Caleb Shomo, the lead singer of the rock band Beartooth, is officially moving on from his wife, Fleur Shomo, after 14 years of marriage. The news of their separation comes weeks after Shomo, 33, came out as a “proudly gay man” after speculation about his sexual identity mounted. In a post, Shomo opened up about his decision to come forward with the truth, stating that it took him many years to feel comfortable with who he is. Fleur, meanwhile, admitted to being hurt by the news, but vowed to support him through this next phase of life.

Te amamos, Caleb Shomo! 🖤

O vocalista do Beartooth declarou que é gay em um novo post publicado no seu Instagram! pic.twitter.com/UJFydkIJb7

— downstage (@downstagebra) May 23, 2026

According to a new report from Page Six, Caleb and Fleur jointly filed for dissolution of their marriage in Los Angeles Superior Court earlier this week. The pair got married in April 2012 and were together for 14 years. They do not share any children.

Their divorce comes on the heels of Caleb’s admission that he is a “proudly gay man.” He opened up to his social media followers and fans after speculation about his personal life grew. “This is something I’ve been unpacking and reckoning with in my life for quite some time now. It’s been difficult to navigate the feelings surrounding the subject and figure out what to do with this fact,” he said.

Caleb Shomo Said He Was ‘Embarrassed’ That He Didn’t Feel Comfortable Enough To Be Himself

Caleb, a Columbus, Ohio, native, has released several albums under the Beartooth moniker, “Disgusting,” “Aggressive,” “Disease,” “Below,” “The Surface,” and, most recently, “Pure Ecstasy.”

In his initial statement, Caleb implied that he wrote about his struggle with his sexuality throughout his music, noting that the albums explored his “religious upbringing, depression, self-hatred, and hopelessness.”

While he admitted he was grateful for the work he’s put out, he felt “embarrassed at times that I wouldn’t allow myself to really dig up the roots for so long.”

Caleb Shomo’s Wife Fleur Broke Her Silence On Her Husband’s Confession Shortly After He Came Out To The World

Caleb Shomo (Beartooth) is ICONIC in new photo.

📷 Rayhan AIFaridzi pic.twitter.com/j4unHRt803

— State of the Scene (@SOTSPodcast) March 19, 2026

After Caleb came out publicly, his wife, Fleur, broke her silence, revealing the news had crushed her. Despite feeling sadness over the end of her marriage, she said that she would always “love, protect, and support Caleb” for the rest of their days. “I have cared more about his well-being over the years than anything else in the world,” she said.

Fleur went on to say that she was saddened knowing her estranged husband spent years of his life confused and fearful about his identity. “You never want anything more for your person than for them to just be ok. You also ask yourself constantly if you’re a bad person for wondering wtf this means for your world & the anger you also feel,” she added.

As she works to care for herself during this challenging time, Fleur said that she was also trying to strike a balance between supporting Caleb and moving forward.

“To support him whilst losing everything has been incredibly hard to figure out. You can love and support your person through the hardest time in their life, whilst also be completely demolished & lose yourself at the same time,” she said.

How Was Caleb Feeling When He Came Out As Gay To His Estranged Wife?

After coming out as gay, Caleb appeared on Katie Maloney’s “Disrespectfully” podcast and recalled the moment he told his wife he had feelings for men.

“I was just bawling my f-cking eyes out, trying so hard to verbalize,” the rock singer said. “And I really struggle to verbalize things, and this is obviously such an intense thing, and I’m feeling so nervous and so scared in the situation that it was really, really difficult to verbalize, and I didn’t verbalize it very well.”

Caleb Was Scared To Come Out Because Of His Upbringing

Elsewhere in the conversation, Caleb said that one reason he kept this part of himself suppressed for so long was his conservative upbringing.

He recalled a story from the past, when he went shopping with his mother and picked out what she described as a “girls’ ring.” Although she purchased the piece of jewelry for him, it wasn’t until he was bullied by kids at school that he began to feel differently about wearing it.

“I just freaked out and didn’t know what was going on and threw it out the window,” he said. “It was like, ‘F-ck, don’t do that. Whatever that is, let’s keep that away.’”

Since then, Caleb said he knew he had “feminine” energy, but because of his surroundings, he felt he couldn’t really express it.

“So that feeling that I had, which I now understand was my sexuality, I just viewed and compartmentalized as just self-hatred. It’s this thing that’s evil in me, and okay, you fight this with all of your might. And that’s the right thing to do. You f-cking pray about it,” he said.

General Hospital spoilers for July 20-24, 2026 stun with Jason Morgan (Steve Burton) dropping a bombshell now that he is back to Port Charles. Plus, we’ve got Anna Devane (Finola Hughes) interrogating somebody in her desperate bid to get her head on straight.

Also, in the week of July 20th through the 24th, we’ve got more on Portia Robinson’s (Brook Kerr) baby mama drama, Valentin Cassadine (James Patrick Stuart) getting what he wants, and Britt Westbourne (Kelly Thiebaud) circling the drain. And as we always do on early edition day, we’ll talk about what is happening the rest of this week and then we will get into what is coming in the week ahead.

General Hospital: July 15th Through 17th – Trina’s Showcase and Portia’s Labor

With that in mind, on Wednesday, July 15th, we have got big, big news for Trina Robinson (Tabyana Ali) and Gio Palmieri (Giovanni Mazza). And it looks like it is about the music showcase that Brook Lynn Quartermaine (Amanda Setton) is setting up primarily for Trina, even though Gio is in the mix as her musician accompaniment. But nerves get the better of her and Trina tells Gio is a mistake and she can’t do this.

Curtis Ashford (Donnell Turner) expresses his gratitude. He’s talking to Valentin on Wednesday and I expect Curtis thanks him for stopping and helped him get Jordan Ashford (Tanisha Harper) out of the car before it went up in flames, especially because Valentin was a fugitive at the time and risked his freedom to help them.

So, Curtis tells Valentin that he hates that he has to ask for his help again. And I’m wondering if Curtis is asking Valentin to do something related to his criminal trial, like saying he helped them, maybe saying he saw the other driver leave. At this point, I think there’s no low that Curtis won’t sink to.

GH Spoilers: Portia Goes into Labor

Also, Portia is in labor. She says this baby is coming right now. She was right by her purse, so hopefully she’ll pull out her cell phone and call Isaiah Gannon (Sawandi Wilson) because he’s a doctor, but 911 would be a good option for Portia. I thought Jordan was absolutely horrible. By the way, nobody is to blame for any of this but Curtis and Jordan. And it looks like, just by the way, she’s eleven months pregnant right now. So, that baby needs to come out.

Jack Brennan (Chris McKenna) and Nina Reeves (Cynthia Watros) figure out what to do next. They are at Wyndemere. They need to find that black box that Ross Cullum (Andrew Hawkes) swiped, but Jack is worried that Valentin will try and beat them to the punch for fun. So, Jack will find it, but it may be too late.

Drew Cain (Cameron Mathison) is so close to coming out of locked-in. We got hands moving. We got feet moving. Michael Corinthos (Rory Gibson) tells Willow Tait (Katelyn MacMullen) they both know he gave her exactly what she wants. Not sure what they’re debating, but summer spoilers say that Justine Turner (Nazneen Contractor) is tired of Willow being in Michael’s life and goes rogue. I wonder if Justine is going to tip off the press about the car accident. Drew has more motion in his body, but Willow has a little bit of paralytic left. I’m low-key hoping that Drew’s first action when he can move his hands is just to choke Willow.

General Hospital Spoilers: Josslyn Comes Clean

Josslyn Jacks (Eden McCoy) spills a secret and it may be to Anna who visits Josslyn up at General Hospital. She tells her she was hoping maybe she could get her across the finish line. So, I wonder if she will tell her the truth about Cassius Faison (Ryan Paevey) and Cullum. Carly Corinthos (Laura Wright) is yelling at Britt to stop acting like the world owes her something and fix her life, which is great advice.

GH Spoilers: July 16th-17th – Cody’s Task and Valentin’s Intentions

Then on Thursday, July 16th, we have got Cody Bell (Josh Kelly) volunteering for a thankless task that comes up soon. And I wonder if he’s the one to tell James West (Gary James Fuller) that it wasn’t his dad, Nathan West (Ryan Paevey), in town. That was his uncle Cassius who is now dead, too. Cody’s going to step up for his nephew when James needs him.

Also this week, Molly Lansing-Davis (Kristen Vaganos) drops in on Cody at the stables. And Molly may tell Cody that she’s going to cancel the book tour so she can prosecute the Sidwell case. Cody may worry about her safety though, the same way that Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) did. But this might be convenient for Cody because of the James situation.

Anna interrogates Britt and even though she’s not currently facing criminal charges, when Anna’s back as police commissioner, that could change. So, Britt is smart if she is honest with Anna. And I’m guessing she may want to know if Britt knew that she was held there and gaslighted by Cullum and Jenz Sidwell (Carlo Rota).

General Hospital Spoilers: Can Anna Fight Against Peter?

Also, I’m interested to see if Ghost Peter August (Wes Ramsey) has some harsh things to say about his half-sister Britt. Isaiah interrupts Portia and Curtis. And this may be while they are looking at their newborn, presuming that Portia is not in false labor with this week. That kid is over a month overdue. Even though they don’t have her bump that big. She got pregnant last August.

By the way, if you’re not keeping track, Liesl Obrecht (Kathleen Gati) is furious. She of course is on fire about Cassius being branded the villain in all this. So I wonder if Dr. Obrecht will step up and float Britt some money to keep her off the streets while still fighting this battle over her spare son.

Gio and Emma Scorpio Drake (Brayden Bruner) have a chat about their future. And then on Friday, July 17th, Nina pours her heart out to Jack I’m betting she gets an update about Drew from Willow. And Nina’s worried sick that Willow’s going to prison.

GH Spoilers: Joss Fills Trina In

Trina and Josslyn reconnect. Trina’s got a lot to process about Josslyn being shot and being a WSB agent. Valentin is clear about what he wants by the end of the week. He’s already made clear to Dante Falconeri (Dominic Zamprogna) he plans to get back Wyndemere, the Cassadine home, and to continue being close to Charlotte Cassadine (Bluesy Burke) whether Lulu Spencer (Alexa Havins Bruening) likes it or not. Valentin is also sure that he wants Carly. So, I can’t wait to see if he’s going to move her into the castle if he gets it back.

Lulu warns Ethan Lovett (Nathan Dean Parsons) and this may be about Ava Jerome (Maura West) and Carly sets some boundaries with Sonny by the end of the week. He really hates Carly being with Valentin, but that’s not going to slow Carly up at all. I’m sure she’s going to tell Sonny to butt out and he’s going to task Brick (Stephen A. Smith) to help break up Carly and Valentin, and I’m sure Carly will not appreciate that one bit.

General Hospital: July 20th-24th – Jason’s Bombshells and Curtis’s Trial

The week of July 20th through the 24th, by the way, on Monday, July 20th, that’s the last day of July sweeps. And then we’ve got sweeps again in November. Word spreads that Jason is back and he has decided to live his life a different way after being tortured for months in a WSB black site. Sonny, Carly, and others are going to be stunned by the bombshells he is dropping. Jason also circles back around to Rocco Falconeri (Finn Carr) to reassure him and give some advice.

I think Jason is probably going to have some bad news for Britt, but that’s okay. I think we already met her new love interest. Drew’s recovery is coming up fast, especially now that Kai Taylor (Jens Austin Astrup) has noticed he’s starting to move. Drew’s on a mission to get revenge against Willow, but it might not work out the way he hopes if Nina and Jack find what they’re looking for.

GH Spoilers: Anna’s in Big Trouble with Peter

Ghost Peter tries to get Anna to do deadly things and shares negative opinions about the people that Anna interacts with. Valentin and Carly keep getting closer, but we’re also going to have Lulu being furious and Charlotte being furious at her mother. And we’re going to see Dante advising Lulu to rethink her approach with Charlotte, but Lulu usually doesn’t listen and may dig in her heels.

Valentin’s going to go to Laura Spencer (Genie Francis), looking for help mediating things with Lulu and smoothing things over. And Laura will agree, but she’s going to demand something from Valentin in return. Curtis and Portia are going to have a new baby in their hands and that brings Trina back around even though she’s been avoiding her parents, but her new sibling is definitely someone she wants to spend time with.

Also, we’ll find out the results of her and Gio’s music showcase. Because it looks like Trina gets an offer and Gio does too, which he was not expecting. Curtis is heading into criminal court soon and he’s desperate to avoid prison time and ready to play dirty. And after Jordan terrorized Portia into labor, I bet Isaiah is going to double down on both the civil and criminal cases.

Also, Diane Miller (Carolyn Hennessy) and Alexis Davis (Nancy Lee Grahn) are looking to hire another lawyer for their firm now that they lost Marco Rios (Adrian Anchondo). And Kelly Krueger debuts very soon as Serena Baldwin. She’s coming back to Port Charles to help her surrogate mom, Lucy Coe (Lynn Herring), fight battles at Deception.

Tracy Quartermaine (Jane Elliot) is going to be waging war with Lucy because she now has much more ownership shares thanks to Brook Lynn needing help framing Willow.

General Hospital Spoilers:

And a quick nod to the GH daytime Emmy nominees. They were nominated for outstanding drama. Nothing for lead actress, which is kind of shocking. Steve Burton for lead actor. Amanda Setton for supporting actress. GH was shut out in the supporting actor category. Brayden Bruner for emerging talent along with Giovanni Mazza. Jeff Kober and Eva La Rue for guest stars. Also, they were nominated for writing and directing teams, cinematography, lighting direction, hair and makeup, and also casting.

Madonna‘s fifteenth studio album, “Confessions II,” was born from grief.

The celebrated singer, dubbed the Queen of Pop, released the critically acclaimed album on July 3, 2026. It was a huge hit with fans, but the story behind the record was far from joyful.

Madonna has experienced multiple tragedies in recent years, including the deaths of loved ones and a shocking health scare.

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According to a source, the making of the singer’s fifteenth studio album required a lot of commitment and focus. “She was really locked in,” they claimed, noting that she “really hunkered down in the studio and wrote the album.”

The album was born from grief following the double deaths in the entertainer’s family. On September 24, 2024, Madonna’s stepmother, Joan Ciccone, died from “very aggressive cancer” at 81. Weeks later, her brother Christopher Ciccone also died from cancer on October 4, 2024.

Page Six reported that Madonna processed these losses by turning “mourning into music.” The source told the outlet that these tragedies plus her 2023 health scare made the Queen of Pop “much more reflective than usual.” In their words:

“She really understands what an incredible life and career she continues to have.”

The Singer Experienced A Life-Threatening Illness During Her Celebration Tour

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The source continued singing Madonna’s praise, noting she had a “vision” for her fifteenth studio album and “never wavered” until its completion. “She’s Madonna for a reason,” they said proudly. Her resilience and dedication to her craft were worthy of praise, as she didn’t let a terrifying ordeal end her career.

The Blast reported in September 2025 that the renowned songwriter had opened up about the 2023 health scare that halted her Celebration Tour. She explained that she had been rehearsing for the show when she came down with a bacterial infection that left her “unconscious for four days.”

She shared on Jay Shetty’s “On Purpose Podcast” that the bacterial infection led to sepsis, the body’s extreme, life-threatening reaction to an infection. Although the media personality’s condition left her vulnerable and fearing for her life, she bounced back and made a full recovery.

The Queen Of Pop’s Fifteenth Studio Album Was A Huge Success

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Madonna’s brush with death alongside the deaths of her loved ones became the fuel she needed to achieve a spectacular comeback. Her fifteenth studio album gained massive attraction after its July 3 release, leaving the entertainer full of gratitude.

The Blast covered her reaction to her album’s success, reporting that she thanked everyone involved in a heartfelt Instagram post. She penned her surprise at hitting No. 1 around the world, claiming her goal has always been to “bring people joy” with her music.

The musician’s latest album is the sequel to 2005’s “Confessions on a Dance Floor.” It not only became critically acclaimed but also debuted at the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 chart. The achievement made Madonna the only artist to have No. 1 albums in four different decades: 1980s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s.

The Golden Globe Award Honoree Has Lost Two Brothers

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While Madonna relishes the glory of her latest album, two significant figures in her life are not here to celebrate the moment with her. The Blast shared that the pop star has lost two brothers, Anthony and Christopher Ciccone. The youngest, Christopher, died on October 4, 2024.

The grieving sister honored his memory with a carousel of images detailing their time together, describing him as “the closest human being” in her life for the longest time. The siblings indeed shared a deep bond before their infamous falling out.

Madonna explained in her Instagram tribute that she and Christopher had reconnected after he got sick. Cancer has plagued the media personality’s family, with her older brother, Anthony, dying from a combination of health issues, including oropharyngeal cancer, a disease commonly caused by smoking.

Madonna Opens Up About Her Failed Biopic Project

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A month before releasing her fifteenth studio album, The Blast reported that fans would no longer be treated to a biopic about the renowned singer. She opened up about the failed project in a June interview, revealing that she had spent significant effort on the movie.

“I worked on my script for two years and spent two years at Universal Studios with the line producers doing budgeting and casting,” Madonna explained. Despite the time and effort spent to make the biopic a reality, it was ultimately scrubbed due to finances.

The “Like A Virgin” hitmaker explained that she had “a falling out” with Universal Studios over the movie’s budget because she wanted it to fit the kind of glamorous life she has lived. Madonna noted Netflix had contacted her for a possible series, but she couldn’t use the script she gave Universal unless she bought it from them.

Science fiction is a crowded genre, and some of its greatest titles are buried under layers of remakes, reboots, and homages. These days, it’s hard to think of two sci-fi series bigger than Star Trek and Star Wars, but when those franchises started, they were both paying homage to Foundation by Isaac Asimov. Now things have come full circle, as Foundation is in the middle of a bold adaptation on Apple TV. It’s the perfect binge-watch for fans of Star Trek, Star Wars, and other popular sci-fi, as you can simultaneously see the roots of many core ideas for the genre in Foundation, while also seeing the modern influence imposed on it now.

Asimov’s Foundation was first published as a serial from 1942 to 1950, with later novels following throughout the rest of the author’s life. Asimov was inspired by the historical view of the fall of the Roman Empire, and he applied that to an imagined galaxy-wide empire in his books. This clearly inspired other writers, creators, and filmmakers over the years, yet Foundation itself was not adapted to the screen until this decade. Apple TV’s Foundation premiered in 2021. There are now three seasons available, with a fourth on the way.

‘Foundation’ Set The Standard For Space-Faring Sci-Fi

When reading Asimov’s Foundation novels, it’s hard to miss some of the concepts that clearly inspired later works. Even for modern audiences that are familiar with these ideas, the way Asimov describes them stands out, as his target audience had never seen them rendered on screen before. His descriptions of faster-than-light travel, interplanetary communication, and space warfare were major influences on later works like Star Trek. As for Star Wars, the most striking influence is Asimov’s “Second Foundation,” which is an organization of telepaths who have mastered the full potential of their brains through rigorous study, mediation, and mutation — not unlike Jedi.

Once a writer puts a broad concept out there, others inevitably put their own spin on it — and often come up with something more enduring. This is true across genres, mediums, and time periods, and Asimov is no exception. At the end of the day, many sci-fi fans prefer Frank Herbert’s depiction of a galactic empire in Dune over Asimov’s in Foundation, yet the former could not exist without the latter. This becomes even more complicated when compared to TV shows and movies, which took Asimov’s ideas into the visual medium and remixed them with other sci-fi concepts.

Now, a modern Hollywood is finally adapting Asimov’s story directly, making for one of the most unique final products possible. The story, characters, and settings are some of the oldest in the genre, yet the people bringing them to life have been influenced by Star Trek, Star Wars, and others. Fans can’t help but compare Foundation‘s planet Trantor to Star Wars‘ planet Coruscant, whether they know which one came first or not. It’s an endlessly fascinating nexus of ideas and execution.

‘Foundation’ Has Been Built Without Compromise

Image via Apple TV+

The legacy of the sci-fi genre aside, Foundation is an excellent show on its own merits, and a worthwhile binge-watch for any fan of the genre. The series benefits from Apple TV’s approach of letting shows build gradually and find their audience, rather than expecting them all to become overnight successes. The result is that if you’re not onboard yet, you have a treasure trove of 30 episodes to enjoy before the next season premieres.

Foundation centers around the mathematical genius Hari Seldon (Jared Harris) who has discovered a means of predicting the sociological future of humanity based on numbers alone. The field is known as “Psychohistory.” Seldon predicts that the galactic empire will soon fall, plunging humanity into a “dark age” of social and scientific degradation lasting 30,000 years. He creates the “Foundation” in order to combat that backslide through targeted actions over the course of centuries.

The show stars Lou Llobell as Gaal Dornick, a psychohistorian unraveling Seldon’s instructions throughout the centuries. Meanwhile, the show depicts the fall of the empire from inside through the perspective of its cloned emperors. Three versions of the emperor are alive at any given time — a young man called Brother Dawn (Cassian Bilton), an adult man named Brother Day (Lee Pace), and an older man named Brother Dusk (Terrence Mann). They are counseled by a mysterious woman named Demerzel (Laura Birn). Other stars cycle in and out of the story as the centuries go on.

The Foundation TV series has greatly expanded on its source material while bringing it up to speed with some of the great sci-fi productions the books inspired. The best may be yet to come, as the show still hasn’t even gotten to some of the most fantastical ideas in Asimov’s novels. Three seasons are streaming now on Apple TV, and the fourth should be finished filming any day now, though it’s not clear when it will premiere. All six of Asimov’s Foundation novels are available in print, digital, and audiobook formats.

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Release Date

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September 23, 2021

Network

Apple TV+

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Showrunner

David S. Goyer

Directors

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Alex Graves, Roxann Dawson, Jennifer Phang, Mark Tonderai, Andrew Bernstein

Writers

Jane Espenson, Leigh Dana Jackson, Liz Phang, Eric Carrasco, David Kob, Addie Manis, Marcus Gardley, Lauren Bello, Olivia Purnell

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For years, fans The Simpsons have come up with some wild theories about the iconic series, some of which are darker than others. One, in particular, involves the parentage of Ralph Wiggum (Nancy Cartwright), the son of the Springfield Police Department’s chief, Clancy Wiggum (Hank Azaria). For years, fans have speculated that Chief Wiggum isn’t Ralph’s biological father and that Ralph’s actual father is Eddie the Cop (Harry Shearer). Although it’s just a fan theory, the show broached the possibility multiple times and may have confirmed the truth in a Season 36 episode! It’s time to address the elephant in the room: Who is Ralph Wiggum’s real father?

‘The Simpsons’ References the Theory in Season 34

The Simpsons went so far as to reference the fan theory back in the Season 34 episode, “Lisa the Boy Scout.” However, the theory was referenced more as a gag to make fun of the idea rather than as canon. “Lisa the Boy Scout” features a meta, fourth-wall-breaking premise, as two anonymous masked hackers “hijack” the episode during its broadcast, leaking “unreleased” scenes to paint The Simpsons and its characters in a negative light.

One of these scenes features an over-the-top, melodramatic gag like something out of a soap opera. In the short scene, Chief Wiggum confronts his wife, Sarah Wiggum (Megan Mullally), over Ralph’s parentage, yelling, “Look at the hair! Look at the hair!” Of course, the prevailing theory has always been that Eddie is Ralph’s father, since they have similar, thin hairstyles. The problem with this gag is that the aforementioned sequence was fabricated by the hackers, so it’s not a genuine development involving the Wiggum family. Therefore, the gag cannot be treated as genuine canon, but this was not the last time The Simpsons referenced the notion that Eddie is Ralph’s true father.

‘The Simpsons’ Revisits the Theory in Season 36

The Simpsons oddly references the hotly debated theory later in the Season 36 episode “The Last Man Expanding,” where a new weight loss drug called Othinquic is sweeping the Springfield community. Chief Wiggum has even started using it and lost a significant amount of weight, remarking on how he and his wife could start having more kids, remarking to his colleague Lou (Alex Desert), “Sarah and I are making whoopie again. We’re gonna have more Ralphies soon! A big one, a girl one, one that even looks more like Eddie!” The camera then quickly cuts to Eddie, whose eyes suspiciously shift after Chief Wiggum’s remarks.

What is Eddie’s look about in that scene? It certainly seems like a direct acknowledgment by the writers that there’s some fire to this smoke. It’s strange that, only two seasons apart, The Simpsons writers acknowledge what was little more than a fan theory. Plus, while the Season 34 reference was just a gag and an in-joke perpetuated by malicious hackers, what happened in “The Last Man Expanding” occurs in the show’s genuine canon. Is it possible Eddie’s moment in the episode can be treated as confirmation that he’s Ralph’s father? Perhaps, but there’s another instance from years earlier that might throw cold water on the fan theory.

Who is Ralph Wiggum’s Father?

Image via Fox

Now, the point fans always made regarding Eddie being Ralph’s true father is their hairstyles. Yet way back in Season 11, Episode 17, “Bart to the Future,” features a glimpse of characters’ older selves in the future, including an adult Ralph. In the future, Ralph’s hair grew out, colored blue and curly, just like his father, Clancy. As an adult, Ralph resembles Chief Wiggum more in both body and hairstyle.

Fans who believe in the Eddie theory might treat the Season 36 scene as canon, but there’s still enough alternative evidence to suggest that Chief Wiggum is Ralph’s real father. Nevertheless, after the show has referenced the fan theory twice, it wouldn’t be surprising if the show’s writers spring for the hat trick. The scene in Season 36 is definitely suspicious, but it does not necessarily confirm the theory as canon. Perhaps it conveys that the writers are aware of various fan theories and are poking fun at them. The possibility that Eddie is Ralph’s real father is still fairly prolific, since it was referenced in the iconic series.

In the 1990s, Brendan Fraser was the king of fish-out-of-water movies. From his first major role in 1992’s Encino Man to his 1997 turn as the titular star of George of the Jungle, Fraser became known for his skill at portraying charming, lovable heroes who are truly out of their element. His talents for this kind of film reached a crescendo with 1999’s unique genre mash-up Blast From the Past, now streaming for free on Tubi. An unusual comedic mix of a rom-com, sci-fi, and Cold War-era intrigue, Blast From the Past remains an infinitely charming movie that has only grown better with age.

‘Blast From the Past’ Has a Uniquely Fun Premise

Image via New Line Cinema

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In Blast From the Past, Fraser portrays Adam Webber, a 35-year-old man who was born and raised in his parents’ nuclear-fallout shelter. His father, Calvin Webber (Christopher Walken), built the shelter at the height of the Cold War, believing a nuclear attack by the Soviet Union on the United States was imminent. At the peak of the Cuban Missile Crisis, Calvin and his pregnant wife, Helen (Sissy Spacek), take refuge in the bunker, right before a military jet crashes into their home, leaving them trapped inside. Calvin misunderstands the accidental crash as a nuclear apocalypse, and the family stays locked in the bunker for 35 years.

Helen eventually gives birth to their son, whom they raise and teach over the next several decades. Years later, the now-adult Adam ventures to the surface to get supplies for his family’s shelter and possibly find a wife. The plot mixes the fears and paranoia of the Cold War era with a hilarious fish-out-of-water premise, as Adam struggles to learn about the modern world after a sheltered life with his parents’ traditional, conservative 1950s values. Then, he inexplicably meets and falls in love with a single modern woman, Eve Rustikov (Alicia Silverstone), and high jinks naturally ensue. Blast From the Past’s mixture of satire and light sci-fi was whimsical, and something we hadn’t seen in a modern Hollywood rom-com at that point.

Brendan Fraser and Alicia Silverstone Make an Unexpectedly Perfect Romantic Pair

Brendan Fraser and Alicia Silverstone play off each other well as a classic opposites-attract rom-com pair. Silverstone brings a believable, witty, and modern sensibility to the role, showing increasing maturity as an actress following her iconic turn as Cher Horowitz in 1995’s Clueless. Eve is initially confused and put off by Adam’s starry-eyed wonderment and aw-shucks personality, but eventually comes to believe his cover story that he’s traveling from out of town and looking to stock up on supplies for his family.

Eve has a grounded, believable cynicism to her character, and even after she genuinely starts falling for Adam’s charming personality and old-fashioned values, she still suspects that he is too good to be true. After a significant misunderstanding, Adam finally tells Eve the truth, which allows Eve to finally embrace their relationship, and Adam to finally realize that his father was wrong about the nuclear apocalypse. Fraser and Silverstone display amazing onscreen chemistry and since the actors have such a natural, likable dynamic, it’s easy to root for them to get together by the end.

‘Blast From the Past’ Has Only Gotten Better With Age

Image via New Line Cinema

Blast From the Past was not embraced by critics when it was released, but 27 years later, it holds up better than many of its rom-com contemporaries. Its tremendous cast, unique premise, and the incredible chemistry between Fraser and Silverstone elevate the experience, making it exceptionally entertaining.

In addition to its love story, Blast From the Past also has something moving (and perhaps fairly retro) to say about families. Walken and Spacek prove their comedic chops as Adam’s eccentric parents, Calvin and Helen, and director and co-writer Hugh Wilson uses their storyline as a way to nicely showcase how we deal with and accept our parents’ eccentricities. Even after Adam told his father the truth about how the Cold War ended, Calvin is still stuck in his ways; Eve observes her future father-in-law taking measurements outside to build another fallout shelter. As Eve recounts at the end of the movie, “Adam says this is simply how things work. First, the parents take care of the children, and then the children take care of the parents.” It’s a very idealized, albeit charming, view of accepting our parents’ foibles.

Meanwhile, Adam proves that he’s much more adaptable in the modern world, growing more accustomed to life in 1999 by the film’s end. However, he still maintains his more idealized view of the world — and as Eve points out at the film’s end, she refuses to spoil his dreams, saying, “Why spoil his dreams? They’re such wonderful dreams.” This is another element that sets Blast From the Past apart: its genuine earnestness and the heartfelt emotional truth to its characters. The movie is just as much about the love Adam has for his parents as his love for Eve. Blast From the Past is an easy viewing choice for anyone looking for a fun rom-com with a unique sci-fi-esque premise, and it will only continue to get better as time progresses and it becomes even more of a literal blast from the past.

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Blast from the Past

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Release Date

February 12, 1999

Runtime

112 minutes

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Director

Hugh Wilson

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Writers

Bill Kelly, Hugh Wilson

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Time for a Big Brother update before tonight’s curated CBS episode. We’ve got live feeds updates on Rome Seymour saying something that’s vomit and cringe inducing about his showmance partner.

Plus, Angela Murray is yanked back from the brink of a full paranoid meltdown and Ashley Trail (bartender) might actually be safe on Thursday.

Big Brother: Dee’s Strategic Moves and Angela’s Paranoia

On the live feeds, Dee Valladares put in some time suffering through a morning chat with Haley Thogmartin whom she hates. But Dee’s always working. And when Haley asked if Rick Devens would turn on them (aka the fake larger Red Corner alliance), Dee said yes, in the long run.

Dee’s always playing eight or ten moves ahead in any game she’s in. Because she said Devens was her ride or die but in her intro package, she said she’d cut her Final 2 ally if it was better for her in the end. So, setting up Devens as a sacrifice in week 1 is strategic.

Angela Murray was falling apart on Tuesday and Wednesday with her paranoia getting the better of her. I know in a closed room watching the live feeds, Alison Grodner’s cackling and rubbing her hands together, waiting. She wants Angela in full crazy eyes psycho mode.

Angela’s decided Drew Campbell has betrayed them, even though he was specifically tasked with socializing and talking around the BB28 house. So, Angela suspects Drew, Ashley, Mallory Aurichio, Lyric Medeiros, Jason de Puy, LaTrice “Lala” Verrett, Melody Morris, Rome and Taylor Brown are working together. Nine people.

BB28: A Game of Telephone and the Tally

Ashley said she heard them mentioned as an alliance from Drew. Mallory reported back to Drew what Ashley was saying. Dee, Devens and others realize that Angela needs managed. Meanwhile, Drew seems loyal and keeps reporting back to the Crossovers.

He told Devens that Rome approached him for a Final 4 with them, Lyric and Melody, whom Drew’s clearly crushing on. Tuesday evening, Dee warned Ashley that the Blockbuster was her best shot at staying in the BB28 house this week.

Dee, Barrett Pfeiffer and Drew also came up with a plan last night that if Ashley loses the Blockbuster, they’ll spread out and create some confusion trying to protect her. Meanwhile, Yash Patel thinks he has this locked up.

At 3:15 this morning, Angela assured her allies her paranoia over Drew has calmed and she now trusts him. I think her core issue is she can’t accept that Jason betrayed her after that tear-filled moment when Angela opened up about her son.

But yes, Jason’s targeting her. Her allies are right to distrust her because Tucker saved Angela in BB26 and she turned on him. She spins out fast and blows up big.

Big Brother: Showmancing Gone Wrong and Jason’s Lies

Meanwhile, Lyric’s worried that people will know she and Rome are sharing a bed and asked Mallory not to tell anyone. Umm. Hello. They are now sharing a bed for most of the night – how does Lyric think people do not know?

Speaking of bed sharing, Devens and Barrett shared a bed last night, but no cuddling or talking about their love story or plans to get a dog together like Lyric and Rome were doing.

BB28: The Big Ick from Showmance

If you haven’t heard yet, this gave me the ick – a moment with Lyric and Rome. He promised to keep her and everyone safe. That’s nice. Then he said to Lyric, “you’re my little girl.” Then, she asks Rome, “are you saying that you love me?”

He tells Lyric, “No, I’m not saying that yet.” She tells Rome she can’t wait to hear him say he loves her in like a week. The “little girl” stuff is ick. And then Rome called her “little girl” talking to Lala and others too.

And by the way, Drew seems to think Kamuela “Kamu” Kirk and Rome are going to be facing off over who’s the alpha in the house soon. That and Jason calling Barrett “Daddy” and also Devens “Big Daddy” and I’m just ready to turn off the live feeds if I’m being honest.

And speaking of Jason – at this point, I’m not sure if he’s capable of NOT telling lies. He told Lyric he only lies to Angela and Haley which is in itself a lie. And then, Jason cried on Angela less than an hour later in the storage room.

Jason’s boo-hooed and told Angela he loves her and Haley both and doesn’t want to choose between them. Angela played him hard. Because she said she loves him and is on his side. Once Jason left the storage room, her true colors came out.

Angela cam talked and said she thinks she did a good job convincing Jason. Angela smiled and said “Jason thinks he’s got me wrapped around his little finger and I’m freaking loving it.”

Big Brother: Veto Results and Vote Counting

Okay so tonight’s veto comp on the curated CBS episode is supposed to feature Will Kirby and Howie from BB6. And casuals will see Mallory win it, take herself off the block & Dee renoms Ashley.

For those keeping track in real time, it’s time to start counting votes. Ashley has been campaigning and now Dee’s decided that Ashley’s a good get since she’s unclaimed. So, Dee wants to scoop her up. And she brought in Kamu to convince the other two from the real Red Corner.

Dee was able to bring Kamu around that Ashley’s a number for them with no other allies. And that taking out Yash or Taylor destabilizes the other side of the house where allies are building around Rome and Jason. Kamu went back to Chuk Anyanwu and Haley to sell it.

BB28: Women Winning the Majority?

With 17 houseguests on BB28, two final nominees on the block and one HOH, that means 14 available votes. As of now, Angela, Devens, Drew, Kamu, Chuk, Haley and Barrett are ready to save Ashley if she doesn’t win the Blockbuster.

If it’s a 7-7 tie, Dee can break it to save Ashley. Now, if it’s Yash and Taylor in the end, that’s more debatable. The guys want a girl to go because the math is mathing for them. If Yash goes, the guys are down by two.

That being said, Taylor may be safe and Yash could go home. The main reason to evict Taylor is to separate her from Lala and Jason and from Rome, Lyric and that side of the house. Taylor has done some solid campaigning that seems to have benefited her.

Yash campaigned but may be optimistically misreading many houseguests’ responses as confirmation they’ll vote to keep him. Obviously, Wednesday night and Thursday morning are going to be critical to lock in those votes on Big Brother 28.

There are great movies, there are unforgettable movies, and then there are films that redefine what blockbuster filmmaking can be. Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey firmly belongs in the latter category. With breathtaking visuals, career-defining performances, and an emotional core that never loses sight of Homer’s timeless story, The Odyssey isn’t simply one of the year’s best films. It stands among the finest achievements of Nolan’s extraordinary career.

Rather than treating Homer’s epic as nothing more than an excuse for massive action sequences and mythical creatures, Nolan crafts a deeply human story about perseverance, family, identity, and the emotional cost of war. Every impossible obstacle Odysseus faces feels meaningful because the journey has always been about one thing: finding his way home.

The Odyssey [credit: Universal Pictures]

Matt Damon delivers one of the most restrained performances of his career. His Odysseus isn’t portrayed as an invincible action hero, but as a weathered man carrying years of physical and emotional scars. The performance perfectly complements Nolan’s vision, showing a legendary warrior whose greatest battle is simply surviving long enough to return to the people he loves.

Anne Hathaway shines as Penelope, bringing remarkable strength and quiet resilience to every scene. Tom Holland delivers one of his strongest dramatic performances as Telemachus, whose own journey becomes just as compelling as his father’s. Robert Pattinson nearly steals every scene he’s in with an unforgettable performance that provides just enough unpredictability to keep audiences on edge.

Visually, The Odyssey is simply astonishing.

Shot entirely for IMAX, Nolan and cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema create images that demand to be experienced on the biggest screen possible. From towering cliffs and endless oceans to mythical encounters that feel both terrifying and beautiful, every frame reminds viewers why practical filmmaking still matters. There is a tangible scale and realism here that computer-generated spectacle rarely achieves.

Ludwig Göransson’s score deserves equal praise. The music elevates every triumph, every loss, and every quiet moment of reflection, becoming the emotional heartbeat of the entire film.

Perhaps Nolan’s greatest accomplishment is balancing spectacle with intimacy. While audiences will undoubtedly remember the Cyclops, the Sirens, and the film’s massive action sequences, it’s the quieter moments between family members that leave the deepest impression. The relationship between Odysseus, Penelope, and Telemachus gives the film genuine emotional weight that continues long after the credits roll.

The Odyssey [credit: Universal Pictures]

The film’s nearly three-hour runtime never feels excessive. Every chapter serves a purpose, allowing the audience to fully experience the trials that shaped one of literature’s greatest heroes. Nolan’s signature nonlinear storytelling is present but never distracting, adding depth without sacrificing clarity.

If there’s any criticism to be made, it’s only that some supporting characters deserved more time to breathe. With a cast this talented, a few memorable performances inevitably disappear sooner than audiences might hope. Yet even this feels less like a flaw and more like the unavoidable reality of adapting one of history’s greatest epics into a single film.

Critics have been nearly unanimous in their praise. The New York Times named it a Critic’s Pick, calling it “a classic in every sense” and “a transporting affirmation of the art and a work of pure cinema.” The Associated Press similarly praised the film’s emotional depth and breathtaking spectacle, while early reactions have hailed it as one of Nolan’s most ambitious accomplishments.

Christopher Nolan has spent decades pushing the boundaries of blockbuster filmmaking with films like Memento, The Dark Knight, Inception, Interstellar, Dunkirk, and Oppenheimer. Somehow, The Odyssey feels like the culmination of everything he has learned along the way. It is visually magnificent, emotionally resonant, intellectually engaging, and endlessly cinematic.

This is exactly why people go to the movies.

Final Verdict

The Odyssey is an extraordinary achievement that honors one of history’s greatest stories while firmly establishing itself as one of the defining films of modern cinema. It is epic in scale, intimate in emotion, and unforgettable from beginning to end. Christopher Nolan has once again reminded audiences why he remains one of the greatest filmmakers of his generation.

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 20 seconds ago

Every now and then, I see the mainstream reaction to a successful movie and it makes me feel like I’m taking crazy pills. Perhaps the greatest example of this is the reaction to The Wolf of Wall Street, Martin Scorsese’s film about the infamous stockbroker named Jordan Belfort. The film is amazing, and it became both a critical and commercial smash hit. Nonetheless, every time I turned around, I saw more people condemning the film. To some degree or another, all of the haters share the same sentiment: that The Wolf of Wall Street effectively glorifies its main character’s illegal, immoral, and downright depraved activities.

Now, that’s an understandable surface-level reading of a movie where a guy parlays manic narcissism into a life of wealth and fame, complete with Margot Robbie in his bed every night. However, what such critics are really complaining about is that Scorsese didn’t give us something with the binary morality and instant consequences of an afterschool special, complete with messages like “drugs are bad, kids!” Instead, the director did something better than pretty much any film since Trainspotting: he revealed the downright intoxicating allure of this hedonistic lifestyle before revealing exactly how much damage it can cause to a man and his family.

Greed Has Never Looked So Good

The Wolf of Wall Street focuses on Jordan Belfort, someone who discovers early on that he is very successful at selling stocks. He opens his own brokerage firm, recruiting his buddies and training them in the art of pumping and dumping. Along the way, he gains fame, acclaim, and more money than God. Unfortunately, this causes him to sink into a life of drug abuse that only gets worse as his criminal activities catch the attention of the FBI. Ultimately, he must decide what to save: the scummy business he built from the ground up, or the brilliant young man who has effectively buried himself in a life of delinquency and decadence.

From the very beginning, The Wolf of Wall Street has been plagued by criticisms that it glorifies all of the excessive and downright dangerous behavior of Leonardo DiCaprio’s Jordan Belfort. These critiques typically focus on the ratio of content we are shown. That is, in its oversized three-hour runtime, we see far more of Belfort and other characters living lavish, impossibly expensive lifestyles than we see them paying for their transgressions. Belfort may get arrested at the end, but the film’s haters don’t believe that is enough to offset the rest of the film emphasizing just how well crime can pay.

Why The Haters Are Wrong

It doesn’t help that Belfort, thanks to DiCaprio, is very handsome and charming. Critics of The Wolf of Wall Street believe this helps the film portray this shady stockbroker as someone to look up to. Throw in the fact that the victims are mostly invisible and Belfort’s life is so luxurious, and you are left with a seeming message that crime really does pay. The whole movie feels like an exciting rollercoaster, one that ends with the charismatic criminal serving less than two years in prison. Because of these things, haters consider The Wolf of Wall Street an unabashed and downright dangerous bit of blatant hero worship.

Of course, the harshest critics of The Wolf of Wall Street are wrong about the movie glorifying Jordan Belfort. From the very beginning, Martin Scorsese’s film reminded me of what producer Andrew Macdonald once said about Trainspotting. That film generated a similar moral panic from haters who thought that it was glorifying drugs. Regarding that panic, the producer once told the BBC that, “we were determined to show why people took drugs … you had to show that it was fun and that it was awful.” This caused director Danny Boyle to chime in: “It’s the music and humor that makes people feel it’s glamorising drugs.”

The Modern Anti-Drug PSA

The similar response to The Wolf of Wall Street proves the aphorism from True Detective is, well, true: time really is a flat circle. Obviously, Boyle’s comments explain why so many think Scorsese’s film is glorifying bad behavior: because Belfort, his friends, and their insane actions are often downright hilarious. Many people have trouble separating fiction from reality in their heads, and their own laughter at these onscreen antics makes them feel guilty. They wouldn’t cheer for actual criminals doing terrible things, so they feel weird cheering a fictional sleazebag. Instead of processing how and why they feel this way, these haters simply conclude that the film must be endorsing bad behavior.

The irony here is that The Wolf of Wall Street does condemn that bad behavior, but it does so in a realistic way. We see Jordan Belfort destroy multiple marriages, lose his reputation, and ultimately get tossed in jail; as both a stockbroker and a human being, he fails on almost every level. Why would he go down such a self-destructive path, knowing how risky it could be? Simple: money and power. Belfort is hypnotized by the obscene amounts of money he is making, and his growing love of wealth steadily erodes his judgment. Nothing is more powerful than money, and Scorsese has crafted a tale of power completely and utterly corrupting someone.

You’re Never Higher Than Before The Fall

As with Trainspotting, The Wolf of Wall Street channels the hilarious highs and sobering lows of drug abuse. One of the reasons that anti-drug commercials were always a joke is that they focused entirely on the consequences of abuse, but never on why someone would be tempted in the first place. Scorsese’s film chronicles how Jordan Belfort’s road to hell was paved with every temptation known to man; by the time we see his epic fall from grace, it’s clear that none of this was worth it, despite the drug-fueled ride. That’s ultimately far more effective than a movie that channels its inner South Park to simply say, “Drugs are bad, mm’kay!”

All of this is, of course, part of the magic. The Wolf of Wall Street can be seen as a cautionary tale, one that goes to great lengths to show the dangers of drug abuse and criminal activity. But it can also be seen as a breezy comedy powered by sex, drugs, and stock’n’roll. In reality, the movie is both things: it entertains us with the exploits of very fallible characters while also exploring the permanent consequences of their drunken follies. Ultimately, The Wolf of Wall Street’s concern trolls need to take their own advice and worry about their own addiction: namely, the high they get from preaching to people on the internet!

The Wolf of Wall Street is currently streaming on Hulu.