More bubbling beneath Drake vs Lamar, the NewJeans contract termination, Denzel’s odds, Wolfs sequel and theatrical releases, pre-event hair and make-up prep time, and healthy fandoms
The thing about Drake is that even if does expose something shady on the part of UMG, like using bots to bump songs, he's still going to look like a loser, because even if there were some bots involved with "Not Like Us", the song definitely was a hit, it was inescapable for a while. Never mind the court of public opinion already ruled in Kendrick's favor.
That song was viral on Twitter and YouTube before anyone even realized it was on Spotify. It's a weird move unless his main goal is to prevent its performance during the month of February.
Even if trying to stop Kendrick from playing Not Like Us at the Super Bowl was his goal, there’s no way it’s going to work, because there is just NO WAY Kendrick would give in.
Loved the question about non-toxic fandoms and Sarah’s response. I completely agree with her about how Harry Potter fans have refused to let Rowling’s persona dictate their relationship to the books and films. I teach an undergrad HP film course and have had such thoughtful conversations with my students about how Rowling has or has not impacted their feelings about the fandom. The ones who do feel like her bigotry has negatively impacted their relationship to the HP franchise always talk more about not wanting to spend money that goes in her pocket, not their feelings about the books/films and fandom.
I really loved Daniel Radcliffe’s statement about HP existing as separate from JKR, and how fans can continue to maintain that relationship:
To all the people who now feel that their experience of the books has been tarnished or diminished, I am deeply sorry for the pain these comments have caused you. I really hope that you don’t entirely lose what was valuable in these stories to you. If these books taught you that love is the strongest force in the universe, capable of overcoming anything; if they taught you that strength is found in diversity, and that dogmatic ideas of pureness lead to the oppression of vulnerable groups; if you believe that a particular character is trans, nonbinary, or gender fluid, or that they are gay or bisexual; if you found anything in these stories that resonated with you and helped you at any time in your life — then that is between you and the book that you read, and it is sacred. And in my opinion nobody can touch that.
Elizabeth, I share that quote from Radcliffe with my students all the time! I love what he says about the bond between book and reader being sacred. What a beautiful way to put it!
The craziest thing to me about HP and JKR, is that the idea that love is the strongest force in the universe as you mention is opposite to how she leads in her own life.
I agree with how great the SPN fandom is - they are amazing with some great fanfic plus treated it so well through their series. The respect they show their fans should really be something other shows follow. I'm looking at you Walking Dead all versions, Arrow and anything from Dan Harmon.
And while Rowling has gone straight up crazy you'll get HP out of my cold dead hands. That franchise meant so much to me and helped through some difficult times, that I won't let her crazy ruin it. I try to look at it as supporting the actors and other creatives when I buy HP stuff, plus I don't buy anything new from Rowling. I may support HP but I'm not going to help her do other stuff. She can suck it.
I love HP. I'm in the perfect age group where I was *just* slightly older than the books as they were published (they started coming out when I was in high school) but HP was hugely instrumental to my adolescence and early adulthood. I still feel like the books taught some great, universal truths and the world building was--pun intended--magical.
I am also a big fanfic fan and have loved engaging with the world and the characters beyond JKR. I agree that the world has completely transcended her. I try not to put money back into her hands (her Cormoran Strike books grew increasingly terrible) but you can't take away my preverse love for a redeemed and gay Draco Malfoy. My kids don't understand why I love Draco so much because he truly is a little shit in the books but fic fixes all wrongs. 😆
Totally agree about the HP world transcending Rowling. Going on the Warner Bros Studios HP tour really drove home for me the collaborative nature of the filmmaking process and how so many people put a lot of labor, love, and craft into literally bringing that world into reality. So even the “world” of Harry Potter as we know it has been shaped by all the actors, costume designers, makeup artists, set designers, model makers, the list goes on and on! I like to think that some of their love and creativity also rubbed off onto this world and franchise and that it belongs as much to them.
Does the fandom stop supporting new projects like the remakes? Because if they aren’t they are letting JK profit from her hate. (Also turning HP like spiderman with endless remakes seems dumb)
Here's the thing about New Jeans: their only demand was for MHJ to be reinstated as CEO per their live statement and this week's press conference. Having her manage/produce the group wasn't enough. And when she's being investigated for (essentially) corporate espionage, that wasn't going to happen. I feel so bad for those girls who are caught in the middle of a master manipulator and some idiots.
The Drake situation is such a classic “wtf is he doing?” moment, and I think those are the times where we have to go, “okay but wait, what IS he doing?” as you’ve so intelligently laid out here, Lainey. Thank you for that analysis!
And darn apparently I was like 10 years too early to really capitalize on the popularity of Maurauders fanfic 🤣 (If you just read me admitting that, no you didn’t.)
The first lawsuit about the industry makes sense, the second one about the song itself is going to be an attack on first amendment rights and hypocrisy seeing what he’s said about Kendrick in his own songs. Also discovery may not be pretty for him if any of the rumours have truth to them.
Lawyers get retainers and are paid for the work they do win or lose. Keep that in mind anytime there is a ridiculous lawsuit.
What I wanna read is a breakdown of how and when things went wrong with Drake. I was so proud of him repping Toronto for all those years and when the tides turned (his and his team’s doing) I was sad sad sad. I still f with his songs but his brand, that going downhill was such a loss for Canadians and for hip hop on a whole. Maybe he’s strategic and planning for a comeback / rebranding of his image?
Holy f the fandom question made me cry. I didn’t expect it to be so extensive of an answer, I wasn’t aware of many of them. The power of people used for good, truly inspiring.
I agree with Lainey that Drake is likely too rich to be just having a tantrum.
My favorite part of this extended rap beef happened this week. Questlove was one of the ones who tut-tutted at the beef, equating Kendrick and Drake, calling discussing heavy topics in this format misogynistic, and saying hip hop is dead. Which was a heavy thing for many of us to hear from him, in this moment where so many of us felt an enlivening we hadn’t felt in years, and heard the strongest battle cry for the actual real culture of Tupac > Diddy the industry has ever seen.
I guess it’s not too surprising, given that Questlove arranges and plays the music for Justin Timberlake to perform the entire history of rap, many times over. But it hurt.
In the first music video for GNX Kendrick responded, by including an homage to the Roots along with an almost exclusively West Coast Easter egg hunt. Glorious.
And what a glorious year of music videos Kendrick has given us, all his dancers are such a breath of fresh air after seeing the exact same body and outfit in every video for the last 5 years.
Trekkies were some of the first internet adapters in the days of BBS and alt.rec.spaces. So episodes got analyzed from all angles, but the philosophy that Roddenberry put in the original series was one of accepting all cultures and so while in practice they didn’t always hit it, the theory was always there. By the time Janeway was made captain, most of the fans didn’t really care and the focus was more on the characters. And Shatner got over himself to realize the power of fandom. That said his SNL appearance where he did the skit and told the fans to get a life was hilarious and true to life.
I would add One Tree Hill fans to non-toxic fandoms. They still have huge conventions in Wilmington and Paris and use them to raise money for charity. I also like to think of Supernatural and OTH as in the same universe because of the links between Jeffery Dean Morgan and Hilarie Burton as well as Jensen Ackles and Daneel Harris. And obviously they were both on the WB/CW.
What Hank and John Green have done with the Nerdfighters is remarkable. They fund health care in Sierra Leone as their big thing, but they’re always up to some shenanigans with their fans to raise money or awareness, all done with an edge of silliness and dorkiness. I encourage y’all to just google Nerdfighteria, Project for Awesome, their company Complexly, and Pizzamas to get a sense for what I’m talking about. It’s … a ride!
I'll add Diana Gabaldon/Outlander to the series that have been inspired by Dr. Who. She got the inspiration to write about Scotland and men in kilts after watching a Dr. Who episode from the '70s.
Sarah - just some added info for you. I’ve been really interested in seeing Hitman but I live outside of US/Canada/UK/Europe/Australia. So while my Netflix account is technically through there .com version it geolocates to my little third world country….and Netflix hasn’t released Hitman (still!) in its non-major markets.
Appreciate my questions being answered! I agree that it would be a MASSIVE shift in Netflix’s business model to start taking theatrical seriously. I’m wondering if more filmmakers decide not to bring their finished films to Netflix, and instead go elsewhere, while Netflix just commissions more films to be made from scratch for their brand instead.
As for the Drake conversation…respectfully I disagree with Lainey, I don’t think Drake’s plan (whatever it is) is actually that likely to work, because whatever shady business practices he’s accusing UMG of, have almost certainly been used on HIS behalf. If they were using bots for Kendrick, they definitely used bots for Drake. Rolling Stone did an article with several entertainment lawyers who were unanimous in thinking Drake’s petitions weren’t going anywhere. And honestly, we’ve seen how money and fame end up distorting people’s worldviews over time. None of Drake’s decisions have been good ones for a while, and I think this is just another really bad decision in a list of them.
The thing about Drake is that even if does expose something shady on the part of UMG, like using bots to bump songs, he's still going to look like a loser, because even if there were some bots involved with "Not Like Us", the song definitely was a hit, it was inescapable for a while. Never mind the court of public opinion already ruled in Kendrick's favor.
That song was viral on Twitter and YouTube before anyone even realized it was on Spotify. It's a weird move unless his main goal is to prevent its performance during the month of February.
Even if trying to stop Kendrick from playing Not Like Us at the Super Bowl was his goal, there’s no way it’s going to work, because there is just NO WAY Kendrick would give in.
Loved the question about non-toxic fandoms and Sarah’s response. I completely agree with her about how Harry Potter fans have refused to let Rowling’s persona dictate their relationship to the books and films. I teach an undergrad HP film course and have had such thoughtful conversations with my students about how Rowling has or has not impacted their feelings about the fandom. The ones who do feel like her bigotry has negatively impacted their relationship to the HP franchise always talk more about not wanting to spend money that goes in her pocket, not their feelings about the books/films and fandom.
I wish I could take your class!
I really loved Daniel Radcliffe’s statement about HP existing as separate from JKR, and how fans can continue to maintain that relationship:
To all the people who now feel that their experience of the books has been tarnished or diminished, I am deeply sorry for the pain these comments have caused you. I really hope that you don’t entirely lose what was valuable in these stories to you. If these books taught you that love is the strongest force in the universe, capable of overcoming anything; if they taught you that strength is found in diversity, and that dogmatic ideas of pureness lead to the oppression of vulnerable groups; if you believe that a particular character is trans, nonbinary, or gender fluid, or that they are gay or bisexual; if you found anything in these stories that resonated with you and helped you at any time in your life — then that is between you and the book that you read, and it is sacred. And in my opinion nobody can touch that.
Elizabeth, I share that quote from Radcliffe with my students all the time! I love what he says about the bond between book and reader being sacred. What a beautiful way to put it!
I agree! That was so beautifully said.
The craziest thing to me about HP and JKR, is that the idea that love is the strongest force in the universe as you mention is opposite to how she leads in her own life.
I agree with how great the SPN fandom is - they are amazing with some great fanfic plus treated it so well through their series. The respect they show their fans should really be something other shows follow. I'm looking at you Walking Dead all versions, Arrow and anything from Dan Harmon.
And while Rowling has gone straight up crazy you'll get HP out of my cold dead hands. That franchise meant so much to me and helped through some difficult times, that I won't let her crazy ruin it. I try to look at it as supporting the actors and other creatives when I buy HP stuff, plus I don't buy anything new from Rowling. I may support HP but I'm not going to help her do other stuff. She can suck it.
I love HP. I'm in the perfect age group where I was *just* slightly older than the books as they were published (they started coming out when I was in high school) but HP was hugely instrumental to my adolescence and early adulthood. I still feel like the books taught some great, universal truths and the world building was--pun intended--magical.
I am also a big fanfic fan and have loved engaging with the world and the characters beyond JKR. I agree that the world has completely transcended her. I try not to put money back into her hands (her Cormoran Strike books grew increasingly terrible) but you can't take away my preverse love for a redeemed and gay Draco Malfoy. My kids don't understand why I love Draco so much because he truly is a little shit in the books but fic fixes all wrongs. 😆
Totally agree about the HP world transcending Rowling. Going on the Warner Bros Studios HP tour really drove home for me the collaborative nature of the filmmaking process and how so many people put a lot of labor, love, and craft into literally bringing that world into reality. So even the “world” of Harry Potter as we know it has been shaped by all the actors, costume designers, makeup artists, set designers, model makers, the list goes on and on! I like to think that some of their love and creativity also rubbed off onto this world and franchise and that it belongs as much to them.
Does the fandom stop supporting new projects like the remakes? Because if they aren’t they are letting JK profit from her hate. (Also turning HP like spiderman with endless remakes seems dumb)
Thanks for answering my red carpet question, Lainey! Super interesting! I always love logistics
Here's the thing about New Jeans: their only demand was for MHJ to be reinstated as CEO per their live statement and this week's press conference. Having her manage/produce the group wasn't enough. And when she's being investigated for (essentially) corporate espionage, that wasn't going to happen. I feel so bad for those girls who are caught in the middle of a master manipulator and some idiots.
The Drake situation is such a classic “wtf is he doing?” moment, and I think those are the times where we have to go, “okay but wait, what IS he doing?” as you’ve so intelligently laid out here, Lainey. Thank you for that analysis!
And darn apparently I was like 10 years too early to really capitalize on the popularity of Maurauders fanfic 🤣 (If you just read me admitting that, no you didn’t.)
The first lawsuit about the industry makes sense, the second one about the song itself is going to be an attack on first amendment rights and hypocrisy seeing what he’s said about Kendrick in his own songs. Also discovery may not be pretty for him if any of the rumours have truth to them.
Lawyers get retainers and are paid for the work they do win or lose. Keep that in mind anytime there is a ridiculous lawsuit.
What I wanna read is a breakdown of how and when things went wrong with Drake. I was so proud of him repping Toronto for all those years and when the tides turned (his and his team’s doing) I was sad sad sad. I still f with his songs but his brand, that going downhill was such a loss for Canadians and for hip hop on a whole. Maybe he’s strategic and planning for a comeback / rebranding of his image?
Holy f the fandom question made me cry. I didn’t expect it to be so extensive of an answer, I wasn’t aware of many of them. The power of people used for good, truly inspiring.
I agree with Lainey that Drake is likely too rich to be just having a tantrum.
My favorite part of this extended rap beef happened this week. Questlove was one of the ones who tut-tutted at the beef, equating Kendrick and Drake, calling discussing heavy topics in this format misogynistic, and saying hip hop is dead. Which was a heavy thing for many of us to hear from him, in this moment where so many of us felt an enlivening we hadn’t felt in years, and heard the strongest battle cry for the actual real culture of Tupac > Diddy the industry has ever seen.
I guess it’s not too surprising, given that Questlove arranges and plays the music for Justin Timberlake to perform the entire history of rap, many times over. But it hurt.
In the first music video for GNX Kendrick responded, by including an homage to the Roots along with an almost exclusively West Coast Easter egg hunt. Glorious.
And what a glorious year of music videos Kendrick has given us, all his dancers are such a breath of fresh air after seeing the exact same body and outfit in every video for the last 5 years.
Trekkies were some of the first internet adapters in the days of BBS and alt.rec.spaces. So episodes got analyzed from all angles, but the philosophy that Roddenberry put in the original series was one of accepting all cultures and so while in practice they didn’t always hit it, the theory was always there. By the time Janeway was made captain, most of the fans didn’t really care and the focus was more on the characters. And Shatner got over himself to realize the power of fandom. That said his SNL appearance where he did the skit and told the fans to get a life was hilarious and true to life.
That SNL skit remains great.
I would add One Tree Hill fans to non-toxic fandoms. They still have huge conventions in Wilmington and Paris and use them to raise money for charity. I also like to think of Supernatural and OTH as in the same universe because of the links between Jeffery Dean Morgan and Hilarie Burton as well as Jensen Ackles and Daneel Harris. And obviously they were both on the WB/CW.
What Hank and John Green have done with the Nerdfighters is remarkable. They fund health care in Sierra Leone as their big thing, but they’re always up to some shenanigans with their fans to raise money or awareness, all done with an edge of silliness and dorkiness. I encourage y’all to just google Nerdfighteria, Project for Awesome, their company Complexly, and Pizzamas to get a sense for what I’m talking about. It’s … a ride!
Oh yeah, and DFTBA.com. A cool venture. https://store.dftba.com/pages/about-us
I'll add Diana Gabaldon/Outlander to the series that have been inspired by Dr. Who. She got the inspiration to write about Scotland and men in kilts after watching a Dr. Who episode from the '70s.
Sarah - just some added info for you. I’ve been really interested in seeing Hitman but I live outside of US/Canada/UK/Europe/Australia. So while my Netflix account is technically through there .com version it geolocates to my little third world country….and Netflix hasn’t released Hitman (still!) in its non-major markets.
Is Squawk tiktok-phobic? I feel like your content would do really great on their too👀
Appreciate my questions being answered! I agree that it would be a MASSIVE shift in Netflix’s business model to start taking theatrical seriously. I’m wondering if more filmmakers decide not to bring their finished films to Netflix, and instead go elsewhere, while Netflix just commissions more films to be made from scratch for their brand instead.
As for the Drake conversation…respectfully I disagree with Lainey, I don’t think Drake’s plan (whatever it is) is actually that likely to work, because whatever shady business practices he’s accusing UMG of, have almost certainly been used on HIS behalf. If they were using bots for Kendrick, they definitely used bots for Drake. Rolling Stone did an article with several entertainment lawyers who were unanimous in thinking Drake’s petitions weren’t going anywhere. And honestly, we’ve seen how money and fame end up distorting people’s worldviews over time. None of Drake’s decisions have been good ones for a while, and I think this is just another really bad decision in a list of them.