TV
Lee Carvallo’s Putting Challenge Now An Actual Playable Game
Boredom is at an all-time high thanks to the ongoing quarantine, so perhaps now is the best time for the world to finally experience Lee Carvallo’s Putting Challenge. The Simpsons joke game has been turned into an actual playable online simulation. The original Lee Carvallo’s Putting Challenge game was referenced in “Marge Be Not Proud”, a season 7 Simpsons episode that aired in 1995. Its storyline focused on Bart, who was caught attempting to shoplift an expensive and violent Mortal Kombat-style game called Bonestorm. In lieu of Bonestorm, Comic Book Guy suggests Bart purchase a cheaper and extremely dull alternative: Lee Carvallo’s Putting Challenge. In the episode, Carvallo is voiced by Dan Castellaneta, the actor who also plays Homer. <img data-attachment-id="1044878" data...
The Sopranos Creator David Chase Accidentally Reveals Tony’s Fate
The Sopranos has been off the air for over a decade. Yet ever since Steve Perry’s pipes cut off by that now-iconic fade to black, fans have wondered, “What the hell happened to Tony Soprano?” Now, exactly 13 years to the day, we have our answer. In a recent roundtable discussion promoting his new book, The Sopranos Sessions, creator David Chase slipped up and confirmed the fate of his legendary character, putting an end to the exhausting debate that has left fans twisting and turning forever. But first, some context: If you recall, the series finale, “Made In America”, culminates at the real-life New Jersey diner Holsten’s, where the entire Sopranos family gathers around for a basket of onion rings. It’s a charming portrait that suggests an alternative, almost Rockwellian existence for the...
Netflix Pulls The Mighty Boosh Over Blackface
In more signs that the times, they are a-changin’, streaming services have recently been purging themselves of movies and shows that depict racist or otherwise problematic characters. The latest such shift comes from Netflix, which has yanked British comedy show The Mighty Boosh because of a blackface character named The Spirit of Jazz. Portrayed by Noel Fielding (co-presenter on The Great British Bakeoff), The Spirit of Jazz appeared in a handful of episodes during The Mighty Boosh’s three-series run from 2004 to 2007. Described as the ghost of Howlin’ Jimmy Jefferson, the character saw Fielding painting his face black with white skeleton-like highlights, speaking in a New Orleans accent, and wearing a dreadlocked wig under a tall, white top hat. It’s far from the only problemat...
For the First Time in The Bachelor’s 25-Season Run, There’s a Black Bachelor
For the first time in its 25-season, 18-year run, ABC has cast a Black Bachelor. Matt James, a 28-year-old real estate broker, entrepreneur, and community organization founder, will search for love on the forthcoming season of The Bachelor, according to The Hollywood Reporter. James was previously set to be a contestant on Clare Crawley’s upcoming season of The Bachelorette before production was shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He is also known as the friend and roommate of former Bachelorette contestant Tyler Cameron. “We know we have a responsibility to make sure the love stories we’re seeing onscreen are representative of the world we live in and we are proudly in service to our audience,” ABC Entertainment president Karey Burke said in a statement announcing James’ casting. “This...
Nickelodeon Confirms SpongeBob is a Member of the LGBTQ+ Community
Nickelodeon broke the Internet on Saturday by confirming that SpongeBob Squarepants is a member of the LGBTQ+ community. “Celebrating #Pride with the LGBTQ+ community and their allies this month and every month,” Nickelodeon tweeted on Saturday. The caption was accompanied by photos of the Avatar character Korra, who identifies as Queer, and actor Michael D. Cohen, who is Transgender (via Out). Though Nickelodeon did not outright confirm SpongeBob’s sexuality, the implication is pretty clear. It’s worth noting, as Out points out, that SpongeBob creator Stephen Hillenburg previously said the characters on his show are asexual. As asexual people are considered part of the LGBTQ+ community, that may explain why SpongeBob was included in Nickelodeon’s Pride tweet. Or, he’s gay. Who c...
John Cleese Calls Removal of Fawlty Towers Episode That Uses N-Word “Stupid”
As a wave of media companies are pulling content that could be deemed offensively racist, the BBC-owned UKTV has removed a classic episode of the sitcom Fawlty Towers for its use of racial slurs. The show’s star and writer John Cleese has spoken out against the removal, saying executives trying “to hang onto their jobs” are “too stupid to see that” the episode was mocking the derogatory language, not supporting it. In the episode, entitled “The Germans”, Cleese’s Basil Fawlty has a conversation with Ballard Berkeley’s Major Gowen. The Major recalls a time he took a woman to a cricket game played by an Indian team, during which he uses racial epithets when referring to Indians (“w*gs”) and West Indians (“n*ggers”). While the episode is remembered fondly for its repetition of the phrase “don...
Which Double Shot Pair Is More ‘Awkward’: DJ Pauly D And Nikki Or Vinny And Maria?
“This is going to be awkward-er!” During tonight’s Double Shot at Love Season 2 premiere, DJ Pauly D and Vinny welcomed their exes — and a few new cougines guys — to Las Vegas. But for two ladies — Nikki and Maria — the circumstances felt a bit different given their relationships with the Jersey Shore men the last DSAL go around. But which pair had more tension and awkwardness: Maria and Vinny or Nikki and Pauly? First, Maria and Vinny. The latter admitted there was “unfinished business” with the Are You the One? alum, while Maria confessed that it was a “sh*tty feeling” to get her heart broken the last time they were together. When Maria arrived with the rest of the ladies at her new home, Vinny didn’t acknowledge her...
Presenting The Jersey Shore Girls’ Already Infamous Wedding Speech For Angelina
The speech > the note. During tonight’s Jersey Shore: Family Vacation episode, Angelina became “officially officially off the market” when she married Chris. And, as most couples do, they had a party afterward with tons of food extended toasts. Make way for Ang’s bridesmaids Deena, JWOWW and Snooki. Before the trio began, Deena told the blushing bride, “It’s good but funny.” And Angelina couldn’t wait to see what her roomies whipped up. Words as memorable as those featured in Jenni and Nicole’s note to Sammi back on Season 2 in Miami. Then the girls started. “They say third times the charm — I mean, you got engaged three times, but then the third one stuck,” Deena remarked. “You tried living with us three time...
Sneak Peek: Vinny’s Mere Presence Is Unhinging Maria On Double Shot At Love
The Double Shot at Love crew is “ready to rock” Las Vegas — but Maria isn’t exactly comfortable during the crew’s first night out in Sin City. “It feels so weird to be around Vinny again,” the Are You the One? alum, who bonded with the keto guido on Season 1 before she was cut from the dating show, confesses in the sneak peek above as she watches Vin tell some girls at a club that they’re “really pretty.” She continues: “I thought I would be able to just come and have fun with the girls and not care about Vinny. But that’s just not the case at all.” What does DJ Pauly D say about Vinny and Maria — with his megaphone? And which “cougine” does Marissa have her eye on and feel an attraction toward?...
A&E Cancels Live PD, One of the Highest Rated Shows on Cable TV
Just one day after Paramount Network cancelled Cops, A&E has turned off the sirens of another hit police show: Live PD. As Deadline reports, the decision to cut the feed on Live PD was made jointly by A&E and MGM-owned production company Big Fish Entertainment. In a statement, the network said, “This is a critical time in our nation’s history and we have made the decision to cease production on Live PD. Going forward, we will determine if there is a clear pathway to tell the stories of both the community and the police officers whose role it is to serve them. And with that, we will be meeting with community and civil rights leaders as well as police departments.” Live PD aired for three hours on Friday and Saturday nights, bringing live feeds from police pa...
Lynn Shelton Livestream Tribute to Feature Marc Maron, Reese Witherspoon, Ben Gibbard, and More
Acclaimed indie filmmaker Lynn Shelton suddenly passed away last month at the age of 54. Now, her friends and colleagues are coming together for a special tribute event in her honor. “Her Effortless Brilliance: A Celebration of Lynn Shelton Through Film and Music” will be livestreamed tonight, June 10th beginning at 9 p.m. ET at the YouTube link below. As its title suggests, folks from all over the entertainment world will take part in the virtual memorial. Appearing alongside Shelton’s partner, Marc Maron, will be Reese Witherspoon, Mark and Jay Duplass, Emily Blunt, and Rosemarie DeWitt. Also scheduled are Kaitlyn Dever, Jeff Garlin, Joshua Leonard, Sean Nelson, and Michaela Watkins. Musical performances, meanwhile, are coming from Maron, Andrew Bird, Death Cab for Cutie frontm...
The State Cast to Reunite for Charity Livestream
This Wednesday, the cast of MTV’s cult-favorite show The State will reunite over Zoom to raise money for the NAACP and the California Immigrant Resilience Fund. It’s the second time the ‘90s sketch comedy crew will reunite virtually in recent months, as they recreated “Porcupine Racetrack” this April to celebrate the series’ 25th anniversary. The event, aptly titled “Zoom with The State”, will see The State’s cast — Kevin Allison, Michael Ian Black, Ben Garant, Todd Holoubek, Michael Patrick Jann, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Thomas Lennon, Joe Lo Truglio, Ken Marino, Michael Showalter, and David Wain — reading beloved sketches as well as never-before-seen scripts. Additionally, they will auction off memorabilia and hold a special Q&A with fans. “Zoom with The State” will take place June 10th ...
