NEW YORK (AP) — The longtime World Wrestling Entertainment impresario Vince McMahon agreed to share more than $12 million over the past 16 years to suppress of sexual misconduct and infidelity, the Wall Street Journal reports.

The amount is significantly larger than what was previously known.

Four women — all formerly affiliated with WWE — signed agreements with McMahon, 76, that bar them from discussing their relationships with him, the Journal reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the deals and documents it reviewed.

McMahon stepped down as CEO and chairman of WWE in mid-June during an investigation into the alleged misconduct and the Journal reported at the time that he had agreed to pay $3 million to a former paralegal who said he sexually harassed her on the job.

McMahon will continue to oversee WWE’s creative content during the investigation.

WWE named McMahon’s daughter, Stephanie, interim CEO and chairwoman during the investigation into his alleged misconduct though he continued to oversee the company’s creative side. The organization stated at the time that it will have no further comment until the investigation is over.

McMahon has been the leader and most recognizable face at WWE for decades. When he purchased what was then the World Wrestling Federation, from his father in 1982, wrestling matches took place at small venues and appeared on local cable channels.

WWE matches are now held in professional sports stadiums and the organization has a sizeable overseas following. It has a broadcast partnership with the Saudi media company MBC Group.

The organization underwent a seismic transformation under McMahon with events like WrestleMania, a premium live production that draws millions of fervent viewers.

Revenue last year exceeded $1 billion for the first time and the company has television deals with Fox and NBCUniversal. Last month it announced a multiyear expansion of its original programming partnership with A&E.

WWE stars have become crossover sensations, including Hulk Hogan, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and John Cena.

Shares of World Wrestling Entertainment Inc., based in Stamford, Connecticut, dropped 2% on Friday.

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The Entertainment Software Association announced today that E3 2023 will be organized in partnership with ReedPop.

The latter is the company behind PAX, EGX, Star Wars Celebration, New York Comic Con and other events, as well as the owner of several leading games media brands — including GamesIndustry.biz.

Together, the two organizations will host E3 2023 in its traditional home at the Los Angeles Convention Center during the second week of June.

The event will encompass both digital showcases and in-person components that will also be open to consumers.

Media registration, which has been streamlined and given added security following previous years’ leaks, will open later in the year.

More information on confirmed exhibitors and event schedules, as well as hotels and travel guides, will also be shared in the months to come.

For business inquiries, you can email e3@reedpop.com.

“We are thrilled to bring back E3 as an in-person event with ReedPop, a global leader in producing pop culture events,” said ESA president and CEO Stanley Pierre-Louis.

“The past three years have confirmed that E3 convenes our industry like no other event. ReedPop brings world-class talent and a keen understanding of the video game industry, which will serve to enhance the E3 experience for years to come.”

ReedPop president Lance Fensterman added: “It is a tremendous honor and privilege for ReedPop to take on the responsibility of bringing E3 back in 2023. With the support and endorsement of the ESA, we’re going to build a world-class event to serve the global gaming industry in new and broader ways than we already do at ReedPop through our portfolio of world leading events and websites.”

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Disneyland’s social media accounts were briefly taken over by a self-proclaimed “super hacker” who made a slew of bizarre, racist and homophobic posts as he claimed he was seeking “revenge” on the Anaheim, California- based theme park.

The hacker, who said his name is “David Do,” took over the park’s Instagram and Facebook accounts early Thursday, penned multiple posts featuring the n-word, claimed to have invented COVID-19 and alleged he was working on a new “COVID20 ” virus.

He also said the hack was in revenge for Disney staff who mocked him “for having a small penis.”

“I am a super hacker that is here to bring revenge upon Disney land,” he wrote alongside a photo of what appears to be himself, saying that he is sick of employees mocking him. “…Who’s the tough guy now Jerome?”

A Disneyland official told The Post: “Disneyland Resort’s Facebook and Instagram accounts were compromised early this morning. We worked quickly to remove the reprehensible content, secure our accounts, and our security teams are conducting an investigation.”

Do also shared an image of two men captioned “un***** are watching Disney Channel,” an apparent racist riff on a mid-2000s promotion used by Disney’s television station.

At the time, Disney stars would say the popular catchphrase “you’re watching Disney Channel” and draw the iconic mouse ears using a magic wand.

He also shared two selfies, captioning one: “KILL ALL N******S. DAVID DO IS HERE.”

The hacker also encouraged social media users to follow his private Instagram account @chi11estpanda.

Disneyland has 8.4 million followers on Instagram, and its Facebook account has over 17.2 million followers. Typically, its pages are filled with photos of families, children and activities at the resort, making Do’s post stand out.

Disneyland’s Instagram account was temporarily taken down shortly after the incident became public and re-emerged without any of the hacked posts. The posts were removed from the park’s Facebook account as well.

Disneyland’s other social media pages appeared to be unaffected.

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CNN
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James Caan, the veteran screen actor known for his work in such films as “The Godfather,” “Misery” and “Elf,” has died, his family said in a statement on his verified Twitter account. He was 82.

“It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Jimmy on the evening of July 6,” the statement read. “The family appreciates the outpouring of love and heartfelt condolences and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time.”

They did not disclose a cause of death.

Caan first found fame playing Chicago Bears halfback Brian Piccolo in “Brian’s Song,” a widely seen 1971 TV movie. The tearjerking film chronicled Piccolo’s real-life battle with terminal cancer and drew praise for its treatment of the interracial friendship between Piccolo and a Black teammate, Gale Sayers.

His next movie, 1972’s “The Godfather,” made Caan a star. Although he was not Italian, Caan was cast as hotheaded Sonny Corleone, the oldest of mobster Vito Corleone’s three sons, who is memorably gunned down by rival gangsters at a tollbooth.

In a 2021 interview for “CBS Sunday Morning,” Caan said he based Sonny’s persona on the late comedian Don Rickles.

“It wasn’t imitating Don Rickles. It was having that drive, that thing, you know? I was just locked into that,” he said of his performance.

The role earned him an Oscar nomination. Caan also appeared in a flashback in “The Godfather, Part II.”

Caan was perhaps best known for playing tough-guy characters in such films as “Thief” and “Rollerball.” But he was a versatile actor who commanded a variety of roles, including “Misery,” the 1990 Stephen King adaptation about a mild-mannered romance novelist terrorized by an obsessive fan.

He is probably best known to younger audiences for his role in “Elf,” the Christmas tale in which he played Will Ferrell’s Scrooge-like father, a children’s book publisher unhappy to learn he has an exuberant grown son who wears an elf costume and pours maple syrup on his spaghetti.

In the same CBS interview, Caan said he almost turned down the role over the film’s title alone but Ferrell convinced him to join the project.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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CNN
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“Minions: The Rise of Gru” did gangbusters over the weekend. The latest film in the “Despicable Me” franchise of a would-be villain and his bizarre yellow henchmen had the biggest opening ever over the July 4th holiday.

For all its success in drawing audiences back to theaters, distributor Universal Pictures has, at least partially, the “Gentleminions” to thank.

Gentleminions are young people who film themselves dressed in formalwear, flooding unsuspecting movie theaters to see the newest “Minions” flick and hollering at the screen like they’re lining the ring at Wrestlemania. TikTok teens are arguably not the audience Illumination had in mind when concocting the latest slapstick-heavy animated children’s film, but they’ve turned out in droves anyway thanks to the viral trend – the hashtag #Gentleminions has over 22 million views and counting on the platform.

The Gentleminions are not always welcome, though. They’re showing up at theaters everywhere from the US to Australia and countries in between, causing chaos to the point that some theaters have banned them from buying tickets to “Minions” if they come dressed in a suit.

If you spot a Gentleminion at a viewing of “Minions,” don’t panic – they’re typically harmless, if irksomely obsessed with the little yellow menaces. Here’s how the odd trend came to be – and how teenage boys on TikTok became the Minions’ biggest fans.

To understand the Gentleminions, one must first understand the Minions themselves.

Minions first hit the scene when the first “Despicable Me” premiered in 2010. Immediately, viewers were drawn to the oblong creatures in overalls who served villain-turned-softie Gru. With names like Kevin and Bob, a penchant for drag and a wholly unique delivery of the word “banana,” the Minions endeared themselves to audience members across generations – including Facebook users of a certain age, some of started sharing memes of Minions that convey the thankless exhaustion of parenthood.

And then there are the ironic Minion memes, those shared by irreverent young people and jaded adults. The Minions, these users postulate, are funny because they are note funny, but they’re so unfunny that the same memes have become funny again. Somehow, within that cycle of earnestness and irony, the Minions have become what they’ve always striven to be: Comedy legends.

Now, in 2022, the children who grew up with Minions are now young adults and very fluent in internetspeak. Enter the Gentleminions.

To be a Gentleminion, one must arrive at the movie theater in formal attire – usually a suit and tie. Then, after one has purchased a ticket to “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” one must film themselves before, during and after the movie to demonstrate their excitement. One must cheer, leap up in glee and generally disrupt the viewing experience to inhabit the Gentleminion ethos. And then, of course, one must post their excursion on TikTok, setting the clip to a song called “Rich Minion” by the rapper Yeat.

Why dress up for a night at the theater? Bill Hirst, an Australian teen whose Gentleminions video has received millions of views, told Variety it was all “just for fun” after he and his friends saw another group of boys on TikTok who donned suits to the movies.

“We just chucked on our suits and went straight to the cinemas,” he said. “It was very spontaneous”

In a few cases, though, the Gentleminions’ mostly innocent revelry has sourced. The only movie theater in Guernsey, in the British Isles, had to cancel screenings of the movie after a horde of Gentleminions vandalized the theater and led some children at the screenings to leave in tears, its manager told the BBC.

Some American theaters have also seen light vandalism: A representative for a major theater chain who wasn’t authorized to speak on the record told the Los Angeles Times that its employees have been alerted to the trend after some Gentleminions caused minor property damage, though it doesn’t currently have rules in place to stop them from seeing the movie.

Movie theaters have long been the preferred domains of many a raucous teen, but the Gentleminions have pushed many theaters to their limits. In the UK, several theaters have banned certain young people from tickets to the film as a result of the chaos in Guernsey and other locales, the Guardian reported. One theater said it would not admit any “unaccompanied children wearing suits” who came to see the Minions make mischief.

Whether American cinemas will take the same steps to curb the chaos remains to be seen. CNN reached out to national chains AMC, Regal and Cinemark for comment on their response to the Gentleminions trend and is waiting to hear back.

Meanwhile, Universal Pictures has wholeheartedly embraced the Gentleminions: In a tweet last week, the company wrote: “to everyone showing up to @Minions in suits: we see you and we love you.”

The Minions themselves even sent the Gentleminions a video salute on TikTok, wishing them “Bobspeed.” Their new “fans” might be seeing the film for disingenuous laughs, but the Minions are taking their teasing all the way to the bank.

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The Dallas Cowboys got blasted on social media for announcing a new marketing deal with a gun-themed coffee company — just two days after a mass shooter killed seven and wounded three dozen in suburban Chicago on the Fourth of July.

The NFL franchise known as “America’s Team” posted a notice on Twitter touting a new partnership with Black Rifle Coffee, a Salt Lake City-based company which sells “AK-47 Espresso Blend,” “Silencer Smooth Roast,” and “Murdered Out Extra Dark Roast.”

“Cowboys Nation, please welcome America’s Coffee to America’s Team,” the team tweeted on Tuesday.

The Cowboys are offering fans ticket giveaways and a year subscription to Black Rifle Coffee.

The announcement did not sit well with commenters on Twitter, one of whom said: “just 18 hours after multiple mass shootings on Independence Day, and just weeks after a bunch of kids were shot to death at a school in your state, you’re partnering with this?”

Another commenter wrote: “The Dallas Cowboys just lost one of their biggest fans. Integrity matters.”

“Impeccable timing. Truly,” wrote another Twitter user who noted that the Cowboys tweeted out a mournful message after the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas on May 24 that claimed the lives of 22 people.

“Guys. This was literally 6 weeks ago IN YOUR STATE, and there was a mass shooting YESTERDAY.”

“Thoughts and prayers to Uvalde. So sad. Also, buy this black rifle coffee.”

Others on Twitter wrote that some were misinterpreting the coffee company’s mission.

One Twitter user wrote: “I feel a bunch of you people just read the name of the coffee and got mad over the name of it and don’t even know anything about the brand! It’s a veteran owned company.”

The Post has sought comment from the team as well as the coffee company.

Black Rifle Coffee Company, which is popular among gun enthusiasts and conservatives, bills itself as a “veteran-founded business operated by principled men and women” that “serves coffee and culture to people who love America.”

“We develop our explosive roast profiles with the same mission focus we learned as military members serving this great country and are committed to supporting veterans, law enforcement, and first responders,” the company writes on its web site.

“With every purchase you make, we give back.”

A spokesperson for the company told the Associated Press: “BRCC is proud to partner with the Dallas Cowboys, who are strongly committed to our mission of supporting veterans, first responders, and America’s men and women in uniform.”

“The long-planned announcement was timed to coincide with the Independence Day holiday — America’s Team. America’s Coffee. America’s Birthday.”

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]]> https://harchi90.com/cowboys-slammed-for-sponsorship-deal-with-black-rifle-coffee/feed/ 0 6180 https://harchi90.com/why-minions-beat-lightyear-at-the-box-office/ https://harchi90.com/why-minions-beat-lightyear-at-the-box-office/#respond Tue, 05 Jul 2022 21:10:50 +0000 https://harchi90.com/why-minions-beat-lightyear-at-the-box-office/ Two blockbuster animated franchises went head-to-head at the box office this past weekend. One of them benefited from buzz − and it wasn’t “Lightyear.” In just three days, Universal and Illumination’s “Minions: The Rise of Gru” tallied more than $107 million in domestic ticket sales and topped $200 million globally. Its rival, Disney and Pixar’s …

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Two blockbuster animated franchises went head-to-head at the box office this past weekend. One of them benefited from buzz − and it wasn’t “Lightyear.”

In just three days, Universal and Illumination’s “Minions: The Rise of Gru” tallied more than $107 million in domestic ticket sales and topped $200 million globally.

Its rival, Disney and Pixar’s “Lightyear,” has generated just $105 million domestically since it was released three weeks ago and has struggled to reach $190 million worldwide.

The two franchises are among the most popular and profitable for their respective studios, having each raked in billions of dollars in ticket sales over the last decade — so why did “Minions” soar and “Lightyear” flop?

It comes down to storytelling and target audience, box office analysts say.

“The relatively soft response to ‘Lightyear’ by audiences and their unbridled excitement for ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’ reflects many different factors, not the least of which is the that the films are polar opposites in terms of their approach to a delivering story to the audience,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore.

While “Minions” leaned heavily into the slapstick comedy that made the last four installments in the Despicable Me franchise so successful, “Lightyear” shifted away from a formula that endeared so many generations to the Toy Story franchise − centered on emotional stories around beloved childhood toys.

“Minions: The Rise of Gru” tells the villain origin story of Gru, who as a child seeks to establish himself amongst the biggest bad guys in the world. Along the way, his gang of denim overall-wearing minions bungles his plans, resulting in a silly, gut-busting romp.

“Slapstick comedy is a tried-and-true genre that kids of all ages have always loved,” Dergarabedian said.

“Lightyear,” which was also billed as an origin story, is about the movie that made Buzz Lightyear the hottest-selling toy and a coveted prize for young Andy. The characters on screen aren’t toys that believe they are real, they are actually human. This meta-style story might have been enticing to audiences that grew up with “Toy Story” in the ’90s, but for younger generations, the science-fiction action adventure missed the mark.

“Minions” was simply more accessible to audiences, analysts said.

“Minions” also got a surprise boost at the box office from teenagers, who bought 15% of the movie’s tickets during its opening weekend. For “Lightyear,” 6% of tickets were purchased by teens, according to data from EntTelligence.

A new trend on TikTok likely helped fuel “Minions” sales, as groups of young moviegoers dressed in formal attire to attend showings of the new Despicable Me movie. The “Gentleminions” hashtag has more than 9 million views on TikTok and gained the attention of Universal Studios.

“To everyone showing up to ‘Minions’ in suits: we see you and we love you,” the company wrote in a tweet last Friday.

Families accounted for 68% of “Minions: The Rise of Gru” ticket sales during its opening weekend, while adults without children accounted for 17% of tickets.

For “Lightyear,” families accounted for 65% of the tickets sold, while adults without children accounted for nearly 30% of ticket sales.

“What ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’s debut proves without a doubt is that family audiences are once again able to strongarm a movie at the box office,” said Jeff Bock, senior analyst at Exhibitor Relations. “We saw that with ‘Sonic 2’ earlier this year, but hadn’t yet seen a traditional animated movie slay the box office since pre-pandemic times.”

While it’s a promising sign for theaters that parents and kids are finally flocking back to cinemas, production delays during the pandemic mean there aren’t many new movies for them to watch.

Nickelodeon’s “Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank” arrives July 15 followed by Warner Bros.’ “DC League of Super-Pets” on July 29 and then there is a lull until Disney’s “Strange World” arrives November 23.

“This summer has long looked like it would provide the most high-profile animated releases for most of the remainder of the year, so it’s great news that the ‘Minions’ film is over-performing in the way it is,” said Shawn Robbins , chief analyst at BoxOffice.com.

Robbins noted that the Sony film “Lyle, Lyle Crocodile,” which uses live-action and animation, could be a sleeper hit at the box office when it arrives October 7 to help tide over families with children looking for movies during the fall.

Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and CNBC. NBCUniversal is the distributor of “Minions: The Rise of Gru.”

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