Entertainment News
Cheer Star Jerry Harris Charged with Producing Child Pornography
Cheer star Jerry Harris has been charged with producing child pornography. In a complaint filed by federal prosecutors in the Northern District of Illinois, Harris, 21, is accused of contacting two underage boys on social media and soliciting explicit photographs and videos. One of the boys allegedly responded to Harris’ request by sending several photos and videos. Harris is also accused of soliciting oral sex from one of the boys in a bathroom at a cheerleading event they both attended. Harris was arrested Thursday morning and is scheduled to make his first court appearance later today. Update: According to the complaint (via EW), Harris participated in a voluntary interview with investigators and admitted to asking between 10-15 underage boys — including the victim mentioned in the comp...
Chris Rock Blames Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats for Pandemic
Despite being a man-child prone to trivial temper tantrums, Donald Trump has remained mostly untouchable during his presidency, never once taking the fall for one of his many blunders. Late last year, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats tried to hold him accountable in a grand impeachment process. However, for all its bells and whistles, their attempt ultimately went nowhere. Now, in a new interview, Chris Rock has criticized Pelosi for focusing too much attention on Trump’s impeachment hearings instead of on the deadly coronavirus, which began taking hold in late February/early March. Trump, a child-like mouthpiece for the GOP, was not worth the time and effort, contends Rock, who went on to directly blame Pelosi and her fellow Democratic politicians for letting the pandemic rava...
2020 Primetime Emmy Winners: Schitt’s Creek Sweeps Comedy Awards in Historic Run
The Emmy Awards are going virtual for 2020 in an unprecedented move. Now in its 72nd year, the ceremony honors the best in U.S. prime time television programming from June 1st, 2019 until May 31st, 2020. Jimmy Kimmel is the night’s canary in a coal mine host, proving three time’s the charm as he presides over the live ABC broadcast. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Kimmel admitted he’s bracing for a “beautiful disaster,” and acknowledged some limitations. “Not being able to pre-tape limits you as well,” he shared. “But I think what we found from watching the late night shows during this time is that you do find things that are better when you’re handcuffed.” The night will see a number of presenters hopping online, including forthcoming She-Hulk star Tatiana Maslany,...
Schitt’s Creek Makes History By Sweeping Comedy Category at the Emmys
Everything’s coming up roses for Schitt’s Creek, which have just made Emmys history. The beloved Canadian swept all of the comedy series categories at the 2020 Emmys Awards, marking the first time a comedy show has ever accomplished such a feat. In addition to taking home the win for Outstanding Comedy Series, each of the show’s four main cast members scored big in their respective comedy acting categories. Family patriarch David Rose (Eugene Levy) was crowned Outstanding Lead Actor, while wife Moira Rose (Catherine O’Hara) nabbed Outstanding Lead Actress. The Rose children followed suit. David (Dan Levy) and Alexis (Annie Murphy) earned Outstanding Supporting Actor and Outstanding Supporting Actress honors, respectively. Schitt’s Creek was also recognized for Outstanding Directi...
Elton John Announces Enormous Career-Spanning Box Set, Shares Previously Unreleased “Sing Me No Sad Songs”: Stream
Elton John has announced a massive, career-spanning box set titled Elton: Jewel Box. Due out November 13th, the eight-disc collection was curated by John himself and boasts all sorts of rarities, B-sides, and fan favorites. As a preview, he’s sharing a previously unreleased track from 1969 called “Sing Me No Sad Songs”. The 148-song (!) set is split into four main sections, “Deep Cuts”, “B-Sides”, “Rarities”, and And This Is Me… The first two discs aptly feature deep cuts that are supposedly personal favorites of John’s, while the next three discs comprise of rarities categorized chronologically: Rarities Part One 1965-1968, Rarities Part Two 1968, and Rarities Part Three 1968-1971. That’s where the sprightly “Sing Me No Sad Songs” is pulled from, which you can take a l...
TikTok Avoids U.S. Shutdown Following 11th Hour Deal with Oracle and Walmart
Donald Trump has signed off on an 11th hour deal allowing Oracle and Walmart to purchase a stake in TikTok, allowing the popular video sharing platform to avoid a ban in the U.S. previously set for Sunday. As part of the deal, the U.S. software company Oracle is partnering with Walmart to form a new entity called TikTok Global, which will be headquartered in the United States. Oracle will host all of TikTok’s U.S. user data and will safeguard TikTok’s computer systems “to ensure U.S. national security requirements are fully satisfied,” TikTok said in a statement (via NPR). However, the deal fall short of previous demands made by the Trump Administration. The Chinese-owned ByteDance will maintain an 80% stake in TikTok as well as control over its algorithm. Additionally, ByteDance has dispu...
Dave Chappelle Unloads on Critics Upon Winning Emmy for Best Variety Special
During the fourth and final night of the Creative Emmy Awards on Saturday, Dave Chappelle captured the prize for Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded). Despite being one of the most accomplished comedians of all time, Chappelle felt particularly vindicated by the award, as it came in honor of his divisive 2019 Netflix special Sticks & Stones. Upon the special’s release last summer, Chappelle was met with immense backlash over jokes he made about Michael Jackson and R Kelly’s alleged sexual abuse victims and the LGBTQ+ community. While Chapelle has long been known to push the envelope, the consensus among many critics was that the material featured in Sticks & Stones was stale and tone-death. “Edgy, but empty, Sticks & Stones might not break any bones, but it won’...
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross Win Emmy for Watchmen, EGOT Within Reach
Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross are closing in on EGOT status. During tonight’s Creative Emmy Awards, the duo took home the trophy for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series for their original score for HBO’s Watchmen. Reznor and Ross’ music from the first episode of Watchmen, “It’s Summer and We’re Running Out of Ice”, was up against the scores for Hollywood, Little Fires Everywhere, Mrs. America, and Unorthodox in that category. The duo’s soundtrack was released as a trilogy ripe with special cover songs and hidden Easter eggs. Needless to say, it’s definitely worthy of tonight’s win — and its additional nomination for Outstanding Original Music And Lyrics (which went to Euphoria composer Labrinth instead). And case you aren’t keeping count,...
Saba Unleashes New Songs “Mrs. Whoever” and “Something in the Water” Featuring Denzel Curry: Stream
Two years after the release of his excellent sophomore album Care for Me, Chicago rapper Saba has returned with a pair of new songs: “Mrs. Whoever” and “Something in the Water” featuring Denzel Curry. Our former Artist of the Month hasn’t been wholly idle since his last album; as the de facto leader of Pivot Gang, he was instrumental in the 2019 release You Can’t Sit with Us. But with apologies to his immensely talented collaborators, Saba has always stood out for his charisma and the intensity of his musical ideas. Somehow, his voice always sounds slightly different song to song, as he modulates his voice to better suit the beat. That instinct is on display in the contrasting new singles. Saba produced “Mrs. Whoever” himself, but the relaxed backing track is merel...
Sam Smith Announces New Album Love Goes, Shares “Diamonds”: Stream
Sam Smith has announced their new album. It’s called Love Goes and it’s due out October 30th via Capitol. To accompany the news, Smith has shared a dance-ready single called “Diamonds”, alongside an accompanying music video. Love Goes is Smith’s third studio album to date, following their 2014 debut In the Lonely Hour and 2017’s The Thrill of It All. They originally planned to call the new album To Die For, but scrapped the title and pushed back its release due to the pandemic. It seems in the time since then, Smith has tinkered with the album. Several of the previously released singles — including the Demi Lovato-aided “I’m Ready”, the Donnie Darko-sampling “To Die For”, and the Donna Summers cover “I Feel Love” — have been relegated to bonus track status. As such...
Trump Administration to Ban TikTok in the U.S. Starting Sunday
Update – September 19th: Donald Trump said he has approved a deal allowing Oracle and Walmart to purchase TikTok, according to the New York Times. Pending formal approval, the Commerce Department said that it would delay a previously announced plan to bar TikTok from U.S. app stores for one week. After deals to acquire TikTok by Microsoft and Oracle hit a snag, Donald Trump is moving forward with his threat to ban the popular Chinese-owned video sharing service in the US. Beginning Sunday (Sept. 20th), the U.S. Department of Commerce will block new downloads of TikTok from U.S. app stores. TikTok will continue to work for existing users until November 12th, at which point content delivery restrictions will be placed on the app, effectively rendering it unable to operate. TikTok is est...
John Coltrane’s Giant Steps Receives 60th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition: Stream
John Coltrane’s classic 1960 album Giant Steps has been reissued in a new super deluxe edition. Stream it below via Apple Music and Spotify. Before his untimely death at the age of 40, Coltrane established a reputation as, if not the very best saxophone player in the world, then certainly the flashiest. His virtuosic collaborations with Miles Davis produced some of the most beloved jazz music of any era, including Cookin’, Relaxin’, Workin’, Steamin’. and a strong contender for the most perfect piece of art ever created, Kind of Blue. Giant Steps came one year after Blue, and it established Trane as a ferocious solo artist in his own right. Giant Steps: 60th Anniversary Deluxe Edition is available as either a double-CD or double-vinyl package, a...
