5/3/20

The Daily Buzz For May 4 ☕πŸ“°☕

Take  A Look at Gucci’s “So Deer To Me” Pre-Fall 2020 Ad Campaign!
In a child’s world, any pet—a skunk, a frog or an owl, can be a best friend.
This is the premise for the new Gucci Pre-Fall 2020 campaign shot by Alasdair McLellan with creative direction by Alessandro Michele. Animals and a childlike imagination are recurring motifs of Alessandro Michele’s collections. These themes are conveyed in a series of portraiture vignettes depicting the beauty and the personalities of a group of men, women and their beloved animals.
Deers, fawns, owls, blue birds, skunks, squirrels, frogs, hedgehogs, ducks and rabbits are featured across the images: spirit animals dialoguing with the subjects in ways that recall classic allegories and cartoons. With its call to nature, the campaign is ultimately an invitation to enjoy the simple things in life. Sometimes, it just takes very little, or a burst of imagination, to find some balance.
You can see the entire collection HERE! Do you Like?


#RHOA: WHOA! Tempers flare during first virtual ‘RHOA’ reunion!
“Real Housewives of Atlanta” stars Cynthia Bailey, Eva Marcille, Kenya Moore, Kandi Burruss, Nene Leakes, and Porsha Williams all recently participated in their first virtual reunion wrapping up the hit Bravo reality hit’s 12th season.
In keeping with the tumultuous season, several ladies go head-to-head to defend themselves.

“This three-part reunion will reveal that things aren’t as peachy among the RHOA ladies these days,” Bravo shared, “with the likes of Nene and Kandi, Nene and Kenya, Nene and Eva, Porsha and Kenya, Porsha and Eva, and Cynthia and Kenya going at it to figure out where their friendships lie following this rollercoaster ride of a season.”
A 45-second teaser for the reunion shows Williams, 38, hammering into model Marcille, 35, saying she will never forgive the former friend for “speaking on her child” negatively. Xscape singer Burruss, 43, also accused Leakes, 52, of being obsessed with her. At one point, The SWAGG Boutique owner storms off-camera, leaving the ladies and host Andy Cohen scratching their heads.
Friends of the show Marlo Hampton, Tanya Sam and Yovanna Momplaisir will also appear.

The “RHOA” reunion airs Sunday, May 10 at 8/7c


#MusicNews: Erykah Badu And Jill Scott To Face Off In ‘Verzuz’ Battle!
Timbaland and Swizz Beatz have announced their next “Verzuz” challenge–Erykah Badu vs. Jill Scott. A day before Mother’s Day, the neo-soul powerhouses will take over the Instagram Live airwaves on May 9 at 7 p.m. EST. They are the first female battle in the popular “Verzuz” series, presented in partnership with “Femme It Forward.”

“It’s time for the Queens to representπŸ™ŒπŸ½ @erykahbadu vs @missjillscott the paper work is in @timbaland πŸ™ŒπŸ½ shout out @femmeitforward let’s Go may 9th the day before Mother’s Day Zone,” wrote Swizz.
Badu and Scott follow Babyface and Teddy Riley’s much-talked-about battle, which set a new record with over half-a-million people tuned in. Diddy recently teased a potential “Verzuz” battle with Dr. Dre. Past challengers have included DJ Premier and RZA, Ne-Yo and Johnta Austin, Scott Storch and Mannie Fresh, and Lil Jon and T-Pain.
“We don’t really like to use the word ‘battle’ — although it’s natural to say battle when two people are playing songs with each other,” Swizz told The Associated Press. “But this is more of a celebration, an educational celebration. Me and Tim’s mission is to bring happiness, to help everybody get past this hard moment because we’re all being affected.”

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and Three 6 Mafia were also set to battle during their own “Face Off” showdown, but it has been delayed and will now be hosted on the “Verzuz” platform. A new date will be announced soon. “We want to make sure we get this one right for the culture!” said Krayzie Bone.


#HipHopNews: Rap Snacks Launches Icon Edition With The Notorious B.I.G.!
Rap Snacks, the official snack of Hip-Hop, has launched Biggie Chips, honoring the late The Notorious B.I.G. The new exclusive flavors include Cookout BBQ Sauce and Notorious B.I.G. Honey JalapeΓ±o potato chips.
The Rap Snacks ICON line with Biggie Smalls is now available at local convenience stores across the nation.

“I’m happy to announce our partnership with Rap Snacks and the Rap Snacks ‘Boss Up’ Foundation to create delicious flavored potato chips packaged with my son’s, Notorious BIG moniker and image,” said Biggie’s mother Voletta Wallace. “Our primary focus in doing this deal was to assure a portion of proceeds of sales are paid to The Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation to further our efforts of providing computers, books and other educational tools to inner city youth as well as assistance to the elderly in the Urban communities.”

“It is essential to Rap Snacks and the Rap Snacks ‘Boss Up’ Foundation that as a brand, we connect with and support the icons that have made the greatest impact on culture. This partnership is not only an opportunity to pay tribute to those change makers, but through these collaborations we are able to give back to our own in a meaningful way. We value the roles our icons have played and are grateful for their service to urban communities,” says Rap Snacks founder, James Lindsay.


#OOOPS! Katie Couric Gets Backlash For Saying Denzel Washington Made Her Feel ‘Uncomfortable,’ But YOU need to know What Actually Happened!
Twitter had to gather Katie Couric after she made claims Denzel Washington made her feel “uncomfortable” and “shaken” following an interview years ago. The receipts from that interview were pulled and here’s what REALLY happened inside….
Denzel Washington slander? That’s what we’re not going to do Katie Couric.
Twitter users have been fired up on the social media platform after the 63-year-old journalist said Denzel Washington made her feel “uncomfortable” and “shaken” following a NBC “Dateline” interview years ago. At the time, Denzel was on the promo trail with his Manchurian Candidate co-star Meryl Streep and director Jonathan Demme.

While recounting the 2004 interview on the "Everything Iconic With Danny Pellegrino" podcast, Katie said her exchange with the 65-year-old Hollywood actor made her feel “uncomfortable,” “shaken” and she couldn’t understand why he “jumped all over” her during their exchange.
The film featured political themes, so Katie asked Denzel about the significance of actors speaking out on political issues.
So here’s how it went down (via CNN):
"Denzel -- are you -- do you feel -- you know some people say Hollywood folks should stick to acting," Couric asked.
“I don’t know what Hollywood folks are, first of all,” Washington responded. “Hollywood is a town that has some stars on the sidewalk. I don’t know anybody from there.”

He added, “I’m not a Hollywood folk. I don’t know who they are.”
Couric tried to reframe the question a few times, including asking him, “Are you an actor who would rather not...” but Washington cut her off.
“No, I’m not that either,” he said. “I’m a human being. My job is acting.”

Below is the transcript:
The journalist assumed he was having a bad day that day, but that wasn’t him having a bad day. YOU felt that way because of the way he responded to your question – which wasn’t in the least bit rude. You see, Denzel doesn’t have time for crazy questions, so he checked Katie. Nothing more, nothing less.


Adrienne Bailon Poses in a Bikini While Showing Off 20-lb Weight Loss!
Adrienne Bailon is showing off her hot bod! The 36-year-old The Real co-host took to Instagram on Friday (May 1) to show off her 20-lb weight loss while posing in a black bikini.
“May 1st 2020 πŸ–€ During this time more than ever,” Adrienne wrote in the post. “Staying healthy is at the top of my mind! This is my first post in a bathing suit since losing 20lbs. Now… I’ve lost weight before but always gained it back… because I was dieting & not changing my lifestyle!”
She continued: “But not this time… It’s been a year since I “had enough” (have you ever gotten there? Where you’re just tired of complaining about what you don’t like & you’re finally ready to take action & REALLY make changes!) Well, I made major changes like choosing to eat plant based πŸŒ± changing my whole relationship with food & working out! I’ve been consistent with my self discipline (although it’s been so hard at times). I’m constantly reminding myself that the greatest form of self love – is self discipline! They say it takes 21 days to form a new habit… I just want to encourage you to take this time to develop healthy habits! Drink your water, squat, rest, read, pray, take your vitamins, eat your veggies! (Preaching to myself to keep going! Lol.) It’s a new month! Let’s do this! BESOS Xx


A Rihanna Documentary Is Coming Soon!
Rihanna is gearing up to drop a new documentary project. Word of the “Pour It Up” singer’s latest endeavor leaked online via a Twitter fan account @TeamofRihanna on Friday (May 1). Fans were quick to spread the news on social media, which has since lost its cool over a mysterious photo that appears to signal a Rihanna documentary on the horizon.

The teaser arrived in the form of two screenshots seemingly taken from the documentary — one of the star singing in the studio, another of a synopsis from production company Film 45’s website which reads, “Coming soon: An inside look at the personal and professional life of Rihanna.”
Per the tweet, the film is titled Rihanna: Volume One and will be directed by Peter Berg for Amazon Video. The Twitter user also included a (now-broken) link to Film 45’s website that provides even more information on the project.

According to Elle, that text read: “Peter Berg’s bold and innovative Rihanna is an unfiltered look into Rihanna's life, providing a glimpse into the evolution of one of the world’s most well-known pop artists. With unparalleled access into the singer’s life and over 1200 hours of footage, the doc takes us on a journey through private insights into Rihanna’s personality and humor, philosophies on work, family and love that are both moving and inspirational.”

Rihanna, per The Hollywood Reporter, compiles various footage Berg captured while traveling alongside the “Diamonds” superstar in Europe, an adventure Amazon reportedly paid $25 million to acquire the rights to. If everything goes as planned, the doc would earn Berg yet another Rihanna credit under his belt. Fans may recall, Berg once directed the musician in 2012’s sci-fi flick Battleship.


HBO Renews ‘Insecure’ For Season 5!
HBO’s hit show has been renewed for at least one more season. According to reports, the Issa Rae produced HBO show Insecure has been renewed for a 5th season.
Insecure is currently in the midst of its 4th season and now with the green light from HBO for another season fans will be excited to see more of Issa, Lawrence, Molly and the crew.

“We’re thrilled that Issa, Prentice [Penny], and the whole Insecure team will be getting back together for a fifth season,” said Amy Gravitt, executive vice-president of Home Box Office Programming, in a press release.
Insecure co-Executive Produced by comedian Larry Wilmore, was a breakout television debut for Issa Rae who started online with her Awkward Black Girl YouTube series.

Insecure has received 3 Emmy nominations since it’s debut, including one for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series by Issa Rae.


Stacey Dash is A Divorcing Her 4th Husband!
Stacey Dash has reportedly split from her husband of two years. The 54-year-old actress, activist, and avid pro-Trump supporter announced the news on Instagram on Thursday.
The Clueless actress said she made the decision to end her marriage to lawyer Jeffrey Marty after a lot of soul searching.
“My husband and I have made the hard decision of ending our marriage,” Dash’s message — posted to Instagram — begins. “After much prayer, I feel this is the right path for both of us. I wish him nothing but the best. Thank you everyone for your support and [for] respecting our privacy during this difficult time.”
Dash’s announcement doesn’t specify whether there’s been an actual divorce filing or if the two are just separating. The news comes seven months after Stacey was arrested in Florida following a domestic disturbance. The actress called the police to report her husband for putting her in a chokehold during a fight. He countered that she allegedly pushed and slapped him. Days later, prosecutors dropped the domestic violence case due to a lack of evidence.

Marty is Dash’s fourth husband – she was previously married to Emmanuel Xuereb, James Maby, and Brian Lovell


Madonna plans to 'breathe in the COVID-19 air' after testing positive for antibodies!
Madonna has revealed some health news in a new installment of what she’s calling her “quarantine diaries”
“Took a test the other day,” the singer said Thursday on Instagram. “And I found out that I have the antibodies, so tomorrow, I’m just going to go for a long drive in a car, and I’m going to roll down the window, and I’m going to breathe in, I’m going to breathe in the COVID-19 air.”
Madge also mused on her feelings about being away from the rest of the world.

“I think it’s quite significant that the paper I’m typing on just caught on fire and consumed my paper,” she said while positioned at a typewriter. “I am so confused in my own confusion, so bewildered in my incapacity to express my disappointment, so unwilling to fight with people I have been in quarantine with, because I know the futility of it, and yet I want to taste the satisfaction of being known, of being understood. It amazes me that we care so much about what people think or winning people’s favor or being right in an argument. I hate myself for this pettiness.”

Surprisingly, she added, “I want to be released from the bondage of giving a f***.” Madonna has been a controversial star who’s rarely appeared to care much of what others think of her in the past four decades.
Last month, she riled fans when she called the coronavirus “the great equalizer” from a bathtub filled with rose petals. They called her out for equating her life in a mansion was the same as it was for the many people struggling for basics, such as food and health care.

The “Like a Prayer” singer has made significant contributions to helping others during the pandemic, among them donating $1 million to the Gates Philanthropy Partners’s COVID-19 response fund.


NFL Ready To Announce Regular Season Schedule, But Outlook For Sports Resumption Still Very Uncertain!
The National Football League (NFL) intends to have a full season, and is expected to announce its regular schedule this coming week.
Meanwhile, the National Basketball Assn. (NBA), National Hockey League (NHL), and Major League Baseball (MLB) are among the pro leagues that are wrestling with completing or starting (in baseball’s case) their schedules.
What it all amounts to is a giant puzzle where lost revenues and high health risks for players and staff are pretty much the only guarantees.

ESPN reported this week that research conducted on its behalf estimates that the absence of sports since March will erase at least $12 billion in revenue and thousands of jobs. That total will more than double if college football and the NFL don’t play this fall.
Any return of professional sports will more than likely be a TV-only affair, with no live attendance. Players and staff would be isolated in hotels and limited in their interactions with the outside world. There is talk that the NBA and NHL would use remote locations to complete their regular seasons and playoffs, with a late start to next year’s schedule resulting from that. MLB has discussed playing all its games in Arizona and, perhaps, Florida, where its teams already train.

The NFL is holding out hope that training camps can start in their normal July time slots, allowing the league’s regular season to start in September. But college football faces a more daunting challenge: the schools the teams represent may not be open in the fall, and putting amateur athletes at risk would be anathema to most schools. Plus, some leagues in states that have relatively little impact from the coronavirus may proceed with schedules, while other leagues may or may not start, or play with all of their members fielding teams.
One big headache faced by all of the squads concerns safety. What if a player on a team, despite all precautions, contracts the virus? Are the leagues liable for putting the player in jeopardy? Will the teams play on with a smaller squad? What about staffers, broadcasters and other media?

One interesting factor in these decisions is revenue. Given that there will be no fans, will player salaries be pro-rated or sliced in the coming years? That’s particularly important for the leagues that have revenue sharing, like the NFL. And what of the employees in the low-paying jobs, like concessions, ushers and others? ESPN reports that $371 million in wages are likely gone. There’s also a ripple effect on the ancillary restaurants, hotels and other businesses that service fans for the sports.

Taken altogether, the issues that surround reestablishing major sports in this country are daunting. Although the stakes are high, a year without major sports in this country may be yet another victim of the pandemic.


There’s A New 'Transformers' Movie Officially Coming in 2022!
The next installment of the live-action Transformers franchise got an official release date on Friday, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The outlet learned that the next Transformers movie will be in theaters on June 24, 2022. So far, there is no title for the sci-fi-action movie. The Transformers release date is welcome news for fans, though it does not come with many details.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, there are multiple Transformers projects in the works right now, including two big budget movies and one animated film, all with different creators behind them. There is no telling which group's movie is coming up next, nor what it will be about or when it will be set in the fictional universe's time line. Paramount has hired screenwriter Joby Harold for one Transformers movie and James Vanderbilt for another, with Josh Cooley writing the animated movie.

Back in January, Deadline reported that Vanderbilt's script was intended to be a adaptation of Beast Wars: Transformers — a computer-animated incarnation of the franchise that aired in the late 1990s. That show established itself in the far-distant future of the original transformers franchise, so Vanderbilt's movie may be separate from the existing canon altogether.
Meanwhile, Harold's movie will reportedly be a direct sequel to 2018's Bumblebee, the franchise's most critically successful film yet. Presumably, both of these movies will maintain the existing canon established in the last six installments. The Transformers cinematic franchise began in 2007, with director Michael Bay overseeing the first five movies. Only in 2018 did Bay step back from director to producer for Bumblebee, a prequel directed by Travis Knight.

Bumblee received generally positive reviews — far better than those of its predecessors — yet it still maintained the same time line and events set out in Bay's movies. This was a point of contention for many fans, who did not like how far Bay's movies had strayed from the version of Transformers they knew from cartoons and comic books.
The news that Paramount is branching out into other Transformers incarnations such as Beast Wars is encouraging to many fans, who want to see the series' full potential realized. While Bay's movies have a big focus on interactions between the Transformers and the military, many earlier incarnations were more light-hearted, with children serving as the human protagonists and the Autobots living in secret. Other stories centered around epic galactic wars, with no human intervention.

The next installment in the Transformersfranchise is slated to hit theaters on June 24, 2022.


Roc Nation Threatens Company Making Synthetic Jay-Z Vocals That Sound Too Real!
A company has made an A.I. machine that can perfectly imitate celebrity voices but they could get sued for making some Jay-Z vocals.
Roc Nation wants everyone to know that you can’t mess with Jay-Z’s image and likeness and get away with it.
A popular company called Vocal Synthesis learned the hard way when they tried to use his face and voice through “deepfake” technology.
The company created clips of "Jay-Z" rapping Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” “Book of Genesis” and Hamlet’s “To be or not to be” soliloquy on YouTube.
As brilliant as that was … and most certainly entertaining … using artificial intelligence without permission to create a celebrity performance is super illegal.

The anonymous creator of the videos first reported that Roc Nation was not happy about the copyright infringement infractions and sent the company the following notice: “This content unlawfully uses an AI to impersonate our client’s voice.”
But Vocal Synthesis maintains that the videos are really creative ways to use technology and are fun. In a deepfake video, he or she explains his or her position.

Check out Barack Obama and Donald Trump as they appeal to the public why these videos have “no malicious purpose” and that he or she is “disappointed that Jay-Z and Roc Nation have decided to bully a small YouTuber in this way.”
Even funnier than Jay-Z, Obama and Trump, are the voices of Ronald Reagan, John F. Kennedy, and also Franklin Delano Roosevelt who says “F##ck YouTube and F##k ROC Nation!”
To prove how much they don't give a f##k about the Roc and YouTube, they posted another Jay-Z video after they took down and reposted the Hamlet and Billy Joel videos.

Jay-Z might mind, but the former president didn't care when they had him rap Biggie's "Juicy!" Do you?


Judge Rejects U.S. Women's Soccer Team's Demand For Equal Pay!
2020 She Believes Cup: United States Press Conference and Training Session
A federal judge dismissed demands for equal pay made by the U.S. women's soccer team. The women's team filed a gender discrimination lawsuit demanding more than $66 million in compensation because the U.S. Men's National Team earns more money than they do.

Judge R. Gary Klausner ruled that the disparity in how the men and women were paid was due to the women's team's choices during the collective bargaining process and not discrimination on the part of the U.S. Soccer Federation. Klausner said the union for the women's team rejected a proposal that would have paid them using the same structure as the men's team.

The women's team vowed to appeal the decision.
"We are shocked and disappointed with today's decision, but we will not give up our hard work for equal pay," USWNT spokesperson Molly Levinson said in a statement. "We are confident in our case and steadfast in our commitment to ensuring that girls and women who play this sport will not be valued as lesser just because of their gender. We will appeal and press on."


AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
‘OFF THE MARK’
This isn’t horseshoes bud. Close doesn’t cut it. You’re either protected or you’re not. Nobody is awarding points for effort here.


HAVE A GREAT WEEK AHEAD ALL!!!
EFREM

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