1. Entire 'Mean Girls' film released on TikTok in 23 parts
Get in, loser. We're going TikToking. To celebrate Mean Girls Day, Paramount has invited fans to watch the 2004 comedy the way it was meant to be seen: on a phone, split up into almost two dozen separate videos. On Oct. 3, a date referenced in the movie when Cady's (Lindsay Lohan) crush asks her what day it is, the entire film was made available to watch legally on TikTok for free. Paramount uploaded it onto the platform via 23 clips, which last anywhere from one to almost 10 minutes, and "MEAN GIRLS (2004)" is plastered on each one. It was a fairly unique way for a studio to make a movie available online for a special occasion, although "Mean Girls" is also streaming on Paramount Plus. But if this method of streaming movies catches on, we may all owe Quibi an apology. TikTok
2. Netflix is reportedly planning to raise prices after the actors strike ends
Winning a real-life "Squid Game" may soon be necessary to be able to afford Netflix. The streamer plans to raise the price of its ad-free service "a few months" after the Hollywood actors strike ends, The Wall Street Journal reported. This increase will "likely begin" with the United States and Canada, the report said, though it wasn't clear how much prices will go up. Netflix most recently raised prices in January 2022, bringing the cost of its standard plan to $15.49 per month. In July, Netflix said it was "more than a year out" from additional increases in major markets. But the Journal noted that the cost of ad-free streaming services has gone up about 25% over the past year, and Warner Bros. Discovery has also announced the price of Discovery+ without ads will be raised from $6.99 to $8.99 per month. Remember when cutting the cord was supposed to save money? The Wall Street Journal
3. Idris Elba started going to therapy to work through his 'unhealthy habits'
Idris Elba has been working on his workaholism. On the "Changes with Annie Macmanus" podcast, the actor revealed he has been going to therapy for the past year, and it sounds like it's been helpful. "It's not because I don't like myself or anything like that," he said. "It's just that I have some unhealthy habits that have formed. I work in an industry [where] I'm rewarded for those unhealthy habits." Namely, Elba admitted he is an "absolute workaholic," which he realizes "isn't great for life." Still, the actor observed that in Hollywood, this behavior can lead to career success, even if it means he doesn't see his family for months at a time. "I've got to adjust," he said, acknowledging that the fact that he feels more "relaxed" working than "sitting on the sofa watching TV with the family" is "bad, right?" "Changes with Annie Macmanus"
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
4. Jimmy Fallon 'grateful' for his job as he returns following toxic workplace allegations
What did they miss? All the major late night hosts returned Monday night for the first time in about five months after the Hollywood writers strike ended. They tried to catch up on the avalanche of news that happened since early May, but there was particular interest in what Jimmy Fallon would say after a Rolling Stone report last month alleged that "The Tonight Show" is a toxic workplace and Fallon has engaged in erratic behavior backstage. Well, Fallon mostly ignored all that in his first show back, though he hinted at the idea that it wasn't guaranteed he would still be on the air. "I realized how grateful I am for all this and for this show," he said. "I really love this job." Fallon added that he hopes to continue hosting the show "for a long time." The comedian previously addressed the allegations in private. "It's embarrassing and I feel so bad," he told his staff after the story broke, according to Rolling Stone. The Tonight Show
5. 'Loki' producer says removing Jonathan Majors after his arrest 'felt hasty'
More than six months after Jonathan Majors was arrested for alleged domestic violence, the actor's Marvel return is imminent. Majors will appear in the second season of "Loki," which premieres on Disney+ this week, and executive producer Kevin Wright spoke with Variety about why the actor remains in the show even after being accused of assaulting a woman. According to Wright, "this is the first Marvel series to never have any additional photography," meaning the entire season was shot prior to Majors' arrest. But Wright added that there were never any discussions about changing the show in light of the Majors allegations, as "it felt hasty to do anything without knowing how all of this plays out." Some critics, though, argued Majors' presence in the season is a distraction, with Rolling Stone's Alan Sepinwall writing that "every scene he's in has the shadow of his alleged actions hanging over them." Variety
Will California's EV mandate survive Trump, SCOTUS challenge?
'Underneath the noise, however, there’s an existential crisis'
2024: the year of distrust in science
