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The incredible career rise and tragic murder of Tupac Shakur, who died 21 years ago

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tupac shakur

Rapper Tupac Shakur died 21 years ago, after succumbing to injuries from a shooting that took place on a Las Vegas street nearly a week before. He was only 25 years old. He would have been 46 today.

Shakur's controversial and influential career lasted just five years, but the world of rap music and the music industry at large still feels his impact two decades after his untimely death. 

From his first appearance with the rap group Digital Underground to starring roles in Hollywood movies and his final, blockbuster studio album, "All Eyez on Me," Tupac shook up the culture and gained a massive following.

Here are the biggest moments of Tupac Shakur's career leading up to his death: 

SEE ALSO: Tupac Shakur ranted about Donald Trump in 1992

After studying poetry, theater, and music in high school, Shakur got his first break when he became a roadie and backup dancer for the rap group Digital Underground in 1990. His first music credit came on a soundtrack single for the 1991 Chevy Chase-led film "Nothing But Trouble," which he also appeared in.

Source: CBS News



In November 1991, Shakur released his debut solo album, "2Pacalypse Now," on Interscope Records. The album was certified gold for sales of 500,000 or more copies — minuscule compared to the success of his later records — but his social commentary on songs like "Brenda's Got a Baby" established him as an important voice in rap.

Source: RIAA



Shakur had his first starring role in the 1992 New York City crime thriller "Juice," acting alongside Omar Epps, Samuel L. Jackson, and Queen Latifah.



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These 19 TV shows have won the most Emmys, and 'Game of Thrones' is almost at the top

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30 Rock

There are always shows that dominate the Emmys. This year, some favorites include "Westworld," "SNL," "Big Little Lies," "This Is Us," and "The Handmaid's Tale."

But while some Emmy darlings are expected and obvious, you might be surprised that some of your favorite shows of all time don't have as many Emmys as you think think — or any at all.

"Friends" only won six Emmys during its run and "Seinfeld" only won ten. How about HBO's critically-acclaimed series "The Wire?" Zero wins, two nominations. 

But some audience and critic favorites do make the list for the most Emmy wins ever. Although it's not nominated this year, "Game of Thrones" is incredibly close to breaking "SNL's" record. "Breaking Bad," "Mad Men," and "Frasier" were also consistent favorites during awards season, and it shows in their double-digit wins and for some, three-digit nominations. 

The 69th annual Emmy Awards begin at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Sunday night, and will air live coast-to-coast on CBS. 

Here are the 19 shows with the most Emmy wins:

SEE ALSO: Here are all the 2017 Emmy nominees — Netflix, HBO, and 'SNL' lead the way

"Breaking Bad" — 16 wins and 58 nominations

"Breaking Bad" won outstanding drama series twice for the fifth and final season, since it was split in two. Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul won three Emmys for their roles. 



"30 Rock" — 16 wins and 103 nominations

"30 Rock" was once an Emmys darling. Its first season got ten Emmy nominations, and it got 17 in its second season. The show won outstanding comedy series three years in a row. 



"Mad Men" — 16 wins and 116 nominations

Jon Hamm had a lot of competition in the lead actor in a drama category, so after seven nominations, he didn't get his first win until his final shot in 2015. In its first four seasons, "Mad Men" won outstanding drama. The show also won several awards for writing, directing, and hairstyling.



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Tupac Shakur ranted about Donald Trump and the perils of capitalism in 1992

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Tupac : Trump

Rapper Tupac Shakur once discussed Donald Trump in an extended rant on capitalism for a 1992 MTV interview that reportedly never aired. 

In the eight-minute interview — which was the rapper's "first MTV interview as a solo artist," according to the video — Shakur contrasts his underprivileged upbringing with the privileged world of "family heirlooms" and capitalist empires.

"When you born, usually, you're born into a dynasty or an empire," Shakur said. "You're born, like, as a junior or following in your father's footsteps."

Then, around the video's five-minute mark, he speaks about Donald Trump and his business:

"You want to be successful — you want to be like Trump? Gimme, gimme, gimme. Push, push, push. Step, step, step. Crush, crush, crush. That's how it all is. Nobody ever stops," Shakur said, describing what he sees as the selfish forces of capitalism. 

The video, which now has over a million views, was uploaded to YouTube in February 2010.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, MTV was "unable to confirm whether the video ever aired" on the channel.

Shakur would go on to have one of the most prolific careers in rap history in a span of five short years. He was shot and killed in Las Vegas 21 years ago, at the age of 25. 

Watch the interview below.

SEE ALSO: The incredible career rise and tragic murder of Tupac Shakur, who died 21 years ago

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NOW WATCH: A popular 'Game of Thrones' fan theory says Bran is the Night King — here's why

Amazon reportedly spent $80 million to lure Woody Allen into making a TV series

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woody allen

Amazon spent $80 million to lure filmmaker Woody Allen into creating his first TV series for their TV studio, sources told The Hollywood Reporter.

Sources told the outlet that Amazon Studios head Roy Price and lieutenant Joe Lewis "doled out" that staggering figure to convince Allen to create his six-part, 2016 show "Crisis in Six Scenes."

Set in 1960s suburbia, the comedy series starred Miley Cyrus and Allen, and was critically panned. It received an 18% "Rotten" rating from Rotten Tomatoes. 

At the Cannes Film Festival in 2015, as he was still producing the show, Allen called the series "a catastrophic mistake."

Amazon also reportedly spent around $20 million for the rights and production costs of Allen's 2016 film "Café Society," which starred Steve Carrell, Jesse Eisenberg, and Kristen Stewart. 

Amazon Studios has been known to shell out large figures for original TV programming. The company reportedly paid $250 million for the Jeremy Clarkson travel series "The Grand Tour" in 2016 (though that figure may be for multiple seasons). And for context, Netflix's most expensive series, "The Crown," reportedly cost over $130 million to make. 

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos currently has the studio in the midst of a strategy overhaul.

With its video spending for 2017 clocking in at an estimated $4.5 billion (per JPMorgan), Amazon Studios has now shifted its focus to pursuing a "Game of Thrones"-like drama hit, according to Variety. The company has also recently canceled shows like "Z: The Beginning of Everything" and "The Last Tycoon" as a result of this shift. 

"We've been looking at the data for some time, and as a team we're increasingly focused on the impact of the biggest shows," Amazon Studios head Roy Price told Variety. "It’s pretty evident that it takes big shows to move the needle."

Woody Allen's show was surely not that.

SEE ALSO: RANKED: Netflix's 25 original comedy shows, from worst to best

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NOW WATCH: A popular 'Game of Thrones' fan theory says Bran is the Night King — here's why

Professional clowns blame 'It' for a drop in business

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it pennywise warner bros

Not everyone is happy with the sensation the movie "It" has become.

The latest adaptation of the classic Stephen King novel broke records at the box office last weekend when it opened with an incredible $123.4 million domestically, which gave Hollywood a hit movie after three weeks of pitiful performers. But one line of business that isn't finding the same success is clowns.

The main villain in "It" is an evil clown named Pennywise who terrorizes the fictional town of Derry, Maine. His particular interest is snatching up children. Needless to say, moms and dads suddenly aren't setting up clowns to come entertain their kids' birthday parties. 

In fact, John Nelson, a professional clown, says he's gotten several cancellations in the last few weeks due to the release of "It" and its marketing of the scary Pennywise.

But now he's doing something about it.

Nelson, who runs Clowns in Town with a partner, has put together a rally outside New York City's Union Square Regal Cinema in New York City to show that clowns aren't all that bad.

"Our hope is to raise enough awareness so when people think of clowns they won't think of scary murderers but people who dedicate their lives to bringing joy," Nelson told the NBC News 4, the New York City affiliate of the network.

clowns on bikes"Last week, my partner and I had six cancellations of birthday parties," Nelson said. "I have heard of reports from other clowns, in New York and other cities, that they have been canceled as well." 

Because many clowns do not ask for deposits in advance and are paid on site, according to Nelson, the popularity of "It" has caused a significant loss.

The movie's release is just the latest hurdle for clowns. Though clowns have been the cornerstone of children's entertainment for over 200 years, in recent generations children have grown more frightened of clowns. According to a 2015 story in The Guardian on the likability of clowns, a University of Sheffield study of 250 children for a report on hospital design suggested children find clown motifs “frightening and unknowable.” And adults are scared, too. There's even a name for it: coulrophobia.

SEE ALSO: Diane Kruger's new movie was so emotionally devastating she couldn't work for 6 months, and was filming during the "darkest time" in her life

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: A popular 'Game of Thrones' fan theory says Bran is the Night King — here's why

People are slamming an Emmy voter who says 'Westworld' is 'pretentious bulls---' and 'Atlanta' isn't funny

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Maeve and Clementine in Mariposa Westworld

With the Emmys coming up on Sunday, who better to talk to then one of the people who chooses the winners? 

The Hollywood Reporter talked to a member of the TV Academy, who gets to vote for the Emmy nominees and winners.

This anonymous voter, who identifies himself as an "old white guy," is very honest with his critiques. He has a lot of unpopular opinions, and might be evidence that, like the Oscars, the Emmys need to stir some diversity in their pool of voters.

Here's what some people had to say:

And below, we collected some of the most outrageous quotes from the interview:

SEE ALSO: These 19 TV shows have won the most Emmys, and 'Game of Thrones' is almost at the top

"I really tried with 'Westworld', but while I was watching it — which I did because my wife loves it and I’m a good husband — I kept thinking to myself, “This is pretentious bulls---.”



"I’m very old-fashioned when it comes to comedies — I like them to be funny — and 'Atlanta' is not funny. It’s very creative — I’m a big Donald Glover fan, I think he’s a huge talent and I wish that show nothing but success — but it isn’t funny, at least to an old white guy like me."



"I enjoy 'Master of None' more in theory than I do in practice; it’s just a little too preachy and sanctimonious. Similar thing with 'Black-ish': it’s funny, but I always feel like I’m being scolded and educated, and while I don’t mind John Oliver educating me about obscure things, I don’t need that from a network comedy. It just got a little too up its own ass this year."



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'Goodfellas' and 'The Sopranos' star Frank Vincent has died at 78

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Frank Vincent Bryan Bedder Getty

Legendary character actor Frank Vincent has died at 78, according to TMZ.

Known best for playing the villain in some of Martin Scorsese's most memorable movies, including "Raging Bull," "Goodfellas," and Casino," Vincent also played mob boss Phil Leotardo on "The Sopranos."

Vincent died of complications from heart surgery.

With 89 credits over his 41-year career, Vincent's other highlights include starring in Spike Lee movies like "Do The Right Thing" and "Jungle Fever." He was also a fixture in the gaming world as he lent his voice to numerous "Grand Theft Auto" games.

But he'll be remembered most for his work with Scorsese, which often had him either at odds with fellow Scorsese regular Joe Pesci or friends with him.

Here's a classic NSFW scene between the duo from "Goodfellas":

SEE ALSO: Diane Kruger's new movie was so emotionally devastating she couldn't work for 6 months, and was filming during the "darkest time" in her life

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 6 details you might have missed on the season 7 finale of 'Game of Thrones'

Here's our predictions of who will win big at the Emmys — and who deserves to

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this is us mandy moore nbc

The Emmys air on Sunday night.

There were so many great performances this year on so many great shows that among the nominees, it's difficult to decide who should win. 

But it's easier to figure out who will win, based on precedent and overall buzz.

For example, "The Handmaid's Tale" is a a critic favorite in the outstanding drama, outstanding lead actress, and outstanding supporting actress categories, but it will likely lose to NBC's massive commercial and critical hit, "This Is Us."

We put together a list of our Emmy predictions, along with who we think should win. So if you're excited to see the best contenders among all the nominees this year, look no further. 

Sign up for Business Insider's newsletter: What you need to know every day delivered right to your inbox. 

Here's our list of who will win the Emmys, and who should:

SEE ALSO: Here are the biggest Emmy snubs of 2017 — from Justin Theroux to Winona Ryder

DRAMA SERIES

THE NOMINEES:

"Better Call Saul"

"The Crown"

"The Handmaid's Tale"

"House of Cards"

"Stranger Things"

"This Is Us"

"Westworld"



WILL WIN: "This Is Us"



SHOULD WIN: "The Handmaid's Tale"

"The Handmaid's Tale" is relevant, impeccably acted, and visionary, from the directing to the costumes to the music. Despite its upsetting setting, the show finds some humor and light in the darkness. This well-made modern interpretation of the classic novel shows how book adaptations work in the television format. It's also completely changed the game in proving that Hulu is some serious competition for Netflix, Amazon, and all the networks now. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Amber Tamblyn wrote a scorching open letter to James Woods calling him 'predatory' and a 'silencer'

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amber tamblyn

Amber Tamblyn wrote a scathing open letter to James Woods, published in Teen Vogue Wednesday, following a heated back and forth between the two on Twitter.

After Woods made a snide comment on Twitter about the age difference between two romantic leads in the new film "Call Me by Your Name" Sunday, a slew of celebrities called Woods hypocritical, as the actor famously dated a 19 year old when he was 60.

One of the celebrities who called the actor out was Tamblyn.

Tamblyn alleged that Woods had hit on her when she was 16.

Woods denied Tamblyn's claim that he had hit on her, and called her story a "lie." Tamblyn fired back with a screenshot of a text between her and her friend "Billy," referring to the alleged time that Woods hit on them when they were underage. 

Now, Tamblyn has issued a more in-depth response to Woods in her open letter, which describes her alleged teenage interaction with Woods in more detail.

Tamblyn opens her letter by calling Woods a "silencer." "Since you've now called me a liar, I will now call you a silencer. I see your gaslight and now will raise you a scorched earth," Tamblyn writes. 

Tamblyn continues to describe Woods' insistence that they travel to Las Vegas together when she was 16, saying that the innocent cadence of his request mirrors the actions of "predatory men."

"At one point you suggested we should all go to Las Vegas together. 'It's such a great place, have you ever been?' You tried to make it sound innocent. This is something predatory men like to do, I've noticed. Make it sound innocent. Just a dollop of insinuation. Just a hair of persuasion. Just a pinch of suggestion. 'It will be so much fun, I promise you. Nothing has to happen, we will just have a good time together.' I told you my age, kindly and with no judgment or aggression. I told you my age because I thought you would be immediately horrified and take back your offer. You laughed and said, 'Even better. We'll have so much fun, I promise.' "

Tamblyn also says in her letter that Woods calling her story a "lie" plays into the larger societal problem of women's stories being repudiated by men.

Tamblyn writes:

"The saddest part of this story doesn't even concern me but concerns the universal woman's story. The nation's harmful narrative of disbelieving women first, above all else. Asking them to first corroborate or first give proof or first make sure we're not misremembering or first consider the consequences of speaking out or first let men give their side or first just let your sanity come last."

Woods has yet to respond to Tamblyn's letter.

You can see the full Twitter back and forth between Woods and Tamblyn below:

SEE ALSO: James Woods is embroiled in a Twitter brawl over his criticism of Armie Hammer's new film, and his habit of dating younger women

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: SpaceX released a new video that shows 'epic explosion footage' of its first rocket landings

The audience for live sports on TV is getting old, and that's troubling for advertisers

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man watching television death of tv

Live sports are often seen as the last bastion of a reliable mass audience for advertisers. But that story is getting old.

A new report on the state of sports media in the U.S. from the ad buying giant Magna Global shows that while live sports consumption remains strong, its audience keeps aging.

Among the highlights:

  • Younger consumers are getting sports information like scores and quick hits on mobile devices, and are thus watching less live TV
  • For example, the average age of viewers watching the NCAA basketball tournament passed 50 last year
  • The NBA and soccer have managed to keep their audiences relatively young, thanks to their multicultural appeal

While there are still plenty of advertisers looking to reach middle-aged audiences, those that have typically turned to TV sports to reach younger consumer may have to start looking elsewhere.

Check out the trend toward older sports audiences in the chart below:

magna sports

 

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NOW WATCH: Why you won't find a garbage can near the 9/11 memorial

AMC makes it clear you won't be streaming movies currently in theaters any time soon (AMC)

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4d movie theater movie goers

Though there has been talk of movie theaters making a deal with studios to shorten the theatrical window, and allow movies to begin streaming two weeks after they hit theaters for a premium price, the biggest theater chain in the world says that deal isn't coming any time soon.

AMC Entertainment CFO Craig Ramsey told investors Wednesday that the 90-day exclusive theatrical window, which has been in place for decades, is still the best business plan for theaters.

Ramsey said “we’re not seeing a lot of movement … it would be a stretch to say we’re negotiating around a solution,” in regards to any premium video on demand deal (PVOD). 

With declining ticket sales this past summer (and AMC's stock getting hammered), chatter about changing the theatrical model and getting movies to people sooner via streaming and "on demand" has increased. The major road block in that is the relationship studios have with major chains like AMC.

The studios still need the theater chains, as major blockbusters generate the majority of their revenue the first and second weeks they are in theaters. But after that, the box office tends to drop dramatically, which opens the option to get the titles to streaming. Could studios ever do a power play and just decide to pull their titles from theaters after two weeks and go straight to a PVOD without agreeing on a deal with the theater chains first? 

Ramsey believes a move like that doesn't help either side.

“I haven’t heard a lot of conversation about the nuclear option,” Ramsey said of studios going rogue with a PVOD plan, according to Deadline. “No one wins in that kind of a nuclear scenario. … The loser there is our guest, the consumer.”

Business Insider delved into the complexity of the PVOD issue in May, and it seems there hasn't been much progress. The way Ramsey sees it, the weak summer is just a blip, and by the end of the year, the box office will be at its average, thanks in part to the certain huge box office "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" will generate when it comes out in December.

“We’ve seen it before, moviegoing goes through some cycles,” Ramsey said. 

SEE ALSO: People are slamming an Emmy voter who says "Westworld" is "pretentious bull----" and "Atlanta" isn't funny

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Ex-Google employees created a vending machine to replace corner stores — and the idea is being mocked all over Twitter

The pop songs that top the charts all share a common quality, according to researchers

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taylor swift dollar

To reach the top of the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, a song has to be unique — but it can't be too unique or divergent from the norm, according to a new study. 

Business school researchers at Columbia and INSEAD analyzed 26,000 Billboard hits between 1958 and 2016 and found that the highest-charting singles reached a mathematical "sweet spot" between familiar trends and a novel sound. 

The study, published in the American Sociological Review, broke down each hit song by attributes like key, tempo, mode, and time signature. It then assigned each song a "typicality" score — a measure of how similar the track was to other songs released around the same time.

The songs that had a "somewhat below average typicality score" tended to do better on the Hot 100 chart, according to the study's co-author, Michael Mauskapf.

"To have the best chance of reaching the very top of the charts, a song needs to stand out from its competition, but not so much as to alienate listeners,” Mauskapf wrote in a release about the team's analysis.

The study cites Adele's music as an example of "perfect typicality," in that she has found massive success with a "little bit of differentiation" from popular-music norms.

"What becomes popular next is likely to be slightly differentiated from the last round of hits, leading to a constant evolution of what is popular," wrote study co-author Noah Askin. "Popularity is a moving target, but the context always remains relevant. This is at least as much art as it is science."

SEE ALSO: The 50 best-selling music artists of all time

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NOW WATCH: 6 details you might have missed on season 7 episode 6 of 'Game of Thrones'

As NFL ratings drop again, a new internet study says young men like watching eSports more than traditional sports

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tom brady

The NFL's ratings took a hit in its season-opening week, and a new study about the online viewing habits of young men seems to portend a growing gap in the audience for traditional sports. 

The survey, conducted by Limelight Networks, shows that men ages 18 to 25 prefer watching eSports to traditional sports or TV shows.

eSports — basically video-game competitions — came in second only to movie watching among the demographic's most popular modes of online video consumption. It beat TV shows, news, and traditional sports.

Men of all other age groups surveyed preferred watching traditional sports to eSports.

It's worth noting that the survey only considered online viewing, but with the viewing of video increasingly shifting there, it suggests a bright future for eSports.

Here's the table:

esports survey

Ratings troubles for the NFL

The survey comes at a precarious time for NFL TV ratings. 

In week one of the NFL season last weekend, the league's ratings dropped 13% from 2016's week one in live and same-day average viewers, according to UBS. 

Though UBS partly attributes the ratings drop to the effects of Hurricane Irma, which sent millions of viewers to cable news network coverage of the storm over the weekend, the NFL has nonetheless been facing questions about weak viewership.

Last season, NFL ratings were down 9% in the regular season and 6% in the playoffs. At the time, experts speculated that the drop could have been due to the ratings prominence of the November 2016 presidential election, but that was contradicted by the fact that ratings were still down 5% after the election.

In August, UBS predicted that NFL regular season ratings would rebound in 2017, citing a slight uptick in preseason viewership.

But after a dismal week one, the questions about the future are back.

SEE ALSO: AT&T will now offer free HBO to all wireless customers on 'unlimited' plans

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NOW WATCH: Here's why people are afraid of clowns — and what you can do to get over it

These are the 17 actors who have won the most Emmys of all time

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Julia Louis Dreyfus

The Emmys are pretty much the Oscars for television. Winning an Emmy is the biggest award an actor can win for their work on the small screen. 

And when there's a show or a performance Emmy voters love, it often gets multiple nominations and wins.

We collected a list of the actors with the most Emmys, from Mary Tyler Moore to Bryan Cranston to Julia Louis-Dreyfus (who could break an Emmy record on Sunday night with a win for outstanding lead actress in a comedy).

Louis-Dreyfus is the favorite once again for her role on HBO's "Veep." Her win would put her in a tie with Cloris Leachman for eight Emmy wins as a performer. She already has the record for most overall.

The total Emmy wins listed aren't exclusively for performances: some on this list have won for writing, directing, or producing — Bryan Cranston was a producer on "Breaking Bad," Julia Louis-Dreyfus is an executive producer for "Veep" — but the majority of the Emmys are for acting. 

Here are the actors who have the most Emmy awards: 

SEE ALSO: Here's our predictions of who will win big at the Emmys — and who deserves to

17. Honorable mention: Angela Lansbury — 0 wins and 17 nominations

Lansbury has been nominated for seventeen Emmys without a win, including twelve consecutive nominations for every season of "Murder, She Wrote." One day!

 



16. Don Knotts — 5 wins and 5 nominations (perfect record)

Winning performances: "The Andy Griffith Show"



15. John Larroquette — 5 wins and 7 nominations

Winning performances: "The Practice," "Night Court"



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Watch 'South Park' parody Kendrick Lamar's No. 1 hit 'Humble' in its season premiere

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south park kendrick lamar

The 21st season premiere of "South Park" on Wednesday night found the animated comedy parodying the Charlottesville white supremacist rally, digital home assistants, and, surprisingly, Kendrick Lamar's No. 1 Billboard hit "Humble."

In the episode, titled "White People Renovating Houses," courts have ordered out-of-work laborers to replace digital home assistants like Alexa and Google Home, as Stereogum notes.

At one point, Cartman's guitar-carrying home assistant Jim Bob performs a country-style, acoustic rendition of "Humble," when asked to "play Kendrick Lamar." 

Watch the clip below:

And watch the music video for "Humble" here:

SEE ALSO: The 50 best-selling music artists of all time

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: A popular 'Game of Thrones' fan theory says Bran is the Night King — here's why


Alexis Bledel got her brutal, Emmy-winning role on 'The Handmaid's Tale' because of 'Gilmore Girls'

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Alexis Bledel

Alexis Bledel is known as Rory Gilmore, from the early 2000s teen dramedy "Gilmore Girls," which had a revival on Netflix last year. 

Following her reprisal of Rory, Bledel guest-starred on Hulu's "The Handmaid's Tale" in a chilling role and incredibly moving performance that won her a Creative Arts Emmy last weekend. Bledel's transformative performance made you forget that she's Rory, and proves that she can, and should, be taken seriously as a dramatic actress. 

Business Insider recently talked to Sharon Bialy and Sherry Thomas, the casting directors for "The Handmaid's Tale," about casting Bledel in this very different role. 

"I have a daughter who was obsessed with everything that Alexis Bledel was in, so we watched every episode of 'Gilmore Girls' more than once, in addition to the 'Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants' movies, maybe ten times," Bialy said. "Something happens when you sit with your children and watch performances, because you really start examining them. I can't really watch the same thing over and over again, so you start really watching the actors. For me, I felt that there was something more there than people had given her the opportunity to do, and so much of that is just the eyes. Those eyes are phenomenal."

Bialy mentioned that showrunners often say things like, "Oh, I want an Alexis Bledel type." And she responds, "Well why don't we get Alexis Bledel?"

"It all came together as it was supposed to, it was great," Thomas said.

SEE ALSO: How a star in 'The Handmaid’s Tale' got her part because of a horrible play

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NOW WATCH: Here's why people are afraid of clowns — and what you can do to get over it

Jimmy Kimmel doesn't hold back in Sean Spicer's first interview since leaving the White House

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Sean Spicer Kimmel

It was only a matter of time before Sean Spicer, the former White House press secretary, agreed to an interview — and Jimmy Kimmel got it.

On Thursday, Spicer headed to "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" to chat it up with the late-night host, who didn't pull any punches.

From asking whether Spicer had ever seen President Donald Trump naked (he hadn't) and about his first day on the job when he had to tell the country that the crowd at Trump's inauguration was the largest in history, Kimmel touched on all the memorable moments of Spicer's time in the White House.

But Spicer kept his cool throughout the interview and was respectful of the president, and he explained what his role entailed at the White House, despite at times having to back up questionable acts by the Trump administration.

"Your job as press secretary is to represent the president's voice and to make sure you're articulating what he believes his vision is on policy, on issues, and other areas that he wants to articulate," Spicer told Kimmel. "Whether or not you agree or not isn't your job — your job is to give him advice, which is what we would do on a variety of issues all the time.

"He would always listen to that advice, but ultimately, he's the president, and he would say 'I agree with you' sometimes, or 'That's a good point, incorporate it,' or sometimes he would say, depending on the issue, 'Look, I know what I believe, and this is what I think the right thing to do is.'"

And Spicer acknowledged that he did have an alert set up for whenever Trump tweeted.

melissa mccarthy sean spicer snlSpicer laughed off being spoofed on "Saturday Night Live" by Melissa McCarthy for most of his time in the White House. After Kimmel played a clip, Spicer said, "That was kind of funny."

Kimmel also brought up Spicer's replacement, Anthony Scaramucci. Spicer said he was on good terms with "the Mooch," but at the end of the day, he felt he couldn't work alongside him.

"It wasn't personal," Spicer said. "I just didn't feel as though he had the qualifications or the background to work in the communications office, and my view was that if I'm going to have to partner with somebody that I don't believe had the skill set to execute the job, then it was incumbent upon me to either step aside or make my voice known.

"I did," he continued. "I told the president if he wanted a clean slate, that he wanted a change, that I respect that."

When Kimmel brought up the New Yorker piece in which Scaramucci went on a profanity-laced tirade that ultimately led to his firing, Spicer said, "I think it proved my point that to do this job is one in which you have the proper background and training."

At the end of the interview, Kimmel showed a picture of Spicer at his going-away party and noted how happy he looked.

"The president said to me right before I left, he said, 'My gosh, you look 10 years younger,'" Spicer said.

Watch the entire Kimmel interview with Spicer:

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After cutting prices for its movie-a-day subscription service, MoviePass is struggling to keep up with demand

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Moviepass

After slashing the price of its subscription movie ticket service, MoviePass has been flooded with new subscribers and has had a tough time meeting demand. 

After the company last month cut its prices from as much as $50 a month to a flat $9.95 monthly fee, 150,000 people signed up within two days, a MoviePass representative said. As of Tuesday subscriptions had reached 400,000, according to the company representative. 

MoviePass has struggled to absorb all those new customers. In order to use the company's service to purchase movie tickets at their local theater, customers typically need to use a MoviePass-issued debit card. In a blog post published on its site on Wednesday, MoviePass warned customers they should expect to wait two-to-three weeks to get their card. 

"Though we increased our staff in anticipation of the new plan, the response has been overwhelming," the company said in its blog post. "In an effort to address all of your questions, we’ve tripled the size of our team, which is working to respond to everyone as quickly as possible." 

To better meet the demand, MoviePass has not only hired customer service workers, it's having them work longer hours, the company said in its post. It's also opened an additional fulfillment center to process card orders.

Although MoviePass typically ships cards on a first-come, first-served basis, the company's order queue was "shuffled" recently and some cards were shipped out of order, potentially contributing to the delays, it added. 

MoviePass' customer service employees have "received hundreds of thousands of emails and tens of thousands of chats" through it customer service channels, the company said in the post. 

CEO Mitch Lowe, a co-founder of Netflix, told Bloomberg he "totally underestimated demand."

MoviePass' service allows customers to see one movie a day at their local theater for just their $9.95 monthly subscription fee. When they go to a theater and choose a movie to see, the company loads their debit cards with enough money to buy a ticket.

The company's struggles to meet demand for its service come amid complaints from movie industry executives that its business model isn't sustainable. 

At many theaters, the monthly fee MoviePass earns from customers isn't enough to cover the price of one ticket, much less one for each day of the month. The company has said it plans to make up the difference between the cost of buying tickets and the limited fees it earns by collecting and selling data on customers' movie-watching habits

Prior to cutting its prices last month, MoviePass offered a range of different subscription tiers that allowed customers to watch anywhere from two movies a month to one every day. It previously charged $50 a month for that latter plan. 

After the original price cut announcement, Fox Film CEO Stacy Snider said MoviePass sounded "like a wacky business model."

AMC, the world's largest theater operator also pushed back, stating it would work with attorneys to see about blocking MoviePass use at its theaters. 

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'Game of Thrones' is reportedly casting 2 new characters for season 8 right now — here are the details

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Bran Stark Season 4

According to the prominent "Game of Thrones" news and fan site Watchers on the Wall, "Game of Thrones" could be looking to cast two new characters for its final season.

Watchers on the Wall shared the two casting descriptions for the characters reportedly being cast in the UK right now.

For now, the characters go by the generic names Northern Girl, and Boy. 

Both roles are for children.

The casting description for Northern Girl indicates that the character should be between 8 and 10 years of age, and she's described as, "a straight-talking Northern-accented girl, someone remarkable for her dauntlessness and integrity." Northern Girl is also supposedly brought up by soldiers, that all share a sense of "fearlessness."

The casting description for Boy indicates that he should be between 8 and 12 years of age, with a "physically fit and agile look, someone with a good, distinctive face." Boy is also described as coming from a "poor background," and "has to fight to make his way in the world."

Northern Girl's scenes will supposedly be shooting mid November, while Boy's scenes will be shooting from the end of November until the end of December.

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The 'South Park' premiere set off a lot of fans' Alexa and Google Home devices with hilarious phrases

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The 21st season premiere of "South Park" on Wednesday night parodied white supremacists, Kendrick Lamar, and digital home assistants like Amazon's Alexa and Google Home.

Turns out, the latter topic produced some hilarious results with fans' real-life, in-home devices. 

In the episode, Cartman and friends mess around with Alexa and Google Home, and their often obscene phrases activated devices in many viewers' homes, as The Wrap notes. 

A slew of Twitter users posted videos of the show's characters interacting with their Alexas and Google Homes, setting off alarms and making the AI devices repeat lines like "Alexa, Simon says, suck my big balls in your hairy b---hole":

You can watch the new "South Park" episode here

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