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Buzz Feed
12-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Buzz Feed
21 Practical Things To Buy On Sale At Amazon This Week
A 10-in-1 Anker power strip for 44% off — bringing it to the lowest it goes for. This multitasking marvel features six outlets, two USB-A outlets, and two USB-C ports in a sleek design with a 5-foot extension cord. It's compact enough to travel with if you need backup on your next work trip or family vacay, and it also has a flat plug so you can finally use that awkward outlet behind your couch. Promising review: "This is a super useful power strip to have at my desk. I'm able to plug in both monitors and the laptop plug while also having USB ports available to charge smaller items. I also use one in my craft room where I have a setup for a monitor, several device chargers, and I sometimes do my nails, so I need to plug in my curing lamp and my dust collector. It's nice that it sits flat on top of the desk for easy access." —Angie KPrice: $19.99 (originally $35.99; available in two colors and also with a 10-foot extension cord). A two-pack of Lume's whole body deodorant and sweat-control lotion for 20% off because summer is right around the corner and we all need a little backup to keep things fresh and dry in the sweltering heat. Use it on your pits, feet, under-boob area, or anywhere else that tends to get extra sweaty while you're out enjoying the sunshine. This is designed to keep odors at bay for up to 72 hours. Unlike the original Lume lotion, this version is formulated with aluminum for sweat review: "I love the new Sweat Control formula! To put it to the test, I applied it in the morning after showering. It endured a day and night of hot flashes, followed by morning exercise and cleaning house the following day. There was no stink at the end of the second day. I also love that it isn't turning my tops yellow like the old formula did. I highly recommend the new Sweat Control formula." —Lisa $29.59 (originally $36.99; available in five scents) A Philips Sonicare electric toothbrush for 40% off, bringing it just a few cents above its lowest price ever! It has a pressure sensor to warn you when you're brushing too hard, two intensity settings, a two-minute timer, and basically everything else that will make your dentist super proud of you. It comes with the charger, toothbrush base, and one toothbrush review: "I love this toothbrush. It has me brushing my teeth several times a day. The sonic vibration is very gentle yet effectively cleans your teeth. The charging station is straightforward to use and looks great. It has two speeds, which I didn't realize at first. Overall, I love this toothbrush. It's the best toothbrush I've ever had." —AustinPrice: $29.99 for the white model (originally $49.96, available in two other colors for a higher price) A set of blackout curtains for up to 42% off, meaning you can snag these for their best price ever. Trust me, you'll want these on those early summer mornings when the sun feels like it burst through your window like the Kool-Aid Man to personally wake you up. Oh, and they also help reduce ambient noise by up to 30%, so they'll drown out the garbage truck when it barrels through at 6:2tooearly in the morning. Promising review: "These are the best blackout curtains ever! Heavy, quality material hangs beautifully, blocks all light, and keeps cold and sun out to help the room temperature. Throw them in the dryer with a damp washcloth, and that removes most wrinkles. I am replacing all other curtains in my home with these. Buy them, you won't regret it!" —Amazon CustomerPrice: $21.40+ (originally $36.89; available in various sizes and colors at various prices) An ultra-sleek Shark handheld vacuum for 38% off, bringing it down to a Black-Friday-worthy price. This isn't like the cheap Dustbuster that's ironically collecting dust in your broom closet — this one is super compact and has a powerful motor, so you won't have to go over the same spot over and over. The freestanding charging dock also has space for the included accessories, like the pet hair attachment that will effortlessly lift all the fur your pup sprinkles all over your home like fairy dust. Promising review: "I have two of these and bought a third one as a gift for a family member. The suction is amazing, and it will even thoroughly pick up cat litter, straight pins, and unpopped popcorn kernels. For maximum strength you must, however, keep the filter cleaned and make sure the holes in the outer filter are clean and open. I wash the filter well with a toothbrush and Dawn and let it air dry. It can be reused many times before needing replacement. The battery lasts a long time on one charge. It is also attractive. There are no downsides that I can think of. It is well worth the price." —GaleDarPrice: $79.99 for the slate color (also available in four other colors for higher prices). And a Roborock robot vacuum and mop for a whopping 47% off — that brings it back to its lowest price! It has everything you want from a robotic vac — app functionality, long-lasting battery, and automatic recharging. It can also vacuum and mop simultaneously, so you can give your Swiffer a permanent break. Promising review: "Awesome for cat owners who hate litter on the floor, I have it on a schedule to vacuum the areas affected by cat litter a few times a day, and the problem is completely eliminated. The app notifies you to remind you to empty it, and when maintenance is needed, which is great, it is kind of loud, but it's a vacuum, that's to be expected." —Joe GPrice: $159.99 (available in two colors). A Luseta shampoo and conditioner set for 29% off, meaning you'll get each for just under $12 a bottle. The super popular biotin formula is designed to help thicken your hair and add some volume, while argan oil and keratin add extra moisture and shine. Read more about how biotin shampoo could help with the fullness of hair at Cleveland Clinic. Promising review: "This shampoo and conditioner have done wonders for my hair! I do not have to use much of the shampoo or conditioner, and my hair feels softer, less frizzy, and is easier to brush, and it air dries faster. It's luscious, and it smells really clean after you wash with it. I will be ordering again, definitely trying out the other shampoo and conditioner sets they have! I highly recommend this product if you have long, coarse, frizzy hair." —Rebekah $22.78 (originally $32; also available in six other formulas at various prices). The Nespresso Vertuo Plus for 30% off — making it just $18 more than it was during Black Friday, so now's the perfect time to beat the rush and snag a new unit for iced coffee season. This can make both coffee and espresso at the touch of a button, and there's even an empty pod container for easy disposal. Promising review: "I have to say that this has got to be the best cup of coffee that I have had in decades. Major coffee chains are not my thing, as they taste burnt or bitter. The half-a-dozen that I have had since getting this delivered two days ago are absolutely flawless with added cream. I have done pour-over, drip, and the other popular pod system, which, although quick and convenient, is nothing by comparison. Albeit that the pods seem pricey, think about how much you drop at a national chain. This is light years better and worth every cent. The unit as a whole is brilliant and exceptional." —Jeffrey $118.30 (originally $169; available in four colors) A travel backpack for up to 40% off so you'll be fully prepared for all your upcoming summer vacay plans. This is the perfect size to fit under an airplane seat, and it's designed to open like a suitcase so you can make use of every inch of storage space. Yes, there are even compression buckles so you can squeeze in way more outfits than you actually need for that three-day trip. Promising review: "Looked for WEEKS for a backpack to bring on my Japan trip as a personal item (I needed to make sure I could bring back a bunch of things and still fit my clothes lol) and this worked perfectly for travel! I thought it was comfy to wear even when it was stuffed — and we walked a LOT with our stuff. It has plenty of space and is easy to fit everything you need, even if you pack it extra full — plus the buckles are a nice add to bring it down a bit in size. Great quality. Also, in case anyone else is looking for flying, I flew United, Air Canada, and ANA with zero issues in size as a personal item." —Caitlyn $17.99 (originally $29.89; available in 14 other colors in various prices) Or! A compact but jaw-droppingly spacious underseat roller bag for 20% off PLUS an extra $10 off coupon — it's small enough to count as a personal item on most airlines. It has a padded laptop compartment and helpful pockets on the outside that are perfect for everything from AirPods to portable chargers, so this is about to become your travel BFF for any work trips. No more fighting for overhead space! Promising review: "This is a great carry-on bag! It has numerous pockets and storage areas to keep everything organized. I've taken it on three trips to Europe this year, as well as a few domestic trips, and it fits well under most airline seats (unless the seat has a footrest). In those cases, it's easy to fit it in the overhead compartment. On a couple of occasions when airlines requested that carry-on bags be checked at the gate, this bag was OK for me to carry onboard since it's not too large (yet it holds a lot). In an emergency, I was able to fit 3 days of clothes, sweaters, a jacket, toiletries, shoes, and electronics in this bag because it's so easy to organize it in numerous compartments. It wheels great, too. I've traveled a lot over the years, and this is the best carry-on bag I've found. I bought two of them!" —DM7233Price: $49.99 (clip the $10 off coupon to get this price; available in nine colors) A set of mulberry silk pillowcases down to their lowest price ever at 37% off because summer is looming and you deserve something buttery smooth and cooling to sleep on. Reviewers say these are perfect for hot sleepers since they stay cool to the touch. Also, silk is meant to be gentler on your hair and skin, so these pillowcases basically double as a beauty secret. Promising review: "Two gorgeous silk pillowcases with semi-hidden side zippers. I have long, naturally curly hair, and using these pillowcases really helps prevent damage to my hair! The seams are well done, and the silk is buttery smooth! They are excellent for travel or at home. I do hand-wash mine, or if I machine wash, I use a fine mesh laundry bag. This is my second set of silk pillowcases and I plan to get more. When compared to satin, which does the job but doesn't have the zippered closure and does give me static bed head, the silk is superior!" —DianaBananaPrice: $16.26+ (originally $25.99; available in 44 colors and four sizes) And a set of pillows for up to 29% off (a.k.a., their best price ever) that are soft enough to feel ☁️ cloud-like ☁️ yet supportive enough for side sleepers! Several reviewers compare these to hotel-quality pillows, so you might just feel like you're taking a luxurious staycation every time you hit the hay. Once you unpack them, many reviewers suggest letting them sit for at least 24 hours so they fully expand before using review: "Finally pillows that feel like you're sleeping in a fancy hotel! I love these pillows. They feel firm, but can sink into them. They keep their shape after sleeping and fill the pillowcase nicely. Well priced too." —Natalie $16.99+ (originally $23.99; available in three sizes and various pack sizes) Or! The Tempurpedic Tempur-Ergo neck pillow for 41% off, which is the lowest it's been in the past year. This one has a unique curved design to support your neck, and reviewers say the firm texture makes it ultra supportive and comfy. Promising review: "I had cervical spine surgery. I bought my first pillow of this brand through my physical therapist per her recommendation. Best pillow I have ever had. Very firm support for your head... I started using this one right out of the package." —Jason JPrice: $57.99 (originally $99; also available in a small size) Sensarte's 12.5-inch nonstick skillet for 39% off that has thousands of rave ratings from reviewers who love its even heat distribution and easy cleanup. It's also oven-safe for up to 302 degrees Fahrenheit, and the handle is designed to stay cool while cooking. Imagine how smoothly your omelets will slide onto your plate!! Promising review: "These pans are incredible. I bought one because it was PFOA-free and dishwasher-safe, but kept my old pans just in case. After three months, I gave away all of the more expensive pans that I had been using and bought a couple more sizes of this pan. After four more months using them all, I'm blown away by how well they work and have held up. So seven months in, these are the best pans I have ever owned, even having spent more than twice as much on big-name brands." —NickPrice: $30.39 (originally $49.99; available in three colors and four other sizes) A pair of teeth-whitening pens for 30% off (with coupon), which are SO much easier to use than traditional white strips. Just swipe it on and let the gel sit for 30 minutes — and eventually, you'll see years and years of stains start to disappear. This is a must for all my fellow coffee connoisseurs. Promising review: "I've tried a bunch of teeth whitening products in the past, and they've always left my teeth feeling sensitive. It's been a long time since I've tried a whitening product, and I was skeptical about trying another one, but after searching around, I decided to give it a try, and I am happy to say that I have not felt any sensitivity at all! The instructions say to use it 2x a day, but for now, I'm just using it 1x a day as I want to see how my teeth feel and adjust. I've been using the product for about a month now and I have been able to see some results, but only after I took a photo did I realize it has been working so fast. I have pretty white teeth, so I'm pretty amazed how well it works. It may take longer for those with darker teeth." —AdamPrice: $13.26 (clip the 30% off coupon to get this price; originally $18.95) An Angry Orange pet odor eliminator for 22% off — it eliminates the ~stank~ from everything from dirty carpets to nasty trash cans. It also couldn't be easier to use: just spray it on and let it break down those odors while leaving behind a delicious citrusy scent. Promising review: "This product is a miracle worker. My toddler had been having accidents on the sofa. I had been scrubbing tirelessly almost every week to get the urine smell out. I tried the baking soda, water, etc., but nothing worked! I was self-conscious about family visiting. Until I came across this product. When I tell you the URINE SMELL IS GONE, it's gone! This product is a must-have. Buy now." —AmazonianPrice: $13.99 (originally $17.96; available in two sizes and multipacks) An absolutely genius trash bag dispenser for 29% off so you can ditch the flimsy cardboard box they come in. Simply place it on your counter or mount it to the wall — but don't be surprised if you suddenly start looking for excuses to take out the trash. Promising review: "Love these baskets. I've only had them a week but they are exactly what I was looking for. I bought the set of two for our garbage bag rolls (one kitchen size, one lawn bags) and installed them just outside by the door into the garage. So convenient, very sturdy, easily installed. Great buy." —BnksmomPrice: $14.99 (originally $20.99) A 3-in-1 gap cleaning brush for 22% off PLUS an extra 15% off coupon — it'll clean all the nooks, crannies, and crevices on your water bottle that you didn't even know were there. Use the U-shaped silicone brush to quickly scrub around the lip of the cup, then flip over to the bristle brush to clean the lid (or pop up the hook brush to really get into those tough-to-reach grooves). Promising review: "I have a number of Yeti and other lidded mugs, cups, and glasses I use at the office and clean out in the communal break room sink. I could see a buildup that I just couldn't get to in the lids, and it was grossing me out! This little tool does the trick! It gets in between the rubber ridges in the rings, all around the lip of the cups and lids, and cleans everything from milk residue to lipstick smudges. I have been using it five days a week for several weeks now, and no signs of wear on the tool. Cleans up great, dries well, does the job." —AlfiePrice: $5.94 (clip the 15% off coupon to get this price; originally $8.99; available in six colors and multipacks) An extremely sleek set of knives with an acrylic block for 31% off that looks straight from the future. It even comes with a knife sharpener to keep them as sharp as the day you bought them. The 20-piece set comes with 14 knives, acrylic stand, a pair of kitchen scissors, a peeler, a two-stage knife sharpener, a knife guard, and a cleaning review: "These knives are great! They stay super sharp, they're comfortable to hold, and I love how much counter space it leaves as opposed to a big bulky knife block. Fits perfectly in my minimalist kitchen!!! And it looks great on my counter being one of the few things that I keep on my countertop! It is the perfect amount of knives without being too many knives (I don't like things in excess)! I have never had a cheese knife before, and this baby is my favorite one in the whole set! LOL! It slices through hard cheeses like butter! Have not tried on soft cheese, but I'm sure it'll be great because it is super sharp! I can't say enough about how much I love these knives!!" —Sadie AllenPrice: $44.99 for the 20-piece set (originally $64.99; available in three colors and also in a 12-piece and16-piece version with a wooden block). A popular foot exfoliant for 28% off to get your feet in tip-top shape for the return of sandal season — and the results are equal parts disgusting and oh-so-satisfying. Within one to two weeks, the dead skin on your feet will literally start to peel off (gross!) and reveal the supremely soft skin that was hiding underneath (satisfying!). Promising review: "I was dubious at first, having seen this on TikTok. I can now confirm that it works as directed, and the results are amazing. 24 hours after I soaked my feet in the plastic bag, nothing happened. Then, 48 hours later, it started working. 72 hours, and it was in full working mode. Like other reviewers, I also suggest just letting the skin come off naturally. As someone who wears flip-flops often, I opted for socks and shoes during the shedding period to capture the skin, even when sleeping, because who wants chunks of dead skin in their bedsheets?! (it sounds so gross, but you'll understand once you do it) The shedding lasts for a few days. The results are incredible. Will use this again!" —VanessaPrice: $14.38 (originally $19.99; also available in six other formulas, a large size, and various packs) A small but impressive power scrubber for 22% off that can break down all the caked-on grime in your shower so you can turn your bathroom into the clean, shiny sanctuary you truly deserve. You can use it on basically any tough spaces (think the tight areas around your faucet, window sills, etc) and it claims to work twice as fast as a manual brush, so you'll be saving so much time. Psst: Batteries are included!Here's what BuzzFeed Shopping Editor Natalie Brown had to say: "I'm obsessed! This thing works small miracles: I cleaned about half of my bathroom's grout to its original sparkling-clean cream color in 40 minutes, and it took honestly no effort at all. And — as if easy, sparkling grout wasn't enough! — it busted through some serious soap scum buildup in my bathtub (thanks, fancy soap and slow-draining tub) in less than a minute. Honestly, when I first tried the scrubber out, I didn't see too many uses for it other than for grout. But after owning it for a while, I've realized that while I don't need it every single week, it's priceless for the occasions I encounter tough gunk that I'd otherwise only conquer with excessive patience and elbow grease."Price: $19.95 (refill heads and attachments also available).
New York Times
05-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Joey Logano is back in the playoffs. Now he has a chance to do the funniest thing
FORT WORTH, Texas — Joey Logano, to borrow from the social media phrase, has a chance to do the funniest thing of all time. The man who has irritated and irked so many NASCAR fans not just by the way he races, but by the way he wins — particularly championships — is back in the playoffs after Sunday's victory at Texas Motor Speedway. Advertisement And that's dangerous for everyone else, because it's apparent now if you give Logano and his No. 22 team even the slightest sniff of an opening, they'll blow through it like the Kool-Aid Man. For many NASCAR fans, that's not an 'Oh yeahhhh' but a big 'Oh noooooo.' Logano has won his races and championships fair and square, except in an unconventional manner that reflects how he can never be counted out. Last season, of course, Logano squeaked his way into the playoffs by virtue of a near-inexplicable, five-overtime victory at Nashville where he somehow saved more fuel than seemed possible. Then, once in the playoffs, Logano was eliminated after Round 2; only to find himself restored into the field once another driver, Alex Bowman, had his finish disqualified following his advancement. Logano then made it into the championship race by winning at Las Vegas, when he caught a perfectly-timed caution to thwart the dominant car's strategy and allow his team to use an alternate tactic to win. He then won the Cup Series trophy with one of the worst statistical seasons ever for a NASCAR champion, a title that sent many fans into a tizzy. Logano followed his championship by becoming the first defending champion to be held without a top-five finish in the first 10 races of the season — which his detractors used as further justification for their criticism. Except on Sunday, Logano then went out and won a battle of attrition by surviving a caution-filled Texas race and only taking the lead for the first time with four laps to go in regulation. As he hounded Michael McDowell for the lead, Logano spotter Coleman Pressley radioed to his driver: 'Everyone wants Joey in the car in this situation.' And he's right. In late-race, pressure situations, who do you trust the most to end up in victory lane? Logano followed through on his spotter's remark moments later when he made a gutsy, bold move on McDowell — who had tried playing a game of chicken by driving Logano all the way down to the apron in an attempt to defend the lead. McDowell didn't think he could go any lower without being reckless or unsafe. Logano didn't blink. A driver in @joeylogano who will make any move necessary to win. 🏁 — NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 5, 2025 'Really, really sketchy, but felt like I had to make that move, and it was worth the risk,' Logano said. It's somewhat ironic Logano won the week before Kansas Speedway, which this weekend marks the first anniversary of NASCAR's closest finish ever. In that race, Kyle Larson beat Chris Buescher by 3.1 inches — approximately the length of a credit card — and in doing so, it changed the outcome of Logano's championship. Advertisement In a butterfly effect scenario noticed by NASCAR employee Trey Gomez, Logano would not have won the title without Buescher losing that Kansas race in the smallest of margins. A Buescher victory would have earned him a playoff berth, and Buescher then won a race in Round 1 at Watkins Glen. And when Bowman got disqualified at the end of Round 2, it would have been Buescher — not Logano — who had enough points to be the next driver in the final eight, thus preventing Logano from being championship-eligible. 'There's certainly things that would have carried in this format that makes a lot bigger ripple effects than our more traditional years (with no playoffs),' Buescher said this weekend. 'But we're chasing one-thousandth of a second every week. You're chasing fractions all the time. Ultimately, it's what we sign up to do.' Yes, but there's perhaps no one better at exploiting that than Logano. The fact that he won a race one week after being disqualified at Talladega for a missing nut on the back of a spoiler bolt seems like a very Logano thing to do. And that's where the 'funniest thing ever' comes into play. Logano could seize upon this opportunity to build upon his Texas victory and rack up playoff points to put himself in better position for a shot at championship No. 4 this fall. That's certainly the plan. Orrrrr Logano could continue to have an uneven season, limp his way into the playoffs, eke by in each round again and jab his haters even further by winning yet another title in a year where he wasn't in one of the best cars. That would go over with NASCAR fans about as well as the Talladega infield banning Mardi Gras-style beads. It's doubtful Logano cares about the method either way, of course, as long as the result is there. 'Any time you kick us down, I feel like we come back 10 times harder, whatever that is in us,' Logano said. Advertisement Logano was talking about last week and the Talladega DQ, but he could have been referring to his critics in general, who love to root against him. Regardless of his speed, there's no more feared driver in the playoffs — and now Logano is back for another try. 'Something happens in the playoffs,' he said. 'There's something that happens when someone says something to you. … Whatever that may be, a lot of times it just gives you a little extra motivation, a little chip on your shoulder, a little bit of want to shove it in their face a little bit.' Logano has done exactly that before. Now he might do it again. (Top photo of Joey Logano celebrating Sunday's win: Chris Graythen / Getty Images)
Forbes
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘The Studio' Parodies Diversity Casting In Hilarious New Ice Cube Episode
The Studio The Studio is easily one of the best shows on TV at the moment, and the latest episode is no exception. While my favorite episode of the season remains 'The Oner' which was just so clever on so many levels, this week's episode, 'Casting', takes aim at contemporary social issues, and it's genuinely hilarious. The series follows bumbling new studio chief of Continental Studios, Matt Remick (Seth Rogen) as he embarks on a series of misadventures in his first months on the job. Whether he's disrupting a sensitive movie shoot, getting into a pissing contest at a charity fundraiser, breaking Martin Scorsese's heart, or throwing down with the surprisingly mean-spirited movie director, Ron Howard, Remick can always be counted on to put his foot in his mouth in spectacular fashion. The show blends slapstick comedy with a series of really poor choices into one of the best parodies of modern Hollywood out there. Fans of Curb Your Enthusiasm should take note. Spoilers for Season 1, Episode 7 follow. In 'Casting' we return to the Kool-Aid Movie that we first learned about in the season premiere. Remick and his colleagues are excited about the positive feedback its poster has received. But their enthusiasm is short-lived when marketing director Maya Mason (Kathryn Hahn) has a moment of doubt. She wonders if casting Ice Cube as the voice of Kool-Aid Man is playing into racial stereotypes. (The meta-joke of Ice Cube playing an anthropomorphic beverage is never mentioned by the characters). Remick and executive producer Sal Saperstein (Ike Barinholtz) aren't convinced at first, but soon all three are in full panic mode. They take their concerns to junior executive Quinn Hackett (Chase Sui Wonders) because she's not white, and she tries to assure them that it's not a big deal. She's never viewed Kool-Aid as a black person's drink, she tells her colleagues, but rather a 'poor person's drink' which obviously only makes matters worse. Next, they turn to social media manager, Tyler (Dewayne Perkins) who reassures them further, saying it would actually be racist to not cast a black person as Kool-Aid Man, but then adds he doesn't want to be the voice of 'all black people.' From here, things keep going from bad to worse. Guest stars Ziwe and Lil Rel Howery tell them that Kool-Aid Man should, indeed, be black, but then voice concerns that his wife isn't also black. After recasting Mrs. Kool-Aid, they realize that solving one problem has created a new one: Now the entire animated Kool-Aid family is black, while the live-action Parch family is all white. The 'segregation' of the cast leads them into another panic, so they decide to make all the characters black. The original cast for the Kool-Aid Movie included Ice Cube, Sandra Oh, Josh Duhamel and Jessica Biel. A perfectly diverse cast that, in a sane world, could never be seen as problematic. But the paranoia and delusion of the producers leads them to remove all the actors who aren't black, and prompts Remick to utter the truly preposterous phrase that this could be 'our Hamilton.' But when they take this to director Nick Stoller, he says this will require major rewrites, and his writing team decides that they need to quit since none of them are black and don't feel comfortable writing from that point of view. Stoller says he can rewrite the film on his own, but at this late stage, he'll need to use some AI animation services to stay within the budget and timeline. You can pretty much see where this is going. The spiraling continues as Remick and Sal and Maya go through a laborious and absurd attempt to breakdown the racial population of America so that it can be exactly represented in the movie. Meanwhile, Quinn informs them that making the entire cast black actually brings them back to square one, playing into the very racial stereotypes they were concerned with in the first place. Finally, Remick talks to Ice Cube directly, albeit awkwardly, and is reassured once and for all that everything will be okay. All of this takes place just before the Anaheim Comic-Con where Remick is set to reveal Ice Cube as Kool-Aid Man. But once the pair of them are on stage, the first question they receive isn't about race or casting at all: It's about about a leak that the movie is using AI to replace actual animators. Led by a furious Ice Cube, the crowd devolves into shouting and uproar. 'Thank god they didn't mention race,' Maya says from the sidelines. 'We dodged a bullet,' Sal agrees happily. Matt stands on the stage alone, head hung in defeat. This was a terrific episode, clocking in at just 24 minutes, and I'm thrilled to see a show even tackle this issue in the first place. We've entered a phase of the culture wars where the constant state of backlash and rancor makes actually discussing issues like tokenism and problematic casting next to impossible, at least with any kind of nuance. It's refreshing to see a show like The Studio poke fun at just how ridiculous the whole thing is behind the scenes, where out-of-touch executives, even with the best intentions, often make matters worse. Apple, meanwhile, continues to have some of the best streaming options out there, with shows like Severance, The Studio and Your Friends & Neighbors at the top of my 2025 TV list, just to name a few.
Fox News
10-04-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
UFL 2025: Best mic'd up moments from Week 2
Week 2 of the 2025 UFL season is a wrap, and it was full of star-studded performances. Arlington quarterback Luis Perez guided the Renegades to a 2-0 start, Battlehawks running back Jacob Saylors added to his league-leading rushing touchdown total and Memphis receiver Jonathan Adams put up another big performance with 128 receiving yards. As exciting as it is to watch the players shine on the field, it's also fun to find out what they had to say during the games themselves. That's why we've rounded up the best mic'd up moments from Week 2. Check them out! "Yeah, it worked!" The DC Defenders are off to an unexpected 2-0 start with interim head coach Shannon Harris. What surprised the players is not their record, but the success they had on their go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter against Memphis. With 8:25 left in the game and the Defenders trailing 12-9, DC quarterback Jordan Ta'amu faked the handoff and then threw a jump pass to a wide-open Ben Bresnahan in the end zone. As the tight end threw up his hands in celebration, a Defenders player yelled out, "Yeah, it worked!" DC's offense must have struggled with the play against its own defense, because he added, "They whooped our ass in practice with that." "Yeaaaaaaah!" Step aside, "One Shining Moment." There's a new montage in sports, and it's Battlehawks coach Anthony Becht screaming, "YEAAAAH!" and pumping his fist on the sideline like an overexcited Kool-Aid Man. Not that you can blame him. The Battlehawks are 2-0 and have won their games by a combined score of 57-15. "Yo ass lucky he didn't throw that to me!" The first drive of the Defenders-Showboats showdown was a harbinger of what was to come. Memphis was moving the ball and had made it all the way to DC's 20-yard line, but then the Defenders made a play right when they needed it most. This time, it was cornerback Kiondre Thomas, who snagged the interception off of Showboats quarterback E.J. Perry. The Defenders weren't able to turn it into any points, though. Thomas' teammate, fellow corner Deandre Baker, apparently thought he could have taken it all the way to the house if he had been the one pick off Perry. "That was cold AF!" The Defenders came out on top Saturday and, not coincidentally, won the turnover battle 3-0. The Showboats nearly got an interception of their own when cornerback Lance Boykin snatched a ball that was headed for receiver Cornell Powell and corralled it between his legs. Unfortunately for Memphis, Boykin couldn't get both feet inbounds. One teammate still appreciated the moment and probably thought it was one of those "so cool it should count" plays. "Good play, No. 93!" Sometimes, you just have to tip your cap to the opposing team. Roughnecks quarterback Anthony Brown managed to avoid a sack, but he made sure to give props to Renegades defensive end Chris Odom, who got a hand on Brown as he was throwing. "You had that s--- too!" Brown told him. Odom didn't get a sack on that play, but he did force an incompletion on third down. And on Houston's next drive, Odom finally got to Brown for his first sack of the season. "If it isn't there, run it." Stallions backup quarterback Matt Corral entered the game when starter Alex McGough left early with an injury. Corral had a decent game, going 18-of-29 passing for 198 yards and a touchdown. But Corral also made a few mistakes. On back-to-back plays in the second quarter, Corral took a delay-of-game penalty and then threw an interception. Rather than berate him, Skip Holtz coached him up on the sideline. "Just run the ball, take positive yardage plays. We'll go from there," the Stallions head coach said. Holtz's advice must have worked. Birmingham scored on its next three possessions and went on to beat the Michigan Panthers for the Stallions' first win of the season. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
New York Times
25-03-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
‘The Studio' Review: He Is Decades Too Late for His Close-Up
Midway through the first season of 'The Studio,' Matt Remick (Seth Rogen), a big wheel in the movie industry, finds himself at a dinner table of civilians. Though he's used to impressing people with his job, his companions are unmoved. 'If you want art, you watch TV,' one says. 'Have you seen 'The Bear'?' To borrow a line from 'The Sopranos,' one of the first big series to muscle in on the movies' territory, Matt is feeling like a guy who came in at the end of something. When the 10-episode satire begins on Apple TV+, he gets his dream job, as he is tapped to head the fictional Continental Studios when its storied leader (Catherine O'Hara) is defenestrated after a string of flops. Matt, a movie guy's movie guy whose vintage-car collection embodies his love for an earlier showbiz era, is ready to live his Hollywood fantasy. He will lavish money on auteurs and let them shoot on actual film. He will be known as a 'talent-friendly' executive. He will make art. Or maybe he won't. Seconds into his welcome-aboard talk with the company's C.E.O., Griffin Mill (a deliciously batty Bryan Cranston), he gets his first mandate: Continental has landed the rights to the Kool-Aid Man, a crass ploy to copy the success of 'Barbie,' and Matt is expected to turn the I.P. into a billion-dollar hit. He dreamed of a life in the pictures; now he's breathing life into a pitcher. 'The Studio,' which premieres on Wednesday, is its own kind of formula project, another in that long-lived monster-movie franchise 'Art vs. Commerce.' But the series is timely enough to be a little distinctive, and it knows its business well enough to be blisteringly entertaining. Past Hollywood stories have cast the industry as a culturally powerful meat grinder (Cranston's character name is an allusion to 'The Player,' one of many classic-film references in the series), or as affluent but brainless, as in 'Entourage.' But in 'The Studio,' Hollywood is in deep decline. It is beset by TV and tech competitors. (The irony that Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Alex Gregory, Peter Huyck and Frida Perez have created this series for Apple is between them and their management teams.) It is getting squeezed for every drop by mega-conglomerates. Is it still a place for art? Occasionally. Is it one more part of a multimedia support system for brands like the sugar-water pitchman at the heart of Matt's new movie? Oh yeah! This perspective makes 'The Studio' simultaneously more bleak and more sentimental than many of its predecessors. Matt's love for the New Hollywood films and directors of his youth is genuine, and 'The Studio' shares it. One caper-like episode is modeled on 'Chinatown'; another is devoted to the shooting of a 'oner' — a single long shot, like the Copacabana scene in 'Goodfellas' — a flourish that the shooting of the episode reproduces. To utterly savage this industry and its protagonist, 'The Studio' seems to feel, would be punching down. Matt is too compromised to be a hero but too needy and weak to be a monster. Rogen gives an Albert Brooksian performance, self-regard and self-hatred layered over a base state of anxiety. The direction underscores his state of mind with long, jittery takes that build a sense of frenzy; the soundtrack is a panic attack of drums and cymbals. Rather than a takedown, 'The Studio' becomes a foulmouthed cringe comedy, as Matt and his lieutenant Sal (Ike Barinholtz) court, and inevitably offend, the stars they need to rebuild Continental's slate. Celebrity cameos can be the death of satire — how do you take the gloves off with stars who are doing you a favor by showing up? But the choices are mostly story-serving and well-deployed, among them Martin Scorsese, Olivia Wilde and a very un-Opie-esque Ron Howard. As in showbiz satires like 'The Larry Sanders Show,' it's the regular cast members who carry the story. Kathryn Hahn is a dynamo as a marketing exec unencumbered by Matt's guilt over selling out; O'Hara strikes the opposite contrast as Matt's high-minded predecessor who, having been fired and become a producer, may be the luckiest person in the whole outfit. 'The Studio' lives and breathes moviemaking, putting its studio-lot locations to good use, but its true focus is on how movies are made and ruined off the set, in marketing meetings, casting brainstorms and publicity tours. In an early moment, Matt's team pitches their tent-pole movie project with nothing but a video of the Kool-Aid man doing a viral dance. If you want a picture of the future of Hollywood, imagine a brand mascot stamping out TikTok moves — forever. When 'The Studio' is funny, it is funnier than most anything on TV now. It has a doomed momentum, each episode accelerating toward disaster like a golf cart toward a craft-service table. When it flags, it's partly because it chooses so many targets to spoof that it loses sight of its serial story line — the future of a studio hanging on the fate of an anthropomorphized beverage container — and the stakes and pathos that follow from it. At its best, though, 'The Studio' is proof that even in an era of algorithmic knockoffs, the movies can still make you bark with laughter … if only on TV.
