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28 Nov

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Metallica Announces New Album, ‘72 Seasons,’ and Two-Year World Tour

Metallica has confirmed the title and release date of its forthcoming 12th studio album: “72 Seasons” will be available April 14, 2023 via the band’s own Blackened Recordings. Produced by Greg Fidelman with founding members James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, and clocking in at over 77 minutes, the 12-track album is Metallica’s first full length collection of new material since 2016’s “Hardwired…To Self-Destruct.”

The band has dropped the first single from the album, “Lux Æterna,” a three-and-a-half-minute-long blast that recalls the band’s early albums, which got a big revival with the prominent use of their 1986 classic “Master of Puppets” in the series “Stranger Things” earlier this year.

Speaking on the concept of the album title, James Hetfield said: “72 seasons. The first 18 years of our lives that form our true or false selves. The concept that we were told ‘who we are’ by our parents. A possible pigeonholing around what kind of personality we are. I think the most interesting part of this is the continued study of those core beliefs and how it affects our perception of the world today. Much of our adult experience is reenactment or reaction to these childhood experiences. Prisoners of childhood or breaking free of those bondages we carry.” The full tracklist appears below.

72 Seasons’ tracklist:

72 Seasons
Shadows Follow
Screaming Suicide
Sleepwalk My Life Away
You Must Burn!
Lux Æterna
Crown of Barbed Wire
Chasing Light
If Darkness Had a Son
Too Far Gone?
Room of Mirrors
Inamorata

The band has also announced a massive series of concerts for 2023 and 2024. Presented worldwide by Liquid Death and Blackened American Whiskey (in North America only) and promoted by Live Nation, Metallica’s M72 world tour will see the band playing two nights in every city it visits — with each No Repeat Weekend featuring two completely different setlists and support lineups. The M72 tour will feature a bold new in-the-round stage design that relocates the famed Metallica Snake Pit to center stage, as well as the I Disappear full-tour pass and the debut of discounted tickets for fans under 16 years of age.

Two-day tickets will be on sale Friday, December 2. Single day tickets will be available beginning January 20th. For further information including fan club presales, enhanced experiences and more, go to metallica.com/m72-info.

A portion of proceeds from every ticket sold will go to the band’s All Within My Hands foundation. Founded in 2017, AWMH’s efforts to assist and enrich the lives of members of the communities who have supported the band have raised nearly $13 million – providing $5.9 million in grants to career and technical education programs in the US, over $2.5 million to combat food insecurity, and more than $3.2 million to disaster relief efforts worldwide.

Citi is the official card of the M72 Tour. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets in the U.S. beginning Wednesday, November 30th at 2:00 pm local time until Thursday, December 1st at 10:00 pm local time through the Citi Entertainment program.

METALLICA
M72 WORLD TOUR 2023-2024

Thursday, April 27 2023 – Amsterdam NL – Johan Cruijff Arena
Saturday, April 29 2023 – Amsterdam NL – Johan Cruijff Arena
Wednesday, May 17 2023 – Paris FR – Stade de France*
Friday, May 19 2023 – Paris FR – Stade de France
Friday, May 26 2023 – Hamburg DE – Volksparkstadion
Sunday, May 28 2023 – Hamburg DE – Volksparkstadion
Friday, June 16 2023 – Gothenburg SE – Ullevi Stadium**
Sunday, June 18 2023 – Gothenburg SE – Ullevi Stadium

Friday, August 4 2023 – East Rutherford, NJ – MetLife Stadium
Sunday, August 6 2023 – East Rutherford, NJ – MetLife Stadium
Friday, August 11 2023 – Montreal, QC – Stade Olympique
Sunday, August 13 2023 – Montreal, QC – Stade Olympique
Friday, August 18 2023 – Arlington, TX – AT&T Stadium
Sunday, August 20 2023 – Arlington, TX – AT&T Stadium
Friday, August 25 2023 – Inglewood, CA – SoFi Stadium
Sunday, August 27 2023 – Inglewood, CA – SoFi Stadium
Friday, September 1 2023 – Glendale, AZ – State Farm Stadium
Sunday, September 3, 2023 – Glendale, AZ – State Farm Stadium
Friday, November 3, 2023 – St. Louis, MO – The Dome at America’s Center
Sunday, November 5, 2023 – St. Louis, MO – The Dome at America’s Center
Friday, November 10, 2023 – Detroit, MI – Ford Field
Sunday, November 12, 2023 – Detroit, MI – Ford Field

Friday, May 24 2024 – Munich DE – Olympiastadion
Sunday, May 26 2024 – Munich DE – Olympiastadion
Friday, June 7 2024 – Helsinki FI – Olympic Stadium
Sunday, June 9 2024 – Helsinki FI – Olympic Stadium
Friday, June 14 2024 – Copenhagen DK – Parken Stadium
Sunday, June 16 2024 – Copenhagen DK – Parken Stadium
Friday, July 5 2024 – Warsaw PL – PGE Narodowy
Sunday, July 7 2024 – Warsaw PL – PGE Narodowy
Friday, July 12 2024 – Madrid ES – Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano
Sunday, July 14 2024 – Madrid ES – Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano

Friday, August 2 2024 – Foxborough, MA – Gillette Stadium
Sunday, August 4 2024 – Foxborough, MA – Gillette Stadium
Friday, August 9 2024 – Chicago, IL – Soldier Field
Sunday, August 11 2024 – Chicago, IL – Soldier Field
Friday, August 16 2024 – Minneapolis, MN – US Bank Stadium
Sunday, August 18 2024 – Minneapolis, MN – US Bank Stadium
Friday, August 23 2024 – Edmonton, AB – Commonwealth Stadium
Sunday, August 25 2024 – Edmonton, AB – Commonwealth Stadium
Friday, August 30 2024 – Seattle, WA – Lumen Field
Sunday, September 1 2024 – Seattle, WA – Lumen Field
Friday, September 20 2024 – Mexico City MX – Foro Sol***
Sunday, September 22 2024 – Mexico City MX – Foro Sol
Friday, September 27 2024 – Mexico City MX – Foro Sol***
Sunday, September 29 2024 – Mexico City MX – Foro Sol

Show 1 Support Europe: Architects & Mammoth WVH**
Show 2 Support Europe: Five Finger Death Punch & Ice Nine Kills
*Five Finger Death Punch/Ice Nine Kills play show 1 in Paris, Architects & Mammoth WVH play show 2 in Paris
**Volbeat replaces Architects on show 1 in Gothenburg

Show 1 Support North America: Pantera & Mammoth WVH***
Show 2 Support North America: Five Finger Death Punch & Ice Nine Kills
***Greta Van Fleet replaces Pantera on show 1 both weekends in Mexico City

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Pop Culture

25 Nov

3

Zayn Malik Covers Jimi Hendrix’s ‘Angel’ for Late Rock Star’s 80th Birthday: ‘So Much Respect’

Zayn Malik is paying tribute to a music legend.

The One Direction alum, 29, released a cover of Jimi Hendrix‘s 1971 single “Angel” from the late rock star’s posthumous album The Cry of Love, using the original music, in celebration of Hendrix’s upcoming 80th birthday on Sunday.

“Being asked to collaborate to celebrate @jimihendrix 80th birthday was such an unexpected and huge honor,” he captioned a clip of the song on Instagram. “I have so much respect and admiration for Jimi, his music and fans. ‘Angel’ is out now — hope you love the track as much as I do. Happy 80th, Jimi.”

Hendrix’s estate Experience Hendrix L.L.C. shared in a statement to Billboard: “We are pleased that Zayn has been inspired to use original music from Jimi Hendrix’s ‘Angel’ in his recording of the song. We’re hopeful that this version of a Hendrix classic will enlighten a new generation of listeners about Jimi’s genius and further propel his continuing legacy.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Zayn Malik (@zayn)

Born Nov. 27, 1942 in Seattle, Hendrix was responsible for such iconic hits as “Purple Haze,” “Hey Joe” and “Voodoo Child” before he died at age 27 in 1970.

Celebrations for Hendrix’s birthday are taking place all over the country, with events at Austin City Limits, New York City, Woodstock and his hometown of Seattle. Meanwhile, fans can celebrate the milestone birthday with a special edition of the tribute book Jimi.

After dropping his third solo studio album Nobody Is Listening last year, Malik has returned to his own musical roots, sharing a video in August of himself serving an a cappella rendition of One Direction’s 2014 single “Night Changes” from their album Four.

Malik previously surprised fans with the high note from their 2013 song “You & I” in a video he posted to Instagram in June.

Zayn Malik’s cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Angel” is now available to stream.

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Pop Culture Trending

22 Nov

4

‘Wakanda Forever’ spoilers: How sequel’s creators decided on new Black Panther, and major midcredits reveal

For the entire promotional tour of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, director and co-writer Ryan Coogler tiptoed around what the original script for the long-awaited sequel looked like before the tragic death of Chadwick Boseman in 2020.

Coogler would let it be known that that a major theme was still grief, with Boseman’s King T’Challa dealing with the pain of losing five years on Earth due to being a victim of Thanos’s snap at the end of Avengers: Infinity War (whereas the Wakandans in the finished product must deal with the pain of losing T’Challa).

But there’s something vital the filmmaker couldn’t say, because it would spoil the film’s deeply emotional midcredits scene, in which it’s revealed that Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and the late superhero had a young son (also named T’Challa, but going by the name Touissant in Haiti where he lives with his mother).

Coogler planned for T’Challa to become a father all along, thus why he mourned those years lost on Earth.

“Honestly that’s what the [original] script was about,” Coogler tells us when asked what kind of deliberations went into giving T’Challa and Nakia a son. “It was about T’Challa becoming a father. So there was no deliberation. That was the movie we were making. And then [Boseman died], and we shifted it a bit.”

(#BlackPantherWakandaForever spoilers)

Ryan Coogler says the original script for Wakanda Forever before Chadwick Boseman's death actually focused on T'Challa becoming a father.

He also gives me the best one-word answer ever. pic.twitter.com/aYDm653x6y

— Kevin Polowy (@djkevlar) November 22, 2022

Says producer Nate Moore of that first version of the script: “In Ryan’s mind, he wanted to explore the notion of T’Challa facing fatherhood for the first time. So it wasn’t a reaction to anything… It was a story idea that was sort of interesting. And [then when Boseman] passed, it didn’t seem appropriate to abandon that just for that reason.

“It certainly also isn’t meant to say, ‘Oh hey, get ready for the new kid.’ It’s more like, ‘Oh, hey, what an interesting story point. And I think it really dimensionalizes Nakia’s relationship with the man, and shows you the depth of their commitment to each other, which I think is kind of powerful.”

Still, though, Coogler, Moore, Kevin Feige and the rest of the brain trust of Marvel deserve major kudos for finding such a tasteful solution to what became a major debate among fans in the years since Boseman’s death: Should T’Challa be recast? Proponents would point to the fact there’s been three Spider-Men in the past 20 years. Opponents said it’s disrespectful to recast so soon.

With introducing a very young T’Challa, it feels like Marvel is essentially saying, there very well could be a new T’Challa someday… but not anytime too soon. Right?

“Yeah,” Coogler mutters after a long pause.

Moore is more committal: “Exactly. I think you’re right, and the end of the movie isn’t [saying] get ready for the next one, it’s just, ‘Hey, there is a T’Challa. It’s not the one we all know and lost.’ And I think it’s more respectful to the loss for that reason.”

Of course Marvel had no choice but to replace Boseman when it came to the Black Panther mantle. Even that provided months of speculation for fans, with no official announcement before release, and a trailer that teased whom it would be. His sister Shuri (Letitia Wright)? Nakia? Danai Gurira’s Okoye? Winston Duke’s M’Baku?

In the end they went with the most obvious choice, one they also hardly seemed like they were trying to hide too hard. Just look at the film’s marketing and movie posters, with Wright’s Shuri dead center, arms crossed in the Wakanda salute. Shuri also became Black Panther in the comics, coincidentally in a plotline also involving Wakanda Forever’s main antagonist Namor (Tenoch Huerta).

“It was the only conversation we had,” says Moore. “It’s interesting, because we’re aware of conversations online. But I’m also a big comic fan. If you think about from publishing, this was a little inevitable. And when you think about it narratively, with the story we were telling, she is the most affected by T’Challa’s passing. And she maybe is the only one with the tools to bring the Black Panther mantle back, because if you remember the first film, Killmonger had destroyed all the heart-shaped herb anyway.

“So narratively it made sense. And from a purist’s standpoint, I think it’s really the only choice. Calls for M’Baku or Okoye seemed a bit like throwing darts at a dartboard for me… And Letitia Wright nails it. And Shuri’s transition from where she starts to where she ends in this film tells the story of why she should be Black Panther.”

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is now playing.

Watch our full interview with Ryan Coogler:

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Pop Culture Spotlight

18 Nov

0

All About Brad Pitt’s Rumored New Girlfriend Ines de Ramon, Who He’s Been Dating for ‘a Few Months’

Just weeks after Brad Pitt was rumored to be seeing Emily Ratajkowski (who is now reportedly dating Pete Davidson), the 58-year-old actor may have a different new woman in his life. The Daily Mail ran photos of Pitt at a Bono concert on Sunday night (November 13) with Ines de Ramon, a 32-year-old Swiss jewelry professional. The Daily Mail claimed it was informed by sources that de Ramon was part of Pitt’s team. People, meanwhile, reported that de Ramon works for the jewelry brand Anita Ko. Her LinkedIn lists her position as vice president of the company.

In photos, Pitt appeared putting his arms on de Ramon, and introduced her to his friends there, including Cindy Crawford. De Ramon is recently single herself, having separated from her husband, Vampire Diaries actor Paul Wesley, in September.

Reports on her relationship status with Pitt are a little conflicting at this point, with People reporting them as dating and E! reporting they’re just friends.

Either way, she and Pitt are close. So, who is de Ramon? Here, the essentials and all the details on her connection to Pitt.

De Ramon and Pitt first sparked dating rumors in November when they attended a concert together.

While neither de Ramon nor Pitt have commented on reports that they’re dating, The Daily Mail ran photos of them at a Bono concert together on November 13. The outlet reported they arrived together in Pitt’s Tesla at 8 P.M. They left separately, de Ramon in Pitt’s bodyguard’s SUV and Pitt in his Tesla.

On November 16, a source told People that the two have been secretly dating for months.

Interestingly, the source was indicated as close to de Ramon rather than Pitt. The source said, “[they] have been dating for a few months,” and that “Brad is really into” de Ramon. “They met through a mutual friend. She is very nice.”

A second source, this one close to Pitt, confirmed they were dating, but casually. “[They] recently started dating. [But] it’s not an exclusive relationship. Ines is cute, fun and energetic. She has a great personality. Brad enjoys spending time with her,” the source said.

A source told E! that same day, meanwhile, that Ines is “a friend of his.” Of the dating rumors, the source added, “This has been assumed in the past and has been wrong.” Hmm…

De Ramon separated from her husband Paul Wesley in September.

Pitt isn’t the only actor that de Ramon has been with. De Ramon and The Vampire Diaries’ Paul Wesley announced their separation after three years of marriage in September 2022. Wesley and de Ramon were first romantically linked in July 2018.

A rep for the couple told People in September that “they have separated” and have been living apart for several months. “The decision to separate is mutual and occurred five months ago. They request privacy at this time,” the rep added.

De Ramon speaks five languages.

De Ramon is a graduate of the University of Geneva, earning her bachelor’s in business administration. Her LinkedIn indicates that she speaks five languages, with French, English, and Spanish indicated at a bilingual or native proficiency, and German and Italian listed at a professional working proficiency. Prior to working at Anita Ko in Los Angeles, de Ramon spent four years working in the retail department of jewelry company de GRISOGONO.

De Ramon’s Instagram is currently private.

Following news that she and Pitt may be dating, de Ramon appeared to set her Instagram to private. De Ramon has appeared before on Wesley’s Vampire Diaries co-star Nina Dobrev’s Instagram when she and Wesley were still together.

A source told E! that same day, meanwhile, that Ines is “a friend of his.” Of the dating rumors, the source added, “This has been assumed in the past and has been wrong.” Hmm...

De Ramon separated from her husband Paul Wesley in September.
Pitt isn’t the only actor that de Ramon has been with. De Ramon and The Vampire Diaries’ Paul Wesley announced their separation after three years of marriage in September 2022. Wesley and de Ramon were first romantically linked in July 2018.

A rep for the couple told People in September that “they have separated” and have been living apart for several months. “The decision to separate is mutual and occurred five months ago. They request privacy at this time,” the rep added.

De Ramon speaks five languages.
De Ramon is a graduate of the University of Geneva, earning her bachelor’s in business administration. Her LinkedIn indicates that she speaks five languages, with French, English, and Spanish indicated at a bilingual or native proficiency, and German and Italian listed at a professional working proficiency. Prior to working at Anita Ko in Los Angeles, de Ramon spent four years working in the retail department of jewelry company de GRISOGONO.

De Ramon’s Instagram is currently private.
Following news that she and Pitt may be dating, de Ramon appeared to set her Instagram to private. De Ramon has appeared before on Wesley’s Vampire Diaries co-star Nina Dobrev’s Instagram when she and Wesley were still together.
A source told E! that same day, meanwhile, that Ines is “a friend of his.” Of the dating rumors, the source added, “This has been assumed in the past and has been wrong.” Hmm...

De Ramon separated from her husband Paul Wesley in September.
Pitt isn’t the only actor that de Ramon has been with. De Ramon and The Vampire Diaries’ Paul Wesley announced their separation after three years of marriage in September 2022. Wesley and de Ramon were first romantically linked in July 2018.

A rep for the couple told People in September that “they have separated” and have been living apart for several months. “The decision to separate is mutual and occurred five months ago. They request privacy at this time,” the rep added.

De Ramon speaks five languages.
De Ramon is a graduate of the University of Geneva, earning her bachelor’s in business administration. Her LinkedIn indicates that she speaks five languages, with French, English, and Spanish indicated at a bilingual or native proficiency, and German and Italian listed at a professional working proficiency. Prior to working at Anita Ko in Los Angeles, de Ramon spent four years working in the retail department of jewelry company de GRISOGONO.

De Ramon’s Instagram is currently private.
Following news that she and Pitt may be dating, de Ramon appeared to set her Instagram to private. De Ramon has appeared before on Wesley’s Vampire Diaries co-star Nina Dobrev’s Instagram when she and Wesley were still together.

A source told E! that same day, meanwhile, that Ines is “a friend of his.” Of the dating rumors, the source added, “This has been assumed in the past and has been wrong.” Hmm...

De Ramon separated from her husband Paul Wesley in September.
Pitt isn’t the only actor that de Ramon has been with. De Ramon and The Vampire Diaries’ Paul Wesley announced their separation after three years of marriage in September 2022. Wesley and de Ramon were first romantically linked in July 2018.

A rep for the couple told People in September that “they have separated” and have been living apart for several months. “The decision to separate is mutual and occurred five months ago. They request privacy at this time,” the rep added.

De Ramon speaks five languages.
De Ramon is a graduate of the University of Geneva, earning her bachelor’s in business administration. Her LinkedIn indicates that she speaks five languages, with French, English, and Spanish indicated at a bilingual or native proficiency, and German and Italian listed at a professional working proficiency. Prior to working at Anita Ko in Los Angeles, de Ramon spent four years working in the retail department of jewelry company de GRISOGONO.

De Ramon’s Instagram is currently private.
Following news that she and Pitt may be dating, de Ramon appeared to set her Instagram to private. De Ramon has appeared before on Wesley’s Vampire Diaries co-star Nina Dobrev’s Instagram when she and Wesley were still together.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Nina Dobrev (@nina)

One photo of her remains on her ex-husband’s Instagram too:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Paul Wesley (@paulwesley)

De Ramon has managed to keep public information about herself very limited, despite her marriage to Wesley and current rumored ties to one of Hollywood’s biggest stars. Pitt is likely to guard details of their relationship too, should it continue or become more serious, as the actor has not spoken much about any particular woman he has dated following his 2016 divorce from Angelina Jolie.

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Drake drags Serena Williams and Meghan Thee Stalion with latest album

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entertainment Pop Culture

18 Nov

1 0

New Mickey Mouse documentary revisits the Disney icon’s controversial early years: ‘Mickey’s not necessarily a good guy in those cartoons’

He may have hit the big 9-5 in calendar years, but Mickey Mouse is forever young in the hearts of kids, parents, grandparents and even great-grandparents. The signature creation of Walt Disney — and his oft-forgotten collaborator, Ub Iwerks — long ago went from being a humble cartoon mouse to the symbol of a global corporation that has an outsized influence on global pop culture. That evolution is chronicled in the new documentary, Mickey: The Story of a Mouse, which premieres today on Disney+ and depicts the tension between Mickey the Mouse and Mickey the Mascot.

“I liked Mickey as a kid, but I liked him because he was my nightlight,” admits the the film’s director, Jeff Malmberg. “Growing up in the ’80s, Mickey was a corporate logo and a greeter at the Disney theme parks. But the film character was really missing when I was a kid.”

The Story of a Mouse sets out to remind audiences of Mickey’s character … which also means reckoning with the more controversial aspects of his nine-decade history. Following his breakout appearance in 1928’s “Steamboat Willie” — one of the earliest cartoons to feature synchronized sound — Disney and Iwerks’s mouse starred in a series of cartoon shorts in the late ’20s and early ’30s that are very much the product of their times and feature a version of Mickey who is much more ribald and rude than he later became.

Not only is he seen wearing blackface in 1933’s “Mickey’s Mellerdrammer” — where he and his cartoon pals stage a version of Uncle Tom’s Cabin — but he also forced himself on his longtime companion, Minnie Mouse, in shorts like 1929’s “Plane Crazy.” While Malmberg includes those offending moments in The Story of a Mouse, the full versions of those early Mickey Mouse cartoons are unsurprisingly unavailable to watch on any official Disney platform, including Disney+, although most of them can be found on YouTube.

entertainment Pop Culture

18 Nov

13

Musk Says Twitter Has Reinstated Kathy Griffin, Jordan Peterson and Babylon Bee — but No Decision on Donald Trump Yet

Elon Musk, in the middle of a crisis of his own making after hundreds of Twitter employees quit following his demand they commit “hardcore” to toiling at the company, found the time to pardon comedian Kathy Griffin for the crime of impersonating the tech tycoon.

Griffin was suspended from Twitter in early November after she changed her account name to “Elon Musk” and used his pic for her profile. Griffin took over the Twitter account of Maggie Griffin, her late mother, after being banned and has continued to troll Musk. On Friday, she responded from that account, “Dear Eilon. You f**ked up, fool. I’m going downstairs to my basement of heads. You’re up. Xxoo, The Beheader.”

As for whether or not to let Donald Trump back on Twitter, Musk said, a “decision has not yet been made.” Trump was permanently banned from Twitter and other mainstream internet platforms in early 2021 for his posts supporting the Jan. 6 rioters who attacked the U.S. Capitol.

Musk has accused Twitter of censoring conservatives and he has previously said he would reverse Twitter’s permanent ban on Trump, calling it a “morally bad decision.” Trump has previously insisted he would not rejoin Twitter, regardless of who owns it, to stick to his own (ironically named) Truth Social, a Twitter knockoff.

In addition to reinstating Griffin — whose first name he misspelled as “Kathie” — Musk also said author Jordan Peterson (which he misspelled as “Jorden”) and satire site Babylon Bee have had their Twitter accounts restored.

Peterson, a right-wing Canadian psychologist, was suspended in June 2022 under Twitter’s rules prohibiting hateful conduct after he tweeted, “Remember when pride was a sin?” He then deadnamed Elliot Page, the actor who in 2020 announced that he is transgender, and said that Page’s “breasts [were] removed by a criminal physician.”

In March 2022, Twitter suspended the right-wing Babylon Bee, also under the company’s “hateful conduct” policy, after the publication announced that it had selected Dr. Rachel Levine, a transgender woman who is U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health, as its “Man of the Year.” The website bills itself as “your trusted source for Christian news satire.”

In response to a Twitter user who exhorted Musk to “bring back Alex Jones,” the

conspiracy-monger who has been ordered to pay nearly $1.5 billion to families of victims of the Sandy Hook school shooting, Musk replied, “No.”

Musk, shortly after he closed the $44 billion Twitter takeover on Oct. 27, said the company would create a content-moderation council with “widely diverse viewpoints” and that “no major content decisions or account reinstatements will happen before that council convenes.” It’s unclear whether such a council was formed.

Upon completing the Twitter deal, Musk fired the senior management team and laid off 50% of its 7,500 employees. On Thursday, more than 1,200 employees quit over Musk’s “hardcore” workplace fiat, the New York Times reported. That would leave around 2,500 staffers remaining, about one-third its previous headcount.

In a thread Friday, Musk said Twitter’s new policy ensures “freedom of speech, but not freedom of reach.”

According to Twitter’s CEO, that means “negative/hate tweets will be max deboosted & demonetized, so no ads or other revenue to Twitter.” He added, “You won’t find the tweet unless you specifically seek it out, which is no different from rest of Internet.”

New Twitter policy is freedom of speech, but not freedom of reach.

Negative/hate tweets will be max deboosted & demonetized, so no ads or other revenue to Twitter.

You won’t find the tweet unless you specifically seek it out, which is no different from rest of Internet.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 18, 2022

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Musk Says Twitter Has Reinstated Kathy Griffin, Jordan Peterson and Babylon Bee — but No Decision on Donald Trump Yet

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Pop Culture Trending

18 Nov

3

Communicating as a Founder

Founders are leaders, and communication is one of the essential aspects of leadership. As a founder, you must communicate effectively with your team, investors, employees, clients and possibly other co-founders. It is immeasurably how much honing good, efficient and effective communication skills will help run your business or start-up. In this post, I will talk about good communication, why you need it as a founder, and how you can improve at it.

What makes communication suitable?

Good communication involves exchanging information so that words are not just spoken, but the emotion and context are adequately exchanged. Good communication also involves listening and making the other person feel heard, understood and part of the team.

Why is good communication important?

As a founder, you need to be able to communicate in such a way that leaves people fully understanding of what you say. Your goal is to solve problems, and so your communication should not create the problem of misunderstanding.

How can you improve your communication skill?

There are a number of essential aspects of communication that you can put into your repertoire or improve on, but I will only talk about 5 critical points that, if you work on, will instantly make you a better communicator.

Plan your communication.

Founders are often charismatic people who feel they can spontaneously talk about anything whenever the need arises. While that is an excellent skill, it is imperative to plan what you want to say to stakeholders (investors, team, employees, etc.) in your start-up. Planning automatically infuses a sense of direction. Planning what you want to say, how you will say it and when to say it can make a world of difference in how it is received. It is also great to use help whenever you need it.

Learn to listen.

One big mistake we often make is being so convicted by our thoughts that we do not allow the opinions of others. This trait can be good for a one-person sport but can be detrimental to a team. You always want the people you work with and those who work for you to feel like they’re part of your dream, that way, they can give their optimum effort. Not listening to the input of others can make them feel isolated and leave you looking like a tyrant.

Pay attention to tone.

Whether speaking or writing, being aware of tone is an essential communication skill. The tone of communication carries the presence of context, the varying levels of urgency, intentionality and attention. Taking tone into account when you communicate will ensure you aren’t just sending a message filled with words but also one filled with the intended emotions.

Understand your audience.

Every audience isn’t the same, and an intelligent founder is one who is aware of who they’re speaking to and tailoring the conversation to the audience. One tone might be good for Team A but would have no effect or be bad for Team B. Sometimes, it is just timing and taking cognisance of the mood. Understanding your audience and reading their response as you communicate is pertinent as it will be what determines if you’re carrying them along in your vision.

Confidence is key.

Your start-up is a ship, and every ship needs a captain. You are the captain of your start-up, and everybody looks up to you for leadership. When you communicate with members of your start-up, you need to convey confidence. Your team shares your energy as the leader of the group, so it is vital that the energy is positive and confident.

So that’s it, five easily applicable ways to help you get better at communicating as a founder. Working on these things would make you a better communicator, help convey your vision better to investors and workers, and help you better solve problems and scale your start-up.

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TikTok’s “Ironic” Thinspo Is a Dangerous Corner of the App

A thin, dark-haired girl stands in her bedroom showing off her bloated stomach. A funny audio screams over her video, “You skinny bitches are evil and you need to be destroyed!” Then she transitions to another clip, one where her flat stomach has returned. “And them big fat bitches will burn in hell,” the rest of the sound plays.

The contradictory messages of this post by @supercoollibragirl—which has two million views—are the subject of debate among its more than 4,000 commenters who argue about its intent: Is the young woman humblebragging about her thinness? Or putting herself down for being fat? Some say they love her “confidence” and “y’all are just jealous, she looks great.” Others reassure her that “she’s allowed to have her own insecurities.” Then there’s an overall consensus of wanting “this trend to be buried.”

But what is this trend?

It’s one of the many so-called “body-checking” trends that have plagued social media sites for years and now can be seen on TikTok. Body checking is when users draw attention to the size and shape of their bodies, usually as a way to show off their thinness. In one of the most infamous body-checking trends from 2013, people stood with their knees together to show they were skinny enough to have a “thigh gap.” A decade ago, Tumblr and Instagram became notorious sites riddled with posts that glamorized anorexia and disordered eating. History repeats itself, and old trends have resurfaced to a fresher and naive audience on TikTok with #bodychecking reaching 5.5 million views on the platform.

What is interesting about TikTok’s new wave of body checking is that these videos often try to mask what they’re really about, burying their messages in irony and sly humor. Tonally, it’s very Gen Z, which accounts for 60 percent of TikTok’s users, who are between the ages of 16 and 24.

The problem of social media’s impact on young people’s body image blew up in the news in 2021 with the revelations of the Facebook whistleblower, Frances Haugen, a former product manager for the company. “Thirty-two percent of teen girls said that when they felt bad about their bodies, Instagram made them feel worse,” a leaked presentation slide said. Facebook knew that Instagram was making eating disorders and suicidal ideation worse in teenage girls, Haugen told 60 Minutes.

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16 Nov

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Megan Thee Stallion, Ye, Rosalía, Elton John, ‘Bruno’: Biggest snubs and surprises of the 2023 Grammy nominations

The nominations for the 65th Annual Grammy Awards were announced Tuesday morning, with many of the presumed favorites — Kendrick Lamar, Adele, Harry Styles, Lizzo, Brandi Carlile, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and Bad Bunny — dominating.

The latter two are especially significant. Beyoncé, who leads this year’s nominees with nine for Renaissance, now has 88 total nominations to her credit, which puts her in a tie with her husband, Jay-Z, for the most noms of all time. Additionally, the Album of the Year nod for Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti marks the first time that a Latin music album has ever been nominated in that “Big Four” category.

That being said, there were still many head-scratchers and jaw-droppers among the awards’ whopping 89 categories, which will be presented Feb. 5, 2023 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Below are the biggest snubs and surprises.

SNUB: The Academy doesn’t talk about Bruno

Encanto did receive nominations for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media, Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media and Best Song Written for Visual Media. But considering what a massive phenomenon Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Encanto song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” was — it stayed at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks, a record for any tune from a Disney film — it’s shocking that it was passed over in the major categories, Record and Song of the Year.

Pop Culture

15 Nov

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Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, and Adele Top 2023 Grammy Nominees

Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, and Adele will all vie for multiple prizes at the 65th Grammy Awards, taking place on Feb. 5, 2023.

Beyoncé led all nominees this year, earning nine for her celebrated album, Renaissance. Lamar’s Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers helped him earn eight nominations, while Adele and Brandi Carlile tied with seven for their records, 30 and In These Silent Days, respectively.

All four of those artists, and their aforementioned albums, are up for Album of the Year, alongside ABBA’s comeback record Voyage, Mary J. Blige’s Good Morning Gorgeous, Coldplays’ Music of the Spheres, Lizzo’s Special, Harry Styles’ Harry’s House, and Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti. The nod for Bad Bunny is particularly significant as it marks the first time an album from the Latin music field has ever been nominated for Album of the Year.

Beyoncé, Adele, Lamar, and Carlile are also up for Record of the Year for “Break My Soul,” “Easy on Me,” “The Heart Part 5,” and “You and Me on the Rock” (featuring Lucius), respectively. The rest of that category includes ABBA’s “Don’t Shut Me Down,” Blige’s “Good Morning Gorgeous,” Doja Cat’s “Woman,” Steve Lacy’s “Bad Habit,” Lizzo’s “About Damn Time,” and Styles’ “As It Was.”

And rounding out the big three categories, Song of the Year boasts “Break My Soul,” “Easy on Me,” “The Heart Part 5,” “As It Was,” “About Damn Time,” and “Bad Habit,” alongside Gayle’s TikTok hit “Abcdefu,” DJ Khaled’s monster posse cut “God Did,” Bonnie Raitt’s “Just Like That,” and Taylor Swift’s indomitable “All Too Well (10 Minute Version).”

As for the final major category — Best New Artist — there doesn’t seem to be a clear-cut favorite like Olivia Rodrigo last year (in fact, none of this year’s nominees are up for one of the other big three prizes). There’s also an interesting mix of genuinely new artists, but also some that have been around for a few years but may finally be “new” to Grammy voters: Anitta, Omar Apollo, Latto, Wet Leg, DOMi and JD Beck, Muni Long, Samara Joy, Molly Tuttle, Tobe Nwigwe, and 2021 Eurovision winners Måneskin.

While the big categories at the 2023 Grammys are stacked with heavy pop hitters, it seems inevitable that the narrative around next year’s show will distill down to Beyoncé and Adele. While Beyoncé is the most decorated female artist in Grammy history, she’s only won a major category once (Song of the Year for “Single Ladies”) and feels especially overdue for an Album of the Year award. Her last big chance to win Album, Song, or Record of the Year was in 2017 with Lemonade and “Formation” — but Adele ended up sweeping all three with 25 and “Hello.” (Adele even seemed put off by it all, spending a chunk of her Album of the Year victory speech raving about Lemonade.)

Even if Beyoncé doesn’t earn one of the major prizes this year, she’s still on course to make more Grammys history. Renaissance and “Break My Soul” offer up her first chance at taking home a prize in the Dance/Electronic categories. And if she wins four of the nine awards she’s up for, she’ll top Hungarian conductor Georg Solti to become the most decorated Grammy winner of all time.

Beyond the big narrative, however, the 65th Grammy nominations offer plenty to chew on. Bad Bunny’s historic Album of the Year nomination was accompanied by a look for Best Pop Solo Performance for “Moscow Mule,” as well as a Best Música Urbana Album for Un Verano Sin Ti. Mary J. Blige’s six nominations mark her first since 2015 and her first as a solo artist since she won Best Contemporary R&B Album in 2009 for Growing Pains. And last year’s Best R&B Album and Performance winner, Jazmine Sullivan, will be back for more, picking up nominations for Best R&B Performance and Song for “Hurt Me So Good,” as well as Best Traditional R&B Performance for “’Round Midnight” with Adam Blackstone.

In the pop categories, heavyweights like Lizzo and Styles will be up against the likes of Doja Cat, Camila Cabello, and Sam Smith and Kim Petras. ABBA — who scored a surprise nomination last year — will have another shot at finally winning their first Grammy with looks in Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Pop Vocal Album categories. Meanwhile, over in country, Miranda Lamber, Maren Morris, Luke Combs, Ashley McBryde, and Willie Nelson will all compete for multiple prizes.

Drake — despite his pointed efforts to effectively boycott the Grammys by not submitting his work for consideration — is still up for Best Melodic Rap Performance and Best Rap Song thanks to collaborations with Jack Harlow (“Churchill Downs”) and Future (“Wait For U,” also featuring Tems). Gunna and Young Thug, who are both in prison while awaiting trial on alleged RICO Act violations, earned Best Rap Song and Performance nominations for their hit collaboration with Future, “Pushin P.” And Latto picked up a Best Melodic Rap Performance look for “Big Energy” to go along with her Best New Artist nod.

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