The best thing about 'The Queen’s Gambit'? There’s no sexual violence in it.

About fifteen minutes into the first episode of The Queen’s Gambit—the wildly popular Netflix series about the ascent of a prodigy through the world of 1960s competitive chess—eight-year old Beth Harmon opens the door to the basement in the orphanage where she lives, and disappears down the stairs.
Read more: https://www.macleans.ca/culture/the-best-thing-about-the-queens-gambit-theres-no-rape/?source=Snapzu

‘Gilligan’s Island’ Star Dawn Wells Dies Of COVID-19

Actress Dawn Wells, best known for playing Mary Ann on the hit sitcom “Gilligan’s Island,” has died at the age of 82 after becoming infected with COVID-19. Her publicist announced that Wells died Wednesday morning of complications due to the coronavirus. “Truly, at the top of the list of hardest things to do is announce the passing of a friend or family member,” publicist Harlan Boll wrote. “I feel I lost both this morning with the passing of Dawn Wells – America’s favorite castaway, Dawn Wells, passed peacefully this morning, in no pain as a result of complications due to Covid at the age of 82.”
Read more: https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2020/12/30/gilligans-island-star-dawn-wells-dies-of-covid-19/?source=Snapzu

Netflix Reportedly Developing Elder Scrolls Show, Will Be As Big As The Witcher

Netflix may be partnering with Bethesda Softworks for a show based on The Elder Scrolls, potentially tying into the next game.
Read more: https://wegotthiscovered.com/tv/netflix-reportedly-developing-elder-scrolls-show-big-witcher/?source=Snapzu

Russell Okung will have half his $13M salary paid in bitcoins

Russell Okung is setting a new trend in the NFL.
Read more: https://sports.yahoo.com/russell-okung-will-have-half-his-13-million-salary-paid-in-bitcoin-154406450.html?source=Snapzu

The Life in The Simpsons Is No Longer Attainable

The most famous dysfunctional family of 1990s television enjoyed, by today’s standards, an almost dreamily secure existence.
Read more: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/12/life-simpsons-no-longer-attainable/617499/?source=Snapzu

Apple Reportedly in Talks With Mariah Carey to Make 'Magical Christmas Special' Follow-Up

Apple is reportedly in talks with singer Mariah Carey to make a 2021 follow-up to her "Magical Christmas Special," which premiered on Apple TV+ earlier this month. According to The Sun, the festive show cost £4 million ($5.4 million) and went to number one in Apple's charts in over 100 countries, and was such a "runaway hit" that Apple executives now want to secure her for another special show next Christmas, but this time with an "unlimited" budget.
Read more: https://www.macrumors.com/2020/12/29/apple-mariah-carey-christmas-special-followup/?source=Snapzu

Outer Wilds: 10-Minute Gameplay Walkthrough

Mystery SF game.
Read more: https://snapzu.com/Gozzin/outer-wilds-10-minute-gameplay-walkthrough?source=Snapzu

Lori Loughlin released from prison after 2-month sentence for college admissions scam

Actress Lori Loughlin has been released from federal prison after serving a two-month sentence for her role in the college admissions scam, prison spokeswoman Sally Swarts said Monday.
Read more: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/12/28/us/lori-loughlin-prison-release/index.html?source=Snapzu

'Growing Pains' stars call out Kirk Cameron for maskless caroling

Kirk Cameron's former co-stars are definitely not in harmony with the onetime "Growing Pains" actor. Cameron has recently been making headlines for organizing and attending maskless caroling events in California, to protest the state's stay-at-home order to avoid spreading COVID-19 further.
Read more: https://www.today.com/popculture/growing-pains-stars-tracey-gold-jeremy-miller-call-out-kirk-t204678?source=Snapzu

'Demon Slayer' Overtakes 'Spirited Away' to Become Japan's Biggest Box-Office Hit Ever

Thanks to low local levels of COVID-19 infection and fully operating cinemas, the anime feature has smashed nearly every one of Japan's major box-office records, becoming an inescapable cultural phenomenon in the country.
Read more: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/demon-slayer-overtakes-spirited-away-to-become-japans-biggest-box-office-hit-ever??source=Snapzu

The 39 TV shows that helped us get through 2020, from 'Schitt's Creek' to 'Devs'

From the mid-aughts nostalgia of "The O.C." to new favorites like "Julie and the Phantoms," these shows kept Insider staffers going this year.
Read more: https://www.insider.com/best-tv-shows-that-helped-us-get-through-2020-12#warrior-cinemaxhbo-max-2019-23?source=Snapzu

What 'The Great Gatsby' Copyright Expiration Means for Its Legacy

Between the glitzy parties, secret backstories and climactic murder in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel The Great Gatsby, there’s a tiny detail that readers may have missed: right before he gets in a car with antagonist Tom Buchanan—the ride that kicks off the novel’s tragic end—narrator Nick Carraway realizes he’s forgotten his own birthday. It’s a detail that stuck with author Michael Farris Smith when he re-read the novel in his 40s, and sparked a lingering question: What makes a man so detached from himself that he doesn’t remember his own birthday?
Read more: https://time.com/5923279/great-gatsby-copyright-expires/?source=Snapzu

Everything coming to HBO Max in January 2021

Search Party, Euphoria, and so much more.
Read more: https://mashable.com/article/hbo-max-january-2021/?source=Snapzu

Netflix to Launch ‘Cobra Kai’ Season 3 A Week Early

Get ready to go into a new year in fighting shape: Netflix is launching the third season of “Cobra Kai” a week earlier than originally planned, now set to drop all episodes on Jan. 1. The day after the season streams, the cast of “Cobra Kai” will appear on “The Netflix Afterparty” to talk about the latest season of their martial arts comedy alongside hosts David Spade, Fortune Feimster and London Hughes.
Read more: https://variety.com/2020/tv/features/netflix-cobra-kai-season-3-early-premiere-date-1234871773/?source=Snapzu

Fox Animated Comedy ‘The Great North’ To Preview Following NFL On Fox Doubleheader

Fox is tweaking its lineup following the NFL on Fox doubleheader on January 3. The network’s new animated series The Great North is getting a special preview at 8:30 PM ET/PT
Read more: https://deadline.com/2020/12/fox-animated-comedy-the-great-north-preview-following-nfl-on-fox-doubleheader-1234660778/?source=Snapzu

New Apple TV still slated for 2021, report says

Reports of a new Apple TV have been circulating for a while now, and a new report says today that it is still on track for 2021.
Read more: https://9to5mac.com/2020/12/22/new-apple-in-2021-report/?source=Snapzu

You’ve seen Giancarlo Esposito in everything. Now the actor wants you to see him as himself.

Actor Giancarlo Esposito has proved he can play anything, from a drug lord in "Breaking Bad" to a Moff in "The Mandalorian" to a rabblerouser in "Do the Right Thing." Hollywood is finally catching up.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2020/12/18/giancarlo-esposito-profile/?source=Snapzu

Someone Found A Weird Unreleased Simpsons Game On An Old Dreamcast Dev Kit

Sreak, a user over on the Dreamcast-Talk forums, posted the files from an old, broken Dreamcast dev kit hard drive. Users quickly found inside an unreleased, incomplete and odd Simpsons game, which it seems had never been publicly announced or revealed.
Read more: https://kotaku.com/someone-found-a-weird-unreleased-simpsons-game-on-an-ol-1845919560/?source=Snapzu

Jim Carrey Resigns From Joe Biden Duties at ‘Saturday Night Live’

The nation has a president-elect. But who will play him on “Saturday Night Live” as he prepares to be sworn into office? The question is open anew after actor Jim Carrey took to Twitter Saturday to tell fans he was leaving behind the impression of Joe Biden he has offered over the course of the first six episodes of the show’s 46th season. Carrey has not appeared in sketches in “SNL’s” last two broadcasts, nor has Alec Baldwin, who has portrayed President Donald Trump for the past four seasons and the early part of the current one.
Read more: https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/jim-carrey-joe-biden-saturday-night-live-departure-1234867021/?source=Snapzu

The Book of Boba Fett, a New Star Wars Spin-Off Announced in The Mandalorian S2 Finale

The finale of Season 2 of The Mandalorian appears to confirm yet another new Star Wars spin-off show.
Read more: https://www.ign.com/articles/book-of-boba-fett-spin-off-tv-show-release-date-december-2021?source=Snapzu

40 victims of the 'Girls Do Porn' sex-trafficking operation are suing Pornhub's parent company for $40 million, alleging it knowingly profited from illegal videos

"Girls Do Porn" was shut down by the FBI in 2019 after victims said they were tricked and coerced into making videos, some of which Pornhub hosted.
Read more: https://www.businessinsider.com/girls-do-porn-victims-sue-pornhub-mindgeek-40-million-2020-12#:~:text=Pornhub%20was%20hit%20with%20a,as%20%22Girls%20Do%20Porn.%22?source=Snapzu

Baker Mayfield's overthrown Hail Mary is the longest pass ever recorded in an NFL game

The play didn't result in a TD
Read more: https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/baker-mayfields-overthrown-hail-mary-is-the-longest-pass-ever-recorded-in-an-nfl-game/?source=Snapzu

Tsundoku: The art of buying books and never reading them

Do you have a habit of picking up books which you never quite get around to reading? That's tsundoku.
Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-44981013?source=Snapzu

HBO's 'The Last of Us' TV adaptation ordered to series, from Chernobyl's Craig Mazin

Craig Mazin's small screen take on The Last of Us video game franchise is officially coming to the Home Box Office. First announced in May of this year, the post-apocalyptic series has officially been green-lit, the premium cable network announced today. Mazin (scribe of The Hangover II - III and HBO's critically acclaimed Chernobyl miniseries) will write and executive produce the series alongside Naughty Dog's Neil Druckmann.
Read more: https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/the-last-of-us-ordered-to-series-at-hbo?source=Snapzu

40 Girls Do Porn Victims Are Suing Pornhub for $1 Million Each

Forty victims of sex trafficking operation Girls Do Porn have filed a lawsuit against Mindgeek, Pornhub's parent company, for a litany of accusations, including knowingly benefiting from Girls Do Porn videos on Pornhub and failing to moderate the images circulating rampantly on its network of tube sites.
Read more: https://www.vice.com/en/article/3anvw8/40-girls-do-porn-victims-suing-pornhub-mindgeek?source=Snapzu

Cleveland’s Baseball Team Will Drop Its Indians Team Name

The decision comes amid a wider push for sports teams to stop using Native American names and imagery as team names and mascots.
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/13/sports/baseball/cleveland-indians-baseball-name-change.html?source=Snapzu

A year without Marvel movies left a pop culture void

There were no Marvel Cinematic Universe movies and no excitement this year.
Read more: https://www.theverge.com/22151466/avengers-endgame-disney-2020-black-widow-infinity-war-pandemic-streaming-theaters?source=Snapzu

Pornhub Just Purged All Unverified Content From the Platform

After changing its policies to ban unverified uploaders and Mastercard and Visa's decision to drop the platform entirely, Pornhub has removed millions of videos.
Read more: https://www.vice.com/en/article/jgqjjy/pornhub-suspended-all-unverified-videos-content?source=Snapzu

"He's Radioactive": Inside Johnny Depp's Self-Made Implosion | Hollywood Reporter

It wasn't just erratic and violent behavior that wrecked one of the world's most bankable stars. It was his unquenchable thirst for revenge. In the face of mounting bad publicity, Johnny Depp could still count on one friendly industry group — a Polish film festival.
Read more: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/hes-radioactive-inside-johnny-depps-self-made-implosion?utm_source=pocket-newtab?source=Snapzu

Disney Document Suggests 12 New Marvel Studios Shows Over Next Two Years

It's about to be a busy time for fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Last Thursday, Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige joined executives from other Disney-owned studios to unveil exciting new content coming to consumers over the next few years. While Feige himself didn't provide dates for most of the new content announced, one new document from the House of Mouse suggests every show he talked about will be released at some point in the next two years.
Read more: https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/marvel-studios-12-new-shows-over-two-years-disney-plus-2021-2022/?source=Snapzu

The Mandalorian season 2 proves that Star Wars really can support lots of new shows

There’s new hope for the Star Wars universe
Read more: https://www.polygon.com/star-wars/2020/12/11/22169516/the-mandalorian-new-star-wars-shows-rangers-new-republic-acolyte-ahsoka?source=Snapzu

'Borat 2' director reveals Rudy Giuliani was the film's target from the start of production

Sacha Baron Cohen always seems to wow audiences when it comes to how successful he is in duping high-level politicians and celebrities for his comedy. But he might have hit his zenith with "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm," streaming now on Amazon. In the "Borat" sequel, in which Baron Cohen returns to play the misguided Kazakhstani journalist, the movie concludes with him racing to save his daughter, Tutar (Maria Bakalova), who is planning to give herself to president Donald Trump's personal lawyer and former New York City mayor, Rudy Giuliani.
Read more: https://www.insider.com/borat-2-rudy-giuliani-movie-main-target-2020-12?source=Snapzu

Loki is now D.B. Cooper Apparently

Marvel and Disney+'s upcoming Loki series seems to be playing hard and fast with history, specifically the events of D.B. Cooper's jump into history.
Read more: https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/loki-is-now-db-cooper-apparently/?source=Snapzu

Charley Pride, Pioneering Black Country Singer, Dead at 86

Country Music Hall of Fame member died in Texas from complications related to Covid-19
Read more: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/charley-pride-dead-obit-192455/?source=Snapzu

Samsung announces massive 110-inch 4K TV with next-gen MicroLED picture quality

The price is likely to be outrageous, but the image quality is stunning.
Read more: https://www.theverge.com/2020/12/9/22166062/samsung-110-inch-microled-4k-tv-announced-features??source=Snapzu

'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' renewed for four more seasons, making TV history

The gang is returning to Paddy's Pub for another four years. "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" was renewed by FX for four more seasons Thursday, making it the longest-running, live-action sitcom in TV history. The Philadelphia-centric show, which aired it 14th season last year, will bump "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet," from that title. "Ozzie and Harriet" ran for 14 seasons.
Read more: https://www.phillyvoice.com/its-always-sunny-philadelphia-renewed-four-more-seasons-making-tv-history/?source=Snapzu

North American Concert Industry Lost $30 Billion in 2020

The global live events industry lost more than $30 billion in 2020 due to the global pandemic, including $9.7 billion at the box office, according to the year-end report by live-entertainment industry trade publication Pollstar. At the top of the year, the industry was projected to hit a record-setting $12.2 billion at the box office in 2020, but instead incurred $9.7 billion in Boxoffice losses after the industry effectively shut down completely in March.
Read more: https://variety.com/2020/music/news/concert-industry-lost-30-billion-2020-1234851679/?source=Snapzu

AirPods Max suppliers reportedly call it a niche product

A supply-chain report claims that AirPods Max suppliers consider Apple’s premium over-ear headphones to be a niche product with strong competition from existing players. Two suppliers of printed circuit boards (PCBs) are reportedly not expecting the new headphones to give much of a boost to their sales...
Read more: https://9to5mac.com/2020/12/11/airpods-max-suppliers/?source=Snapzu

Creating music with artificial intelligence

Can artificial intelligence help compose a song that is just as successful as the winning Eurovision hit by Duncan Laurence? In the AI Song Contest teams from all over Europe and Australia compete attempting to create the next Eurovision hit with the help of artificial intelligence. Can computers blow us away with their creative power?
Read more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dW2oBOK60Lw?source=Snapzu

We've Had 24 Hours With Apple's AirPods Max -- Here's What We Think So Far

Apple made waves when it announced AirPods Max, its first pair of over-ear headphones, via an update to its website earlier this week. The headphones, which cost $549 and will be released on December 15th, are available for preorder on Apple’s site, Best Buy, and B&H. They’re designed to carry some of the momentum from Apple’s earbuds, which have been extremely successful since the first generation was released in 2018.
Read more: https://www.rollingstone.com/product-recommendations/electronics/airpods-max-preview-hands-on-1101609/?source=Snapzu

Tommy 'Tiny' Lister, who played Deebo in 'Friday,' dies

Tommy “Tiny” Lister, a former professional wrestler who was known for his bullying Deebo character in the “Friday” films, has died. He was 62. Lister’s manager, Cindy Cowan, said he was found unconscious in his home in Marina Del Rey, California, on Thursday afternoon. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-california-coronavirus-pandemic-del-rey-7401bc6c547a2256e5ca96d43517c737?source=Snapzu

Disney To Launch 20 Marvel & ‘Star Wars’ TV Series Over The Next Few Years

Disney will massively ramp up the volume of Marvel and Star Wars series on its Disney+ streaming service. Kareem Daniel, Chairman, Media and Entertainment Distribution for The Walt Disney Company, …
Read more: https://deadline.com/2020/12/disney-to-launch-20-marvel-star-wars-tv-series-over-the-next-few-years-1234654195/?source=Snapzu

Nicolas Cage To Host ‘History Of Swear Words’ At Netflix

Nicolas Cage is continuing to lean into television – hosting unscripted comedy series History Of Swear Words for Netflix.
Read more: https://deadline.com/2020/12/nicolas-cage-host-history-of-swear-words-netflix-1234652817/?source=Snapzu

Taylor Swift announces another surprise album: 'Evermore,' a 'sister record' to hit 'Folklore'

Less than five months after she dropped "Folklore" with less than a day's notice, Taylor Swift announced another surprise album.
Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2020/12/10/taylor-swift-reveals-next-album-evermore-sister-folklore/3876633001/?source=Snapzu

CBS' 'Silence of the Lambs' Sequel 'Clarice' Releases First Teaser

CBS has released the first look at its Silence of the Lambs sequel Clarice. The drama starring Rebecca Breeds as FBI agent Clarice Starling is set for a February premiere, and the network will use a trio of big events in January and February to help launch it.
Read more: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/cbs-silence-of-the-lambs-sequel-clarice-releases-first-teaser?source=Snapzu

YouTube TV Subscribers, Claim Your Free Chromecast With Google TV

Subscribe to YouTube TV? You may want to check your email! Google is sending out emails entitling subscribers of YouTube TV to a free Chromecast With Google TV. That’s a $50 value and a solid holiday gift.
Read more: https://www.droid-life.com/2020/12/10/youtube-tv-subscribers-receiving-free-chromecast-with-google-tv-50-value/?source=Snapzu

Roald Dahl's family apologises for his antisemitism

Statement on author’s official website says his views caused ‘lasting and understandable hurt’
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/dec/06/roald-dahl-family-apologises-for-his-antisemitism?CMP=oth_b-aplnews_d-1?source=Snapzu

5 good books for a lousy year

In a year like this, sometimes you want to go deep on a tough issue. Other times you need a break.
Read more: https://www.gatesnotes.com/About-Bill-Gates/Holiday-Books-2020?source=Snapzu

How John Lennon was made into a myth

Forty years ago The Beatles star was assassinated – and has since held a god-like status around the world. David Barnett looks at the many manifestations of him in popular culture.
Read more: https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20201207-how-john-lennon-was-made-into-a-myth?source=Snapzu

HBO to air documentary on the history of Sesame Street 2021

HBO has announced Street Gang: How We Got To Sesame Street, a new documentary about the first two decades of the groundbreaking children's show
Read more: https://news.avclub.com/hbo-to-air-documentary-on-the-history-of-sesame-street-1845838748?source=Snapzu