Why is American rapper Flavor Flav at the Paris Olympics and spending time with the USA Water Polo team? Let us explain.

When it comes to things that make you go “whaa?”, the Olympics are a harvest season of true abundance, a point that’s even more driven home by this year’s featuring stuff that’s extremely, what’s the word, French. From headless Marie Antoinette metal performances to Stranger Things-meets-Phantom of the Opera opening ceremonies, there’s no shortage of curios so far at this year’s Paris Olympiad. 

Flavor Flav is at the Paris Olympics

However, if you’ve been watching any of the water polo events so far, you may have noticed a recognizable figure who seems lost and, knowing him, very well might have been. 

Yes, rap legend Flavor Flav has been ever-present at the US polo events. You’ve undoubtedly caught a glimpse during the broadcast so far and thought, “wait, shouldn’t he be wearing comically large clock necklaces somewhere?”

However, Flav’s presence is of a more official manner than you might imagine. And it’s fantastic. 

How Flavor Flav got involved with Olympic Water Polo

On May 4th, water polo Olympian Maggie Steffens posted on Instagram that revealed how many Olympic athletes hold second and third jobs to help achieve their medal dreams. 

Below that post was a comment by Flav, who wrote, “AYYY YOOO,,, as a girl dad and supporter of all women’s sports—imma personally sponsor you my girl,,, whatever you need.” 

“And imma sponsor the whole team,” he added. “My manager is in touch with your agent and imma use all my relationships and resources to help all y’all even more. That’s a FLAVOR FLAV promise.”

How good is a Flavor Flav promise, you ask? As good as its weight in gold clock necklaces, because on July 1st, Flavor Flav officially signed a five-year sponsorship deal with USA Water Polo to cover the men’s and women’s water polo teams.

Flav spoke to NBC Olympics in May to explain more of his reasoning behind the support. “For me doing this, I ain’t gonna lie, to me this is one of the biggest things that I feel that I could have ever done in life, outside of the other accomplishments that I’ve made to music,” he said. “By sponsoring a water polo team and helping these girls out, this is bigger than me winning a Grammy.”

It’s all pretty awesome and Flav looks like he’s having the time of his damn life cheering on the team, encouraging other celebrities to do the same, and even hanging out with First Lady Jill Biden.

Flav’s also not content to just cheer from the sidelines. The man wants in on the action too: 

@usawomenswaterpoloteam

We got Flavor Flav in the pool y’all 👏🏼

♬ original sound - USA Women’s Water Polo

Social media weighs in

Either way, Flav has garnered a whole lot of goodwill from the gesture. Including online: 

Honestly, they should probably just let him compete. Just for one competition that they don’t really care about. Come on, the guy’s earned it! 

Of course, Flav isn’t the only old-school rap icon to be having a blast at the 2024 Summer Olympics. Snoop Dogg’s there too folks, providing interviews and commentary as only he can. 

Your move, Vanilla Ice.

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Nepo babies have been all over the news the last couple of years, but there’s a new sort of baby in town, baby. According to a recent article from Dazed coining the term, we may have subtly entered the era of the rapo baby—that is, the child of a famous rapper who also raps. (Rap + nepo = rapo, apparently.)

While hip-hop faces a reported decline overall, with the likes of K-Pop, Latin and Country music reigning supreme, the future of the genre may truly be the children of the likes of Young Thug, Childish Gambino, Kanye, Drake and Westside Gunn, who have all put out music recently. 

Who are the "rapo babies"?

For instance, on July 8th, a collaboration was previewed at the Bando Stone listening party. The song in question, “Chaka Khan,” included Childish Gambino/Donald Glover’s son Legend rapping “My mama knew she was feeding the goat.” 

Other recent Kidz Bop IRL rap tunes have included North West’s appearance on Kanye and Ty Dolla Sign’s “Talking.” 

Then there’s Drake’s son Adonis showing up on “My Man Freestyle.”

Even Westside Gunn’s daughter WAS Pootie appeared on his tune,“Nigo Louis.” 

Last year, rap celebrated its 50th birthday and this new dawn of talent may be just the kick in the pants it needs as it hits middle age. As a recent Billboard article stated, “Rap’s superstars are aging into a different chapter in their careers, less invested in chasing hits.” I guess this means it’s up to the kids. 

What about the "rapo babies" of the past?

This trend seems to owe something to, in this writer’s opinion, its true pioneers, namely Blue Ivy and Willow Smith. 

Will the genre of hip-hop as we know it be revived in the long term by these talented offspring? It seems likely, though it may take more for hip-hop as a whole to regain its supremacy across the music landscape. Hey, does Vanilla Ice have a kid?

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Showbiz is a very fickle beast. One day, you’re delighting the unemployed every weekday afternoon with good-natured pranks and dancing. The next, you have a thorough BuzzFeed report released unpacking your toxic work environment.

Then the day after that, you attempt a stand-up comedy comeback. Then on the fourth day (in this very specific scenario), you quit showbiz altogether. This is essentially what has occurred with Ellen DeGeneres. (There’s also voicing a beloved Pixar fish in there, to be fair.) 

Ellen's announcement: "I'm done"

This week, Ellen DeGeneres unleashed the news of her showbiz exit on unsuspecting fans during the Q&A section of her “Ellen’s Last Stand...Up” touring show at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa. 

When a fan asked, “Will we see you on Broadway or movies?” Ellen replied, “Um, no. This is the last time you’re going to see me. After my Netflix special, I’m done.”

Ellen’s final Netflix special has yet to receive a release date, btw. 

Social media weighs in

With this announcement, of course, came many a joke from the internet. It seems there isn’t much sympathy at large for DeGeneres, who squandered a whole bunch of goodwill over the past decade or so. 

Let’s be honest, this all started with that Dakota Johnson interview: 

Fare thee well(en), DeGeneres. We’ll always have your Energy Adventure! (Actually we won’t. It’s also gone now.)

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There are few things more thrilling, more exciting, more lightly smile-worthy than learning that two completely random famous people are somehow related. Ashley Tisdale and Austin Butler? Get outta here. Brandy and Snoop are cousins? Come on! Senator Cory Booker and RuPaul? Wow! 

Well, a new surprise celebrity pairing was unveiled this week. During one of her TikTok Q&As, voice acting legend Nancy Cartwright, Bart Simpson him/herself, addressed a follower’s question: “Is Sabrina Carpenter your niece?” 

@officialnancycartwright Replying to @sapphirem__ The rumors are true! Sabrina Carpenter is my niece! 🥰 #sabrinacarpenter #bartsimpson #celebrities @Sabrina Carpenter ♬ original sound - Nancy Cartwright

“Yeah absolutely,” Nancy answers. “Isn’t that amazing that somebody maybe you’ve known for a little while, doing this little 10-year-old boy for like 35 some years, and for some of you guys, like way less than that, find out I’m related to this like superstar. She’s pretty amazing.” 

While the two celebs may seem completely disparate, they’ve actually got more in common than you might realize. Sabrina is indeed a current superstar, but let us not lose sight of the fact that in 1990, Nancy had her own stint on top of the pop culture landscape, as Bart mania covered the globe. She even topped the charts with the Michael Jackson-collab, “Do the Bartman.” 

Good stuff, though I’ve always been more partial to “Deep Deep Trouble” tbh.

Either way, the news comes as a delight and only raises my hopes for a surprise Ice Spice/Hank Azaria blood relation.

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Pride is a time of celebration. Of course, everyone celebrates differently. For instance, some celebrate by booing Jojo Siwa!

Jojo Siwa booed during Central Park Pride show

This weekend, during a set at Trixie Mattel’s Pride Disco show at Central Park in NYC, some audience members made their distaste for the “Karma” singer’s performance known verbally. Specifically, though heckles and boos (see also: jeers).

The former, innocent Jojo may have let that slide, but this currently reinvented bad girl? Oh, out of the question. The show, part of Siwa’s Solid Pink Disco Pride Tour, was stopped cold. Take a look: 

“Who the living f*ck just booed me? Where the f*ck did that come from? Which one of you? Which one of you?" Siwa asked on Saturday, pacing across the stage in a huff.

Jojo then snatched a homemade sign from an audience member, before stating: "Respectfully, f*ck you!"

The internet reacts to viral video of Jojo

Siwa’s had quite the transitional year and it’s never easy to grow up under constant scrutiny. Thus, the occasional snap is pretty understandable. The internet agrees. Psych! I am lying about that last part: 

That being said, some are coming to Siwa’s defense: 

The incident came on the heels of Jojo announcing the release of her new EP Guilty Pleasure on July 12th, so no matter what side of the issue you’re on, we can all agree: there’s no such thing as bad publicity.

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Brooke Schofield has been making headlines this week for her ruthless exposing of ex-boyfriend and musician Clinton Kane. For a lot of people online, it's their first introduction to the Cancelled co-host and what her world is about. Longtime fans of Schofield are happy to show their support, celebrating and educating the rest of us about who she is beyond this saga.

Who is Brooke Schofield?

For those who don't know her as a podcast host, actor, and influencer, here are the quick details to bring you up to date. Brooke Schofield moved to Los Angeles from Arizona in 2019 to pursue her dreams of being an actress. She enjoyed some early success, appearing in two films that year — Leave Him in the Dust and Hook, Line, Sinker.

After finishing those two projects, Brooke took to waitressing as she continued to audition and look for roles. During that time, Brooke somehow met Tana Mongeau, though the two have never shared exactly how. They quickly hit it off and have been best friends since, now hosting the podcast Cancelled together:

In addition to the podcast, Brooke is also a content creator who has amassed over 700,000 followers on Instagram and over 1.5 million on TikTok.

Brooke Schofield's Dating History

Brooke Schofield has opened up about her romantic relationships, both on social media and on Cancelled. She has previously said that she didn't get into the dating scene earnestly until her late 20s.

"I love being single, but I have 27 years of single experience. I don’t need any more," Brooke told Bustle earlier this year. Brooke then explained she has "less tolerance now for a casual relationship."

"In the past, I’ve been hesitant to say something in those situations because I don’t want things to end. This year, hopefully, I’ll be better about just speaking up and being willing to walk away if [a serious relationship is] not what they’re into."

She has been previously linked to comedian Matt Rife in early 2023. She also dated singer Clinton Kane briefly before breaking up in 2021. Brooke is currently rumored to be dating actor Beau Mirchoff.

Brooke Schofield and Clinton Kane drama

Though Brooke Schofield has mentioned and briefly discussed her relationship with Australian singer Clinton Kane over the years, it wasn't until the musician made a jab at her on TikTok this past week that she decided to share her whole side of the story.

While promoting his new single, Clinton posted a TikTok that reads, "When you've been over the relationship for 2 years but she won't stop yapping."

This prompted Brooke to share her truth in a 14-part TikTok series, in the style of Reesa Teesa's "Who the F*ck Did I Marry?" videos.

Setting the scene, Brooke explained that she was in a "very different place" in her life when she dated Clinton and was "unmedicated" at the time. She explains that she and Tana were fans of his single, "Chicken Tendies," and that she was surprised to find the singer in her DMs.

Brooke says that she wasn't interested at first because he was a "stranger," but he continued to interact with her on social media in an attempt to get to know her. Though she rejected an offer for him to fly her out to a show in Las Vegas, where he lived, she did agree to attend a show when the singer found himself in Los Angeles.

Brooke details her relationship with Clinton Kane

According to Brooke, Clinton then invited Brooke back to his show the following day, during which they got to know each other a little better. By her account, they ended up making out at the show that night and went out to breakfast after, during which time he told her that both his parents and his brother had died in the same year, during 2020.

The two continued to date, even quarantining together when they got COVID after one of their dates. On a trip together, a few of Clinton's alleged mistruths came to light when Brooke found out his car wasn't his and the age on his ID didn't match what he'd told her.

As time went on, more clues that he was lying—about his background, his family, his accent, and his fidelity—came to light. It wasn't until she accused him of cheating, which she later got confirmation of, that things between them ended.

Clinton has since responded to Brooke's claims

Brooke's 14-part TikTok series made the internet explode. Many took to Clinton Kane's videos to call him out about his alleged lies, prompting him to turn off or limit comments on many of his platforms.

A representative for the singer released a statement defending him against the accusations, per Rolling Stone:

"Clinton Kane and Brooke Schofield had a brief, three-month relationship over two years ago. Brooke’s recent comments regarding Clinton are untrue."

Clinton Kane rep per Rolling Stone

The rep goes on to explain that Clinton has been long-estranged from his biological family. The mother he refers to who passed away was a "mother-like figure" in his life, they claim:

"The public rehashing of these details is only an attempt to bring attention and focus on Brooke’s podcast, at the expense of tearing down another former boyfriend — a tactic she’s become known for. In the years since this relationship took place, Clinton has moved forward, and remains focused and committed to putting out new music."

Clinton Kane rep per Rolling Stone

Brooke has thanked viewers for their support online but hasn't commented further on the situation.

The internet is intrigued to see what's next for these two—and whether they'll continue to publicly hash out their grievances—and how Brooke's star will rise after TikTok has united around her.

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Sometimes, people can surprise you. For instance, when was the last time you thought about Paris Hilton? What’s the first ninety-six words you’d associate with her? Was “political advocate” one of them? No? Well, that’s all about to change. 

Paris Hilton takes Capitol Hill

The Simple Life star appeared on Capitol Hill Wednesday to speak in front of the House Ways and Means Committee. Her mission: the advocate for freaking child welfare reform! Yah, that Paris Hilton! And it wasn’t even the first time!

“I’m here to be the voice for the children whose voices can’t be heard,” Hilton stated during her testimony. “If you are a child in the system, hear my words. I see you. I believe you. I know what you’re going through, and I won’t give up on you.”

It turns out, Paris has been advocating for protecting children in foster care for the past few years, detailing the alleged abuse she suffered as a teen at multiple treatment facilities. 

“While my experience was not through the foster care system, I know from personal experience the harm that is caused by being placed in youth residential treatment facilities,” Hilton said. “These programs promise healing, growth and support but instead, did not allow me to speak, move freely or even look out a window for two years.”

The internet reacts

It’s obviously an admirable endeavor and a great use of someone’s celebrity for a good cause. That being said, the Internet naturally had some keen observations and reactions to the whole situation. 

Witness her exchange with Rep. Claudia Tenney regarding her jacket:

Of particular note was how Paris slips from her more well-known voice to serious business voice on a damn dime. It’s a magic trick!

However, some don’t quite buy Paris’ authenticity in this endeavor. 

Either way, the fight is a worthwhile one, so godspeed, Paris. To paraphrase a wise philosopher, “[advocating for child welfare reform]’s hot!”

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Katy Perry wants us to know about her new song, “Woman’s World.” I mean, she really wants us to know about it. To her credit, we now do—but at what cost?

What was supposed to be Perry’s big comeback to the pop music scene has been off to a questionable start, but with some touches of the absurd that you can’t help but admire (if it’s intentional, that is). 

Katy Perry plans comeback with "Woman's World"

First, last week, Perry posted a picture of her wearing a bikini, lip-syncing a snippet of “Woman’s World.” It’s a whole vibe. 

@katyperry

WOMAN’S WORLD SONG JULY 11  VIDEO JULY 12 PRE-SAVE + PRE-ORDER  GET READY TO POP OFF  KATYPERRY.COM

♬ Womans World by Katy Perry - Katy Perry

For what was seemingly the first glimpse of the tune, commenters were none too impressed. Commenter GnomeHome wrote, “This sounds like something a contestant on Drag race would have to quickly make up for a challenge.” TIkToker Jen wrote, “please please please be AI.” Yeesh. 

A couple of days later, Perry posted a TikTok of her lip-syncing a clip from “Woman’s World” again, but this time in the Woman’s Apparel section of a Talbots, seemingly. (Note the Legolas shirt. Gotta get hubby in there somehow.)

@katyperry

IT’S A WOMAN’S WORLD AND YOU’RE LUCKY TO BE LIVING IN IT

♬ Woman's World - Katy Perry

Again, this was met with a mix of shrugs and puzzlement. Already, folks are thinking Perry should pull the rip chord and start over with this whole “Woman’s World” ordeal before its set release on July 11th. 

@iamjojohadid And if she doesn’t, i fear this is a justin timberlake arc for her #katyperry #womansworld ♬ Womans World by Katy Perry - Katy Perry

Folks are also commenting on the recent changes to her fashion style.

So yeah, the people are concerned.

Katy Perry's 200-yard lyric dress

However, yesterday Katy doubled down on her rollout approach, revealing the most unhinged tactic yet: a dress with the complete lyrics of “Woman’s World” printed on it. If you’re like me, you read that sentence and thought “oh weird, they must be typed really small to fit on a single dress.” Friend, your thinking is too limited! 

In a clip circulating all over the socials, Perry exits a limo and walks into Paris’ Vendôme for Fashion Week. Behind her trails a 200-yard dress train featuring the single’s words. 

Extra props for her team on the inside of the building, creating an illusion of a continuously-walking Perry. True heroes: 

Response on social media

The promo tactic has seemingly worked, as folks all over social media are impressed and excited by Perry’s campy, more vintage true-to-form turn here. 

Also, we must note that Macy Gray had to have inspired this promotional look, no?

“Woman’s World” officially drops on July 11th. Is it too late to get Left Shark involved?

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It's officially the summer of the brat. If you think this year's hottest trend is inspired by the Brat Pack renaissance, think again. We have Charli XCX to thank, as her new album Brat has inspired Gen Z to get ready to party through the hottest months of the year.

The album has been a resounding hit so far. The dance-tastic tunes that make up the album have earned the British pop singer tons of praise. While some listeners are already considering it the soundtrack of their summer, the pop stans are officially celebrating the rise of a brat summer.

What does it mean to be a brat?

Brat girls are taking to social media to define what it means to be a brat. In many ways, being a brat is a departure from the "clean girl aesthetic." That look has dominated for a while and has only recently started waning.

Brat girls aren't interested in being popular or winning over the crowd with their "I could care less attitude." Their efforts are more set to kicking back and having a good time — whether it's dancing until the wee hours of the morning or embracing your inner hot mess.

Many have also pointed out that the timing of the album — the summer after Barbie dominated mainstream everything — brings to mind the differences between Barbies and Bratz. Brat summer puts aside Barbie pink for lime green and goes all in on grit.

The word "brat" has, for so long, had negative connotations. It conjures up images of toddler tantrums or sugared-up tweens storming Sephora. Brat girls are here to reclaim the term and embrace the fact that everyone has their darker, sassier side.

How do you have a brat summer?

Having a brat summer is all about mastering the balance of carefree living with being assured and in control of your destiny. No one can explain it better than Charli XCX herself, who broke down the essentials for a brat summer in a recent interview:

She defined it for The News Movement, saying, "It can go that way, like luxury. But it can also be so trashy. Just like a pack of cigs and a Bic lighter and like a strappy white top with no bra."

One of the biggest components of a brat summer is the "IDGAF" attitude. You've got to be armed and ready not to care what others think of your brat summer while being so wrapped up in it that you hardly notice anyway. It's throwing away the rulebook in favor of fun and as much recklessness as you can handle.

Brat summer Examples

Having a brat summer is everywhere online, and no matter which platform you're on, there's sure to be a discussion about it. For example, here's what the people are saying on Reddit:

Meanwhile, let's check in on the app formerly known as Twitter:

Finally, let's take a visit to TikTok:

No matter where you are, here's hoping your summer is absolutely Brat.

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Strong couples support each other, as Steve Harvey will tell you. Let’s say you’ve gone to all of your man’s football matches during a given season, pending your own touring schedule. Girl, he better make an appearance at one of your concerts on said tour, especially if he’s in the off-season. Thankfully, Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift are seemingly a strong couple. 

On Sunday night, during one of her EIGHT London concerts at Wembley Stadium, Taylor brought out Travis during her introduction to "I Can Do It With A Broken Heart." Kelce came out in a full tux as one of the three costumed performers to “revive” Taylor after she “collapses” before “Broken Heart.” Kelce completes the schtick until Taylor launches into the tune. 

Take a look:

Obviously, the internet reacted with some typically solid memes on the topic. Let’s take a peruse, shall we? 

Meanwhile, brother Jason Kelce was not having the exact same vibe:

@irenouken jason kelce having the time of his life at #erastourlondon 😂 #jasonkelce #taylorswift ♬ original sound - irenouken

Anyway, Taylor brings the Eras tour back to Wembley in mid-August, by which time Travis will be in training camp. Hey, maybe Dave Grohl will show up instead!

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