The daily gossip: Tony Hawk renames a trick, Mandarin Duck content is the still point of the turning world, and more
Tony Hawk renames a trick, Mandarin Duck content is the still point of the turning world, and more
- 1. Tony Hawk renames iconic skateboard trick to better honor its creator
- 2. Bette Midler is writing a book about the Mandarin Duck
- 3. The Princess Diana musical is headed to Netflix
- 4. Kanye West met quietly with Jared Kushner in Colorado last weekend, for some reason
- 5. Cara Delevingne and Kaia Gerber have matching 'solemate' tattoos
1. Tony Hawk renames iconic skateboard trick to better honor its creator
When Tony Hawk isn't busy going unrecognized in his daily life, he's making the world a better place. Sometimes that requires admitting he's previously messed up. Hawk, 52, took to Instagram on Wednesday to explain that the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 and 2 games will be updating the name of the skateboard trick previously known as the "mute grab" to better honor its creator, Chris Weedle, who is deaf. When the trick was named in 1981, "it became known as the mute air" because Weedle was a "quiet, mute guy," Hawk explained, "and we all went along with it in our naive youth." Weedle is "hearing impaired but not lacking speech," Hawk clarified, so he's renamed the trick "the Weedle Grab." Weedle reportedly is "stoked" about the change.
2. Bette Midler is writing a book about the Mandarin Duck
Good news for fans of the Hot Duck: he's getting his own picture book, authored by Bette Midler. The Tale of the Mandarin Duck: A Modern Fable will tell the story of the rainbow-colored waterfowl that mysteriously appeared in New York City's Central Park in 2018, drawing frenzied crowds, adoring fans, and thirsty pieces in The Cut (the bird is "objectively gorgeous," the publication asserted, not incorrectly). Midler explained that "the real duck's visit to New York was a cause for celebration; everyone who saw him fell instantly in love. I wanted to memorialize his visit, and let readers know that the natural world is full of creatures just like him." The book will include photographs by Michiko Kakutani, and is set to be published in February 2021.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
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.
3. The Princess Diana musical is headed to Netflix
Somewhere in the vault of hilariously bad ideas, tucked away next to "give Sonic the Hedgehog human teeth" and "extreme water," is "make a musical about Princess Diana that includes a soaring final number with her dreaming wistfully about her future post-divorce." Nevertheless, this is a thing! And soon it will be a thing on Netflix, specifically. In a Broadway first, Diana: A New Musical, which shut down prior to its opening night due to COVID-19, will premiere on Netflix ahead of its new opening in 2021. Clearly the streamer wants to steal a page from the Disney+ Hamilton playbook, though Lin-Manuel Miranda this is not: "In today's degraded theatrical marketplace, [Diana] should give fish and chips a run for its money," observed the Los Angeles Times.
4. Kanye West met quietly with Jared Kushner in Colorado last weekend, for some reason
Kanye West, who may be seriously running for president this year or not, met privately with President Trump's de facto campaign chairman, Jared Kushner, in Colorado last weekend, The New York Times reported Wednesday. West had apparently been camping in Colorado with his family and flew, alone, to Telluride, where Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump, were vacationing. When contacted by the Times, West said he and Kushner had discussed a book on Black empowerment. Though West declined to elaborate further on his meeting, he's freely acknowledged that his slapdash presidential campaign might hurt Joe Biden; still, the rapper earned just 2 percent overall in a Politico/Morning Consult poll released Wednesday, including a mere 2 percent among African American voters.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
5. Cara Delevingne and Kaia Gerber have matching 'solemate' tattoos
Love might have died after Cara Delevingne and Ashley Benson broke up earlier this year, but at least the former has found a "solemate" in the aftermath. Delevingne celebrated her 28th birthday on Wednesday, with her friend and fellow model, Kaia Gerber, revealing the pair have matching "solemate" tattoos on their feet. Gerber, 18, shared a handful of additional photos with Delevingne, praising her as being "the only person who wears my face on a sweatshirt" and "the best protest buddy." It's unclear if Delevingne and Gerber are more than friends at this point, though The Cut's Hannah Gold noted that "my Pavlovian response to the terms 'Cara Delevingne,' 'tattoo,' and 'matching' is to smell a new relationship on the horizon."
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
Octopuses could be the next big species after humans
UNDER THE RADAR What has eight arms, a beaked mouth, and is poised to take over the planet when we're all gone?
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Sudoku medium: December 23, 2024
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Crossword: December 23, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
The daily gossip: Chris Evans reportedly marries Alba Baptista, Drew Barrymore criticized for bringing show back amid writers strike, and more
feature Today's top entertainment and celebrity news
By Brendan Morrow Published
-
The daily gossip: Olivia Rodrigo's 'Guts' declared an 'instant classic,' Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis reportedly wrote letters of support for Danny Masterson, and more
feature Today's top entertainment and celebrity news
By Brendan Morrow Published
-
The daily gossip: Jimmy Fallon accused of erratic behavior at 'The Tonight Show,' Danny Masterson sentenced to 30 years to life in prison, and more
feature Today's top entertainment and celebrity news
By Brendan Morrow Published
-
The daily gossip: Rolling Stones reveal first album of original material in 18 years, Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas slam 'speculative narratives' about divorce, and more
feature Today's top entertainment and celebrity news
By Brendan Morrow Published
-
The daily gossip: Joe Jonas wears wedding ring after Sophie Turner divorce reports, Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner spotted kissing at Beyoncé show, and more
feature Today's top entertainment and celebrity news
By Brendan Morrow Published
-
The daily gossip: Taylor Swift's Eras Tour is coming to movie theaters, Adam Driver calls out Netflix and Amazon amid actors strike, and more
feature Today's top entertainment and celebrity news
By Brendan Morrow Published
-
The daily gossip: Ana de Armas fans' lawsuit over misleading 'Yesterday' trailer dismissed, Selena Gomez deletes post that may have broken actors' strike rules, and more
feature Today's top entertainment and celebrity news
By Brendan Morrow Published
-
The daily gossip: HBO cancels controversial show 'The Idol,' 'Bachelorette' contestant Josh Seiter is alive after statement announced his death, and more
feature Today's top entertainment and celebrity news
By Brendan Morrow Published