How the ‘Most Impersonated Man in Show Business' Keeps SNL Humming
American audiences can't get enough of stories about shrewd survivors — the kind of scrappy competitors who somehow manage to outfox unsavory rivals to capture one crown or another, leaving everyone tittering and slack-jawed in their wake. From Katniss Everdeen of The Hunger Games to Richard Hatch of CBS's Survivor to Player 456 of Squid Game, the bestseller and most-watched lists are routinely home to prime specimens of this beguiling archetype.
None of them have a thing on Lorne Michaels.
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From ‘Housewives' overload to the ‘shadiest queens' alliance: The dish on ‘The Traitors' Season 4 lineup
Welcome to Reality Derby, Gold Derby's weekly deep dive into all things reality TV, hosted by senior editors Marcus James Dixon and Denton Davidson. Watch the video above. The cast of The Traitors Season 4 was unveiled on Friday, with a whopping 23 reality TV stars and notable figures about to compete for up to $250K. Among the roster are some of our favorite former gamers from Survivor and Big Brother, a pair of sassy Olympic figure skaters, and a whopping five women from The Real Housewives. More from GoldDerby 'The Americas' producers on NBC's ambitious docuseries, Earth's most varied landscapes, and 'absolute joy' working with Tom Hanks Inside the comedy pressure cooker: How 'SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night' exposed the madness behind the magic of 'Saturday Night Live' 'The Traitors' Season 4 casts a different Rob from 'Survivor,' a K-pop star, and Taylor Swift's potential future mother-in-law "I do feel like this is a little Real Housewives heavy," Davidson declares. "It's just not a show that I follow. And I understand the fan base is massive. So, the fact that they keep inviting more and more back, it clearly means that it's doing well for them. It's just not my wheelhouse. And they don't know how to play the game!" Says Dixon, "I really think that one of the Housewives are going to be a Traitor this year, because we did not get one last year in Season 3. In Season 2, we had Phaedra Parks, one of the best Traitors ever." The Housewives in this cycle are Dorinda Medley (returning from Season 2), Candiace Dillard Bassett, Caroline Stanbury, Lisa Rinna, and Porsha Williams. They both openly wonder if returning contestant Dorinda might be a Traitor this time around, since she was a Faithful last year. "If I was there, I would immediately target her again," laughs Davidson. "Poor Dorinda! Because they're going to think, 'Of course, she's coming back as a Traitor.'"for Churchill Downs When Davidson initially saw the cast list, he felt "meh," until he noticed Olympic figure skaters Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir in the lineup. He explains, "These are two people I didn't expect to be on a reality TV show — not because they don't have the personality, but because it just wasn't on my radar. Tara Lipinski was an Olympic gold medalist, and Johnny Weir is a very eccentric male figure skater, and they are two of the shadiest queens that do the commentary for the Winter Olympics. They're like every bestie pairing you would see in West Hollywood ... and it's going to be hilarious if one of them is actually a Traitor." Survivor star Rob Cesternino being cast on The Traitors is a big "F you" to the long-running CBS reality TV show, Dixon says. "He was in the running for Survivor 50, and I guess at the last moment he didn't get the call. And so The Traitors swoops in two weeks later, and they're like, 'OK, we want you in the castle.'" In other words, Survivor's "loss" is The Traitors' "gain." Other competition gamers about to go for the gold in Scotland include Yamil "Yam Yam" Arocho from Survivor, Natalie Anderson (without her twin sister, Nadiya Anderson) from The Amazing Race and Survivor, and Ian Terry and Tiffany Mitchell from Big Brother. "It's been a long time since we've seen [Ian]," Davidson realizes. "It'll be interesting to see what he's like now at age 34. He was so young when he was on Big Brother a thousand years ago." Tiffany was "the creator of the Cookout" and "America's Favorite Houseguest" on Big Brother, so "people love her," remembers Dixon. "I loved that whole season of Big Brother 23. I think it's the best season they've ever done, so I can't wait to see her. She's got a little villainous side." Dixon wonders if Carolyn Wiger "had any sway" in getting her Survivor 44 buddy, Yam Yam, onto The Traitors, since she was so popular in the castle last year. Just like Rob, Carolyn was in the running for Survivor 50, but she was ultimately cut, possibly because of her time on the rival series. "Jeff Probst is very jealous and protective, and does not like it when his Survivors are on The Traitors," Davidson warns. They also discuss the hot topic of Donna Kelce, the mother of NFL bros Travis and Jason Kelce, and whether Travis' girlfriend, Taylor Swift, might be posting about The Traitors this year. "You know she's going to watch," Davidson smiles. "She probably already does. I mean, I'm sure Donna had an advisor and got some advice from from Taylor and her kids, or at least spoke to them about it, so it'll be interesting to see their take." Season 4 of The Traitors is expected to air in early 2026, as the first three seasons all began in January. The show has already been picked up for a fifth season. Peacock SIGN UP for Gold Derby's free newsletter with latest predictions Best of GoldDerby Asif Ali and Saagar Shaikh admit they 'never had the audacity to realize' a show like 'Deli Boys' was possible Leslie Bibb breaks down her aha moments filming 'The White Lotus': 'Kate suddenly got jealous' 'Agatha All Along' star Ali Ahn: Getting Patti LuPone's approval while singing was 'like I had died and gone to heaven' Click here to read the full article.
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3 hours ago
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Why Brian Wilson's Net Worth Before His Death Is Lower Than You'd Think
The leader of one of the greatest rock bands of all time has died. At the age of 82, Brian Wilson passed away. The exact cause of death has yet to be determined, but it appears he struggled with a neurocognitive disorder in his later years. He leaves behind an immortal legacy of incredible music, which, although it became popular in the 1960s, has a popularity and intense relevance beyond just one generation. If there was any band that could declare itself the American version of The Beatles, it was Wilson's Beach Boys. Because Wilson was not only a musician but also a writer, it stands to reason that his albums and songs netted him a ton of cash over the years. So, just how much was Brian Wilson worth before his death? What was his net worth?According to Celebrity Net Worth and Parade, Brian Wilson's net worth at the time of his death was $100 million dollars. While that sounds like a lot, just consider that currently, Paul McCartney is worth $1.3 billion. Similarly, Bob Dylan, another contemporary of Wilson's, is closer to $300 million, while Mick Jagger is around $318 million. Obviously, Wilson's net worth could have come from his various albums and the countless times that Beach Boys songs have been used in movies, TV, and commercials. But, when you consider the ubiquity of songs like "Good Vibrations," to say nothing of "California Girls," you'd think this number would be a little bit higher. Here's why it's songwriting royalties alone were certainly reflective of great wealth, but the truth is, it could have been much more. The reason why Wilson's net worth wasn't in the stratosphere is that in 1969, the vast majority of the rights to Wilson's songs were sold to Irving Alamo Music for just $700,00 dollars. This decision was made by Wilson's father, Murray Wilson, and resulted in the company that previously owned the music, Sea of Tunes, becoming very profitable. But not for Wilson. In the 1990s, it was revealed that shady business dealings allowed Wilson to sue for the return of his rights. That didn't happen, but he did get $25 million awarded in damages. Though a subsequent lawsuit from bandmate Mike Love divided up those payments a bit more Of course, $100 million is still nothing to shake a stick at. But, unlike some of his contemporaries, Wilson wasn't rolling in dough from passive income thanks to profits from his songs. Much of his fortune came from his extensive tours, as well as his prolific solo Brian Wilson's Net Worth Before His Death Is Lower Than You'd Think first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 11, 2025
Yahoo
3 hours ago
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‘If you're a fascist, then get a Tesla': Neil Young's new album takes potshots Elon Musk
After weighing in behind Bruce Springsteen in his internationally reported takedown of President Trump's government onstage at Manchester Arena last month, this other left-leaning giant of American rock from the 1970s voiced fears that he, having been a consistent critic of Trump, chiefly over the issue of climate-change denial, may face problems regaining entry to his home nation following his European tour this summer. At this febrile moment, one might've expected Young, now 79, and as outspoken as ever – he made headlines last year after apparently refusing to sign up for Glastonbury 2025 on account of its BBC-driven corporatisation (he now appears to be headlining on Saturday night!) – to fill his latest long-player, his 46th studio outing, with polemical rantings, but as any long-standing fan knows, Young remains creatively wilful, and rarely serves up what might be expected of him at a given time. In recent years, he has been deluging the collector's market with archival releases, many of them 'new' old albums which he shelved years ago. In amongst all that, however, interested parties may be forgiven for not having noticed that Young had found a productive groove with a reconstituted line-up of his beloved, amps-on-11 backing band, Crazy Horse, releasing three new records with them, culminating with 2022's Rick Rubin-produced World Record. There, on Chevrolet, this unflagging automobile enthusiast wrung his hands about lusting after a vintage gas-guzzler. Further back, around his investment in a hybrid-electric model Lincoln, he wrote at length about the driver's responsibility to their children's health and survival on 2009's Fork In The Road, and perhaps the most immediately ear-catching moment on Talkin To The Trees arrives on Let's Roll Again, where, against clanging electric guitar chords, he urges America's automobile manufacturing giants, by name – Ford, GM and Chrysler – 'to build us something useful, something that won't kill our kids – come on America, let's roll again…on down the highway'. Alongside that responsible, depoliticised messaging, Young suddenly seems to find it hard to avoid needling at the Trump administration. 'China's way ahead, they're building clean cars,' he adds, knowing the mention of China will not be music to the president's ears. 'C'mon America, let's cover our backs, protect our children,' he goes on, before taking a clear potshot at Elon Musk. 'If you're a fascist, then get a Tesla: if it's electric then it doesn't matter. If you're a democrat: then chase your freedom, get whatever you want and taste your freedom.' Behind those words, of course, Young easily could've ramped up explicit themes of political dissent. Instead, his mind seems to be focused on enjoying the natural wonders of his ranch in Northern California, as well as, in the track Family Life, the domestic happiness he finds surrounded by his children and grandkids as he writes songs, and sings them for their approval, ' and also 'singing for my best wife ever, the best cook in the world' – a great review, indeed, for Darryl Hannah, the movie actor and activist, whom he married in 2018. Though second track Dark Mirage finds his 'new' band The Chrome Hearts – a mutation of his other one of late, Promise of the Real, with master soul keyboardist Spooner Oldham added – squalling into fierce feedback, as Young momentarily dips into lingering anger from his mid-'10s divorce – by and large, The Chrome Hearts are entrusted with summoning the kind of golden country-rock sound usually associated with Young's Harvest series – rustling acoustic guitars, blissful ivory-tinkling topped with Neil's wheezing harmonica, which light up rustic gems like First Fire Of Winter, the exquisite title track and the warm-hearted Thankful, As such, there's so much to enjoy here for long-standing fans – a mellow soundtrack perhaps for the four-wheel pilgrimage down to Glastonbury, with some fittingly thought-provoking messaging on automotive responsibility going forwards. In a week that has seen the passing of two of Young's West Coast peers, it's great to hear him sounding invigorated, domestically happy and creatively on song. Andrew Perry Prior to a brace of covers albums in 2023, it's fair to say that Belfast singer Van Morrison was in his 'late life super-grumpy' phase. Railing against everything from lockdown to scientists, he didn't hold back. My personal favourite from this era was a 2021 song called Why Are You on Facebook?, which contained the lines 'Why do you need second-hand friends? … Get a life.' And this from the sage who gave us Into The Mystic. Well, Van the Man is back doing what he does best. Remembering Now, his 47th album, is 14 songs of beautiful and reflective music addressing aging, romance and a sense of yearning for the landscapes and landmarks that made us who we are. It's 64 minutes of soulful blues and country folk, augmented by string arrangements by Fiachra Trench, who wrote the string parts for The Pogues' Fairytale of New York and worked with Morrison on his 1989 classic Avalon Sunset, to which Remembering Now can easily be compared. Folk star Seth Lakeman adds violin to three tracks. The album opens with Down to Joy, which soundtracked Kenneth Branagh's 2021 film Belfast and was nominated for a 'best original song' Oscar (Morrison lost out to Billie Eilish's Bond theme). Once In A Lifetime Feelings is one of three tracks with lyrics by Don Black, who's written for everyone from Meat Loaf to Michael Jackson. The song finds Morrison driving down to Monte Carlo with 'so much to say' to a loved one. It's fantastic. Stomping Ground sees the 79-year-old pleading to return to Belfast, while the closing nine-minute Stretching Out is simply swooning. The highlight is Haven't Lost My Sense of Wonder, which has touches of the awe that late songwriter Bill Fay saw in the world as he aged. 'Had my fill, 'cause I've been through the mill/ Now I'm saying 'Peace, be still,'' Morrison sings over lavish gospel-tinged soul. Under (hopefully) sunny skies, these songs will sound a treat when Morrison supports Neil Young in Hyde Park next month (along with Yusuf/ Cat Stevens). A lush return to form. James Hall Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
