Source: Supplied by WENN.com / WENN Near the top of the year, Apple announced it was hopping into the wide-open streaming market and introduced a list of original programming. Among them was a series from Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine titled Vital Signs , but Apple’s boss Tim Cook has decided not to go forward with the show for a variety of reasons. According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, Cook was put off by several scenes of violence, drug use, and sex scenes, including orgies, and despite Dre’s efforts to tone down the content, it wasn’t good enough. Deadline adds in its reporting : Cook personally decided against moving forward on it, opting to lead Apple’s proposed content services in a direction different from its competition and toward less-edgy content. The WSJ said the decision was made because Apple was afraid to jeopardize its consumer products sales, an issue not faced by streamers like Netflix and Amazon. The WSJ also reported that a show featuring Resse Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston was also toned down. Apple also backed off from a Whitney Cummings show about the #MeToo movement (“too sensitive a topic”) and asked director M. Night Shyamalan to remove crucifixes from characters’ homes in his psychological thriller because of fears of alienating religious viewers. It appears that Apple is doing a massive internal creative overhaul after it was slated to debate the service later this year. It has now been moved to debut around March 2019. — Photo: WENN
Source: Supplied by WENN.com / WENN Near the top of the year, Apple announced it was hopping into the wide-open streaming market and introduced a list of original programming. Among them was a series from Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine titled Vital Signs , but Apple’s boss Tim Cook has decided not to go forward with the show for a variety of reasons. According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, Cook was put off by several scenes of violence, drug use, and sex scenes, including orgies, and despite Dre’s efforts to tone down the content, it wasn’t good enough. Deadline adds in its reporting : Cook personally decided against moving forward on it, opting to lead Apple’s proposed content services in a direction different from its competition and toward less-edgy content. The WSJ said the decision was made because Apple was afraid to jeopardize its consumer products sales, an issue not faced by streamers like Netflix and Amazon. The WSJ also reported that a show featuring Resse Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston was also toned down. Apple also backed off from a Whitney Cummings show about the #MeToo movement (“too sensitive a topic”) and asked director M. Night Shyamalan to remove crucifixes from characters’ homes in his psychological thriller because of fears of alienating religious viewers. It appears that Apple is doing a massive internal creative overhaul after it was slated to debate the service later this year. It has now been moved to debut around March 2019. — Photo: WENN
Photo by Katherine Frey/The Washington Post via Getty Images The Postal Worker Pleaded Guilty For Her Actions One U.S. Postal Service worker was stealing all the dollars while on the job. According to New York Daily News , Ebony Lavonne Smith of Wisconsin pled guilty to stealing checks and cash from over 6,000 greeting cards. The 20-year-old admitted to taking the money as part of a plea deal earlier this month. She started her job working for the USPS in March 2015. In the summer of 2017, residents within Smith’s assigned zip codes started complaining that they weren’t receiving their cards. Online court documents explained that Smith was caught stealing after a test card containing a $20 bill was placed in her container to be delivered on her route. The envelope for the card held a transmitter that would activate if the card was opened. Postal authorities kept a close watch on Smith as they were investigating. Reports say she even looked through other mail routes’ trays to take out greeting cards for her own tray. In Smith’s vehicle, a company satchel containing 31 USPS greeting cards was found, along with 23 other greeting cards, a Starbucks gift card, a roll of tape and letter openers. Smith told authorities she started stealing when she began her route in Washington Highlands. She used the money to pay bills and to support her four children, according to documents. According to ABC News , at first, Smith was stealing $40 a week over one to two days, . But this eventually increased to between $50 and $100 a week. Smith also admitted that she used the tape found in her vehicle to reseal some of the cards. Smith was fired from her job earlier this year. “The vast majority of U.S. Postal Service personnel are dedicated, hard-working public servants dedicated to moving mail to its proper destination [and] who would never consider engaging in any form of criminal behavior,” public information officer for the postal service Jeff Arney said. “This type of alleged behavior within the Postal Service is not tolerated.” Cards that were found will be sent to the original intended recipients, according to Arney. Anybody else who wants to claim a loss can do that through the court process.
Photo by Katherine Frey/The Washington Post via Getty Images The Postal Worker Pleaded Guilty For Her Actions One U.S. Postal Service worker was stealing all the dollars while on the job. According to New York Daily News , Ebony Lavonne Smith of Wisconsin pled guilty to stealing checks and cash from over 6,000 greeting cards. The 20-year-old admitted to taking the money as part of a plea deal earlier this month. She started her job working for the USPS in March 2015. In the summer of 2017, residents within Smith’s assigned zip codes started complaining that they weren’t receiving their cards. Online court documents explained that Smith was caught stealing after a test card containing a $20 bill was placed in her container to be delivered on her route. The envelope for the card held a transmitter that would activate if the card was opened. Postal authorities kept a close watch on Smith as they were investigating. Reports say she even looked through other mail routes’ trays to take out greeting cards for her own tray. In Smith’s vehicle, a company satchel containing 31 USPS greeting cards was found, along with 23 other greeting cards, a Starbucks gift card, a roll of tape and letter openers. Smith told authorities she started stealing when she began her route in Washington Highlands. She used the money to pay bills and to support her four children, according to documents. According to ABC News , at first, Smith was stealing $40 a week over one to two days, . But this eventually increased to between $50 and $100 a week. Smith also admitted that she used the tape found in her vehicle to reseal some of the cards. Smith was fired from her job earlier this year. “The vast majority of U.S. Postal Service personnel are dedicated, hard-working public servants dedicated to moving mail to its proper destination [and] who would never consider engaging in any form of criminal behavior,” public information officer for the postal service Jeff Arney said. “This type of alleged behavior within the Postal Service is not tolerated.” Cards that were found will be sent to the original intended recipients, according to Arney. Anybody else who wants to claim a loss can do that through the court process.
Prince Williams/ATLPics.net You guys may recall 2 Chainz created the “Pink Trap House” in Atlanta for his platinum album Pretty Girls Like Trap Music in 2017. During it’s one month existence, the house became a viral sensation , with thousands of fans from allover the world coming to visit the infamous pink house as they hosted various community events at the home. With Halloween coming up at the end of next month, Atlanta 2 Chainz has decided to turn the Pink Traphouse into a haunted house experience. Teaming up with 13 Stories Haunted House, an expert in the field, 2 Chainz’s Pink Trap House will be the U.S.’s first hip-hop-themed haunted house. Running at one hour, the tour has been described as “a thrilling experience featuring some of the most iconic scenes in urban classic films of the 80s and 90s.” Prince Williams/ATLPics.net Wednesday night 2 Chainz and Street Execs held and exclusive preview event for notables and a gang of folks showed up including the cast of “Little Women Of Atlanta,” Keri Hilson, Phaedra Parks, D Woods, Toya Wright, Malaysia Parks and more. 2 Chainz’s Haunted Pink Trap House will open on Friday, September 21st until November 11th. Head over to hauntedpinktraphouse.com for more details. Exclusive merchandise will also be available on site! Hit the flip for more photos
Prince Williams/ATLPics.net You guys may recall 2 Chainz created the “Pink Trap House” in Atlanta for his platinum album Pretty Girls Like Trap Music in 2017. During it’s one month existence, the house became a viral sensation , with thousands of fans from allover the world coming to visit the infamous pink house as they hosted various community events at the home. With Halloween coming up at the end of next month, Atlanta 2 Chainz has decided to turn the Pink Traphouse into a haunted house experience. Teaming up with 13 Stories Haunted House, an expert in the field, 2 Chainz’s Pink Trap House will be the U.S.’s first hip-hop-themed haunted house. Running at one hour, the tour has been described as “a thrilling experience featuring some of the most iconic scenes in urban classic films of the 80s and 90s.” Prince Williams/ATLPics.net Wednesday night 2 Chainz and Street Execs held and exclusive preview event for notables and a gang of folks showed up including the cast of “Little Women Of Atlanta,” Keri Hilson, Phaedra Parks, D Woods, Toya Wright, Malaysia Parks and more. 2 Chainz’s Haunted Pink Trap House will open on Friday, September 21st until November 11th. Head over to hauntedpinktraphouse.com for more details. Exclusive merchandise will also be available on site! Hit the flip for more photos
Prince Williams/ATLPics.net You guys may recall 2 Chainz created the “Pink Trap House” in Atlanta for his platinum album Pretty Girls Like Trap Music in 2017. During it’s one month existence, the house became a viral sensation , with thousands of fans from allover the world coming to visit the infamous pink house as they hosted various community events at the home. With Halloween coming up at the end of next month, Atlanta 2 Chainz has decided to turn the Pink Traphouse into a haunted house experience. Teaming up with 13 Stories Haunted House, an expert in the field, 2 Chainz’s Pink Trap House will be the U.S.’s first hip-hop-themed haunted house. Running at one hour, the tour has been described as “a thrilling experience featuring some of the most iconic scenes in urban classic films of the 80s and 90s.” Prince Williams/ATLPics.net Wednesday night 2 Chainz and Street Execs held and exclusive preview event for notables and a gang of folks showed up including the cast of “Little Women Of Atlanta,” Keri Hilson, Phaedra Parks, D Woods, Toya Wright, Malaysia Parks and more. 2 Chainz’s Haunted Pink Trap House will open on Friday, September 21st until November 11th. Head over to hauntedpinktraphouse.com for more details. Exclusive merchandise will also be available on site! Hit the flip for more photos
Source: WENN / WENN UPDATE 9/18/18 at 4:11 P.M. EST : Despite the former writer’s claims, Sesame Workshop released a statement saying Bert & Ernie were just best friends: “They were created to teach preschoolers that people can be good friends with those who are very different from themselves. Even though they are identified as male characters and possess many human traits, and characteristics (as most Sesame Street Muppets do), they remain puppets and do not have a sexual orientation.” — Everything you thought you knew (or didn’t know) about Bert and Ernie on Sesame Street as a child has just been confirmed by one of the show writers: They were gay. Sign Up For Our Newsletter! Close Thank you for subscribing! Please be sure to open and click your first newsletter so we can confirm your subscription. Email Submit Their tight chemistry makes sense now… Mark Saltzman , who joined the writing team in 1984, said he wasn’t trying to push any agenda, but the two characters’ connection was inspired by his own same-sex relationship with film editor Arnold Glassman, according to Queerty.com . Mark was Ernie, and Arnold was Bert. If you remember, Bert & Ernie were roommates at the 123 Sesame Street apartment. They always slept in separate beds, but they also always went back and forth with each other like couples tend to do. Saltzman, who was already with his partner before he became a Sesame Street writer, says he didn’t know else to write them, “but as a loving couple.” Follow @TheRSMS Saltzman on speculation around Bert and Ernie back in the day… I remember one time that a column from ‘The San Francisco Chronicle,’ a preschooler in the city turned to mom and asked “are Bert & Ernie lovers?” And that, coming from a preschooler was fun. And that got passed around, and everyone had their chuckle and went back to it. And I always felt that without a huge agenda, when I was writing Bert & Ernie, they were. I didn’t have any other way to contextualize them. The other thing was, more than one person referred to Arnie & I as “Bert & Ernie.” Saltzman on ways Bert and Ernie’s scenes reflected his relationship… How could it not permeate? The things that would tick off Arnie would be the things that would tick off Bert. How could it not? I will say that I would never have said to the head writer, “oh, I’m writing this, this is my partner and me.” But those two, Snuffalupagus, because he’s the sort of clinically depressed Muppet…you had characters that appealed to a gay audience. And Snuffy, this depressed person nobody can see, that’s sort of Kafka! It’s sort of gay closeted too. The writer says his personal relationship embodied the Bert & Ernie relationship. “I wrote sketches. Arnie’s OCD would create friction with how chaotic I was. And that’s the Bert & Ernie dynamic,” he said. Need a refresher on that dynamic? Watch this: [ione_media_gallery src=”https://rickeysmileymorningshow.com” id=”1840979″ overlay=”true”] Latest News : 6orn & Zaytoven Drop “Ferragamo” [Audio] You Weren’t Tripping, Former ‘Sesame Street’ Writer Says Bert & Ernie Were A Couple These 5 Petty Republican Attacks On Black Candidates Show The GOP’s Desperation Heartbreaking: College Student Dies After Family Says He Was Repeatedly Hazed Beauty and Brains: 6 Stars Who Went to HBCUs SOURCE: Queerty.com
Lawrence Got The Clap, Y’all Insecure is definitely picking up steam towards the end of season three, right? Lawrence is byke and we got a glimpse of what he’s been doing since he said goodbye to Issa. Hint: he’s doing a lot of smashing to smithereens. He’s doing so much that, well, MANS GOT THE CLAP. That’s right. He’s tossing his flaming hot Cheeto into any crunchy bag he finds out on the street and now he’s raining fire like one of Moses’ plagues. Lawrence is out here burning whilst he pees and Issa is moving on with a fine man and a new business venture. Karma. #InsecureHBO pic.twitter.com/9lkQIKvCn4 — CorEy-spondent (@CoreyPTownsend) September 17, 2018 Twitter had all. of. the. jokes. Take a look at the funniest Chlamydia commentary you’re going to see on these here internets.
John Stillwell – PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images DJ Quik Reflects On Michael Jackson’s Influence At His Diamond Celebration In Las Vegas It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly a decade since Michael Jackson passed away, but his influence continues to reach far and wide. Bossip’s Senior Director of Content Janeé Bolden attended Michael Jackson’s Diamond Celebration in honor of what would have been Jackson’s 60th birthday a few weeks ago, where guests enjoyed a live performance of Michael Jackson’s “ONES” show at Mandalay Bay and an afterparty deejayed by Mark Ronson, where Usher performed. Besides taking in the performance, we also had a chance to chat with Michael’s brothers Tito and Jackie Jackson about Jackson’s legacy and hear DJ Quik reveal he nearly had the chance to open for Michael. Judy Eddy/WENN.com “He would be smiling down at this event,” Tito told BOSSIP. “We’re very excited to celebrate his birthday and his legacy with all the celebrities who’ve come out tonight.” Jackie modeled a pair of new Giuseppe Zanotti x Michael Jackson sneakers as the designer himself also walked the red carpet. “It’s a new shoe, it comes out in October,” Jackie told BOSSIP. “It’s just one style of it, but I dig it. I’m going to wear it onstage too.” When asked if the family had any plans for a private celebration of Michael’s 60th, Tito reminded us that much of his family doesn’t believe in such commemorations. “As you now, half of my family is Jehovah Witness,” Tito said. “And the ones that do celebrate, you’re looking at them right now.” Besides Tito and Jackie, Michael’s oldest children Prince and Paris were also in attendance. Other celebrity guests included Gabrielle Union, Vanessa Hudgens, Blake Griffin, Usher, Angela Bassett, Evan Ross and Ashlee Ross Simpson and rapper/producer DJ Quik. Quik told us he was especially happy to join MJ’s Diamond Celebration because he’d nearly been an opener for the pop superstar at one point in his career. “I never got a chance to see Michael live,” DJ Quik told BOSSIP. “My opportunity came when his promoter Terry Harvey called me to open some of his shows that he was going to do at the O2 Arena back in 2009. I was stoked. I had just put out a record with Kurupt and we were on a promo tour. Our promo tour started June 25, 2009 [the day Jackson died] so you know what day that was. While we were soundchecking, we get the news we’re not going to Europe and performing with him.” “I was out of it,” Quik added. “I don’t even know if I performed. I was hurt.” Quik took a moment to stroll down memory lane with us, remembering back to the first time he saw Jackson’s “Thriller” video: “We didn’t have cable at that point,” Quik told BOSSIP, “so I was across the street at my homeboy Billy Ray Smith’s house watching it on their cable TV — you know, back when the TV’s used to sit on the floor? One of them big RCA or Zenith TVs and being moved by it.” “We had seen all the rock’n’roll videos, Def Leppard and all that, but when his video came on it spoke right to us. It let us know that black people could do it.” Judy Eddy/WENN.com Asked to describe which Michael Jackson song best reflects his life, Quik, born David Blake, didn’t hesitate a beat. “‘Human Nature,’ because that record describes the whimsical part of life,” Quik said. “Michael Jackson was a dreamer and he was all about ooh’ing and aah’ing people. That record just has some kind of quality in it that lets you know you can be magic too.” With Prince and Paris Jackson in attendance and accompanied by his own son David Jr. Quik also took a moment to reflect on the importance of legacy. “It’s important because nobody is going to represent you like the people that you raised,” Quik said. “You can hire people publicists all day long and tell them to run this or run that, but when my son speaks about me he is going to speak from the heart. He’s going to speak about the personal experiences and public.” Quik’s son is also a producer and the Compton native said he couldn’t be more proud of him. “This kid is awesome. He did it on his own,” Quik boasted. “I didn’t have to tell him hey son do this or do that. Now I ask him for beats. ‘Can I rap on it one time? I still got it son, I think I still got it.’Now he’s performing, he’s engineering. I’m really proud of the stuff he does behind the scenes, he’s in the studio teaching other people how to engineer, how to patch wires… He got it honest.” Check out more photos from MJ’s Diamond Celebration below:
