Scarlett Johansson may be best known for her appearance as Black Widow, but her talent doesn’t end within the boundaries of Marvel’s multiverse. Certainly, as Black Widow, she brings life and energy to her action sequences, and has surprisingly good comedic timing when it comes to delivering a withering stare. But 12 years later, Under the Skin still showcases Johansson’s most intimate, chilling performance.

Directed by Jonathan Glazer (The Zone of Interest), one of today’s most masterful creators of the sci-fi thriller, Under the Skin follows an alien disguised as a woman who consumes unsuspecting men. Johansson’s challenge as an actor went beyond the usual: in addition to embodying this alien creature (already a cerebral, abstract challenge), she was actually driving around Scotland, hitting on non-actors to generate footage for the film. Most of the men she encounters in the film had no idea they were being filmed until after the fact. The choice to include non-actors in the film forces the alien into the real world, and because she’s a superstar who could be recognized at any moment, Johansson’s real-life identity is brought into the film too.

Jonathan Glazer Makes Clever Use of Guerrilla Film-making

Johansson looks out of place in the streets of Glasgow not because of any visual cues about the alien-ness of her character, but because of her status as a superstar: the audience recognizes her in a crowd of everyday people. Incredibly, during filming Scarlett Johansson was very rarely identified by members of the public, likely because they just didn’t expect her to be there. In the film, she drives or walks, followed by hidden cameras, and even as she tries to melt into the crowd, she is drawn out of it by the very act of being filmed, often centered in the frame, always tracked by the shot.

In a pivotal scene, Johansson walks down a street in tight, acid-washed jeans and a fur jacket, tracked by a camera in a moving vehicle. The shot is full of regular people who have no idea they’re being filmed, and then she trips and falls. The non-actors around her help her up and make sure she’s okay. This display of simple human decency is the beginning of the alien’s entry into the human world, becoming more empathetic and human herself. By using Guerrilla film-making to illustrate this point, director Jonathan Glazer more effectively illustrates that people are kind and will help someone when they can.

Scarlett Johansson Knows How to Watch and Learn

Image via A24

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Under the Skin begins as a creepy sci-fi movie about an alien predator, and becomes a profound study in embodied experience, tracking the alien’s developing understanding of humanity and the place she could occupy within it. The alien’s transformation is conveyed through Johansson’s almost entirely silent performance. Her performance is remarkably subtle, often defined by a deliberate lack of expression, which makes her emotional development clearer and more meaningful by contrast.

From the beginning of the film, Johansson’s performance is more about being an observer than it is about being observed. Even as she uses sex appeal to lure men into her van, Johansson hardly performs sexuality in her body language or voice at all. She doesn’t draw attention to herself on purpose. Instead, her gaze is fixed on the men she’s hunting, energy focused outward. She is the predator watching her prey, scanning the streets for who’s next. Observation is the key to Johansson’s performance and to Under the Skin on the whole.

Scarlett Johansson Brings Human Tenderness to Her Alien Character

Image via A24

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The alien watches people to hunt them, but by watching them she also learns about their emotional lives, their decency, and their beauty. In a critical scene, the alien picks up a man with a facial disfigurement. They chat in the van. She asks if he has friends or a girlfriend, or if he’s ever had a girlfriend. He hasn’t. She asks if he gets lonely. He doesn’t respond. She says, “You have very nice hands. You have beautiful hands.” She holds his hands and encourages him to touch her face, which he does, before taking him inside to consume him. Crucially, he’s the first person she lets go without consuming him. The subtleties of Johansson’s performance convey real hesitation after having connected with the man personally and emotionally, a real emotional breakthrough for the character.

For much of the film, Johansson’s performance is intentionally guarded, revealing little. As she accrues experience with people, her expression softens and becomes more naturalistic. After the alien crosses over into the human world, she becomes truly vulnerable for the first time, transitioning from predator to potential prey. As this transition takes place, Johansson’s gaze turns inward, observing herself as a part of humanity for the first time. She befriends a man and stays at his home. She observes her body in a mirror, tracing it lightly with her hands. Her expression is softer, less laser-focused on others as she becomes one of them. The beginnings of her emotional transformation make the ultimate fate of the alien even more tragic.

Image via A24

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At the end of Under the Skin, the alien ends up in the woods where she’s molested by a logger. She runs away from him, but he catches up and attempts to sexually assault her. In the struggle, he peels away her skin, revealing a hard, gray, featureless body beneath. The body beneath is like a mask, hard and unchanging, illegible. The body is not sexed, more like a rough bronze statue than a person. In his horror, the logger lights the alien on fire, and the film ends. Her integration into human subjectivity makes her subject to human paradigms of violence and victimhood. It is her openness to human goodness that puts her at risk of suffering from human cruelty.

Under the Skin is a profound meditation on embodied human experience, compassion, connection, and the ways people fail at those same things. The film is a visual feat, with wonderful, bizarre sequences recalled in newer films like The Substance. The guerrilla film-making and director Jonathan Glazer’s vision are both phenomenal, and the film wouldn’t work without those components. But Under the Skin rides on Johansson’s performance, which is suitably minimalist, like the rest of the film, allowing space for real tenderness and curiosity to bleed through. Without Johansson’s incredible talent and intuition as a performer, Under the Skin wouldn’t be nearly as creepy, touching, or devastating as it is.

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Release Date

April 4, 2014

Runtime

108 minutes

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Director

Jonathan Glazer

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Writers

Jonathan Glazer, Walter Campbell

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Fans are waiting with bated breath for Amazon MGM Studios to announce which actor has been cast as the new James Bond; the latest shortlist includes frontrunners Jack Lowden, Callum Turner, Jacob Elordi, Jack O’Connell, and Jack Barton. Gary Oldman, who stars alongside Lowden in the hit Apple TV series Slow Horses, recently let slip that the studio may have already finalized the actor for the role, but is waiting for the right time to announce his name to the world. Meanwhile, former Bond star Pierce Brosnan had nothing but positive vibes for whoever will play the iconic character next. Brosnan starred as Bond in four movies, and recently returned with the second season of his blockbuster Paramount+ crime drama series MobLand. The show’s return nudged audiences to revisit one of Brosnan’s four Bond movies, which recently surged up the streaming charts.

The movie in question is widely regarded as Brosnan’s finest hour as the suave British spy. His tenure began in 1995 and ended in 2002. His successor, Daniel Craig, played Bond in five films across 15 years, from 2006 to 2021. The gap between two Bond eras has never been as long as the one we’re experiencing now. Although Denis Villeneuve has been selected to direct the next Bond movie, it would be safe to bet that the project probably won’t land in theaters before 2028. This would further extend the gap between two Bond eras to seven years. All that fans of the legendary franchise can do until then is to revisit their favorite past installments.

One of the Most Beloved James Bond Movies Is Having a Streaming Resurgence

And that’s exactly what they’re doing now. According to FlixPatrol, the 1995 classic GoldenEye is among the most watched movies on the domestic Vudu chart. The movie marked Brosnan’s debut as Bond, and helped usher the franchise away from its Cold War roots. Also featuring Sean Bean and Famke Janssen, the film was directed by Martin Campbell, who returned to direct Craig’s first Bond movie, Casino Royale. GoldenEye was a box-office hit, grossing more than $355 million worldwide against a reported budget of $60 million. The movie now holds a “Certified Fresh” 81% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the consensus reads, “The first and best Pierce Brosnan Bond film, GoldenEye brings the series into a more modern context, and the result is a 007 entry that’s high-tech, action-packed, and urbane.” You can watch the movie on Vudu, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

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Release Date

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November 16, 1995

Runtime

130 minutes

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Writers

Ian Fleming, Michael France, Jeffrey Caine, Bruce Feirstein

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Parasite (2019), written and directed by Korean filmmaker Bong Joon Ho, took the world by storm upon its release, captivating audiences and critics alike with its gripping story, social commentary, and eye-catching cinematography. It cemented its status as one of the most significant films of the 2010s when it became the first non-English language film, as well as the first South Korean film, to win Best Picture at the 2020 Academy Awards. While Parasite may be his most recognizable and accoladed film, Joon Ho has actually delved into the mystery, thriller, and crime genres before.

Released in 2009 and now available to stream free on YouTube, Mother was Bong Joon Ho’s fourth feature film as a director and seventh as a writer. It follows an unnamed widow, the titular “Mother” (Kim Hye-ja) and her son Do-joon (Won Bin), who has an intellectual disability. When Do-joon is accused of murdering a local girl, Mother conducts her own investigation to find the real killer in order to clear her son’s name, but the situation soon spirals out of control and concludes in a shocking twist. With a tight script and great performances, it’s a film that deserves just as much recognition as any American thriller or Joon Ho’s more famous work.

‘Mother’ is a Masterclass in Screenwriting

Image credit via CJ Entertainment.

Just like Parasite, one of the most impressive aspects of Mother is Joon Ho’s writing. Mother’s search for the killer unfolds like a detective serial, but much like the best Hitchcock films, the audience also learns just as much about the main character as they do about the case, After Do-joon is arrested and charged with the murder of local girl Moon Ah-jung, Mother breaks into the house of Do-joon’s friend, Jin-tae (Jin Goo), as she believes that he committed the crime and framed her son. However, Jin-tae has a strong alibi, so Mother teams up with him to question people in town about Ah-jung, leading to Mother recovering the girl’s cell phone. Every beat in the investigation is evenly paced, makes logical sense, and shows (rather than tells) how dedicated Mother is to her son, raising the stakes and human interest of the story.

Warning: spoilers ahead.As Mother’s investigation progresses, her aforementioned dedication is tested, and the story’s overarching themes come into focus. One of the photos on the phone matches the description of a local junk collector whom Do-joon saw on the night Ah-jung was killed. Mother goes to speak with the junk collector, and he tells her that he remembers seeing Do-joon accidentally kill Ah-jung after throwing a rock at her during an argument. To prevent him from going to the authorities, Mother kills the junk collector by beating him with a wrench and setting his house on fire. Some time later, the police inform Mother that Do-joon is being released because they have caught the “real killer,” another local boy. Rather than turn on her son, Mother says nothing to the authorities. The local boy is sent to jail for a crime he didn’t commit, and Mother uses her acupuncture kit to make herself forget about the crimes that she and her son have committed.

While she may have started her investigation with pure intentions, Mother’s behavior over the course of the story escalates to the point where she ends up committing more crimes than her son to protect him, even though he is actually responsible for the death of an innocent girl. When the credits roll, the viewer is left to decide for themselves if Mother was justified in her actions, if there are limitations to the bond between parent and child, if they themselves would—or should—do the same to protect their own family. These questions don’t have easy answers, and ensure that Mother lingers in the back of your mind long after you’ve seen it.

A Powerful Lead Performance Makes ‘Mother’ a Must-See

Image credit via CJ Entertainment.

The script for Mother may be expertly crafted, but it wouldn’t be as gripping as it is without an incredible performance of the titular character by Korean actress Kim Hye-ja. Famous in her home country for her decades-long television career, she had a longtime fan in Bong Joon Ho, and he actually met with her several times while drafting Mother. With no one else in the running for the role, Hye-ja got a personalized opportunity to showcase the breadth of her talent, and she delivered on every count. Whether her character is setting a house on fire or having dinner with her son, Hye-ja authentically portrays the role of a mother devoted to the point of no return. Joon Ho has expressed several times that without Hye-ja, Mother wouldn’t exist, and it’s clear to see why upon viewing.

The most interesting element of Mother‘s lead performance is Hye-ja’s ability to convey her character’s state of mind with her facial expressions. In the final scene, when Mother realizes that Do-joon knows what she did to the junk collector, she walks away from him through a crowded bus station. In a continuous thirty-second shot, Mother’s facial expression changes countless times, somehow simultaneously showing anger, sadness, confusion, and relief. Her eyes seemingly alternate between tear-filled and dry; she looks as if she’s about to cry, then about to smile, then cry again. Mother’s internal emotional turmoil is made external, explicitly and elegantly so, because of the choices that Hye-ja makes as a performer. The emotional climax of the entire movie hinges on Hye-ja’s acting to convey what’s happening to the audience, and the fact she is able to do so without uttering a single word is a testament to her talent. It’s a performance that rightfully earned Hye-ja multiple awards and nominations and undoubtedly should earn a viewer’s time to sit down and see for themselves.

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Release Date

May 28, 2009

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Director

Bong Joon Ho

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Bong Joon Ho, Eun-kyo Park

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Actress and singer Melissa Barrera has weighed in on the Ed Sheeran and Macklemore drama, offering her take on the controversy surrounding the rapper’s removal from the Loop Tour. Barrera also looked back at her own situation after being fired from the “Scream” franchise due to her vocal support for Palestine. Barrera’s comments come as Macklemore receives an outpouring of support after his departure.

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Nearly a week after Macklemore was booted from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour due to his pro-Palestine remarks, Melissa Barrera is sharing how she was moved by the wave of support the rapper received.

Following the announcement, Sheeran’s backing band and his three supporting acts withdrew from the tour in support of Macklemore and what he stood for.

“It was so beautiful to see Finneas and the band and all the opening acts pulling out in support of Macklemore. It made me emotional. You know, I didn’t get that when it happened to me,” Barrera said, per AP News.

In 2023, the actress was fired from “Scream VII” after speaking out on the Gaza conflict and criticizing Israel on social media. Some co-stars and publicists showed solidarity, but she did not receive massive public support like Macklemore.

“It was too soon. People were too scared,” Barrera said of her firing. “But it’s good to see that almost three years later, at least things have changed,” she added.

The Actress Wonders What The Outcome Could Have Been If Ed Sheeran ‘Called The Bluff’

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Macklemore released a statement revealing that billionaire businessman Robert Kraft, who owned one of the concert venues, rallied other venue owners to drop the rapper or lose the stadium bookings. Sheeran also acknowledged the controversy in a statement, saying it was not his decision to remove Macklemore, but that of the promoters.

“I can’t help but wonder what would have happened if Ed Sheeran had been like, ‘no,’ and called the bluff,” Barrera said, adding that he maybe would have had his tour canceled, but it would have been possible to find other venues willing to work with him.

“I wish the people who have the power understood the power that they have,” she said.

Melissa Barrera Was Accused Of Antisemitism

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Barrera was set to reprise her role as Sam Carpenter for “Scream VII” when she was terminated during pre-production. Spyglass Media Group, the studio behind the movie, released a statement, saying they have “zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate.”

What prompted the firing was Barrera’s social media statements. In one post, she accused Israel of “genocide and ethnic cleansing” in Gaza.

Barrera responded to the studio’s accusation and said, “I condemn antisemitism and Islamophobia. I condemn hate and prejudice of any kind against any group of people.”

Matthew Lillard Said The Actress Was ‘On The Right Side Of History’

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Matthew Lillard, who appeared in several “Scream” movies, including the seventh installment, recently said he was ashamed to have participated in the film after Barrera’s firing. “She’s on the right side of history,” the actor added.

“What happened to Melissa, the whole world didn’t pipe up. She was like a year early on what the f-ck’s going on, but the whole world should have piped up and said, ‘she’s right,’ and they didn’t. And that’s brutal,” Lillard said, per Deadline.

Lillard said that when he received the offer to reprise his role, he was overcome with excitement and did not think about what happened to Barrera. “I didn’t say ‘no.’ I’m embarrassed, and that’s the truth,” he said.

Ed Sheeran Apologizes At First Concert After Fallout

Sometimes a novella-length book can be even more impactful than a 600-page marathon read. The official line between a short novel and a novella is a bit hazy, but both forms make the most of 200 pages or less. The sweet spot for your typical adult fiction book is 300 to 350 pages, according to Penguin Random House. These books, because of their relative brevity, are especially impressive literary feats, tackling enduring themes of mortality, friendship, human agency, heroism, and corruption.

These titles vary in genre and style, from magical realism to absurdism to literary and historical fiction. This list also spotlights international talent: three of the five reads are translated works, originally published in French, Korean, and Spanish. Despite their condensed page counts, these books contain much to keep the reader contemplating, and reveal a new impactful layer of detail every time they’re revisited.

5

‘The Stranger’ (1942)

By Albert Camus

Image via Vintage International

Albert Camus’ short philosophical novel, The Stranger, first published in French in 1942, follows Meursault, a detached narrator whose blunt reflection, “Mother died today. Or maybe yesterday, I don’t know,” famously opens this widely poured-over story. After protagonist Meursault kills a man on the beach, not out of malice but seemingly overcome by the blinding midday sun, he finds himself on trial and is condemned by the jury.

The Stranger, which made waves in post-war Europe, is often grouped in with existentialist literature, although Camus notably rejected the existentialist label in preference for his philosophy of absurdism. Most recently adapted into a French film in 2025 by François Ozon, The Stranger continues to be one of the most enduring literary works that explores, with stark, direct prose, the timeless question of what it means to live authentically.

4

‘Aura’ (1962)

By Carlos Fuentes

Image via Farrar, Straus and Giroux

The shortest book on the list, with the original Spanish text clocking it at a little over 60 pages, Carlos Fuentes’ Aura is a unique, dreamlike tale told entirely in the second person. The spooky Gothic narrative’s frontman is Felipe Montero, a young historian, who gets an odd ghostwriting job under the eye of an elderly widow in her strange Mexico City home, wherein he encounters her alluring niece, Aura. From there, reality and dream become irreparably jumbled.

Fuentes’ disorienting, hypnotic narrative, locked into a relentless present tense, keeps the charm of a traditional ghost story while intensely collapsing any boundaries of time and identity. For those who are honing Spanish or English as their second language, the bilingual edition of Aura is a particularly insightful and enriching experience, allowing further insight into how Fuentes’ enigmatic storytelling moves between languages.

3

‘The Vegetarian’ (2007)

By Han Kang

Image via Portobello Books

The Vegetarian by Han Kang, Winner of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature, is a three-part novel that started out as a short story the author wrote in the late 1990s. In its complete form, the US paperback edition is 160 pages long. The story, set in contemporary Seoul, South Korea, introduces Yeong-hye, who suddenly decides to stop eating meat after a series of gruesome, bloody dreams.

Each of the book’s sections is told from the POV of people around Yeong-hye, such as her husband and her brother-in-law, rather than Yeong-hye herself. Her dietary switch becomes a source of conflict, and the story evolves into a much stranger, Kafkaesque domestic drama. A jarring allegorical tale about power and control, The Vegetarian has become a critically acclaimed hit. After being translated into English in 2015, the novel won the International Booker Prize the following year, and has since been translated into over 20 languages.

2

‘Sula’ (1973)

By Toni Morrison

Image via Vintage International

Toni Morrison’s Sula narrowly falls under the 200-page mark, but its scope is anything but small. Traversing decades in the lives of two childhood companions, Sula Peace and Nel Wright, the novel explores friendship, womanhood, race, sexuality, and the expectations placed on Black women in a Midwestern community known as “The Bottom.” Each chapter takes place during a different year, with Morrison compressing an incredible amount of palpable history and character development into a well-honed, almost mythic narrative.

What makes Sula so enduring and tragic, like most of Toni Morrison’s literary fiction, is the author’s uncanny ability to write such nuanced and complicated stories that speak to the monumental themes of love and grief. Morrison’s Sula is altogether captivating, unerring, and perhaps the most accessible entry point into the prose of one of the greatest American authors.

1

‘Small Things Like These’ (2021)

By Claire Keegan

Image via Faber & Faber

Under 120 pages, Claire Keegan‘s historical fiction novella, much like Sula, hones in on one specific community with great tact and emotional weight. In this case, readers are transported to a small town in Ireland in 1985, the week before Christmas. The protagonist, Bill Furlong, a coal merchant, is facing a busy but routine winter when, one morning on a delivery, he makes an unsettling discovery at a local convent. Locked in a coal shed is a freezing young woman. After happening upon her, Bill soon realizes this woman is but one victim in a broader scheme of structural abuse.

Using the historical context of Ireland’s Magdalene Laundries, in which tens of thousands of women and girls were subject to confinement and forced labor, Small Things Like These is quite harrowing, but beautifully executed. Guilt, religion, complicity, community, and moral dilemmas all strongly feature in this story, which was made into a pretty faithful film adaptation in 2024, starring Cillian Murphy and featuring Emily Watson and Peter Claffey.

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Release Date

November 8, 2024

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96 Minutes

Director

Tim Mielants

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Writers

Claire Keegan, Enda Walsh

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Chile, Converse has some explaining to do after two separate campaign images had social media doing a serious double take. The brand is now speaking out after folks online had some serious questions about the visuals. And once you see what had people talking, you’ll understand why the internet wasn’t letting this one slide.

RELATED: Converse Ad Sparks Controversy As Internet Users Say It Appears To Show KKK Imagery (PHOTO)

Converse Addresses Backlash Over Controversial Ad Images

Converse has apologized after photos from two ad campaigns drew criticism online, with social media users comparing elements of the images to Ku Klux Klan hoods and lynching imagery. In a statement, the Nike-owned brand acknowledged the backlash and said it understood why the image was “deeply upsetting.” Converse also said it removed the image from its channels and was working to remove it everywhere it appeared.

“We’re sorry. We understand why this image is deeply upsetting and recognize that we got this wrong. We removed it from our channels and are working to remove it everywhere it appeared. This should not have happened, and we will do better.”

Wait, What Exactly Went Down With The Converse Ad?

As previously reported, one of the images features K-pop star Karina of Aespa, who appears as the face of a campaign highlighting the Chuck 70 X and Run Star Crush sneakers. In the photo, Karina stands inside a large Converse star while wearing a white skirt and holding two sneakers. Some viewers said the lighting and positioning created a white triangular shape they felt resembled a KKK hood. While many think the shoes appeared to resemble dangling legs.

The Comments Were Split

Folks quickly ran to The Shade Room’s Instagram comment section, and chile, the reactions were definitely split. Some felt people were reachingand reading too much into the campaign imagery. While others pushed back, saying that dismissing the comparisons is part of the problem and that the imagery should have been caught before the ads went live.

One Instagram user @theealvingray said, “Can y’all bully FASFA some kinda way and make them come off as racist , so we can get a refund or something”

This Instagram user @bibbs.__ claimed, “Corporations really be trying to see what they can get away with…the “we’ll do better” message was already made just in case 😂”

And, Instagram user @chefjohncartel shared, “I Been Black 37yrs Did I Miss The Meeting Or Something??? All I Seen Was A Lil Wednesday Girl Holding A Pair Of Keds Well Chucks & A Star ⭐️”

Meanwhile, Instagram user @ocst_ar87 commented, “That’s why diversity is important. They need people of color in these marketing rooms.”

While Instagram user @poseidon__1995 wrote, “It really wasn’t that deep yall just love to make something out of nothing”

Finally, Instagram user @guardian.network said, “People who’s saying it’s not deep is part of the problem 🙄”

RELATED: Coca-Cola Pulls Ja Morant Powerade Advertisements After He Brandished Gun On Instagram Live

Tiffany Haddish is clearly not letting anyone forget who’s bringing the heat! The comedian and actress had the timeline doing a double-take after stepping into a whole new vibe for her latest Instagram post. And judging by the reactions, the look definitely had folks talking.

RELATED: Revenge Complete?! Tiffany Haddish Gets Real About Why She Chose To Defecate In Her Ex’s Shoes (VIDEO)

Tiffany Turns Up the Western Heat

On Friday, Tiffany shared a fresh set of photos that showed her channeling some Western-baddie energy. In the snaps, she rocked a dark cowboy hat, an open denim jacket with nothing underneath, and a red bandanna tied around her neck. She kept the beauty look relatively natural, letting her face and nails complement the sultry, country-inspired aesthetic.

Tiffany’s Caption Doubles Down On Her Baddie Energy

And if the outfit wasn’t already making a statement, Tiffany’s caption made it crystal clear how she was feeling. “I’m the only baddie in the room,” she wrote alongside the post, adding the caption, “Daddy said shoot 🐄🌵.”

Folks Had Plenty To Say

Folks quickly ran to The Shade Room’s Instagram comment section with plenty of thoughts on Tiffany’s latest look. While some commenters said she looked cute and loved the Western-inspired vibe, others weren’t feeling the outfit and made their opinions known.

One Instagram user @weluvyazli said, “She’s beautiful but I’m sure ya’ll will find something negative to say 😒”

This Instagram user @ray__bandsss joked, “She look tired of ts on every photo 🤣😭”

And, Instagram user @gotaprilshowers added, “🔥🔥🔥”

Meanwhile, Instagram user @shopwithaspenelise wrote, “This is me when i think im being sexy 😑”

While Instagram user @sunniemurphyx shared, “Someone come get her”

Finally, Instagram user @shaehollywood commented, “She looks good”

RELATED: Aht Aht! Tiffany Haddish & Jason Lee Speak Out After Folks Thought They Welcomed A Baby Together (WATCH)

Ed Sheeran‘s Loop Tour has become the center of a major music-industry controversy after Macklemore was dropped from the lineup following a pro-Palestine chant during his opening set.

Fallout from the situation has since sparked chatter from the likes of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Pink and a string of other artists.

Scroll down for a breakdown of the situation unfolded and where things stand now:

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Related: Finneas and More Acts Exit Ed Sheeran’s Tour After Macklemore Is Dropped

Finneas and other musical acts are showing their support for Macklemore — and the Palestinian people — by exiting Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour amid the controversial decision to drop the Seattle rapper from the show. “Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed,” Finneas, 29, wrote via Instagram on Tuesday, September […]

Macklemore’s ‘Free Palestine’ Moment 

While opening for Sheeran at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on September 4 and 5, 2026, Macklemore chanted “Free Palestine” and denounced genocide in all forms before performing his protest track “Hind’s Hall” in opposition of Israel’s war in Gaza. During his set, the rapper claimed one of his primary reasons for signing onto the roster for the stadium shows was to advocate for Palestine amid the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Pink’s Involvement in the Backlash

Days later, Pink reposted comments from StopAntisemitism, accusing Macklemore of spreading “anti-Israel propaganda” that soon sparked backlash. She addressed the controversy in a statement that month.

“I was born a Jew. I didn’t pick it, and I’ve never hidden it,” she wrote in an Instagram statement shared on Rosh Hashanah, the start of the Jewish year, claiming that, “Hamas is a terrorist organization” but “Palestinians deserve a future that honors their humanity and their aspirations.”

Of her reaction to Macklemore’s speech, she added, in part, “A repost isn’t a statement, and a meme isn’t a spine.”

Macklemore Removed From Ed Sheeran’s Tour

News broke on September 14, 2026, that Macklemore would not perform at Sheeran’s remaining U.S. shows. Concert promoter Messina Touring Group told Rolling Stone in a statement that several venues had notified the company they would not allow concerts to take place with Macklemore on the lineup, “which would result in the cancellation of the tour and impact hundreds of thousands of fans.”

Sheeran addressed the decision via Instagram on September 15, writing, “After Macklemore’s performances at my New Jersey shows, venues on my upcoming tour dates communicated that they would pull the shows if he was still supporting.”

He added that “Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter’s decision, it was not mine” and stressed that he respects Macklemore “as an artist.”

Sheeran continued: “I have spent this week trying to build bridges, to find a solution and unfortunately, was unable to do so. I know who I am, both as a person and as an artist, and those who know my heart know my values too.”

Macklemore fired back on Instagram, alleging, “I didn’t need 10 shows from Ed. I needed 2. Two chances to stand in front of 90,000 people and say the words that somehow became too dangerous to say. Free Palestine. But if those words cost me the stage, while turning the conversation back to Palestine, then it was the most successful tour I’ve ever been on.”

Macklemore also described Sheeran as a  friend of 13 years and hoped that the disagreement would not end their friendship.

“I am not a victim. Ed Sheeran is not a victim. Pink is not a victim. We have careers, money, opportunities, safety and audiences around the world,” he added in his statement. “Whatever consequences any of us face for what we say, we get to go home to our families.”

Other ‘Loop Tour’ Acts Withdraw

Since Macklemore’s exit, additional Loop Tour acts — Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Beoga — have dropped out. Kehlani, who was not affiliated with the concerts, voiced support for Macklemore in the comments of his Instagram post, writing, “A LOT of the venues / owners are rallied together this way. Honored to know you brother. Adore you. Behind you!!!!”

Robert Kraft Weighs In 

Robert Kraft, the owner of the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, was partially blamed for Macklemore being removed from the Loop Tour bill. 

In a statement, Kraft told ESPN that Macklemore’s participation in the September 25 and 26 concerts at Gillette Stadium “would cross that line” following an alleged “broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery.”

Macklemore’s $1 Million Donation Challenge

Macklemore announced on September 17, 2026 that he planned to donate the $1 million he earned from the Loop Tour to six organizations that support Palestinians.

“I invite Robert Kraft to match my donation,” he wrote. “Whatever we disagree about, perhaps we can agree on this: Palestinian lives are worth protecting.”

Kraft responded the same day, sharing in a statement of his own, “Earlier today, before Macklemore challenged me to match his donation, Ed called me and asked me to commit $2 million to match his donation to aid in the region to fight this humanitarian crisis.”

According to Kraft, Sheeran reportedly “plans to reach out to other venue owners” to continue “to work together to build bridges.”

“I have dedicated much of my life to building bridges between all people,” Kraft added. “I believe deeply that all lives are worth protecting.”

Ed Sheeran Cries as He Addresses Controversy at Philadelphia Concert

All eyes were on Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on September 19, 2026, as Sheeran returned to the stage for the first time since the controversy with Macklemore erupted.

Ahead of the show, his management changed the start time from 5:30 p.m. ET to 8 p.m. ET to account for support acts dropping out. Ticket prices also took a hit, with some seats dropping from $100 early to as low as $42 on Saturday.

Sheeran made the decision to drastically alter the format of the Philly show, removing the B-stage where he traditionally took song requests from fans.

At showtime, Sheeran got choked up as he addressed the events of the past week, explaining to fans that he was used to his “music being criticized” but never his personal beliefs.

“This week, the criticism was about something much more important, and I’ve had to take [it in] and make difficult decisions, and I am making mistakes, and I’m so so sorry,” he said from the stage.

Sheeran reflected on being placed “in the middle of an important, passionate argument about freedom of speech.”

“This is a humanitarian issue [in Palestine] and I cannot hide how I feel about it anymore,” he acknowledged. “What happened in Israel on October 7 was horrific and compounded centuries of pain. What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable — and disproportionate. … The systemic injustice we see unfolding in the West Bank cannot be overlooked.”

The singer-songwriter thanked his fans for standing by him, telling them he was “honestly so grateful” that they’d come out to support him after such a tumultuous week.

Melissa Barrera Compares Her ‘Scream 7’ Firing to Macklemore’s Situation

Melissa Barrera spoke to The Associated Press on September 16 about how the support Macklemore was receiving from fans and fellow artists differed from her own firing from Scream 7 after making pro-Palestinian statements.

“It made me emotional, you know,” Barrera said. “I didn’t get that when it happened to me. I didn’t have any of that happen. It was too soon. People were too scared. But it’s good to see that almost three years later, at least things have changed.”

The actress was infamously dropped from the cast of Scream 7 for showing support for Palestinian causes in the wake of the October 7, 2023, terror attacks. (Production company Spyglass has maintained that her support for Palestinians was not the reason for her departure from the franchise.)

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Speaking about the current situation, Barrera suggested Sheeran should have sent a powerful message about free speech by standing by Macklemore.

“I wish that the people that have power understood the power that they have,” she told The Associated Press. “ I think that the problem is that there’s a lot of people that actually have a lot of power; they think that they don’t, and they’re operating out of fear, and it’s just a shame because, you know, we just saw what happened — the support that rallied behind Macklemore — and I think that’s a big step. I think that what we’re seeing, what we’re witnessing, is going to inspire real change, and I’m very hopeful about that.”

This story was compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists.