ALWAYS BE THANKFUL!
#RIP🙏🏽😢💔🌺: THE BROADWAY TITAN! Stephen Sondheim, legendary composer and lyricist, dies at 91
It's unimaginable for any theater fan to not owe at least some part of their show love to Stephen Sondheim. The legendary composer and lyricist, considered by peers and theater professionals alike as the most influential musical creator bar none, died Friday at 91, leaving behind a legacy as varied as the productions he penned during six decades in the business.
According to The New York Times, Sondheim died early Friday at his home in Roxbury, Conn.
In addition to just about every theater award imaginable, Sondheim was the recipient of eight Tonys, eight Grammys, and one Oscar (for the Madonna ballad "Sooner or Later," from the film Dick Tracy), with a palette as rich as his own Georges Seurat in one of his most beloved musicals, Sunday in the Park with George (for which he won his only Pulitzer). Taking his cue from mentor and friend Oscar Hammerstein II, the era of the collectible cast album reached its zenith in the 1950s and '60s with Sondheim's early work, with galvanizing contributions to masterworks West Side Story, Gypsy, and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum achieving maximum overdrive as popular music in households all over the country in the 1960s. (Just try to find a person of the boomer generation who can't sing at least a single song from one of these shows or their also-popular film versions.)
Nearly every theatrical endeavor touched thereafter was a hit, cult or otherwise, and even the misfires ended up becoming beloved by some faction of devotees, often many years after their premieres. Subjects may have varied from countryside actors' frolic (A Little Night Music) to a thirtysomething commitmentphobe in New York (Company) to the crumbling psyches surrounding a theatrical reunion (Follies), but the through-line in all Sondheim's work was regret and hard life choices, which he honed with frequent collaborators Harold Prince and James Lapine most especially. This is even true in some of his most famous conceptions, like the meat pie murderers of Sweeney Todd who hack away body parts yet sing of lives filled with domestic bliss by the sea or family protection, as well as the playful yet poignant revisionism of fairy tales in Into the Woods, which featured childhood characters we all knew and loved mixed with a tinge of very real loss and heartache. (It's no major surprise that these two works ended up as successful films for directors Tim Burton and Rob Marshall, respectively, and allowed their own sensibilities to intertwine with Sondheim's.)
Ask any person their favorite Sondheim musical and you're certain to get a different answer every time. In addition to those already mentioned, you might find someone partial to Merrily We Roll Along's unique reverse chronology, which explores its songwriter characters' foibles with even deeper impact, or one rocked by Assassins and its prescient theme of president-slayer-hopefuls as celebrities, or an individual who can't help but be profoundly moved by the tragic heroine of Passion, who must find a way to accept her lack of beauty and obsessive behavior. (Though chances are you'd be loathe to find one who champions his one full-on major flop, a non-musical play at that, in the form of 1996's Getting Away With Murder, which closed after 17 performances.)
In addition to being the 20th century's leading musical genius, Sondheim also composed cryptic crosswords for New York magazine, wrote for the cinema as a screenwriter (The Last of Sheila, with Psycho star Anthony Perkins) and composer (pal Warren Beatty, for instance, used him for 1981's Reds as well for 1990's Dick Tracy, among other filmmakers), and has countless books, TV specials and commemorative concerts to celebrate his legacy featuring nearly every major Broadway star one could think of.
Sondheim wrote his own artistic memoir, a cross between autobiography and annotated lyrics, in 2010's Finishing the Hat, which he followed in 2011 with Look, I Made a Hat (both titled after lyrics from Sunday in the Park With George).
In his later years, Sondheim became something of an elder statesmen of the musical theater, mentoring composers like Jonathan Larson, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Jason Robert Brown. His contributions to musical theater's evolution were recognized in a unique way in 2010 when Broadway formally renamed Henry Miller's Theatre on West 43rd St. in New York City the Stephen Sondheim Theatre.
At the time of his death, he had a new musical in development in collaboration with playwright David Ives. He revealed the project, Square One, during an appearance of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
Though Sondheim was long a favorite of musical theater devotees, his work permeated pop culture more than ever before in recent years. References to (or performances of) his songs have appeared in projects as varied as The Morning Show, Joker, The Politician, Knives Out, and Marriage Story. Bradley Whitford portrayed Sondheim in 2021's Tick, Tick… Boom!, with Sondheim recording his own dialogue for a final climactic voicemail in the film.
His work will continue to touch generations. A gender-bent revival of Company is currently running on Broadway, and a production of Assassins is underway Off Broadway. A new film interpretation of West Side Story will hit theaters in just a few weeks, Tick, Tick… Boom!, is now playing, and a film adaptation of Merrily We Roll Along that will take several more years to complete is in the works from director Richard Linklater.
But even as Sondheim's work has loomed so large over so many and the wordsmithing so lacerating (and rarely attempted again, even by his imitators), it's the simplest of gestures and expressions that have left so many wanting to revisit Sondheim's creations again and again. To quote his own troubled titular painter in Sunday in the Park With George, he simply "made a hat… where there never was a hat."
Rest In Peace Sir, Thank You For a Lifetime of Memories
#RHOA: Kandi Burruss Has the Best Thanksgiving Tradition
The holidays are just around the corner, and Kandi Burruss is celebrating in her own special way by making sure to put the “giving” in Thanksgiving.
The Real Housewives of Atlanta cast member recently took to Instagram to share her latest effort to give back to the community just in time for the holidays. Kandi's non-profit foundation, Kandi Cares, in collaboration with other organizations, put together a food drive to donate and provide Thanksgiving Day essentials to those in need with a grocery giveaway—everything from whole turkeys to collard greens and, as Kandi mentioned in her Instagram Stories, "all kinds of sides" —complete with lots of love.
“Thank you so much to [Goodr], [East Point Parks and Recreation], [and] everyone who volunteered to help with my [Kandi Cares] Thanksgiving grocery giveaway today!” Kandi wrote in the caption of her November 22 Instagram post, which featured a series of photos from the day. She added, “It was an awesome feeling to be able to help so many families to have a great Thanksgiving!” Kandi was also joined by Mama Joyce Jones, who showed up ready to give back and help her daughter make a difference, saying in Kandi's Instagram Stories, "Never forget where you came from!"
"We're doing it big for Thanksgiving again this year," Kandi said in her Instagram Stories, later adding, "We're dedicated to this thing."
This isn’t the first time Kandi has given back to the community through her non-profit organization. Her Kandi Cares initiative had previously hosted a back-to-school drive focused on children and single mothers, as well as given away several $50,000 scholarships to high school and college students from single-parent households. Last year, amid the pandemic, Kandi’s nonprofit also held a grocery pop up event to help struggling families in need within her Atlanta community.
Kandi expressed her thanks to her fellow RHOA 'Wives who showed support, and explained the mission of her nonprofit in an Instagram post from the event, writing, in part, “We were able to help so many families and that made my heart smile.”
#NewMusic from Keith Robinson Releases New Holiday Song “Nothing Like Christmas Day”
Actor/Singer/Songwriter Keith Robinson returns with the new holiday song “Nothing Like Christmas Day”.
The song was written by Keith Robinson and produced by Mike Jackson and is intended to capture the essence of the holiday season. Robinson adds about the song:
“With the state of the world we are currently living in, “Nothing Like Christmas Day” is the perfect antidote to remind us of the most important things in life; spending time with the ones you love during the holiday season.”
LISTEN HERE
The artist is also gearing up for the release of his back to back Christmas movies to air on the Hallmark Channel. On December 5th, Keith will be starring in the Hallmark Channel Original, “Sister Swap: A Hometown Holiday” and on December 12th, the second film, “Sister Swap: Christmas In The City” will follow.
#HipHopNews: Quavo Hands Out Turkeys For Thanksgiving
Quavo is giving back this Thanksgiving. On Tuesday, the Migos frontman handed out turkeys during his Quavo Cares Turkey Drive in Atlanta, hosted by his charitable foundation, which he founded in the wake of the pandemic.
Dressed for the cold in a puffer jacket, knitted cap, and Yeezy NSTLD Boots, the “Strub Tha Ground” rapper safely loaded up hundreds of trunks during the drive-thru event, which followed COVID protocols. He spread holiday cheer, posing for selfies with fans as they leaned out their car windows.
Quavo was also joined by members of his Team Huncho basketball team and his very own costumed mascot, who bore a striking resemblance to Huncho himself.
#BABYLOVE: Mike Epps Shares New Photo Of His 6th Child
Congrats to Mike Epps and his wife Kyra Epps! The pair welcomed their new baby boy last month. The happy couple have yet to post a full picture of the baby but the comedian shared a sweet photo to his Instagram. He captioned the picture,
“Mike Epps jr. God is Good.”
The couple announced their pregnancy back in June and this is the pair’s second child together. Kyra Epps posted the first glimpse of their son on October 13th.
She captioned the photo,“Son, we prayed for you!!! You have officially rocked our world. Mama loves you so much.”
The couple got married back in 2019. She opened up about her first pregnancy with Mike Epps in an Instagram post while announcing her second. She wrote,
“When we first found out we [were] pregnant with baby #2 my heart was so full! My first year of motherhood has been nothing short of amazing and it was important for me to give baby Indy a baby sister or brother that she could grow up with and be just as close like I was with my siblings.”
Mike Epps has 4 other children from previous relationships.
Congrats to Mike and Kyra!
Rihanna Is The Only 2000s Artist In The ‘Billboard’ Greatest Of All Time Hot 100 Artists Chart Top 10
Top 10 list can be controversial, there’s always people left off or people in weird placements. Needless to say when Billboard released their list of the Greatest of All Time Hot 100 Artists, people had issues.
via: Uproxx; Rihanna is the only artist whose first single — 2005’s “Pon De Replay” — was released in the 2000s. Billboard notes that Drake was really close to also making the top 10, as he ranks No. 11 (compared to No. 22 on the 2018 chart). Also making the top 100 list are Taylor Swift (No. 21), Maroon 5 (24), Bruno Mars (29), and Justin Bieber (38). Additionally, a handful of artists who made their Hot 100 debut in the 2010s are also appearing on the chart for the first time: The Weeknd (No. 43), Post Malone (77), Ariana Grande (78), and Ed Sheeran (87).
As for how this chart was put together, Billboard notes, “Billboard‘s Greatest Of All-Time Hot 100 Songs and Artists rankings are based on weekly performance on the Hot 100 (from its inception on Aug. 4, 1958, through Nov. 6, 2021). Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at lower spots earning the least. Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, eras are weighted differently to account for chart turnover rates during various periods. Artists are ranked based on a formula blending performance, as outlined above, of all their Hot 100 chart entries.”
Kanye West Makes Speech Seemingly About Reuniting With Kim Kardashian During Surprise Visit to LA Mission
Kanye West makes a surprise appearance at the Los Angeles Mission’s Annual Thanksgiving event in Los Angeles on Wednesday afternoon (November 24).
The 44-year-old rapper posed with Rev. Troy Vaughn at the event, where he also made a speech about “coming home” to the crowd there.
Part of his speech, Kanye focused in on how God was calling him to reunite with estranged wife, Kim Kardashian.
Kim has been recently linked to Pete Davidson and spotted on many dates.
“The narrative God wants is to see that we can be redeemed in all these relationships,” he said (via Page Six). “We’ve made mistakes. I’ve made mistakes. I’ve publically done things that were not acceptable as a husband, but right now today, for whatever reason — I didn’t know I was going to be in front of this mic — but I’m here to change the narrative.”
Kanye went on, saying that “I have to be next to my children as much as possible. So, when I’m out the house, I’ve got a house right next to the house. I’m doing everything to be right next to the situation…I’m trying to express this in the most sane way, the most calm way possible, but I need to be back home.”
The recent Grammy nominee was at the event today to take a meeting and “share ideas” with the CEO and president of LA Mission, a nonprofit that helps fight homelessness in the city.
Rolling Loud Increases Age Requirement Following Astroworld Tragedy
The 18 and older age requirement policy will be specific only to the upcoming 2021 California festival.
The upcoming Rolling Loud festival in California has increased its age limit to 18 in an effort to keep attendees safe following the deadly events that took place at Travis Scott’s Astroworld Festival.
In a statement posted to Twitter, festival organizers wrote that they “want everyone to rage safely,” but “in light of recent events, we will be implementing an 18+ policy specific only to our upcoming 2021 California festival. We will be giving all ticket purchasers who are under the age of 18 the option to either roll their tickets over to next year’s 2022 California festival or receive a refund.”
Refund or rollover requests will be accepted from Nov. 23 through Nov. 26.
As previously reported, 10 people were killed as a result of injuries they sustained during Scott’s Astroworld Festival. As the “Highest In The Room” emcee performed, a crowd of over 50,000 people surged toward the stage, leaving several people unable to breathe or move. Several attendees went into cardiac arrest during the show.
Scott, the NRG Stadium, Live Nation and others are now facing a $2 billion lawsuit from Thomas Henry, an attorney representing more than 200 alleged Astroworld victims. The suit alleges that fans were “incited into a frenzy” once Scott began performing and blames organizers for not taking former safety concerns into consideration for this year’s show.
CEO of medical company hired by Astroworld Festival speaks out about tragedy
Earlier this month, Scott’s team issued a statement urging all of those who were affected by the Astroworld disaster to reach out to him via email for immediate assistance. “He is distraught by the situation and desperately wishes to share his condolences and provide aid to them as soon as possible, but wants to remain respectful of each family’s wishes on how they’d best like to be connected,” the statement read.
Will Smith: I used to vomit after orgasming as a ‘psychosomatic reaction’
Will Smith handled heartbreak not by listening to sad tunes but by having too much sex — and vomiting as a result.
The “King Richard” star revealed in his new memoir, “Will,” that he turned into a gag-prone “ghetto hyena” sexually after his then-girlfriend, Melanie, cheated on him.
“I desperately need relief but as there is no pill for heartbreak, I resorted to the homeopathic remedies of shopping and rampant sexual intercourse,” Will writes (via BuzzFeed News).
“Up until this point in my life, I had only had sex with one woman other than Melanie, but over the next few months, I went full ghetto hyena.”
Apparently, that didn’t agree with his inner being, so Smith developed a “psychosomatic reaction” to ejaculating.
“I had sex with so many women, and it was so constitutionally disagreeable to the core of my being, that I developed a psychosomatic reaction to having an orgasm,” he writes.
“It would literally make me gag and sometimes even vomit.”
Despite the adverse reaction to sex, Smith continued to sleep with women in hopes that they would cure his heartbreak.
“In every case, though, I hoped to God this beautiful stranger would be ‘the one’ who would love me, who would make this pain go away,” he explains. “But invariably, there I was, retching and wretched. And the look in the eyes of the women even further deepened my agony.”
Smith went on to marry Sheree Zampino in 1992, but the pair divorced in 1995. He then married now-wife Jada Pinkett Smith, with whom he has an open relationship.
“We drank every day, we had sex multiple times every day for four straight months,” he writes of their courtship. “I started to wonder if this was a competition. Either way, as far as I was concerned, there were only two possibilities: I was going to satisfy this woman sexually or I was going to die trying.”
Smith has three kids: son Trey, 29, with Zampino and son Jaden, 23, and daughter Willow, 21, with Pinkett Smith.
Broadway Actor James D. Beeks Arrested On Jan. 6 Capitol Siege Charges; ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ Suspends Actor From Tour
James D. Beeks, a stage actor who has appeared on Broadway in Kinky Boots, Aida, Ragtime, and Smokey Joe’s Cafe and most recently starred as Judas in a major touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar, was arrested yesterday in Milwaukee on charges stemming from the Jan. 6 siege of the Capitol.
Beeks, who performs in Superstar under the stage name James T. Justis, is charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia with obstruction of Congress, a felony, as well as a misdemeanor charge of unlawfully entering a restricted building or grounds. He made his initial appearance in the Eastern District of Wisconsin after being arrested Tuesday, and was released pending further court proceedings.
The tour has suspended Beeks “(aka James T. Justis)” indefinitely “pending the outcome of the hearing,” producers announced today, adding that the “production is giving its full cooperation to the authorities while the investigation is ongoing.” Upcoming tour dates will continue as planned.
Read the FBI’s criminal complaint here.
The actor, who also performs as a Michael Jackson impersonator, was identified by law enforcement officials in part by the Michael Jackson Bad Tour jacket he can be seen wearing in photographs of the Capitol siege. The Justice Department describes Beeks, 49, as “an affiliate of the Oath Keepers.”
According to the FBI’s court complaint, Beeks, a resident of Orlando, Florida, was in Milwaukee for a performance of Jesus Christ Superstar. He had been observed by law enforcement officials at Superstar performances in San Francisco and Los Angeles earlier this month.
In court documents cited by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Beeks and other members and “affiliates” of the Oath Keepers “marched in ‘stack’ formation into the Capitol grounds and then up the east steps of the Capitol to the area outside of the Rotunda doors.”
“Beeks was part of a mob of people, including some who attacked law enforcement,” the Office said in a statement. “At 2:38 pm., the doors were breached, and the group stormed into the Capitol. Once inside the Capitol, the group split up. Half of them, including Beeks, tried to push their way through a line of law enforcement officers guarding a hallway that led to the Senate chamber. Law enforcement forcibly repelled their advance. Beeks and others with him regrouped in the Rotunda and then left the building at approximately 3:04 p.m.”
“Unlike the camouflage-combat attire of many individuals in the group,” the statement continues, “he was wearing a Michael Jackson ‘BAD’ world tour jacket and a black helmet, and he was carrying what appeared to be a homemade black shield.”
The case against Beeks is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. The investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Tampa Field Office, with assistance from the FBI’s Milwaukee Field Office and the U.S. Capitol Police.
Beeks’ most recent Broadway appearance, credited under the name James Delisco Beeks, was as Angel in the 2018 replacement cast of Kinky Boots. He had previously appeared in the replacement casts of Aida, which ran from 2000-2004; Ragtime, which ran from 1998-2000; and Smokey Joe’s Cafe (1995-2000). He has played Judas since the start of the 2019 50th Anniversary North American tour of Jesus Christ Superstar – a production that began life in a 2017 Olivier Award-winning staging at London’s Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, directed by Timothy Sheader.
Earlier this morning, the Jesus Christ Superstar website still listed Beeks (as James T. Justis) as Judas, though his photo and bio were subsequently scrubbed, with no replacement named other than a standby actor listed in the role. Upcoming tour dates include stops in Toronto, Boston, Indianapolis, Providence, and Cleveland, among others.
A Sept. 9 casting announcement about the return of the tour following the pandemic shutdown included a Louisville Courier Journal review quote calling Justis “the powerhouse vocalist of your Broadway dreams.”
The North American tour is produced by Stephen Gabriel and Work Light Productions.
The Cast Is Complete For ‘Black No More’ Musical, Starring Tariq ‘Black Thought’ Trotter
The cast is now complete for the New Group’s upcoming production of Black No More starring the legendary rapper Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter. Lillias White, and Brandon Victor Dixon have been added to the musical inspired by George S. Schuyler’s 1931 novel. This isn’t the first time the Philadelphia rapper has flexed his acting skills. Trotter has been featured in the TV series The Duece and has appeared in the films Brown Sugar, Spike Lee’s Bamboozled, Brooklyn Babylon, Night Catches Us and the James Brown biopic Get On Up.
The musical is set to run January 11–February 27, 2022, at The Pershing Square Signature Center. Opening night is scheduled for February 8.
Directed by Scott Elliott with choreography by Tony winner Bill T. Jones, the production will feature Trotter of The Roots—who also composed the show—along with Brandon Victor Dixon (Hamilton, Power), Tony winner Lillias White (Chicago, The Life), Jennifer Damiano (Next to Normal), Tamika Lawrence (If/Then), Theo Stockman (American Psycho), Tracy Shayne (Bronx Bombers), Ephraim Sykes(Ain’t Too Proud, Hamilton), and Tony winner Walter Bobbie (Chicago, Guys and Dolls).
The musical tells the story of Max Disher (Dixon), who’s eager to try the mysterious machine invented by Dr. Junius Crookman (Trotter) that guarantees to “solve the American race problem”—by turning Black people white.
CLICK HERE for more info
Minnesota Vikings Team Left Concerned After NFL Star Everson Griffen Posts Disturbing Video Waving Gun
Sports fans are sending prayers while also expressing their concern for NFL player Everson Griffen after he posted a video and screenshots of text messages to social media that alleged someone was attempting to kill him early Wednesday morning.
A spokesperson for the Minnetrista Police Dept. told TMZ that Griffen had called 911 at around 3 AM claiming that “someone was inside his home and that he needed help from the police.” The spokesperson reportedly said Griffen also “told the 911 dispatcher that he fired a weapon but nobody was injured.” However, when officers arrived on scene, they did not find an intruder, adding that Griffen has refused to come out of his residence, the rep said. The spokesperson told the outlet that law enforcement and Vikings officials have been on the scene since 7 AM trying to “work with him to resolve the situation.”
The Vikings have issued a statement to provide an update saying, “Vikings representatives and the team’s mental health professionals have been on-site at Everson Griffen’s home since early this morning and are cooperating with law enforcement,” Minnesota’s statement reads. “Our only concern at this time is the safety and well-being of Everson and his family. We will have further comment at the appropriate time.”
Head coach Mike Zimmer, also spoke out and said their only concern is his health at this time: “We’re only concerned about his well-being,” Zimmer said.
Anthony Anderson Reprising Role on Law & Order Reboot
*The original “Law & Order” is returning to television after more than a decade off the air, and one of its series regulars is also reprising his role on the beloved cop drama.
According to PEOPLE, Anthony Anderson, who appeared in 50 episodes during the final seasons from 2008 to 2010, is returning for the NBC show’s revival. Anderson portrayed Detective Kevin Bernard in “Law & Order,” which ended in 2010 at the end of its 20th season.
The 21st season is airing this fall, according to the outlet.
In a statement from series creator Dick Wolf and his Wolf Entertainment, the series will “will continue where the show left off in 2010, with the classic format that explores two separate, yet equally important groups: ‘the police who investigate crimes and the district attorneys who prosecute the offenders.’”
“There are very few things in life that are literally dreams come true,” Dick Wolf said in the statement. “This is mine.”
“Law & Order” aired from 1990 until 2010 and earned 50 Emmy nominations. The series launched several spinoffs, including the latest addition to the franchise, “Law & Order: Organized Crime” with Christopher Meloni.
After spending 12 years playing Stabler alongside Mariska Hargitay as Oliva Benson on “Law&Order: SVU,” Meloni quit the series in 2011 and went on to star in a slew of projects, including HBO’s “True Blood,” the slave series “Underground,” which aired on WGN and SyFy’s “Happy.”
Meloni’s big comeback as Stabler on “Organized Crime” (OC) was only made possible after Dick Wolf piqued the actor’s interest with how he would approach the series.
“I mean this exactly how I’m saying it: I never once thought about it or looked backward,” Meloni said of revisiting Elliot Stabler during NBC’s panel at the TCA summer press tour.
“I think I had done a great run, 12 years. Enjoyed most of it, was ready to move on. Was more than pleased with all of the adventures, all of the different projects I got to do, all of the travel I got to do, all the different characters I got to inhabit. I couldn’t have asked for a better,” he told EURweb’s Ny MaGee.
“I think to Dick’s credit, he — I don’t know — maybe he sensed I wasn’t as interested in revisiting how, you know, the “SVU” tells a story, which is great, and they do it so wonderfully. So, when he pitched this more serialized expression of his latest idea of a “Law & Order” show, the “OC,” I really thought it was kind of a stroke of genius,” Meloni explained.
See the New Red Eye Liner Trend Created By Rihanna
Rihanna went to her Instagram stories on November, 22 to show off her newest look for the holidays. With the First 48 blasting in the background, Riri shows us the newest cat-eye look created with red liner. Bad Gal Riri doesn’t give us a complete step by step tutorial on how to perfectly line the inner corners of the eye and create the wing in her upper lash line but she does show us that once your makeup of choice is complete.
All you simply have to do is glide your eyeliner back and forth along the waterline we don’t know the exact color used, but we are guessing it was the Flypencil Longwear Pencil Eyeliner in Cherry Punk. described as a super pigmented matte long-wearing color. What she does make clear to us is that this is definitely our new color choice for eyes during this holiday season.
Trans Employee Who Criticized Netflix Over Dave Chappelle’s Comedy Special Resigns
A transgender Netflix employee who publicly criticized the company for airing Dave Chappelle’s controversial special “The Closer” has resigned.
Terra Field shared her resignation letter online on Sunday. The former software engineer for the streaming company shared her resignation on social media, saying, “This isn’t how I thought things would end, but I am relieved to have closure.”
Field openly criticized Netflix on Oct. 6, in a tweet telling followers that “yesterday we launched another Chappelle special where he attacks the trans community, and the very validity of transness — all while trying to pit us against other marginalized groups.”
Shortly after Field posted the tweet, she was temporarily suspended, though the company denied that her critical tweets played any part in its decision.
President Biden Taps Two Women of Color to Lead His Budget Office
President Biden is completing his promises when it comes to having a diverse staff.
The commander-in-chief has nominated Shalanda Young to be director of the White House Office of Budget and Management (OMB). Young currently serves as the deputy director, so this next position would be a step in the right direction. She would also become the first black woman to hold an Office of Budget and Management directing title.
Biden also has nominated Nani Coloretti to step in as deputy director following Young’s possible exit if she gets the directing position. Coloretti is currently the Senior Vice President of Financial and Business strategy. If nominated, Coloretti would be the top Asian American in government.
Biden says, “Shalanda Young and Nani Coloretti are two of the most experienced, qualified people to lead OMB. Each has been confirmed before by the United States Senate with strong bipartisan support,” Biden said Wednesday. “I urge the Senate to swiftly confirm them again so they can lead OMB at this important time.”
The Senate hasn’t confirmed the two ladies yet. However, the news would be pretty groundbreaking since the Office of Budget and Management would be ran by two women of color.
Jimmie Allen's 5-Week-Old Daughter Zara 'Rushed' to the Hospital After She 'Stopped Breathing'
Country singer Jimmie Allen called out the “lazy doctors” who discharged his 5-week-old daughter, only for her to end up in a second hospital.
via: People: The 36-year-old country singer’s daughter 5-week-old Zara James was “rushed” to a local hospital, he shared on social media Tuesday evening.
The news comes after Zara and his 20-month-old daughter Naomi Bettie, whom he also shares with wife Alexis Allen, have been sick since Sunday.
“Now thanks to the lazy doctors at a hospital in TN that just sent our daughter home, our daughter Zara lost color stopped breathing and is being rushed to another hospital,” the father of three wrote on Tuesday evening. “Thanks to the amazing EMT team that brought back Zara’s color she can breath [sic] again. Gonna be a rough night.”
Allen is also a father to son Aadyn, 7, from a previous relationship.
On Wednesday, Alexis, 25, shared a photo of their baby girl in the hospital. “The hardest days of my life. She is stable but still needing oxygen and suctioning frequently. Will give you an update once Z is healthy and heading home with us. Thank you so much for all of your kind words and prayers. It truly means the world to our family,” she wrote on her Instagram Story.
In an Instagram post on Sunday, Alexis revealed her two kids were sick and recently spoke about what she experienced with medical staff at a hospital.
In an Instagram story shared on Monday, Alexis, who is a registered nurse, could be seen feeding baby Zara with a bottle. “Turned away by hospital yesterday AM Ambulance at 2AM. Basically if your child isn’t blue at the lips they will not have answers for you. That’s been my last 24 hours,” she shared.
“Not one doctor has taken the time to actually listen and make sure she’s really okay – 10 min in and outs [sic]. What this nurse mama is seeing/hearing is so frightening,” she continued.
Sending prayers to baby Zara.
Idris Elba Thought He Got Shot In The Head Filming Ridley Scott Movie
In an intense case of art imitating death, “American Gangster” director Ridley Scott revealed how Idris Elba thought he’d been shot on the set of the 2007 crime flick — all while using a prop gun without any blanks.
The startling event in question occurred during a scene in which budding drug lord Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) executes drug dealer Tango (Elba).
However, to elicit a realistic reaction from Elba, 49, the “Blade Runner” director instructed the actor to lean his head against the barrel so he’d be surprised by the recoil. Fortunately, the safety-conscious Scott, 83, employed a plugged-up prop firearm without any blanks to prevent any mishaps — like the case of the late actor Jon-Erik Hexum, who died after discharging a blank pistol against his temple as a gag in 1984.
“I said to Idris, ‘Listen, when he puts the gun to your head, lean on the gun,’ ” the Oscar-winning “Alien” director told the Daily Mail. “Because, by the way, this is a gun with a solid barrel, there is no aperture, I would never risk it — but when you pull the trigger, there’s no blank, nothing.”
Elba heeded Scott’s direction, and Washington “pulled the trigger and it goes bang. Idris thought he’d been shot and dropped to the sidewalk and said, ‘I’ve been shot!’ ” per the director’s account.
How did the “Prometheus” director achieve the recoil effect with a blocked barrel and no rounds in the chamber? Paul Biddiss, a movie weaponry adviser who is working with Scott, explained that the director employed something called “a UTM round,” which can go in the barrel of a completely plugged gun and still cause “blowback.”
“It is like a small silver case with compressed air that reacts. It can be used repeatedly for a recoil effect each time,” the armor expert explained. “It’s quite often used in close-up execution shots in films.”
It’s the perfect technique for Scott, whom Biddis described as “hot on safety.”
Unfortunately, prop gun safety has become a major concern following the recent incident involving Alec Baldwin. The embattled actor was slapped with a lawsuit accusing him of purposefully firing the handgun that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of “Rust” in October.
Alec Baldwin is being sued for "intentionally" firing the gun that killed “Rust” cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
“Alec Baldwin intentionally, without just cause or excuse, cocked and fired a loaded gun even though the upcoming scene to be filmed did not call for the cocking and firing of a firearm,” script supervisor Mamie Mitchell claimed in the suit.
She claimed that every firearm safety protocol on set was ignored, such as the presence of live ammunition, and that actions taken that day “were against all industry norms.”
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
'COOL PECKS'
A new kind of evolved creature at Walmart
EGGPLANT NATION: Meet Axel
Meet Axel! You can see more when GO HERE TO SEE THE PICS! And remember they’re NSFW!
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HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND ALL!!!
EFREM
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