Us Weekly?s cover story this week is ?How Kate?s Life Has Changed,? all about how the Princess of Wales is doing now that she?s ?completed chemotherapy? and declared herself ?cancer-free.? I find it interesting that Us Weekly is doing this very soft-focus cover about a month after the Sussexes authorized their staffers to speak on the record about what Meghan is like as a boss. It?s almost like, ?here, Kate, we?ll give you something too? as they pat her on the head. Anyway, as you can imagine, there?s a lot of wheel-spinning and promises to eventually be keen in this Kate story. Some highlights:

The Waleses trip to Southport: ?It was a reminder of what a powerful tag team they are,? royal expert and The King: The Life of Charles III author Christopher Andersen shared in the latest issue of Us Weekly, noting that William looked ?deeply grateful to have his favorite person by his side.?

When Kate will get back to work: ?Kate loves reconnecting with the community and representing her family, but she?s also trying to find a balance between her duties and personal well-being,? explains an insider. ?She appreciates the sense of purpose but wants to ensure her stress levels don?t get [too high].?

She?ll take on a less-demanding royal role as she continues to prioritize her health: ?Kate has a lot more energy than she did even a few weeks ago,? Andersen tells Us. ?She?s tremendously relieved that the treatments seem to have worked and she can call herself cancer-free, but she?s not taking anything for granted. She?s following doctor?s orders,? he adds. ?[It?s] baby steps. More than anyone, Kate wanted to let the world know that after months of grueling chemotherapy, she was going to be OK.?

Again with the Southport visit: While Kate?s October 10 visit to Southport alongside William was a surprise and intentionally kept low-key, her decision to join was not last-minute but came down to how well she felt that day. ?She loves the work, but it can be tiring,? says the insider, noting that Kate is taking things day by day. The couple reportedly spent 90 minutes in private with the families of three young girls who lost their lives in the attack on the Taylor Swift?themed holiday workshop.

Not back to full strength: ?Kate has been [doing this] for some time but is not yet back to full strength,? says Andersen. ?It will be some time ? certainly months ? before we see her plunge headlong into a full-time schedule.? A second insider says the Palace ?has scaled things back in terms of not having her travel too much too soon,? and Charles III author Robert Hardman tells Us there?s a ?sense of practical optimism? within The Firm. ?Kate is certainly conscious that she mustn?t overstress herself.?

Careful not to overdo it: The first insider notes that getting back out there is just as important to her healing and wellness. ?It?s a double-edged sword. [Working] is good for her emotional well-being, but she needs to be careful not to overdo it. She is determined, motivated and taking care of herself along the way.?

William is relieved. ?Now that Kate is resuming some of her work, William is seeing real evidence that maybe things can return to normal,? says Andersen. He?s happy to let her set her own pace. ?[The kids] will always be Kate?s priority, and I don?t think William begrudges her that at all,? he adds. ?As a matter of fact, I think he?s very grateful. He?s not going to push her into doing anything she doesn?t want to do, and he took the same attitude before her diagnosis.?

The couple?s dynamic has changed over the last few months. ?They love being together all the time,? says the first insider, and that William never takes a day for granted. ?He knows how much worse it could have been if they hadn?t caught [the cancer] and treated it in time.? At home, the prince has helped with cooking and cleaning. ?They don?t like having staff around at all hours, so William has been stepping it up,? adds the insider. ?Kate thinks that?s been very cute and sweet.?

[From Us Weekly]

?It will be some time ? certainly months ? before we see her plunge headlong into a full-time schedule? ? there it is. Yet another story which resets the recovery timeline and kicks the can down the road even further. They bought themselves time until February of next year by my calculations. February is when people will start to ask if Kate is well enough to do one event a week. They?ll be told no, she isn?t, and we?ll be given a variation of this story ? the stress is bad for her, the poor sausage cannot be expected to overwork, she?s just listening to her doctors, after all. The thing is, people will buy it because no one has ever seen Kate as a full-time royal anyway. She?s been part of the Firm since 2010, when she got engaged to William. Fourteen years of never working full-time, and now she?s not going to do part-time either.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images. Cover courtesy of Us Weekly.

Channing Tatum & Zoe Kravitz have broken up and called off their engagement. From the looks of things, it was pretty sudden, and yet there doesn?t seem to be a huge amount of drama between them. They were together through the promotion of Blink Twice this summer, and they were last seen together in early October. Given Zoe?s history, I?m open to the idea that she has a jumpoff waiting in the wings, but we haven?t heard anything about that. People Magazine had this little update after they broke the story on Tuesday:

Channing Tatum and Zo? Kravitz?s split was a recent one.

The former couple broke up just last weekend, PEOPLE has learned. As for what caused it, a source says, ?They haven?t been on the same page and grew apart.?

Multiple sources confirmed to PEOPLE on Tuesday, Oct. 29, that Tatum, 44, and Kravitz, 35, had called off their engagement and gone their separate ways after three years of dating.

Reps for both stars have not responded to requests for comment from PEOPLE.

[From People]

?They haven?t been on the same page and grew apart.? Eh. He seemed to really adore her. It feels notable that they split just two months after Blink Twice came out too. That happens all the time when costars or coworkers fall for each other over the course of a project, then their relationship limps along until the promotion is completely done.

Meanwhile, here?s a weird addendum. You know how Channing?s ex-wife Jenna Dewan moved on with a guy named Steve Kazee? Well, right after Channing and Zoe?s split announcement, Steve posted a big string of ?HAHAs? on his IG Stories. People were like ?WTF? and ?weird.? Now he claims that it wasn?t about his current partner?s ex-husband at all.

Steve Kazee is attempting to clear the air. The actor and singer initially posted a string of ?HAHA? on his Instagram Stories Tuesday, Oct. 29, shortly following the news that his fianc?e Jenna Dewan?s ex-husband, Channing Tatum, had split from his fianc?e, Zo? Kravitz, leading some to speculate that he was reacting to the news.

In a follow-up post on Wednesday, Oct. 30, Kazee, 49, wrote, ?A guy can?t laugh about a houseplant Tik Tok in todays world I see ? ?, referring to the video he?d shared soon after the ?HAHA? post the previous day.

He went on to post a photo of a droopy plant, writing over the snapshot, ?See? It?s funny because it?s relatable. Get a life.?

The Tony Award winner then shared an image and video of a smaller, dried-up potted plant, illustrating his experience of filling up a coffee maker with water before giving his plants water, a practice the TikTok video was poking fun at.

[From People]

I don?t believe him, although I do believe that this guy probably doesn?t understand how to manage his social media. Does that make sense? He probably was being snarky about Channing and Zoe?s split, but he didn?t realize that he was putting that sh-t on his Stories?

Jenna Dewan’s fianc?, Steve Kazee, appeared to comment on the Channing Tatum and Zo? Kravitz breakup.

After PEOPLE confirmed their split, he posted a long string of “HAHA” on IG. The next day, he added he was referencing a houseplant video on TIkTok. pic.twitter.com/21pGHev1H5

? What’s Trending (@WhatsTrending) October 30, 2024

Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Avalon Red.

Embed from Getty Images

On Tuesday night, President Joe Biden was asked about Donald Trump?s MSG Nazi rally, a rally in which a comedian called Puerto Rico a ?floating island of garbage.? Biden said, off the cuff, ?The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters ? his, his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it?s un-American.? There is a conversation about whether Biden?s words were intended with an apostrophe, as in ?floating out there is his supporters? [garbage].? Which does change the meaning, but again, these words were spoken not written, and I totally understand why Biden quickly clarified his meaning in a tweet.

Still, this became ?the thing? that Donald Trump and his loser, garbage supporters seized on. It?s a reminder too that the Harris-Walz team has been incredibly disciplined in their messaging, that this minor ?Biden gaffe? is basically the only thing they could seize on. Suddenly, after months of Donald Trump calling America a pile of garbage and threatening violence on his enemies, Trump and his people are shocked that Pres. Biden would indicate that they are garbage. So Orangina decided to do some skits on Wednesday. He dressed up like a garbage truck driver, sat in the passenger seat of a Trump-branded garbage truck, and made a speech wearing his new favorite ensemble. His obscenely orange makeup clashed with the orange vest. Dementia Don also had problems opening the passenger door of the truck. It?s like if a domestic terrorist was a deranged Oompa Loompa.

Trump seems to be really struggling physically. pic.twitter.com/yRk7ZB2kDx

? Matt McDermott (@mattmfm) October 30, 2024

Trump: I told women I will be their protector. They said, ?Sir, please don?t say that.? Well I’m going to do it whether the women like it or not pic.twitter.com/LLWFa2NtQr

? Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) October 31, 2024

i recommend not wearing vests in the same color as your face pic.twitter.com/TKry5FZD90

? derek guy (@dieworkwear) October 31, 2024

If you were going to choose a metaphor for the 2024 Republican Party, a garbage truck chauffeuring around a billionaire traveling around in circles and going nowhere, all for a photo op, is pretty spot on. https://t.co/f12ChDlvTf

? Melanie D’Arrigo (@DarrigoMelanie) October 31, 2024

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Photos courtesy of Getty.

Teri Garr passed away, rest in peace to her. [Hollywood Life]
The CFDAs were held this week and Blake Lively was one of the few big-name celebrities there. To be fair, Blake looked great in this Michael Kors ensemble. [LaineyGossip]
The official trailer for Luca Guadagnino?s Queer. [OMG Blog]
Adele was so lovely to Celine Dion. [Socialite Life]
My mom loves Doctor Odyssey. [Pajiba]
I love Natalie Portman?s dress & her jewelry. [Go Fug Yourself]
Matt McGorry has long Covid. [Just Jared]
Ciara wore Vera Wang to the CFDAs. [RCFA]
Carol Burnett has advice for young actors. [Seriously OMG]
Christine Brown?s family lore is bonkers. [Starcasm]
Which actress got the best on-screen wig? Rachel McAdams is right up there, her Mean Girls wig is the stuff of legend. [Buzzfeed]

Teri Garr’s Oscar-nominated performance as the quirky and hopeful Sandy Lester in TOOTSIE.

With her magnetic humor and relatable charm, Garr lit up every scene, making Sandy?and many of her other characters?unforgettable. pic.twitter.com/qKV2wRPx4o

? The Academy (@TheAcademy) October 29, 2024

Teri Garr makes fun of David Letterman, 1988. pic.twitter.com/PuiDDGbSnz

? I found this on Youtube? (@doule_tom) October 29, 2024

King Charles and Queen Camilla?s tour of Australia and Samoa ended over the weekend on a sour note. During their final events in Samoa, Camilla made an ass out of herself by openly laughing at Samoan performers and by staggering up the plane?s stairs before the formal farewell was over. There was also a bummer end on Charles?s part, when he said, in his farewell speech: ?I shall always remain devoted to this part of the world and hope that I survive long enough to come back again and see you.? As soon as Charles and Camilla left Samoa, their staff began briefing the Times about Charles and Camilla?s happiness that the tour had gone so well (??) and that 2025 would see a return to a normal touring schedule. Well, about that ? the Mail?s Ephraim Hardcastle column led with this short item:

I hear there?s concern among the King?s medical team after an anonymous palace briefing that he will be returning to a full programme of overseas tours in 2025.

Having skipped his cancer treatment regime to make the latest tour ? and with no one certain how his body has coped ? it was planned that he would take time off on his return, allowing him to recover and for doctors to carry out a full assessment of his wellbeing.

[From The Daily Mail]

Basically, Buckingham Palace was way too eager to declare victory and business-as-usual in the wake of an ambivalently-received royal tour, and now the doctors are like ?hold your horses, and not just Camilla.? Speaking of, the Daily Beast?s Royalist also got a tip that Camilla is concerned about her husband?s health post-tour:

Friends of Queen Camilla have told the Daily Beast that she is ?terrified? and ?fearful? cancer-hit King Charles? is ?rushing? his recovery after palace aides briefed newspapers this weekend that his office had told the British Government he was again available for long haul travel. Aides raced to declare his recent trip to Australia and Samoa a great success, despite the fact that any medium-term impact on his health self-evidently has yet to be established.

There have also been question marks around how the queen has coped mentally with the trip. She spent a week before it at a private and exclusive Ayurvedic retreat in India, yet seemed rather unsettled during the trip.

On the final day of the tour, she had what one friend called an ?emotional reaction,? seemingly cycling between giggles and tears, after Charles made, in a rather off-hand fashion, a telling remark at a farewell ceremony in Samoa, telling dignitaries: ?I shall always remain devoted to this part of the world and hope that I survive long enough to come back again and see you.?

Friends of the king have brushed off any suggestion that the king was, in fact, saying a final farewell or suggesting he might die soon, despite the fact that, prima facie, that seemed to be exactly what he was saying.

But a friend of Camila?s told the Daily Beast: ?It was a strange thing to say, and I think Camilla had an emotional reaction. Of course it would. She is terrified. They have had a horrendous year. Now with this return to work, she is understandably fearful her husband is rushing it. She just wants him to slow down and prioritize his health.?

British media have generally portrayed the incident as a fit of giggles due to a non-operational microphone, but this characterization has been questioned online.

[From The Daily Beast]

This days-long effort to rewrite Camilla?s rudeness as she laughed at the Samoan performers is pretty awful. It was clear that she was being rude and racist. It was clear that she was laughing at her hosts. It was clear that Camilla didn?t want to be there. Camilla hates to travel, hates to go on tours and she was desperately trying to have this tour canceled. Part of me wonders if all of this back-and-forth in the press is a reflection of Charles and Camilla fighting behind the scenes, or some kind of next-level maneuvering because this really was Charles?s last tour and no one wants to say that outloud.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.

This situation with the Washington Post has become THE media train-wreck story of the year. Last Friday, the Washington Post announced that they would not make an endorsement for president of the United States. The Post, like many other media outlets, rode a wave of ?support journalism? during the Trump years, because people genuinely believed that the fourth estate could hold Donald Trump to some kind of account. Instead, WaPo and so many other newspapers have become corrupted in the past decade of Trump and Trumpism, failing to hold him to account. Then Jeff Bezos, owner of WaPo, hired one of Rupert Murdoch?s lackeys as CEO of the Post and everything has gone steadily to the depths of hell ever since, culminating in Bezos and Will Lewis killing the Post?s planned Kamala Harris endorsement. In the immediate wake of the killed endorsement, WaPo lost 200,000 subscribers, 8% of their business. Jeff Bezos responded by writing a mealy-mouthed op-ed explaining why he?s too chickensh-t to stand against literal fascism. Well, long story short, Bezos made it worse:

Deterioration of the Washington Post?s subscriber base continued on Tuesday, hours after its proprietor, Jeff Bezos, defended the decision to forgo formally endorsing a presidential candidate as part of an effort to restore trust in the media.

The publication has now shed 250,000 subscribers, or 10% of the 2.5 million customers it had before the decision was made public on Friday, according to the NPR reporter David Folkenflik.

A day earlier, 200,000 had left according to the same outlet.

The numbers are based on the number of cancellation emails that have been sent out, according to a source at the paper, though the subscriber dashboard is no longer viewable to employees.

The Washington Post has not commented on the reported numbers. The famed Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward said on Tuesday he disagreed with the paper?s decision, adding that the outlet was ?an institution reporting about Donald Trump and what he?s done and supported by the editorial page?.

[From The Guardian]

NPR?s David Folkenflik has been doing outstanding reporting around all of this, and several Washington Post journalists are leaking information to him about the situation within the Post?s newsroom. Here?s some of what Folkenflik told NPR yesterday:

A historic moment for the Post: ?This is, you know, pretty much perceived by everybody I?ve talked to in the Post as something that will go down as a historic moment ? a kind of debacle. The numbers that I reported came from two people with direct knowledge. I must say I?ve gone to the Post a number of times to give them a chance to shoot it down. They have not done so. They said, we?re a privately held company, and we?re not going to give out that figure publicly. But that would be about 10% of their paid subscribers ? all digital and paper paid subscribers ? right now. It?s something of a calamity for them. It?s a collapse of many millions of dollars in revenue, although not all cancellations take effect instantaneously.

The all-staff meeting: ?This afternoon, not very long ago, Matt Murray, the executive editor of The Washington Post, had an all-staff meeting with his newsroom of hundreds of journalists and was pressed on this question a number of times. He said he didn?t know the figures and didn?t really want to know them. And he specifically didn?t want to know them in part because he thought they would leak out.

Whether WaPo staff believe Bezos? explanation, that an endorsement would fester perception of bias. ?They?re finding it very hard to swallow. You know, he?s looking at the fact that we are at a time of historic lows, as you say, of trust in the media. But had this been done, you know, early this year, when the new publisher, Will Lewis, took over, or next year, after the elections and a new president took over, it would be viewed very differently. The staff, you know, posted their own dissents online in a column embraced by about 19 of his opinion editors. Several people resigned from the staff entirely. A couple stepped down from the editorial board. And they point to Bezos? myriad business interests that you?ve mentioned. Many of them have myriad multibillion-dollar questions before the federal government, which may, once again, be run by Trump.

[From NPR]

I don?t really have an answer for what should happen next, but I hope someone gets through to Bezos and at least tries to convince him that his current path is unsustainable. Perhaps he?ll change tack once the election is over ? it would be hard to maintain this ?business as usual? approach if (and hopefully when) Kamala Harris wins. The first item on the agenda should be sh-tcanning Will Lewis and making a big, public show of listening to the newsroom and bringing back endorsements. But I really don?t have the answer to ?how can trust be regained after all of this??

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

Quick: who is Donald Trump?s least favorite child? I would argue that it?s Eric Trump, just because Donald doesn?t remember that Tiffany is his daughter. Eric is nominally ?running? Trump Org and supposedly has very little to do with the Trump campaign, although you know the Trump family loves nothing more than criminal conspiracy, felonious behavior and the flouting of ethics. Eric has been regularly giving campaign-flavored interviews to the British media for some reason, and British outlets love asking the dumbest Trump son about (you guessed it) the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Back in August, Eric was asked if his father really planned to deport Prince Harry from America, and Eric said that the monarchy is ?a sacred institution. You can happily have those two [Meghan and Harry], we might not want them anymore, it feels like they?re on an island of their own. You can always have bad actors in everything. You can have spoiled apples in every orchard.?

Well, Eric has opened his mouth again, this time giving a lengthy interview to the Daily Mail. He spoke about whether his father will ?prosecute? Hillary Clinton, whether he knows why people keep trying to shoot his father, and whether the Deep State is lining up a state-controlled hurricane to disrupt the Trump family. I?m only half joking. Obviously, Eric was once again asked about the Sussexes and the entire sad Windsor clan:

Eric Trump has suggested that Prince Harry?s visa is safe because ?no one cares? about the Duke or his ?unpopular? wife Meghan. The ex-president?s second son, 40, told the Daily Mail that his father Donald ?loved the Queen? and lamented how Harry had done a ?huge detriment? to the royal family after turning his back on the UK. But Eric said that Harry shouldn?t have to worry about being deported if Donald Trump is re-elected on November 5 despite the Duke of Sussex facing allegations he may have lied about his drug use when he applied for his US visa.

?Truthfully I don?t give a damn about Prince Harry and I don?t think this country does either,? Eric said of the Duke, 40, who now lives in Montecito, California.

?My father loved the Queen and I think the monarchy is an incredibly beautiful thing. The late Queen was amazing. The way she welcomed my father with open arms was, like, beyond,? Eric said.

Donald?s second son said that his father was also fond of King Charles and that His Majesty had previously visited Mar-a-Lago, the Trump estate in Palm Beach, Florida. ?We?ve known the King forever. In fact, I was just digging through a photo not too long ago and I came across a picture of him with my father, I?m six years old, in the lobby of Mar-a-Lago,? Eric said.

He also praised William and Kate, stating that the future king had never ?made a misstep? while his wife ?conducts herself so incredibly well and has been such a rock in the next generation of the family.?

On the other hand, Eric said that Harry let his family down when he quit the monarchy and moved to California with wife Meghan and son Archie in 2020.

?You look at this one black sheep who doesn?t exactly know where he is, led by a wife that is pretty unpopular, both here and over where you are,? Eric said. He added that Harry appeared to ?have gone off the deep end and it?s sad to watch.?

However, people are ?able to differentiate between the two sides,? Eric said and described the royal family as a great symbol of Britain.

Returning to the Duke?s visa status, Eric said: ?I don?t give a damn if he did drugs. It means nothing. I can tell you that our father and our entire family has tremendous respect for the monarchy.?

[From The Daily Mail]

I?m reminded of the fact that most of Donald Trump?s remarks about the Sussexes were both coaxed and coached out of him. Orangina usually only comments about them when asked specifically by some right-wing British commentator like Piers Morgan or Nigel Farage. I bet it?s the same with Eric ? the Mail fed him the talking points and Eric just restated everything. As for what he said? Charles used to hang out at Mar-a-Lago? I know Prince Andrew spent time in Florida, with Trump and Jeffrey Epstein. Funny how no one asked Eric about that? ?You look at this one black sheep who doesn?t exactly know where he is, led by a wife that is pretty unpopular, both here and over where you are? [Harry has] gone off the deep end and it?s sad to watch.? Harry was literally just at the Clinton Global Initiative, the United Nations and various conferences and meetings in Lesotho and South Africa. Meanwhile, Eric is dodging subpoenas and indictments. Eric is one to talk about someone being led around by their wife as well ? he?s married to Lara Trump, arguably the worst of all the Trump wives and currently the co-chair of the Republican National Committee.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.

Last night, Kamala Harris made her ?closing argument? speech in Washington, DC. She spoke at the Ellipse, with the White House framed in the distance behind her. The staging was incredible, because on January 6, 2021, Donald Trump used this same location to address his cult and incite the insurrection, a violent attempted coup of the federal government. Kamala Harris has spent the past four months reclaiming America for Americans, and this was reclaiming the shining city on the hill. Kamala Harris?s speech was not only presidential, it felt inaugural ? this was her list of policy priorities and her evocation of hope in America and Americans.

A really well-done speech. I got goosebumps. I watched this on MSNBC last night, and Rachel Maddow and Chris Hayes made the point that VP Harris has really been flawless since July 21, when Joe Biden stepped out of the race and endorsed her. She has an amazing team around her, she has great speechwriters, she?s prepared for every moment, she?s not too rigid or rehearsed, and the vibes have been immaculate. Something I keep thinking about is how the Democratic Party and media intelligentsia had already written her off. They thought they had already boxed her in and done enough reputational harm to her, so much so that it was unthinkable to them that Biden would endorse her and that she would inherit Biden?s team and do THIS with that team.

It?s also worth noting that 75,000 people came to watch VP Harris?s speech last night. One, DC needs congressional representation. Two, Trump?s Madison Square Garden Nazi rally was at capacity, meaning 19,500 people came out for that racist sh-tshow. The MSG rally was Trump?s biggest of his campaign.

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Getty.

He did it again! Our favorite chaos gremlin who likes to meddle in foreign bird competitions, fire sale restaurant equipment, and ethically-challenged Supreme Court justices, just delivered with another one of his zany and elaborate interventions into unsuspecting institutions. But I?m getting ahead of myself. John Oliver spent the latest episode of Last Week Tonight focusing on immigration. This discussion took a detour with a brief history of Lee Greenwood?s song ?God Bless the USA,? the 80s anthem that?s balls-to-the-walls patriotism (if a little light on artistry). The song has been played for years during naturalization ceremonies for newly-minted US citizens ? including at Oliver?s ceremony five years ago. When Greenwood learned the government was playing his song regularly, he demanded payment and worked out a deal where he gets $700 a year. Enter Oliver, who is now offering to pay the government $701 a year to use a new song he commissioned and made a full-production music video for, starring none other than a cowboy-costumed Will Ferrell. You?re welcome, America!

To close out his show on Sunday night, Oliver reflected on his own immigration process to the U.S., which indeed ended with a music video for Greenwood?s song. The presence of it got Oliver curious, so he dug into the details of how it came to be a piece of the ceremony.

As it turns out, the government began using it on their own, and when Greenwood found out, his team forced the USCIS into a settlement deal that now sees the singer get $700 a year for use of the song. Naturally, Oliver mocked the move, and most of Greenwood?s attempts to monetize, well, everything, including attempting to trademark the phrase ?God Bless the USA.?

Oliver was particularly amused by Greenwood releasing a version of the song for Canada, in which he didn?t really change any lyrics of the song beyond the ones that referenced America.

?All of this is to say, for multiple reasons, I?d argue Lee Greenwood?s song should never again be played at citizenship ceremonies, because they deserve one genuinely unique to this country,? Oliver said.

?A song that celebrates the nation new Americans are about to join, and the process that they?ve been through, while also not soft-pedaling some hard truths about it.?

The good news is, Oliver had a song at the ready, and promised not to charge $700 for it ? in fact, he offered to pay the government $701 to replace Greenwood?s song with it. And Will Ferrell lent his voice to it.

?You studied hard,? Ferrell sings. ?You did your best. Filled out the forms, and passed the test. Now you?re part of a land that?s so God blessed, and starting today, you?re American.?

As the song continues, Ferrell sings of corn dogs and apple pie, but also of the country?s ?real big problems,? like televangelists, fossil fuels ?and Ted f?kin? Cruz.?

[From The Wrap]

Bravo to whomever Oliver tapped to write this song! It namechecks everything from Big Gulp to Chuck E. Cheese to L.L. Bean to Scientology. It?s honest, but still celebratory! And after Oliver thoroughly exposes Greenwood as one of those right-wingers with a fuzzy understanding of separation of church and state (who?s also peddled in bible-selling, sound familiar?), you?ll be voting to have ?God Bless the USA? replaced too. Plus, Greenwood had the nerve to deride ?Purple Rain? and ?Margaritaville? as inferior to his work. Anyway, thank you John Oliver, for giving us another gem that will likely earn you another Emmy. I sincerely hope our government takes you up on this fine offer.

As for Will Ferrell, it was a big surprise and treat to see him pop up! I watched his new documentary, Will & Harper, on Netflix a few weeks ago and really enjoyed it. He and his good friend Harper Steele take a road trip after her transition, and Will very kindly asks her about, well, her whole life experience. (Sidenote: Harper attended the Academy Museum Gala recently and looked stunning, still with a quirky flair I adore.) I don?t want to spoil anything, but the gesture Will makes at the end was so touching. Both Will and Harper have commented on how it was important to them that the documentary be released before the election, and I see this music video appearance as an extension of Will wanting to show up more for his friend, politically speaking. In that vein, he also just did a fabulous stint on Billy on the Street with Billy Eichner, where they represented ?Loud White Men for Kamala!? and it was hilarious. In that pairing, Will was actually the quieter one!

John Oliver is sick of Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.” being played at U.S. naturalization ceremonies, so he created an alternative?with help from Will Ferrell. pic.twitter.com/UnW7hFBVoS

? LateNighter (@latenightercom) October 28, 2024

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Photos via Instagram/Last Week Tonight and credit Getty

Shawn Mendes is still figuring out his sexuality. [JustJared]
Lil Nas X clapped back hard on Azealia Banks. [OMG Blog]
Armie Hammer is launching a podcast called Hammertime. The cannibal/abuser-to-podbro pipeline needs to be stopped. [Socialite Life]
Jennifer Lopez is campaigning for awards & for Kamala Harris. [LaineyGossip]
A pro-Trump PAC claims Ruth Bader Ginsberg was anti-abortion. [Jezebel]
I watched some of Seth Meyers? stand-up special, it was fine. [Pajiba]
Can y?all please not choose offensive Halloween costumes? [Buzzfeed]
Tom Hanks & Robin Wright?s new movie looks awful. [Hollywood Life]
David Beckham hangs out with some Ted Lasso stars. [Seriously OMG]
Zoey Deutch wore Oscar de la Renta. [RCFA]

?The real truth about my life and sexuality is that, man I?m just figuring it out like everyone. I don?t really know sometimes and I know other times. It feels really scary because we live in a society that has a lot to say about that.?

? Shawn Mendes pic.twitter.com/SSHkK19fS4

? Pop Crave (@PopCrave) October 29, 2024