Toonstar Brings Web3 Entertainment to Strike-Era Hollywood

Kyle Bowser Recent news reports suggest Paramount Global may be considering a sale of its cable channel BET. Further reports identify media moguls Tyler Perry, Byron Allen, Sean “Diddy” Combs and a partnership comprised of Shaquille O’Neil, 50 Cent, and Kenya Barris as prospective buyers of the platform, which was originally created to offer programing targeted toward Black viewers. Each of these potential suitors is more than worthy of the opportunity to helm such a significant portal of Black imagery. Still, a greater agenda raises additional considerations and a distinctive option for ownership. Founded by Robert L. Johnson in 1980, BET has been a primary hub for Black-themed content since its inception. Johnson sold the cable channel to Viacom in 2001 for $3 billion, resulting in an infusion of capital and infrastructure expansion, to include the addition of BET+ and BET Her. The broadcast schedule is populated with original scripted and unscripted programming, as well as acquired off-net fare, with daily viewership currently hovering near 1.7 million and annual ad revenues exceeding $215 million. While the mere existence of BET has demonstrated the power of the Black economy, its celebration of Black culture further highlights its prominence and influence.

Variety’s biggest “I Think You Should Leave” fans ranked the show’s best moments. Honorable mentions: “Triples is Best,” “You Can’t Cancel Lunch,” “Tammy Craps,” “TC Tuggers,” “Baby of the Year” and “Has This Ever Happened to You?” SPOILERS: If you don’t recognize this one yet, don’t worry, we’re doing something! In this sketch, Tim tries to do a good deed — for Tim — by pulling a fast-food-pay-it-forward that he plans to enjoy himself by swooping back around in the drive-thru line. This Season 3 newcomer is an early highlight of the new batch of episodes, and ordered its way onto our list fifty-five times.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Well Go USA Entertainment has acquired North American rights to Kore-eda Hirokazu’s film “Monster” which world premiered in competition at the Cannes Film Festival and and won best screenplay (for Yuji Sakamoto). A critically acclaimed Japanese master, Kore-eda previously won Cannes’ Palme d’Or with “Shoplifters” in 2018 and returned to the competition last year with “Broker” which won best actor for Song Kang-ho. Well Go USA Entertainment plans to release “Monster” in North American theaters in late 2023 or early 2024. Scored by late Oscar-winning composer Ryuichi Sakamoto (“The Last Emperor”) and lensed by Ryoto Kondo (“Shoplifters”), “Monster” tells the story of a widowed mother (Ando Sakura, “Shoplifters) who notices that her young son (Kurokawa Soya) has begun exhibiting strange behaviors. When she brings her concerns to the staff at his school, she discovers that a teacher (Nagayama Eita, “Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai”) is responsible and demands an explanation. Told through the multilayered perspectives of mother, teacher and child, the film gradually unveils the truth which proves much more complex than anyone expects.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Cannes Festival’s digital media partner Brut. and leading podcast studio Paradiso Media are launching “Brutally Informed,” a weekly podcast series that just launched exclusively on Audible. The program is part of Audible’s expanding news and non-fiction slate. Hosted by journalists Jared Marcelle, Rheya Spigner, and Noah Jones, “Brutally Informed” aims at delivering insights on issues spanning current affairs, culture, and societal issues with topics ranging from polyamory to the Colorado River to counterfeit sneakers. Each 15-minute episode boasts original interviews and investigative reporting. The audio show is produced by Alex Schuman, with Paradiso Media’s Yael Even Or serving as supervising producer. Executive Producers are Ann Heppermann for Audible, Carly Figueroa for Brut, and Emi Norris for Paradiso.

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor From Paul Lee’s perspective, the streaming boom that led Hollywood to binge on original content has evolved significantly during his half-dozen years as CEO of production company Wiip. Over the past year, the industry has been through “a moment where the streaming revolution went from a land grab to ‘This land needs to be fertile,’ ” Lee says on the latest episode of Variety podcast “Strictly Business.” Lee spent a dozen years at Disney, rising to become head of ABC Family and later head of ABC Entertainment and ABC Studios. He’s mostly kept a low profile since launching Wiip in partnership with CAA in 2016.

Ellise Shafer Arlo Parks’ sophomore album is, in some ways, accidental. “I started listening to everything I’d collected, and I was like, ‘Whoa! I pretty much got the raw material for an album here,’” she tells Variety. “I tricked myself somehow.” This helped the 22-year-old London native avoid some of the pressure that often accompanies an artist’s second LP — especially if they’ve had an ascent like Parks’. After building a loyal fan base in the U.K., she released her debut album, “Collapsed in Sunbeams,” in January 2021. It went on to win the prestigious Mercury Prize and earn Parks best new artist and alternative album nominations at the 2022 Grammys. But all of that success didn’t come without a cost: After opening for Harry Styles, Clairo and Billie Eilish in the first half of 2022, Parks canceled part of her U.S. tour later in the year, saying her mental health had “deteriorated to a debilitating place.”

The Cleveland Cavaliers! Even though the season came to an end a while back The Cavs played playoff basketball for the first time in years. With the craziness of the 2023 NBA playoffs, many top teams have been dethroned. Milwaukee, Memphis, and the most recent one in the Boston Celtics.

Lisa Rinna has an ex to thank for signature spiky pixie cut. The TV personality revealed that she first got the look after a breakup. 

Well, this is ironic timing!

Committed to the bit. Ali Wong opened up about adjusting to heightened attention amid her budding romance with Bill Hader.

Alec Baldwin is on the mend after undergoing hip replacement surgery. «Alec got a new hip today…it was a long time necessary,» his wife, Hilaria Baldwin, wrote on Instagram, sharing the news. «We have been through so much together…as your partner and as you heal, I want so very much for you to leave this very intense chronic pain chapter behind and improve your quality of life.»Added Hilaria, «Grateful to Dr Davidovitch, Dr Miller, Dr Golden, Dr.

Bachelorette no more! Andi Dorfman and Blaine Hart are officially married more than one year after their whirlwind engagement.

Get your money, Taylor Swift! Keep on being super ambitious! This and much more on our latest show! CLICK HERE to listen to the newest episode of The Perez Hilton Podcast with Chris Booker in full at PerezPodcast.com

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Ryan Gosling is opening up about the moment he knew he’d never want to “go back” in his relationship with Eva Mendes.

No longer an investment. Jason Oppenheim and Marie-Lou Nurk have called it quits after dating for less than a year.

Parents are stealing baby formula and groceries from supermarkets in order to support their families during the cost of living crisis, a shocking new report has found.

This was the moment a man was hauled off a plane at Manchester Airport after flight attendants noticed him smoking in the cabin toilets. Passengers on the Ryanair flight RK3442 from Palma to Manchester yesterday (May 30) watched on as the man was greeted by police after the flight touched down.

https://t.co/hNP2HELPS6 pic.twitter.com/IlnQGyyz83— Litty Liquor (@LittyLiquor) January 13, 2023The ASA challenged the use of the phrase “Get Lit” which was thought to have encouraged excessive and irresponsible consumption of alcohol. They shared: “We understood that the word ‘lit’ had a long history of being used as a slang term for being drunk, and that it had also become popular within the rap music scene to indicate being intoxicated.”They continued: “We noted that in recent years the term ‘lit’ had also been used in rap music to mean that something was exciting, or of an excellent quality.However, because the ad was focused on the creation and consumption of an alcoholic drink, and was set in a nightclub and a distillery, we considered that consumers would likely associate the phrase “#GETLIT” … to relate to the consumption of alcohol, and becoming intoxicated.”“We therefore considered that the ad was likely to encourage excessive consumption of alcohol,” they added.#NewProfilePic pic.twitter.com/W66MOMtmT5— Litty Liquor (@LittyLiquor) December 14, 2022Litty Liquor responded to the complaints by apologising for including the rapper in the advertisements and removed the ads posted to their official Instagram account. The company added that they understood how the phrase “#GETLIT” could have been perceived as promoting excessive and irresponsible alcohol consumption, but said it intended to promote their products in a responsible and appropriate manner.They also shared they would be reviewing their advertising policies and procedures in order to prevent similar issues from occurring in the future.In other news, ArrDee recently collaborated with Cat Burns on the track ‘Home For My Heart’.

Protesters interrupted a Manchester town hall meeting four times today (May 31), forcing the council leader to repeatedly pause proceedings. Members of community union Acorn were calling on the council to end their use of bailiffs.

Manchester United could win both the FA Cup and League Cup in the same season for the first time ever against Manchester City this weekend.