It’s been an especially heavy couple of weeks in politics. Trump keeps doubling down on disappearing people. RFK Jr. keeps doubling down on eugenics. And there was all of that (likely) insider trading that happened right out in the open?! Secretary of Defense and Future Fox News host Pete Hegseth is addicted to texting government secrets to people who shouldn’t have government secrets. So for the sake of sanity, today you’re getting a silly video from me. Follow along as I show you a (not-typical) day in showbiz from a couple weeks ago.
Celebrity Jeopardy!
I made it to the finals of Celebrity Jeopardy! The episode airs tomorrow, Wednesday, April 23rd at 9/8 c on ABC or Hulu.
Let’s watch it together. Tomorrow evening I’ll start a live chat here on Substack so we can chat while I battle for the title and ONE MILLION DOLLARS for DonorsChoose. I’ll be on here for the east coast and west coast screenings (9pm ET and then 9pm PT), so stop by and join the conversation.
Ryan Coogler’s new film Sinners
I was being interviewed today, and I said something that I had never articulated before. I’m happy I live during the time of filmmaker Ryan Coogler, and I’m even more happy that I live in his hometown, Oakland, CA. That feeling has been absolutely confirmed by his latest film, Sinners. While it is billed as a horror film, a genre that turns many people off by it’s very definition, it is sooooo much more than that. Calling Sinners a “horror film” is like calling The Godfather “a gangster film” or like calling Thelma and Louise a film about two ladies who had a weird few days.
Sinners is a tour de force and a vitamin B12 shot of Black excellence at time when we need it. It is a vampire film. A southern Jim-Crow-era period piece. A dark comedy. A musical history lesson. A film that certainly is already being discussed in your finest film classes and your Blackest barber shops. A film that has more Black, brown, Asian, and Indigenous folks than white folks. And in its opening weekend, it was number one at the box office, which is a rare achievement for an R-rated film. But because all of this is still happening in America during a rise of white supremacy (a horror film all its own), Black people can’t just celebrate our art in peace. Many in the mainstream media are putting an asterisk (sometimes literally) on the film’s success. Even Ben Stiller caught the shenanigans that were taking place.
And of course I had to weigh in on Instagram, using my (now classic) red marker! The New York Times couldn’t just say, “YAY!”, so I edited their headline. Below the photo is the caption I included on my post.
Fixed it.
Whatever Sinners is or is not, it is a triumph of a filmmaker telling an original story instead of just using familiar intellectual property to gain eyeballs. This is a big deal, if not only because it will inspire other filmmakers.
The fact that an R-rated movie was number one at the box office is a big deal. The fact that it isn’t just a popcorn film where you tune out and wait for the credits and it is still number one is a big deal. The fact that it is a “horror film” (a genre that turns many people away) and it is number one NOT IN OCTOBER is a big deal. The fact that it is number one and it is a period piece is a big deal. The fact that it is number one and it stars a mostly Black and POC cast is a big deal. The fact that whether it ends up making money or not that the film is clearly going to stand the test of time is a big deal. The fact that Ryan Coogler regains ownership of the film after 25 years is a BIG DEAL.
I really recommend seeing Sinners knowing as little as possible, but here is a relatively spoiler-free trailer that I found.
Do you have questions for the ACLU about Trump’s first 100 days?
On a special edition of the ACLU’s At Liberty podcast, I’ll be talking with the ACLU’s legal director, Cecillia Wang, to answer your questions about President Trump's first 100 days in office. We want to know: What questions do you have?
Click the link below to record a voice memo:
My favorite band kicking butt in a ridiculous situation.
This is my favorite band, Living Colour, playing live at this past weekend’s Wrestlemania. The wrestler CM Punk uses their song “Cult of Personality” as his walk-on music, and since this was the WWE’s biggest event of the year, Punk invited the band to play him out. It is ridiculous and beautiful, and it is astonishing how good these guys play. Listen to lead singer Corey Glover hit notes that would make a young Mariah Carey jealous.
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