Marie Westwood
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Nick Cannon posts cryptic tweets amid anti-Semitism controversy

7/17/2020

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In the midst of recent backlash over his anti-Semitic comments, Nick Cannon sounded off Friday about the reaction to his apology for those remarks.
He tweeted, "I hurt an entire community and it pained me to my core, I thought it couldn't get any worse."
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"Then I watched my own community turn on me and call me a sell-out for apologizing," the tweet went on to say. "Goodnight. Enjoy Earth."
He then added, "Y'all can have this planet. I'm out!"

The Controversy 

ViacomCBS ended a decades-long relationship with Cannon this week after he was joined by controversial hip hop figure Professor Griff on a recent episode of the "Cannon's Class" podcast, where talk turned to Black people as the "true Hebrews" and included anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.
In 1989 Griff was briefly kicked out of the rap group Public Enemy after he made anti-Semitic comments, but later rejoined the group as its ''supreme allied chief of community relations," according to a New York Times article from that year.
During his appearance on Cannon's podcast, Griff doubled down on his past comments and said he was "hated now because I told the truth."
Cannon said that Griff was "speaking facts" and amplified Griff's views that Jewish people controlled the media, likening it to the power of the Rothschild family, banking scions who have long been targets of anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.
"The Masked Singer" host also disputed that such views were anti-Semitic, saying Black people are the "true Hebrews."
"It's never hate speech. You can't be anti-Semitic when we are the Semitic people," he said. "When we are the same people who they want to be. That's our birthright. We are the true Hebrews."
On Monday Cannon posted a series of tweets about the controversy, writing "Anyone who knows me knows that I have no hate in my heart nor malice intentions."
"I do not condone hate speech nor the spread of hateful rhetoric," he wrote. "We are living in a time when it is more important than ever to promote unity and understanding."
He added that he is "an advocate for people's voices to be heard openly, fairly and candidly."

​His apology

ViacomCBS has had a professional relationship with Cannon for several years and is the parent company of multiple networks including Nickelodeon, on which Cannon appeared as an actor starting in the 1990s.
ViacomCBS also owns MTV, where Cannon's comedy sketch series "Wild 'N Out" has been popular since its debut in 2005 and recently expanded to its sister network, VH1.
On Wednesday a spokesman for the corporation released a statement to CNN saying the company "condemns bigotry of any kind and we categorically denounce all forms of anti-Semitism."
Halsey opens up about her experiences protesting over the weekend
Halsey opens up about her experiences protesting over the weekend
"We have spoken with Nick Cannon about an episode of his podcast 'Cannon's Class' on YouTube, which promoted hateful speech and spread anti-Semitic conspiracy theories," the statement read.
"While we support ongoing education and dialogue in the fight against bigotry, we are deeply troubled that Nick has failed to acknowledge or apologize for perpetuating anti-Semitism, and we are terminating our relationship with him."
That same day Cannon shared a lengthy post titled "Truth and Reconciliation" on his official Facebook page in which he demanded full ownership of his "Wild 'N Out" brand and said ViacomCBS was "now on the wrong side of history."
"I don't blame any individual, I blame the oppressive and racist infrastructure," Cannon wrote.
"Systemic racism is what this world was built on and was the subject in which I was attempting to highlight in the recent clips that have been circulating from my podcast. If I have furthered the hate speech, I wholeheartedly apologize."
He also specifically apologized to the Jewish community.
"I must apologize to my Jewish Brothers and Sisters for putting them in such a painful position, which was never my intention, but I know this whole situation has hurt many people and together we will make it right," he wrote. "I have dedicated my daily efforts to continuing conversations to bring the Jewish Community and the African American community closer together, embracing our differences and sharing our commonalities."
He followed that apology with one on Twitter in a thread where he tweeted his thanks to rabbis and others in the Jewish community who he said had reached out to educate him.
Cannon tweeted that his comments "reinforced the worst stereotypes of a proud and magnificent people and I feel ashamed of the uninformed and naïve place that these words came from. The video of this interview has since been removed."
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Fox, which employs Cannon as the host of their popular reality competition show "The Masked Singer," released a statement Wednesday that he would be keeping his job with them.
"When we were made aware of Nick Cannon's interview with Richard Griffin on YouTube, we immediately began a dialogue with Nick," the statement read. "He is clear and remorseful that his words were wrong and lacked both understanding and context, and inadvertently promoted hate. This was important for us to observe. Nick has sincerely apologized, and quickly taken steps to educate himself and make amends."
CNN has reached out to reps for Cannon for additional comment.
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'Cursed' revisits the Arthurian legend in another less-than-magical Netflix fantasy

7/17/2020

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The Arthurian legend represents a fertile screen playground, explored and revised from practically every conceivable angle. Yet other than its visual style, Netflix's "Cursed" represents a pale addition to that mythology, approaching the story from the perspective of Nimue, the Lady of the Lake, without yielding many dramatic ripples.
Adapted by Tom Wheeler (creator of the comics-flavored series "The Cape") from his book with comics-artist-turned-filmmaker Frank Miller, the series handsomely features the expected trappings -- bloody battles, wizardly magic and a heroic quest -- but puts them together in a fairly tiresome way. It's not bad, exactly, just lifeless.

Mostly, the show seems designed to fit under the "If you liked 'The Witcher'" heading of Netflix's algorithm, but while that title apparently succeeded based on the service's shadowy viewership metrics, creatively speaking, it isn't very good either.
In another marketable Netflix tie-in, the series stars Katherine Langford of "13 Reasons Why" as the aforementioned Nimue, who is bequeathed a magical sword by her mother after a bloody assault on their village. She's told to take the blade to Merlin (yes, that Merlin, played by "Vikings'" Gustaf Skarsgård with appropriately wild-eyed abandon), for reasons unknown.


Along the perilous journey, she meets a young soldier of fortune named Arthur (Devon Terrell), at first a somewhat grudging ally; and must dodge an assortment of perils, among them an order of Red Paladins led by the ruthless Father Carden ("Ozark's" Peter Mullan).
The names check lots of boxes -- including the untrustworthy King Uther (Sebastian Armesto) -- though trying to line this up with the "Camelot" or 'Excalibur" versions of events feels like a fool's errand.
The most distinctive flourish might be the comic-book-like animation fleetingly used as connective tissue between scenes, a taste of Miller's contribution that isn't enough to make "Cursed" more involving. Much of that has to do with the characters, whose back stories are slowly teased out -- including more about what makes Nimue special -- but remain a trifle malnourished.
Granted, "Game of Thrones" set a high bar for fantasy projects, which hasn't discouraged Netflix from hammering away at the genre, including "Warrior Nun" earlier this month. It's worth noting, too, that "Cursed" follows a number of attempts to conjure series variations on the story, including "Camelot" and "Merlin" a decade or so ago.
Even grading on that not-too-steep curve, "Cursed" proves uninspired. For those with an affinity for tales of Camelot, that point of reference and associated expectations might not be a curse, but they certainly aren't a blessing.
"Cursed" premieres July 17 on Netflix.
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James Charles Doesn’t Want to Talk About Beauty Drama Ever Again

7/15/2020

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“I’m just staying out of it, minding my own business.”
Well, don't ask James Charles to spill beauty guru tea anymore because he is officially done with the drama.
As noted by Cosmpolitan UK, James recently opened up to a paparazzo when they confronted him about the current accusations spiraling within the beauty community, otherwise known as Dramaggedon 3.0, and he's over the drama. "I don't really want to address anything regarding the drama," James told the pap. "I'm just staying out of it, minding my own business. I just moved into a beautiful new house. I have great friends around me."
James has been silent on the current beauty world turmoil since fellow YouTuber Tati Westbrook released her "BREAKING MY SILENCE..." video on June 30. In her video, Tati detailed her account of how Jeffree Star and Shane Dawson allegedly manipulated her into releasing the now infamous "BYE SISTER" video last May that almost destroyed James's career. Neither Shane nor Jeffree has made official statements on the matter either, though Shane did go on Instagram Live while watching the video to express his, ehm, frustrations for a few short minutes.
And while he is no longer engaging in the drama, James did let out some gems during her paparazzo encounter. When asked about Shane's racist past, James initially said, "I don't want to talk about anything in relation to him," before then adding, "I think it should always be looked at on a case by case basis to make sure people are changing actively. That's kind of what I've always believed in." When asked if he's spoken to Shane since backlash ensued weeks ago, James simply shook his head.
James also addressed some questions not pertaining to the beauty world. When asked if he's joining the TikTok's hype house, he gave a clear "absolutely not" explaining that while he's good friends with the TikTok house's members, he has his own home. In regards to his dream makeup collaborations in the future, Doja Cat and Ariana Grande are at the top of his list. And the question we've all been waiting for: Is he releasing music soon? Not yet... but it sounds like it's in the works.
​James is clearly done with Dramaggedon, but who can tell if the beauty drama is done with him just yet...

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Tyra Banks to join 'Dancing with the Stars' as a host and executive producer

7/15/2020

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Businesswoman and supermodel Tyra Banks can now add host of "Dancing with the Stars" to her portfolio.
Banks will be not only be the new host, but an executive producer, according to a news release from ABC obtained by CNN.
"I've been a fan of 'DWTS' since its beginning ... The fun mixed with raw emotion, seeing celebrities push past their comfort zones, the sizzling dance performances ... it's always transported me to my days of turning it up 10 notches on the catwalk," Banks said in the news release.
"Tom has set a powerful stage, and I'm excited to continue the legacy and put on my executive producer and hosting hats."
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Longtime host Tom Bergeron on Monday broke the news that he will not be returning to the dancing competition show after 15 years in his role.
Co-host Erin Andrews will also not be returning.
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The decision comes as ABC and BBC Productions, which produce the series, say they are heading in "a new creative direction."
Bergeron had been host of "Dancing with the Stars" since the show began in 2005. Andrews had hosted since 2014.
Banks started her career modeling as a teen and landed covers of nearly every fashion magazine. In 1993 she signed a contract with CoverGirl and went on to become a Victoria's Secret Angel. She dabbled in acting, starring on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" and eventually started her own production company, which went on to produce her hit series, "America's Next Top Model."
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Kanye West Drops Out Of 2020Presidential Race One Week After TellingTrump & Biden To ‘Bow Out’

7/15/2020

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Olivier Douliery/ Abaca Press

​Kanye West’s short-lived presidential campaign is over, according to one of his advisors. His 2020 election bid ends just 11 days after announcing his run, and a week after telling Biden and Trump to ‘bow out.’


​Call him The Electoral College Dropout.
 Kanye West has ended his 2020 bid for the presidency just 11 days after his shocking July 4 announcement, according to one of his advisors, Steve Kramer. “He’s out,” Kramer simply told The Intelligencer. “Running for president has to be one of the hardest things for someone to actually contemplate at that level.” Kanye’s apparent decision to end his campaign comes shortly after election expert Neil Sroka told HollywoodLife that he has much of a chance of winning the 2020 race as an “extraterrestrial
.”
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Kanye announced that he would be joining the 2020 presidential race by tweeting, “We must now realize the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future. I am running for president of the United States #2020VISION.” He, however, did not file any paperwork with the Federal Elections Commission to make his candidacy official. Kanye was facing significant roadblocks to his campaign. At the time of his announcement, the deadline to appear on the November 3 ballot had already passed in five states. By the beginning of August, it would be 30 states. Kramer claimed that Kanye had a team working in Florida and South Carolina to get him on the ballot. In Florida, Kanye would have needed to gather signatures from 132,781 voters by July 15 — a nearly impossible task. Without ballot access, he would need to launch a write-in campaign, another difficult process.As Neil noted in our EXCLUSIVE interview, no candidate has ever won the presidency on a write-in campaign. There are even nine states where write-ins aren’t allowed.
Olivier Douliery/ Abaca Press Despite not filing with the FEC, Kanye doubled down about his bid for the presidency in “four rambling hours of interviews” with Forbes. “If I win in 2020, then it was God’s appointment,” he told the magazine. He laid out some of his platforms in the July 8 piece: “I am pro-life because I’m following the word of the bible. Planned Parenthoods have been placed inside cities by white supremacists to do the Devil’s work,” he said. He went on to say that when doctors recommend vaccinations, it’s because “they want to put chips inside of us, they want to do all kinds of things, to make it where we can’t cross the gates of heaven.” If you haven’t registered to vote yet, there’s still time to make it happen. Simply fill out this form:
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