There are more than 40 new shows premiering this winter and spring.

Most people don't have the time to watch everything that's coming out, no matter how good the TV show.

The problem now is we have to become really selective. Some of the stuff that made it to our TV screens a year or two ago just doesn't hold up any longer compared to the competition.

Cable, the streaming companies, and even broadcast are taking viewers to bold new places — from HBO's "The Young Pope" to FX's "Legion" and Netflix's "A Series of Unfortunate Events."

But where should you start? 

Metacritic keeps track of a curated group of critics, assigns each review a number according to how positive or negative it was, and then creates a weighted average score for each show.

Here are the 20 most critically acclaimed new TV shows of winter and spring 2017 so far, according to Metacritic:

SEE ALSO: The 6 biggest things that are shaking up the TV industry right now

DON'T MISS: The 22 most exciting new shows of 2017 you have to see

20. "Training Day" (CBS)

Metacritic score: 37

Based on the the popular 2001 film of the same name, CBS's "Training Day" stars Bill Paxton as a rogue detective whose new partner, a rookie narcotics officer played by Justin Cornwell, is spying on the veteran cop.

19. “APB” (Fox)

Metacritic score: 45

A tech billionaire spends millions of dollars to create a private police force with the most advanced crime-fighting technology available in the one of the toughest districts in Chicago.

18. “Ransom” (CBS)

Metacritic score: 46

Inspired by the real-life crisis negotiator Laurent Combalbert, this drama stars Luke Roberts as Eric Beaumont. He and his team are called in to resolve some of the toughest kidnap and ransom cases in the country.

Jaime Lannister does more than just slay kings in Westeros, he's also raising awareness about climate change. "Game of Thrones" actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau was recently named UNDP Goodwill Ambassador, and he's partnered with Google to show how Greenland's landscape is rapidly changing. With the camera strapped to his back he captured some Street View images to "help people understand the drastic changes taking place."

Follow Tech Insider:On Facebook

Join the conversation about this story »

We've got the feeling 2017 is going to be another banner year for Disney's Marvel Studios.

Its first release of the year is "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2," coming out May 5, and if you were already excited for the return of Star-Lord, Rocket, and Groot, brace yourself — test audiences have given the movie a perfect score.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the 100 score is a rare one for a movie and in regards to Marvel movies it's the best in the company's nine-year history, besting "Iron Man 3" and "The Avengers," which both scored in the high 90s.

Test screenings are done by all Hollywood studios (and some independents) to gauge audience interest. They are often done by recruiting people to see a movie and then those people are asked to rate the movie from 1 to 100.

The testing process doesn't just help filmmakers and the studios understand how people outside of Hollywood feel about the movie but also can help them with parts of the movie they have questions about (if certain jokes are funny or if the ending is effective).

THR points out that Marvel test screenings are a little different. To protect from spoilers being spread across the internet, instead of grabbing random people from malls or other public places to come see the movie, they do more controlled "friends and families screenings."

Because of this more select grouping, it's harder to compare this 100 score to the rest of the industry. It's also debatable if a high test score means the movie will be a success. THR uses the example of "Pretty Woman" only testing in the 70s, and going on to become a classic.

Seth Rogen told Business Insider once how hard it is to believe a good test score.

"In the past, I feel like some of our movies have been disserved by only having really good test screenings, which can happen, and it's not always representative of a good movie," he said. "Recently we haven’t told the audience what movie they are seeing. It’s finding ways to put as many roadblocks between us and a good test screening, and really be hard on the material and make sure it is all working."

2014's "Guardians of the Galaxy" was a surprise hit for Marvel, taking in over $773 million worldwide.  

SEE ALSO: The 20 best romantic movies on Netflix you'll actually want to watch

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Everything you need to know about Corinne Olympios — the newest villain on 'The Bachelor'

"Shark Tank" dedicated Friday's episode to "American Heroes," something star investor Daymond John believes not only honors those who have given their lives, but can also dispel preconceived notions.

"Having a show that’s dedicated to almost anything from mom-preneurs to minorities to everyday farmers to veterans is extremely important," John told Business Insider while promoting his new partnership with Shop.com on Friday.

"It’s the ultimate equalizer. It takes all race, color, gender, everything else out of the room and you become the person who you are."

In addition to a nurse and a Peace Corps. volunteer, the "American Heroes" episode of "Shark Tank" features entrepreneurs who have served as first responders and in the military.

John said that backgrounds such as those carry with them many of the traits the retail mogul and his fellow sharks are looking for in a business partner.

"When you talk about people who are veterans and people who serve our country, you realize that these people aren’t selfish people," he said. "They dedicate themselves to their country. They know how to finish a task, they know how to work within systems, and they’re willing to literally give it their all. When they walk into the room, we already know they have one step up from everybody else and we know they’ll give it their all no matter what."

SEE ALSO: Billionaire Chris Sacca: My role on 'Shark Tank' is to 'bust Mark Cuban's balls'

DON'T MISS: The 5 biggest mistakes small business owners make according to 'Shark Tank' stars

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here's what Daymond John has learned from 8 years of investing on Shark Tank

“Girls” has had quite a cultural impact throughout its six-season run. The HBO show was one of the first glimpses of millennial life for a wider audience. Following the worst recession since the Great Depression, creator Lena Dunham used this show as an opportunity to expose how a particular segment of a particular generation really felt, and how their lives were completely different from generations before them.

Along with the struggles of finding a job and choosing a career to stick to, “Girls,” which premieres its sixth and final season Sunday, explores how this generation approaches relationships in ways we're not used to seeing on TV.

The storylines and depth of the lives of sexually active (some more than others) twentysomethings in New York City came with many praises, but also plenty of controversy and media handwringing.

Here are the most controversial things to happen throughout "Girls" so far:

SEE ALSO: RANKED: The 20 best new TV shows right now, according to critics

The "whitewashing" of New York

Back when the show premiered in 2012, it received glowing reviews from critics and audiences alike. But there was one problem that critics and audiences noticed. For a show taking place in New York City, one of the most diverse cities in the United States, the show was certainly lacking it: Its entire cast was white. The backlash against the show’s “whitewashing” continued well into its first season. 

Allegations of nepotism against the stars

As the show got more popular, so did the actors. And the main cast wasn't always welcomed with open arms, as it was revealed that the women all had some kind of connection to the entertainment industry through their parents. 

Lena Dunham's mom is a famous artist. Zoisa Mamet is the daughter of playwright, screenwriter, and director David Mamet (he wrote "Glengarry Glenn Ross," among others). Allison Williams is the daughter of Brian Williams, former NBC news anchor. And Jemima Kirke's dad is the former drummer of the rock band Bad Company. 

Their media connections felt like much more than a coincidence to a lot of people. 

Marnie’s scandalous bathroom time

In episode three of the show’s first season, Marnie (Allison Williams) has a full-on masturbation scene in a public restroom. The scene was bold on its own, but especially bold for the early days of a new series.

Williams told Vulture, “I’m sort of fascinated that it’s being made into a thing, because I just looked at it as a part of my job. There were scenes that were more difficult for me to do than that one, and it’s interesting to me that people are fixating on it. I mean, little Sally Draper in 'Mad Men' did it before me, so listen — I’m just entering her territory.”

Chad Stahelski is going through his usual press rounds for his new movie, "John Wick: Chapter 2," when one topic stops him in his tracks: the death of his friend Brandon Lee.

"Wow, that's a heavy one," he said when asked about the subject, collecting his thoughts.

Before the first “John Wick” movie in 2014 made him a sought-after action director, Stahelski was a veteran stuntman and one of his first jobs was on the movie “The Crow,” in which he was a stunt double for Lee, the star of the movie.

Stahelski was a friend of Lee’s at the time of filming. Then a twentysomething instructor at the Inosanto Martial Arts Academy in Marina Del Rey, California, Stahelski bonded quickly with Lee, the son of martial arts superstar Bruce Lee.

"I remember we would work out on Saturdays at the gym, try to film our own stuff with old VHS cameras afterward, and then read graphic novels," Stahelski told Business Insider. "Cut to a year later, Brandon comes in and says he's going to be in 'The Crow.'"

Lee had been building his credits in TV and action movies, but "The Crow," an adaptation of a cult-favorite graphic novel about a murdered man who comes back to life to avenge his dead fiancee, was going to make him a superstar.

But then it all went very wrong. During filming of "The Crow" in March of 1993, Lee was accidentally shot on set during a scene in which a gun was fired at him. The gun was loaded with a blank round, but there was still a dummy bullet left in the barrel, so when it was fired at Lee, it came out of the gun with nearly the same force as if it were a live bullet. The bullet hit Lee in the abdomen, mortally wounding him. He was only 28 years old.

Stahelski was on set the day Lee died.

"When you see something like that happen and you're close to it, it's surreal," he said. "It's impactful."

Stahelski went on to become one of the top flight stuntmen and second unit directors in Hollywood, working on everything from “The Matrix” movies to “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” and “Captain America: Civil War.” But he never forgot what happened to his friend — which has become one of the most infamous on-set accidents in the history of the movie business — and Stahelski admits he's become a taskmaster about safety on set.

“You think about the absolute stupidity behind the reason why it happened and it makes you angry at the amateur bull----,” Stahelski said of looking back on Lee’s death. “It was all because everyone gets yes’d and no one wants to hurt anyone’s feelings. So I decided very, very early on that there can be no political correctness when you’re dealing with safety. It’s just ‘F--- you, that’s wrong, I’m doing it my way.’”

While "John Wick: Chapter 2," along with the first movie (which Stahelski codirected with his fellow stuntman David Leitch), may be thrilling and is shot in a way to showcase how much of the stunts star Keanu Reeves really does himself, there is a precision to it so everyone on set is safe.

That's even more challenging now given that these movies are shot in less time and have smaller budgets than studio action movies used to command (Stahelski said the "John Wick" sequel had around 40% more in budget than the $20 million original).

No better example is the opening of “John Wick: Chapter 2,” in which we see Reeves as Wick retrieving the Mustang that was stolen from him in the first movie. But Stahelski didn’t settle for Wick coming in guns blazing to get it back. Instead the scene involves a twisted metal-on-metal battle between bad guys in taxis and Wick in his recovered Mustang and ends with all vehicles demolished.

“The note to our second unit director and stunt coordinator was, ‘These are the cars we got, don’t come back with anything,’” said Stahelski, who notes that the four Mustangs and numerous taxi cabs for the scene were all smashed beyond repair at some point in the remarkably short three-day shoot of the scene.

The scene doesn’t just feature Reeves doing much of the driving (Stahelski said the crew had his driver-side door ripped off so it was clear to audiences that it was really him driving), but also when Reeves is out of his car, he has to dive away from oncoming cars that suddenly rush into frame.

But the fear of anyone getting injured was always in the back of Stahelski’s mind.

“My stunt coordinator and second unit director on this film are friends of mine and I micromanage them, I'm not going to lie to you, I'm a complete dick sometimes,” Stahelski said. “It annoys them, but they know I'll say to them 'Sorry, I didn't mean it,' and they get it. They haven’t lived through the same things I’ve lived through.”

Stahelski has no problem being the bad guy when it comes to everyone’s safety on set. Along with witnessing Lee’s death, he said he’s had to deal with three other “tragic moments” on set in his career.

So even though he has notebooks filled with ideas for unique action sequences he wants to put on the screen, like for his remake of “Highlander” that’s he’s currently developing and the inevitable “John Wick 3,” Stahelski will never compromise people’s lives for the sake of pulling off his dreams.

“Losing a friend like Brandon was heartbreaking, but you also know that he and his fiancee were four or five weeks out of their wedding when the accident happened, you look at what they had, and you feel even worse,” Stahelski said. “You don’t ever want to feel that again, because at the end of the day, it’s just a f---ing movie.”

“John Wick: Chapter 2” opens in theaters on Friday.

SEE ALSO: The "John Wick" sequel is an orgy of violence that fans of the original will love

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Shia LaBeouf got into a shouting match with a white nationalist on his anti-Trump live stream

The biggest honor in entertainment isn't TV's Emmy, or Broadway's Tony, music's Grammy, or even film's Oscar. It's all four together: the EGOT.

That grand combination of Hollywood's greatest performance prizes is called the EGOT as an acronym representing all four of the above awards. It's a rare and amazing feat. Arguably, it's the only actual measurement of an all-around performer. It's also referred to as "the Grand Slam" of American entertainment.

It's also a milestone that could be reached again this year by Lin-Manuel Miranda if he wins for his Oscar-nominated "Moana" song. The "Hamilton" creator would be the youngest person ever to get the EGOT.

The feat is so difficult to achieve that only 12 people are on the list of EGOT winners, including Whoopi Goldberg, Mel Brooks, Audrey Hepburn, Mike Nichols, and Rita Moreno.

About five others may also claim to be unofficial EGOT winners, because one or more of their wins were honorary awards rather than given in a competition against others. Those five are Barbra Streisand, Liza Minnelli, James Earl Jones, Alan Menken, and Harry Belafonte.

According to Vanity Fair, "Miami Vice" actor Philip Michael Thomas coined "EGOT" and popularized it by wearing a gold medallion around his neck with the acronym emblazoned onto the medallion in the mid-'80s.

"Hopefully in the next five years, I will win all of those awards," an overconfident Thomas reportedly told an interviewer in 1984.

That's as close as Thomas would ever get to the phrase, as he hasn't won even one of the awards represented on his medallion. But thanks for naming the achievement, Philip! 

He isn't alone is having EGOT ambition, of course. Currently, there are about 70 performers who are or had been (in the case of the deceased) one award away from achieving EGOT status, including Julie Andrews, Cher, Kate Winslet, Al Pacino, Elton John, Cyndi Lauper, and Lily Tomlin.

Here's a list of current EGOT winners from Wikipedia:

• Richard Rodgers
• Helen Hayes
• Rita Moreno
• John Gielgud
• Audrey Hepburn
• Marvin Hamlisch
• Jonathan Tunick
• Mel Brooks
• Mike Nichols
• Whoopi Goldberg
• Scott Rudin
• Robert Lopez

And EGOT winners including non-competitive or special awards:

• Barbra Streisand
• Liza Minnelli
• James Earl Jones
• Alan Menken
• Harry Belafonte

SEE ALSO: RANKED: The 20 best new TV shows right now, according to critics

DON'T MISS: Director James Cameron says 'Mythbusters' was wrong about the ending of 'Titanic'

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 18 Hollywood moms whose lookalike daughters are following in their footsteps

Ever been to Vienna? Yeah, me neither. It looks pretty great, but flights are expensive and we're intimidated by its long history of classical music composers (and their hairdos, if we're being honest).

Thankfully, an enterprising group of "Minecraft" fans are re-creating the city of Vienna. Even better, they're creating the replica at scale, 1:1, as if you were actually there.

Don't believe us? See for yourself:

Join us for much more below!

SEE ALSO: There's a brand new Pokémon game, and it's built entirely within 'Minecraft' — take a look

DON'T MISS: Why 'Minecraft' is the most popular game in the world

An amber-hued pixel sky over "Minecraft" Vienna.

The water has a gorgeous blue shimmer — no wonder it's known as the "Blue Danube"!

Here's a shot of St. Stephen's cathedral, looking pixelated.

Warning: Spoilers below if you're not caught up on "The Walking Dead."

When "The Walking Dead" returns Sunday for its midseason premiere, fans will have their eyes set on this season's murderous villain, Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), and his next move.

After all, he has been responsible for some pretty heart-wrenching deaths this season on the AMC zombie drama.

But would it surprise you to hear that the most shocking death of the entire show isn't one of Negan's victims?

TV tracking app TVShow Time analyzed data from its 1.6 million users to discern which deaths hit "TWD" fans the hardest. Here's a hint: It wasn't Negan's execution-style murder of Glenn (Steven Yeun).

Glenn is actually No. 3 on the list.

Take a look at TVShow Time's infographic below to find out who topped the list of "TWD's" most shocking deaths:

SEE ALSO: 8 TV shows you need to watch if you love 'The Walking Dead'

DON'T MISS: 'Don't overanalyze': 'Walking Dead' star Chandler Riggs' mom addresses reports he's leaving the show

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: ‘The Walking Dead’ fans think they uncovered something huge in this scene from the latest episode

Alec Baldwin reprised his impersonation of President Donald Trump on this weekend's "Saturday Night Live."

This weekend's episode marked the actor's 17th turn as the NBC sketch show's host, a record for "SNL." Though Baldwin typically appears as Trump during the show's opening sketch, this time that honor went to Melissa McCarthy in her return as White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer.

But those viewers who stuck through the episode were rewarded with a later segment featuring Baldwin's popular impression of the president. In the sketch, Trump turns to television's "The People's Court" to take on the judges who refused to reinstate Trump's travel ban. 

The executive order, which Trump signed last month, temporarily blocks travelers from entering the US from seven predominantly Muslim countries, and bans all refugees from entering. The judges expressed a concern that the ban discriminates on the basis of religion.

In the sketch, Cecily Strong played the "People's Court" judge, and Beck Bennett returned as a shirtless Vladimir Putin, who was a character witness for the president.

"You're doing too much," Strong told Baldwin's Trump before she ruled with the circuit court judges. "I want one day without a CNN alert that scares the hell out of me."

Watch the sketch below:

SEE ALSO: Melissa McCarthy returns to 'SNL' as a 'calm' White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer

DON'T MISS: Shia LaBeouf's Trump protest has been shut down due to violence

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 'It's a lie': Jake Tapper calls out Trump during a fiery interview with Kellyanne Conway

Who says there's nothing to see at the movies?

This weekend proved that multiple titles can perform well at the multiplex on the same weekend as "The Lego Batman Movie," "Fifty Shades Darker," and "John Wick: Chapter 2" all had impressive first weekends.

"The Lego Batman" movie found positive reviews leading into the weekend which led to an estimated $55.6 million, according to Exhibitor Relations, to win the weekend.

Though that doesn't come close to 2014's "The Lego Movie" opening of $69 million, it's still impressive for a spin-off movie of one of the popular characters from the original.

The difference between first place and second this weekend really came down to the number of screens both titles were on.

"Fifty Shades Darker," the follow-up to "Fifty Shades of Grey," didn't get the opening the first movie based on the E.L. James novels had ($85.1 million), but its $46.8 million take is a strong figure seeing it only had a 10% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

In fact, the movie out-performed "The Lego Movie" on Friday ($21.5 million versus $15 million), but "Lego" having over 300 more screens has proved enough to edge out "Grey."

Coming in third is "John Wick: Chapter 2." The Keanu Reeves R-rated action movie is proving to find audiences outside of its genre fan base, as the movie took in $30 million, more than doubling the opening weekend of the original in 2014 ($14.4 million).

All three titles should have strong performances next weekend, too, as the only big competition will be the Matt Damon action/thriller, "The Great Wall."

SEE ALSO: How the director of the new "Lego Movie" made Batman great again

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The new 'Power Rangers' trailer finally shows off the Dinozords and they look incredible

Stars came out for the 59th annual Grammy Awards Sunday night in Los Angeles. 

The Grammys are always an interesting red carpet, since they're not as formal as other awards shows like the Oscars, and 2017 is no exception. Cutouts are a popular trend this year, and there's also a dress seemingly made out of a ball pit. 

Keep reading to see the best looks from musicians and celebrities including Adele, Katy Perry, Nick Jonas, and more.

SEE ALSO: The 27 best looks from the SAG awards

Adele

Katy Perry

Lea Michele

Singer-songwriter Joy Villa made a political statement on the 2017 Grammys red carpet Sunday night with a President Donald Trump-supporting dress, and it got a lot of reaction from all sides online.

She took off a white wrap on the red carpet to reveal a red, blue, and white (and bedazzled) dress with Trump's campaign slogan "Make America Great Again" running down it.

Villa herself went on social media to explain the fashion choice, saying her platform is about "LOVE."

Some were skeptical of Villa's choice, though, including MTV News, which called it the "worst dress" at the Grammys.

But the musician also found a lot of supporters who encouraged her expression.

SEE ALSO: RANKED: The 20 best new TV shows right now, according to critics

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: This prank promoting the new 'Rings' movie is genuinely frightening

The 59th Grammy Awards are taking place Sunday night. Chance the Rapper was the first winner of the night with his win for best new artist.

Below are all the winners from Sunday night's live telecast, which we'll update as the show goes on: 

Best New Artist:

Kelsea Ballerini
The Chainsmokers
Chance The Rapper - WINNER
Maren Morris
Anderson .Paak

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance:

"Closer" — The Chainsmokers Featuring Halsey
"7 Years" — Lukas Graham
"Work" — Rihanna Featuring Drake
"Cheap Thrills" — Sia Featuring Sean Paul

"Stressed Out" — Twenty One Pilots - WINNER 

Best Alternative Music Album:

"22, A Million" — Bon Iver

"Blackstar" — David Bowie - WINNER

"The Hope Six Demolition Project" — PJ Harvey 

"Post Pop Depression" — Iggy Pop

"A Moon Shaped Pool" — Radiohead

SEE ALSO: All the looks from the 2017 Grammys red carpet

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Everything you need to know about 'American Gods' — a TV show that could be bigger than 'Game of Thrones'

Chance the Rapper has just made history at the 2017 Grammy Awards.

With the 23-year-old rapper's win for best new artist, the Chicago native is the first artist ever to be nominated and win a Grammy for an artist who released a streaming-only album.

Before this year's Grammys nominations were announced, the rules were changed to allow artists who were unsigned or released streaming-only albums to be eligible. Many saw the move from the Recording Academy, which gives out the Grammy Awards, as an endorsement of Chance specifically and his acclaimed album "Coloring Book."

Chance is also not signed to a label, another first at the Grammys.

He's nominated for seven awards in total at the 2017 Grammys. Before the show, he won best rap performance for "No Problem."

While on stage to accept the best new artist Grammy, Chance thanked God and "all of Chicago."

SEE ALSO: All the looks from the 2017 Grammys red carpet

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here's what Johnny Depp reportedly spends $2M a month on

Adele gave an incredibly moving performance in honor of the late George Michael at the 2017 Grammys Sunday night, but she had a vocal slip-up that led her to stop and restart the performance mid-song, leaving viewers puzzled.

The "Hello" singer performed Michael's "Fastlove" in stripped-down fashion, with a string section behind her. As she started singing, it appeared she was slightly off-key and her timing was off. Those stumbles led Adele to put a halt to the performance and swear on live TV.

"Can we please start it again? I can't mess this up for him," she said.

Adele got her wish. She recovered and the Grammys broadcast her full rendition of the song, which ended up being a beautiful, heartbreaking tribute to Michael's work.

But she did look very upset as the song ended.

Later Adele apologized for swearing while accepting the song of the year Grammy Award for "Hello."

Watch Adele stop her performance mid-song to get it right:

SEE ALSO: RANKED: The 20 best new TV shows right now, according to critics

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Everything you need to know about 'American Gods' — a TV show that could be bigger than 'Game of Thrones'

Sporting a white pantsuit and a "resist" armband, Katy Perry gave the first major political performance of the 2017 Grammys Sunday night while doing her song "Chained to the Rhythm."

A major supporter of Hillary Clinton during the presidential election, Perry's performance of her new song that she released on Friday was certainly a message that she will continue to be a major voice on issues she believes in. And it made her stand on President Donald Trump's administration pretty clear.

Her Grammy performance ended with her sharing the stage with Skip Marley, who is featured on the track, and a graphic of the Constitution's words behind them.

Perry's final words before ending the song were "No hate." 

"Chained to the Rhythm" has Perry's most explicitly political lyrics to date. The singer says, "So comfortable, we're living in a bubble, bubble / So comfortable, we cannot see the trouble, trouble."

Marley's verse on the song is even more bold in its political take, saying "We're about to riot."

Watch some of the performance below:

SEE ALSO: Here are all the winners of the 2017 Grammy Awards

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Everything you need to know about 'American Gods' — a TV show that could be bigger than 'Game of Thrones'

Saturday Night Live took on President Trump's feud with Nordstrom this weekend in a skit featuring a mock White House press conference that promotes Ivanka Trump's fashion line in a QVC-style advertisement. 

In the skit, actress Melissa McCarthy — who portrays White House press secretary Sean Spicer — slams the press for not covering certain terrorist attacks, such as Nordstrom's decision to drop Ivanka Trump's line of clothing and accessories.

"That's Nordstrom's loss, because these are high, high-quality products," McCarthy says. "In fact I'm wearing one of her bangles right now. It's beautiful, it's shimmery, it's elegant and at $39.99 it is unbelievably affordable."

As McCarthy delivers her sales pitch, the bangle's price and a phone number for ordering it appear at the bottom of the shot. 

Then she launches into a promotion for Ivanka Trump's shoes. 

"And don’t even get me started on her shoes because these babies are a real head-turner," McCarthy says while lifting up her leg to show off Ivanka Trump's $135 "Katie" pumps.

Trump lashed out at Nordstrom last week on Twitter for dropping Ivanka's fashion line.

"My daughter Ivanka has been treated so unfairly by Nordstrom," Trump tweeted. "She is a great person — always pushing me to do the right thing! Terrible!"

White House press secretary Sean Spicer later backed up Trump's statement, saying Nordstrom's decision was a "direct attack on his policies and [Ivanka's] name." Then Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway entered the conflict when she told people to "go buy Ivanka's stuff." She was later accused of an ethics violation.

Nordstrom said it dropped Ivanka Trump's line because sales were sliding.

The skit might have been targeting more than the Nordstrom feud, however.

Politico reported last week that President Trump is unhappy with Spicer's portrayal by a woman on the comedy show, because he doesn't like his people to "look weak." McCarthy first appeared as Spicer on SNL a week ago.

It's possible that the report played a role in SNL's decision to have McCarthy donning heels and jewelry in its latest episode.

SEE ALSO: Here are all the companies that have cut ties with the Trump family

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: A whiskey expert suggests some of his favorite bottles for under $50

The Grammy Awards got it wrong again.

On Sunday night, Adele swept the major categories: Album of the year, record of the year, and song of the year all went to "Hello" and its album "25."

That shouldn't have been much of a surprise. Adele was the odds-on favorite going into the 2017 Grammys, even if "25" and its smash hit feel like distant memories (the album was released in November 2015 and was eligible for this year's awards because of the Grammys' weird timing rules). She's beloved across the world, technically impressive, charming all of the time, and almost impossible to hate.

But Adele's sweep felt like an affront to Beyoncé's "Lemonade," which had to settle for best urban contemporary album (an awkward phrasing that basically means best modern-sounding R&B album). The Grammys chose a perfectly fine album with a huge hit over one that made history, which left the awards feeling more irrelevant than ever.

Black music has gotten shortchanged before

As many critics have pointed out, the Grammys have an uneasy racial history. Only 10 black artists have ever won album of the year since it was first given in 1959, even though the entire history of rock and roll is derived from black music.

Craig Jenkins, New York magazine's music critic, said Kanye West was "right" about the Grammys. West said after Beck's "Morning Phase" beat out Beyoncé's self-titled album in 2015, "At this point we tired of it, because what happens is when you keep on diminishing art and not respecting the craft and smacking people in the face after they deliver monumental feats in music, you’re disrespectful to inspiration."

Immediately after this year's awards, the singer Solange (Beyoncé's sister) shared a note on Twitter from Frank Ocean, who chose to sit out this year's Grammys, which was directed at Grammy producers. Ocean wrote:

"USE THE OLD GRAMOPHONE TO ACTUALLY LISTEN BRO, I’M ONE OF THE BEST ALIVE. AND IF YOU’RE UP FOR A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE CULTURAL BIAS AND GENERAL NERVE DAMAGE THE SHOW YOU PRODUCE SUFFERS FROM THEN I’M ALL FOR IT. HAVE A GOOD NIGHT."

The Grammys also have a history of not giving hip-hop — and anything remotely new or pioneering — its due. Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff won the very first Grammy rap award in 1989 for "Parents Just Don't Understand," but the category wasn't televised, leading them and other nominees to boycott the show.

The Grammys are more conservative than they look

Adele appeals to the conservative streak in the Grammys' voting body of industry pros, who strongly favor work that appeals across generations and harks back to older forms. Everyone from your mom to your five-year-old nephew knows the words to "Hello" and connects to it. Her style of soul music isn't breaking any molds. "Formation" may be a statement-making, forward-thinking masterpiece, but from its sonics to its politics, it challenges and alienates a certain segment of the US.

Ray Charles, Herbie Hancock, and Robert Plant, among many others, have only recently won their first album of the year trophies long after their music had become safe and all-pleasing. The Grammys seemingly finally caught up to David Bowie, who swept in his categories this year after long being denied any major prizes. That's how the Grammys work.

In the end, sales matter

There is another, simpler reason Beyoncé was shut out of the biggest, cross-genre categories while Adele was coronated: sales. At a time when music is more vexed than ever about itself as a business and its future, Adele sold records at a rate unseen since the '90s. "25" sold more than nine million copies in the US alone, while Beyoncé's "Lemonade" (her second-lowest-selling album to date) couldn't quite hit 2 million.

Perhaps more than ever, the Grammys may feel that rewarding a commercial juggernaut is in the awards' own best interest, even if it means shunning a piece of cultural history that even Adele herself agrees should have gotten its due. As Adele said Sunday night while backstage, after expressing her devotion to "Queen B" in her acceptance speeches, "What the f--- does she have to do to win album of the year?"

SEE ALSO: How a 23-year-old rapper who refuses to sign a record deal made Grammys history

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The new 'Power Rangers' trailer finally shows off the Dinozords and they look incredible

John Oliver hatched a unique plan to "educate" President Donald Trump.

Sunday's season premiere of "Last Week Tonight" was dedicated to Trump and what he believes to be true.

"Since taking office about 412 years ago," the host began the show, "Trump has made it clear that reality is not important to him."

For evidence, Oliver pointed to Trump's take on the number of people who attended his inauguration, his baseless claims of massive voter fraud during the election, and even his statement that God didn't allow it to rain during his inauguration speech.

"First, it did rain while you were speaking," the host said. "That's why your wife was holding up an umbrella and people behind you were wearing ponchos. And second, if God did look down, his only thought would've been, 'Wait, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir? Come on, I'm sick of them and I'm God.'"

In addition to those statements, Oliver suggested Trump didn't seem to grasp certain things a president should know, ranging from nuclear weapons to the actual federal unemployment rate.

So in an effort to "educate" Trump on important facts, Oliver decided to run commercials on Monday morning on several cable-news channels, something the host seemed sure Trump would see.

"Until we're shut down," Oliver said, "we are prepared to educate Donald Trump one by one on topics we're pretty sure he doesn't know about."

Watch the episode below:

SEE ALSO: Alec Baldwin's Trump defends travel ban in 'The People's Court' on 'SNL'

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 'It's a lie': Jake Tapper calls out Trump during a fiery interview with Kellyanne Conway