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After experiencing 40 days and 40 nights of rainfall in New York City, we now have to deal with another problem: bedbugs. These insects have reportedly infested Paris, and what better time to wreak havoc than during Paris Fashion Week when there’s a surge of visitors to the City of Light! If you’re returning to Los Angeles or New York City from PFW, please be cautious and considerate. President Joe Biden, if you’re reading this, it’s time to take action.
Speaking of politics, Roy Wood Jr. is bidding farewell to Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show.” Wood has an impressive resume, having worked on the show for eight years and even entertaining at the 2023 White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. Fans have been campaigning for him to become the new host. While the network had initially chosen Hasan Minhaj for the role, they reconsidered after The New Yorker discovered that Minhaj had fabricated some of his stand-up material. Instead of waiting for an opportunity, Wood has decided to take matters into his own hands. This announcement comes alongside news that writers for “The Drew Barrymore Show” have also declined to return. The lesson here? Know your worth and demand what you deserve.
Now for some very exciting news: Beyoncé, you’ve done it again! You continue to raise the bar for all of us, flawlessly. Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour has generated a staggering $579 million, making it the highest-grossing tour ever by a female artist and the seventh-highest-grossing tour in history. Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, Beyoncé and her Parkwood Entertainment team teased an enigmatic countdown on Instagram before her final performance on the RWT. Little did we know that she would announce a tour film. Like an addict, I woke up at 6 a.m., bleary-eyed and scrambling to purchase my tickets for Nov. 30. Despite the chaos, this has undoubtedly been one of the highlights of my week. But for more on this week’s industry news, dive into The Culture Catchall.
Singer Jason Derulo performs on stage at the Lollapalooza Festival Berlin.
We’re Still Talking About It
Before the release of the “Mean Girls” movie musical on Jan. 12 in theaters, Paramount pulled a not-so-fetch move: they released the original “Mean Girls” film in 23 parts on TikTok. At first glance, it may seem like a way to make the movie more accessible, but some argue that it’s just another tactic by studios to avoid paying residuals to actors. As of Wednesday, Paramount had removed all of the clips.
Following *NSYNC’s first single release in two decades, a documentary about the “golden age” of boy bands has been given the green light at Paramount+. Rolling Stone reports that the film, directed by Tamra Davis, is currently untitled. While we can expect to see *NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys, many Twitter users have rightly pointed out that their Black predecessors and counterparts, such as New Edition, Boyz II Men, and the Jackson 5, who laid the foundation and influenced these bands, should also be included. We’ll have to wait and see.
Jason Derulo is facing accusations of sexual harassment and intimidation from an aspiring artist who wanted to collaborate with him and his label. Emaza Gibson, formerly of the R&B duo Ceraadi, filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles alleging quid pro quo sexual harassment, breach of contract, and more. According to Gibson, Derulo told her she would have to participate in “conducting sex rituals, sacrificing a goat, goat blood, and doing cocaine” in order to succeed in the industry. Find out more about the case here.
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