Quoteworthy
John Boyega Says Backlash Over His Star Wars Character Made Him “Much More Militant”
This summer has seen John Boyega step up as a passionate voice in the Black Lives Matter movement. Some have cautioned that being so vocal would threaten the career he built for himself after staring in the latest Star Wars trilogy. But as the actor revealed in a new cover story for GQ, it’s exactly his experiences making Star Wars that led him to become “much more militant” in the fight for equality. When it was first revealed that Boyega would play a Stormtrooper defector in The Force Awakens, there was a pocket of racist backlash over the idea of a Black member of the First Order. “I’m the only cast member who had their own unique experience of that franchise based on their race,” Boyega told GQ. “Let’s just leave it like that.” He continued, explaining how his “frustration” stems from ...
David Byrne Apologizes for Wearing Blackface in 1984 Stop Making Sense Promo Video
As the entertainment world continues to confront its ugly history of racism, another prominent artist has come forward to apologize for wearing blackface. In a series of tweets posted Tuesday, David Byrne expressed remorse for wearing black and brown face in a 1984 promotional video for the Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense concert film. In the clip in question, Byrne portrays various characters that interview Byrne proper — and some of those are people of color. “To watch myself in the various characters, including black and brown face, I acknowledge it was a major mistake in judgement that showed a lack of real understanding,” the British-American musician wrote on Twitter this afternoon. “It’s like looking in a mirror and seeing someone else- you’re not, or were not, the person you thoug...
Devo’s Mark Mothersbaugh Details His Brutal COVID-19 Recovery in New Interview
Last week, word leaked that Devo frontman Mark Mothersbaugh was rushed to the ICU in June due to a severe bout with COVID-19. Thankfully, he has since recovered. But in a new interview with The Los Angeles Times, Mothersbaugh has recounted the brutal 18 days he spent at Cedar-Sinai Hospital battling coronavirus in hopes that it may convince others to approach the pandemic, and the dark reality of its life-threatening effects, more cautiously. Mothersbaugh avoided in-person recording sessions after news of the pandemic spread, but he believes he contracted the virus in May after unintentionally coming into contact with a group of people who were at his music production company Mutato Musika. He dismissed his initial symptoms as being unrelated issues until a nurse of three decades informed ...
Black Panther Director Ryan Coogler Eulogizes Chadwick Boseman: “He Was An Epic Firework Display”
Black Panther director Ryan Coogler has shared a lengthy and extremely heartfelt eulogy for Chadwick Boseman. The Black Panther star passed away Friday following a four-year battle with colon cancer. Coogler begins his tribute by recounting his first encounter with Boseman and how he was immediately compelled to accept Marvel’s offer to direct Black Panther. He later reminisces about Coogler’s dedication to his craft, including his steadfast desire to have his Black Panther character T’Challa speak with an African accent and to have Xhosa as the official language of Wakanda. He also credits Boseman for championing his Black Panther co-stars (“He would come to auditions for supporting roles, which is not common for lead actors in big budget movies”), and for being an inspiring presence...
Jim Gaffigan Goes on Epic Tweetstorm After Watching Trump’s RNC Speech: “RIP Truth”
Countless celebrities have vocalized how much they loathe Donald Trump lately — Bruce Springsteen, Taylor Swift, Cardi B, Neil Young, Dave Grohl, and even the late Frank Sinatra! — but arguably no person has gone from apolitical to attacking the president as quickly as Jim Gaffigan did on Twitter last night. Once the final night of the Republican National Convention concluded with Trump accepting the nomination, Gaffigan commiserated the end of honesty and transparency for our country, writing, “RIP Truth.” “Look Trumpers, I get it,” the comedian tweeted. “As a kid I was a Cubs fan and I know you stick by your team no matter what, but he’s a traitor and a con man who doesn’t care about you. Deep down you know it. I’m sure you enjoy pissing people off, but you know Trump is a liar and ...
New Mutants Co-Creator Slams Movie Adaptation After His Name Gets Misspelled in Credits
After years of waiting, The New Mutants has finally been released — in theaters, no less! The wait apparently doesn’t seem to have been really worth it, if early reviews are to be believed. One viewer who’s certainly unhappy is New Mutants co-creator Bob McLeod, the original artist on the comic book written by the legendary Chris Claremont. Not only is he displeased with how his characters look on the big screen, he’s understandably pissed that his name is misspelled in the credits. In a Facebook post, McLeod vented his dismay. Even though he wasn’t entirely on board with the “interesting idea” to make it a horror movie, he still “was very excited” the New Mutants were being adapted at all. But then he saw how the characters’ appearances changed in the new medium, and he began having doubt...
J.K. Rowling Returns Human Rights Award
J.K. Rowling After launching a series of transphobic tirades on social media, J.K. Rowling has decided to return an award that celebrates human rights and conflicts with “my own conscience.” Late last year, the Robert F Kennedy Human Rights (RFKHR) organization honored Rowling with their Ripple of Hope award. The prize is typically given to those who have shown a “commitment to social change.” Past recipients include Barack Obama and Joe Biden. However, in the time since receiving the award, Rowling has done the exact opposite of positively changing society. Instead, the Harry Potter author has repeatedly attacked transgender, non-binary, and gender-nonconforming communities with her wrongheaded opinions on gender identity and sex. “If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction. I...
Trump Wanted The Killers, Celine Dion, Kiss, or Meat Loaf to Play His Inauguration
Donald Trump, Celine Dion (photo by Amanda Koellner), The Killers (photo by Ben Kaye), and Kiss (photo by Autumn Andel) It’s no secret many musicians aren’t fans of Donald Trump — just look at the number of artists who have spoken out or taken legal action against him. It’s not surprising, then, that his 2017 inauguration featured bottom-barrel performances by the likes of 3 Doors Down, Toby Keith, and DJ Ravidrums. But if Trump had gotten his way, the relatively paltry crowd at the National Mall that fateful day would have been listening to The Killers, Celine Dion, KISS, Aerosmith, or even Meat Loaf. The list of targeted performers comes from an excerpt from the new book Melania and Me, written by Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, a close friend and former Senior Advisor to First Lady Melania T...
Bette Midler Goes After Melania Trump: “Get That Illegal Alien Off the Stage”
Bette Midler vs. Melania Trump As to be expected, the Republican National Convention this week has been nothing but a dumpster fire filled with blatant lies and outlandish behavior possibly fueled by cocaine. There’s been plenty to pick apart and dismiss, but Bette Midler might have gone too far with her criticism. Last night, the actress and performer took to Twitter to skewer Melania Trump’s RNC keynote address. Rather than focus on the substance of her speech, though, Midler simply spouted racist and xenophobic comments. “#beBest is back! A UGE bore! She can speak several words in a few languages,” Midler wrote. “Get that illegal alien off the stage!” The 74-year-old actress/singer later tweeted, “Oh, God. She still can’t speak English.” #beBest is back! A UGE bore! She can speak s...
Eddie Vedder Guests on Lily Cornell’s Mental Health Web Series: Watch
Eddie Vedder was the latest guest on Mind Wide Open, the the weekly mental-health series hosted by Chris Cornell’s daughter Lily Cornell Silver. In the newly premiered episode, the Pearl Jam singer opened up about grief, empathy, and activism, while also reflecting on his fallen peers. “I am thrilled that Ed offered to do Mind Wide Open,” Lily said in a statement announcing the episode. “His and his family’s support around my series means so much to me. He has always been like an uncle to me and is one of the pillars of support in my life. I know how impactful his voice is to people around the world and I deeply appreciate everything he stands for, so I am really excited for others to watch and hear his insights.” One of the more emotional aspects of the interview came when Vedder ope...
Megan Thee Stallion Confirms Tory Lanez Shot Her
Over a month after it was first reported that Megan Thee Stallion was shot in the foot, the “WAP” rapper has confirmed that it was Tory Lanez who pulled the trigger. News broke in mid-July that Lanez, real name Daystar Peterson, had been arrested for suspicion of possession of a concealed weapon. Megan, né Megan Pete, was in the vehicle with Lanez at the time and reported suffering glass wounds on her feet. However, the very next day, she took to social media to reveal she had actually been shot in both her feet “as a result of a crime that was committed against me and done with the intention to physically harm me.” At the time, the Los Angeles Police Department said Megan had not reported any crime. Over the next few weeks, however, she continued to discuss the experience, including surge...
Tywin Lannister (Charles Dance) “Would Sign” Petition to Remake Final Game of Thrones Season
Add Tywin Lannister to the list of those “disappointed” by Game of Thrones’ ending. In an interview with Pop Culture, actor Charles Dance was asked about remaking the final season, and said, “Well if there was a petition, I would sign it.” HBO’s beloved fantasy series ended in a controversy over quality — for cast and crew as well as audiences. It was such a divisive season that fans started a petition to remake the entire thing, a move series star Sophie Turner called “disrespectful.” An HBO boss rejected that petition, while Nikolaj Coster-Waldau argued that the 32 Emmy nominations “validate the writing.” Still, one GoT director said the series finale felt “really rushed,” and many viewers agree to this day: that fan petition has surpassed 1.8 million signatures. Dance seemed u...
