This weekend, My Spy The Eternal City will premiere on screens across America when it hits Amazon Prime. A follow-up to 2020's My Spy, the sequel takes place in Italy during a school choir trip that Sophie (Chloe Coleman) has been selected to join—and JJ (Dave Bautista) decides to come along as a chaperone.

Lucky for us, JJ's boss, David (Ken Jeong), and colleague Bobbi (Kristen Schaal) return for this new film and follow the crew to Europe for some action-packed shenanigans. And even luckier for the Daily Dot, Ken and Kristen sat down with us to talk about the movie.

Daily Dot: Kristen, we were so happy to see Bobbi return to this sequel as JJ’s eyes and ears. Since she is a tech analyst, are you tech-minded in real life, and if so, what types of techy things do you do?

Kristen Schaal: Thank you for asking, Whitney. I am a Luddite, but I have a watch just like this:

But I do like to go method. So while I was playing Bobbi, I did become an actual hacker. And I learned how to, like, you know, do that game where you like, make a fake return for Amazon packages. You know what I mean?

Ken Jeong: Yeah, no, it was great. It was it was revolutionary. I was so happy for you. Your profit margins just went through the roof.

KS: I know, I paid for the movie.

KJ: Ken: It was amazing. Thank you for that bonus. I didn't deserve it.

KS: You didn't.

DD: Ken, your character is the head of covert operations but pretends to be a pediatric nurse for the sake of his son. I loved the scene where you are wearing scrubs with a Peppa Pig pattern on them. Were you a fan? Did you know who Peppa Pig was before filming?

KJ: I've heard of Peppa Pig, but no, I did have to ask my kids—more about the backstory of it. But that was really nice, having been a physician in my previous life.

It did remind me of just kind of going back into that, it was crazy. Maybe when I was a physician and in healthcare, wanting to be a comedian—was that my covert operation? You know, there was that moment of meta that happened during that scene that I totally it was very, very easy to do. And I thought that it was really sweet. So it was serendipitous.

DD: Ken, you took quite a punch in the movie without flinching. You’ve done plenty of physical comedy over the years, but did you train to learn how to do that?

KJ: Um, no, I guess I just naturally have a very punchable face. And I think that's just a God-given trait. I think that's it!

It is nice to do action. I took that seriously. I've got to give Jim, the stunt coordinator, a lot of credit. You know, I am lowkey trying to do a good job in some of the stuff. You set the bar very low as a comedian, and then you try to make some of the action believable. So that would that those are always fun to do.

And I remember the couple of parts that you're referencing, of being punched. And I, you know, I really, you know...I enjoy getting punched in the face.

DD: Well, it shows. And Kristen, Bobbi gives some first kiss advice to Chole Coleman’s character in the movie. What would Kristen’s real-life first kiss advice be to someone?

KS: I guess my advice would be: just keep your mouth closed. The opposite of Bobbi.

Start with a closed mouth for the first kiss, and then listen. Listen. I feel like you listen with your lip. You know, listen when you like that conversation with your mouth—but without words.

KJ: I like that.

KS: Because a lot of people just think of kisses like [sticks out tongue] but, like, listen to what they're doing.

KJ: Oh, wait, how do they how do they do that originally?

KS: [Sticks out tongue again]

KJ: Okay, yeah.

DD: Wonderful. So, not “explore that wet hole,” like you say in the movie.

KS: Not the wet hole!

My Spy The Eternal City is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

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Drive Away Dolls marks Ethan Coen’s first feature film he’s done without his brother in tow—and the first he’s written alongside his wife, Tricia Cooke. The movie, set in 1999, features an all-star cast of Geraldine Viswanathan, Margaret Qualley, Beanie Feldstein, Matt Damon, Colman Domingo, and Pedro Pascal.

So, what can viewers expect from the film? I would describe it as a female-led road trip movie with many unexpected twists and turns along the way. It’s a testament to female friendship, the honest pursuit of love, and the importance of lesbian bars across the country.

The Daily Dot sat down with two stars of the film—Geraldine Viswanathan and Beanie Feldstein—last week to talk about the film, their characters, and what it was like to work on a movie set in the Y2K era.

DAILY DOT: Geraldine, in what ways are you like your character Marian?

GERALDINE VISWANATHAN: I feel like at first glance, I thought I was quite different to Marian. I felt like more of a 'Jamie' in the personality quiz, 'Are You Jamie or Marian?' but I then quickly realized that I am actually totally a Marian.

I think just I related to her sort of sensitivity and having kind of a big, easily bruised heart that she's like very protective of. Yeah, just, you know, she's cozy. She wants to just, like, cuddle up with a book and go birding. I think I also want to do that.

DD: And Beanie, what about you? Are you at all like Suzanne, aka Sukie?

BEANIE FELDSTEIN: I don't think that I am. Although I do—she brought out like the kind of little sister two older brothers side of me where you're just like, at a certain point, I've hit my limit, and I have to fight back. Suki gets there much faster than I did growing up.

But you know, you do learn to be scrappy when you're surrounded by men. She's a female cop in the '90s—a female queer career cop in the late '90s. So I'm really not as angry or as abrasive, but it was really fun to play.

DD: Beanie, a quick follow-up: I was seriously impressed with your stunts in the film. Did you train to learn self-defense for the movie, or watch a lot of YouTube clips?

BF: Our stunt coordinator is a woman my size, which is rare. Most of the time stunt coordinators are like tall, big guys. And her assistant was a tall, big guy. So it was perfect because they would kind of demonstrate and then C.J. [Wilson]—who plays one of the goons, the one that I fight—we would mimic them. They were the exact height ratio and everything, and so it's kind of like learning choreography.

It's definitely very precise. But the color shade of red that both C.J. and I turn is really funny. I was watching [the film] get I was like oh my god, that rosacea?

GV: I was going to say, how did you do that?

BF: Oh no, it was just because we're actually, like, pushing against each other on that thing.

GV: Right, it's real!

BF: So you have to like the rosacea, just like, flying.

DD: Speaking of the movie being set in the '90s, I noticed that Suzanne was rocking some chunky highlights in the film which were very of the times. Did either of you have any favorite Y2K looks or artifacts from the film?

BF: Yeah, I loved the hair. Laurie, our brilliant head of the hair department, created this bob with the chunky blonde highlights, which I think is unexpected. She brought such a life to the character with that choice. We loved the fashion.

GV: I love the fashion. And love the landlines! You know, no mobile phones. I think it's hard to make this kind of movie with phones and then, you know, tracking devices and stuff. I love that a lot of the drama plays out over the landline.

DD: Without giving the plot away, there’s a moment in the film where Colman Domingo’s character worries about something precious ending up on eBay. What’s the weirdest thing either of you have ever bid for on eBay?

GV: Great question.

BF: I never have.

GV: I'm trying to think! Surely, vintage designer stuff. It's not that crazy — maybe back in the day, like, Beanie Babies.

BF: No, I don't think I ever have!

Drive Away Dolls hits theaters nationwide on February 23rd.

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Today marks the launch of our new YouTube series 'Meme History,' celebrating the most iconic memes that have graced the internet since its inception.

Why focus on memes? They've been a core element of the Daily Dot's content from the beginning. Our extensive archive, built over a decade of meticulous meme coverage, has been instrumental in the creation of this series.

And why choose memes from the vast expanse of human history to spotlight? The answer is simple: memes matter.

In 2023, memes are as vital to online social communication as air is to breathing. They offer a unique way to express emotions that words alone can't capture, providing brief spurts of joy during a monotonous day.

Perhaps most importantly, memes allow us to foster human connections through the lowest of stakes, yet can yield the most rewarding outcomes— the ability to make a friend chuckle, feel cared for, or even feel a little bit less alone. There's no easier way to keep in touch with a friend than sending a quick meme that says, "Hey, remember this inside joke?"

With that in mind, please enjoy our first look back into the history of my favorite part of the internet: memes. First up is "This is Fine," the memorable viral dog sitting inside of a room that's on fire that can viscerally describe so many different situations:

'Meme History' is written and edited by Kyle Calise, with help from Daily Dot Curation Lead Christina Baez, Art Director Jason Reed, and myself, Whitney Jefferson. 'Meme History' joins 'That One Sound on TikTok' and 'Your Password Sucks' as new weekly series publishing on the Daily Dot's YouTube channel. Subscribe to our channel to watch them as soon as they drop!

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The post Introducing ‘Meme History,’ a new series celebrating the best memes online appeared first on The Daily Dot.

With each of Apple's newest iPhone releases comes updated apps, additional features, and brand-new ways of using your phone. The new batch of features in iOS 17 has a little bit of something for everyone: bright new contact posters, live transcriptions, and big improvements to the Health app in tracking personal mental health.

So, what are the best new features in iOS 17? Read on to find out.

Contact Posters

Perhaps the most noticeable change in iOS 17 is the introduction of Contact Posters, aka the way you'll show up in your contacts phones. Apple's automatic presets make the process of putting one together quite fun, from their color settings to the different font options. One pro tip would be to use a photo that's high resolution or not super busy so that it clearly shows your face.

In order to set this up, navigate to "Contacts" and then click your own contact at the top. From there, you'll be prompted to choose a photo, colors, and fonts. You can also choose whether or not you want to blast this out to all of your contacts or choose which contacts can see it. You can also set up individual contact posters for any contact you'd like. Nothing extra is needed to enable this feature once iOS17 has been installed.

Stickers

For anyone who used to have actual sticker book collections they meticulously took care of, you're going to like this one. Apple has introduced stickers, which you can easily make from photos — and live photos. All you need to do is select your photo and the phone will automatically crop the picture into a sticker.

From there, you can add sticker-like qualities to it, like making it puffy or sparkly (hello, my sticker-loving childhood). Now you can drag and drop the stickers anywhere on the text conversation, so this new update will certainly light up the group chat.

The ability to make stickers is automatic once iOS 17 is installed.

Live Transcription

For those of us who are averse to answering the phone, now you literally don't have to. Apple's iOS 17 offers live voicemail transcription as the person is leaving the voicemail. Relatedly, if you're somewhere quiet where you can't listen to voice messages, those are now automatically transcribed, too. It's an AI world, and we're just living in it.

Turn on live voicemails by navigating to "Settings," then "Phone," and then toggle "Live Voicemail" on.

Check-in Feature

Bringing piece of mind to worriers everywhere is Apple's new Check In feature. To use it, you'll let it know the address of where you're going and how long it will take you to get there and send it to a contact. If you don't arrive to the location in the allotted time, your phone will ask if you're okay. If you don't respond, it will tell your contact that it hasn't heard from you and send the latest location you were tracked.

Access this feature by clicking the plus sign to the left of where you'd type in a text. Scroll down to the "Check In" feature, select it, and then hit "Edit" to add the address and time ETA of where you're going.

State of Mind Reflection

A new and beautifully designed feature within Apple's Health app is the new State of Mind reflection. To use it, you'll select whether you want to track your mood at that very moment or of the full day. From there, it'll take you to a place where you can toggle between a wide state of moods ranging from "Very Unpleasant" to "Very Pleasant," which is clearly half the fun of the entire idea! Once the mood is selected, it'll prompt you to give more information about the feelings you're experiencing.

To access this feature, navigate to your Health app and select "State of Mind."

Offline Maps

Last (but not least), Apple Maps now has a downloadable map feature. Now you won't have to worry if you're out of service while on a hike in the mountains — or underground between subway stations.

To use it, type in your destination and click "More." From there, you can select "Download Map" and set the selected area to download. As long as you're on speedy wifi, it'll be downloaded in a snap.

Watch all of this information as a video below — and if you liked it, subscribe to our YouTube channel for more:

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Now Streaming is a weekly column that reviews and analyzes the latest streaming content for you and runs on Wednesdays in the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter. If you want to get this column a day before we publish it, subscribe to web_crawlr, where you’ll get the daily scoop of internet culture delivered straight to your inbox.

Over the weekend, during the third day of rain in a row, I settled into the latest Apple TV+'s documentary, The Super Models. I went in knowing nothing about the series and having zero expectations, and I ended up glued to the screen, watching all four episodes in one fell swoop. In a time when New York Fashion Week becomes less and less relevant each year, it felt like a prescient moment to take a look back.

Of course, I’ve been familiar with all four of the central women in the series my entire life—Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, and Cindy Crawford—but what I didn't realize is that these women came up in the fashion industry together at the exact same time, worked together, championed each other, and became lifelong friends.

Throughout the series, each of the women peels back the layers of their lives, sharing stories that we maybe didn't know about them before. Viewers learn fun factoids like how Naomi Campbell was roommates with Christy Turlington as teenagers in New York City, how Linda Evangelista first chopped off all of her hair, and, of course, the full story behind the decision as to whether or not Cindy Crawford was going to keep her mole is featured. For fans from the Pop Up Video era, the series goes deep on the full story of how each of these four women made their way to George Michael's “Freedom” music video. 

One of the more interesting elements of the documentary is learning about the different styles—and reputations—of the photographers these four women worked with over the years. Throughout The Super Model's four episodes, the audience is privy to footage of the women working with big names like Steven Meisel, Arthur Elgort, Richard Avedon, and Herb Ritts. And if you happen to like watching retro footage of New York City in the 1980s, you'll be pleased with how much is placed throughout the episodes, too. 

The series doesn’t shy away from the disgusting side of the industry, either. Christy Turlington spoke about her time living at the home of Jean-Luc Brunel, a former French model scout and alleged Jeffrey Epstein associate who was found dead in 2022 after being accused of trafficking minors. She tells the camera, “Nothing happened—most of the time he wasn't really even there” but admits that she has “survivor's guilt” and “can’t believe” that she made it out okay. 

In addition, Linda Evangelista spoke out for the first time about her ex-husband, Gérald Marie, the former head of Elite Model Management who has been accused of rape and sexual assault. In the series, Linda states “It's easier said than done to leave an abusive relationship,” suggesting that he became physical but “knew not to touch my face.” 

In a clip that feels much older than a 1986 episode of Oprah, we watch the former “queen of daytime” interview model manager Victor Skrebneski on her daytime show as his client Cindy sits next to him on stage. Host Oprah Winfrey asks him, “Did she always have this body? Stand up for a moment.” Cindy stands. Oprah replied, “Now this is what I call a body.” 

In the docu-series, Cindy reflects on the cringe-inducing interaction: “I was like the chattel, or a child, like, be seen and not heard. When you look at it through today’s eyes, when Oprah’s like, stand up and show me your body. Like, show us why you’re worthy of being here. In the moment, I didn’t recognize it, only when I look back, I was like, oh my gosh, that was so not okay, really. Especially from Oprah.”

Why it matters

Through the lens of the 1980s, The Super Models takes a fascinating look back at the reality of a work environment that truly wasn't very easy for women at the time and how they rose above it to become power and beauty personified. 

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