Friday, December 19, 2025
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UPDATE: Stevie Wonder, John Fogerty, More, Plus Olivia Rodrigo Join Fire Aid, Added to Sting, Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, No Doubt

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NEW NAMES ADDED 9:18PM– Stevie Wonder, Alanis Morissette, Anderson .Paak, Dawes, Graham Nash, John Fogerty, Peso Pluma, and the Black Crowes are now added to the list of stars to perform at Fire Aid.

Pop star Olivia Rodrigo has joined the Fire Aid mega concert to raise money for Los Angeles wild life relief.

A reunited No Doubt with Gwen Stefani is also on the list. Previously announced were dozens of stars including Sting, Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, Rod Stewart and more

The shows — two shows — will be held on January 20th at the Kia Forum and the Intuit Dome. Irving Azoff is producing along with Live Nation and AEG. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster.

Tik Tok Ban Over, Back Online as Company Defies Ban, Awaits Trump Stamp of Approval Tomorrow

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That didn’t take long.

Tik Tok is back online on at their website. The mobile app should be up by now. They were down for about 14 hours.

The company is defying the Supreme Court ban knowing that tomorrow their lackey, Donald Trump, will restore it anyway.

What a crock of shit this all is. But it’s just the beginning of four long years.

Again, here is Trump’s turnabout. His decision will somehow line his pockets.

Dave Chappelle’s 16 Minute “SNL” Monologue Longest Ever, Tributes Jimmy Carter, Warns Trump: “The presidency is no place for petty people”

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Dave Chappelle’s 16 minute monologue on “SNL” last night was one of the show’s longest ever.

Chappelle– smoking, of course, and mostly sitting on a stool — hit a number of current subjects before launching a tribute to Jimmy Carter.

He warned Donald Trump: “The presidency is no place for petty people.”

The Carter tribute seemed lovely, but it soon turned to Chappelle talking about Carter’s long ago visit to Gaza — and the book he wrote about the Middle East. Chappelle, while praising Carter, also reminded us of us his previous statements of Israel being an apartheid state. His book, “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid,” was hugely criticized in 1996 and raised questions about Carter’s criticism of Israel.

So this is what Chappelle does. He lures you in, then sandbags you. That’s what he did here. He closed by admonishing Trump to remember displaced persons — ok, that sounds good — then adds we should have empathy for displaced people whether they’re in the Palisades or Palestine.

One watches Chappelle with a burning feeling in the pit of your stomach. You’re always waiting for him to deliver a point it didn’t look like he was making.

Trump Now Says Wants 50% Parnership with Tik Tok as Company Changes Its Message to Users

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Donald Trump has changed his tune this morning.

He wants the US to have a 50% partnership with Tik Tok. The ban was because the Chinese company was supposed to be sold to an American one, 100%. That’s what Trump himself wanted in his first administration.

But now that the flip flops have begun, whatever is in Trump’s best interest is the new front burner issue.

He writes: “I would like the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture. By doing this, we save TikTok, keep it in good hands and allow it to say up. Without U.S. approval, there is no Tik Tok. With our approval, it is worth hundreds of billions of dollars – maybe trillions.”

He continues: “Therefore, my initial thought is a joint venture between the current owners and/or new owners whereby the U.S. gets a 50% ownership in a joint venture set up between the U.S. and whichever purchase we so choose.”

Tik Tok may not be on the same page with Trump’s new proclamation. When you try to open the app, a new, edited message is quite different than the one that went up last night.

All mention of help from Donald Trump, and how US law has affected them, is gone.

TikTok is counting on Trump saving them tomorrow after he’s sworn in during his mini-Inauguration.

Meanwhile the CEO of Tik Tok is still set to be a VIP guest tomorrow at the Capitol Rotunda.

That’s All, Folks: Tik Tok Signs Off in the US for Now Until Trump Restores it On Monday

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Tik tok, you don’t stop.

But they have stopped. Tik Tok is now signed off in the United States thanks to the Supreme Court.

Even Trump’s appointees went against him.

But Trump is planning a Tik Tok comeback. He will more than likely restore the service after he’s sworn in Monday. He’s even got the CEO Shou Zi Chew as a VIP at the inauguration.

So really, it’s barely a 48 hour break from the mishegos on Tik Tok. The Temu Shop will have to take a breather.

What will all the “content creators” do with their time? Read a book? No. Wait til the withdrawal sets in.

Snoop Dogg Sells Out to Trump After Latest Album, “Missionary,” Flops Miserably Since Release

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People are very curious why Snoop Dogg has sold out to Donald Trump.

The reason is simple: money.

Snoop’s latest album, “Missionary,” has been a total financial disaster. Released on December 13, 2024, “Missionary” has sold a total of 76,531 copies including streaming.

Actual downloads and physical sales: 37,207.

In a celebrity the size of Snoop Dogg, that equals nothing in revenue. The album likely lost a lot of money. It was never played on the radio and has disappeared entirely.

Most of Snoop’s relevance at this point comes from his association with home goods queen Martha Stewart. He was also a hit on the summer Olympics. But musically — if you can call it music — he’s nowhere.

Ditto for Nelly, who hasn’t had a real hit in 20 years. In 2016 it was reported that he owed the IRS $2.4 million.

And rapper Rick Ross? His Wikipedia page is like a rap sheet — the police kind. He hasn’t had a hit in many moons.

Trump is really good at finding people who are desperate, heydays long over, and roping them in. Fans of Gavin DeGraw are upset that he’s playing for Trump this weekend. But DeGraw’s big hits came over 20 years ago. He’s lucky anyone wants him. He’s also always been a right wing conservative good ol’ boy from upstate New York, so none of this is surprising.

The number of people — from billionaire oligarchs to bottom feeders — whom Trump has co-opted is astonishing. Everyone has a price, and we’re finding out what it is. And who knows? Maybe Trump thinks he can get to Martha through Snoop. I wouldn’t bet on it.

Trump Terrified of Small Audience Moves Inauguration Indoors, Stiffs MAGA on Travel Expenses

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Even if MAGA was going to stay in a pitched tent on the mall or the lowliest motel in Silver Springs, they are out of luck.

All the fans of Donald Trump who booked travel for Inauguration weekend are out of luck. They’ve lost their tickets to the Big Show, which is being moved inside.

Trump, terrified more of a small audience than the freezing cold, will now be sworn in inside the Capitol. Only his family and billionaire oligarchs will get to sit in the room where it happens. Some others will be sent to overflow spaces to watch the ceremony on monitors.

But mostly tickets to the 2025 Donald Trump Inauguration are just commemorative souvenirs.

The MAGAs who said they couldn’t afford eggs now have them on their faces. They’re stuck with bills for hotels, transportation and fast food. Even if they came by pickup truck with a Confederate flag flying, they won’t get in.

God bless America. And these people will eat their — let’s say– thousand dollars, go home, and watch Fox News anyway. They are patiently waiting for return of polio and small pox. LOL.

Producers Guild Noms Ice Oscar Hopes for 2025’s Two Black Films, “Nickel Boys” and “Sing Sing”: Coincidence?

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The Producers Guild of America — PGA — announced their nominated films Friday.

The PGA noms clarify the too 10 Oscar movies. If your film is out it’s unlikely you can make it to Oscar noms.

Most of the films on the PGA list are the same as the ones which have gotten Critics Choice, Golden Globe, and SAG nominations.

Two are surprises: “September 5th,” a taut thriller about how ABC Sports covered the 1972 Munich massacre, and “The Substance,” a horror movie that by now has spent five times on its awards campaign than it’s made in theaters.

On the outs: “Sing Sing” starring Colman Domingo, and the much praised “Nickel Boys.” Is it a coincidence they are both Black films? You tell me. There’s also nothing for “The Piano Lesson,” the third Black film of the year, which disappeared from sight.

The absence of “Sing Sing” is really striking. The reviews are excellent. Colman Domingo is getting Best Actor noms everywhere. Clarence Maclin is highly praised, too. The movie was filmed at the decommissioned Downstate Correctional Facility in the Dutchess County town of Fishkill; the Hudson Sports Complex in the Orange County village of Warwick; and Beacon High School in Dutchess County. How could that not merit a PGA nomination?

This is not a good look for the PGA. Or maybe it is, as we head into four years of no diversity.

Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures
• “Anora” (Neon)
• “The Brutalist” (A24)
• “A Complete Unknown” (Searchlight Pictures)
• “Conclave” (Focus Features)
• “Dune: Part Two” (Warner Bros.)
• “Emilia Pérez” (Netflix)
• “A Real Pain” (Searchlight Pictures)
• “September 5” (Paramount Pictures)
• “The Substance” (Mubi)
• “Wicked” (Universal Pictures)

Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures
• “Flow” (Janus Films/Sideshow)
• “Inside Out 2” (Pixar)
• “Moana 2” (Walt Disney Pictures)
• “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” (Netflix)
• “The Wild Robot” (DreamWorks Animation)

Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television – Drama
• “Bad Sisters” (Apple TV+)
• “The Diplomat” (Netflix)
• “Fallout” (Prime Video)
• “Shōgun” (FX)
• “Slow Horses” (Apple TV+)

Danny Thomas Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television – Comedy
• “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
• “The Bear” (FX)
• “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (HBO/Max)
• “Hacks” (HBO/Max)
• “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)

David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Limited or Anthology Series Television
• “Baby Reindeer” (Netflix)
• “FEUD: Capote Vs. The Swans” (FX)
• “The Penguin” (HBO/Max)
• “Ripley” (Netflix)
• “True Detective: Night Country” (HBO/Max)

Outstanding Producer of Televised or Streamed Motion Pictures
• “Carry On” (Netflix)
• “The Greatest Night in Pop” (Netflix)
• “The Killer” (Peacock)
• “Rebel Ridge” (Netflix)
• “Unfrosted” (Netflix)

Outstanding Producer of Non-Fiction Television
• “30 for 30” (ESPN)
• “Conan O’Brien Must Go” (HBO/Max)
• “The Jinx – Part Two” (HBO/Max)
• “STEVE! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces” (Apple TV+)
• “Welcome to Wrexham” (FX)

Outstanding Producer of Live Entertainment, Variety, Sketch, Standup & Talk Television
• “Ali Wong: Single Lady” (Netflix)
• “The Daily Show” (Comedy Central)
• “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” (HBO/Max)
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS)
• “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)

Outstanding Producer of Game & Competition Television
• “The Amazing Race” (CBS)
• “RuPaul’s Drag Race” (MTV)
• “Top Chef” (Bravo)
• “The Traitors” (Peacock)
• “The Voice” (NBC)

The following nominees were previously announced.

Outstanding Producer of Documentary Motion Picture
• “Gaucho Gaucho”
• “Mediha”
• “Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa”
• “Porcelain War”
• “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story”
• “We Will Dance Again”

Outstanding Children’s Program
• “Avatar: The Last Airbender”
• “Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock”
• “Percy Jackson and the Olympians”
• “Sesame Street”
• “SpongeBob SquarePants”

Outstanding Short-Form Program
• “The Crown: Farewell To A Royal Epic”
• “Hacks: Bit By Bit”
• “The Penguin: Inside Gotham”
• “Real Time with Bill Maher: Overtime”
• “Shōgun – The Making of Shōgun”

Outstanding Sports Program
• “Formula 1: Drive to Survive”
• “Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants”
• “Messi’s World Cup: The Rise of a Legend”
• “Simone Biles Rising”
• “Triumph: Jesse Owens and the Berlin Olympics”

The PGA Innovation Award
• “Critterz”
• “Emperor”
• “Impulse: Playing with Reality”
• “Orbital”
• “The Pirate Queen with Lucy Liu”
• “What If…? – An Immersive Story”

SCOTUS Upholds Tik Tok Ban for Sunday, Judges Unanimously End Chinese Social Media Site

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The clock has ticked and tocked for Tik Tok for the last time.

The Supreme Court has unanimously declared the end of the Chinese social media site. The ban goes into effect on Sunday.

This should be a little awkward for Donald Trump. He’s invited the head of Tik Tok to sit in the VIP section of the Inauguration on Monday.

Gone will be the sales pitches for cheap products, soft core porn, hard core porn, and those great garage guys who poll their colleagues about the best cars. No more cat videos, or dogs talking to penguins. More importantly, no criminal activity that went unregulated.

Will we miss it? People who make a living on it, for good or bad reasons, will be despondent. They thought Trump was going to bypass the ban. Biden even said he didn’t care anymore. But a unanimous decision from the Supremes. Where did our love go?

Read “Dune,” “Blue Velvet,” “Twin Peaks” Star Kyle Maclachlan’s Tribute to David Lynch

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David Lynch died today at age 78. He was one of the great auteurs, maybe one of the last. His films were wild at heart, to use one of his titles. Anything could happen in them. By accident, years ago, I wound watching one of his denser projects, “Inland Empire,” at Lincoln Center sitting next to Isabella Rossellini. It was mind blowing.

But everything Lynch did had that quality. In “Twin Peaks Season 3” I disliked most of it. But there’s that one episode, number 8, about the Trinity atomic bomb and creation and everything that followed — it’s called “Gotta Light?” and it’s extraordinary. I wrote at the time it might have been the best best hour of television ever. It’s the “Oppeneheimer” story told from inside out.

Lynch’s final appearance was as an actor in Steven Spielberg’s “The Fabelmans.” He’s a surprise at the end, playing director John Ford. There should have been a special award for him somewhere, he was so precisely good.

Today there are many tributes to him. Kyle Maclachlan wrote a beautiful one. Kyle starred in the original “Dune,” in “Blue Velvet,” and “Twin Peaks.” He said:

“Forty-two years ago, for reasons beyond my comprehension, David Lynch plucked me out of obscurity to star in his first and last big budget movie. He clearly saw something in me that even I didn’t recognize. I owe my entire career, and life really, to his vision.
 
What I saw in him was an enigmatic and intuitive man with a creative ocean bursting forth inside of him. He was in touch with something the rest of us wish we could get to.
 
Our friendship blossomed on Blue Velvet and then Twin Peaks and I always found him to be the most authentically alive person I’d ever met.”

RIP David Lynch.