Dave Chappelle‘s monologue may have courted criticism, but his appearance on Saturday Night Live scored the best ratings of the show’s 48th season.
According to Nielsen numbers cited by The Hollywood Reporter, Chappelle’s show last Saturday night attracted some 4.8 million people — this was a jump from the previous week, which was hosted by Amy Schumer; that installment scored 4.3 million.
Overall, ratings for this season — with its pared-down cast — are down 20% from last season, which was the final one for stars like Pete Davidson, Kate McKinnon and Aidy Bryant.
The trade notes that Chappelle’s last turn as SNL host, the post-2020 election episode that scored him an Emmy Award, attracted 9 million viewers, the highest rated show in three years at that point.
Dave’s monologue last week saw the comedian speaking on antisemitic comments that were recently made by Kanye West and Kyrie Irving. However, the segment — during which he said the “delusion that Jews run show business” is “not a crazy thing to think,” but “it’s a crazy thing to say out loud” — drew fire from Jonathan Greenblatt, the head of the Jewish civil rights organization the Anti-Defamation League.
Greenblatt accused Chappelle of “normalizing and popularizing antisemitism.” He noted, “Why are Jewish sensitivities denied or diminished at almost every turn? Why does our trauma trigger applause?”
Dua Lipa‘s legal team has filed to dismiss Artikal Sound System‘s lawsuit that accuses her of stealing their copyright.
The Florida reggae band claimed Dua ripped off their 2017 track “Live Your Life” to make her smash-hit single “Levitating.” They also sued Dua’s label, Warner Records, and claimed that those working with Dua heard the song and duplicated its hook. They’re reportedly asking for profits from “Levitating” and damages.
Billboardreports Dua’s represented by the law firm Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLC, which filed a motion to dismiss the suit on Monday and claimed neither Dua nor her team had access to the lesser-known single.
“They amount to nothing more than a speculative, attenuated theory based on numerous degrees of separation, none of which establish any link — let alone a concrete link — between the writers of ‘Levitating’ and ‘Live Your Life,'” the motion read.
The statement continued, “Plaintiffs are essentially seeking to plead access by alleging that someone who knows someone who knows someone might have met one of the ‘Levitating’ writers.” The motion went on to say Artikal’s suit is comprised of “vague, boilerplate labels and conclusions” and “devoid of a shred of factual detail.”
“Plaintiffs fail to allege a single fact that identifies what material from ‘Live Your Life’ is copied in ‘Levitating,'” the petition continued. “Instead, Plaintiffs merely conclusorily allege purported similarities between the two works without any factual detail whatsoever.”
Dua released “Levitating” in October 2020. It went on to spend 68 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100.
This isn’t the only “Levitating” suit Dua faces. She was also sued by songwriters L. Russell Brown and Sandy Linzer, who alleged she stole their 1979 single “Wiggle and Giggle All Night” and their 1980 track “Don Diablo.” That case is still pending.
(NOTE LANGUAGE) The nominations for the 65th annual Grammy Awards were announced Tuesday, prompting reactions from celebrities who either felt celebrated or snubbed.
Among those in celebration mode were first-time nominees GloRilla and Latto. GloRilla’s hit single “F.N.F. (Let’s Go)” received a nod in the category for Best Rap Performance, while Latto was nominated for both Best New Artist and Best Melodic Rap Performance.
“The same song they was clowning me & my friends about saying we was Ugly & Dusty just got nominated for a Grammy!!!!!!!!!” GloRilla wrote on Twitter. “WHEN GOD IS ON YOUR SIDE YOU CANNOT FAIL.”
Latto also credited God in her reaction to the nominations. “I’m crying so bad right now!!!! Never give up on your dreams yall!!! S*** gone get rough… but DONT GIVE UP,” she tweeted. In a follow-up post, she wrote, “ONE THING ABOUT GOD!!!!!”
On the flip side, Summer Walker and Halle Bailey questioned why some artists failed to receive recognition from the Recording Academy.
“And for the grammys for a 2nd time, the math is literally not mathing,” Summer wrote on her Instagram Story. Neither she nor her album Still Over It, which was released in November 2021, were nominated for an award. “I was gone post some numbers but it’s ok,” she continued. “At least the streets f*** with me. y’all always pack out every show & support everytime I drop so thanks for the love I do receive.”
Halle congratulated all who were nominated, noting her sister should have been named a nominee. “my angel @ChloeBailey should’ve been nominated too but that’s ok because she will sweep next year!!!” she wrote, to which Chlöe responded, “it’s okay i don’t have a solo project out yet..yes next year for sure…and you too.”
(WASHINGTON) — “GMA3” welcomed Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, the nation’s first Latina senator. Her reelection allowed Democrats to maintain control of the Senate.
Cortez Masto discussed how abortion rights, the fight for democracy and kitchen table issues fueled her victory and why Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock is instrumental to achieving more progress.
GMA3: Joining us now for a GMA3 exclusive in her very first network interview since being reelected to the Senate, Catherine Cortez Masto. Sen. Cortez Masto, I’m going to ask you. We just said it was narrow. It was a nail biter. All eyes were certainly on this race. How does it feel now to have won?
CATHERINE CORTEZ MASTO: Well, good afternoon. And, you know, there was so much energy in Nevada and I felt it. And I’m just honored, honored that our voters came out and the energy was there. And just, you know, this is a state that I have was born and raised in. I’m so honored to represent the people in Nevada and the businesses there. So it was an exciting day for everyone that worked so hard to really get us across the finish line.
GMA3: [You] worked so hard and something must have worked because here you sit as the winner now. But one of those things that may have worked and again, don’t want to harp on this too much or make it sound so bad, but you didn’t have President Biden out there on the campaign trail for you. Now, again, some we will talk about that a little bit. Was that a calculated decision that now seems to have worked in such a close race?
CORTEZ MASTO: Well, let me just say, my focus was just getting out and talking to Nevadans. You know, I feel very strongly if you’re going to if you’re going to represent people, you got to get out there and ask for their votes. Got to talk to them. You listen to them. Talk to them about how we’re going to work together to address the challenges. And what I was hearing from Nevadans were the issues dealing with the kitchen table issues and high inflation and costs there and dealing with housing costs. And the concern about the repeal of Roe v. Wade in a state that is a proud pro-choice state. And I was also hearing about the concerns about what happened on Jan. 6 at the Capitol.
So to me, it was really more about just getting out and talking to so many Nevadans. Now, with that said, there were so many people that came into the state. They were welcome. They came in to help us turn out the vote. And there were people on the ground, there were organized labor that was out there. There were so many people. And I was so pleased to see that that overwhelming excitement and energy from not just people in Nevada, but so many that really came in to help us knock on doors and turn out that vote. It was instrumental.
And, you know, I just have to say, I’m very proud and proud of the Nevadans and the hard work that they did and the ability now that we have to continue the work that we need to get done for so many people in Nevada and across the country.
GMA3: You’re going to have a lot of focus over the next few weeks, going to be on Georgia. I’m wondering about your take now that we thought it was, thought that maybe over the next month we were going to see all that money and attention go to Georgia, because that was going to be the deciding Senate race. That’s not going to be the case anymore, given that you have now won and Democrats are going to hold on to the Senate. So what do you think the significance now of Democrats holding on to that seat in Georgia will be?
CORTEZ MASTO: Well, let me just say, in general, what I saw in Nevada, one thing in particular, because people know in Nevada, when they came out and elected me the first time, that really was a vote to protect and guard the Affordable Care Act, which in Nevada has helped so many, so many people there, right. If I hadn’t been elected, it would have been repealed. And so now coming out, so many people came out knowing that even though we’re a pro-choice state, that if there’s a federal abortion ban that would restrict or Lindsey Graham’s abortion ban were to get on the floor and passed, it would preempt our state law.
So now we are guarding against that happening, at least in the Senate. And I think it’s important that what I’ve seen is by electing Raphael Warnock, who was instrumental in the bipartisan infrastructure package, in working in bringing manufacturing back to this country and working about to address health care in his state and lower those costs, we can continue the good work on behalf of Americans in solving the problems that I hear. And I know he’s hearing in his community that we still have to address for so many, so many people that are still struggling at this point in time.
We have an opportunity to move forward, make major investments in this country that will grow and create jobs and grow our economy. And to me, that’s worth — is still — this fight. And I know Raphael Warnock is in an instrumental part of that future and what we want to achieve here in this country.
GMA3: Well, congratulations, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto. Thank you for being with us. We appreciate your time today.
For those who can’t get enough Yellowstone — and if Sunday’s premiere ratings are any indication, that’s a whole lot of people — Coors Banquet has the sweepstakes for you.
The official beer brand of the hit Paramount Network show is giving folks a chance to live like a Dutton with a new sweepstakes.
One winner and three friends will be sent on an all-expense-paid trip to the Big Mountain Ranch in Whitefish, Montana, complete with all the Coors Banquet beer you want and a Yellowstone makeover of sorts with new duds courtesy of western outfitter Seager.
To enter between now and January 1, 2023, fans can text the keyword GPBANQUET to 90464 and fill out the required information, or they can head on over to BanquetYellowstoneGiveaway.com for a chance to win the grand prize.
If you’re hoping to nab tickets to see Taylor Swift in concert, you might be out of luck. The presale opened Tuesday and fans are likening the purchasing process to that of TheHunger Games.
Fans have flocked to social media to complain about Ticketmaster’s site crashing during the Verified Fan presale for Taylor’s Eras Tour. Considering this is Taylor’s first North American trek in half a decade, it’s understandable fans are frenzied.
Taylor has already bumped up the number of stadium dates and will now perform a total of 52 shows. While the added dates will allow more fans to sing along with Taylor, it apparently did little to make a dent in demand.
Fan @abiwilk_ tweeted shortly after ticket sales went live, “The Taylor Swift ticket presale is proof that the hunger games could actually happen in real life.”
Another fan, @jawknee1989, tweeted out, “Taylor Swift wrote songs for the hunger games and got inspired to make her own in the Ticketmaster queue.” Fans even jokingly wished each other “Happy Hunger Games” before the presale launched.
Taylor wrote two songs for the first Hunger Games movie soundtrack, “Safe & Sound” and “Eyes Open.”
Ticketmaster later issued a statement on Twitter, writing, “There has been historically unprecedented demand with millions showing up to buy tickets for the TaylorSwiftTix Presale…If you are currently in a queue, please hang tight — queues are moving an we are working to get fans through as quickly as possible.”
Ticketmaster pushed back West Coast ticket sales from 10 a.m. PT to 3 p.m. PT to handle the high traffic. In addition, the fan response postponed the Capital One presale to Wednesday at 2 p.m. local venue time.
The Ticketmaster statement concluded, “Thank you for your patience as we continue managing this huge demand.”
Maren Morris has been announced as a performer at the 2023 iteration of MerleFest, along with the Avett Brothers, Black Opry Revue and more. The North Carolina festival is set to take place April 27-30.
Elle King stars in the latest installment of CMT’s performance series “CMT Campfire Sessions.”
Morgan Evansjust released the music video for his heartbreak ballad “Over for You.” He released the emotional song in the aftermath of his divorce from fellow country star Kelsea Ballerini.
After canceling a series of November shows — including his co-headlining Can’t Miss Tour with Chris Janson — Travis Tritt is updating fans about the injury that caused him to take a break. He has a torn meniscus in his left knee and will undergo surgery in mid-December to address the health issue.
A London tattoo parlor understands some fans of Ye — formerly known as Kanye West — who got ink tributes of the rapper might be feeling some buyer’s remorse, so they’re offering to remove them free of charge.
London-based NAAMA Studios took to Twitter to advertise the free tattoo removal service with the caption, “Yeezy come, yeezy go.”
“Got a #kanyewest tattoo? Tag us,” the parlor continued, promising they’ll “remove your Kanye tattoos for free.”
NAAMA normally charges roughly $2,500 USD for a tattoo removal, Metro reports.
Briony Garbett, who works at the studio, told the outlet why they rolled out such an initiative. “People with Kanye tattoos were coming to us and you could hear how triggering it was for them, how embarrassing and shameful they felt, given he’s been making the headlines for the wrong reasons,” she said.
She continued that fans shouldn’t feel ashamed they got the tattoos in the first place. “They couldn’t have predicted what he was going to be saying or the things he would be standing for now,” said Garbett.
One of those removal appointments was made by a British fan named Alex Jones, who got a tattoo in 2016 honoring Ye’s 2010 album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.
“It’s really kind of depressing to see someone that you like, who was your hero, start saying awful things about entire groups of people,” he said, adding that it’s been “quite a sad journey” watching Kanye’s fall from grace.
Multiple agencies and clothing brands severed ties with Ye over his antisemitic comments. He sparked international backlash after wearing a “White Lives Matter” shirt during a Yeezy fashion show in Paris last month and tweeting, “I’m going death con 3 on Jewish people.”
Many people were surprised to learn that Ric Ocasek didn’t leave anything in his will to estranged wife Paulina Porizkova — and that includes Paulina.
The supermodel appears on the latest episode of the Facebook series Red Table Talk, and in a preview, she opens up about the moment she found out the late Cars frontman had written her out of his will.
Following Ocasek’s death on September 15, 2019, Porizkova says she was picking out something to dress him in for his coffin when she discovered an envelope labeled “this is the will and testament.” She said the document specifically said, “I will not provide for my wife because she’s abandoned me.”
She says her first thought was, “That’s a lie. … Somebody made a mistake.” Despite their separation in 2017, Paulina had been living with the rocker while he recovered from surgery.
In another clip, Porizkova discusses finding Ocasek dead, sharing he had been recovering well after surgery for lung cancer and was feeling much better. She says he had been “feeling kinda tired” the night of his death; the next morning she didn’t think anything of him still being asleep because he “tended to sleep late” thanks to his “rockstar hours.” When he wasn’t up by 11 a.m. she went to bring him coffee; while he looked like he was sleeping, she says, “I saw his face. I saw his eyes. And they didn’t look like eyes anymore.”
The full episode of Porizkova’s Red Table Talk, co-hosted by Jada Pinkett Smith, WillowSmith and Adrienne Banfield Norris, premieres Wednesday at 12 p.m. ET.
A massive Rolling Stones box set will be released next year in colored vinyl for the very first time. The Rolling Stones in Mono was originally released in 2016 in a variety of formats including black vinyl, CD and digital. Now, ABKCO Records will drop the new edition on January 20.
The Rolling Stones in Mono (Limited Color Edition) consists of 16, 180-gram LPs in 14 different colors, each matching the cover art of a classic album. It features the entirety of their ’60s catalog, including 1964’s The Rolling Stones in cobalt blue vinyl, 1968’s Beggars Banquet in maroon vinyl, 1969’s Let It Bleed in red vinyl and more.
It also includes the 24-track, two-LP Stray Cats compilation exclusive, which features 1960s tracks that don’t appear on the other 14 albums, including two versions of “Poison Ivy,” as well as such rarities as an Italian version of “As Tears Go By,” the 1965 outtake of Otis Redding’s “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long,” this time without the fake applause, and more.
Meanwhile, Mick Jagger is up for a new award. The Rolling Stones frontman has earned a Royal Television Society Craft & Design Award nomination alongside Daniel Pemberton for the theme song they wrote for the Apple TV+ series Slow Horses. Winners will be announced December 5.
