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Critics seem torn about HBO's new show 'Succession,' a drama that follows a wealthy family as they inherit an entertainment empire

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Succession

The new HBO drama series "Succession" is getting mixed reviews. Some critics find it tired and boring, but some say that it does an excellent job representing privilege.

"Succession," which debuted on HBO Sunday night, follows the Roy family, which controls one of the biggest media and entertainment conglomerates in the world.

The series comes from the producers of Oscar nominee "The Big Short" (2015) and follows the Roy family as they navigate the future of their company and themselves after their father, who is getting older, starts to step away from running the company.

The show currently has a 73% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 75% audience score. Some critics love it, especially once you get a few episodes into the first season. But other critics say it's a "slog" of a series, and that it isn't a very original take on a story about the extremely wealthy.

"Succession" stars Brian Cox, Hiam Abbass, Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook and Jeremy Strong.

Here's what critics have to say about HBO's "Succession"— the good and the bad. 

SEE ALSO: 3 great TV shows you should watch on Netflix this month

The bad:



"At first engaging, then slowly, inexorably, 'Succession' turns into work."

Newsday



"'Succession' makes it clear that the Roys are not especially nice people. They are also, alas, not especially fascinating. Pink slips for everyone."

Boston Herald



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'Silicon Valley has never really understood kids': A European tech startup is trying to take advantage of YouTube's stumbles in the children's market

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Barbie

  • The UK tech startup SuperAwesome is trying to build an ecosystem for brands to target kids on the web while avoiding privacy pitfalls.
  • The company sees an opportunity given falling TV ratings and YouTube's stumbles.
  • But kids' marketers are generally conservative and GDPR could make them more skittish.

Kids love digital media. Kids' marketers, not so much.

US regulators enforce strict limits on the kind of advertising brands can do online (no targeting, no data capture), and the sweeping European privacy law known as GDPR, which just went into effect, is leading several countries to effectively raise the age limit for marketing to kids online.

Throw in YouTube's recent stumbles with its own kids' product (some not-safe-for-kids videos recently ended up on the app), and digital media is seen as radioactive for many brands.

But UK startup SuperAwesome, which last year raised $21 million in a Series B funding round, says it has a much safer way for Barbie, My Little Pony, and other iconic toys to reach children through digital channels.

The company has built a platform it calls "kids tech," which essentially does the opposite of what most ad tech does. For example, SuperAwesome lets marketers run ads on kids' games and websites without collecting any data or using sophisticated targeting.

nick

And now the startup is rolling out an app-development platform dubbed Kids Web Services, through which developers will be able to create kid-friendly apps and games that comply with GDPR and COPPA (the US regulation Children's Online Privacy Act), CEO Dylan Collins says.

Besides providing a means for developers to make kids' apps that follow all the unique children's-privacy rules, Kids Web Services will also enable them to build in children-safe functionality, such as timers aimed at limiting kids' screen time, Collins says.

It won't be easy to persuade big brands to advertise on these apps, given how conservative kids' marketers are. Despite the obvious shifts in media consumption among younger consumers, ad spending aimed at children is still primarily locked up in TV.

Many ad buyers with whom Business Insider spoke say their kids' clients were exceedingly reluctant to try anything digital. And most had not heard of SuperAwesome.

Kids' advertising is strangely stuck in the past

Advertisers spent $800 million on children's TV as recently as 2017, but digital ad spending numbers are hard to come by and thought to be tiny.

Because of the privacy restrictions on the web and the general fear of missteps, "Kids' marketers' position is generally 'We've got to be careful,'" says Dona Fraser, president of the Children’s Advertising Review Unit, which oversees kids' ads. "They've sort of felt, like, when it comes to digital, 'We just can't do anything at all.'"

That's in spite of kids'-TV ratings recently falling off a cliff, as Bloomberg reports.

Tom Horner, president of Beacon Media Ratings, which specializes in children's ad buying, says when it comes to live commercial TV viewing, kids'-TV networks have seen "a pretty significant drop in ratings."

And outside of Netflix, kids are watching a lot of on-demand TV, which Nielsen struggles to track, Horner says.

Kids love YouTube, even if they're not supposed to

If anyone is succeeding with kids' advertising outside of entrenched TV leaders Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and Disney, it's Google's YouTube, where millions of kids congregate.

But YouTube is officially for people age 13 and over, so to capitalize on the children's market, in 2015, Google rolled out YouTube Kids, which aimed to be a curated hub just for children. About a year ago that app was pulling in its first ad commitments from brands like Mattel.

Then, late last year, The New York Times uncovered that some non-kid-friendly videos — including conspiracy fare — were finding their way on to YouTube Kids.

Soon after, lots of creepy, kids-in-peril videos were found on the main YouTube site, forcing YouTube to kick several creators off the platform.

That's only increased skittishness among kids' brands. Now there's GDPR, which is all about protecting people's privacy online by requiring publishers and advertisers to get their consent to be tracked and targeted.

Kids can't give their consent to be tracked on the web until they reach a certain age, and different countries are setting different standards — 13 in the UK and 16 in Germany, Collins says.

"GDPR makes kids' marketing online extremely challenging," Fraser says. "There is just a lack of overall guidance in how the law will work."

So kids' marketing "is the last industry making the shift to digital," Collins adds. "Really, the internet was never, ever built for kids in the first place. It has inherited a children problem, even if its entire business model is data and adults. So you're sort of damned if you do, damned if you don’t."

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"Silicon Valley has never really understood kids," he says.

So SuperAwesome is essentially trying to build a new web-advertising ecosystem for kids' brands. Collins acknowledges that the company is still trying to gain traction among top media buyers in the US.

Yet SuperAwesome is finding success working directly with children's brands. For example, it places what it calls "Safe-Ads" on mobile games built by Mattel, such as "Barbie Fashion Closet" and "Monster High."

The company has also built a kid-safe game/social network called "PopJam." And now with its new developer offering, the hope is brands like Hasbro will use SuperAwesome's tech to build out kid-safe social environments such as Mattel's "My Little Pony Friendship," which requires parental consent if children want to log on.

Collin Douma, a marketing consultant for toy companies who was previously global Hasbro account manager at the ad agency giant Omnicom, says that YouTube's stumbles with kids has provided SuperAwesome with a solid opportunity. "But," he adds, "it needs to move fast."

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Apple is partnering with Pixar as part of its big push into augmented reality

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apple wwdc 2018

Apple announced that it's partnering with computer animation studio Pixar to boost the company's augmented reality initiative, the company announced Monday during its annual WWDC conference for app developers.

"In iOS 12, we wanted to make an easy way to experience AR across the [eco]system, and to do that we got together with some of the greatest minds in 3D, at Pixar," Apple senior vice president Craig Federighi said.

Together, Apple and Pixar developed a new file format for AR called "USDZ." It's a compact and simple format that's designed to let people share AR content "while retaining great 3D graphics and even animations." The USDZ format is addressing the typically large storage size of AR content, which can make it harder to share information easily and quickly. 

Companies like Adobe are adopting the USDZ format to work with its Creative Cloud platform, which includes apps like Photoshop and Dimension. 

Once iOS 12 is released in the fall, AR content can be shared in the USDZ format in apps like Safari, Messages, and Mail, and can be managed in the Files app. It can also help bring typically static things like a news article to life:


ARKit 2

Federighi also announced Apple's latest version of its AR platform, called ARKit 2. 

ARKit 2 will offer improved face tracking, more realistic rendering, support for 3D object detection, and the ability to start an AR experience based on a real-world physical object or space. ARKit 2 will also support shared experiences, where two or more people can play AR games together.

arkit 2 lego game

SEE ALSO: LIVE: Apple's biggest conference of the year

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NOW WATCH: Steve Jobs made 3 AM phone calls to argue about Apple ads

Jon Stewart defends Samantha Bee after Trump suggested she should get fired for calling Ivanka a 'c---'

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jon stewart samantha bee

  • Jon Stewart defended Samantha Bee in a question-and-answer session on Sunday after President Donald Trump called for her firing last week over her remarks about Ivanka Trump.
  • Bee drew criticism from the Trump administration and subsequently apologized after she called Ivanka a "feckless c---" on her TBS show, "Full Frontal."
  • Stewart said the controversy surrounding Bee represented a "game" and "strategy" from right-wing politicians at large.

In the eyes of Jon Stewart, the backlash against Samantha Bee from the White House last week represented a "game" and "strategy" from right-wing politicians at large.

Bee faced intense criticism from President Donald Trump after she called his daughter Ivanka a "feckless c---" on her TBS show, "Full Frontal."

Writing on Twitter, Trump asked why TBS wouldn't fire Bee for "horrible language," suggesting there was a double standard after ABC canceled "Roseanne" over a tweet by its star Roseanne Barr.

Stewart worked with Bee on "The Daily Show" from 2003 to 2015.

"Please understand that a lot of what the right does, and it's maybe their greatest genius, is they've created a code of conduct that they police, that they themselves don't have to, in any way, abide," Stewart said during a question-and-answer session at the Clusterfest comedy festival on Sunday, as reported by The Daily Beast.

"It's a game, it's a strategy, and it's working," Stewart added.

Bee apologized for her remarks last week. Bee used the phrase in question during a segment urging the president's daughter to "do something" about her father's immigration policy that had resulted in the government separating some children living in the country illegally from their parents.

Stewart addressed Bee's controversy and apology first by addressing "liberals" at large.

"Don't get caught in a trap of thinking you can live up to a code of integrity that will be enough for the propagandist right," he reportedly said. "There isn't. And so, create your own moral code to live by, but don't be fooled into trying to make concessions that you think will mollify them."

Stewart then turned to Bee's comments in particular.

"They don't give a shit about the word 'c---,'" Stewart reportedly said of the Trump administration. "That is probably — he says that instead of 'please,' I'm guessing," he added of Trump.

As The Daily Beast notes, various reports since the 1980s have suggested Trump has used the derogatory word to describe women.

SEE ALSO: Advertisers are starting to ditch Samantha Bee over her snipe at Ivanka Trump

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Woody Allen says he should be a 'poster child' for the #MeToo movement because none of the actresses he's worked with have accused him of sexual misconduct

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woody allen

  • Director Woody Allen said that he should be a "poster child" for the #MeToo movement.
  • He said in an interview Monday that he doesn't like that he is grouped with men like Harvey Weinstein, who has been accused of sexual harassment and assault by dozens of women.
  • Allen's adoptive daughter Dylan Farrow has publicly accused him over the years of sexually molesting her when she was a child, an allegation that Allen has continued to deny.

Director Woody Allen said that he should be a "poster child" for the #MeToo movement because he's worked in the film industry for 50 years and none of the actresses he's worked with have accused him of sexual harassment or assault.

“I’m a big advocate of the #MeToo movement,” Allen said in an interview with the Argentinian news program Periodismo Para Todos released Monday, which we spotted via The Wrap. “I feel when they find people who harass innocent women and men, it’s a good thing that they’re exposing them. But you know, I should be the poster boy for the #MeToo movement. Because I have worked in movies for 50 years. I’ve worked with hundreds of actresses and not a single one — big ones, famous ones, ones starting out — have ever ever suggested any kind of impropriety at all. I’ve always had a wonderful record with them.”

Public opinion of Allen has seemingly taken a turn since the #MeToo movement started, with actors publicly apologizing for appearing in his movies and vowing never to work with him again. Allen's adopted daughter Dylan Farrow has publicly accused Allen of molesting her when she was 7 years-old. Allen has always denied all allegations Dylan Farrow has made.

Allen's son, Ronan Farrow, who strands by his sister's accusations, is one of the journalists who published accusations of sexual harassment and assault against producer Harvey Weinstein made by several actresses, which helped jump-start the #MeToo movement.

In the interview, Allen also mentions that it "bothers" him that he is grouped with disgraced men such as Weinstein  who have been accused of sexually harassing and assaulting dozens of women. "What bothers me is that I get linked in with them," Allen said. "People who have been accused by 20 women, 50 women, 100 women of abuse and abuse and abuse. And I, who was only accused by one woman in a child custody case which was looked at and proven to be untrue, I get lumped in with these people."

You can watch the interview here.

SEE ALSO: 10 actors who have publicly denounced Woody Allen or donated their salaries to charity after working on his movies

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Apple says its Apple TV business has grown 50% since it introduced a 4K version of the streaming box

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apple wwdc 2018

  • Apple announced Monday that its sales for Apple TV have grown 50% since it launched a 4K version in September.
  • Apple said on Monday that iTunes and Apple TV now feature "the largest collection of 4K HDR movies."
  • Apple TV is also adding Dolby Atmos sound quality to its 4K devices, which were already Dolby certified for its streaming visuals, the company said.

While it was once categorized as "a hobby" by Apple, the Apple TV streaming box is selling better than ever.

Tim Cook announced Monday at Apple's annual conference for app developers, WWDC, that sales for Apple TV have increased by 50% since the company introduced a 4K-supported version of the streaming box last year.

While it doesn't include its own screen, the device connects to your TV and allows access to Apple's ecosystem of third-party apps and live TV, which can be viewed with the proper cable credentials. The company upgraded Apple TV in September to allow for 4K streaming of TV shows and movies.

Apple said on Monday that iTunes and Apple TV now feature "the largest collection of 4K HDR movies." The company also allows Apple TV users the ability to convert previously purchased TV shows and movies to 4K as a free upgrade.

Apple also announced that Apple TV 4K will now pair its visuals with "room-filling" Dolby Atmos sound, making it "the only streaming player to be both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos certified."

Read more from Apple's WWDC 2018 conference:

SEE ALSO: The 14 original shows Apple is producing in its massive push into TV

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Here's why the Queen always wears gloves to royal engagements

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Britain's Queen Elizabeth waves to wellwishers as she walks on Pariser Platz in Berlin, Germany, June 26, 2015. Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh are on a three day state visit to Germany.

  • Have you ever wondered why the Queen is always wearing gloves?
  • Fortunately the royal glove makers have shed some light on the situation.
  • The gloves are likely a layer of protection against the countless hands she shakes every day.
  • They're also just a staple of Her Majesty's iconic style, and mean she doesn't need to show her arms.


The Queen likes to wave — a lot.

If you've seen her waving in the last 65 years, you might have noticed one constant throughout her long reign: she's always wearing gloves.

Queen Elizabeth's gloved mitts are as much a staple of her royal uniform as her hats and bright colours — but why? Fortunately, Reader's Digest spoke to the Queen's glove maker to find out just that.

Queen Elizabeth Prince Charles

Cornelia James has been the Queen's glovemaker for over 70 years and has had a royal warrant since 1970.

Genevieve James, creative director and daughter of the founder, told Reader's Digest that her gloves offer her protection from dirt and germs when shaking hands with countless people every day.

"I imagine she always has two or three pairs in her handbag to spare," James said.

However, she added that Her Majesty is more likely to get the £110 ($140) gloves repaired than replaced.

"I think the royal family wants to be seen as being economical, not wasting money on things like that. She'll wear her gloves for 40 years and will pull some out from a long time ago."

Queen Elizabeth Prince Charles

The gloves do, of course, serve a style purpose, too. "When you're the Queen and you're shaking hands, you don't really want to show your arms," says James. "The glove goes a bit under her [sleeve], so you don't actually see any arm."

For years, the Queen's gloves were made from brushed cotton. However, James says Her Majesty recently requested something a bit lighter — so she ordered 70 metres of cotton jersey from Switzerland. "[It] is a lot of gloves, but it's the Queen," she said.

Each pair takes roughly 45 minutes to an hour to make.

"They're an integral part of her outfit," James says. "You never see her without gloves."

SEE ALSO: The Queen and Princess Diana's bra-fitter has been stripped of its royal warrant after its former owner revealed royal secrets in a tell-all memoir

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ABC is reportedly planning a 'Roseanne' spinoff starring everyone but Roseanne, possibly as early as this week

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Roseanne

  • ABC has reportedly been meeting with the producers of "Roseanne" and may announce a spinoff of the show as early as this week.
  • The spinoff would star all the cast members of the original show, except Roseanne Barr.
  • "Roseanne" crew members have reportedly also turned down jobs elsewhere in the hopes that the show would continue.
  • ABC cancelled the show last week after Barr posted a racist tweet about an Obama administration official.


ABC is reportedly planning a spinoff of "Roseanne" starring everyone but Roseanne Barr.

The network has been meeting with the show's producers over the past week, and may announce a spinoff as early as this week, according to TMZ and The Hollywood Reporter.

The spinoff will likely take on a different name so that Barr wouldn't benefit financially from the show as its co-creator.

The show's crew members have also turned down jobs elsewhere in the hopes that the show would continue on to a second season, TMZ reported.

ABC abruptly cancelled the show last week after Barr, an outspoken advocate for Donald Trump, posted a racist tweet comparing former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett to an ape.

The show's fans, including Mindy Kaling, have called for a spinoff for the show's remaining actors. In a series of tweets, which have since been deleted, Barr said she "begged" ABC not to cancel the show and to save other staff members' jobs.

John Goodman, one of the stars of "Roseanne," played down rumors of a spinoff last week, saying: "You've heard more than I have."

SEE ALSO: Canceling 'Roseanne' may have cost ABC $100 million — but it saved Disney a whole lot more

READ MORE: Roseanne blames Ambien for her racist tweet — but Ambien-maker says racism 'is not a known side effect' of its medication

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'Solo' is expected to lose Disney at least $50 million, and become the first 'Star Wars' movie to lose money

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solo star wars

  • "Solo: A Star Wars Story" could lose at least $50 million for Disney and Lucasfilm, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
  • A Wall Street analyst told THR that "Solo" will lose more than $50 million, while other industry financing sources told the outlet that the film's loss could exceed $80 million. 
  • "Solo" dropped 65% at the box office in its second weekend, and it is reportedly unlikely to gross past $400 million at the global box office against an estimated total budget that would exceed its gross.

The box-office struggles of "Solo: A Star Wars Story" could result in a loss of at least $50 million for Disney and Lucasfilm, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"Solo" is reportedly unlikely to gross past $400 million at the global box office against an estimated $250 million production budget and marketing costs that likely doubled its total budget. 

B. Riley FBR senior analyst Barton Crockett told THR that "Solo" will lose more than $50 million, while other industry financing sources told the outlet that the loss could exceed $80 million, depending on auxiliary revenues and the undisclosed, exact terms of Disney's deal for the film.

"Solo" dropped 65% at the box office in its second weekend of release, and its global box office total currently stands at $264.3 million, according to Box Office Mojo.

"Solo" also bombed in its opening weekend in China, as Business Insider's Jason Guerrasio reported. The film brought in only $10.1 million over Memorial Day weekend in China, a record low for "Star Wars" films in the country, though the franchise itself has historically never grabbed the attention of China, the world's second-largest movie market. 

If it doesn't see a late surge, as analysts are predicting it won't, "Solo" will become the first movie from Disney and Lucasfilm to lose money.

2017's "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" brought in $1.332 billion at the global box office, while the first "Star Wars" spin-off "Rogue One" grossed $1.056 billion in 2016.

The first collaboration from Disney and Lucasfilm, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," grossed $2.068 billion in 2015, setting off a renewal of the "Star Wars" series that is now likely to see its first miss in "Solo."

SEE ALSO: 'Solo' is the latest 'Star Wars' movie to bomb in China, and Disney has a big problem on its hands

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Netflix's positive perception among Republicans has dropped in 2018, as the company signed a deal with the Obamas and added Susan Rice to its board

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reed hastings

  • A new survey from brand-perception research firm YouGov shows that Democratic approval of Netflix has risen since the beginning of the year while Republican approval has dropped. 
  • The survey shows a 21-point difference between the two perceptions as of May 31.
  • Many Republicans have been outraged with Netflix recently after the streaming service named former UN Ambassador Susan Rice to its board and signed a producing deal with the Obamas.

 

Netflix has made choices this year that have angered and alienated some Republicans, and a new survey shows how much their approval of the streaming service has dropped since the beginning of 2018. Democratic approval of Netflix, meanwhile, has risen in the same time.

A survey from brand-perception research firm YouGov measured users' perception of Netflix based on their political affiliation on a scale of -100 to 100. The results show perception of Netflix by Republicans declining over the course of the year, as the service struck a deal with the Obamas and named Former UN Ambassador Susan Rice to its Board of Directors.

The survey found a 21-point difference between Democrats' and Republicans' perception of Netflix as of May 31, with Democrats at 62.81 and Republicans at 41.78. Democratic approval rose 15% since January 1, while Republican approval dropped 16%. YouGov provided its chart to Business Insider, which you can see below.

netflix

Netflix has drawn the ire of some Republicans in a few ways.

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has strongly criticized President Trump in the past, and supported Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential campaign. 

Netflix also drew criticism from conservatives earlier this year when former UN Ambassador Susan Rice joined its board of directors. Some users were outraged because of inaccurate statements Rice made in 2012 after the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya.

More recently, Netflix faced backlash after former President and First Lady Barack and Michelle Obama signed a deal with Netflix to produce original TV shows and movies. While Obama associates said that it's unlikely for the content to be overtly partisan, many users still threatened to cancel their subscriptions over the news. 

Netflix declined to comment on the survey.

SEE ALSO: People are threatening to boycott Netflix after the Obamas signed a deal with the streaming service

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'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' actress Kelly Marie Tran deleted all her Instagram posts after months of harassment

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star wars rose tico

  • "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" actress Kelly Marie Tran has deleted all her Instagram posts.
  • Tran has faced racist and sexist attacks online since her casting.
  • It wouldn't be the first time a "Star Wars" actress distanced herself from the platform because of harassment.
  • In 2016 Daisy Ridley deleted her account after facing criticism for her appearance and stance on gun control.

 

Actress Kelly Marie Tran, who played Rose Tico in last year's "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," has deleted all her Instagram posts after months of sexist and racist harassment online. She has not publicly commented on her reason for wiping her page.

As of Tuesday, Tran's Instagram page was still visible, with the bio line "Afraid, but doing it anyway," but there were no posts. Popular but unofficial "Star Wars" Twitter page "Star Wars Facts" tweeted Monday night "Kelly Marie Tran has deleted all the posts off her Instagram due to months of harassment she has received for her character Rose." A request for comment from Tran's representative was not immediately returned.

Tran faced racism and sexism online surrounding her casting in "The Last Jedi." For instance, In December, someone edited the Rose Tico Wookieepedia page so that her name was "Ching Chong Wing Tong" and her home was "Ching Chong China."

Tran wouldn't be the first "Star Wars" actress to distance herself from Instagram because of harassment. Daisy Ridley, who plays Rey in the new trilogy, deleted her account in 2016 after facing criticism for her appearance and her stance on gun control.

In an interview with Glamour in December, Ridley said: "I posted a thing about gun regulations, because I was at an event in tribute to the Orlando shooting at Pulse. People weren’t nice about how I looked. And I was like, 'I’m out.' Simple as that. That is not what I signed up for."

The "Star Wars" fandom has had a toxic and sexist underbelly that's reared its head many times since Disney took over.

On Tuesday, the official "Star Wars" Twitter tweeted a "Happy Birthday" wish to Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, and some fans were quick to attack her in replies.

SEE ALSO: 'Solo' is expected to lose Disney at least $50 million, and become the first 'Star Wars' movie to lose money

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'The youngest flexer of the century,' nine-year-old Lil Tay, has abruptly vanished from the internet

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Lil Tay

  • The social media accounts for controversial nine-year-old internet star Lil Tay have been wiped clean.
  • Reportedly, Lil Tay has plans to make a comeback after her image has been rebranded.

 

During her brief online reign, nine year-old internet star Lil Tay, who goes by the moniker "the youngest flexer of the century," has inspired plenty of controversy.

The braggadocious Canadian wunderkind is best known for flouting gobs of cash, insulting her viewers because they purportedly have less money than her ("Y'all don't have that view," she shouts at the camera from inside of a high rise apartment, "And I be holding your mama's rent!"), and inciting feuds with other viral internet characters like Danielle Bregoli of Dr. Phil fame.

But now, it seems that Lil Tay has disappeared from the internet just as she was beginning to make her mark. 

Not only have all of the videos from her YouTube channel been erased, but her Instagram account with 2.4 million subscribers has suddenly been wiped clean of all its content. 

There's plenty of speculation on why Lil Tay might have temporarily abdicated her nascent social media throne. 

Lil Tay

Lil Tay's controversial presence has brought on real world ramifications: In May, Lil Tay's online shenanigans reportedly cost her mother her job as a Vancouver real estate agent. It's also been pointed out that Lil Tay's YouTube videos seem to be directed by her reportedly domineering older brother. In past videos, Lil Tay has appeared to break down into tears multiple times. 

The nine-year-old has inspired so much online animosity that in May, Vice wondered whether or not it was okay for the internet to collectively hate her. 

Lil Tay as we know her may have simply been too much.

Reportedly, Lil Tay's current erasure is only temporary. On Monday, Diomi Cordero, a spokesman for Lil Tay's family told Buzzfeed that the loud-mouthed nine-year-old already has plans to make a comeback.

"I am rebranding Lil Tay...stay tuned," he said. 

SEE ALSO: Ginger emoji are launching today, along with bagels, superheroes, and toilet paper

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Audiences think Netflix original movies are 'meaningfully worse' than most studio releases

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the week of Netflix

  • Audiences see Netflix original films as "meaningfully worse" in quality than the releases of most major films studios, according to new research from Barclays. 
  • The firm analyzed IMDB audience ratings for all films released by Netflix and the top six studios at the global box office this year, and Netflix ranked sixth overall in median score, behind the top five studios. 

While Netflix has ramped up its original film production to net a substantial viewership, audiences still view the streaming service's film offerings as qualitatively inferior to the releases from most major film studios, according to new research from Barclays, led by analyst Kannan Venkateshwar.

As Barclays notes, Netflix recently reported that the 33 original movies the company has released in 2018 so far have gained an audience of around 300 million viewers (or an average of around 9 million viewers per film). 

Barclays said that Netflix's audience for original films this year would equate to an estimated global box office performance of more than $4 billion.

But in the eyes of audiences, Netflix films are still "meaningfully worse" in quality than most studio releases, according to Barclays. 

To assess audience perception of film quality, the firm analyzed the median IMDB audience ratings for all original movies released by Netflix and the top six studios at the global box office in 2018. It found that Netflix's films ranked sixth overall in median score, behind the top five studios and only ahead of Paramount.

imdb ratings netflix

In a few notable instances, Netflix's strategy for original films has gained viewership even over critical (or even audience) perception of quality. 

This year, Netflix bought the film "The Cloverfield Paradox" from Paramount for $50 million and surprise released after the Super Bowl in February. Though it brought in an estimated 5 million viewers in its first week, the film was panned by critics and scored low audience ratings on both Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB

Last year, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings pointed to high Rotten Tomatoes audience scores for its Will Smith-led fantasy film "Bright" as the "measurement of success" that the company cited against critical panning of the film.

While Hastings blasted critics for being "disconnected from the mass appeal" of its strategy in releasing films like "Bright," which drew 11 million viewers in its first three days of release, it appears that the company still has some major ground to make up in its stated attempt to win over the masses. 

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12 of the best current TV shows you can catch up to on Netflix

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better call saul

Still behind on the biggest and best TV shows?

Thankfully it's almost summer, which means you might have some free time or vacation days to squeeze in a lot of binge-watching of the currently running shows that you've missed.

For years, Netflix has been a prime source for this — so much so that some TV shows experience what is known as the "Netflix Effect."

Once a series is available on Netflix, it's easier for more people to catch up. This can spur a rise in popularity. Shows that saw their popularity soar once they became available on Netflix famously include AMC's "Breaking Bad" and The CW's "Riverdale" (which gained in popularity last summer when it became available on Netflix in between seasons one and two). This also happened when NBC's "The Good Place" came to the streaming service last fall, a few weeks before season two premiered. 

Here, we collected some of the best running shows that are available on Netflix now, so you can play catch-up before they return.

From "The Good Place" to "Riverdale," here's some of the best shows on TV that you can watch on Netflix right now. 

SEE ALSO: 3 great TV shows you should watch on Netflix this month

"The Good Place" — NBC, one season available on Netflix

Netflix description: Due to an error, self-absorbed Eleanor Shellstrop arrives at the Good Place after her death. Determined to stay, she tries to become a better person.

Critic score: 95%

Audience score: 87%

The heavenly, whip-smart comedy starring Kristen Bell and Ted Danson is unlike anything else on TV. The season one and two finales end with shocking twists that both set a completely new premise for the next season.

Expect season three of "The Good Place" in the fall. Season two should become available on Netflix shortly before that premieres. 



"Riverdale" — The CW, two seasons available on Netflix

Netflix description: While navigating the troubled waters of sex, romance, school and family, teen Archie and his gang become entangled in a dark Riverdale mystery.

Critic score: 87%

Audience score: 77%

If you're into glossy, cheesy teen drama that doesn't require much brain power (where the teens are played by adults well into their 20s), The CW's "Riverdale" is perfect for a summer binge-watch. The characters are based on the Archie comics (Archie, Betty, Veronica, and many more) but they're in a modern setting, with lots of murder. Seriously. There is so much murder on this show, especially in its bloody second season.

Expect season three of "Riverdale" in the fall. 



"Shameless" — Showtime, seven seasons available on Netflix

Netflix description: This dramedy based on a British series centers on siblings in a dysfunctional Chicago family who struggle while coping with their alcoholic father.

Critic score: 93%

Audience score: 88%

"Shameless" is an unconventional family drama and dark comedy that comes with incredible performances, and a lot of shocking twists and turns for its messy but lovable characters. 

Season eight should be available on Netflix soon, and you can expect season nine to premiere in late 2018 or early 2019. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The owner of MoviePass just hit a new low (HMNY)

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Screen Shot 2018 06 05 at 2.38.55 PM


MoviePass owner Helios & Matheson just hit another record low as it continues to burn through cash. 

Shares are down more than 10% and trading at an all-time low of $0.37 a share. 

In mid-April, an internal auditor said there was "substantial doubt" the company would be able to stay in business. A few weeks later, the company said it burns about $21.7 million a month, and that its shrinking cash pile is down to $15.5 million. 

MoviePass CEO Mitch Lowe has suggested the company will climb its way out of the hole by using its $300 million "equity line of credit," but financial experts told Business Insider that cash won't necessarily be there when needed

The stock got a temporary boost of more than 6% last week when Citadel Securities announced it had amassed a 5.4% stake in the company. It hit $0.44 a share that day, but has since slid 15% from that level. 

Helios & Matheson is down 94.52% this year. 

 

SEE ALSO: Designer Kate Spade has died in an apparent suicide at 55

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Justin Timberlake has created his own new drink for a brand that's becoming a threat to Coke and Pepsi

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justin timberlake

  • Justin Timberlake has created a new flavor for Bai Brands called Tennessee Braspberry Supertea.
  • The new flavor is a play on a viral video in which Timberlake stuck a blueberry inside a raspberry. 
  • Timberlake is an investor in Bai, a swiftly growing flavored-water brand acquired by Dr Pepper Snapple in 2016. 

 

Justin Timberlake is giving another boost to Bai Brands, one of the fastest-growing flavored-water brands in the US.

Bai is unveiling Tennessee Braspberry Supertea in June, the brand told Business Insider on Tuesday. The new blueberry-raspberry flavor was created in collaboration with Timberlake, who recorded a viral video of himself "discovering" that a blueberry perfectly fits inside a raspberry in December 2017. 

bai brands

"You know that scene in every movie when the hero proposes some insane plan, where if even one thing goes wrong, everyone is probably going to blow up?" Bai said in a statement. "That's how we felt when Justin Timberlake said he was going to put blueberries into raspberries. But he did it." 

#Braspberry...

A post shared by Justin Timberlake (@justintimberlake) on Dec 5, 2017 at 12:35pm PST on

Timberlake announced he was joining the Bai team as an investor and its first chief flavor officer in October 2016. Since then, he has starred in a number of Bai ad campaigns, most recently in Bai's latest TV spot that launched last month.

Bai's relationship with Timberlake was forged early in 2016, the brand's CEO, Ben Weiss, told Business Insider at the time. A mutual friend put Weiss in contact with the the actor and musician, and the pair soon met up in Los Angeles to talk about the possibility of a partnership.

Timberlake was a huge fan of Bai and stockpiled the drink in a place where his wife, actress Jessica Biel, wouldn't find it, according to Weiss.

"He said he found himself drinking it and storing it away from his wife in a secret little refrigerator," Weiss said. "He was very passionate about it."

In November 2016, news broke that Dr Pepper Snapple Group would purchase Bai Brands for $1.7 billion. With the deal, Dr Pepper Snapple snatched up a brand that could help it compete with rivals Coca-Cola and PepsiCo in the booming bottled-water space. 

SEE ALSO: Justin Timberlake just gave a huge boost to a brand that's becoming a threat to Coke and Pepsi

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Here are all the confirmed original shows coming to Netflix in 2018

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piper orange is new blackNetflix has a lot of original content in store for the second half of this year.

2018 has already seen the premiere of a handful of new original shows, including the sci-fi reboot "Lost In Space" and David Letterman's talk show.

Among the shows still to come is the new series "Maniac," a dark comedy starring Jonah Hill and Emma Stone, along with new seasons of "GLOW" and "Marvel's Luke Cage."

On Tuesday, Netflix announced that it will release the sixth season of its prison dramedy "Orange Is the New Black" in July. 

Netflix has said it will spend $8 billion on shows and movies in 2018 — up from the $6 billion it spent in 2017. 

To help you sort through all of the upcoming content, we've compiled a list of original shows that Netflix has confirmed are coming out in 2018. This excludes movies, kids' shows, and series that might not come out until 2019 or later.

Here are all the shows we know Netflix is for sure putting out in 2018, along with their release date if available:

SEE ALSO: All 65 of Netflix's notable original shows, ranked from worst to best

"Lovesick" (Season 3) — Released January 1

Netflix description: "In his quest for true love, Dylan found chlamydia. Joined by friends Evie and Luke, he relives past encounters as he notifies all his former partners."



"The End of the F***ing World" (Season 1) — Released January 5

Netflix description: "A budding teen psychopath and a rebel hungry for adventure embark on a star-crossed road trip in this darkly comic series based on a graphic novel.



"Disjointed" (Season 1 - Part 2) — Released January 12

Netflix description: "Pot activist Ruth Whitefeather Feldman runs a medical marijuana dispensary while encouraging her loyal patients to chill out and enjoy the high life."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Everything you need to know about 'swatting,' the dangerous so-called 'prank' of calling a SWAT team on someone

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David Hogg

David Hogg, a survivor of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida in February, is now the most recent victim of a dangerous and increasingly popular practice called "swatting," which involves reporting a fake emergency at the home of the victim in an effort to send a SWAT team to barge in on them. 

Fortunately, Hogg was visiting Washington DC with his mother to accept the RFK Human Rights award at the time, and no one got hurt. 

But the same cannot be said for all cases.

Early this year, a Los Angeles man was arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter after swatting Andrew Finch — a Wichita father-of-two and video game streamer with whom he got into a dispute with over a $1.50 bet in "Call of Duty" — who was killed by law enforcement as a result of the "prank."

The swatter, Tyler Raj Barriss, says he had personally called in false emergencies on more than a hundred people before being arrested.

Here's everything you need to know about this disturbing trend:

SEE ALSO: Everything you need to know about Discord, the app that 135 million gamers all around the world are using to talk to each other

First, let's talk about exactly what happens when a person gets "swatted."

Imagine you're at home playing a video game, broadcasting your gameplay online for your followers to watch on the video-streaming site Twitch. Without warning, the door to your room is busted open and SWAT officers are screaming at you to put your hands up and get on the ground — all while thousands of people online get a front-row seat to the action, thanks to your computer's webcam.

This is what happens during a "swatting," where cybercriminals call in a serious crime — such as a hostage situation or shooter on the loose — in the hopes of unleashing a SWAT team on an unsuspecting person.

Cybercriminals can use a variety of technical tricks to mask their identities or to make it appear as if the prank call to police originated at the residence of the unsuspecting victim. Police, with no other choice than to react to the severity of the crime being described, often send out SWAT teams, bomb squads, and other emergency services such as fire trucks and ambulances.

 



In its earliest occurrences, swatting almost always targeted video game live-streamers.

"Uh oh, this isn't good," a gamer named Jordan Mathewson, who streams on Twitch under the name "Kootra," said to the camera during a live stream back in 2014. "They're clearing rooms. What in the world? I think we're getting swatted."

Police stormed in within seconds, and Mathewson's viewers and fans could only watch as he was handcuffed, searched, and questioned.

The police released Mathewson from custody after realizing they had been duped, but it is hardly a harmless prank. Taxpayer dollars are wasted when the police respond to hoaxes, and the buildings, including schools, near Mathewson's address were placed on lockdown because of the threat.



While most swatting attempts target gamers who broadcast their gameplay on live-streaming services such as Twitch, celebrities such as Tom Cruise, Miley Cyrus, and Justin Bieber have all been "swatted" as well.

But swatting celebrities does not allow the public to watch the events play out in real time, and that is part of the reason gamers with thousands of spectators are often viewed as attractive targets.

If one of the spectators of a streaming session becomes annoyed (or apparently even just bored) with the person streaming, the anonymous viewer can try to dig up identifying information on the address of the streamer, usually by capturing the IP address of the person's computer.

 

 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

'Fortnite: Battle Royale' just got an update — here are all the new skins, challenges, and items

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Fortnite (mobile)

For months now, "Fortnite: Battle Royale" has kept players on their toes with weekly — and sometimes daily — updates to the game, including new character skins, limited-time game modes, and fun and interesting challenges.

Some of those updates have been just for fun, and some actually change the way the game is played. For example, in the days leading up to the beginning of Season 4, the game hinted that a meteor shower would change the island forever. When the meteor did hit, it caused a large crater in the enter of the map, turning Dusty Depot into the craterous Dusty Divot. Later, there was even a limited-time tie-in with "Avengers: Infinity War."

The developers have also introduced or removed a few truly game-changing tools, including jetpacks, guided missiles, and even a rideable shopping cart.

Here's what's new this week in the world's most popular video game:

SEE ALSO: How to find and use the new shopping cart in 'Fortnite: Battle Royale,' whether you're playing solo or with your friends

NEW ITEMS: Bouncers

Following lots of rumors swirling on Reddit and Twitter over the last week, Epic has re-introduced jump pads to "Fortnite: Battle Royale."

These jump pads launch players into the air at high speeds. This time, they apparently won't inflict falling damage, and will be able to bounce both you and your shopping cart.

A few months back, Epic experimented with two versions of the of jump pads: one that would bounce players straight up, and one that would propel them forward through the air.

The pads were eventually removed, to the dismay of many streamers who quickly grew accustomed to using them for insane trick shots like this one:

Youtube Embed:
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SKINS

Epic announced these new matching skins this morning, called "NiteLite and Lightshow," respectively, on the official Fortnite Twitter account.

Both are already available in the item shop.



GLIDERS AND PICKAXES

Of course, the two new skins also come with matching accessories, in appropriate color schemes. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

New York judge rules Trump should sit for a deposition in defamation lawsuit filed by former 'Apprentice' contestant

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Trump Zervos

  • A New York judge ruled that President Donald Trump should sit for a deposition by January 31, 2019 in a defamation lawsuit filed against him by a former contestant of his  reality show, "The Apprentice."
  • Summer Zervos accused Trump of "very aggressively" kissing and groping her in a 2007 encounter at The Beverly Hills Hotel. Trump denied the claim.
  • Zervos pursued her defamation lawsuit against Trump on the accusation that he damaged her reputation by calling her liar.
  • The court is considering whether case should be delayed until after Trump leaves office.


A judge in Manhattan ruled on Tuesday that President Donald Trump should sit for a deposition in a defamation lawsuit filed against him by a former "Apprentice" contestant.

Summer Zervos accused Trump of sexual misconduct in 2016. Trump denied the accusations. Zervos is suing Trump for defamation on claims that he damaged her reputation by calling her liar.

Court documents filed on Tuesday show that Judge Jennifer G. Schecter ruled Trump and other parties in the case should be deposed no later than January 31, 2019.

The court is mulling over arguments about whether the case should be delayed until after Trump leaves office, and a decision on that could come as early as Thursday, The New York Post reported.

There is also the matter of the several other women who have accused Trump of various degrees of sexual misconduct.

Zervos' attorney wants to ask Trump about the other women's claims. Trump's attorney, Marc Kasowitz, has argued those women should not be brought up in Zervos' case if they're not otherwise involved, or pursuing their own defamation claims against the president.

Trump infamously bragged about manhandling women at will in leaked audio from his appearance on the celebrity gossip program, "Access Hollywood" in 2005. That audio, which dropped about a month before the 2016 presidential election, threatened to derail Trump's campaign.

The Zervos case is happening amid multiple other legal actions and investigations directly and indirectly involving Trump — including the federal probe of Russia's interference in the 2016 US election and an obstruction of justice inquiry being conducted by the special counsel Robert Mueller.

Read the full court document below:

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