussaint (Corlys “Sea Snake” Valaryon), Fabien Frankel (Ser Criston Cole the terrible), Sonoya Mizuno (Mysaria/that White Worm), Rhys Ifans (Otto Hightower), Ewan Mitchell (Aemond Targaryen), and Tom Glynn-Carney (Aegon Targaryen II).

At least four more significant characters will be featured including the following:

– Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin), a mysterious healer and a prolific wet nurse of Harrenhal, one of the first castles who surrender to Team Black.

– Ser Simon Strong (Simon Russell Beale), the uncle to foot-loving Lord Larys Strong (Matthew Needham) and the Castellan of Harrenhal.

– Ser Gwayne Hightower (Freddie Fox), the son of Otto Hightower and uncle to King Aegon II.

– Alyn of Hull (Abubakar Salim), a Stepstones campaign veteran and Velaryon fleet sailor.

Release Date

Summer 2024 will be the magic season, less than two years after the series debut. This outcome is actually a speedy one, since there’s a load of post-production work involved with inserting CGI dragons and aerial battle scenes after the actors left the European sets. Hopefully, HBO will reveal a firm date sooner rather than later.

Trailer

The civil war officially begins below.

HBO’s first ‘House of the Dragon’ season can currently be streamed on Max.

Ricky Rubio’s 12-year NBA career has officially come to an end. The Spanish guard was originally drafted fifth by the Timberwolves in 2009, joining the team in 2011 after two years with Barcelona, before spending more than a decade stateside with Minnesota, Utah, Phoenix, and Cleveland.

Rubio averaged 10.8 points and 7.4 assists per game over his career, but saw injuries derail his last two seasons with the Cavaliers. Then, this summer, Rubio announced he was stepping away from basketball indefinitely to deal with his mental health. On Thursday, word broke that the Cavs and Rubio had reached an agreement on a contract buyout, with Rubio releasing a statement early in the afternoon explaining a bit of what he went through this summer and confirming that he was in fact retiring from the NBA.

It is good to hear that Rubio is doing well now, and hopefully that continues and he finds his peace away from the basketball court with his family. As he notes, eventually he hopes to be able to share in more detail what that “dark place” he mentions was and the work he’s put in (and continues to do) to work his way out of it and improve his mental health in order to provide some guidance and support for others who may find themselves in a similar situation. In the meantime, he will continue to focus on his mental wellbeing and move into the next chapter of his life outside of basketball.

The Golden Globes‘ reputation has tanked over the years, so much that the ceremony literally took place over Twitter in 2022, which is a sure sign of end times. But the HFPA, the team behind the awards ceremony, is eagerly trying to make a comeback after restructuring various rules and attempting a more diverse organization.

The Globes just really want to go back to its glory days, when everyone actually watched the ceremony, and perhaps they could have achieved that if Tina Fey and Amy Poehler were available to host, but they probably wouldn’t touch that gig with a 10-foot po(ehler).

Instead, comedian Jo Koy will host the event, which is set to take place Sunday, January 7th at 8 pm ET on CBS and Paramount+. It’s not Twitter, so that’s a plus! Koy has four Netflix stand-up specials and also dabbles in children’s movies, so he’s a perfect non-controversial figure to lead the Globes to a better life. Hopefully.

Obviously, there are a ton of worthwhile nominees this year, including Barbie, Oppenheimer, and The Super Mario Bros. Movie (really!!). Plus the extensive television categories, with The Crown, The Bear, and Succession racking up multiple noms. The network is also pulling out some big names to present at the ceremony, including Amanda Seyfried, Angela Bassett, America Ferrera, George Lopez, Julia Garner, Michelle Yeoh, and Former Mattel CEO Will Ferrell.

Awards season is set to kick off this weekend and, after a tumultuous year filled with strikes, mergers, and cancellations, The Golden Globes is ready to reintroduce itself. It’s got a new home, an overhauled voting body, an updated categories list, and a fresh face in comedian Jo Koy as its host. With blockbusters like Barbie and Oppenheimer commanding the most nominations, and presenters like Florence Pugh, America Ferrera, Will Ferrell, and Issa Rae, the show is hoping to tempt fans back to watching (or streaming) in real-time. To that end, here’s every possible way you can catch The Golden Globes this weekend.

Where Can I Watch The Golden Globes?

The Golden Globes switched networks this year to CBS so if you’re still paying for cable you can find them there. The broadcast begins Sunday, Jan. 7th at 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT.

Where Can I Stream The Golden Globes?

Cord cutters have a few more options when it comes to taking in the festivities and it all depends on which streaming service you subscribe to. Paramount+ is likely the easiest way to watch the show as CBS will be live-streaming the proceedings to all subscribers. It’s $5.99 a month to sign up but there’s also a free trial for newcomers if you’re only interested in catching the Globes. FuboTV is another service that offers access to CBS and has a free week trial for new members while Hulu subscribers can upgrade to the Live TV plan to take in the awards.

Will There Be A Golden Globes Red Carpet Pre-Show?

This year, Variety and Entertainment Tonight are partnering to host The Golden Globes’ official digital pre-show. Beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT, the show will be hosted by Variety‘s Marc Malkin and Angelique Jackson and Entertainment Tonight correspondent Rachel Smith. The trio will be interviewing A-listers on the red carpet and previewing some of the bigger category competitions as guests arrive with coverage airing on Variety’s website and ETOnline.com.

I have good and bad news.

Let’s get the bad news out of the way: Uncut Gems and Good Times directors Benny and Josh Safdie may never make a movie together again. “It’s a natural progression of what we each want to explore,” Benny told Variety about the amicable split. “I will direct on my own, and I will explore things that I want to explore. I want that freedom right now in my life.” When asked if he’ll direct with his brother in the future, he shrugged and replied, “I don’t know.”

The good news? Benny is directing a movie for A24 starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. The Smashing Machine (which the indie distributor described as The Rock’s “most dramatic project and role yet”) is the wrestler-turned-actor-turned-wrestler who makes fun of his acting career‘s first non-blockbuster film for adults since Pain & Gain, which he’s great in. “I’m at a point in my career where I want to push myself in ways that I’ve not pushed myself in the past,” he said. “I’m at a point in my career where I want to make films that matter, that explore a humanity and explore struggle [and] pain.”

Johnson (who will play MMA and UFC champion Mark Kerr) added that he hasn’t given up on “big, four-quadrant movies” like Fast & Furious, “but there’s a time and a place for them. I’m at this point in my career where I want more. And I don’t mean I want more box office. I mean I want more humanity. And that is why Benny Safdie is the perfect, collaborative, hungry partner for me.”

Benny helped get an Oscar-worthy performance out of Adam Sandler. Let’s see if he can do the same with The Rock.

(Via Variety)

Early 2022 was not exactly a more innocent time, but those were the days before The Bear transformed into a sleeper hit, and before anyone knew it, lust-inspired tweets about hot Chefs hit like Cousin Richie singing “Love Story” in his car.

At that point, Jeremy Allen White — following a decade-long run as part of Shameless‘ vast ensemble cast — became a household name instead of being mainly known as “the American Lip Gallagher.” Shameless bloggers began overanalyzing whether Carmy Berzatto should have sex in the second season of The Bear (SPOILER ALERT: he did) of the FX hit series (that streams on Hulu). And White signed onto A24’s The Iron Claw, in which he portrays the tragic Kerry Von Erich, currently in theaters now to both depress you and make you marvel at his gains.

Speaking of being jacked, there was no time like the present for White to star in a Calvin Klein underwear campaign, and the company felt the same way. The fashion brand decided to begin the new year in the spirit of “hell yes, Chef!” and duly began rolling the NYC-focused ads out on social media.

Let’s just say that White is no stranger to making his own thirsty comments about lingerie shoots, and now, it’s his turn to be the recipient. It’s also worth chuckling at how his The Bear fame led to this after he once declared that “Carmy’s, like, the least sexual person,” but of course, that runs counter to the vibe on this shoot. Still, no one could possibly fault him for getting in on an underwear campaign while already being ripped to portray a pro wrestler. If not now, then when?

A comparison to Ancient Greek statues had to happen:

Someone’s Dad already knew the assignment on Twitter, too.

The floodgates of thirst swiftly opened. It’s a fun day on social media again.

Calvin Klein also dropped a short video of White talking about how he still likes to ride his bike in Brooklyn. Chicago-based Carmy would have no time for this campaign, but the people appreciate it.

Aaron Rodgers isn’t popping any bottles this morning. The injured New York Jets quarterback bizarrely suggested that Jimmy Kimmel would be included in court documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. “There’s a lot of people including Jimmy Kimmel who’s really hoping that doesn’t come out,” he said on The Pat McAfee Show last week. “I’ll tell you what, if that list comes out, I’ll definitely be popping some sort of bottle.” The documents were made public on Wednesday, but Kimmel — who responded to Rodgers on X by calling him an “aasshole” and threatened legal action — is nowhere to be found.

CNN’s Jake Tapper ripped into Rodgers on Wednesday for dragging Kimmel’s name through the mud. He called the quarterback a “nitwit” and criticized his “false, defamatory, wildly irresponsible, and not funny” comments.

Mediaite has more:

Tapper spoke about this further with Deadspin’s Julie DiCaro, who suggested Rodgers might be “bored” since his Achilles injury has taken him out of the season, so now he’s preoccupying himself by picking fights with Travis Kelce and others. Tapper pointed out that Disney owns ABC and ESPN, so he wondered how long the company would tolerate Rodgers’ antics, and “What obligation does ESPN have to shut down this type of speculation?”

Tapper (who is friends with Kimmel) wondered why Disney is “allowing this to happen.” He added, “Does [CEO Bob Iger] allow ESPN and this nitwit… to continue to have this forum even when they are smearing who is working for ABC for more than 20 years now.” You can watch the clip below.

(Via Mediaite)

Following the success of ABBA’s Voyage show, it seems the next artist to perform in a hologram concert has been decided. The King himself, Elvis Presley, will appear in London this November as part of an “immersive concert experience” called Elvis Evolution.

According to Rolling Stone, it will use a blend of holographic and AI projection that will take fans through a performance of Elvis’ different career moments. The concert was reportedly created by using Elvis‘ home videos and photos, through a deal with Authentic Brands Group (his estate owners) and the British immersive company, Layered Reality.

“Elvis Evolution is a next-generation tribute to the musical legend that is Elvis Presley,” Andrew McGuinness, Layered Reality’s chief executive, shared via the publication. “Elvis maintains superstar status globally and people around the world no longer want to sit there and passively receive entertainment — they want to be a part of it. It’ll be a memory-making experience that will be a bucket-list item for Elvis fans and admirers around the world; people can step into the world of Elvis, walk in his shoes, and celebrate his extraordinary musical legacy.”

If the Elvis Evolution event goes well in London, there will also be plans to bring it to Las Vegas, Berlin, and Tokyo.