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The award for most chaotic, unserious movie trailer out this week goes to Jennifer Lopez. In a new movie-musical-danceathon (???), the singer and beloved rom-com starlet has “created a narrative-driven cinematic odyssey,” according to distributor Amazon. Named after her forthcoming ninth studio album, Lopez’s “THIS IS ME…NOW: A LOVE STORY” stars a roster of rotating love interests and includes a very strange assortment of cameos, including Neil Degrasse Tyson, Sofia Vergara, Derek Hough and (too) many others to count. I have no clue what to glean from this trailer, but maybe you can decipher it.
Speaking of musicians, the timeline was ablaze this past week with a viral clip of Yasiin Bey, a.k.a. Mos Def, on fashion designer and insider Recho Omondi’s podcast “The Cutting Room Floor.” When asked whether he considered Drake’s music hip-hop, Bey said, “Drake is pop to me,” akin to music he’d hear in “a Target in Houston.” I know how Champagne Papi Hive likes to tussle, but he’s absolutely right. Of course, they talked about much more than the “Degrassi” star — but watch the video for yourself.
While we await the forthcoming “Degrassi” documentary, the next children’s series to arrive in reboot land is Disney’s “Wizards of Waverly Place.” Originally airing from 2007-2012, the show followed the hijinks of a New York City teen — Alex Russo, played by Selena Gomez — raised in a family of wizards. Thanks, in part, to the cast maintaining the series’ pop culture relevance through their “Wizards of Waverly Pod” podcast, Disney has now officially ordered a sequel, with Gomez guest-starring in the pilot. Deadline has the deets.
And just like that, the lore of Che Diaz is no more. Sara Ramirez, who plays the nonbinary comedian on the “Sex and the City” revival, has allegedly been axed from the series for their pro-Palestinian views. They sounded off on Instagram about how the entertainment industry blacklists pro-Palestinian talent, the performative nature of Hollywood and Diaz, a character they “vehemently defended” last year. Meanwhile, this week, “Stranger Things” star Noah Schnapp — who seemed to endorse “Zionism is sexy” stickers in a video from November 2023 — gave a PR-contrived apology for his misconstrued beliefs online.
Now, all of that is a lot, but there’s still more to come in this installment of The Culture Catchall. Before you kick off your weekend, buckle up, lock in and enjoy the read.
We’re Still Talking About It
- The 75th Emmy Awards show was quite the historic night, with an all-Black executive producer team at the helm for the first time in the ceremony’s history. Per Essence, the team was led by Dionne Harmon and Jeannae Rouzan-Clay of Jesse Collins Entertainment. Now, we know who to thank for a theme and format that didn’t put me to sleep.
- Speaking of history, Quinta Brunson became the first Black actress since 1981 to win Best Actress in a Comedy Series for “Abbott Elementary,” ending a 43-year drought since Isabel Sanford. Yes, 43 whole years. Moreover, “The Bear” star Ayo Edebiri and Brunson took home back-to-back comedy series wins, a first-ever for two Black women in the same year. Lest we forget, former “The Daily Show” host Trevor Noah also became the first African and first Black person to win an Emmy for Outstanding Talk Series.
- Last but not least, Niecy Nash-Betts, TALK THAT TALK! Her speech was my favorite part of the night. After being nominated five times and working in the industry for longer than I’ve been alive, she finally clinched her long overdue Emmy for her role in “Dahmer.” She said, “I want to thank me. For believing in me and doing what they said I could not do.” I know that’s right!
Industry News and Announcements
- Nigerian singer Tems covers The Cut’s January 2024 issue.
- Issa Rae’s series “Rap Sh!t” has been canceled after two seasons on Max.
- Jacob Elordi will be hosting “Saturday Night Live,” with musical guest Reneé Rapp.
- Massive layoffs plagued Sports Illustrated and the Los Angeles Times this week.
- Condé Nast will merge music outlet Pitchfork into GQ, with more layoffs to come.
- Coachella announced its official 2024 lineup, confirming suspected headliners Lana Del Ray, Doja Cat and Tyler, The Creator.
- Ariana Grande announced a new album, “Eternal Sunshine,” coming out March 8.
- R&B icon Usher is (barely) the latest cover star of Vogue’s Winter 2024 Digital Issue.
- The Vince Staples Show premieres Feb. 15 on Netflix.
- Marlon Wayans will star in an upcoming horror flick from the mind of Jordan Peele.
- Lil Nas X’s documentary “Long Live Montero” premieres...
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