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| (Via Instagram – credit: Jon Malinowski) |
Just Because….
NBC Orders Additional Episodes Of “Will & Grace” Reboot
Deadline reports that NBC has upped it’s order of episodes of the Will & Grace reboot from 10 to 12.
NBC wants more Will & Grace. Originally picked up in January for a 10-episode limited installment, the Emmy-winning comedy is getting its order expanded and will return next season with 12 new episodes.
The Will & Grace revival quickly has emerged as one NBC’s top assets for next season and is featured front and center in the NBCUniversal’s upfront spots unveiled today, which tout the company’s entire portfolio of networks (you can watch one of the ads below).
The new, ninth season of Will & Grace — reuniting original stars Eric McCormack, Debra Messing, Megan Mullally and Sean Hayes — stems from the surprise election-themed reunion mini-episode released on September 26. Done without NBC’s involvement, it immediately triggered talk of a series revival.
Excited to share our @TogetherNBCU campaign ahead of our 2017 Upfront that will air starting 2morrow across our portfolio #UnequaledNBCU pic.twitter.com/6Hg2MA96XC— Linda Yaccarino (@lindayacc) April 5, 2017
Alex Jones: The United States Is Preparing To Nuke China
As a follow-up to yesterday’s threats to “beat the goddamn ass” of “fairy cocksucker” Rep. Adam Schiff, Info Wars’ Alex Jones ranted this video message declaring Trump will order a preemptive nuclear strike on China.
From Right Wing Watch:
Jones said that China is using the Korean standoff to prepare for war against the U.S. and that President Trump tried to form an alliance with Russia in hopes of forestalling Chinese aggression.
And yet, Jones said, Democrats and Republicans alike are trying to undercut Trump, including California Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff. Repeating his homophobic comments about Schiff, the “InfoWars” broadcaster said “scumbags” like Schiff are hurting the country: “You think having all those fairies and pansies over there with their little chicken necks running around attacking our president all day makes us look strong? It makes us look weak!”
“So if China keeps pushing,” he added, “the only option is full commitment to hit China preemptively. That’s the only way to survive this nuclear war and Trump knows it. And Russia has already been told they better stand down. The United States is preparing to nuke China so get ready assholes! All of you wanted it, you’re gonna get it!”
Doesn’t Alex Jones seem like a character from pro wrestling?
Watch his rant below:
News Round-Up: April 5, 2017
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Some news items you may have missed: • If you ever needed a reason to love rugby: the above pic of the Canterbury Bulldogs/Brisbane Broncos match last week has gone viral, and I’m sure you see why 🙂 Continue reading “News Round-Up: April 5, 2017”
Steve Bannon Bounced From National Security Council
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| Steve Bannon |
White House chief strategist Steve Bannon has been bounced from the National Security Council by President Trump.
According to Fox News Chief White House Correspondent John Roberts, Bannon got the boot from the NSC not only because incoming National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster wanted to reorganize the top-level group, but because Bannon was getting too much outside attention.
Bannon’s presence on the Council had raised eye-brows amid fears of politicizing foreign policy and national security. Traditionally, White House strategists have not had a seat at the NSC.
On top of that, though, Roberts added in his report, “We are also told that maybe the President wasn’t particularly happy at the way Bannon had been grabbing the limelight.”
Secretary of Energy Rick Perry was added to the Council in the shakeup.
Watch below:
The other, other shoe drops.
@johnrobertsFox: “The president wasn’t particularly happy at the way Bannon had been grabbing the limelight…” pic.twitter.com/P3PIXNwL0n— Tom Namako (@TomNamako) April 5, 2017
Tony Award Winner Billy Porter Talks On “The Soul Of Richard Rodgers”
What better to get you over hump day than some great new music?
Check out Tony Award winner (and now record producer) Billy Porter as he chats on his latest project, Billy Porter Presents The Soul of Richard Rodgers.
The album drops April 17th.
I’ve known Billy for over 20 years, and this new album is easily the most eagerly awaited music project on my radar.
The album, which features new, soulful takes on classic Richard Rodgers songs, includes solos and duets featuring some of today’s most compelling artists.
The complete track listing for Billy Porter Presents The Soul of Richard Rodgers is as follows:
1. Oh, What a Beautiful Morning (Pentatonix & Billy Porter)
2. My Romance (Leslie Odom Jr.)
3. If I Loved You (Renée Elise Goldsberry & Christopher Jackson)
4. With a Song in My Heart (Brandon Victor Dixon & Joshua Henry)
5. I Have Dreamed (Patina Miller)
6. My Funny Valentine (Cynthia Erivo)
7. I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair (Todrick Hall & Billy Porter)
8. This Nearly was Mine (Deborah Cox)
9. Bewitched (Ledisi featuring Zaire Park)
10. Carefully Taught (India.Arie & Billy Porter)
11. Lady is a Tramp (Billy Porter featuring Zaire Park)
12. Edelweiss (Billy Porter)
“I like to think of this as the Richard Rodgers version of the Hamilton Mixtapes,” Porter said. “These are classic songs that everybody knows and loves, and I’m so excited for people to hear them in a brand new way.”
Billy’s solo albums include his first CD, Untitled, on A&M records, At the Corner of Broadway + Soul – LIVE on Sh-K-Boom Records, and Billy’s Back on Broadway, on Concord Records
As regular Randy Report readers know, Billy originated the role of ‘Lola’ in the Broadway hit Kinky Boots, which won him 2013 Tony, Grammy, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards.
Other theatre appearances include Shuffle Along, Miss Saigon, Five Guys Named Mo, Grease, Smokey Joe’s Cafe all on Broadway; plus Dreamgirls, Angels in America, The Merchant of Venice, Radiant Baby, Birdie Blue, Songs for a New World, Ghetto Superstar (one-man show), Topdog/Underdog, King Lear.
Check out a few tracks from Billy Porter Presents The Soul of Richard Rodgers below, including Tony Award winner Cynthia Erivo’s luscious take on “My Funny Valentine” and Billy dueting with 4-time Grammy Award winner India.Arie on “Carefully Taught.”
Pepsi Pulls Controversial Kendall Jenner Commercial: “We Missed The Mark”
Pepsi, reeling from the backlash of it’s new commercial with Kendall Jenner, has pulled the spot.
From AdWeek:
Pepsi has apologized and pulled its controversial ad featuring Kendall Jenner.
“Pepsi was trying to project a global message of unity, peace and understanding,” the brand said in a statement. “Clearly we missed the mark, and we apologize. We did not intend to make light of any serious issue. We are removing the content and halting any further rollout. We also apologize for putting Kendall Jenner in this position.”
The soda-maker released the two-and-a-half minute ad, which was created by its in-house team, Creators League Studio, on Tuesday. Backlash was swift, as many saw the ad as a way for Pepsi to co-opt the resistance movement as well as the Black Lives Matter movement.
I can’t imagine what they mean by “missing the mark,” unless you consider the spot featured a white, hyper-privileged young girl seeming to solve racial tensions between citizens and police officers with a can of soda…
Most only saw the short version of the spot, but here’s the full 2:39 vid.
Kendall Jenner’s new ad for Pepsi has fallen flat and sparked some backlash https://t.co/B5xFbEujZo pic.twitter.com/2WWsz1m42l— CNN (@CNN) April 5, 2017
This commercial is so fucking stupid it makes you wonder if it was made by Coke to ruin Pepsi forever https://t.co/V6NVlwJYdd— Joe Rogan (@joerogan) April 5, 2017
*kendall jenner hands cop a pepsi*cop: im not racist anymore
— BRANDON WARDELL (@BRANDONWARDELL) April 4, 2017
that pepsi ad made me want to buy a coke.— quinta b. (@quintabrunson) April 4, 2017
The Muslim photographer is absolutely THRILLED that the cop accepted the Pepsi from Kendall Jenner. It’s a real victory for the cause. pic.twitter.com/Xd9LpBuPNs— jimgeraghty (@jimgeraghty) April 5, 2017
That one Black Marketing intern at Pepsi coming into work this morning like… 🤷🏾♀️Re: Kendall Jenner’s Pepsi Ad pic.twitter.com/GAoLy4eAR2
— NUFF 💬 (@nuffsaidNY) April 5, 2017
Music Video: Urban Cone “Old School”
Happy Hump Day! Bounce to this beat:
Swedish electro-pop band Urban Cone drops the music video for their latest single, “Old School,” which shares a message of diversity and inclusion.
Via press release: With over 13.3M plays on Spotify, “Old School” is a youthful anthem that makes listeners nostalgic for the time when they were less connected technologically and more connected emotionally.
Trump: Susan Rice Committed A Crime – “One Of The Biggest Stories Of Our Time”
Without providing any evidence, President Trump told The New York Times today that former national security adviser Susan Rice committed a crime so heinous, “It is one of the big stories of our time.”
President Trump said on Wednesday that he thought that the former national security adviser Susan E. Rice may have committed a crime by seeking the identities of Trump associates who were swept up in the surveillance of foreign officials by American spy agencies and that other Obama administration officials may also have been involved.
The president provided no evidence to back his claim. Current and former intelligence officials from both Republican and Democratic administrations have said that nothing they have seen led them to believe that Ms. Rice’s actions were unusual or unlawful. When Americans are swept up in surveillance of foreign officials by intelligence agencies, their identities are supposed to be obscured, but they can be revealed for national security reasons, and intelligence officials say it is a regular occurrence.
“I think it’s going to be the biggest story,” Mr. Trump said in an interview in the Oval Office. “It’s such an important story for our country and the world. It is one of the big stories of our time.”
He declined to say if he had personally reviewed new intelligence to bolster his claim but pledged to explain himself “at the right time.”
When asked if Ms. Rice, who has denied leaking the names of Trump associates under surveillance by United States intelligence agencies, had committed a crime, the president said, “Do I think? Yes, I think.”
Ms. Rice has denied any impropriety. In an interview on Tuesday with MSNBC, she said: “The allegation is that somehow the Obama administration officials utilized intelligence for political purposes. That’s absolutely false.”
Mr. Trump, who has a history of promising to produce evidence to back up his unverified claims, and failing to do so, did not make clear what crime he was accusing Ms. Rice of committing. It is legal and not unusual for a national security adviser to request the identities of Americans who are mentioned in intelligence reports provided.
In that Susan Rice, as National Security Adviser, had legal security clearance to the identities of Trumpers who were caught chatting with Russians, it’s hard to see what crime she committed.
Trump Defends Bill O’Reilly: “I Don’t Think Bill Did Anything Wrong”
President Trump, who knows a bit about being accused of sexual harassment, defended Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly in an interview with The New York Times today.
O’Reilly has come under fire as news emerged that he has settled at least 5 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment to the tune of $13 million.
“I think he’s a person I know well — he is a good person,” said Mr. Trump, who during the interview was surrounded at his desk by a half-dozen of his highest-ranking aides, including the economic adviser Gary Cohn and Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, along with Vice President Mike Pence.
“I think he shouldn’t have settled; personally I think he shouldn’t have settled,” said Mr. Trump. “Because you should have taken it all the way. I don’t think Bill did anything wrong.”
At last count, over 20 companies have dropped their advertising on The O’Reilly Factor in light of the allegations.
Not surprising that Trump thinks alleged sexual harassment doesn’t constitute doing “anything wrong.”
As just about everyone in the free world knows, Trump himself has been the subject of multiple claims of sexual harassment. He denied them all.