Latest news with #HollywoodBranded
Newsweek
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Gen Alpha Shocked Mom Knows About Her 'New' Style Discovery
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A mom has shared the hilarity of her Generation Alpha daughter proudly revealing the "new aesthetic" she is into—only to find out her mom lived through it the first time. Sarah Linville (@moonlitlichen) said on Threads that her 11-year-old recently became obsessed with the "scene" style and described it to her as if it were a groundbreaking discovery. The post quickly gained more than 35,000 views. "I told her I was during the Myspace era and her jaw was on the floor when I started talking about it. I guess she thinks I'm a square or something. I was there when the old magic was written child, you've come to the right place," Linville wrote. The mid-2000s trend was defined by: big black hair, neon hair streaks, layered bracelets, teased hair, skinny jeans and facial piercings. Stacy Jones, founder and CEO of Hollywood Branded and a pop-culture marketing expert, told Newsweek: "Back in the mid-2000s, 'scene' wasn't just a look—it was a whole mood; Myspace profiles with the perfect auto-play song, late-night photo booth marathons, neon bracelets stacked to your elbows, and hair that could rival a skyscraper. It was all about standing out, building your personal 'brand' before that was even a thing, and finding your people online." The trend coincided with the first massive wave of digital photos that still circulate online today. Now, Jones said, Gen Alpha and younger Gen Z are embracing it as something new, fueled by TikTok trends and emo/pop-punk nostalgia, while older generations watch in a mix of recognition and amusement. Millennial fashion expert and stylist Samantha Dawn told Newsweek that fashion has always recycled trends, but newer generations are experiencing them for the first time while millennials and Gen Xers have already been through them. "I find that millennials and Gen Xers have a harder time with today's fashion, because they've evolved past that identity of skinny jeans and layered tanks. They're in a new phase of rediscovering who they are and what style expresses exactly that," Dawn said. She added that millennials and Gen Xers are in a phase of rediscovering personal style, dressing for themselves rather than for trends—something she credits to maturity and "adult money." Stock image: A young woman poses with black and pink hair, reminiscent of the mid-2000s trend. Stock image: A young woman poses with black and pink hair, reminiscent of the mid-2000s trend. EyeEm Mobile GmbH/iStock / Getty Images Plus The post sparked a flood of relatable responses from Threads users. Crispine posted: "I was called an 'emo prep' by a preteen this weekend and I laughed so hard and said 'I'd actually prefer pixie goth'. and then we talked about emo vs goth." Caleigh wrote: "Me, age 12, explaining to my dad that Blink-182 and Sum 41 were this new genre of music called 'punk'. My dad used to hang out with the punks in Montreal in the 70s." Another user commented: "Do not cite the dark scripture to me young child, for I was there when it was written, with an asymmetrical haircut and that Féria box black dye that was blue in the right lighting." Ashley added: "LMAO [laughing my a** off] mine did this too. I had to break out the artifacts on Photobucket and show her the truth." Amanda shared: "There's emo teens that live on my street, and I've watched them roam around in all black, full sleeve and full pants attire in nearly 40C degree weather. And every time, I get a little tear in my eye. Nostalgia—how I long for thee." Newsweek reached out to @moonlitlichen for comment via Threads. We could not verify the details of the case. Do you have any viral videos or pictures that you want to share? We want to see the best ones! Send them in to life@ and they could appear on our site.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Will Smith, Johnny Depp and Alec Baldwin hope for comebacks. Can they succeed?
Hollywood loves a good comeback story. But what about real-life rebounds? That, it turns out, is an iffier proposition and one that's about to be tested by three bold-faced names: Alec Baldwin, Johnny Depp and Will Smith. All three were at different points lead players in the cultural zeitgeist. And all three lost that role, admittedly for vastly different offenses that nonetheless had the same career-dinging effect. Baldwin after Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot with a gun he held on the set of 'Rust' in 2021, Depp after a protracted and tawdry 2022 lawsuit with his ex Amber Heard and Smith after slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars. Can this trio win back the hearts and wallets of fans with their new projects? Will Hollywood's gatekeepers stand ready with open arms? Not surprisingly, the latter is highly dependent on the former, industry experts say. If you can still turn a buck with your talents, watch your Tinseltown dance card fill up. 'If people have a loyal fan base, they'll always get a second and even third shot,' says Stacy Jones, CEO of pop culture marketing firm Hollywood Branded. 'Look at Robert Downey, Jr. His drug addiction crashed his career more than 20 years ago. And now..?' Well, now the 'Ironman' star's movies have grossed more than $14 billion and he has a best supporting actor Oscar for 'Oppenheimer.' Point taken. So is that sort of about-face a possibility for Baldwin, Depp and Smith? Experts say the calculus for rebounding from scandal involves factors such as what you did, who you did it to, and to what degree people still care. 'If you think about MeToo and cancel culture and people being publicly shamed, while that was strong in recent years, for me the question is, is that sentiment as strong today?' says Todd Boyd, who holds the Katherine and Frank Price Endowed Chair for the Study of Race and Popular Culture at the University of Southern California. For Michael Schulman, author of 'Oscar Wars: A History of Hollywood in Gold, Sweat and Tears,' fans are the critical factor. 'Stars come back to the extent that they're profitable,' he says. He laughs, adding, 'I hope you can hear the cynicism.' One thing that could help a comeback is playing to your scandalous side, Schulman says. His examples include Rob Lowe, who, after an '80s sex tape scandal, won back fans by playing a sleazy villain in the comedy "Wayne's World." Even Baldwin himself, who was in the tabloids for his raucous 2002 divorce from Kim Basinger and then scored a hit by playing a hilariously morals-free executive in the NBC comedy, "30 Rock." Schulman, who keeps a keen eye on Hollywood for The New Yorker, did a 2021 piece for the magazine called 'Fatty Arbuckle and the Birth of the Celebrity Scandal,' about the silent movie star who was acquitted of rape and murder in the 1920s and never regained his popularity. Today, more than a century later, Schulman says social media connects fans more intensely to celebrities, creating a bond that can help launch a comeback. 'Each of these three stars has a fan base on their side,' he says. 'Will's slap for many was just a man standing up for his wife. With Alec, there's a widespread sense he shouldn't even have been charged. And Johnny had wide online support during that trial. Studios will take the temperature, and when needed can reintroduce people with the help of marketing and publicity.' Let's open our inquiry into these three comeback cases by looking at what each is working on and whether these roles could prove enough to reignite their personal spotlights. For Baldwin, whose Western "Rust" debuted in theaters and video on demand May 2 to poor sales, his new output consists of playing himself in the TLC reality series 'The Baldwins.' Although it's an attempt to showcase the actor as a loveable dad to his brood of seven, the series hasn't made a mark. In fact, unless Baldwin, whose standout movies include 'Glengarry Glen Ross' and 'The Hunt for Red October,' returns with a dramatic flourish, his relaunch could be on permanent hold, experts say. 'Ironically, if Alec is guilty of anything it's coming back as a cringeworthy dad,' says Schulman. 'It's a naked attempt at rebranding. Why not come back as an actor?' Baldwin is starring in "Hollywood Heist" with Nick Cannon, with Deadline reporting the film is being introduced to buyers in Cannes. But USC's Boyd argues that Baldwin's name was never as lofty in the culture as Depp or Smith, and that could hurt his chances of a comeback. 'He's just not as relevant anymore,' he says. The public seems to agree, says Jones. 'Even if 'The Baldwins' is atrocious, you should have had a lot of haters tuning in,' she says. 'But the public response was indifferent.' Depp's offense was not an on-set tragedy but rather an incendiary 2022 court battle with his actress ex wife, who had accused him of being abusive during their relationship. He sued her for damaging his reputation, and won. Depp is currently filming 'Day Drinker,' a thriller with Penelope Cruz. It's his first movie since appearing in the little seen 2023 French-language film 'Jeanne du Barry,' in which he played King Louis XV. Recently released photos from the new production show a gray-haired and bearded Depp who appears to be acting his age, 61. That pivot could be a smart way to reinvent himself. 'Depp won the court of public opinion (in his case against Heard), but the bigger issue is simply whether he is still the big star he once was," Boyd says of 'Pirates of the Caribbean' icon. "Does he mean the same to audiences now that he did in the past?' Depp has said before he wasn't interested in doing a sixth installment in Disney's lucrative "Pirates" franchise, but 'he's still the face of that ride at Disney, and I bet he would totally do another if offered,' says Jones. The response to 'Day Drinker' could sink or revive those piratical conversations. And then there's Smith. The talented rapper-turned-TV-star-turned-Oscar-winner (a title he earned on the very night he struck Chris Rock for making a joke about his wife's shaved head, a result of her alopecia) is planning to bombard his fans with fare soon. Upcoming Smith films in various phases of development are a remake of the 1987 John Candy and Steve Martin comedy 'Planes, Trains, and Automobiles,' co-starring Kevin Hart; a post-apocalyptic action thriller sequel 'I Am Legend 2' with Michael B. Jordan; and a super hero redemption sequel "Hancock 2.' With these movies, Smith has a chance to recement his bond with audiences, which didn't happen with two post-Slap movies, 'Emancipation,' about a runaway slave, and the popular but critically panned 'Bad Boys 4,' as well as a new album, 'Based on a True Story.' But for those reading Hollywood tea leaves, Smith has the greatest chance of mounting a strong industry comeback. 'He was a gigantic star and people really aren't that angry about that slap and some saw it as noble even,' says Schulman. 'Plus, we all saw it happen, it was no secret. There was no mystery.' For Boyd, 'it comes down to who he slapped, which was Chris Rock, a comedian, and comedians often say things that people don't like.' Jones agrees on Smith's good odds, adding what was most shocking about the slap was that it was done 'by someone who comes across to us as such a nice guy" through roles such as TV's "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." For her, what Smith did was more a direct result of the pressure-cooker spotlight and "all-out mania' of Hollywood's awards season. Smith is "fundamentally a kingmaker who can likely still make billions in profits for someone," she says. "Plus, let's remember, he slapped someone across the face, he didn't kill someone.' We'll give Boyd the final word here. And the final word is: cash. 'In any performance based industry, and this comes up in sports a lot, if someone is very good at what they do and they have a strong following and someone can profit off those talents, those things will be factored into consideration when it comes to giving people another chance,' he says. 'Anyone looking at talent that is trying to come back from something is thinking: 'Is the risk of taking on this person bigger than the profit we stand to make?' You figure that out, and go from there.' This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Can Will Smith, Johnny Depp and Alec Baldwin get a Hollywood comeback?
USA Today
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Will Smith, Johnny Depp and Alec Baldwin hope for comebacks. Can they succeed?
Will Smith, Johnny Depp and Alec Baldwin hope for comebacks. Can they succeed? Show Caption Hide Caption 'Rust' movie trailer: See Alec Baldwin as a Western outlaw Alec Baldwin's Western drama "Rust" is out May 2. Hollywood loves a good comeback story. But what about real-life rebounds? That, it turns out, is an iffier proposition and one that's about to be tested by three bold-faced names: Alec Baldwin, Johnny Depp and Will Smith. All three were at different points lead players in the cultural zeitgeist. And all three lost that role, admittedly for vastly different offenses that nonetheless had the same career-dinging effect. Baldwin after Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot with a gun he held on the set of 'Rust' in 2021, Depp after a protracted and tawdry 2022 lawsuit with his ex Amber Heard and Smith after slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars. Can this trio win back the hearts and wallets of fans with their new projects? Will Hollywood's gatekeepers stand ready with open arms? Not surprisingly, the latter is highly dependent on the former, industry experts say. If you can still turn a buck with your talents, watch your Tinseltown dance card fill up. 'If people have a loyal fan base, they'll always get a second and even third shot,' says Stacy Jones, CEO of pop culture marketing firm Hollywood Branded. 'Look at Robert Downey, Jr. His drug addiction crashed his career more than 20 years ago. And now..?' Well, now the 'Ironman' star's movies have grossed more than $14 billion and he has a best supporting actor Oscar for 'Oppenheimer.' Point taken. A rebound for Depp, Smith and Baldwin depends on a shifting calculus So is that sort of about-face a possibility for Baldwin, Depp and Smith? Experts say the calculus for rebounding from scandal involves factors such as what you did, who you did it to, and to what degree people still care. 'If you think about MeToo and cancel culture and people being publicly shamed, while that was strong in recent years, for me the question is, is that sentiment as strong today?' says Todd Boyd, who holds the Katherine and Frank Price Endowed Chair for the Study of Race and Popular Culture at the University of Southern California. For Michael Schulman, author of 'Oscar Wars: A History of Hollywood in Gold, Sweat and Tears,' fans are the critical factor. 'Stars come back to the extent that they're profitable,' he says. He laughs, adding, 'I hope you can hear the cynicism.' One thing that could help a comeback is playing to your scandalous side, Schulman says. His examples include Rob Lowe, who, after an '80s sex tape scandal, won back fans by playing a sleazy villain in the comedy "Wayne's World." Even Baldwin himself, who was in the tabloids for his raucous 2002 divorce from Kim Basinger and then scored a hit by playing a hilariously morals-free executive in the NBC comedy, "30 Rock." Schulman, who keeps a keen eye on Hollywood for The New Yorker, did a 2021 piece for the magazine called 'Fatty Arbuckle and the Birth of the Celebrity Scandal,' about the silent movie star who was acquitted of rape and murder in the 1920s and never regained his popularity. Today, more than a century later, Schulman says social media connects fans more intensely to celebrities, creating a bond that can help launch a comeback. 'Each of these three stars has a fan base on their side,' he says. 'Will's slap for many was just a man standing up for his wife. With Alec, there's a widespread sense he shouldn't even have been charged. And Johnny had wide online support during that trial. Studios will take the temperature, and when needed can reintroduce people with the help of marketing and publicity.' A look at what's coming up for Alec Baldwin and Johnny Depp Let's open our inquiry into these three comeback cases by looking at what each is working on and whether these roles could prove enough to reignite their personal spotlights. For Baldwin, whose Western "Rust" debuted in theaters and video on demand May 2 to poor sales, his new output consists of playing himself in the TLC reality series 'The Baldwins.' Although it's an attempt to showcase the actor as a loveable dad to his brood of seven, the series hasn't made a mark. In fact, unless Baldwin, whose standout movies include 'Glengarry Glen Ross' and 'The Hunt for Red October,' returns with a dramatic flourish, his relaunch could be on permanent hold, experts say. 'Ironically, if Alec is guilty of anything it's coming back as a cringeworthy dad,' says Schulman. 'It's a naked attempt at rebranding. Why not come back as an actor?' Baldwin is starring in "Hollywood Heist" with Nick Cannon, with Deadline reporting the film is being introduced to buyers in Cannes. But USC's Boyd argues that Baldwin's name was never as lofty in the culture as Depp or Smith, and that could hurt his chances of a comeback. 'He's just not as relevant anymore,' he says. The public seems to agree, says Jones. 'Even if 'The Baldwins' is atrocious, you should have had a lot of haters tuning in,' she says. 'But the public response was indifferent.' Depp's offense was not an on-set tragedy but rather an incendiary 2022 court battle with his actress ex wife, who had accused him of being abusive during their relationship. He sued her for damaging his reputation, and won. Depp is currently filming 'Day Drinker,' a thriller with Penelope Cruz. It's his first movie since appearing in the little seen 2023 French-language film 'Jeanne du Barry,' in which he played King Louis XV. Recently released photos from the new production show a gray-haired and bearded Depp who appears to be acting his age, 61. That pivot could be a smart way to reinvent himself. 'Depp won the court of public opinion (in his case against Heard), but the bigger issue is simply whether he is still the big star he once was," Boyd says of 'Pirates of the Caribbean' icon. "Does he mean the same to audiences now that he did in the past?' Depp has said before he wasn't interested in doing a sixth installment in Disney's lucrative "Pirates" franchise, but 'he's still the face of that ride at Disney, and I bet he would totally do another if offered,' says Jones. The response to 'Day Drinker' could sink or revive those piratical conversations. For some Hollywood experts, the surest comeback bet is ... Will Smith And then there's Smith. The talented rapper-turned-TV-star-turned-Oscar-winner (a title he earned on the very night he struck Chris Rock for making a joke about his wife's shaved head, a result of her alopecia) is planning to bombard his fans with fare soon. Upcoming Smith films in various phases of development are a remake of the 1987 John Candy and Steve Martin comedy 'Planes, Trains, and Automobiles,' co-starring Kevin Hart; a post-apocalyptic action thriller sequel 'I Am Legend 2' with Michael B. Jordan; and a super hero redemption sequel "Hancock 2.' With these movies, Smith has a chance to recement his bond with audiences, which didn't happen with two post-Slap movies, 'Emancipation,' about a runaway slave, and the popular but critically panned 'Bad Boys 4,' as well as a new album, 'Based on a True Story.' But for those reading Hollywood tea leaves, Smith has the greatest chance of mounting a strong industry comeback. 'He was a gigantic star and people really aren't that angry about that slap and some saw it as noble even,' says Schulman. 'Plus, we all saw it happen, it was no secret. There was no mystery.' For Boyd, 'it comes down to who he slapped, which was Chris Rock, a comedian, and comedians often say things that people don't like.' Jones agrees on Smith's good odds, adding what was most shocking about the slap was that it was done 'by someone who comes across to us as such a nice guy" through roles such as TV's "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." For her, what Smith did was more a direct result of the pressure-cooker spotlight and "all-out mania' of Hollywood's awards season. Smith is "fundamentally a kingmaker who can likely still make billions in profits for someone," she says. "Plus, let's remember, he slapped someone across the face, he didn't kill someone.' We'll give Boyd the final word here. And the final word is: cash. 'In any performance based industry, and this comes up in sports a lot, if someone is very good at what they do and they have a strong following and someone can profit off those talents, those things will be factored into consideration when it comes to giving people another chance,' he says. 'Anyone looking at talent that is trying to come back from something is thinking: 'Is the risk of taking on this person bigger than the profit we stand to make?' You figure that out, and go from there.'
