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Conservative politicians have been targeting trans people, drag queens and queer culture left and right in recent weeks, and artists such as Paramore‘s Hayley Williams, Lizzo and Ariana Grande aren’t letting it slide.
The three singers are just a few of the many musicians speaking out against a recent surge in anti-LGBTQ bills surging through Republican-led legislatures, particularly in Tennessee. In early March, for example, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed controversial laws banning minors from receiving gender-affirming care and preventing drag queens from performing in certain public spaces.
Why is this dangerous? RuPaul said it best in a March 8 Instagram video about the situation: Other than the life-threatening consequences of persecuting people based on sexuality and gender identity, the lawmakers passing such legislation are “distracting us away from the real issues that they were voted into office to focus on — jobs, healthcare, keeping our children safe from harm at their own school.”
Many musicians aren’t just speaking out against the uptick in discriminatory laws — they’re also singing out. Williams, along with Maren Morris, Sheryl Crow, Jason Isbell, Amanda Shires and several others, are gathering on March 20 in Nashville to stage Love Rising, a benefit concert supporting Tennessee-based LGBTQ organizations.
Even the Music Business Association, which is based in Tennessee, has issued a statement condemning the state’s legislation. “These bigoted actions are especially concerning as we believe the intentional use of vague, inflammatory language will act as a gateway to encouraging acts of violence against the LGBTQ+ community,” it read.
“The music industry is built upon the work of artists, many of whom identify as trans, non-binary, genderqueer, and LGBTQ+,” it continued. “Legislation like this threatens the safety of artists and others, and will force businesses to reconsider holding events in this state. The safety of our conference attendees is central to our Association and will be of paramount concern in planning future events under the Music Biz banner.”
Keep reading to see some of the biggest musicians who are making their voices heard.
Hayley Williams
“Once again our state has passed two regressive and unfathomably harmful bills,” Williams wrote on her Instagram Story in late February, after the Tennessee House passed legislation that would ban drag performances and gender-affirming care. “We stand in solidarity with our LGBTQIA+ family and local LGBTQIA+ orgs in this fight, not only for inclusion for our friends and family in the queer community, but for radical acceptance and empowerment for each of them.”
“Drag is not a crime,” the Tennessee native added ahead of the governor signing the bills into law. “Gender-affirming healthcare for all, including our youth, is a necessity.”
Cyndi Lauper
“I believe you don’t stop the fight,” noted LGBTQ ally Cyndi Lauper said of the Tennessee bills in a March interview, which was captured on video. “Equality for everybody, or nobody’s really equal. This is how Hitler started … just weeding everybody out.”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea what they’re doing but, you know, you just have to keep fighting for civil rights,” she continued. “I guess that’s the way it is in this country. Started out like that, didn’t it?”
The B-52s
The B-52s shared a lengthy, passionate statement on Twitter March 8 to “strongly denounce” bills promoting transphobia. “These bills not only violate the fundamental human rights of the affected individuals but also perpetuate a toxic culture of hate and intolerance that has no place in our society,” wrote bandmates Kate Pierson, Fred Schneider and Cindy Wilson.
Lizzo
Lizzo took the discourse surrounding transphobia one step further by explaining how it intersects with racism and fatphobia on Twitter a few days after Gov. Lee signed the restrictive bills.
“I’ve never heard a person say why they’re racist… Or fatphobic.. I’ve never heard a reason why someone is transphobic..,” the “About Damn Time” singer wrote. “I think if we knew ‘why’ these people felt this way there would way less support for these ideals. Because the ‘why’ is more insidious than we realize.”
Jason Isbell
In the Love Rising lineup announcement, Isbell expressed his support more clearly. “Senate Bill 3 and House Bill 9 are clearly targeted attacks on Tennesseans who haven’t done anything wrong,” the former Drive-By Truckers musician said in the press release. “These bills add up to an attempt to eradicate a valuable part of our community and force good people to live in fear. We can’t in good conscience just stand by and let that happen.”
Isbell also tweeted in disagreement of the drag ban specifically, calling it a “completely unnecessary law aimed at people who don’t tend to vote GOP.”
Joy Oladokun
Joy Oladokun, another Love Rising performer, denounced Tennessee’s new laws on Twitter. “For a while now spineless representatives of a hateful minority have been stripping away the rights and care of LGBTQIA+ people in the state,” the “Someone Like You” musician wrote on March 7.
Maren Morris
As one of country music’s most outspoken social activists, Maren Morris signed on to perform at Love Rising and challenged her followers to “show these politicians that they do not speak for all of Tennessee.” “Love will prevail,” the “Circles Around This Town” artist added.
Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande shared a post slamming Tennessee’s drag show ban with her 360 million followers on Instagram Stories. “Tennessee just banned Drag Shows,” the post read. “However Nazi’s [sic] and the KKK can still hold protests and meetings there. Take a long moment and let that sink in very deeply.”
The “Positions” pop star’s brother, reality star Frankie Grande, also didn’t hold back about his feelings regarding the ban. Posting a nine-part Twitter thread on the ban’s potentially dangerous consequences, he wrote, “This is political theatre designed to encourage vigilante violence against a group of people that’s already incredibly vulnerable.”
Thread: The Tennessee Drag Ban (1/9)This bill is not just a one off from a rogue legislator. This is a continuation of a concerted effort by Republicans to criminalize, harass, and endanger LGBTQ+ people. More than 300 anti-LGBTQ+ bills were either introduced or passed in 2022 pic.twitter.com/j8m67BKAAS— Frankie James Grande (@FrankieJGrande) March 6, 2023https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
RuPaul
The Queen of Drag got right down to business in a March 8 Instagram video outlining the urgency of the situation in Tennessee. “Bullies are incompetent at solving real issues,” Ru said. “They look for easy targets so they can give the impression of being effective. They think our love, our light, our laughter and our joy are signs of weakness. But they’re wrong — because that is our strength.”
Calling drag queens “the Marines of the queer movement,” the Drag Race creator added, “Register to vote so we can get these stunt queens out of office and put some smart people with real solutions into government. And by the way — a social media post has never been as powerful as a registered vote.”
Disney fans are just months away from diving under the sea with Halle Bailey as Ariel in the upcoming live-action remake of The Little Mermaid, and on Monday (March 13), the film’s official soundtrack got a release date.
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According to a post from the film shared to Twitter, the soundtrack “featuring all new performances by the cast” is set for release on May 19, a week before the movie hits theaters on May 26. The album will include new lyrics from Lin-Manuel Miranda, plus music and lyrics from Alan Menken and Howard Ashman from the original 1989 The Little Mermaid film.
The official trailer for the live-action movie debuted during the 2023 Oscars on Sunday night (March 12), capturing Bailey as Ariel in the reimagining of the Disney animated classic, with an ensemble including Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, Javier Bardem as King Triton and Jonah Hauer-King as Eric.
In November, the Chloe x Halle star revealed that the most “touching” part of playing the iconic Ariel was getting to see the reaction little girls had to her performance of “Part of Your World” when it initially was released in September.
“It just makes me cry,” she shared. “The fact that all these little Black and Brown babies are going to be able to feel like they’re being represented is really special to me. I know that if I had that when I was younger, it would have changed a whole lot for me and my perspective on who I am as an individual.”
While many of Hollywood’s biggest celebrities were at Sunday night’s Academy Awards at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theater (March 12), Elton John was busy putting his star status to good use across town.
The annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards viewing party took place on Sunday at West Hollywood Park in Los Angeles. Hosted by John and his husband David Furnish, with special guests Eric McCormack and Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, the event reportedly raised over $9 million for the “Rocket Man” singer’s charity organization.
The event was well-attended by plenty of A-list artists, including stars like Maren Morris, Wiz Khalifa, Dove Cameron, Hilary Duff, Kesha, Saweetie, Tyga, Sharon Osbourne, Maggie Rogers and Smokey Robinson. Rina Sawayama served as the event’s headline performer, where she took to the stage and performed a number of tracks, including “This Hell” and “Catch Me In The Air” off her latest album Hold the Girl.
“I’m delighted to have reunited with all of my friends tonight after such a long time apart and better yet, to have raised over $9 million for the fight against AIDS,” John said of the event in a statement. “We mustn’t forget that HIV is still causing needless suffering around the world and we must protect those most vulnerable to this disease with testing and compassionate care. We can see an end to AIDS in our lifetimes, but first we must break down stigma and discrimination and provide equal access to healthcare to finally end the epidemic for everyone, everywhere.”
The Elton John AIDS Foundation was founded in 1992 with the stated goal of bringing an end to the AIDS epidemic. The annual Oscars viewing party, which began the same year as the organization’s inception, regularly raises millions of dollars for the foundation — in 2022, the event raised $8.6 million for AIDS research.
As Waymond Wang famously says in Everything Everywhere All At Once, “Please, be kind. Especially when we don’t know what’s going on.”
Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (aka “The Daniels”) certainly took that advice from their character when they accepted the award for best directing at the 2023 Oscars on Sunday (March 12). Dedicating the award to “all the mommies of the world,” Scheinert especially thanked his parents for supporting his passion throughout his life. “Thank you for not squashing my creativity when I was making really disturbing horror films, or really perverted comedy films, or dressing in drag as a kid, which is a threat to nobody.”
That final comment seemed to come as a shot at Tennessee lawmakers, who earlier this month passed a law banning drag performances from taking place on public property, claiming drag posed a threat to children. While Tennessee became the first state to enact such a ban, a number of other states — including North Dakota, Texas, West Virigina, Nebraska and South Carolina — are currently advancing similar legislation.
The Daniels were the big winners at Sunday night’s telecast, as Everything Everywhere All At Once took home a whopping seven awards out of the 11 it was nominated for, including best picture, best direction, best original screenplay, best film editing, and three of the four major acting awards (best actress for Michele Yeoh, best supporting actor for Ke Huy Quan and best supporting actress for Jamie Lee Curtis).
Check out the Daniels’ full speech following their best directing win at the 2023 Oscars above.
Hello…you. The season 4 finale of Netflix’s You contained an epic needle drop of Taylor Swift‘s “Anti-Hero,” and now the show’s creator is dishing on how she nabbed the song.
“We had finished most of the episodes and sent them off to Netflix,” Sera Gamble, who also serves as You‘s showrunner, told E! News on Friday (March 10), “and then we needed this last big song at the end of the final episode and we had one in that was different.” (Don’t worry, no spoilers going forward about the second batch of season 4 episodes, which just premiered on the streamer.)
At first, the thriller’s music team was planning to use one of several “really iconic British songs,” given the season’s London setting, but Gamble changed her mind the moment Swift dropped her 10th album Midnights and its lead single — with its self-loathing refrain of “It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me” — back in October. “I was like, ‘I feel like it’s almost too good what she’s saying and we have to at least try to get this song in.’ Because really, what is You but a Taylor Swift fan love letter disguised as a show?”
There’s no word yet on whether Swift has binged Joe Goldberg’s murderous antics on the latest season of the Netflix hit, but it’s safe to say she’s probably been a bit busy prepping for The Eras Tour, which kicks off on St. Patrick’s Day (March 17) at Glendale, Ariz.’s State Farm Stadium.
To celebrate the musical mastermind’s arrival, Glendale Mayor Jerry P. Weiers announced earlier this week that the town will temporarily be changing its name through her second show on Saturday, March 18.
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When is the best time to buy a mattress? It depends on how much you’re willing to spend.
Manufacturers tend to release new mattresses between June and September, so it’s no surprise that Labor Day is one of the best times of year to find a discounted, but Sleep Week is also a fine time to make upgrades to your bedroom.
Although shopping for a new mattress online can be tricky, it’s certainly not impossible. Customer reviews are a good way to gage the quality of the product, but you can take it a step further by searching TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Reddit and other forums.
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With Daylight Savings and Sleep Week on Sunday (March 12), major retailers like Macy’s, Amazon, Overstock, Wayfair and Walmart have started rolling out deals on tons of mattresses, but also bedding, rugs and other household essentials, in addition to cookwear, Airpods and other electronics, appliances, apparel and more. To make things easier, we’ve collected a list of more than a dozen of the best mattress sales to shop right now.
Don’t wait to save! See the list of sales below along with some of our top mattress picks and click here to shop alarm clocks.
Avocado — Save up to $300 on Organic Luxury Mattress with code: SNOOZE; $200 off Green, Vegan and Latex mattresses + free shipping with code: SLEEP; 10% off bedding and adjustable bases. Offer ends 3/27.
Big Fish Mattress – Save up to $300 with code: BEREAL. Offers ends soon.
Brentwood Home — Save $100 off Cypress Affordable Memory Foam Mattress with code: CYPRESS; $150 off Oceana, Crystal Cove and Hybrid Latex mattresses with code: SLEEP; plus save 10% off bedding and adjustable bases.
Brooklinen — 20% off sitewide until March 20. Offer excludes Space and Last Call items.
Casper – Save up to $1,250 on mattresses bundles during the Daylight Savings Sale.
Cocoon by Sealy – There’s only three days left to save 35% on all mattresses, plus a free pillow and sheets (valued at up to $199). Sale ends 3/13.
Dream Cloud – 25% off everything + $599 worth of accessories during the Dreaming of Spring sale (ends Friday, March 10).
Leesa – Get up to $700 off mattresses plus two free pillows and up to 20% off select bedding. Offer ends on 4/4.
Macy’s – Enjoy closeout deals on mattresses from Sealy, Serta, Beautyrest, Sterns & Foster, Leesa and more plus bedding, blankets and other home goods. See more here.
Mattress Firm – Save up to $700 on king beds, plus a free adjustable base on select mattresses; up to $150 off Sleepy’s bedding (with code: SLEEPYS) and free delivery on select items.
Marlow — Save 20% during Sleep Week.
Naturepedic – Get 10% off Naturepedic organic mattresses and bedding and other promos when you sign up at Naturepedic.com.
Nectar Sleep – Get 40% off everything during Nectar’s biggest sale ever. The Daylight Savings flash sale ends Friday (March 10) night.
Nolah – Limited deal: $700 off all mattresses, plus two free pillows ($198 value) while supplies last.
Purple Mattress – Up to 20% off accessories and free sheets with select mattress purchases; 20% off bedding and pillows, 25% off bedding bundles and $500 off Purple’s Ascent Adjustable Base bed.
Saatva – Save up to $600 of off during Saatva’s sale. Promo ends on 3/13.
Slumberland – Take 20% off during the Spring Spruce Up Event. Get up to $300 in Slumberland cash on select Sealy mattress sets.
Tempurpedic – Save up to 30% off the Tempur Cloud mattresses or $300 in free accessories with select mattress purchases (use code: 300FREE).
Tuft & Needle – Up to $470 off mattresses and up to 40% off sleep essentials such as quilts, blankets and furniture.
Yana — Save 15% with code: SLEEPWEEK23 from March 12-March 18.
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Nectar
The Nectar Memory Foam Mattress $from $339
Over 44,000 customer reviews and a 4.8 out of 5-star rating confirm why this is “America’s most comfortable mattress.” Nector’s premium, memory foam mattress cradles your body and keeps you cool for a more restful night’s sleep. As one customer wrote, “I haven’t slept this good in 20 years!”
Macy’s
Sealy Posturepedic Spring Bloom 12-inch Mattress
$649 $1,019 36% off% OFF
Thousands of customers have fallen in love with this Sealy Posturepedic mattress currently on sale at Macy’s. The 12-inch, queen mattress is made with gel and memory foams designed for cooling, contouring and pressure-relieving core and back support.
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Amazon
Casper Polyurethane Foam Sleep Element Mattress, Queen, Firm, Grey
$695.00
Sleep comfort at a dreamy price. Casper’s Element mattress features two layers of premium foam for a balance of softness and support. It’s equipped with a top layer of Casper’s trademarked AirScape perforated foam to help you keep you cool at night. Underlying memory foam supports pressure points and cradles curves and durable base foam engineered to prevent sinking and sagging for full-body support. The manufacturer recommends allowing 24-72 hours for your mattress to regain its full shape.
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Amazon
Avenco Full Mattress Hybrid, 12-inch Pocket Spring and Gel Memory
$319.99
An affordable, mattress-in-a-box option, this 12-inch mattress from Avenco features gel memory foam, comfort foam, and high-density foam. The mattress is made to absorb your weight, relieve pressure and block the innerspring for a comfortable rest.
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Overstock
LUCID Comfort Collection 10-inch Luxury Gel Memory Foam Mattress $from $188.69 $255.99
Comfort at a great price! If you’re on a tight budget, Lucid Comfort Collection 10-inch Gel Mattress is an affordable, best-seller on Overstock.com with thousands of positive reviews. The mattress is available in sizes ranging from twin to California king and equipped with gel-infused memory foam, support foam and a base foam. Like others on our list, this mattress comes in three comfort levels: firm, medium and plush.
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Saatva
Saatva Classic Mattress $from $695 $995
Save $300 on Saatva’s best-selling Classic Mattress. Choose between plush, luxury firm and firm in sizes ranging from twin to split California king. The Classic Mattress is available in 11 inches and 14 inches.
Watfair
Tempur Adapt Mattress
$1,699 $1,949 13% off% OFF
Customers are loving th Temper Adapt mattress. Combining “superior cool-to-touch comfort” and two layers of premium Tempur material, the Adapt mattress is made to continually adjust and conform to your body’s “changing needs throughout the night.” Tempur Adapt is on sale at Wayfair (save up to 60% during the 72-hour flash sale). If you’d rather have the bed without the mattress, the Tempur-Adapt smart base set ($1,949) is sold separately.
Selena Gomez sat down for the newest episode of the Apple TV+ series Dear… on Friday (March 10) to discuss her experience with lupus and body-shaming trolls.
The superstar explained that after she was first diagnosed with the disease, she “didn’t quite understand what that meant” at the time. “I knew I had an autoimmune disease, it was just my body fighting itself on the inside,” she said. “And that was the most surreal part because I had never felt fatigue, I was young, I felt completely fine. So hearing from a doctor that, ‘Oh, you could’ve had a stroke onstage, you could’ve died,’ it was a lot.”
As a side effect of the medications she was prescribed for lupus, Gomez’s weight would often fluctuate, and she found herself being attacked online over her body and physical appearance. “It was like they couldn’t wait to find a thing to bring me down,” she said. “I lied. I would go online and post a picture of myself and I would say, ‘It doesn’t matter. I’m not accepting what you’re saying,’ all the while being in the room posting that crying my eyes out, ’cause nobody deserves to hear those things.”
During the episode, the Selena + Chef star also looked back on her 2017 kidney transplant, which she received from her best friend Francia Rasia. “I will never, ever, ever be more in debt to a person than Francia,” she said. “The idea of someone not even second-guessing to be a donor was unbelievably overwhelming. … I think it had to happen the way that it did. In order for me to get to where I am, I was meant to go through it to do something for others.”
Gomez just returned to social media this week after taking a brief break in the wake of perceived drama with Hailey Bieber. “Please, please be kinder and consider others’ mental health,” she shared on TikTok. “My heart has been heavy and I only want good for everyone. All my love.”
The singer’s episode of Dear… is now streaming on Apple TV+.
U2‘s Bono and The Edge took David Letterman on a musical and personal journey around their hometown of Dublin, Ireland, for the upcoming Disney+ documentary Bono & The Edge: A Sort of Homecoming, With Dave Letterman.
The film, advertised as “part concert movie, part travel adventure plus a whole lot of Bono and The Edge, with Dave’s humor throughout,” does exactly that, as Letterman navigates the origins and cultural impact of U2.
Directed by Academy Award winner Morgan Neville, the documentary will debut March 17 on Disney+ and showcase Bono and The Edge‘s special concert performance in Dublin.
Billboard checked out the heartwarming documentary, and we’ve compiled some of the best, most impactful moments from Bono & The Edge: A Sort of Homecoming, With Dave Letterman. See them below, and be sure to sign up for Disney+ here before the film’s release.
The Original Band Name & Where the Nicknames Came From
Before U2, there was Lypton Village, and The Edge admitted that he “can’t remember” why he and his group of friends named themselves that. One of the main characteristics of the band, however, was that every member was given a nickname, which is where The Edge (real name David Howell Evans) was given his alter ego.
“Bono’s Village name was Bono Vox of O’Connell Street,” The Edge said of his bandmate (born Paul David Hewson), before Letterman noted that Bono was nicknamed after a hearing aid store.
“It was part of a pushback against the conservative society that we were a part of,” The Edge explained, before joking that U2 members Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. weren’t given the best nicknames, and that’s why they ultimately decided to move forward with their real names. Clayton was “Mrs. Burns” and Mullen was “The Jam Jar.”
“My nickname is ‘Dumba–,’” Letterman joked.
“Sunday Bloody Sunday”
A lesser known fact among younger U2 fans is just how much the religious turmoil of Ireland inspired the band. Bono and The Edge delved into the history of tension between the Catholics and Protestants in their home country and how it inspired their War hit “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” written by The Edge.
“On one particular day, this rage poured out. This frustration at not being able to write, not knowing if I should be in a rock n’ roll band, what the future might hold,” The Edge said of his 21-year-old self, who felt as though he had to chose between his faith and his love for music.
“This was alchemy,” Bono said of the song’s creation. “I was watching it. I was standing beside it. I saw this transformation of internal rage to external. I was like, ‘Phew, that’s why I’m in a band. That’s why I’m with this dude.’ It was a way to feel our music could mean something outside of just itself.”
Super Bowl XXXVI Halftime Show
At one point in the documentary, Bono touched on his decision to honor the names of those who died in the 2001 9/11 attacks during U2’s Super Bowl Halftime show performance, which came just six months after the devastating tragedy.
“I recall grappling with the concept of America, and what it meant to me and what it might mean around the world, and that this is a fragile moment,” he shared. “I wanted to use some exhortation, taking away normal spectacle and turning it into a monument of rolling names. Super Bowl Halftimes are a spectacle, but the greatest spectacles are emotions.”
Watch the moving tribute during the “Where the Streets Have No Name” performance here.
Panti Bliss Talks U2 & Homosexuality in Ireland
As the future of drag in the United States is currently in danger, thanks to the recent wave of anti-drag and anti-trans legislation introduced by Republican lawmakers in the U.S., it felt important to see how strongly U2 supports the rights of people of all sexualities — particularly drag queens.
Letterman sat down with drag star and marriage equality advocate Panti Bliss — who once joined U2 onstage in Dublin back in 2015 — to discuss how she initially had misconceptions about the band. “I grew up in a country that would absolutely repress any hint of sexuality. Dublin, all through the ‘80s, was this gray, aggressively normal kind of place. Homosexuality wasn’t even heard of,” she explained.
“I unfairly maligned U2 because, to me, at that time, they were part and parcel of this culture, this sort of straight-boy rock culture that I felt absolutely rejected by,” Panti continued. “So I left, I went to Japan to live and work and do [drag]. While I was living there, U2 came to perform and I started to see, ‘Oh actually, this U2 is not the U2 that I unfairly maligned.’ What I saw onstage in Tokyo was outward-looking, you know? It was sexy and fun. Maybe I’m overselling it, but they were part of the reason then in the end that I ended up coming back eventually.”
On how U2 impacted the movement of equality in Ireland, Panti noted, ” U2 was part of what allowed Ireland to stand on its own two feet and have our own thing. I appreciated that at the time and I still do now.”
A Sweet Moment of Friendship
It’s rare to see a band maintain a close friendship after 50 years of working together, but Bono and The Edge took a moment during their concert performance at Dublin’s Ambassador Theatre to shower each other with love.
“The thing I don’t like about Edge is that he doesn’t need me. He could be doing all of this, writing, singing, performing, playing, producing on his own. But he doesn’t,” Bono shared, looking at his old pal.
“Because it’s not as much fun,” The Edge sweetly replied.
Tearing up, Bono added, “Your best friends are the ones that you can have the best arguments with. I’ve got pretty much the best argument you could ever find right here. I would trust the Edge with my life. In fact, I have trusted him with my life.”
David Letterman’s Personal U2 Song
The late night talk show icon was taken aback at perhaps one of the most heartwarming parts of the documentary, when he found out that The Edge and Bono had spent the morning writing a song about him, inspired by Letterman’s trip to Ireland’s Forty Foot.
“We come to love this Forty Foot man / He keeps on doing the best that he can / We almost lost him there on Sandymount Strand / Being swept away was part of his plan / You can laugh nervously / That’s how we see underneath,” the duo sing, before Letterman puts his hands on his head in disbelief.
“Many nice things have happened to me for my life. This would be right at the top of that list,” he shared.
Wednesday and Scream VI star Jenna Ortega is one of the hottest young actresses in the game. Which might explain why Saturday Night Live oldster Bowen Yang just can’t understand all her youthful wordplay in the latest promo for this weekend’s show.
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After Ortega gives the basic rundown of the episode’s lineup — she’s hosting, The 1975 are the musical guest — a befuddled Yang is like, “what?,” clearly confused by all the millennial jargon she’s slanging at him. “I’m hosting SNL with musical guest The 1975,” the 20-year-old actress repeats as the band silently bracket her and Yang.
“I feel so old, I don’t understand any of your generation’s slang,” Yang, 33, complains. “Are you guys getting any of this?,” he asks the band, as shades-wearing singer Matty Healy mumbles, “none of it.”
In the second bit, Ortega flips her Wednesday character’s frown upside down and gives the camera some double espresso high school pep squad energy, which again totally confuses Yang. “What are you doing?” he wonders as Ortega shakes her shoulders and smiles brightly.
“I’m being upbeat, you know I don’t want people to think I’m like my character Wednesday,” she explains. “Well, cool it, you’re freaking people out!,” Yang admonishes the star, asking the band if they too are wondering what is going on. “We’re freaked,” they all murmur half-heartedly.
They all hang around for a few more bits, which come on top of this week’s first ad, during which Ortega reluctantly did her viral Wednesday “Bloody Mary” dance one more time to please the Please Don’t Destroy guys, who came dressed in their finest Wednesday Addams cosplay.
Saturday Night Live airs on NBC at 11:30 p.m. ET and streams later on Peacock.
Check out Ortega’s SNL promo below.
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March 10 marks National Mario Day, a celebration of the beloved, overall-wearing video game character who has been around for over 40 years.
Though Mario Day started in 2016, the Mario character was first introduced in the Donkey Kong arcade game in 1981. Video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto created Mario after he was unable to secure licensing rights to use Popeye. The character was originally called Jumpman before the name change, but according to other reports, he was also named “Ossan” (a Japenese word for “middle-aged guy”).
The Mario known and loved by millions was named after Mario Segale, a Seattle real-estate developer who rented a warehouse to Nintendo back in the ’80s.
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Mario became the star of his own video game when Super Mario Bros. was released in 1985. The success of Super Mario Bros. expanded Mario’s reach into other kinds of gaming genres, such as puzzle games like Dr. Mario and role-playing games like Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi.
Since his debut, Mario has appeared in more than 200 video games. Outside of the gaming realm, Mario has evolved into an animated cultural icon, with Mario-inspired clothing, shoes, books, bags, towels, LEGOs, bedding, dolls, phone cases, jewelry, Halloween costumers and other merchandise for fans to buy.
He’s also in movies. Mario made it to the silver screen in the 1993 comedy Super Mario Bros., while Chris Pratt will voice the character in the new Super Mario Bros. Movie hitting theaters on April 5 (click here for tickets). The final film trailer was released on Thursday (March 9) ahead of Mario Day.
Now that you’re all caught up on Mario, it’s time to shop! Mario Kart 9 is rumored to be releasing sometime this year. Until then, shop our roundup of Nintendo Switch video games in celebration of Mario Day.
Amazon
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Nintendo Switch
$39.00 $59.99 35% OFF
Hit the road jack! Race your friends or go up against them in a “revised battle mode” for new and returning battle courses with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. According to the manufacturer, courses included in the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass appear in the online course selection for worldwide and regional races.
GameStop
Super Mario 3D All-Stars (Pre-Owned)
$59.99 $64.99 8% off% OFF
Super Mario 3D All-Stars allows you to play three classic games from Mario’s 3D adventures.
Amazon
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe – Nintendo Switch
$39.00 $59.99 35% OFF
For the less experienced and pros, New Super Mario Bros. U. Deluxe lets you transform into Mario, Luigi and friends in single-player or multiplayer mode.
Walmart
Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit Nintendo Switch Edition
$67.26 $99.99 33% off% OFF
With more than 144 million copies sold Mario Kart Live is an obvious fan favorite. As many as four players can race on Mario Kart: Live Home Circus edition.
Amazon
Nintendo Super Mario Maker 2
$39.99 $59.99 33% off% OFF
Super Mario Kart 3 is rumored to be released on Nintendo Switch sometime this year. While you wait, pick up a copy of Super Mario Maker 2.
Amazon
Mario Gold Super Rush (Nintendo Switch Lite)
$39.99 $59.99 33% off% OFF
Golf as Mario, Peach, Yoshi and more; face off against Mushroom Kingdom classmates and level up your character in Mario Golf: Super Rush.
Amazon
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020
$29.99 $59.99 50% off% OFF
Go for the gold! Skateboard, surf and race your way to the top in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games.
Best Buy
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury
$39.99 $59.99 33% off% OFF
A colorful adventure! Pick your player to run, jump and dash around courses in Super Mario 3D World + Bowsers Fury.
Best Buy
Super Mario Party
$51.99 $59.99 13% off% OFF
Time to get the party started! Super Mario Party features character-specific dice blocks with dozens of exciting mini-games.