Entertainment
Sydney Sweeney Uncensored New Ad Baring It All Sparks Outrage
Sydney Sweeney is once again in the news for a controversial advertisement after appearing naked in an ad campaign for sports prediction platform Novig.
Online reactions have been largely negative, with some people praising her while several others offer sharp criticism, continuing a noticeable pattern of polarized responses to the actress and her brand collaborations.
The “Just Sports” campaign is Sydney Sweeney’s first partnership with Novig and follows her other major advertisement, which drew a wave of criticism as well as compliments.
In her new advertisement, Sweeney appears nude with various balls and other equipment covering her intimate areas.
“Think you know sports? Prove it,” Sweeney says as the ad begins. She then goes on to explain the concept behind the campaign, saying, “Novig is just sports. So, they wanted to show just sports.”
The campaign represents the brand’s first major national advertisement push. The company, per the Irish Star, functions as a sports prediction market where users can trade on sports games against each other.
According to Novig, they are “Just sports. No war. No death. No politics. Just sports.” The company claims to be focused exclusively on sports rather than other events, political or otherwise.
Sweeney’s performance in the advert has brought significant attention to the campaign since its release, with social media users making their feelings about the 28-year-old and her partnership with the company very clear.
The Actress Is Facing Intense Backlash Online Over The Ad
Confirmed: Sydney Sweeney knows ball. pic.twitter.com/EXQ4PzVZsi
— Novig (@Novig) September 9, 2026
On social media, Sweeney faced heavy criticism over the commercial’s explicit nature being strange for a sports brand, and others criticized the actress for her participation.
One commenter wrote on Instagram, “Selling your soul to the gambling companies is very on brand, Sydney.”
Another questioned whether the “Euphoria” star ever gets tired of having her body be the main attraction, while others expressed their disbelief that the company was “Selling s-x to sell gambling,” which one commenter said was “a tale as old as time.”
Over on X, one person wrote, “Selling gambling by selling sex. Society is crumbling before our eyes.”
“Are we still supposed to act like she’s a good actress, or can we now accept why she gets jobs?” another asked, criticizing the Hollywood star.
Sydney Sweeney Also Received Praise For The Controversial Ad
Despite the criticism, of which there was much, Sweeney’s nude campaign ad also received an equal amount of online praise.
One Instagram user called it “the greatest ad ever,” another described the shoot as Sweeney’s “hottest,” and a third expressed their adoration, saying that he was in love with the 28-year-old.
Others focused on the actress’ supposed skill at starting conversations through her work in advertising, with one commenter writing “she definitely understands marketing,” and another saying “Sydney Sweeney knows ball.”
Sweeney, unlike other celebrities who feature in ad campaigns, isn’t just another brand ambassador. She has reportedly joined Novig as an equity partner and helped create their marketing message.
The ‘Euphoria’ Star Helped Create The ‘Just Sports’ Campaign
Speaking to Complex, Sweeney revealed that she had been involved in creative discussions about the controversial campaign from the very beginning rather than simply appearing in the ad after the fact.
“I don’t like to just put my face on something; I really want to be able to get into the weeds of it with an amazing team. And I got to meet the Novig team,” she told the outlet.
She stated that she had developed a close relationship with the Novig team and believed in Jacob Fortinsky, the CEO and co-founder.
The “Christy” star filmed the campaign while working on Netflix’s live-action Gundam movie in Australia and called being so far away “kind of isolating,” but was excited that her team was able to be there for her.
“It can be kind of isolating when you’re away for that long,” she told Complex, adding that her “glam team” of almost a decade was like family to her and that “it was really exciting to be able to see them again.”
Controversial Campaign After Controversial Campaign For Sydney Sweeney
The Novig campaign is not Sweeney’s first time being a major topic of conversation because of a controversial ad that split online discourse.
Last year, the 28-year-old appeared in an American Eagle Jeans campaign built around the phrase that became a bone of contention for many, “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.”
American Eagle played on the words “jeans” and “genes,” which caused people to associate the campaign with the concept of eugenics.
The campaign received criticism over its reference to inherited characteristics, particularly because Sweeney’s blonde hair and blue eyes were highlighted in the campaign.
Sweeney also generated attention through a partnership with Dr. Squatch, which involved the actress selling a limited-edition soap that supposedly contained her bathwater.
“Sydney’s Bathwater Bliss”, as the product was called, added to the list of controversial advertisements Sweeney was involved in.
The latest Novig campaign continues the pattern and is likely not going to be the last in her growing advertisements portfolio, as the actress doesn’t seem to be interested in being out of the spotlight anytime soon.
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Entertainment
Walter Koenig Dies at 90: The Star Trek Chekov Actor Who Flew Through Six Films and Six Decades
Walter Koenig, the actor who gave the Starship Enterprise its eager young Russian navigator, Pavel Chekov, has died at 90. His representatives said he died of old age at his home in North Hollywood, surrounded by his daughter and niece. Reports differ slightly on the day. The BBC and CNET put it on Sunday night, while the Independent says Monday.
Tributes poured in quickly. Co-star George Takei, who played Hikaru Sulu and had known Koenig for roughly six decades, wrote that “Walter was more than Chekov. He was a writer, a teacher, a thoughtful man, and a loyal friend.” He closed with a line that fans have been sharing widely: “Keep navigating a steady course.”
How Walter Koenig became Chekov
Born in Chicago in 1936 and raised in Manhattan, Koenig was the son of Jewish immigrants whose family came from Lithuania. He studied psychology before training at New York’s Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre, where his classmates included James Caan, Christopher Lloyd and Dabney Coleman. His screen career began in 1962 with an uncredited part as a sentry in Combat!.
He joined Star Trek for its second season in 1967 and appeared in 36 of the 50 episodes aired before the show ended in 1969. According to the sources, the character was partly meant to draw younger viewers, with a mop-top haircut in the style of the Monkees and the Beatles. The studio also reportedly pitched Chekov as an answer to a Soviet newspaper’s complaint that the show had no Russian crew member, a claim Koenig later denied. CNET notes that he was 30 when cast, only five years younger than William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy.
A career beyond the bridge
The series was cancelled, but Chekov kept coming back. Koenig appeared in all six original-cast films between 1979 and 1991, and the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror nominated him for The Wrath of Khan and The Voyage Home. The latter gave fans one of Chekov’s best-loved lines, his accented hunt for “nuclear wessels”. He also made a brief appearance in Generations in 1994. Later, he voiced Anton Chekov, a descendant of his original character, in Star Trek: Picard in 2023.
Fans of other franchises knew him as well. In Babylon 5 he played Alfred Bester, a ruthless Psi Corps telepath, about as far from the cheerful Chekov as an actor could get. Koenig also wrote for television, with credits including Land of the Lost, Family, The Incredible Hulk and an episode of the original series’ animated spin-off. He wrote books, including Chekov’s Enterprise, and in 2010 he wrote, produced and starred in the sci-fi film InAlienable. He received a Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 2012. This year he won a Platinum Award for best actor at the Independent Shorts Awards for the short film Mr Fleischmann.
Family, friendship and fans
Koenig was married to the actor Judy Levitt from 1965 until her death in 2022. She appeared with him in three Star Trek films and in Babylon 5. Their son Andrew, known for playing Richard “Boner” Stabone on Growing Pains, died in 2010 aged 41. Koenig is survived by his daughter, the actor and screenwriter Danielle Koenig.
The warmth in the tributes is notable. Koenig was best man at Takei’s 2008 wedding to Brad Altman. Zachery McGinnis, whose agency represented him at conventions, said Koenig “understood what Star Trek meant to people and embraced the community that grew around it.” Broadcaster Jesse Thorn, a friend of the family, said the cast members’ love for one another was “very sincere” and called their friendship “a gift.”
For a character created partly as a marketing move, Chekov proved unusually durable, and much of that came from the actor playing him. The show imagined former Cold War rivals working side by side, and Walter Koenig made that idea feel affectionate rather than preachy. Fans will probably remember him less for any single line than for the humour and sincerity he brought to the role, and for the decades he spent meeting the people who loved it.
- Walter Koenig, actor best known as Chekov on Star Trek, dies aged 90 (The Guardian)
- Star Trek actor Walter Koenig, who played Pavel Chekov, dies aged 90 (BBC)
- Walter Koenig, Star Trek’s Original Chekov, Dies at 90: ‘He Loved You Too’ (cnet.com)
- Star Trek’s original Chekov, Walter Koenig, dies aged 90 (The Independent)
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File photo: Alan Light with Walter Koenig (1117487871).jpg by Alan Light, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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Entertainment
Meghan to Co-Host Junior MasterChef Australia in 2027, Ending a Six-Year Hiatus for the Show
The Duchess of Sussex is heading back to Australian television, with Network 10 confirming she will front the 2027 season of Junior MasterChef Australia alongside Poh Ling Yeow. The announcement, made on 27 October, gives Meghan her first confirmed on-screen project since her Netflix partnership wound down, and it arrives at a delicate moment in her personal life.
What Network 10 has confirmed
According to the broadcaster, Meghan will take part as a “special guest” co-host, while Yeow, a current judge on the adult MasterChef Australia, will keep that role in 2027 as well. Contestants on the children’s spin-off are aged between nine and 13. Production will take place at Melbourne Showgrounds, though no date has been set. Deadline reports the format is returning to Ten after six years off air, and that Banijay’s Endemol Shine Australia is producing it, with Banijay Rights handling international distribution.
“I love cooking with my own kids, so seeing what these young stars create in the kitchen is going to be a lot of fun,” Meghan said in a statement, adding that returning to work with the MasterChef team was “an easy yes.” Yeow said a reunion would be “a real treat” and promised “plenty of delicious surprises and a little mischief, too.”
Why the network wanted her back
The casting follows a guest appearance on the flagship show, filmed during the Sussexes’ four-day Australian visit in April and broadcast in July. Network 10 said the episode drew its largest Sunday audience since 2023. For a broadcaster relaunching a dormant children’s brand, a proven ratings draw is an obvious asset.
The BBC notes that Meghan was not paid for her earlier appearance. Network 10 did not say whether she will be paid for the junior series. The Guardian adds that it is unclear whether filming will mean a temporary move to Australia for the family, who relocated to the UK in August after six years in California.
A career in transition
The deal fits a pattern of Meghan rebuilding her media profile around food and family. Her Netflix series With Love, Meghan ran for two seasons and a Christmas special. The BBC reports it did not perform well with audiences, though the Guardian notes Netflix said it was viewed 5.3 million times globally in the first half of 2025. The show is widely reported not to be returning, and her As Ever lifestyle brand, which includes a food range, ended its partnership with Netflix in March.
There is also a commercial thread. The BBC says her trademark was registered last year in more than a dozen product categories in Australia, including cookware and table linen. A prominent family-friendly cooking show in that market would sit comfortably alongside those interests, although none of the sources suggest a link between the two.
Timing amid serious allegations
The announcement lands in the same week as allegations involving her father, Thomas Markle Sr. The Guardian reports that her half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr, made a report to authorities in the Philippines alleging he found child sexual abuse images at their father’s former home there. A human trafficking and child sexual exploitation taskforce in Cebu is investigating. Markle Sr denies the claims, calling them “sick” and “a bunch of lies.”
Meghan said through a spokesperson that she was “deeply distressed” and that her thoughts were with any children who may have been harmed. Accounts differ on the detail of her contact with her father. The Guardian says the Met made her aware of allegations in 2019, Deadline says she has had no contact with him since 2018, and the BBC understands she cut off contact last year. None of the reports indicates the television announcement is connected to the allegations.
What the sources do show is a high-visibility children’s programme being built around a figure under intense public attention. Whether Junior MasterChef Australia benefits from that attention, or has to navigate it, will become clearer once a production schedule is confirmed.
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File photo: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.jpg by Office of the Governor-General, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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Susan Saint James Dies at 80: Eight Emmy Nominations, One Win and a Career She Walked Away From
Susan Saint James, the Emmy-winning actress who anchored two of television’s most recognizable pairings, has died at 80. Her family said she died Monday of pancreatic cancer. Tributes since have focused on a rare Hollywood story: a performer who reached the top of network TV more than once, then chose to leave it.
From Contract Player to Prime-Time Emmy Winner
Born Susan Jane Miller in Los Angeles on Aug. 14, 1946, Saint James grew up partly in Rockford, Illinois, after her father took a job leading a model-kit manufacturer. She spent about three years modeling in France before returning to California at 20 to try acting. The move paid off fast. As a Universal contract player, she landed a part in a 1966 TV movie and then a regular role on NBC’s The Name of the Game.
On that stylish 90-minute series she played Peggy Maxwell, an editorial assistant who kept getting kidnapped. She won an Emmy in 1969 for the first season, then earned nominations in 1970 and 1971. Few actors collect a statuette so early in a TV career.
The Rock Hudson Years and a Contract Fight
Within months of that series ending, Saint James was back in another rotating NBC format. McMillan & Wife paired her with Rock Hudson as a San Francisco police commissioner and his crime-solving spouse, Sally. It aired alongside Columbo and McCloud as part of the NBC Mystery Movie lineup. The role brought her Emmy nominations in 1972, 1973 and 1975. She left after five seasons in 1976 amid a contract dispute, while Hudson stayed for a sixth.
She also worked in film, running from the law with Peter Fonda in Outlaw Blues, playing Dracula’s target in Love at First Bite, and appearing in How to Beat the High Cost of Living and Carbon Copy.
Kate & Allie and the Decision to Step Back
In 1984, Saint James reunited with her High Cost of Living co-star Jane Curtin for the CBS sitcom Kate & Allie. They played divorced childhood friends raising three kids together in a Greenwich Village brownstone. The show ran six seasons, ending in 1989, and drew three Emmy nominations for outstanding comedy series. Saint James personally earned nominations in 1984 and 1985. By the Hollywood Reporter’s count, that makes her an eight-time nominee.
After the show ended, she largely stopped acting. She told People magazine in 2002 that she was tired of being “one of those people juggling knives and melons and then [saying], ‘Toss me in a razor blade.’” Her departure came while she was still in demand, which is why some obituaries describe her as quitting at her peak.
Family, Loss and Service
Saint James married television executive Dick Ebersol, the former Saturday Night Live executive producer and NBC Sports head, in November 1981. He is her third husband and survives her. In 2004, the couple lost their youngest child, 14-year-old Teddy, in a plane crash. Reports describe them as continuing on together after that tragedy.
Away from the screen, Saint James pursued entrepreneurial ventures and devoted considerable time to charity. She served as a board member and longtime volunteer for the Special Olympics.
Her family’s statement emphasized that side of her life. It described her as “generous with her time and energy, which she valued more than money, and instinctively drawn to whoever needed lifting up.” It added: “She taught her children to pause, be kind and look out for other people.”
For viewers, Saint James will be remembered as the warm, quick-witted presence of 1970s mystery nights and 1980s sitcom Thursdays. By choosing family and service over another series, she left the screen on her own terms.
- ‘Kate & Allie’ star Susan Saint James dead at 80 (foxnews.com)
- Kate & Allie star Susan Saint James dead at 80 as family pays tribute (The Independent)
- Susan Saint James, ‘Name of the Game,’ ‘McMillan & Wife’ and ‘Kate & Allie’ Star, Dies at 80 (The Hollywood Reporter)
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It is now one of the most recognisable songs of the 1960s, but Time of the Season began as a modest, rushed and occasionally tense piece of work. In a Guardian “How we made” interview, Zombies keyboardist Rod Argent and singer Colin Blunstone recall a recording shaped by a tiny budget, a ticking studio clock and a band on the verge of splitting.
A £1,000 album and a self-produced gamble
By 1967 the Zombies had only one UK hit, She’s Not There, which Argent wrote at 18. They had signed to CBS and been handed £1,000 to make their second album, Odessey and Oracle. Argent says that was not a lot of money even then. The band recorded in a handful of sessions spread over six months and, for the first time, produced themselves.
The money ran out quickly, but Argent argues the pressure helped. The tight timeframe gave the record a spontaneity and freshness he still tries to preserve in his work, he says, partly because it is “just much more fun”.
The last song written, and a hunch it was a hit
Time of the Season was the final song Argent wrote for the album. He was sharing a flat with bassist Chris White, and the two swapped ideas by wandering between each other’s rooms. Argent recalls telling White he thought he had just written a hit.
He ties the lyrics to the mood of 1967, when television brought pictures of war into living rooms and some viewers decided they wanted no part of it. The “Who’s your daddy?” line, he says, nods back to Gershwin’s Summertime, an early song the band performed together. “Is he rich like me?” was meant to carry a double meaning, with “rich” suggesting an understanding of how to live.
Abbey Road, the Beatles and a heated session
The band recorded at EMI Recording Studios, later renamed Abbey Road. The Beatles had been in just before them making Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and the Zombies shared some of the same engineers, notably Geoff Emerick. Argent credits him with a distinctive way of combining the bass and tom-tom sounds. Argent suggested the clap before the beat and the exhaled vocal sound that follows it.
Blunstone remembers a less serene experience. He was still learning the song as he sang it, watching a red recording light and a clock while studio staff enforced strict finishing times. At one point a piano was wheeled away mid-take. With Argent in the control room demanding precise phrasing, tempers frayed. Blunstone says he told Argent to come in and sing it himself, and the reply was blunt. He finds it funny now that he swore at his bandmate between takes of such angelic lines.
Blunstone also admits he did not rate Time of the Season as the album’s best shot at success. He thought Care of Cell 44 sounded like a hit single, but it flopped. The album emerged in a misspelled sleeve after the band had already split.
Death rumours and a delayed hit
The version of events available here cuts off before the full story of how the song found its audience. The article’s introduction and captions hint at it. A DJ in Boise, Idaho, reportedly would not stop playing the track, and a later passage mentions that Al Kooper became a CBS staff producer after leaving Blood, Sweat & Tears. The standfirst also recounts that, a year after the split, two bands toured the US as the Zombies, with one claiming a new singer because a member had supposedly been killed in a car crash. The headline adds that a death was reported in Rolling Stone.
Even so, the interviews offer a clear picture of a classic made quickly and cheaply, with plenty of friction. Argent says of the song, in a caption, that he has never worked out how it can be both of its time and timeless.
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Walter Koenig, Star Trek’s Chekov, Dies at 90: George Takei Says He Was “More Than Chekov”
Walter Koenig, the actor who brought the earnest young Russian navigator Pavel Chekov to life on the original Star Trek, has died at the age of 90. His representatives said he died of old age at home in North Hollywood on Sunday night, surrounded by his daughter and niece.
Koenig had marked his 90th birthday only last month, on September 14. His death came as one of Star Trek’s best-known friendships was being celebrated in public once again.
George Takei leads the tributes to Walter Koenig
George Takei, who played Hikaru Sulu, was among the first to respond. In an Instagram post, he said the two met on the bridge of the Enterprise in the 1960s and stayed friends for almost six decades. Koenig was best man at Takei’s 2008 wedding to Brad Takei. His birthday also fell on the couple’s wedding anniversary, a coincidence Takei said he would always treasure.
“Walter was more than Chekov,” Takei wrote. “He was a writer, a teacher, a thoughtful man, and a loyal friend.” He signed off with a nod to the show: “Keep navigating a steady course.”
Adam Nimoy, son of Leonard Nimoy, called Koenig “such a nice guy” and recalled enjoying his company on the convention circuit. Michael Okuda, a scenic artist and technical consultant on several Trek productions, remembered an interview Koenig gave to the Roddenberry Archive.
A career that outgrew one navigator
Born in Chicago and raised in Manhattan, Koenig was the son of Soviet Jewish immigrants. He trained at New York’s Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre, where his classmates included James Caan, Christopher Lloyd and Dabney Coleman. He joined Star Trek in its second season in 1967, and the show ended in 1969. Chekov was reportedly introduced to appeal to younger viewers, with a mop-top haircut and a habit of claiming everything was invented in Russia.
The studio also promoted the character as a response to criticism in the Soviet newspaper Pravda about the lack of a Russian on the crew. Koenig later denied that claim. Either way, a Russian officer on an Enterprise bridge fit the show’s Cold War-era vision of nations working together.
He was candid about the limits of the role on television. By his own account, Chekov’s job was to set out the bones of the plot and let McCoy, Spock and Kirk fill it in. The films gave him more to do. He appeared in all six original-cast movies between 1979 and 1991, and the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror nominated him for The Wrath of Khan and The Voyage Home. He also appeared briefly in Generations in 1994 and voiced President Anton Chekov in Star Trek: Picard in 2023.
Outside Trek, Koenig played the ruthless telepath Alfred Bester on Babylon 5 and wrote an episode of the animated Star Trek spin-off. He was also a published author, with credits including Columbo and Futurama. Earlier this year he won the Platinum Award for best actor at the 2026 Independent Shorts Awards for the short film Mr. Fleischmann. His representatives called it a fitting recognition of a lifetime devoted to his craft.
Koenig’s wife, Judy Levitt, who appeared with him in three Trek films and in Babylon 5, died in 2022. They had married in 1965. Their son Andrew, who played “Boner” on Growing Pains, died in 2010 at 41. Koenig is survived by his daughter Danielle, an actress and screenwriter.
Another soap veteran gone
The entertainment world also lost Alan Dysert, best known as the scheming con man Sean Cudahy on All My Children. He appeared in 79 episodes between 1980 and 1990. His wife, Michele, announced on Facebook that he died on October 23 at 75. She did not give a cause. In a 2023 memoir, however, Dysert wrote that he had been diagnosed with a rare, aggressive and incurable cancer.
Dysert later worked as a producer and as an acting teacher. His wife said he had asked loved ones to celebrate his life rather than mourn it.
For Star Trek fans, the loss of Walter Koenig closes another chapter of the original crew’s story. Judging by the tributes, what colleagues remember most is his warmth and the decades of friendship behind the character.
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An Ohio pastor and his wife have the internet ablaze after introducing their congregation to his second wife during a recent sermon. Prophet Israel T. Ford and his wife, Pastor Lydia Ford, made the announcement on Sunday, October 25, at the LifeWorks Church in Wickliffe, Ohio.
RELATED: Florida Pastor Timothy Chaneyfield Arrested For Alleged Sexual Abuse And Exposing 14-Year-Old Boy To HIV
Ohio Pastor Israel T. Ford And Spouse Introduce Second Wife
Pastor Lydia Ford made the announcement with her husband during a Sunday sermon at LifeWorks Church in Wickliffe. In a clip shared by Hollywood Unlocked, Ford revealed that she and Prophet Ford were in a polygamous marriage with another woman, Minister Shakayla Ford.
“I want to share that you know Prophet and I, you know, we are living, even right now, um, in what we would call a polygamous marriage,” she said. “My husband, our Prophet, he has a second wife. Y’all know her. Y’all love her. Y’all benefit from her ministry every week. And so, I just want to take this time and just, um, as a pleasure of mine to introduce to y’all Prophet’s wife and my sister in marriage, Minister Shakayla.
Second Wife Claims Marriage Is Will of God
Minister Shakayla Ford then spoke to the congregation, and she had jokes. After she was introduced by her sister-wife, she got up on stage and said, “Wow. Um cat’s out the bag.”
The Prophet’s second wife then claimed the marriage was “the will of God” as she sought to address folks’ concerns about her lifestyle.
“I want to speak to the fact that I know people have questions,” she said. “People have comments and concerns. And one thing that um, you know, I want to address is that, it, it is amazing to know that this is the will of God and to live it. I have not been slight not one bit, and I have gained so much… and I have learned so much from pastor. I mean, he has poured so much into me and into our family… is it the image of what God wants to put in the earth.”
Watch the clip below.
Folks Act OUT On Social Media
People couldn’t wait to leave opinions in Hollywood Unlocked’s comment section, and several folks dragged the church leaders in the process. Others dropped jokes.
User @sha_lettice replied, “Tell me Pastor was cheating without saying it…😂😂.”
@brandyslin added, “Can the wife get a second man too 😂😂😂.”
@iambrianamoenae noted, “she can’t even pronounce it correctly 😂.”
User @themazebanks wrote, “Wondering when he’s gon announce his secret husband.”
@iamjudimoon noted, “If this is what’s happening in the light, I can’t imagine what’s happening in the dark.”
User @dave_badazz3 joked, “This a Tubi Church 😂😂.”
@schinal_5 added, “What in the WITCHES of EASTWICK!?! And to the congregation, why did no one walk out!? 😮🤡🤹🏽♀️🎪.”
@_lovebri___ replied, “Her saying Cats out the bag in her coming out speech was crazyyy lol.”
User @_desinee wrote, “We are definitely living in the last days!”
@njsoup153 joked, “Pastor done sampled the whole congregation.”
@_mealsbymel added a prediction. “@druski gon ahead and tap in with this foolery 😂😂.”
RELATED: Say, WHAT?! Florida Woman Arrested & Charged After Allegedly Setting Man On Fire During Argument
What Do You Think Roomies?
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Wes Craven’s 1996 horror movie Scream is one of the most celebrated films in the genre. With iconic characters and a fresh, darkly comedic take on the slasher, this movie changed what was possible within the horror genre. The soundtrack for Scream is just as iconic as the movie, full of ‘90s alternative and indie rock music that sets the scene for a classic high school experience plagued by a vicious killer. This soundtrack is nothing short of perfect for both the movie and the Halloween season — and well worth listening to all year around.
Alternative and indie rock often align with the dark themes explored in the horror franchise – but choosing the right songs for a movie, especially one so reliant on the fear and suspense of the audience, is no small feat. These five songs off the Scream soundtrack are all perfect choices for the scenes in which they can be heard. Through taking a closer look at these eerily memorable tracks, we can better understand the interaction between alt-rock and the horror genre.
5
“Whisper” by Catherine
Starting off on a comparatively lighter note, “Whisper” by Chicago-based alt-rock band Catherine sets the tone for day-to-day life at the fictional Woodsboro High School. Catherine was active from the mid-80s through the ’90s and often compared to The Smashing Pumpkins. They were just underground enough to be cool – surely something the Californian teens in this film may have burned onto their CDs. “Whisper” appeared on their 1996 album Hot Saki & Bedtime Stories, released the same year as Scream. The track is best known for its inclusion in the film.
This song plays towards the beginning of the film. The scene portrays the students lounging around on the school quad, discussing the recent killing of Casey Becker (the tragically short-lived character played by Drew Barrymore). They are talking about the extremely disturbing murder and mutilation of a friend with an alarming level of apathy, indicating the feeling of invincibility and lack of empathy that comes with being a teenager… and perhaps something more nefarious. “Whisper” is a fitting track for this scene – chill, easy background music, but with an edge. Crunchy guitar riffs are balanced with aptly whispery vocals, setting the tone as relaxed, but with a subtle undercurrent of unease.
4
“Red Right Hand” by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
This next track is much better known – for a multitude of reasons. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds are renowned in their field and extremely popular amongst the gothic-rock crowd. They released their most popular album, Murder Ballads, the same year as Scream – they were at the peak of their popularity in the mid-to-late ’90s. “Right Red Hand” was released two years earlier, and quickly became the band’s signature song. Featuring creepy lyrics (sung spoken-word style by Cave) and eerie bell tolls, listening to the song is akin to hearing a ghost story in the dead of night. It is superfluously spooky in a Scooby-Doo kind of way – picture the gang tiptoeing through a haunted mansion on a dark and stormy night. Jinkies!
“Red Right Hand” is frequently featured in movies and television, perhaps most notably as the theme music for the popular BBC show Peaky Blinders. It is also present in all seven movies in the Scream franchise, except for the fourth installment (copyright issues). The song acts as a harbinger throughout the films – when you hear Nick Cave’s melancholic warble, Ghostface is sure to be close behind.
3
“Youth of America” by Birdbrain
This high-energy, rebellion-steeped track is the definition of teenage angst. “Youth of America” was the final single released by Birdbrain, a short-lived, post-punk band formed in Boston in the early ’90s. Their biggest accomplishment as a group was this song being used in Scream – the official music video features scenes from the film interspersed with clips of the band performing at the scenes of the fictional murders. They truly capitalized on the exposure they received from the movie. This is not to disparage the group or the song – the inclusion of the somewhat niche group does wonders for the era-specific world-building in Scream.
“Youth of America” has a classic indie rock, post-punk feel, featuring a driving drumbeat and distorted guitar. The lyrics describe the death and waste of the youth of America, assumedly in the metaphorical sense – the powers that be are indoctrinating the children, brainwashing the teens, keeping the people down. Good ol’ angst and anti-establishment awesomeness. However, in this context, the often repeated lyrics “You’re all dead” take on a much more literal meaning. This song plays during the high school party at Stu Macher’s (expertly played by Matthew Lillard) house, right before the violence reaches a bloody crescendo.
2
“School’s Out” by Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper’s “School’s Out” has been a high school anthem since its 1972 release. Cooper, one of the biggest names in hard/glam rock, is known for his over-the-top theatrical performances and costumes, making his work incredibly conducive to the horror genre. Aptly nicknamed the “Godfather of Shock Rock,” Cooper’s career has had an immense influence on a variety of subgenres under the rock and roll umbrella. “School’s Out” is his biggest international hit, capturing the excitement of the final moments before it’s time to leave the classroom behind
The iconic lyrics “School’s out for summer/ School’s out forever/ School’s been blown to pieces” play as the principal of Woodsboro High School announces the suspension of classes due to the recurrent attacks on students. The song is right on the nose – but in an effective way. The inclusion of this track captures the frenzy and paradoxical excitement surrounding the unexplained wave of violence, and subtly alludes to the fact that perhaps the perpetrators of these crimes are closer than the students are being led to believe. No one ever expects the call to come from inside the house.
1
“Don’t Fear the Reaper” by Gus Black
Gus Black’s stripped-down, acoustic cover of “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” by Blue Öyster Cult is a quintessential indie singer-songwriter track. Black recorded and produced this song specifically for the Scream soundtrack. Equally romantic and melancholic – with violins and harmonies for added cinematic effect – the use of this cover is perhaps the most clever musical choice in the film.
The original Blue Öyster Cult version is featured in 1978 horror classic Halloween, which heavily inspired the plot and characters of Scream. Halloween is referenced consistently throughout the film, and using a cover of “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” adds another layer of connection between the two movies. The song plays after Billy Loomis (played by Skeet Ulrich) sneaks through his girlfriend’s window and into her bedroom. Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) is initially startled – and rightfully so. There’s a killer on the loose! When she realizes it’s just her boyfriend, she relaxes. There’s no need to be afraid … or is there? Should she fear the reaper? The foreshadowing is expertly executed – one of the many details that makes Scream one of the most iconic slasher movies ever made.
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Hey, The Young and the Restless fans. We have got hot new spoilers for next week, which sees the start of November sweeps. We’re going to talk about Nick Newman (Joshua Morrow) doing another bad thing, Lily Winters (Christel Khalil) getting fierce about work and family, and Sharon Newman (Sharon Case) being completely shocked.
We’ve got the latest The Young and the Restless spoilers for the week of October 26th. So, we are heading into don’t-miss-an-episode moments, because sweeps kicks off this coming Thursday in a big way.
The Young and the Restless: Kyle and Victoria Push the Envelope
First, let’s talk about Kyle Abbott (Michael Mealor) and Victoria Newman (Amelia Heinle), because they are really pushing the envelope. At the end of this week, Kyle meets with Victoria up at Crimson Lights to discuss their London trip. So, they talked about sneaking into that suite at Billy Abbott (Jason Thompson) and Sally Spectra (Courtney Hope)’s GCAC wedding, which was really risky. But he and Victoria seem to think they’re going to get away with this affair indefinitely, and we know they won’t.
So, Kyle heads out onto the Crimson Lights patio at the end of the week, where he kisses Victoria. She’s stunned and can’t believe Kyle did that in public, but you can also tell Victoria is thrilled. It’s almost like she wants to get caught.
So, Kyle agrees to meet Victoria in London, and she jokes about how it’s too risky to invite him to fly over there on the Newman jet with her. And Kyle agrees, but tells Victoria he would love to join the Mile High Club with her. And then Kyle promises he’ll find a reason to fly over to London. And Victoria’s excited. She thinks they can go out and relax in public together.
Yeah, she said in public. It seems like a sketchy idea, but Kyle and Victoria may think they’re safe being all the way across the pond while engaging in their fling.
Phyllis and Victor Show Up on Y&R
So, when they come back in from the patio after smooching and plotting, they run right into Phyllis Summers (Michelle Stafford), who wants to know why Kyle and Victoria are together. They make excuses and tell Phyllis a lot went down at Billy and Sally’s wedding. And of course, that distracts Phyllis, because she’s so excited it all went down at her establishment.
And then she tells Victoria and Kyle that Billy is taking the Abbott jet to London to see Jill Abbott (Jess Walton). And of course, Phyllis has to do some bragging. This time, it’s about the big party she and Lauren Fenmore (Tracey Bregman) are planning for Arabesque.
So Kyle’s like, “Enough.” He leaves the coffee shop, which is good timing, because right after, Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) shows up to discuss the London trip with Victoria. And while they’re chatting, Billy, Lauren, and Michael Baldwin (Christian Leblanc) enter, and Victor tells them he’s so sorry about Jill. And Billy is shocked that Victor isn’t making any snide remarks. So after Billy and the others leave, Victor tells Victoria that she might run into all of them in London. And it turns out Victor is absolutely right. We’re going to get to that in just a second.
So Kyle now needs a reason to leave town. He tells Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) he is leaving town to go look at an acquisition he’s considering. Jack thinks it’s sudden, but Kyle says he needs to see if it’s worth the hype. And then he texts Victoria and says, “All set. This is going to be fun.”
Young and Restless: Cane Runs Into Kyle in London
All right, now let’s talk about her and Kyle getting busted. In next week’s The Young and the Restless spoilers, things take a turn for him and Victoria in London. We talked about this in our last video, and sure enough, as we expected, Kyle runs into somebody from Genoa City.
It looks like Kyle is waiting for Victoria to meet him when Cane Ashby (Billy Flynn) strolls up, and he sees Kyle at a pub in London. And Cane says, “Fancy seeing you here.” And then Cane asks Kyle, “What are you doing in London?”
So him running into Cane is very problematic, because I’m sure Kyle is waiting on Victoria, since they hope to do some date-type activities in London. Clearly, feelings are involved for them to want to hang out in public. I think this London trip is going to end very badly for Kyle and Victoria.
If Cane’s there when Victoria walks in to meet Kyle, I bet that Cane clocks that Kyle is there with Victoria, even if they deny it and try to pretend it’s a coincidence. But I also don’t think Cane would tell Victor anything. But trouble’s coming.
What Did Nick Do to Matt in Y&R?
Also, to set the stage for this next spoiler, remember that this week, Nick dropped by to tell Sharon and Mariah Copeland (Camryn Grimes) that he confirmed Matt Clark (Roger Howarth) is in the mental hospital, that he dropped him off, and that he won’t be a problem. And then Nick and Mariah were working on Sharon, telling her, “Don’t go see Matt.”
And remember, he asked Sharon to be his therapist. She’s considering it. She thinks Matt being better is peace of mind for everybody. Mind you, it’s hot on the heels of Nick beating Joe (Chris Grant Wenchell), the drug dealer, nearly to death. So Nick may be off pills, but now he seems addicted to violence. It’s like he’s Genoa City‘s Batman or the Punisher.
So in next week’s The Young and the Restless spoilers, while they’re up at Crimson Lights, Sharon asks Nick, “What really happened to Matt?” And then Nick tells Sharon, “It’s best if you don’t know.” So I’m wondering if Matt never made it to the mental health clinic. Maybe Nick was trying to talk Sharon out of going to see Matt there because Nick never took him there. I mean, honestly, we know that he wants Matt dead.
So, I’m excited to see what happened. Nick might have beaten Matt and left him for dead, dumped him in a ditch somewhere, and felt it was the best thing for everybody. Remember when he was at Sharon’s asking for her help? Nick wanted to kill Matt on the spot, and Sharon told him no.
The Young and Restless: Lily Fires Nate
Also next week, The Young and the Restless spoilers have Lily really taking care of business. She’s with Nate Hastings (Sean Dominic) and Devon Hamilton Winters (Bryton James) at Society. And Lily shocks Nate when she tells him that, as CEO of Winters, she is officially firing him.
So I think with Lily’s cancer-free results, she is moving forward. And that could also mean Nate got good medical test results and might have gotten the all-clear to get back into the OR after having successful surgery on his hand. So I suspect that’s why Lily is firing Nate from Winters, so that he can follow his dream and be a surgeon again.
And we should also be seeing Stephanie Simmons (Vivica A. Fox) on screen again fairly soon, so that she and Nate can resume their romance, as well as enjoy time as co-workers at the hospital.
The Young and the Restless: Adam Won’t Go Away
Also, in a recent interview, Billy actor Jason Thompson said that soon Adam Newman (Mark Grossman) goes all out to stay in the picture. And the actor said that’s the exact opposite situation that Billy wants to find himself in. This week, he did sincerely thank Adam for being there to deliver baby Ruby. But with that handshake done, Billy just wants Adam to go away. But he continues to show up. And official The Young and the Restless spoilers say it really starts to affect Billy.
So, I suspect that starts next week while Billy is in London. I think we’ll see Adam dropping by to visit Sally and little Ruby. We might even have Adam offering Sally a helping hand with her baby girl. If so, Billy won’t like it. And I’m guessing Chelsea Lawson Newman (Melissa Claire Egan) will be alarmed if Adam’s suddenly way more present in Sally’s life and focused on little Ruby.
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Carlos PenaVega had an admittedly heated reaction to wife Alexa PenaVega’s Dancing With the Stars elimination.
“The best moment is, after I get eliminated, Carlos and Shirley Ballas, [who] is Mark [Ballas]’s mother, … get into a fight backstage,” Alexa, 38, recalled on the Thursday, October 22, episode of the couple’s “LexLos” podcast, acknowledging Shirley, 66, is a “legend” in the ballroom community. “She goes, ‘Are you happy? Semifinals?’ And Carlos was like, ‘No, I’m not happy, my wife just got eliminated!’”
Carlos, 37, stressed that he is grateful the pair’s brief verbal altercation was not captured on film.
“She was sweet, but it was actually bad timing,” Carlos admitted. “She wasn’t trying to be mean, it was just bad timing.”
Shirley, the head judge on the U.K.’s Strictly Come Dancing, has not publicly addressed the accusations. Us reached out for comment.
Carlos and Alexa competed against each other on DWTS season 21 in 2015 with respective pro partners Witney Carson and Mark, 40. The Spy Kids star and Mark finished in sixth place, while Carlos and Carson, 33, made it all the way to the finale but came up short behind winners Derek Hough and Bindi Irwin.
Reflecting on her departure from the competition, Alexa claimed that Mark had an inkling their time in the ballroom would be cut short before it was officially announced.
“[Mark] knew we were getting eliminated, however, that day Tamar [Braxton] gets deathly ill. We end up finding out it’s, like, deathly ill and she should have remained in the hospital,” Alexa alleged, claiming Mark was already aware they were booked on The View to discuss their elimination. “The producers, from what Tamar said, went to the hospital and were like, ‘You need to do it.’ … Mark was like, ‘I believe we would have still been in if Tamar had stayed at the hospital.”
Braxton, 49, and pro partner Val Chmerkovskiy ended up withdrawing from the show “the next day” because of the singer’s illness.
“Mark was really hoping that was the moment of, ‘If she stays in the hospital, we won’t go home tonight and get one more week to show what we can do,’” Alexa recalled. “[Carlos and I, our two dance partnerships] would have still been in the bottom, but it’s just such a different story.”
Alexa and Carlos were the first married celebrities to compete against each other on DWTS, during a time they claim had “a lot of drama behind the scenes.”
“At the time, Witney and Mark were not getting along at all,” Alexa alleged on Thursday. “They refused to be in the same room together. It was really hard because we’re married and the whole point of doing the show was, ‘We’re gonna do this together as much as possible. The second we go in, boom, ‘Mark and Witney refuse to be in a room together.’”
Mark and Carson have not publicly addressed the reported feud. Us reached out for comment.
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