Pop Culture

New Zealand’s capital has had an extra buzz of excitement over the past week since Hollywood director James Cameron and his crew flew in to film the much-anticipated sequel of the epic science-fiction film “Avatar.” The film is among a handful of productions kicking off in New Zealand as it begins to open up after

Gabrielle Union has officially filed a harassment complaint against America’s Got Talent producers, accusing NBC’s Paul Telegdy of threatening her for speaking out about racism on set. The complaint, filed with California‘s Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) on Thursday, also names FremantleMedia and Simon Cowell‘s Syco, as well as NBC Universal, Variety reports,

“Okay, I’m standing up,” Big Bird said, his feathery, bright yellow head rising out of frame to the tune of a slide whistle. CNN commentator Van Jones and anchor Erica Hill corrected Sesame Street’s wide-eyed eight-foot canary, explaining they weren’t going to literally stand up. They would, however, be fielding questions and listening to experts

AFP ContributorGetty Images To celebrate the end of Volunteers Week in the U.K., Queen Elizabeth shared a message and a series of photos of the Royal Family Instagram account. “As Volunteers’ Week draws to a close, it is inspiring to reflect on the many thousands of people, who through their acts of generosity and kindness,

The late ’60s and early ’70s were a time of almost constant protest. People took to the streets across the globe to demand an end to the Vietnam War, which had overflowed into neighbouring countries. They marched for civil rights. Student activism was at an all-time high. There were even assassinations. It felt like the

As thousand of people across the country continue to protest police brutality and demand justice, companies are joining the fight. Some like Bad Robot, Disney, and LEGO are donating millions of dollars to various non-profits and charities. Others are working to establish new programs to help fight for racial equality and justice. But while these

This week, a lot of K-pop fans have been acting in service of Black Lives Matter protests by obstructing racist hashtags and police departments. It started last Sunday, May 31, when the Dallas police department issued a tweet asking people to send them videos or pictures of “illegal activity from the protests.” The police had

An odd week, this. The recorded music industry came to a halt with Blackout Tuesday, with a few labels declaring that they wouldn’t release any new music. For others, though, it’s business as usual. 1. Kaleo, Surface Sounds What is it about Iceland (population: 364,000) that allows the country to continuously pump out a parade

Legal Aid, the largest social justice law firm in N.Y.C., fights for those the criminal justice system is stacked against. Right now, besides representing people arrested during this week’s marches, Legal Aid is [suing the N.Y.P.D.](https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/ny-legal-aid-lawsuit-20200603-c7cgrffts5gbla7kxjhu2lbqg4-story.html) for keeping over 100 protestors in jail for over 24 hours between arrest and arraignment (which is illegal). —Samuel

Dwyane Wade has defended wife Gabrielle Union following the discrimination complaint she filed on Thursday after her firing from NBCUniversal’s America’s Got Talent. After NBC called Union’s accusations “categorically untrue,” the former NBA star took to social media to share his thoughts on the ordeal. “Y’all have deemed her a liar after months of trying

The following contains major spoilers for season four of 13 Reasons Why After four years of traumatic storylines that involved teen suicide, sexual assault, gun violence, homophobia, drug abuse, and mental health, 13 Reasons Why has come to an end. On Friday, at a time when hype for the once widely-discussed teen series had long

June 5 would have been Breonna Taylor’s 27th birthday. Would have been. On March 13, the 26-year-old EMT was killed by Louisville, KY police in her home as she slept, after they broke down her door in an attempted drug sting. (According to CNN, police said an unidentified man was shipping drugs to Taylor’s apartment to

WARNING: This article and video contain coarse language and may be offensive or inappropriate for some audience members. Please read at your own discretion. Travis Barker, the 44-year-old drummer of Blink-182, has joined forces with Machine Gun Kelly (MGK), for yet another musical collaboration. This time, the two have covered Rage Against the Machine‘s 1992

Matthew StockmanGetty Images As protests fighting for racial justice broke out this week triggered by the senseless killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, and other past injustices, brands are being forced to reflect on the role they play in advancing inclusion and diversity in the workplace and online. Now, Alexis Ohanian,

With Donald Trump largely out of sight, hidden in the White House behind newly erected chain-link fencing, America has been left to wade through days of unrest with a keyboard warrior—not a president—in charge. As the leadership vacuum widens and protests engulf the country, Democrats in Congress are working to convert the passion and fury

Returning with the “Healthcare Hero of the Week” segment, Jimmy Kimmel has surprised yet another one of his guests ⁠— with the help of Luke Skywalker himself: Mark Hamill. On Thursday night’s virtual, social-distancing episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the 52-year-old TV host honoured a front-line health-care worker who has been conducting coronavirus tests by inviting

And just like that, 2020 got even weirder. For the first time in … ever, people are talking about the Third Amendment of the Bill of Rights. Thanks to a misguided senator, Mike Lee, who thinks that troops that haven been called up to fight against our own people are entitled to rooms in hotels,

In wake of the worldwide protests triggered by the killing of George Floyd., many have been wondering why Kanye West — who is notorious for sharing his own opinions — has not yet “spoke up” in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. From Lady Gaga to Meghan Markle, or Neil Young to Star Wars actor John Boyega,

The Trump administration’s decision Monday to forcibly remove protesters from outside the White House, seemingly so that President Donald Trump could hold a photo op, has become a flash point in the ongoing unrest and widespread protests over George Floyd’s killing and systemic racial injustice. Federal police and law enforcement officials used tear gas, rubber

On Monday, at 3 a.m., a Rolex store in downtown Manhattan was ransacked. The glass windows were smashed in, a vitrine built to elegantly display the world’s finest watches was shattered, and $2.4 million of merchandise was reportedly stolen. Two suspects were detained with stolen merchandise. In the process of making an arrest, a male

By Victoria Ahearn The Canadian Press Posted June 4, 2020 4:03 pm Updated June 4, 2020 4:05 pm Smaller font Descrease article font size –A Larger font Increase article font size A+ Canadian country singer Chad Brownlee has apologized after posting a conspiracy theory image criticized as racist and antsemitic on his social media accounts.

FLARE asked Black writers to share what they feel is the most pressing issue facing Black women today. This is Toronto-based writer Sharine Taylor’s response I decided to gel down my typically unruly hair. On any other day, I would have worn it in a ponytail, perched high on my head like a crown, but

There was a lot of excitement on Wall Street when the billionaire Len Blavatnik pocketed nearly $2 billion in cash after Warner Music, the world’s third-largest record label, completed its successful IPO on Wednesday. Lots of rich people made lots more money. It was the biggest IPO of 2020—thank you, Fed chairman Jerome Powell—and increased

As a result of the Black Lives Matter protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd last month, streams for N.W.A.‘s 1988 hip-hop anthem F-k tha Police have nearly quadrupled in overall numbers. The anti-racial profiling, anti-police brutality track saw a whopping 272 per cent increase in on-demand audio streams between May 27 and June 1,

Iyanna Dior, a black trans woman who lives in Minnesota, is one of thousands who has been on the receiving end of violent attacks in the wake of the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. A disturbing video clip of the attack, which reportedly took place on Monday, June 1, has been

Steven Avery, the convicted murderer, who is the subject and star of Netflix‘s hit crime documentary series Making a Murderer, has tested positive for COVID-19. The 57-year-old’s attorney Kathleen Zellner confirmed that her client had contracted the novel coronavirus in a tweet on Wednesday. “It is true that Steven Avery has tested positive for the COVID-19

They all have ways of figuring that out. Of course, executives make renewal and cancellation decisions based on many different factors: Buzz, awards potential, and critical adoration can make a difference. But TV has always been a numbers game, and without realizing it, we have exchanged one pitiless barometer—ratings—for another pitiless (and secret) barometer: whether

Disney is a company that many criticize (and rightfully so), but at least they’re wielding their money and reach for good today. Pledging to donate $5 million dollars to organizations that fight for social justice, the company issued a statement and has been using their social networks to talk about racism and oppression in America.

Sometimes you have to fight hatred with love — and sometimes you have to fight it with BTS, Blackpink and Loona. Fans of Korean popular music, or K-pop, are using their fandom to drown out “racist” criticism of the George Floyd protests on social media by flooding certain Twitter hashtags with videos of pop stars.