Halsey exposes music's TikTok problem
And how 'Chip n Dale' got THAT cameo
What to know
Halsey exposes the music industry’s TikTok problem… In a now ironically viral TikTok video, pop star Halsey claimed that her label is withholding her next single unless she makes a viral TikTok video. Likewise, a viral tweet from user @alluregaga2 screencapped a handful of musicians who seem to be complaining about similar issues. The music labels are seemingly obsessed with TikTok, likely due its hit-making power, but shouldn’t the music come first? 🎵
How Chip n Dale director Akiva Schaffer got that big cameo… Chip n Dale: Rescue Rangers is an achievement if only for the amount of IP clearance Disney’s legal department had to do. The film features cartoon characters from every major studio, including Netflix! The big one is too hilarious to spoil, but let’s just say Paramount is a very good sport for allowing it. 😂
Variety: “Upfronts week had everything except new shows with sizzle”… Exactly! Times used to be we’d get dozens of trailers for new network shows coming in the fall — but I’ve hardly seen a word of hype on any new series on the way. And why should viewers even care about the legacy networks’ new shows when most of them are just going to get canceled next May anyway? 📺
Eminem tells Pete Davidson to stop one last time in Lorne Michaels-tribute sketch cut from SNL finale… It’s a nice tribute (to Lorne and the departing cast members) but I understand why it didn’t make the big season 47 finale. It’s just a little too self-referential, even for SNL. 🎶
Hulu co-producing film written by podcaster Jason Concepcion and best-selling author Shea Serrano… The guys famous for commenting and analyzing pop culture are making some themselves! Pretty rad! 🎙
Mark Ruffalo, Toni Collette, and Naomi Ackie join Robert Pattinson in Bong Joon-Ho’s Mickey7… Hey Mickey7, you’re so fine, you’re so fine you blew my mind. Hey Mickey. Hey Mickey7! ❄️
SNL alum Taran Killam co-creating and starring in romantic comedy series at Freevee… Come get your free content, folks. 👏
SiriusXM buys Conan O’Brien’s podcast label for $150 million… Coo-karoo! Get that money, Coco. 💰
The Secrets of Dumbledore hits HBO Max May 30… Thank you 45-day window! 📆
What’s new
Somebody Feed Phil s5 — May 25 | Netflix food and travel series | 🍅
Top Gun: Maverick — May 27 | Action-drama film in theaters | 🍅 96%
The Bob’s Burgers Movie — May 27 | Animated movie in theaters | 🍅 95%
Stranger Things s4 — May 27 | Netflix sci-fi series | 🍅 90%
Obi-Wan Kenobi — May 27 | Disney+ Star Wars series premiere | 🍅
What to watch
Season one of Netflix’s Cheer was a compelling if pretty straightforward sports documentary series. There was high flying, high competitive stakes, and high interpersonal drama. It worked and a lot of people watched it, some might even say it became a phenomenon. Then a global pandemic happened. The confluence of those two events (being a hit and weathering the virus) gave series creator Greg Whiteley a second season no one could have seen coming and a story that transcends sports.
In season two, Cheer is about the cost of fame and a deadly virus, both which have the power to rip people apart — and when you’re throwing people 20 feet up in the air, the last thing you want is distrust. Whiteley lays out the story with precise detail and a sharp editing knife. By the end of the 9-episode run you understand exactly how every up and down led to the ultimate outcome. The episode about season one breakout Jerry Harris, who is now awaiting a prison sentence for child sex abuse, is particularly well done. Whiteley foregrounds the survivors and the wreckage Harris left in his wake.
Had Cheer not exploded on Netflix and had there been no pandemic, season two would have been a repetitive rehashing of season one: here are the teams, they’re working hard, who’s going to win the championship? Instead, it’s an ouroboros in which the show itself—and the virus—change the lives for everyone involved, leading to something even more fascinating and revealing.
For all past ‘what to watch’ recommendations, see the full list here!