Open Thread

Never change, Florida Man. Fox News reports: A Florida man was arrested after allegedly gave his girlfriend a “wet willy” while he was belligerent, an affidavit says. A local sheriff’s deputy was called to the home of 47-year-old Joseph Sireci in mid-August. The man’s girlfriend claimed that she found Sireci drunk on the living room floor after she returned home …

This time Florida Couple makes an appearance: A Florida couple was arrested last week after they were caught allegedly selling drugs out of a drive-thru window they constructed out of the side of their mobile home. William Parrish Jr. and McKenzee Dobbs of Ocala, Florida, were arrested on August 23 after investigators raided their mobile home following reports of four …

Playbill reports: The Broadway production of King Kong has just released a new music video featuring Christiani Pitts, who stars as Ann Darrow in the new musical that begins previews October 5 at the Broadway Theatre.  Written by Jack Thorne (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) with a score by Marius de Vries (La La Land and Moulin Rouge) and …

Playbill reports: Four-time Tony winner Jerry Zaks, most recently represented on Broadway with the Tony-winning revival of Hello, Dolly!, has been named the director of the Broadway-bound musical Mrs. Doubtfire, based on Anne Fine’s best-selling novel Alias Madame Doubtfire and the 1993 comedy of the same name. The musical will be penned by the Tony-nominated creators of Something Rotten!: John …

Just in from our pal Matt Baume: Imagine a world where queer people have all the power, and heterosexuals have to hide who they truly are. That’s the scenario of this 1984 episode of the sitcom Kate & Allie, featuring two straight moms who have to pretend to be lesbians in order to keep their home.

Billboard Magazine reports: Little Monsters of all ages have plenty to celebrate with the upcoming release of Rockabye Baby!‘s Lady Gaga lullaby covers album, due Sept. 21. With covers of tracks that span her illustrious career, ranging from The Fame up to Joanne, even the Mother Monster’s most club-friendly bops will wind down into wood-block-and-glockenspiel sleepy time fodder. The Rockabye …

Billboard Magazine reports: An all-star lineup that includes Stevie Wonder, Faith Hill, Jennifer Hudson, Fantasia, Shirley Caesar and many more will perform at Aretha Franklin’s funeral next week. Franklin’s service will be held in Detroit on Aug. 31. Also slated to perform are Ron Isley, Chaka Khan, Yolanda Adams, Jennifer Holliday and Aretha Franklin’s son, Edward Franklin. The service will …

Tonight’s Florida Man is naked on the interstate: Wearing nothing but a string for underwear, pink socks and sneakers, a nearly naked man on a bicycle zigzagged through the lanes of I-95 Thursday evening. The man’s attire — or lack of attire — stunned commuters on the busy highway just north of downtown Miami. People on social media documented the …

Tonight’s Florida Man episode involves secret donuts: A Florida man demanded more than just cash when he allegedly attempted to rob a Krispy Kreme in Gainesville on Friday. According to police, he also asked for some donuts. The suspected robber, identified as Siwatu A. Wright, 45, allegedly tried to rob the donut shop around 1:20 a.m. on Friday, demanding $10s, …

Rolling Stone reports: Cher has returned with another taste of her forthcoming album of ABBA covers, Dancing Queen. This time, she tackles the Swedish pop group’s 1975 hit SOS. Much like previous release Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight), Cher adds a clubbier touch to this ABBA track. Above the piano that carries the tender, emotional choruses is a …

Tonight’s Florida Man story involves vehicular stupidity: Most Floridians are used to traveling alongside people on motorcycles. But one motorist couldn’t believe her eyes the other day. While driving on southbound 95 near Jacksonville on Saturday, a woman and her son spotted a man reclining on his bike, steering with his bare feet, looking completely calm and relaxed. The man …

Pitchfork reports: The Eagles’ album Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) has retaken the spot of best-selling album of all time in the United States, passing Michael Jackson’s Thriller. According to the Recording Industry Association of America, the 1976 compilation has been certified 38x platinum. Thriller has been bumped to second at 33x platinum, while another Eagles album—1977’s Hotel California—is the third-best-selling …

Billboard Magazine reports: Madonna will be present at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall on Monday (Aug. 20) to present the video of the year award during the MTV Video Music Awards, as the singer announced earlier in the day via Twitter. This year, the category’s nominees include Ariana Grande/“No Tears Left to Cry,” Bruno Mars ft. Cardi B/“Finesse …

The Cape Cod Wave reports: Carnival 2018 in Provincetown, both risqué and family-friendly with the theme of Mardi Gras By The Sea, was a great success according to several mermen, the town crier, and an officer with the Provincetown Police Department. The parade on Thursday afternoon on Commercial Street drew a crowd of between 75,000 and 100,000 people, according to …

Tonight we have a political Florida Man story: When Hallandale Beach Mayor Keith London said “sphincter bleaching is a very up and coming business,” during the City Commission’s budget discussion Monday night, he may have been right. But whether he thought anal bleach had anything to do with public safety budgets — the topic being discussed — remains unclear. Why …

Noting that her only disco album, released in 1979, was one of her rare flops, Billboard Magazine weighs in on Aretha Franklin’s influence on house music: House music was just beginning its rise in the late ’70s and early ’80s, getting play at soon-to-be iconic venues like The Loft and Paradise Garage in Manhattan and The Warehouse in Chicago. It …

Billboard Magazine reports: Ariana Grande’s new album Sweetener is due out Friday, but Arianators got a sweet, early taste when she appeared overnight on The Late Late Show. Grande took another ride with its host James Corden, as the pair belted out some classics and some new goodies for a “carpool karaoke” segment. The pair hit “God is a Woman,” …

USA Today reports: The man accused of smashing President Donald Trump’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame with a pickax called it a “rightful and just act” after a court hearing Wednesday. Austin Clay, 24, pleaded not guilty to a felony vandalism charge in Los Angeles on Wednesday. He is the second man charged recently with taking a pickaxe …

The New York Times reports: An ailing Aretha Franklin was visited on Tuesday at her home in Detroit by Stevie Wonder, the Rev. Jesse Jackson and her ex-husband Glynn Turman, as tributes to the Queen of Soul poured in from around the world. A spokeswoman for the Franklin family confirmed the visits and said in a statement that Ms. Franklin, …

Michigan gas stations are selling boner pills: The maker of a competing male enhancement drug sued Detroit-area Sunoco gas stations on Monday, claiming the franchisees have unlawfully sold supplements that contain the same ingredient used in Viagra. Outlaw Laboratory of Houston, Texas, which markets and sells supplements called TriSteel and TriSteel 8 Hour, says that the gas stations have sold …