Latest news with #F-word
Los Angeles Times
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
SAG-AFTRA files unfair labor charge against use of Darth Vader's voice in ‘Fortnite'
James Earl Jones' voice of Darth Vader is one of the most recognizable sounds in movie history — and now it's at the center of a fight over the use of artificial intelligence. On Monday, Hollywood actors guild SAG-AFTRA filed an unfair labor charge over the use of an AI-powered version of the iconic 'Star Wars' villain's voice in the massively popular video game 'Fortnite.' Last week, 'Fortnite' started allowing players to recruit Darth Vader to their teams and take turns talking to him using conversational AI technology that replicates Jones' tone and speech patterns for the George Lucas-created character. 'Fortnite' is owned by developer Epic Games. SAG-AFTRA filed the complaint against Llama Productions, a subsidiary of Epic that works on 'Fortnite.' 'Fortnite's signatory company, Llama Productions, chose to replace the work of human performers with A.I. technology,' SAG-AFTRA said in a statement. 'Unfortunately, they did so without providing any notice of their intent to do this and without bargaining with us over appropriate terms.' Epic Games did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Jones had allowed Lucasfilm and Disney to use AI and archival recordings to replicate the actor's voice as Darth Vader for future 'Star Wars' projects. Jones died in September. 'Fortnite' said it had received permission from Jones' estate to include his voice in the game. 'James Earl felt that the voice of Darth Vader was inseparable from the story of Star Wars, and he always wanted fans of all ages to continue to experience it,' the family of James Earl Jones said in a statement on Fortnite's post on its website last week. 'We hope that this collaboration with Fortnite will allow both longtime fans of Darth Vader and newer generations to share in the enjoyment of this iconic character.' SAG-AFTRA said in a statement that it celebrates the rights of its members and their estates to control digital replicas. 'However, we must protect our right to bargain terms and conditions around uses of voice that replace the work of our members, including those who previously did the work of matching Darth Vader's iconic rhythm and tone in video games,' the performers guild said. AI remains a controversial topic in Hollywood, as actors and writers have raised concerns about the fast-growing technology harming their jobs. In 2023, actors and writers went on strike to fight for more protections in their contracts that addressed their concerns about artificial intelligence. 'Fortnite's' use of Darth Vader's voice wasn't without other hiccups. Business Insider pointed to an example of where the voice was seen saying the F-word in the game and an Epic Games spokesman told Business Insider that a fix was made to stop Darth Vader from cursing within 30 minutes of it happening in-game.
Scottish Sun
15-05-2025
- Automotive
- Scottish Sun
F1 chiefs make major change to controversial swearing punishment after Max Verstappen led furious backlash
FORMULA ONE's governing body has reduced the penalties for drivers swearing or blasting officials after a huge backlash from the grid. The maximum sanctions for using X-rated language has been reduced by 50 PER CENT ahead of the sixth race of the season at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix this weekend. 1 Max Verstappen has often been on the wrong end of the rules since they came in Credit: Getty The 'base fine' level for penalties handed out for driver misconduct, including F-bombing, has been halved from €10,000 (£8,430) to 'up to' €5,000 (£4,210). A revised version of the new FIA guidelines issued to stewards on Wednesday has also removed the threat of a race ban. Drivers have been at loggerheads with FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem after he introduced a ONE-MONTH suspension and £100,000 fine for repeat offences in January. In April, Ben Sulayem - who is up for re-election at the end of the year - said he was considering "improvements" to the rules after Max Verstappen and George Russell accused the FIA of not treating drivers like 'adults'. READ MORE IN F1 WHEEL OF FORTUNE F1 world champ lined up for top job after being banned from racing The new document also differentiates between offences committed in "controlled" and "uncontrolled" zones, which was carried over from a deal that rally drivers reached last month. This differentiates between things drivers say and do while racing, and in forums such as news conferences, where adrenaline is not a big factor. The FIA has also softened the rules by allowing stewards to suspend penalties for certain first offences. It comes two weeks after Mercedes driver Russell, a director of the Drivers' Association, called for "action" rather than words, after Ben Sulayem had teased this move on his Instagram account. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK Unlucky Ferrari star Charles Leclerc has already forked out a €10,000 fine for letting the F-word slip at the Mexico City Grand Prix in October. Ben Sulayem said in a statement: "As a former rally driver, I know first hand the range of emotions that are faced during competition. Yuki Tsunoda explains why he is the right driver for Red Bull's Formula 1 team "The improvements the FIA has announced to Appendix B will ensure we continue to promote the best of sportsmanship in motorsport, while also giving stewards effective guidelines to act against individuals who may bring the sport into disrepute. "The FIA will always be committed to ensuring motor sport is accessible for all our sporting family." The initial decision to introduce heavy fines comes after world champion Verstappen was forced to do the F1 equivalent of community service after swearing in Singapore last year. The paddock heads to the iconic Imola this week for the start of a European triple-header which could dictate the path of the title race. After making it four wins from six, Oscar Piastri has a 16-point advantage over McLaren team-mate Lando Norris, with Verstappen 32 points adrift of the Australian and Russell 38 points back.
Forbes
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Resolution Looms In Formula 1 Swearing Saga As FIA Boss Softens Stance
A resolution over the contentious issue of swearing in Formula 1 may at long last be on the horizon, according to FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem. Last season, the head of world motorsport's governing body asked drivers to rein in their language and warned heftier fines would be introduced as a deterrent for those who do not comply. The stringent measures led to a bitter dispute between he and the drivers, with Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton dismissing Ben Sulayem's approach as a needless power play. But the two parties appear to have taken major steps towards a reconciliation ahead of the Miami Grand Prix this weekend. 'Humans make the rules and humans can improve the rules,' Ben Sulayem posted on Instagram on Monday. 'The principle of continuous improvement is something I have always believed in and is at the heart of all we do at the FIA." The FIA supremo added he had received 'constructive feedback' from the drivers and was working on making 'improvements' to Appendix B - the document which regulates punishments in Formula 1. Swearing is included among the offences, as are non-authorized political statements and physical violence. In September, Ben Sulayem called for Formula One Management to avoid broadcasting radio messages that contain swearing. 'We're not rappers, you know,' he told Autosport. 'They say the F-word how many times per minute? We are not on that. That's them, and we are [us] His words, however, did not go down well with Hamilton, who described them as 'very stereotypical' and questioned why the FIA boss chose rappers for his comparison. 'You think about — most rappers are black,' the seven-time world champion told reporters ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix last year. 'That really kind of points it towards when [he] says, 'We're not like them.' So I think those are the wrong choice of words; there's a racial element there.' Some of Hamilton's colleagues, meanwhile, were critical of the hardline approach suggesting a degree of leniency should be shown to drivers who swear in frustration during a race and to non-English speaking drivers. Last season, Verstappen dismissed FIA's approach as too sensitive and suggested the swearing should be a problem for broadcasters rather than drivers. 'I think a lot of people say a lot of bad things when they are full of adrenaline in other sports,' he said. "It just doesn't get picked up. I think it already just starts with not broadcasting it.' Radio communications between drivers and their pit walls are vetted by Formula 1, which delays their broadcast to allow for the bleeping of swear words. Offensive words are also blurred out in the graphics when sharing radio messages. Verstappen was subsequently punished for using the F-word to describe Red Bull's performances and reacted to his ban by delivering monosyllabic answers during FIA press conferences over the Singapore Grand Prix weekend. The Dutchman then made a point of speaking with journalists at length away from official settings and made clear his patience was wearing thin with FIA and even threatened to quit the sport. "These kinds of things definitely decide my future as well, when you can't be yourself or you have to deal with these kinds of silly things," he said. "Now I am at the stage of my career where you don't want to be dealing with this all the time. It's really tiring. "For me, that is not a way of continuing in the sport, that's for sure.' Last week, the four-time world champion suggested drivers were effectively prevented from expressing their opinions in public. 'The problem is I cannot share my opinion about it because I might get penalised so it's better not to talk about,' he said as he declined to discuss a five-second penalty he received during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. 'Anything I say or try to say about it might get me in trouble. 'I know I cannot swear in here but at the same time you also cannot be critical in any form that might harm or danger. "That's why it is better not to talk about it because you can put yourself in trouble and I don't think anyone wants that.' Earlier this month, Carlos Sainz escaped a sanction for swearing during a press conference ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix while discussing a fine he received at the Japanese Grand Prix. The Williams driver received a €20,000 ($22,700) fine, half of which was suspended, in Suzuka last weekend for arriving late to the national anthem ceremony on the starting grid. I was the first one to put my hand up and say, 'I'm late. I'm sorry for that.'," he said. "At the same time, I was five seconds late. And to be five seconds late and have to pay €10,000 or whatever the fine is, for me, it is out of the question that we are having to pay these fines. "But yeah, I don't know if I'm going to get another fine for saying this, but s*** happens."
Daily Mirror
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Celebrity Big Brother's most outrageous exits from 'violent punch up' to police caution
Mickey Rourke's departure this series has been the one to remember but there have been plenty of memorable ones over the years as we take a look back at some of the most shocking removals before him The Celebrity Big Brother house has had the world talking since it first aired back in 2001. It's where we can all grab a rare glimpse at how celebs really behave beyond the spotlight - giving us entertainment, chaos and some of the most iconic moments in TV history. But behind all the laughs and the legendary one liners, we've seen a fair share of controversial moments too - moments so wild they've actually ended careers. Just this season, we saw American actor, Mickey Rourke get booted off the show for his outdated and unacceptable remarks. But, he's far from the first. Let's take a look back at some of the most shocking, career ending exits in Celebrity Big Brother history. Mickey Rourke (2025) The Hollywood star's stint in the house was short lived, lasting just six days before he was kicked out for inappropriate behaviour. His comments started on Day 2, when he made several homophobic comments towards JoJo Siwa. He claimed that if he stayed in the house for more than four days she 'wouldn't be gay anymore,' and even said he'd tie her up. He went on to say he was going to 'vote the lesbian out' before referring to her using the F-word slur - which he tried to brush it off by saying he was referring to a cigarette. Mickey was given a warning and later apologised, but the comments didn't stop. He also used inappropriate sexual language to Ella Rae Wise, leaving her in tears. However in the end, it wasn't his disgusting comments which led to him being kicked out. It was when he threatened physical violence towards Chris Hughes during a heated argument that was the final straw, which cost him his £500,000 fee. Roxanne Pallett (2018) During the series, Roxanne and her fellow housemate, Ryan Thomas were having a playful encounter when she claimed he punched her and she went on to falsely label him a woman beater. Ryan apologised to her after the encounter, however Roxanne continued to say he purposefully hit her. She even went as far to re-enact what she believed happened, continuing to tell housemates the encounter was violent, leaving the house unsure of who to believe which even caused Ryan to doubt himself. The situation went on for days, however later on producers showed her the footage, and she ended up retracting her claim, admitting she 'got it wrong' and voluntarily left the house. But the 'Punchgate' encounter seriously damaged her career. Christopher Biggens (2016) The British entertainer received three warnings before he was removed from the house due to his inappropriate comments. During his stint on the show, he made shocking remarks about bisexual people, calling them 'the worst type' and suggesting they were just too scared to admit they were gay. He even went as far to claim that HIV was a 'bisexual disease.' He further went on to make inappropriate comments and received warnings from producers, but he still did not learn his lesson resulting in him being booted out of the house on day 9, after receiving over 500 Ofcom complaints by viewers. Jeremy Jackson (2015 ) The Baywatch star entered the house when drinking was allowed and after mixing rum and vodka, he got drunk and ended up vomiting in the bathroom, where he was joined by a fellow housemate, Chloe Goodman. Things took a dark turn when he pulled open her dressing gown, leaving Chloe in tears as she left the bathroom saying "That's not OK, I'm leaving now." She later said: "He went to my dressing gown top and put my boob out.' Jeremy defended himself saying, 'I didn't know she had nothing underneath.' Later in the diary room though, admitted he believed Chloe's actions 'seemed like flirtation' calling his behaviour 'silly, bold and dumb.' While the incident itself wasn't broadcasted, the aftermath alone caused outrage by the viewers. To viewers' surprise, he wasn't booted immediately - just made to sleep in a separate room. But, by the morning he was removed from the house. After leaving the house, he received a caution from Hertfordshire Police. However his disturbing behaviour towards women didn't end there, as he was later given 270 days in prison and five years' probation after stabbing a woman in an argument. Ken Morley (2015) The English actor was removed from the show after using the N-word multiple times when speaking about a fellow housemate, despite being warned. Ken also made inappropriate comments towards women in the house. Ofcom received 244 complaints about his racist and sexual language, leading to his removal. His behaviour even reached Parliament, as they released a statement applauding channel 5 for axing him. Afterwards, his son later posted an apology on his behalf to anyone that 'may have been offended' by his dad's behaviour. Tila Tequila (2015) The adult entertainer was removed after just one day - the shortest stint in CBB history. However in her case, it wasn't her behaviour on the show. Tila previously shared a photo of herself in a Nazi outfit, holding a gun in front of Auschwitz, and had called Hilter a 'brilliant artist' who was 'ahead of his time.' She even claimed to have the same 'hopes and dreams' as him. As soon as she was announced as a housemate, many viewers were outraged - some even launched a campaign for her removal. Channel 5 and the producers claimed they weren't aware of her past posts. Shockingly, her career didn't completely collapse - she even landed her own dating show after her short stint on the show.
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Comedy's Most Erudite Buffoon
Conan O'Brien's peak moment of triumph at the Academy Awards earlier this month followed one of his spicier jokes. 'Anora uses the F-word 479 times,' the late-night veteran and first-time Oscar host said of the eventual Best Picture winner. 'That's three more than the record set by Karla Sofía Gascón's publicist.' It was a roundabout way to reference the elephant in the room—the disgraced Emilia Pérez star's social-media troubles. As the attendees gasped with shock and delight, O'Brien performed a jaunty variation on his 'string dance,' a lanky jog-in-place motion accompanied by a resplendent grin; I smiled in recognition of the looseness. 'I'm having fun,' he declared right afterward, and he meant it: He sealed his command of the show at that instant, and was successful enough that he's already been hired to host the ceremony again next year. The most notable part of this gag was not the joke itself, a standard late-night quip delivered with appropriate piquancy. What made it stand out was that O'Brien sold the line the same way he always has, since he began his on-screen television career in 1993: with joyful abandon. And his Oscars flex felt especially meaningful ahead of another upcoming career highlight: O'Brien is this year's recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor (an honor handed to a comedy luminary every year by the Kennedy Center, at least for now). But he's not receiving the award as a gold watch to recognize his semiretirement from television. No, 32 years after the premiere of his first talk show, and four after his last one drew to a close, O'Brien has become the rare performer whose success relies upon his consistency—even if that means he's still whipping out the same old string dance. A sense of defiance has long been baked into O'Brien's signature move. Lorne Michaels, the creator of Saturday Night Live and the man most single-handedly responsible for O'Brien's stardom, supposedly hated it. The journalist Susan Morrison's recent biography of Michaels recounts how O'Brien ignored the note from his mentor (and Late Night producer), shrugging off Michaels's suggestion that he lose one of his more whimsical flourishes. Instead, the host's mesmerizing lift of the hips went on to punctuate his monologues over the years, to the approval of his audience. Going against someone like Michaels is a risky move for any comedian to make—but O'Brien's career has been defined by his steadfast commitment to the bit, no matter how unusual or even off-putting. His mantra as a performer seems to be: If he finds it funny, someone else will. It's an uncommon purpose in the business of comedy, and even more uncommon to stick with for as long as he has. But O'Brien understands himself better than anyone. [Read: Conan O'Brien understood the assignment] The comedian's staunch love for the goofiest non sequiturs means he's guaranteed to use them on even the most prestigious stage. During the Oscars broadcast, I was most elated at the gags that felt like they had sprung from O'Brien's Late Night set decades prior—like a giant puppet of a sandworm from Dune playing 'Chopsticks' on the piano. These were the instances of elaborate silliness he might have devised as a lowly comedy writer, before he'd ever been shoved in front of a camera; they fit just as well into his routine today. O'Brien's elevation from behind-the-scenes comedy nerd of choice (on SNL and The Simpsons) remains an improbable showbiz occurrence—one that he still litigates every chance he gets. It's a regular conversation topic on his chat podcast, Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend, which has become another hugely successful evolution in his broadcast career: When he's speaking to practically any of his comedy peers, O'Brien still marvels at the divine kismet that led him to where he is now. He remains nostalgic about how he got the chance to succeed David Letterman as the host of NBC's Late Night; he's similarly never forgotten the scars of his first year on the job, when the reviews were scathing, the viewership numbers were shaky, and his contract was being renewed on a week-to-week basis. Shouldn't he be over all of that? After all, O'Brien has proved any doubters wrong repeatedly, through every peak and valley. Late Night went from being dependent on precarious renewals to a nightly powerhouse; he became a comedy figurehead at the cable channel TBS and, later, the streaming service Max, where he stars in a continuing series of travel documentaries that are essentially paid vacations. But it's still easy to understand his never-ending agitation. Even after a decade-plus of O'Brien proving that his brand of absurdism worked with the mainstream, NBC couldn't quite believe it; the network removed him as the host of The Tonight Show, a role he'd assumed in 2009, after just seven months. It was a short-lived stint that ended in an infamous blaze of glory, a final week of live shows full of his favorite recurring sketches, which doubled as a sort of Viking funeral for his dream job. [Read: Conan O'Brien keeps it old-school] O'Brien followed that debacle by launching a new late-night program on TBS—simply titled Conan—and has since wound things down a little more gracefully. He's taken on slower projects, like his podcast; chat shows have become forgettable vanity projects for many celebrities, but O'Brien's genuine, consistently funny take is an elite example of the form. The host has referred to the journalist Robert Caro as one of his favorite podcast guests—a more traditional interview than is typical for the show, staged between an ardent fan and his intellectual idol. But one of the show's most viral clips is much more representative: The veteran SNL writer Jim Downey pretends to have never heard about Jeffrey Epstein's misdeeds, to O'Brien's bleating objections. The moment captures the tension in O'Brien's humor, which mixes his natural affability with an impulsive streak; he manages to walk the line of faux outrage without alienating his guest or audience. Since launching in 2018, Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend has become so successful that the host has received some credit from industry analysts for the podcast boom that followed. Through it all, little about O'Brien's approach to comedy has changed—listen to a monologue from 1993, 2003, or 2013, and compare it with his opening routine at this year's Oscars. The only thing that's really different is what he's joking about. That's not to call O'Brien or his work stale—it's more that the comedian has always managed to shape the current media moment around his own established persona. While his Late Night forerunner Letterman was probably the comedic polestar of Generation X—gruff, cynical, and biting the hand that fed—O'Brien became a bedrock influence for the next generation of Millennial comics. His mix of silly surrealism with an old-timey flair and knowing respect for the entertainment of yesteryear spoke to a generation caught in between digital eras: O'Brien could devise an extended Music Man parody on The Simpsons, and also wheel out a costumed character known as the Masturbating Bear or pull a lever that triggered Walker, Texas Ranger clips to play on Late Night. The characters and concepts he gravitated toward bordered on childish, but his progressively more dedicated fans would come to anticipate these zany touches with glee. [Read: Long live the delightfully dumb comedy] I sometimes wonder if the door is starting to close on O'Brien's comic perspective as he grows older and broadcast formats shift. But he's dependably found a way to fit it into new comedic spaces as needed, time and again. Early in his tenure on TBS, he launched a segment called 'Clueless Gamer,' in which his producer Aaron Bleyaert tried to teach him how to play video games; each installment descends into a frustrated O'Brien lobbing a litany of insults at both the television and his co-host. What was clearly invented as an internet-friendly aside quickly became a popular series unto its own—even though O'Brien's attempt at engaging with a younger generation's interest was loaded with scorn. Or perhaps that's why it was so compelling: 'Clueless Gamer' distills O'Brien's masterful use of his idiosyncrasies, and his ability to apply his point of view to the most dissonant of situations. Similarly, O'Brien's frenzied guest spot on the popular YouTube interview series Hot Ones in April 2024 endeared him to a new audience. He deliberately underlined his advanced age (at least, compared with Sean Evans, the show's 30-something anchor) and brought a 'doctor' along to support him as he devoured spicy chicken wings. Melding his particular style with the show's sensibility, he produced a moment that was outrageous and scripted in a manner that no other guest had attempted. Critics have called his appearance the best episode in Hot Ones' history, and the viral social-media boost it gave O'Brien likely helped him secure the Oscars gig months later. It's difficult to imagine the dignitaries who preceded him—talk-show legends such as Johnny Carson and Letterman, or even Jay Leno—lowering themselves to that kind of madcap spectacle, or even engaging with such an unfamiliar type of comedic broadcasting. O'Brien tackles these frontiers with relish, but without sacrificing his core identity. In her book, Morrison writes that Michaels first alighted on O'Brien as a possible new Late Night host because of his humor pedigree. Prior to his time on The Simpsons and SNL, O'Brien had served as the president of the esteemed Harvard Lampoon. His perceived classiness perhaps clashed uncomfortably with his silly string dancing for Michaels, but that duality has been the secret sauce of O'Brien's success all these years. His is a sort of erudite buffoonery that consistently tap-dances between clever, self-aware, and patently stupid. He'll eat your hot wings, or play your video games, or host the Oscars, and even while he's doing a terrific job of it, he'll act like the wheels are coming off the bus. More than 30 years after he first debuted on television, O'Brien still seems to be nervously glancing over his shoulder—always making sure he's not leaving his true self, or anyone else, behind. When you buy a book using a link on this page, we receive a commission. Thank you for supporting The Atlantic. Article originally published at The Atlantic
