ESPN does not like Verizon’s new pricing strategy for FIOS.

The wireless carrier and cable provider announced this week that customers will now be able to opt out of bundles and customize its television packages to include mostly just the channels they watch — and possibly exclude others like ESPN.

Verizon’s new “Custom TV” plans have moved ESPN's networks, which rank among the most profitable in the world, from basic cable to a sports “genre,” according to the company's website.

All cable channels have carriage agreements, or contracts allowing providers to broadcast channels, that set monthly per-subscriber rates paid to them by providers.

It all comes down to money — ESPN and ESPN 2's carriage agreements with Verizon require them to be on basic cable and also prohibit them from placing them on a sports tier, basic cable has far more subscribers than any specialized tiers — the fewer televisions that offer ESPN, the lower its ratings and less money it can make from cable and satellite providers.

This leaves the network in a weaker negotiating position when carriage agreements are up for renewal.

ESPN’s programming, which is dominated by live sporting events across almost every major sport, and several minor sports, is among the highest rated among all pay channels.

The Disney-owned network currently charges cable and satellite companies a monthly $5.54 per subscriber fee, by far the highest in the industry. TNT, the second-most expensive network, charges a relatively paltry $1.33 each month per subscriber. 

ESPN ripped the announcement in a statement to Business Insider.

"Media reports about Verizon’s new contemplated bundles describe packages that would not be authorized by our existing agreements," the network contended. "Among other issues, our contracts clearly provide that neither ESPN nor ESPN2 may be distributed in a separate sports package."

ESPN did not respond to a question asking what potential action it would take to try to reverse Verizon's tactics.

Custom TV is built on a base of 35 channels, none of which are ESPN, and augmented by several genres including kids, pop culture, lifestyle, entertainment, news & info, sports and sports plus.

"We believe we are allowed to offer consumers and small businesses this choice and flexibility under our existing contracts," Verizon said in a statement to Business Insider.

The packages can also be used as standalone or in tandem with internet and phone service, similar to traditional double or triple play packages offered my most providers. They have not replaced the standard FIOS Extreme HD, Preferred HD or Ultimate HD packages already being offered to customers.

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Over four seasons of hosting Spike TV's "Bar Rescue," Jon Taffer has seen a lot of things, including someone riding a horse into a bar. He's even gotten into some tussles with angry bar owners.

But beyond the makings of great TV, Taffer has seen some genuine horror stories in his long career in the bar business.

Taffer landed his first bar management job in 1978 and worked his way through America's bar and nightlife industry. He was one of the first inductees into the Nightclub Hall of Fame, is president of the Nightclub & Bar Media Group, and has worked with more than 800 businesses in his career.

He tells Business Insider that there is unfortunately an "ugly side" to the bar and club business, and he's seen plenty of it.

Here are Taffer's top three worst bar horror stories:

The unfortunate football fan

Taffer says that the worst bar or club incidents involve innocent victims. He remembers a particular moment many years ago when he was running a nightclub in Los Angeles and a guy "got hurt through the silliest of things."

The Washington Redskins professional football team had just lost a game that would have put them in the playoffs, and a passionate fan (or someone who bet a good chunk of change) decided to announce his anger as he walked into the venue.

Taffer remembers him screaming, "Those f---ing Redskins!"

And like the punchline to a bad joke, there happened to be a group of Native American patrons within earshot who, thinking his remark was a racist barb aimed at them, decided to beat him up pretty badly.

Taffer remembers the Skins fan as "the most inoffensive, politically correct" man he could have imagined, who just happened to wind up in a jam because of bad luck.

The Peeping Tom

Taffer doesn't share too many details about a time he had to deal with an ambitious pervert, but he shares enough.

"I once had somebody try to get into a ladies' room," Taffer says.

"He climbs up into the ceiling and the entire drop ceiling of the ladies' room crashed with him on the floor. And he's lying on the floor in the middle of the ladies' room and the girls are just kicking the hell out of him."

The opening night tragedy

It's not hard for Taffer to pick the worst thing he's ever seen happen in one of his establishments, since an accident resulted in someone's death.

One of the most successful venues Taffer ever ran was a club called Pulsations in Concord, Pennsylvania. It featured 11 bars, 10 levels, top-level entertainment, and had more than 2,000 patrons on weekend nights for much of the '80s, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

It almost didn't make it through its first night.

"On opening night, a light fixture fell off the ceiling and somebody got killed," Taffer says. "Nobody could've seen it coming, but it did happen."

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the fixture struck and killed Margaret Jones, 37, and injured five others. The club settled out of court with the Jones family in 1987.

How bar owners recover from disasters

Taffer says that Pulsations went on to thrive for 13 years, bringing in "obscene" revenues, and that disasters don't necessarily mean the end of the business.

The most important thing owners can do is to make customers feel like they will be safe if they return, he says. In the case of Pulsations, inspectors flooded the club in the week after the light fixture tragedy, which he says helped reassure many people.

"The fact of the matter is that the most important responsibility a bar owner has is public safety and the safety of the people in it," Taffer says. "Some operators seem to forget that."

SEE ALSO: 'Bar Rescue' host Jon Taffer shares 4 steps to making a great hire

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After scores of teens posted photos of themselves with plumped-up (and bruised or bleeding) lips in an effort to look more like the youngest Kardashian-Jenner sibling, Kylie herself has commented on the mini-trend via Twitter.

Since this weekend, the #KylieJennerChallenge hashtag has been accruing thousands of tweets and Instagram posts through which people display lips they have plumped up through the magic of shot-glass suction.

The social media stunt's origins are murky, although YouTuber Brendan Jordan appears to be responsible for at least some of its viral reach.

Kylie herself had never posted anything about using a cup to suction one's lips into a pout — until this afternoon.

"I'm not here to encourage people/young girls to look like me or to think this is the way they should look," she wrote in one tweet.

"I want to encourage people/young girls like me to be YOURSELF & not be afraid to experiment w your look," she concluded in another.

The tweets neatly avoid any mention of how Kylie herself achieves her plump lips, although she has repeatedly denied having gone under the knife to get her look. 

A dermatologist also weighed in on Seventeen.com, saying the stunt is more dangerous than people might think.

"Not only can significant pain, swelling, and bruising result from these suction techniques," Dr. Dendy Engelman told the site, "but there is potential risk for scarring and permanent disfigurement with repeated attempts."

Backlash to the trend was already growing earlier today. Based on what's now being posted under the #KylieJennerChallenge hashtag, graphic photos purporting to show lips that are bruised, ripped or bleeding (click at your own risk) because of the stunt now outnumber pictures of people actually doing the stunt for fun.

SEE ALSO: Meet Brendan Jordan, the 15-year-old beauty blogger who made the #KylieJennerChallenge go vira

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CBS’s tech nerd procedural “Scorpion” ended its first season on a high note when it became Monday night’s most-watched scripted show.

“Scorpion” earned a strong 2.1 rating with the advertiser-coveted demographic of adults aged 18-49 and averaged 10.4 million viewers, according to preliminary Nielsen numbers. That’s an 11% and 9% lift over last week’s numbers, respectively.

Its closest competition came from "Mike & Molly" and "2 Broke Girls," which both earned a 1.9 rating. Fox’s “Gotham" was the second highest-rated drama of the night with a 1.5.

A solid performer for CBS all season, “Scorpion” averaged a 2.3 rating and 10.95 million viewers.

Already renewed for a second season in January, “Scorpion” has helped fuddy-duddy CBS gain some viewers in the younger demos — something the network is going to have to build on as it prepares to air its “Supergirl” series. 

“Scorpion” is also one of the network’s most streamed series, which typically means younger viewers are watching the show — another good sign for CBS.

Based on a true story, “Scorpion” follows computer expert Walter O’Brien (Elyes Gabel) and his team of brilliant techies as they help keep the U.S. safe from high tech threats. 

Amid the many executive producers on the show, including “Star Trek” producers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, is Justin Bieber’s manager Scooter Braun.

“Scorpion” will return in the fall.

SEE ALSO: Jon Stewart announces the date for his final episode of 'The Daily Show'

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NOW WATCH: Disney's new 'Tomorrowland' trailer is awesome — but we're still not sure what it's about

Chef Gordon Ramsay manages a restaurant and television empire that spans the UK, Europe, and North America.

His restaurants have 14 precious Michelin Stars among them, and for more than two decades he's produced countless books and TV series. He also manages his own production company, One Potato Two Potato.

"I work my ass off," Ramsay said in a recent Reddit Ask-Me-Anything (AMA). He's currently in the middle of taping "MasterChef" episodes for Fox in Los Angeles, while his family is in London.

He explained what his 15- to 16-hour days have looked like recently:

• Wake up at 5:00 a.m.
• Go to the gym.
• Have plain oatmeal for breakfast.
• Take care of anything related to American businesses. Tape "MasterCef" until 9:00 or 10:00 p.m.
• Have something quick to eat.
• Call his family at midnight, West Coast time, to talk to his kids in London before they head off to school.
• Catch up with his business in London.
• Go to sleep at 2:00 a.m.

Ramsay said he keeps himself energized by being involved in many projects at once and never staying in one place for too long. He adopted this intense approach in 1998 when he founded his first restaurant, which was named after himself, in Chelsea, England.

The secret to being able to withstand such a demanding schedule, he said, is taking full advantage of Saturdays and Sundays.

"My flagship restaurant in Chelsea has never been open on a Saturday and Sunday — it's never been open on a weekend, because I thought if we're going to do this, I'd like to do this properly, so my staff needs time off," he wrote. "So I work hard, but I give myself time off on the weekend. I cut it off, and power down for 48 hours."

SEE ALSO: How the Michelin Guide made a tire company the world's fine dining authority

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NOW WATCH: Here's Marcus Samuelsson's Advice For Aspiring Chefs

Ever since he was young, Christopher Nolan always knew he wanted to be a filmmaker. 

"I was about 12 or 13 [when I decided to do this for a living] and I just became struck by the idea of a director," Nolan audience at the Tribeca Film Festival Monday night.

Like many great directors before, Nolan started making his own films on a Super 8 camera. As someone who came of age in the 1970s, one of his biggest influence was "Star Wars."

"That came out in the '70s and I'd been experimenting using Super 8 films and stuff. And then from the second I saw 'Star Wars' everything was space ships and science-fiction," Nolan said.

Nolan remarked that the "imaginatively titled" series of Super 8 films was called "Space Wars." 

As a kid, Nolan felt he had achieved something great with "Space Wars." However, he recently revisited it and was surprised at what he saw.

"I actually showed a couple of them to my kids recently because I got them transferred on to DVD," said Nolan, "and I was a little disappointed at how bad it was."

During the candid conversation, Nolan described how every film he made was a stepping stone to something bigger. Without "Space Wars," he may never have been ready for his $6,000 feature film debut "Following." Without "Following," there would have been no "Memento" and with no "Memento," there would be no Nolan-helmed "Dark Knight" trilogy.

"That's the weird thing about a filmmaker's process ... or my process ... I sort of remembered it the way I wanted it to be," Nolan said, "coming back to your old films...they tend to change over time."

SEE ALSO: Director Christopher Nolan Doesn't Have A Cellphone Or Email Address

AND: Christopher Nolan says he's most proud of the opening scene in "The Dark Knight Rises"

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NOW WATCH: 'MythBusters' Adam Savage Explains Why TARS From 'Interstellar' Is The Perfect Robot

In 2015, everything old in video games is new again.

If you liked hit-multiplayer shooter "Borderlands" the first time, good news: There's a re-release on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. That same statement is applicable to a mess of games in 2015, from biggies like the "Resident Evil" and "Final Fantasy" franchises to lesser known games getting the gussied up treatment (we're looking at you, "DmC: Devil May Cry").

This "everything old is new again" approach is represented most directly by the resurgence of an entire genre: Music games. Both the "Guitar Hero" and "Rock Band" franchises are restarting in 2015 after four years of silence, following their meteoric rise in 2005 and just as meteoric crash in 2011. 

There's an obvious explanation for why all of this is happening, and you've likely already guessed it: Money. 

The money game

The companies bringing "Guitar Hero" and "Rock Band" back to life couldn't be more different.

Activision, the publisher of "Guitar Hero," is a monolith in video game publishing. It is by far the most successful third-party game publisher. The company has a market cap of $16.9 billion and publishes the world's most popular blockbusters. "Call of Duty" comes from Activision, as does "World of Warcraft" and "Destiny." Activision is very much a company in the business of making huge hits.

Harmonix, the publisher of "Rock Band," is a small indie studio. The company's full name is "Harmonix Music Systems," which says a lot about its focus: music games of all variety. The other big hit from Harmonix that you've likely heard of? "Dance Central." And that's pretty much it. Harmonix is so intrinsic to the world of music games that it created both "Rock Band" and the original two "Guitar Hero" games. It's also precariously focused on a single genre of gaming – and that alone – to its detriment. When the music game genre fell apart in 2011, Harmonix nearly went under. 

While the two companies are dramatically different in terms of business strategy, they're both going after the same thing with their 2015 music games ("Guitar Hero Live" and "Rock Band 4"): Nostalgia translating into sales.

Here's Activision CEO Eric Hirshberg on why now is the right time to reboot "Guitar Hero":

Even after not having a game in the market for almost half a decade now, "Guitar Hero" still has 10 million active Facebook fans, still posting their love for the franchise online every day. Let me put that into context: You know that little music festival that's going on right now? Coachella? They have two million Facebook fans. "Guitar Hero" has five times that and we haven't had a game in five years.

Here's Harmonix CCO Alex Rigopulos in an interview on Engadget on why now is the right time to reboot "Rock Band":

There has been this very steady crescendo of demands from the audience for the sequel. It used to be an occasional thing, but now it's like a steady drumbeat from the audience. "Hey guys, where the heck is 'Rock Band 4?' It's time. We're ready for it. Please bring it back." We hear that all the time, from all angles now – so that's a major factor.

While it's nice that both games are in-demand by longtime fans, the truth in between those words is "enough people said they wanted it back, and hopefully enough of them will buy our game to make it worth the investment." That's reasonable logic. These are both companies in the business of making money, right? 

The big picture

Beyond betting on nostalgia and resurrecting fan favorites, the resurgence of the music game genre is emblematic of the entire game industry's approach right now. Rather than producing new franchises, large developers and publishers are making low-risk bets on proven IP. In so many words: The companies which make and sell major games on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 are only producing games which are (relatively) "sure things."

That's how you end up with two competing franchises, unique to a genre, rebooting at nearly the same time.

Both "Guitar Hero Live" and "Rock Band 4" were announced in the last two months, and both are slated to launch this fall. It's not possible that either was reactionary to the other, as both have been in development for years. Even if they wanted to, it's not physically possible for either company to "react" as such – game development on this scale takes years, especially in the case of major console games.

As games get more visually detailed and bigger in scale, they cost more and more to produce. Activision's newest big project – "Destiny" – is a perfect example of this. The game was built as a franchise, with Activision signing a 10-year, multi-game deal with its developer, Bungie.

"Destiny" is also somewhat of an anomaly – it stands alone in terms of investment ($500 million) and scope. And despite it being a new franchise, it's not exactly an unknown: "Destiny" was created by a team of veteran developers who previously created and sustained the massively popular "Halo" franchise. All that to say: The $500 million investment in "Destiny" is a risk, but a risk that's hedged by a proven studio with an incredible track record.

So, if you're looking for new game franchises on your new game console, you're largely out of luck. The rest of 2015's big console releases lean on known quantities like "Call of Duty" and "Halo" and "Tomb Raider," to say nothing of the reboots and re-releases. Hopefully that's appealing, and the marketing is enough to convince you that all these old games are actually "new" once more.

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Final Feature is a 18-year-old animator and director who specializes in Lego remakes. Here's his take on the new "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice" trailer.

Video courtesy of Final Feature

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Tuesday night marked the season three premiere of "Inside Amy Schumer." In an episode in which every sketch was spot-on and hilarious, arguably the funniest and most notable bit of the night was "Last F----able Day," also the episode's title.

In the sketch, Schumer runs into Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tina Fey, and Patricia Arquette, who are celebrating Louis-Dreyfus's last day that she is considered attractive in the eyes of the media. 

It was a long, rocky road for this sketch to get to the air. At a recent panel at the Tribeca Film Festival, Schumer and the show's director, writers, and producers described how the sketch came to be. 

"We've been trying to make [this scene] for three years and lots of actresses said 'no,'" Schumer told the crowd.

The idea originally began to float around the writer's room during season one.

"I think this came about from a conversation we were having in the [writer's] room at some point about actresses like aging out of Hollywood and how that happens and just like women who are seen as the ultimate hottest," writer/executive producer Jessi Klein said.

Once somebody coined the term "last f---able day," the next step was finding actresses who would be willing to star in it.

"It became a journey to find the angels who ended up doing it," Klein added. 

A lot of actresses, whose names were not revealed, said no to doing the sketch. But the quest to find types like Diane Keaton and Mia Farrow carried on.

"We didn't know why those two women wouldn't want to work together," Schumer quipped.

That joke got one of the biggest laughs of the night.

Finally, Schumer got her "dream cast" of Tina Fey, Patricia Arquette, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus all to agree to appear in the sketch. Schumer says she felt the actresses all received the sketch's message loud and clear.

"They were kind of outraged by the same stuff that we thought was unfair also," Schumer said. 

The actresses also had the chance to improvise and contribute. For instance, Fey came up with the memorable euphemism "white spiders," while Arquette, who is very into crafting, volunteered to make a birdhouse out of diaphragms. 

"It's season three, we're gonna do whatever the f--- we want!" Schumer exclaimed. 

Watch the funny sketch below:

SEE ALSO: Amy Schumer caused quite a stir on last night's Time 100 gala red carpet

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It’s time to say goodbye to some titles on Netflix next month. And a few are classics (especially if you’re a fan of the ’80s).

The iconic 1980s comedy “Airplane!” will be grounded. As well as the original “RoboCop” (1987).

And for you James Bond fans, be sure to catch the most recent film in the franchise, "Skyfall," one last time before it’s taken down.

Below are all the titles. We’ve highlighted a few favorites.

Leaving 5/1

"6 Bullets"
"12 Dogs of Christmas: Great Puppy Rescue"
“A Knight’s Tale”
“Airplane!”

“Airplane II: The Sequel”
“All I Want for Christmas”
“Along Came Polly"
"An American Haunting"
"Baby Genius: The Four Seasons"
"Baby Genius: Underwater Adventures"
“BASEketball”
"Bitter Moon"
“Boys Don’t Cry”
"Bratz: Babyz: The Movie"
"Call Me Claus"
"Call Me Crazy: A Five Film"
“Cecil B. Demented”
"Deuces Wild"
“Devine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood”
“Fantastic Voyage"
“Finding Forrester”
“Friday the 13th: Part 7: The New Blood”
“Funny Face”
"Ichi the Killer"
"Into the Blue 2: The Reef"
“Life is Beautiful”
“RoboCop”
“Romancing the Stone”
“Sabrina” (1954)
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze”
“The Accused”
“The Brother’s Bloom”
“The Jewel of the Nile”
"The Secret of NIMN"
"True Justice: Season 1"
“Valkyrie”

Leaving 5/2

“Flight”

Leaving 5/3

"The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement"

Leaving 5/5

"Diana Vreeland" The Eye Has to Travel"
"Frank Skinner Stand-Up: Live from Birmingham's National Indoor Arena"
"Grumpy Old Women Live"
"Russell Kane: Smokescreens & Castles Live"

“Skyfall”

Leaving 5/6

"1428"

Leaving 5/12

"Grimm's Snow White"
“Robot & Frank”

Leaving 5/13

"Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos"

Leaving 5/15

"Buffalo Girls"

Leaving 5/16

"Fun Size"

Leaving 5/17

"Cloud 9"
"Dane Cook: Rough Around the Edges: Live from Madison Square Garden"

Leaving 5/19

“Red Dawn” (2012)

Leaving 5/20

"No Woman, No Cry"

Leaving 5/23

“Silent House”

Leaving 5/28

"The New Guy"

Leaving 5/31

"The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia"

SEE ALSO: Here's everything coming to Netflix in May

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Lindsay Lohan suffered a major social media fail on Monday after she instagrammed a quote in Arabic, but it didn't have the meaning she intended.

While Lohan meant to say "You're Beautiful" to her 3.5 million followers...

The translation is actually "You're a donkey." 

Lohan posted the photo to Instagram without a caption, but tweeted a link to her Instagram page with the word "Habibi," an Arabic term of endearment. 

The actress deleted the image from Instagram after fans were quick to correct her humorous error:

The snafu hasn't stopped Lohan from since posting other inspirational quotes:

Or, of course, selfies:

SEE ALSO: Amy Schumer caused quite a stir on last night's Time 100 gala red carpet

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NOW WATCH: The new trailer for Season 3 of 'House of Cards' is terrifying

A recent study into "The Dr. Oz Show" and one other popular TV health series, "The Doctors," found that of the shows they studied, roughly half the advice doled had little-to-no solid scientific evidence to back it up.

The study only looked at a sampling of the shows, 40 episodes from each from early 2013. Regardless, the findings are important, especially now, as Oz has come under fire for endorsing dozens of "quack" treatments. 

Last week, ten top physicians called for Dr. Oz to be removed from Columbia's faculty list because he has "repeatedly shown disdain for science and for evidence-based medicine."

Of all the advice dispensed on the 40 episodes of "The Dr. Oz Show" that the researchers studied, evidence supported just 46%.

The evidence also contradicted 15% of the advice given out on the show, and was not found for 39% of it.

Results for "The Doctors" were similar to those for "Dr. Oz," but slightly better. Evidence supported 63% of those recommendations, contradicted 14%, and was missing for 24%.

Of all the recommendations given out on the "The Dr. Oz Show," the study found the vast majority pertained to dieting and weight loss.

Oz was called to testify at a senate hearing last summer after he promoted the extract of green coffee beans as a "magic weight loss cure." His claim, it was later found, had only one scientific study to support it. That study was later retracted, partially because it was funded by the product's manufacturer.

Much of the other advice Oz has dispensed on his show lands firmly in the realm of wacky, according to many other doctors and scientific studies.

Oz has repeatedly brought several self-proclaimed "spiritual mediums" to the show as guests and shown the audience before-and-after brain scans to show them that the psychics attain a "different type of consciousness" when they "connect with the other side." Because the scans are done using an EEG, which simply shows relative activity in different areas of the brain, the "results" (meaning the difference in before and after scans) could show a variety of things, including elevated anxiety.

He's also endorsed homeopathy, super-diluted doses of medications that have been repeatedly shown to be ineffective. In 2005, medical journal The Lancet published a large study comparing homeopathic remedies and conventional medical treatments with placebos. They concluded that any effects of homeopathy were largely the same as those of placebos.

Responding to Reuters' requests for comment, Tim Sullivan, the director of publicity for "The Dr. Oz Show," said the show "has always endeavored to challenge the so-called conventional wisdom, reveal multiple points of view and question the status quo."

He added, "The observation that some of the topics discussed on the show may differ from popular opinion or various academic analyses affirms that we are furthering a constructive dialogue about health and wellness."

Sullivan did not respond to a Business Insider request for comment.

UP NEXT: 5 'quack treatments' Dr. Oz has recommended that are totally bogus

ALSO CHECK OUT: Our diets have drastically changed since the 1990s, and we're drinking 4 times more alcohol

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NOW WATCH: Dr. Oz: The Future Of Medicine Will Depend On Technology, Not Doctors

Ben Affleck has broken his silence over a controversial decision to leave out an ancestor's history of slave ownership on PBS documentary series, "Finding Your Roots."

"I didn't want any television show about my family to include a guy who owned slaves. I was embarrassed," he wrote on Facebook Tuesday. "The very thought left a bad taste in my mouth."

Affleck's request of show producer Henry Louis Gates, Jr. to exclude his slave-owning ancestor from the program was discovered in emails uncovered in the Sony hack and first reported last week.

Criticism of Affleck's request and PBS's decision to honor it was quickly criticized on social media, newspaper op-ed columns, and by public figures.

In his statement, Affleck confirms that he "lobbied" Gates to exclude the record of his ancestor and expressed regret for doing so.

At the same time, he argued that "Finding Your Roots" isn't a news program, which means his influence on the program shouldn't be viewed similarly to affecting change in a news program with would have more stringent policies on his request to exclude part of the story.

"I regret my initial thoughts that the issue of slavery not be included in the story," the "Batman Vs. Superman" actor said. "We deserve neither credit nor blame for our ancestors and the degree of interest in this story suggests that we are, as a nation, still grappling with the terrible legacy of slavery. It is an examination well worth continuing."

PBS released a statement on Tuesday stating that it is continuing to look into the decision that excluded Affleck's slave-owning ancestor.

"PBS and WNET are conducting an internal review led by our respective programming teams of the circumstances around 'Finding Your Roots' episode 'Roots of Freedom,'" the network said.

After the initial emails showing the exclusion of Affleck's slave-owning relative, Gates released the following statement explaining that he made the decision based on what was most "interesting.":

"I maintain editorial control on all of my projects and, with my producers, decide what will make for the most compelling program. In the case of Mr. Affleck—we focused on what we felt were the most interesting aspects of his ancestry—including a Revolutionary War ancestor, a 3rd great–grandfather who was an occult enthusiast, and his mother who marched for Civil Rights during the Freedom Summer of 1964."

SEE ALSO: Ben Affleck asked documentary makers to hide the fact that his ancestors owned slaves according to leaked Sony emails

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NOW WATCH: Netflix's new 'Daredevil' show looks way better than Ben Affleck's version of the superhero

No wonder Joss Whedon wrote and directed such a fantastic movie in "The Avengers" and pulled off an even harder feat with "Avengers: Age of Ultron," as well as orchestrating the development of Disney's Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Whedon, born in 1964, has been a huge Marvel fan since first encountering comics in the early 1970s when his scriptwriter father, Tom, brought home comics to prepare for a Spider-Man segment on "The Electric Company."

“I was like nine, and I’m like, ‘What’s all this? What’s all this that will now obsess me for the rest of my life?’” Whedon told Amy Pascale in “Joss Whedon: The Biography."

Whedon started reading comics constantly and soon started writing them.

When he and a friend didn't like how an "Incredible Hulk" story ended in 1976, they "took matters into their own hands and rewrote the story," writes Pascale: "This evolved into staging elaborate scenes in their apartments, as the future director/screenwriter and playwright strung up action figures and sent them flying across the room."

As Whedon grew up, he continued to take inspiration from comics.

Notably, his breakthrough 1990 creation, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, was inspired by Kitty Pryde of the X-Men: "If there’s a bigger influence ... I don’t know what it was,” he told New York Magazine's Gavin Edwards. “She was an adolescent girl finding out she has great power and dealing with it."

It so happened that Marvel was also obsessed with Whedon, as the company struggled to reach older audiences.

"The Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV show became [Marvel VP Bill] Jemas’s shorthand for what he was looking for— a continuing series with young, attractive stars and a rich backstory that nevertheless was accessible to a new audience," Sean Howe writes in "Marvel Comics: The Untold Story."

And so began a decade-long courtship between the man and the company.

Whedon, a proven script doctor, was hired to help with Bryan Singer's "X-Men" movie in 2000. He had also reportedly been considered to direct that movie and its sequel, and in 2001 he was in talks to direct an "Iron Man" movie, which never materialized (he also almost made several DC superhero movies).

He even wrote some real Marvel comics when he authored an acclaimed 2004 run of "Astonishing X-Men" and a few others.

Whedon finally got his Marvel movie in 2010, when Kevin Feige, president of production at Marvel Studios, approached him about directing "The Avengers." The lifelong fan couldn't say no, and the rest is history.

SEE ALSO: Tom Hiddleston send this amazing email after reading Whedon's "Avengers" script for the first time

DON'T MISS: "Avengers: Age of Ultron" was the hardest thing Whedon has ever done

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Shots, a Justin Bieber-endorsed app that lets users share selfies, has raised $8.5 million in funding from WI Harper Group, Launch Fund, Upfront Ventures, 500 Startups, and Rodney Jerkins.

Bieber led Shots' $1.1 million seed round last year. He still uses Shots to share selfies with other celebrities, backstage photos at his shows, and pictures of his dog. He also regularly promotes Shots on his Twitter account, which has almost 63 million followers.

His star appeal no doubt gave Shots — which now has more than 5 million users, the Wall Street Journal reports— a boost: for the first few months of Shots' existence, 90% of Shots users were also following Bieber on Twitter. But now, that number has dropped to less than 10%. And its new funding shows that other investors think the selfie-powered social network has some sticking power. 

Shots lets users take and share selfies, which are displayed in a feed like Twitter or Instagram. But unlike Instagram, Shots doesn't let users leave public comments. You can only respond to a selfie with a picture of your own. There's no text direct messaging feature. And there's no way to see how many followers another user has.

Here's what Shots looks like:

Just this week, Shots gave its users the ability to upload 3-second videos and to find nearby friends on the app. Since most of its users are younger — the average Shots user is 16 —its limited features are intentional, preventing cyberbullying and harassment.

Shots isn't making money yet but cofounder John Shahidi tells the Journal the company has spoken with advertisers who want to reach Shots' young userbase.

Check out WSJ's story on Shots, by Douglas MacMillion, here.

SEE ALSO: Every day, 7 million people check out a nostalgia app run by 19 people

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It's almost May, so you know what that means!

Netflix has rolled out its list of new releases to the streaming site. 

"Inglorious Basterds," "Legally Blonde," and a group of shows from History, Lifetime, and A&E including "Duck Dynasty" and "Counting Cars" will all be available.

We'll continue to update this list throughout the month.

Here's what you should check out on Netflix in May:

TV

"Longmire" (available 5/1)

The third season of A&E's crime drama.

"Royal Pains" (available 5/3)

The sixth season of the USA series will be available ahead of the seventh season premiere June 2, 2015.

"Grace & Frankie" (available 5/8)

The Netflix original stars Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin as "two women forced to reinvent their lives" after their husbands (Martin Sheen and Sam Waterston) leave them for each other.

"Graceland" (available 5/26)

The first two seasons of USA's hit series about a group of FBI, DEA, and US customs officers who move into a beach house called Graceland.

Movies

"Inglourious Basterds" (available 5/22)

Brad Pitt vs. Nazis. 

"Legally Blonde" (2001)

Before she was an Oscar-winning actress, Reese Witherspoon played the ditzy, but smart Harvard law student Elle Woods who was obsessed with the color pink. 

"The Boxtrolls" (available 5/23)

Here's one for the kids. In between "Big Hero 6" and "The LEGO Movie," you may have missed this stop-motion Oscar-nominated feature following a group of trolls that only comes out at nighttime. 

Here's the full list of May releases:

Available 5/1

"Beyond Clueless" (2014)
"Jimi: All is by My Side" (2013)
"Legally Blonde" (2001)
"Legally Blonde 2: Red, White, & Blonde" (2003)
"Longmire" (Season 3)
"No No: A Dockumentary" (2014)
"Shameless" (series 10)
"The Last Waltz" (1978)
"The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio" (2005)
"Underclassman" (2015)
"Witnesses" (Season 1)

Available 5/2

"Lalaoopsy: Festival of Sugary Sweets" (2015)
"LeapFrog Letter Factory Adventures: Amazing Word Explorers" (2015)

Available 5/3

"Anita" (2013)
"D.L. Hughley: Clear" (2014)
"Royal Pains" (Season 6)

Available 5/5

"A Few Best Men" (2011)

Available 5/6

"The Longest Week" (2014)

Available 5/8

"Grace & Frankie" (Netflix original)
"Puss in Boots" (Season 1 with 5 additional episodes)
"Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas" (2013)

Available 5/9

"Jinn" (2014)
"The Liberator" (2013)

Available 5/12

"Extraterrestrial" (2014)
"Fruitvale Station" (2013)
"Magical Universe" (2013)

Available 5/13

"The Identical" (2014)

Available 5/14

"American Restoration"
"Counting Cars"
"Dance Moms"
"Duck Dynasty"
"Hoarders"
"Modern Marvels"
"The Universe"

Available 5/15

"Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown" (Season 4)
"Cyber-Seniors" (2014)
"Dawg Fight" (2015)
"Give Me Shelter" (2014)
"Granite Flats" (Seasons 1-3)

Available 5/16

"First Period" (2013)

Available 5/17

"Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast" (2015)

Available 5/19

"Before I Disappear" (2014)
"Girlhood" (2014)
"Zombeavers" (2014)

Available 5/21

"Between" (Season 1)

Available 5/22

"H20 Mermaid Adventures" (2015)
"Inglourious Basterds" (2009)
"Jen Kirkman: I'm Gonna Die Alone (And I Feel Fine)" (2015)
"Richie Rich" (season 2)
"The Other One: the Long, Strange Trip of Bob Weir"
"Transporter: The Series" (Season 1)

Available 5/23

"Antarctica: A Year on Ice" (2013)
"The Boxtrolls" (2014)

Available 5/24

"Love and Honor" (2013)
"Welcome to the Punch" (2013)

Available 5/26

"Graceland" (Seasons 1-2)

Available 5/27

"Before I Go to Sleep" (2014)

Available 5/29

"Hot Girls Wanted" (2015)
"Mako Mermaids" (Season 3)

SEE ALSO: Everything leaving Netflix next month

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In China, video games are an activity often relegated to internet cafes.

Players pay by the hour, and some spend many hours at a time focused on a PC – sitting in a room with dozens of other people, yet isolated in focus on the game they're playing. Unsurprisingly, it can get mighty lonely, despite being surrounded by fellow players.

From that loneliness, some Chinese escorts are cashing in. As Chuang Shu-chung reports at the China Times, female escorts are charging lonely game players "between 20-100 yuan (US$3.20-$16)" per hour for the pleasure of their company. 

This isn't anything lurid or sexual; it's an opportunity for China's paid companion industry to expand into the wildly popular world of internet cafe game culture. Women – often college students and moonlighting office workers – offer companionship, and sometimes offer educational services in the game being played. These services are most often solicited by workers living in coastal regions with more financially lucrative jobs, the China Times reports.

The concept of escorts is nothing new to video game culture in China; similar concepts exist in South Korea and Japan, where PC gaming cafes thrive. In Tokyo's video game-centric Akihabara district, for instance, maid and escort cafes sit alongside massive arcades. In Seoul, PC "bangs" (pronounced "bah-ng") are quite popular, largely focused on the country's game of choice, "StarCraft."

Click here to read the full story in China Times and learn more >>

SEE ALSO: Here’s the newest phone from Xiaomi — the company that’s outselling Apple and Samsung in China

SEE ALSO: 3 goats went airborne in China as part of an elaborate stunt with a giant kite

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Lori Greiner has seen hundreds of pitches from entrepreneurs over three-and-a-half seasons on "Shark Tank," but she's also been regularly giving pitches herself since patenting her first invention in 1997.

With more than 400 inventions and 120 patents to her name, as well as a hands-on approach to a diverse portfolio of investments in small businesses, Greiner has worked to become a reliable salesperson to some of the world's biggest retailers, like Bed Bath & Beyond and Target. And as the "Queen of QVC," her pitches to customers practically guarantee that the product sells out in a matter of minutes.

In her book "Invent It, Sell It, Bank It!," she explains that every great pitch — to investors, distributors, or customers — contains the same elements.

We've summarized Greiner's points on what makes a pitch work, and included some comments she recently made at an event announcing her partnership with Staples.

It's as concise as possible.

"A great pitch is when a person can describe what their business or product is within two sentences," Greiner said at the Staples event.

Buyers and investors are "smart, savvy, and expert at summing up a product's potential at a quick glance," Greiner writes. They don't need hand-holding, but they need to know why they should part with their money within a minute or two or else they'll stop listening.

It's exciting.

"Any time you can make a buyer laugh or engage is a step closer to getting a deal," Greiner writes.

Draw the investors in with enthusiasm and passion. Remember that whether you're on "Shark Tank" or pitching to a single venture capitalist, your audience has spent either little or no time thinking about your product, which you may think is the greatest on the market.

If you exude confidence and energy, "you could pull a buyer out of a post-lunch stupor faster than any Red Bull," Greiner writes.

It makes the seller as appealing as the product.

"I look at who the entrepreneur is," Greiner said at the recent Staples event. "For me, it's everything."

An investor will be paying attention to how well you listen, and if you possess qualities that indicate you'd be someone easy to work with.

If entrepreneurs don't listen to questions asked during a pitch, "they're not going to hear you down the road, either, and they're not going to be a good partner."

It demonstrates why there's an opportunity that can't be missed.

As you give your pitch, retailers or investors are wondering how the money they give you will result in more money returning to them.

A key factor in this decision is determining whether consumers won't be able to live without your product.

"Not everything will be right for the buyer personally, such as when you're selling a female-oriented product to a male buyer, but buyers know their customers," Greiner writes.

It answers all questions about the business.

"You need to be accountable for and aware of every unit in the warehouse, every number on the books, every order coming in," Greiner writes, and you "need to have ready answers for how you intend to plan for the future."

Tell the truth, and admit when you don't know something. Knowing all of your numbers and facts will help you from crumbling under a line of questioning.

Greiner writes about a time when Brandon and Keith Marz came into the Tank to pitch their line of vitamin sprays at the end of a long day of shooting. The investors were exhausted and the male Sharks decided to try several spritzes of the Marz's caffeine spray. Suddenly, Greiner says, the guys perked up and became much more aggressive and fast-paced with their lines of questioning.

But the entrepreneurs "were prepared and had great answers for everything," Greiner writes. "It was memorable." Impressed with how they handled themselves under pressure and convinced of the products' efficacy, she made a deal with them.

It's based on data.

Following up on the previous point, Greiner explains that enthusiasm and passion can't replace the facts about whether the product has been or can be profitable.

If you need to continually explain why your product is unique, for example, then there's probably a gap in your market research that your potential buyer is driving at. Smoke and mirrors won't work with seasoned professionals.

It's practiced.

Ensure that if you have a tangible product, you come to your pitch with a flawless prototype. If you give a demonstration, practice it repeatedly until it becomes second nature. Think of a pitch as a performance that you can fine tune before it matters.

"You cannot over-prepare for a pitch," Greiner writes.

SEE ALSO: 'Shark Tank' investor Lori Greiner shares the best advice she's ever received

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Nine Inch Nails lead singer Trent Reznor has listed his stylish Beverly Hills home for $4.495 million, Trulia reports.

Reznor, who served as Beats' chief creative officer when Apple acquired the company last year, is reportedly playing a "major role" in the relaunch of the Beats Music streaming service.

Reznor's home has five bedrooms and four bathrooms spread out over more than 4,300 square feet of space.

There's also an infinity pool and a soundproofed studio. 

The home, located in the affluent Los Angeles enclave of Beverly Hills, was originally built in 1966.

Reznor purchased the home for $4.1875 million in 2007.

Inside, the home has an airy, open feel.

During the "Avengers: Age of Ultron" world press tour, an interview with Robert Downey, Jr. became incredibly awkward very quickly when a journalist attempted to make a comparison between the actor's onscreen character Iron Man and his personal real-life struggles.

We noticed this first at The Hollywood Reporter.

The interview started to take a turn for the worst when Krishnan Guru-Murthy, the anchor for Britain's Channel 4 news, asked the 50-year-old actor about a quote from a 2008 New York Times interview in which he said, "you can’t go from a $2,000-a-night suite at La Mirage to a penitentiary and really understand it and come out a liberal. You can’t." 

Guru-Murthy asked Downey, Jr. what he meant by that. The actor appeared noticeably perplexed as to why he was being asked about his political beliefs.

"I appreciate your point of view," said Downey, Jr. "Things that you said five, seven years ago or things you said in an interview that made sense to you at the time, I could pick that a part for two hours and [I'd] be no closer to the truth than I'd be giving you some half-a---d answer right now. I couldn't even really tell you what a liberal is. So, there in lies the answer to your question."

Guru-Murthy presses on, attempting to ask the actor about his political beliefs noting the actor's previous incarceration.

Downey, Jr. noted that it seemed like the interview was getting a bit off track from discussing "Age of Ultron."

The interview gets increasingly harder to watch, especially after the 6 minute mark when Downey, Jr. tells the journalist, “Your foot’s starting to jump a little bit, you better get to your next question.”

From there, it goes downhill more.

The interviewer attempts to continue, “You’ve talked in other interviews again about your relationship with your father and the role of all of that in, you know, the dark periods you went to — taking drugs and drinking and all of that. And, I just wondered whether you think you’re free of all of that or whether that —"

At this point, Downey, Jr. interjects to ask what’s going on before immediately getting up, and removing his mic to exit. 

“You seem okay. It’s just getting a little Diane Sawyer ..." said Downey, Jr. before exiting from the room.

Watch the interview below.

SEE ALSO: "Avengers: Age of Ultron" is great, but it's not better than the original

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