(NOTE LANGUAGE) Once again, James Gunn has clapped back against a troll who took issue with one of his Instagram posts.
On Monday, Gunn happily touted his Peacemaker star Chukwudi Iwuji‘s role as the High Evolutionary in Gunn’s upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
However, somebody snarked of the character, “Damnit…another white guy they made into a black guy. Why couldn’t they just leave him white or i dont know…pick a different minority? How about Asian or gasp! A Latino? (how many Latinos and Asians in MCU? Like total of 5??) Or make him an Indian or something…because they don’t and won’t, that makes them ‘woke.'”
The social media user’s rant continued, “They’re picking based on race and what’s PC and not on acting and what’s established.”
Gunn didn’t let it stand, however, shooting back, “I chose the best actor, period, and the best person for the role. I don’t give a s*** what ethnicity @chukwudi_iwuji is, so stop with your racist presumptions on WHY he was chosen.”
For good measure, lifelong comic fan Gunn noted, “And, by the way, he’s playing a guy who’s almost always purple in the color [books].”
For the record, plenty of other folks piled onto that person, too.
Recently, Gunn replied to snarkers who took issue with some of his choices as the new co-CEO of DC Films.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 hits theaters May 5.
(NEW YORK) — The Afghan Taliban began reversing women’s rights soon after returning to power in 2021, imposing bans on education, work and the ability to travel without a male guardian. Women who have protested the oppressive new rules face arrest and the possibility of being tortured and forcibly disappeared, according to a report from Amnesty International.
United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohamed recently traveled to Afghanistan, where she met with Taliban leaders to discuss the harsh restrictions on women and girls. Mohamed spoke to ABC News Live’s Mona Kosar Abdi about the crisis Afghan women are facing and the U.N.’s ongoing humanitarian work in the country.
MONA KOSAR ABDI: You recently got back from Afghanistan, making you the most senior U.N. official and also woman, it’s important to point out, to meet with the Taliban leaders. Can you tell me a little bit about how that conversation went? And also, were you able to bring women’s rights to the forefront?
AMINA MOHAMED: Absolutely. It was a huge task and a half. We did a lot of consultation before we got there with Afghan women, Afghan women who have been in the United States for a couple of decades, those who’ve come just recently as the Taliban came back in and many Afghan women within Afghanistan, countries in the neighborhood. They have a right to be in the workplace. In fact, Islam itself, the jihad, was founded by a woman and the prophet’s an employee of a woman. So, these are things we brought to the front, and we were able to have those discussions. They are denying rights to women for education and in the workplace, and that has to be reversed.
KOSAR ABDI: And today is International Women’s Day, which is a day that highlights women’s achievements all over the world. But it also puts a spotlight on the fight for women’s rights and also gender inequality, particularly in countries like Afghanistan, where, as you mentioned, women cannot go to work, where women cannot go to school. So what role can the U.N. play in advocating for women and further pushing their rights in countries, for example, such as Afghanistan?
MOHAMED: Well, as the Taliban came back into Afghanistan, the United Nations stayed to deliver because we were very concerned that those reversals would come very quickly. So it was important for us to be there in the humanitarian space to ensure that lives were saved and the majority of those women and it had to be women to women’s services. So we shored that up. The international community rightly were concerned and took a position to pause on the funding. We made the case for, please don’t do that because this will harm women and girls and the vast population that are vulnerable and poor in very harsh circumstances in Afghanistan. So we worked around how to better deliver, even in the most extreme circumstances, where these bans were in place. The U.N. continues to be there in its mission with its country team, deploying whatever space that we can push and expand to ensure that women and girls come back into the workplace, come back to school, continue to get delivered of services that are lifesaving.
KOSAR ABDI: One concern that we’ve heard expressed, particularly in Afghanistan, is about young girls being forced into marriage. Can you touch a little bit about the U.N.’s response to preventing child marriages?
MOHAMED: Well, this has been something that we’ve been engaged with around the world. It is a huge challenge to women and girls’ rights, where there are harsh laws in place that enable this practice to happen. So what we do is to try to look at the root causes, which is why I say that families, the levels of poverty have to be addressed, so families don’t have to give their children away in marriage or otherwise, because in some cases they’re selling them.
KOSAR ABDI: After the U.S. withdrawal back in 2021, the Biden administration froze billions in aid and, coupled with the drought, it is severely impacted the Afghan economy. Can you touch on just what impact it is having on the people and the state of the country?
MOHAMED: Well, there is no formal economy to talk of. Everything is in the informal space. And it’s very difficult for them with the sanctions and with no economic framework or financial structure to operate, to allow, you know, salaries to be paid in basic government entities or for the economy to move forward. And the pressure that we can put upon them, again, is about their economy. They care about their economy. They want to trade. They want to be recognized. And that’s where we can put some pressure for them to, you know, abide by those values and principles of the international community to bring them back in. So clearly, the economy matters. Clearly, they appreciate, in fact, they told me they appreciate the funding that comes on the humanitarian side. But that’s one thing to appreciate, it’s the other to behave, it’s the other to do the right thing by women and girls. But the economy is certainly up front and center. There are big issues around that.
KOSAR ABDI: Part of your work is about amplifying the voices of women and sharing their stories. Can you share some of those stories with us that you’ve heard about some of the rights that they’re advocating for?
MOHAMED: You speak to Afghan women, they are the best you’ll find anywhere. And you can see that with those who are in diaspora, incredibly smart and really beautiful women from the inside out. That’s being snuffed. It is International Women’s Day. Every woman that knows that their daughter can go to school tomorrow in the developed world needs to think about that and raise their voice to amplify what is a right for Afghan women who have daughters. And that does help. Whether you tweet it or you speak about it or you charge your representative in the parliament, it’s so important around the world that we don’t let this die.
KOSAR ABDI: Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohamed, thank you so much for your time. We really appreciate it.
MOHAMED: Thank you and Happy International Women’s Day.
Bruce Springsteen fans in Columbus, Ohio, are going to have to wait to see The Boss. The rocker’s Thursday show was postponed due to illness, although who is sick hasn’t been revealed.
“Due to illness, tonight’s Bruce (Springsteen) and The E Street Band concert at Nationwide Arena has been postponed,” the arena announced on social media. “We are working on rescheduling the date so please hold on to your tickets as they will be valid for the rescheduled show.”
This isn’t the first illness to plague the tour, although it’s the first time a show has been called off because of it. Since launching in February, E Streeters Steven Van Zandt, Nils Lofgren, Jake Clemons and Soozie Tyrell have all come down with COVID and had to miss shows.
Springsteen’s next concert is scheduled for Sunday in Uncasville, Connecticut.
While the Academy Awards sometime gets poo-pooed for featuring movies most people haven’t seen — even during Chris Rock‘s first hosting stint at the 77th annual awards — this year’s event features some bona fide blockbuster Best Picture nominations.
However, for every Avatar: The Weight of Water — which made more than $2.2 billion and counting — there’s a TÁR or Women Talking, so-called “prestige pictures” that weren’t made to compare in the bottom-line department.
Just for fun, seeing as they’re all nominated for the biggest award of Sunday night, here’s a peek at each of the nominated movies, their reported production budgets from available reporting and their worldwide theatrical performances, according to Box Office Mojo.
Avatar: The Way of Water
Reported production budget: $350 million to $400 million
Box office: $2,283,196,259
Top Gun: Maverick
Reported production budget: $170 million
Box office: $1.49 billion
Elvis
Reported production budget: $85 million
Box office: $287,340,048
Everything Everywhere All At Once
Reported production budget: $25 million
Box office: $104,872,026
TÁR
Reported production budget: $35 million
Box office: $20,067,659
Women Talking
Reported production budget: N/A
Box office: $7,303,166
All Quiet on the Western Front
Reported production budget: $20 million
Box office (limited release for Oscar consideration): $3 million
The Fabelmans
Reported production budget: est. $40 million
Box office (limited release): $37,962,769
The Banshees of Inisherin
Reported production budget: $20 million
Box office: $46,597,386
Triangle of Sadness
Reported production budget: $15.6 million
Box office: $24,510,342
Olivia Rodrigo made Aftersun star Frankie Corio‘s birthday all the more sweeter.
Paul Mescal, who earned an Oscar nod for playing Frankie’s on-screen father in the film, was the mastermind behind the surprise. He got the “drivers license” singer to make a special birthday greeting for Corio, who is now 13, and played it for her while they were filming Aftersun in Turkey.
Leona Corio, Frankie’s mother, shared the sweet video of Mescal showing his phone to the young actress, whose face drops in shock. “Hey, Frankie, it’s Olivia,” the singer says.
Part of Olivia’s message is muffled because of background noise, which includes excited giggles, but she can be heard saying, “I hope you have the best day ever.”
“I hope you eat lots of cake and open lots of presents, and I hope I get to meet you real soon,” the hitmaker says.
Frankie is rendered completely speechless, even as Mescal apologizes for the video arriving after her birthday.
Olivia is currently working on her sophomore album, the follow-up to SOUR, but she has previously hinted that it might come out sometime this year.
Unprisoned, a new series about a relationship therapist and single mother whose life changes when her father’s released from prison, comes out on Hulu Friday. The show features Kerry Washington and Delroy Lindo in the starring roles of Paige and Edwin, but also vital to the series are characters played by Jordyn McIntosh, Faly Rakotohavana and Marque Richardson.
Faly takes on the role of Kerry’s son, Finn, who has to deal with his grandfather suddenly being around. He says his favorite thing about his character is “the relationship that develops between me and my grandfather,” especially because Finn “never really had much of a father figure.” He tells ABC Audio “watching that relationship grow and getting to create that relationship and make it grow with Delroy Lindo … was beautiful.”
Jordyn plays young Paige, whose cussing, she says, will have fans asking, “Who’s letting this girl use this language?”
Marque portrays Mal, a caseworker at the halfway house Edwin moves into. He says he loves that his character is “empathetic and compassionate,” noting the role “came at the right time in my life” as he was looking “to work with people that I loved and respected.”
Faly, Jordyn and Marque all worked with Kerry in some capacity. Faly calls Kerry an inspiration, while Jordyn describes her as “a really nice person” and says she loved her energy. Marque tried not to let his fandom take over.
“I was trying to do my best not to get fired because I’m such a fan and a student of both Kerry and Delroy,” he said. “If you think about what we’re actually doing … I’m working with Kerry, I’m working with Delroy, or even working with these people (Jordyn and Faly), I woulda lost my job cuz I woulda lost my mind.” (AUDIO 1-ON-1)
Another person has died following the stampede at a GloRilla concert Sunday. The Rochester Police Department issued a statement Thursday announcing the passing of a third individual.
Aisha Stephens, 35, of Syracuse, New York, died Wednesday night. According to the statement, she was the last remaining hospitalized victim. The investigation continues.
As reported, the stampede occurred at the Main Street Armory in Rochester, New York, where GloRilla and Finesse2Tymes had performed. As the show ended, concertgoers heading to the exit began to surge after reportedly hearing some gunshots.
Uniformed officers outside the venue made their way inside, discovered three women with significant injuries and attempted to provide lifesaving measures before transporting them to Strong Memorial Hospital.
Rhondesia Belton, 33, of Buffalo, was the first to pass away. Thirty-five-year-old Brandy Miller, who was initially listed in critical condition, also succumbed to her injuries.
In addition to the three women, seven people were transported to local hospitals via private vehicles and were said to have non-life-threatening injuries. Preliminary reports suggest the injuries appear to be the result of being trampled.
Def Leppard is once again giving fans a look at their life on the road. This time they’ve shared a tour diary giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at their recent shows in Bogotá, Colombia, and Lima, Peru, which weren’t easy thanks to the high altitude in the countries.
The clip shows the band doing their best to get used to the altitude, with frontman Joe Elliott drinking coca tea. He jokes it was “a bit f****** late for me,” likely referring to his brief hospitalization before the Bogotá show.
While Elliott says he “felt absolutely zero complications with altitude sickness” during the concert, he was a “different guy” before the show. He wonders if the altitude may have played a role in Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins’ death in Bogota last March.
Elliott says the band was staying at the Four Seasons, which is where Taylor passed away, and shares, “I wonder whether altitude had something to do with his death because it’s a bastard. It really is.”
He adds, “To do a gig eight-and-a-half million feet above sea level, not easy.”
Elsewhere in the video, we see Def Leppard rockin’ out in front of their adoring fans, meeting the first lady of Colombia, enjoying the sea on their first visit to Lima and more.
(ABILENE, Texas) — An Air Force pilot has made history by becoming one of the first Air Force service members to fly a supersonic aircraft while pregnant.
Maj. Lauren Olme, assistant director of operations for the 77th Weapons Squadron at Dyess Air Force Base near Abilene, Texas, flew a B-1 Lancer, a supersonic bomber. Olme’s child has also become “one of the first babies in the Department of Defense to clock 9.2 hours in a supersonic aircraft,” according to an Air Force press release.
“I can’t overexpress how amazing it is that pregnant women now have the opportunity to fly in all types of aircraft,” Lauren Olme said in a statement. “It’s a very personal decision that [my husband] Mark and I made together because there are risks involved in flying the B-1 while pregnant but after conferring with Air Force and civilian medical doctors, we felt comfortable with me flying for a few weeks.”
Olme is married to Maj. Mark Olme, a bomb wing weapons officer with the 7th Operations Support Squadron, also based at Dyess. The couple are expecting their child in April.
Both Lauren and Mark Olme are U.S. Air Force Academy graduates, trained to fly B-1 bombers and completed the Air Force’s weapons school course, similar to the Navy’s “Top Gun” program.
“Lauren is an amazing lady, deploying a unit, developing a schedule, creating exercise scenarios, being a great pilot and leader, all while building a human,” Mark Olme said in a statement. “I am not sure how she does it all, and with poise and grace. I am extremely proud of her and I can’t wait to tell our child they got to fly supersonic in formation with mommy and daddy.”
The Air Force clarified its policy last year and removed some restrictions for pregnant Air Force members. Air Force members can now “voluntarily request to fly during pregnancy” and do not need a waiver “to fly in the second trimester with an uncomplicated pregnancy in a non-ejection seat aircraft if all flight safety criteria are met.”
“All pregnant aircrew are authorized to apply for a waiver regardless of trimester, aircraft or flight profile,” the Air Force stated in an April 2022 news release.
“These changes are a significant step in the right direction to empowering every member of our team to serve to their full potential,” Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said in a statement at the time. “The Department of the Air Force’s most important asset is our people. We are focused on eliminating barriers that hamper the ability to attract and retain the most talented individuals who want to serve.”
According to Lauren Olme, she was cleared by her medical team to fly until her 22-week mark and seized the opportunity to do something she loved.
“I’m honored to be one of the first to fly in an ejection seat aircraft while pregnant,” Lauren Olme said. “I wouldn’t have been able to do it if women in the Air Force didn’t advocate for these types of policy changes, so to live out a policy change that other women worked so hard to enact is truly an honor.”
It sounds like Pete Townshend is thinking about revisiting his Scoop series. The Who legend revealed the news while answering some questions posed by fans in the comments of an Instagram post featuring an old picture of himself in one of his home studios.
One fan asked, “You have anymore Scoop releases coming out?” He shared the great news that he’s “thinking about it right now.”
Townshend released his first Scoop album — featuring demos of released and unreleased Who tracks and solo songs — back in 1983, and followed that up with one in 1987 and one in 2001.
And that wasn’t the only revelation Townshend made in the comments. When a fan jokingly asked, “Is there any possibility of shooting Roger [Daltrey] out of a cannon on the upcoming tour? It would make for front page headlines,” the rocker couldn’t help but respond.
“I have always wanted to do that,” he wrote. “But then, he has always wanted to do it to me.”
The Who returns to the road June 14 in Barcelona, Spain, with their The Who Hits Back! tour. A complete list of dates can be found at TheWho.com.
